THAP. II.] L.TERATE EXPERIENCE. 19S 



occasioral regulation of their temperature? So by late 

 experience salt is found of great efficacy in coudensing, by 

 the way of artificial freezing, — might not this be transferred 

 to the condensing of metals, since it is found that the aquae- 

 fortes, composed of salts, dissolve particles of gold out of some 

 lighter metals 1 So painting refreshes the memory by the 

 image of a thing; and is not this transferred in what they 

 call the art of memory? And let it be observed, in generai, 

 that nothing is of greater efficacy in procuring a stock of 

 new and useful inventions, than to have the experiments of 

 numerous mechanic arts known to a single person, or to a 

 few, who might mutually improve each other by conversa- 

 tion ; so that by this translation of experiments arts might 

 mutually wann and light up each other, as it were, by an 

 intermixture of rays. For although the rational way, by 

 means of a new machine for the mind, promises much greater 

 things ; yet this sagacity, or learned experience, will in the 

 mean time scatter among mankind many matters, which, as 

 so many missive donatives among the ancients, are near at 

 hand. 



The transferring of experiments from one part of an art 

 to another differs little from the transferring one art to ano- 

 ther. But because some arts are so extensive as to allow of 

 the translation of experiments within themselves, it is proper 

 to mention this kind also, especially as it is of very great 

 moment in some particular arts. Thus it greatly contributes 

 to enlarge the art of medicine to have the experiments of 

 that part which treats of the cures of diseases, transferred to 

 those parts which relate to the preservation of health and 

 the prolongation of life. For if any famous opiate should, 

 in a j^estilential distemper, suppress the violent inflammation 

 of the spirits, it might thence seem probable that something 

 of the same kind, rendered familiar by a due dose, might in 

 good measure check that wasting inflammation which steals 

 on with age. 



An experiment is invei-ted when the contrary of what the 

 experiment shows is proved ; for example, heat is increased 

 by burning-glasses ; but may cold be so too ? So heat in dif- 

 fusing itself rather mounts upwards, but cold in diffusing 

 itself rather moves downwards. Thus, if an iron rod be 

 heated at one end, then erected upon its heated end, and th« 

 2 o 



