T he Hijlory of Life and Death. 



inc ; And chat, though they be expofed to the open Aire ; Much more, if they be bu- 

 ried in the Earth. Notwithstanding Stones gather a kind of Nitre; which is to them, in 

 ftead of Rufi. Treciotts Stones, zwd Chryfials,tntzd Metals in long Lafting; But then, 

 they grow dimmer) and kffe Orient, if they be very old. 



It is obfetved,that Stones, lying towards the North,doe fooner decay with Age,than 

 thofe that lie towards the South ; And that appears manifeftly , in Pyramides , and 

 Churche j,and other ancient Buildings? Contrariwife,in Ironfhzt expofed to the South, 

 gathers Rufi fooner; And that to the North,latter ; As may be feen,in the Iron Bars of 

 windowes. And no marveu\ feeing in all Putrefaction, (as Rufi is) Moillure haftens 

 Diffolucions; In all Pimple Arefadtio^Drienefle. 



In Vegetables, (we lpeak of fuch as are feld, not growing.) the Stocks or Bodies of 

 harder 1 recs, and the Timber made of them , laft divers Ages : But then, there is diffe- 

 rence, i n the Bodies of Trees j Some Trees are,in a manner, Spongie; as the Elder; In 

 which the pith in the midft is loft, and the outward part harder ; But in timber-trees,as 

 the Okft the inner part (which they call, Heart of Oke) Iafteth longer. 



The Le&ves^nd F lower s&nd Stalkjs,oi Tlants,zxt but of fhort lafting: But diffolve 

 into Duft,imicife they putrifie; the roots are more durable. 



The Boms of living Creatures laft long; as we may fee it of Mens bones , in Charnel 

 Houles, Homes alto laft very long; fo doe Teeth; as it is feen in Ivory ,and the Sea- 

 horfe Teeth . 



Hides, dio&nd .y£w,endure very long; as is evident in old Parchment Bookes: Pa- 

 per likewife, will laft many Ages,though not fo long as Parchment. 



Such Things as have pajfed the Fire, laft long; as Gla[i,md Brickj. Likewife, Flefh, 

 and Fruits,tkit have pajfed the fire, laft longer than Raw i And that not onely,bccaufe 

 the baking in the Fne,forbids putrefaction : But alfo, becaufe the watry Humor being 

 drawn forth, the oily Humor fupoorts it felte the longer. 



Water-, of all Liquours is fooneft drunk up by aire; Contrariwife Ojle Iatcft : which 

 we may fee, not onely in the Liquours themfelves but in the Liquours mixt with o- 

 ther Bodies : Eor Paper wet with water, and fo getting fome Degree of Tranfparency, 

 will foonafterwax white,and lofe the Tianfparcncy again, the watry vapour exhaling, 

 But oiled Paper will keep the Tranfparency long, the Oile not being apt to exhale: And 

 therefore they thatcountefeit Mens Hands, will lay the oiled paper upon the writing 

 they mean to counterfeit ; and then affay to draw the lines. 



Gummes,*\\ of them, laft very long ; The like do Wax and Honey. 



But the Equal, otVn-equalufe of Things,conduceth no Iefle to long Iafting,or fhort 

 lafting.than the. things themfelves. For Timber and Stones, and other Bodies, ftandino 

 continually in the watir, or c ontinually in the a : re,hi\ longer, than if they wcic fome- 

 timeswet, fometimes dry. And fo Stones continue longer, if they be laid towards 

 the fame coaft of Heaven , in che Buildirg, that they lay in the Mine. The fame is,of 

 Plants removed, if they be coafted juft as they were betore. 



Obfervations. 



T Et this be laid for a Foundation,**^ & *t mofi fur e\Th at there is, in ever} Tangible 

 body,a Spirits body Pneumatical,f»c/c»j&^ and covered with theT angible parts; And 

 that from this Spirit,?* the beginning of all Diffolutim and Confumption ; fo as the 

 aAntidote againfi them is the Detaining of this Spirit. 



This Spirit is detained two wayes ; Either by a ftraight Inclofure , as it were in 

 a Prifon\Or by a kind of Free and Voluntary Detention. Again,this voluntary flay 

 is perfwaded two wayes-.Either if the Spirit it felfe be not too Moveable, or Eager 

 to depart -fir if the external Aire importune it not too much to come forth. So then, 

 two forts of fub fiances are Dnrable;Wzxd Subftance^W OilytHard Subftance binds 

 in the Spirits clofe\ Ol\y,partly enticeth the Spirit to fiay } partly, is of that nature, 

 that it is not importuned by Aire: For Aire is Confubfixntialto Water, & Flame to 

 OUe.y4Wf^£-^/'«^NatureDurable,(^NotDurabIe,;«Bodiesinanuriate,f/?*« much. 



The Hijlory. 



Erbs, of the Colder fort,6k yearly,both in Root and Stalk; As Letttce, Purflaue; 

 Alio wheat,-md aH kind of Corn, Yet there are fomc told Herbs, which will laft 



C 2 three 



H 



