A Trertife of BODIES. Chap. 27. 



Of this great macliinc that environeth us, we who are but a 

 fmall parccll, are not immediately concerned in every part of it. 

 It importeth not us for the eonfervationof our body , to have 

 knowledge of ochcr parts then liich as are within the diflancc 

 of working upon us: tho'eonely within whole fpherc ofa^ivi- 

 t-y v\e arc planted, can ofTcndor advantage us: and of them (bine 

 are near us, others further from us. Thofethac arc next unto us, 

 we dilcern (according as they are qualified) euhcr by our 

 touch- or by our taft, or by our imelling; which three fenies do 

 manifestly appear to confift in a mere gradation of more or leffc 

 groffe ; and their operations are levelled to the three elements 

 that prcOe upon us, earth, water, and aire. By our other two 

 fenfes ( otir hearin<*HiTiH'Our feeing ) we have notice of things 

 further off: and the agents which work upon them, arc of a 

 more refined nature. 



But we muft treat of them all in particular : and that which 



wc wil1 bc m with flial] be thc touch > as bein g the groflcft f 

 that both it & them, and that which converfeth with none but the molt mate- 

 m quaruic, arc rialj znd m ^ o ty c fa t W e fee it dealeth with heavie confident 

 bodies, and judgcth of them by conjunction unto them, and by 

 immediace reception of fomething from them. And according 

 to the divers impreffions they make in it, it diftinguiftieth them 

 by divers names; which ( as we faid of the qualities of mixed 

 bodies ) are generally reduced to certain pairs, as-hot and cold, 

 wet and dry, foft and hard,fmooth and rough,thick and thinne, 

 & fome others of the like nature; which we needlcflc to enume- 

 rate, fmcc we pretend not to deliver the fcience of them, but 

 oncly tofliew that they and their actions arc all corporeall. 



And this is iufficiemly evident, by mere repeating but their 

 very names: for it is plain by what we have already faid, that 

 they are nothing elfe but certain affections of quantity, arifing 

 out of different degrees of rarity and denfity compounded toge- 

 ther. And it is manifcft by experience* that our fenfc rcceiveth 

 thc very fame impreffions from them which another body doth: 

 for our body or our fenfe will be heated by fire; and will alfo be 

 burned by it, if the heat be too great as well as wood : it will 

 bcconftipatcd by cold water, moyltened by humidc things, and 

 <hycd by dry bodies, in thc fame manner as any other body 



what- 



