Lae Hiffory of Life wel Death, 
TS RL Tawa eae ene ln eg A a ies a as deers elec eee 
ing, and that‘though ‘they be expofed to the open air; much more if they be buried 
| in the earth... Notwithftanding Stoves gather akind of Nitre, which isto them inftead 
»{ of Ruft. Precious Stones and Cryffals exceed Metalls in long lating but then they 
‘| grow dimmer and lefs Orient,if they be very old. ; ' 
| Ibis obferved, that Stones lying towards the North do fooner decay with age than. 
i thofe that lie toward the South ; and that appears manifcftly in Pyramids,and Churches; 
and other ancient 2a/dings: contrariwife, in /ron, that expofed to the South, gathers 
Ruf fooner, and that to the North later; as may be feen in the tron-bars of infinlo te. 
| And no marvel, fecing in all putrefaction (as Rf is) Moifturchaftens Diffolutions; 
in all fimple Arefaction, Drinefs, 
In Vegetables, (we {peak of fuch as are fell’d, not growing ) the Stocks or Bodies of 
harder Trees, and the Timber made of them, laft divers ages. Butthen there is difte- 
rence in the bedies of Trees: fome Trees are in amanner {pongy,as the Elder,in which 
the pith in the midft is foft, and the outward part harder ; but in Timber-trees, as .he 
Oak, theinner part ( whichthey call Heart of Oak) lafteth longer. 
The Leaves, and Flowers, and Stalks of Plants are but of short lating, but diffolye into 
| duft, unlefs they putrefie: the Roots are more durable. 
The Bones of living Creatures Jatt long, as we may fee it of mens bones in Charnel. 
houfes : Horns alfo laft very long; fo do zeeth, as it is feen in Ivory, and the Sea-borfe 
| Teeth. ~. 
{ Aides alfo and Skins endure very long, as is evidentin old Parchment-books : Paper 
likewife will laft many ages,though notfolong as Parchment. 
‘Such things as have paffed the Fire laft long, as Glafs and Bricks; likewife Fle/h and 
Fraits that have paffed the Fire laft longer than kaw: and that not onely becaufe the 
| Bakinginthe Fire forbids putrefaction; but alfo becaufe the watry humour being drawn 
| forth, the oily humour fupports it {elf the longer. 
water of all Liquors is fooneft drunk up by 477, contrariwife O:/ lateft ; which we 
| may feenotonely in the Liguersthemfelves, butin the Lagzors mixt with other Bodies: 
for Paper wet with watcr, and fo getting fome degree of tranfparency, will foon after 
wax white, and lvfe the tranfparency again, the watry vapour exhaling ; but oiled Paper 
will keep the tranfparency long, the 0z/ not being apt to exhale :_ And therefore they 
| thar counterfeit mens hands, will lay the oiled paper upon the writing they mean to 
| counterfeit, andthen affay to draw the lines. 
Gums all of them laftvery long; the like do ax and Honey. 
~ But the equal or avzequal ule of things conduceth no lefs to long lafting or {hort laft- | 
' ing, than the things theinfelves ; for ismber, and Stones,and other Bodies, ftanding con- 
| tinually in the water, of continually in the az, laft longer than if they were fometimes 
, wet, fometimes dry : and fo Stones continue longcr, if they be laid towards the fame 
coaft of Heaven in the Building that they lay inthe Mine. The fameis of Plants re- 
| moved, if they be coafted juft as they were before. 
: 
— 
OL fer vations. 
r Et this be laid fora Foundation, which zs moft fure, That there is in every Tangible 
Li; 4 Spirit , or body Pucumatical, eaclofed and covered with the Tangible pares ; 
And that from this Spirit ts the beginning of all Diffolution and Confumption, fo as 
the A atidote again if? them isthe detaining of this Spirit. 
This Spirit 1s detained two ways: eather by a ttreight "nclofure, as st were i# a Pri- 
fon: or by akind of free and voluntary Detention Again, this voluntary ftay is 
” perfwadedtmo ways : either if the Spirit it felf be not too moveable or eager to depart ; 
or if the external Air importune it not too much ta come forth. So then, two forts of 
Subftances are durable, Hard Subftances, avd Oily : Hard Subftance bsads in the 
Spirits clofe; Oily partly enticeth the Spirit to Stay, partly is of that nature that it is 
not importuned e Air; for Airzs confubftantial to Water, andFlame toOil. And 
touching Nature Durable and not Durable zz Bodies Inanimate, thus much. \ 
The Eiftory. 
: i” 
i | Erbs of the colder fort die yearly both in Root and Stalk; as Lettice, Purflane; 
alfo WVheat and all kind of Corn: yet there are fome cold Herbs which will lat 
€s3 three |) 
