in the Pyrite s. 149 



or formally metallic earth ; on which fcore, pyrites 

 may be called, neither an iron-earth, nor iron it- 

 felf, but a fulphur ated iron, or iron-earth: and 

 laftly, that the fulphur and iron-earth are mutually 

 moved or acted upon by each other, and connected 

 together, like two members or links in a chain ; 

 where there is neither agent nor patient, but both 

 are equally paffive ; in which cafe a third body muft 

 intervene ; as happens in the vitriolifation of the 

 pyrites •, where not only the chain, but each link 

 therein, breaks afunder, namely, the fulphur in 

 particular, ceafes to be a fulphur, and commences 

 to be, what it mud be, for exhibiting a vitriol. 



This third confideration leads' me to a circum- 

 fiance the mod important of all, and which gave oc- 

 casion to this queftion, which otherwife may poffibly 

 appear ufelefs -, namely, an opinion, that the metals 

 in the ores do, by means of the fulphur' s activity, not 

 only grow, but become more enobled : a furmife, 

 which, if it doth not unhappily betray the enquirers 

 into all the falfe conclufions and vain idle proa j iTes 

 about mecais and their melioration, yet it helps to 

 prevent the difcovery of other ufeful, practical 

 truths. For, tho* we are ready to confefs ful- 

 phur a very powerful principle in the mineral king- 

 dom, yet in an/ capital imitation of nature, we are 

 not to drain or over-do our conceptions of it. 



Where then is the fulphur or agent in fuch pro- 

 c°fTes, when two bodies, which partly are only a 

 cruoe, unfaline, unfulphurous, nay even unmer- 

 curial earth ; and partly, a metal already fmelted 

 out of its ore, come together into union, and fuch 

 a degree of motion, as that the fir ft not only incor- 

 porates with, but alfo proves fimilar tothefecor d ■, 



L 3 confe- 



