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dial Century T. 49 
99. 
Experiment 
Solitary, 
touching the 
Pomcrof eat. 
PWT iscértain, that of all Powers in Nature, Feat is the chief ; both in the 
Frame of Nature; andin the Works of Art. Certain itis likewife, that 
the effes of Heat; are moft advanced, when it worketh upon a Body witli- 
J out lofs or diffipation- of the matter ; for thatever betrayed the account. 
| Andthereforc itis true, that the power of Heat is beft perceived in Diftil- 
} lations, which are performed in clofe Veflels and Receptacles. But yet 
| there is a higher degree ; Forhowfoever Diftillations do keep the Body in 
Ci ‘Ils and Cloyfters, without going abroad, yecthcy give {pace unto Bodies 
}toturninto Vapor, to return into Liquor, and to {eparate one part from 
{another So as Nature doth expatiate ; although it hath not full liberty ; 
| whereby the true and ultime operations of Heat, are not attained : But 
| if Bodies may be altered by Heat, and yetnofuch Reciprocationof Rare- 
}fa@ion, and of Condenfation, and of Separation, admitted ; then itislike | 
Ithat this Prorew of Matter, being held by the Sleeves, will turnand change | 
Jintomany Metamorpholes. ‘Take therefore a {quare Veilel of Iron,in form 
| of aCube, and let it have goodthick and ftrongfides; put itinto a Cube of 
| Wood, that may fillit as clofe as may be, and letit have a cover of Iron as 
t trong (at leaft) asthe fides, and let it be well Luted, afterthe manner of 
the Chymifts; then place the Veflelwithin burning Coals kept quick kindl ed. 
| for fome few hours{pace; then take the Veflel from the Fire, and take off | 
}the Cover, and fee whatis becomeof the Wood, I conceive; that fince all 
| Inflamationand Evaporation arcutterly prohibited, and the Body {till curn- 
fed upon it felf, thatoneof thefe two Effects will follow, Either that the: 
Body of the Woed will be turned into a Kinde of CAmalagma, (as the Chy- 
miffs call it,) or, thatthe finer part willbe turned into Air, and the sroffer | 
flick as it were baked, and incruftate upon the fides of the Veffel, being 
} become of adenfer matter, thanthe Wood it {elf, crude. And for another | 
}tryal, take alfo Water, and putit in the like Veflel, topped asbefore; but } 
Jufe agentler Heat, and remove the Veflel fometimes from the fire; and 
| again, after fome {mall time, when itis cold, renew the heating of it, and | 
repeat this alterationfome few times ; and if you can once bring to pafs, 
hat the Water which is one of the fimpleft of Bodies, bechanged in Co- 
lour, Oder, or Tafte, after the manner of Compound Bodies, you may | 
be furethatthere is agreat work wrought inNature, andanotable entrance 
miade in ftrange changes of Bodies, and productions; and alfo a way 
made to do that by Fire, in {mall time, which the San and —Age do in 
{long time. But if the admirable effeds of this Diftillation in clofe, ( for 
{fo we callit) which is like the Wombs and Matrices of Living Creatures, 
| where nothirig expireth nor feparateth: We will {peak fully, inthe duc 
{place. Nor that we aim at the making of Peracelfus Pigmeys, or any fuch }. 
prodigious follies ; but that we know the effects of Heat will be fuch, as } 
will fcarce fall under the conceit of Man, if the force of it be altogether 
WHere is nothing more certain in Natare, than that itis impoffible for 
any Body tobeutterly annihilated ; but thae as it was the work of the 
| Omnipotency of God; to make Somewhat of Nothing: So it requireth the 
|like omnipotency, to turn Somewhat into Nothing. And therefore it is well 
Maid by an obicure Writer of the Se& of the Chywifts, That there isno fuch 
| way to effc& the ftrange Tran{mutations of Bodies, as toendeavor and urge 
| by all means, the reducing of them to N. ie And herein is contained al- 
ee 7 : aoe . se the 
19 ‘ : ‘ : ia rs 
TOO. 
Experiment 
Solitary, 
touching the 
Imp ofsibility 
of Annihila- 
Sione 
