19 



Only some oils will pass through those wooden vessels,, 

 which contain water. Not that their particles are more 

 penetrative ; but those woods abound wilh rosin. This 

 the| il dissolves, and then makes its way through 

 the spaces left thereby. Water also by degrees makes 

 its way through all wood, and is only retainable by glass 

 and metals. It finds its way were air cannot, as through 

 leather, which air cannot t>enelrate. Again, air may be 

 retained in a bladder : but water oozes through. Yea, 

 experiments shew, it will pass through pores ten times 

 .smaller than air will. By this very quality it is fitted to 

 enter into the composition of all bodies, animal, vegeta- 

 ble, and fossil ; with this peculiar circumstance, that by 

 a gentle heat it is separable from them again. By this, 

 joined with its smoothness, it is fit to convey tiie nutritive 

 matter of all bodies. Passing -s'6 readily, it never stops 

 up the pores, but leaves room for the following supplies. 

 And yet 2. Water, which o easily- separates from most 

 bodies, firmly coheres with some : yea, binds them to- 

 gether in the most solid masses. So mixed with ashes, 

 it gives the utmost firmness. The ashes, for instance, of 

 an animal, wrought up with pure water into a paste, and 

 baked with a strong fire, grows into a coppel, which 

 bears the utmost heat of a refiner's furnace. It is, in 

 truth, by the glutinous nature of water alone, that our 

 houses stand. For take this out of wood, and it becomes 

 ashes; out of tiles, and they become dust. 



Indeed all the stability and firmness in the universe, 

 are owing in part to water. Thus stone would be inco- 

 herent sand, did not water bind it together. And thus 

 of water and clay we make earthen vessels, of the ut- 

 most hardness and closeness. And these, though ap- 

 pearing perfectly dry, 'yield when distilled, an incredi- 

 ble quantity of water. The same holds or metals, par- 

 figs or filings, which by distillation, yield water plenti- 

 fully. Yea, the hardest stones, sea-salt, nitre, vitriol, 

 are hereby shewn to consist chiefly of water. 



Hence we learn that the component particles of 

 water sre, 1. Infinitely small ; whence their penetrative 

 power, 2. Exceed ing smooth and slippery; hence their 



