366 NOVUM ORGAN VM. 



mixture of water and oil, which manifests itself to the sense, since 

 the mixture of air and flame escapes the sense. But oil and water, 

 which are very imperfectly mingled together by composition and agi 

 tation, are yet exactly and delicately mingled in herbs, blood, and the 

 parts of animals. And so something similar may possibly take place 

 in the mixture of flame and air in spirituous bodies, which, though they 

 do not really undergo mixture by simple juxtaposition, yet appear to be 

 mingled in the spirits of plants and animals, especially as all animate 

 spirit feeds upon both kinds of moisture, viz. the watery and the fatty, 

 as its proper aliment. 



In like manner, if the inquiry be not into the more perfect Mixtures 

 of Spiritual Bodies, but only into their composition viz. whether 

 they are easily incorporated one with another, or whether there be 

 not rather, for example, some winds and exhalations, or other spiritual 

 bodies, which are not mixed with common air, but only stand and 

 float in it in globules and drops ; and are rather broken and crushed 

 by the air, than taken into and incorporated with it ; this cannot 

 become perceptible to the sense in the case of common air, and other 

 spirituous bodies, on account of their subtlety ; yet we may see a 

 certain image of the way in which the thing takes place from the 

 example afforded by such liquids as quicksilver, oil, and water; and 

 also of air and its division, when it is dispersed and rises in little 

 globules through water; also in thick smoke; and lastly in dust, 

 raised and remaining in the air; in all of which cases there is no 

 incorporation. And the representation which we have set forth on 

 the subject is not a bad one, if inquiry be first diligently made, 

 whether there can be such a difference of character among spiritual 

 bodies as is found among liquids, for then these representations by 

 analogy may be conveniently substituted. 



And for that we said that information could be drawn from these 

 Supplementary Instances by way of refuge, when proper Instances 

 are wanting ; we wish it nevertheless to be understood, that they are 

 of great value, even when the proper Instances are within reach for 

 the purpose, we mean, of corroborating the information which the 

 others supply. But of these we shall speak more exactly when we 

 come to that part of our discourse which treats of the supports of 

 Induction. 



xliii. Among Prerogative Instances we shall put in the twentieth 

 place, Dissecting Instances, which we call also Plucking Instances, but 

 for a different reason. We call them Plucking because they pluck 

 the Understanding, Dissecting, because they dissect Nature, whence 

 we also sometimes call them Instances of Democritus. They are 

 those which remind the Understanding of the admirable and exquisite 

 subtlety of Nature, so as to rouse and awaken it to attention, observa 

 tion, and due investigation. For example, that a little drop of ink 

 spreads over so many letters or lines ; that silver, gilded on the 

 outside only, may be drawn out into so great a length of gilded wire ; 

 that a little worm, such as is found in the skin, has in it at once spirit 

 and a structure comprising different parts ; that a little saffron tinges 



