11% The Natural Hijlory 



30. Having done with the inventions and Improvements that 

 concern the Heavens, come we next to thofe belonging to thefub- 

 lunary World, whereof the fame Ingenious Sir ChriflophexWren 

 has furnifh'd us with feveral ; as of exquifite fubtilty, fo of ex- 

 cellent ufe : Such as his contrivance to make Diaries of wind and 

 weather, and of the various qualifications of the air, as to heats, 

 colds, drought, moifiure, and weight, through the whole year ; and 

 this in order to the Hijlory of Seafons : with obfervation, which 

 are the moft healthful or contagions to men or beafts which, the 

 Harbingers of blights, meldews,fmut, or any other accidents at- 

 tending men, cattle, or grain ; fo that at length being inftrucled in 

 the caufes of thefe evils, we may the eafier prevent, or find reme- 

 dies for them. 



3 r . Now that a conftant obfervation of thefe qualities of the 

 air, both by night and day might not be infuperable ; he contri- 

 ved a Thermometer to be its own Regifter, and a Clock to be annex- 

 ed to a weather-cock., which moves a Rundle covered with white 

 Paper ; upon which the Clock moving a black-lead pen/il, the ob- 

 ferver, by the traces of the penfil on the paper, may certainly 

 know what winds have blown, during his fleep or abfence, for 1 2 

 hours together. He has alfo difcover'd many fubtile ways for 

 eafier finding the degrees of drought, and moislure, and the gravi- 

 ty of the Atmofphere ; and amongft other Inftruments, has Bal- 

 ances (alfo ufeful for other purpofes) that fliew the preffure of 

 the air, by their eafie (I had almoft faid fpontaneous) inclina- 



tions w . 



32. He has made Inftruments whereby he has fhewn the Me- 

 chanical reafon of failing to all winds ; and others of Reffiration, 

 for {training the breath from thick vapors, in order to tryal whe- 

 ther the fame breath thus purified will ferve turn again. Which 

 Experiments, however nice they may feem, yet being concerned 

 about a fubjecT: fo nearly related to man, that he always lives in it, 

 and cannot long without it, and is well or ill according to its al- 

 terations, the minuteft difcoveries of its nature or qualifications 

 ought to be valuable to us. 



33. Wherein yet we have been affifted by nothing more, than 

 the Pneumatick. Engine, invented here at Oxon: by that miracle of 

 Ingenuity, the Honorable Robert Boyle Efq; with the concurrent 



* Ibidem. 



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