A TrtAtift o/BODIES. Chap. 22. 



And thereupon enquiring what quality there is in iron,whcnce 

 this eflfeft may follow; we find that it is diftinguifhed from a 

 loadftone, as a metall is from a ftone. Now we know that me- 

 talls have generally more humidity then ftones; and we have 

 'difcourfed above, that humidity is the caule of (ticking: efpeci- 

 ally when it is little anddenfe. Thefe qualities muft needs be in 

 the humidity of iron: which of all metalls is the moftter reft ri- 

 all: and fuch humidity as is able to ftick to the influence of the 

 loadftone, as it paffeth through the body of the iron 5 muft be ex- 

 ceeding fubtil and fmall; and it feemcth necefTary that fuch hu- 

 midity fhould ftick to the influence of the loadftone., when ic 

 meeteth with it, considering that the influence is of it felf dry, 

 and that the nature of iron is a kin to the loadftonc: wherefore 

 the humidity ofthc one, and the drought of the other will not 

 fail of incorporating together. Now then, if two irons well 

 polifhed and plain> be united by fuch a glcw as refulteth out of 

 this competition, there is a manifcft appearance of much rea- 

 fon for them to ftick ftrongly together. This is confirmed by 

 the nature of Iron in very cold countrcys & very cold weather: 

 for the very humidity of the aire in times of froft, will make 

 upon iron, fooner then upon other things, fuch a ftickingglew 

 as will pull off the skin of a mans hand that touchcth it hard. 

 And by this difcourfe,you will perceive that Galileo's argu- 

 ments do confirm our opinion as well as his own; and that ac- 

 cording to our doctrine, all circumftances muft fall out juft as 

 they do in his experiences. And the reafon is clear why the in- 

 terpofition of another body hindereth the ftrong flicking of 

 iron to the cap of thcloadftone; for it maketh the mediation be- 

 tween them greater, which we have fliewcd to be the gencrall 

 rcafbn why things are eafily parted. 



Let us then proceed to the refblution of the other cafes pro> 

 pofed. The fecond is already rcfolved: for if this glew be made 

 of the influence of the loadftone, it cannot have force further 

 then the loadftonc it felf hath : and Co farre ic muft hare more 

 force then the bare influence of the loadftonc. Or rather the 

 humidity of two irons maketh the glew of a fitter temper to 

 hold, then that which is between a dry loadftoneand iron; and 

 the glew entcreth better when both fides arc moift > then when 

 qncly one is fo. 



