246 Of the Principles 



copper-earth, crude-earth, fulphur, arfenic, gold, 

 and filver, all which we have again divided into 

 effential and incidental parts : of the latter, or the 

 parts new produced, we have only one inftance, 

 namely, vitriol, yet it may be queried, whether 

 to this la ft fort might not be added fandarach, as 

 fulphur and arfenic, whereof fandarach confifts, 

 eflentially and corporally exift m pyrites, not in an 

 united, but a feparated ftate, though not coming 

 up fo fully as vitriol to the cafe. And it might b$ 

 further queried, whether the gold and filver in py- 

 rites wert actually, or. corporally and formally, tho* 

 in a feparated ftate therein, and not new produced, 

 efpecially by means of additions. 



Should we abide by the efTential parts of pyrites, 

 namely, the iron, fulphur, arfenic, alfo the cop- 

 per, the pyrites, in the ftricteft fenfe, is not a mixt, 

 or a body made up of fimple parts ; nay, not a 

 tompound, or a body put together of mixts, but a 

 decompound, namely, put together of compounds ; 

 and accordingly the queftion fhould feem, not to 

 regard the original particles of the pyrites, ,but the 

 original parts of each part of the pyrites: but as 

 this would carry us too far, and efpecially as I 

 confider not thefe parts as fuch, but only as parts 

 of the pyrites, we not only may, but muft enquire 

 into its original particles, as a compounded body ; 

 and pyrites being a decompound, the queftion is, 

 whether the compounds, as the fulphur and iron 

 Were actually and formally preient when the pyrites 

 was formed, or whether thefe compounds firft ex- 

 ifted in the act of formation and production •, or, 

 what to many may appear more diftinct, whether 

 the formation of the pyrites be a compofition, or a 

 mixtion ? where, by the former, the parts muft ac- 

 tually exift, but by the latter firft begin to exift. 



Wc 



