(io82) 
aione upon the Rack will, by the Summer heat be turnM into Iron, and 
tnen he makes inference upon the Hjpothefis. Which is a miftake • 
tor ldonotfayfoinanyparcofmfBooki bucp. 45. I do fay,that fome 
ounac which IS hke ordinary Earth, falling down, turns to an inn^flone and 
IS tufiblc inthefire. 
//J ^^^^ "^^^ SeA.he is pofitive about the colour of R^^man Vitriol which 
I laid to be faditious. Concerning this, I find Authors much differing.c?^. 
len (1. 9. defimpl. med. fac.) raencions 3. fores which he found uCyprw 
and tells of a fort, but not a word of SoDt.forden, e j, in- 
dc<^d Schroder fis ^ndi Adrian Toll fpeakofa^/f» fort. Jn this diflent of 
Writers, I confulced fome L^rned and obferving Gendemen, who had 
been at Rome^ and they affure me,that the Romans adde that colour, when 
fhey caftit into forms. Moreover if that be a right diftribution of htriUs 
into their feveralkinds, which fome of our modern Chymife make, vU. 
that there are but three forts, Vitriol of Iron^ oiC offer ^ and Vt^hite VitrioJ, 
then, I think; it will follow, that I am in the right • for, one is yellow, 
that of Iron, the other grecn^and the white is that, which is made blew.But 
'tis not worth the while to contend about it. . 
In my i2op. he faith, I am diffatisfied with what my Adverfaryafferts 
concerning the Saltnefs of the Sea proceeding from Foffil bait, c^r. but ra- 
ther that l allow the Peripatetical Torrefaftion of the bun to be the Caufe. 
All I fay there, is,that the /^m^^r^fiVi^x thought,it came fliort of an ade- 
quat eaufe, and thereupon they fly to that torrefadion • but it docs not 
therefore fdjow, thit I allbw ic. f he truth is,I like neither of the Opini- 
ons, but hive Argument* againft them both. To fpeak out, I rather 
think, the Saltnefs of the Sea to be connatural to it ( as the freflincfe of 
other water is to ic), and that it was made fo from the beginning but that 
I refcrved for another difcourfe. V 
As for the Argument whidi thcrel brought to back my affertion, viz,. 
That if the Salt of the Sea (hould come from /0^/ Salt, it would kill the 
Hfli, he faith, it is not convincing; This I feconded by an Inftance concer- 
ning the Salt-Sea, which kills all fi(h, and thence is called Mare mortfinm^: 
Which, I chink, is of greater force taconfirm it, thanthe Do(Sors inftance 
of Oyfters, which he has experimented to be prefcrved by Salt and water, 
can be to concr ;di6t it. For thofe Zoofhjta hivc but a dull and imperfeA 
life,and are not fo proper tobe drawn into inftance in our cale* We know, 
they will ksep a loag time in their own pickle or moiftare,and we have alfo 
Wwnthcmtoftink , nocwithftanding the addition of Salt and water, 
and therefore little judgment cm be taken from them. It is moft certain 
(as he obferves) tha^ the Inland Salt-fprings are fuch from foflil Salt, and ic 
were worth trying , whether thofe Salt-fprings would not kill a Pilchard, 
orany other fort of Sea-fi(h, that liveth a perfSS fenfkive life ; but, I fear. 
Sir, I have beea too tedious. You will, €^r. 
