OF BODIES,Chap,XXVIIII. 



313 



2. 



on ; it muft of neceifity follow that it will have * divers JuftrC 

 and fight . as we fee by experience in the necks of Pigeons , and 

 incertainepofitions of our eye, in which the Jight pafling 

 through oureye browes , maketh an appearance as though wee 

 (aw divers colours dreaming from a candle we looke upon. And 

 accordingly we may obferve how fome things , or rather moft, 

 doappeareof a colour more inclining towhite,whentheyare 

 irradiated with a great light, then when they (land in a lefTer. 

 And wee fee painters heighten their colours, and make them 

 appeare lighter by placing deepe fhadowes by them : even fo 

 much , that they will make objects appeare neerer and fur- 

 ther off, meerly by their mixtion of their colours. Bccaufe, 

 objects, the neerer they are, the, more ftrongly and lively 

 they reflect ligh^and therefore.appeare theclearer.as the others 

 do more dusky. 



Therefore , if wee put the fuperficies of one body to have a 

 -better difpofition for the, reflection of li^ht, then an other f .. 5 n r cer 1 . n 8 



, /- & i J-/T L thc aiipofition 



hath ; wee cannot but conceive, that fuch difference in the of thofc bodies 



Superficies , mutt needs beget variety of permanent colours in which produce 



the bodies. And according as the iuperficies of the fame bo- white or black 



dy, is better, or worfe difpofed to reflection: of light, bypo- colour$ - 



liining, or by comprefTure together, or the like : fb, the fame 



body, remaining the fame in iubftance, will mew it felfe of 2 



different colour. And it being evident that white ( which is 



the chiefeft colour ) doth reflect moft light : and as evident, 



that blacke reflected! leaft light , fothat it reflected! fhadowes 



in lieu of colours ( as the Obfidian ftone among the Romans 



doth witnefle. ) And it being Jikewife evident, that to be 



dcnfe and hard, and of fmall parts , is the difpofition of the 



object which is moft apt to reflect light : wee cannot doubt, 



but that white is that difcofitionoFthefuperficies. That is to 



fay, it is thcfuperficiesorabodyconfiftingofdenfe, of hard, 



and of fmall parts ; and on the contrary fide , that black is the 



difpofition of the iuperficies , which is moft fbfc and full of 



greateft pores ; for when light meeteth with fuch a /uper ficies, 



It getceth eafily into it; and is there^as it were abforpt and hidden 



in caves , and commeth not out againe to reflect towards our 



eys. 



This doctrine of ours of the generation of colours, agreeth 



exactly 



