from tie Pyrites. 2S5 



this laft has, doubtlefs, its origin from it, as we 

 mult neceffarily conclude from certain characters 

 and figns it affords. Now as iron and copper, as 

 is before obferved, may chance to be united toge- 

 ther in a vitriol^ it may be eafily fuppofed, the co- 

 lour peculiar to each metal, as green to the iron, or 

 blue to the copper, may be in one cafe exalted, 

 and in the other lowered •, and one become a green- 

 er vitriol, the other a paler, one combined with 

 fomething coppery, the other with fomewhat of an 

 iron- earth. The white vitriol particularly deferves 

 mentioning on this occafion, as it has its denomi- 

 nation absolutely from the colour; yet, by no 

 means, are we to imagine it a fpecies entirely dif- 

 ferent from the blue and green in its ground-earth 

 (as thefe are among themfelves) feeing it is always 

 coppery, and its white colour is to be derived from 

 fomething incidental, if not from an aluminous 

 earth, from the nature of its mixtion. 



Vitriol might alfo be clalTed according to its 

 different forms and figures, and the rather, as 

 there are names to that purpofe already extant ; 

 rrichiteSy capillary vitriol, tvhich often, like 

 wool, hair, and threads, encompafles themixt or 

 ore- work ; Stalaftites, drop -vitriol, in form of ici- 

 cles -, Cup<e rofa 9 as ufually fettling, in the courfe 

 of fhooting, on the edges of veflels, like fo many 

 rofes and flowers. 



The external, or rather, occafional caufe of th$ 

 origin of vitriol affords a further diftinction defend- 

 ing our regard. The internal formal caufe of vi- 

 triolifation fhall be enquired into below, and is in 

 all vitriols fo far one and the fame, as there is in 

 each fort a metal-earth for its ground or bafis, and 

 the higheft acid in nature, from what quarter fo- 



ever 



