Of OXFORDSHIRE. d 3 



rals, latent underneath them in the bowels of the earth, my 

 conje&ure thereby is not made the lefs valid. 



36. With the Pyrites cinereus, or Coperatfione, not unlikely 

 there may alfo be fome mixture of Arftnic, which advances its 

 malignity to that deadly ftrength, that no man may approach un- 

 der pain of death : But that for the future, the infenftble inva- 

 sions of this fecret enemy may for ever be avoided ; let all work? 

 men, and fuch as upon any account whatever have occafion to dig 

 or go down in thefe wells, firft throw down into them a peck of 

 good Lime, which flaking in the water, and fuming out at the 

 top, willfo effectually difpel all fuch poifonous vapors, thatthey 

 may fafely go down, and ftay fome time unhurt. 



37. From thefe mifchievous ones of Vitriol and Arfenic, I 

 proceed to fome other more innocent (alts-, before promifed more 

 fully to be handled here, with which fome earths being peculiar- 

 ly qualified, are accordingly difpofedto^e/ri/fe bodies. How all 

 petrifications are performed by falts, and petrifications per minima, 

 by their fubtileft fteams, I fuppofe has already fufticiently been 

 (hewn, as alfo how waters moil: probably erred them : It remains 

 only therefore now to be proved, that earths as well as waters, do 

 afford fuch fteams as permeate alfo the moft folid texture. 



38. To which purpofe I met with a curious inftance in the 

 Fields between Clifton and Nuneham-Courtney , of a ftone that 

 reprefents a found piece of Afh, cut both parallel and tranfverfly 

 to the pores, and retaining the grain and colour fo well and live- 

 ly, that no body at fight believes it to be other than a firm and fo- 

 lid piece of wood ; and yet this was taken out of grounds there- 

 about, as far from water as one need to wifh. In fliort, the ver- 

 (ion feemsfo very perfect, its fubjeft appearing to have been ve- 

 ry found and free from rottenntfs, that either we muft own fuch 

 petrifications as this, to be truly fuch, and totumfer totum, or elfe 

 allow that ftones may grow in grain and colour exaftly like 

 wood. 



39. But that the latter of thefe may not fo far take place (though 

 the poiTibility of the thing muft not be denyed) as to exclude 

 a poffibility of its being fomtimes otherwife ; I take leave to in- 

 ftance in another petrification made alfo by an earth, and not by 

 water, that feems to carry a necefTity with it, of its fubjecls once 

 being folid wood: for befide, that it flhews the clofe grain of Oak, 



and 



