Part III. of the Earth. 1 3 5 



withftand the repeated Ailaults of the 

 permeating Fluid, and to maintain 

 their Integrity, whilft the other ten- 

 derer kinds perifh'd and were de- 

 ftroyed. 



That this fame fubtile Fluid exerts 

 the fame power upon the Surface of 

 the Earth, that it does in the Bowels 

 of it : and as it is inftrumental to the 

 Formation of Bodies here % fo is it like- * c$77fer. 

 wife (by a different Operation, which 

 I have not room to defcribe in this-^''^'*'^' 

 place) of the DejlrH£fion of them ; and 

 that Corrofion and DilTolution of Bo- 

 dies, even the moft folid and durable, 

 which is vulgarly afcribM to the Air^ 

 is caufed meerly by the A&wn of this 

 Matter upon them ; the Air being fb 

 far from injuring and preying upon the 

 Bodies it environs, that it contributes 

 to their Security and Prefer vation, by 

 impeding and obftruding the Ailion 

 of this Matter : and were it not for the 

 Interpofition of the Air, they could 

 never be able to make fb long and vi- 

 gorous Refiftance as now they do. 



That this Subterranean Htat or Fire, 12. 

 which thus elevates the Water out of 

 the Abyfsj hting in any part of the ^ 

 Earth Jlofd^ and fb diverted from its 



K 3 ordi- 



