I i06 ] 
A difcourfe concerning the Sepulchral Lamps of the 
Ancimts J J/jcwing the pofjibilijy of their being 
made divers waies^ read before the Philofophical 
Society of Oxford, May the j. i 684. by Robert 
Plot LL. P. X)\rQtiQ^ 0/ Experiments to the faid 
Society. 
Mr. Vrejident and Gentlemen^ 
YOU may well remember thatatthelaft meeting,! 
fhewed you that the downy part of the Mineral 
caird Linum Ashefiinum ^ E^iTth-flax ^ or Salamanders 
Wooll, would make, and do the office of a ^^^//^tolerably 
well; it having burnt from about nine in the morning 
("being fliill fupplyedwith Oyl J till about four in the af- 
ternoon ("about what time that broke up ) with- 
out fenfible diminution .* yet it was objed:ed that upon 
other trials a /r^'«^^7/>y had been found in it, which ar- 
gued fome fort of confumptioriy Qndthat allowing it in- 
vincible it! the fire, yet there might be fome danger of 
its being clogd by the impurities of the beft Oyl that 
could be got, or any way prepared. To the firit of 
which OkjeBions it was then anfwer'd , that there was 
no fuch abfolute neceffity of making ufe of that Wooll, 
but that another Weik^ might be contrived , againft 
which that exception could^ot lye > fuch as a 
Wire, efpecially of the beft refined Gold f whole prero- 
gativeit is, not to be diminirn't by fire ^ that will lick 
up 6>y/as well as any other Wei\, audio make a perpe» 
tualflame^ provided it be fupplyed with 2i perpetual Oyl : 
this I muft confefsl have often heard afferted, butne-^ 
ver applied my felf to the trial oith^ Experiment, till 
I received your commands to do it the laft week; in 
execution whereof I found that in ^ Faggot of Wire 
made 
