233 



2. It is not improbably supposed, all metals con, 

 sist of particles so heavy, that they cannot be wholly 

 torn asunder or dissipated by fire, or put into so 

 rapid a motion as to inflame. It only separates them 

 so far as not to resist a hard body, which is what 

 we term liquefaction. Their malleableness, or bear- 

 ing to be wrought by the hammer, may spring from 

 the figure of their parts, perhaps oblong or square, 

 which may occasion their cohering so strongly, as 

 hot easily to be separated. And it is probable the 

 pares either of their constituent particles, or of the 

 whole mass, are few r and small, which may account for 

 their being so much heavier than any other known 

 bodies. 



This is the radical character of metals. The 

 weight of gold to that of glass is as nine to one. 

 And the weight of tin, the lightest of all metals, is to 

 that of gold as seven to nineteen : which considerably 

 surpasses the weight of all stor.cs and other the most 

 solid bodies. Nor is there any body in nature but 

 ft metal, that is one third of the weight of gold, 



The KjH'ejfiu weight of the several metuhj aivJ of 

 typ granite} water, and air ? stands thus; 



Gold 19S3S Iron 7852 



Quicksilver 14019 Tin 732V 



Lt-ad 1UI5 Granite 3978 



Silver 105, ,5 Water 1000 



Copper 8813 Air T 3 T 



3. The nutrition of metals seems to consist only 

 in the accretion of homogeneous pares, which is nut 

 improbably sup osed to continue, while they lie hi 

 their native bed. Many suppose they have lain there 

 ever since the tiooi, if not ever since the creation* 

 Whether they have or not, they seem to ;row as long 

 as they remain therein. And after these beds have 

 been emptied by miners, in a lime they recruit again. 

 Yea, the earth or ore of allum will recruit again 

 above ground, if it be exposed to the open air. And 

 so m the forest of Deane, the best iron, and in the 



