( 3 ^6 ) 
it flill retain 'd the fame atramentous Quality , and 
ftruck yet as deep with Galls as ever. The ftrangentft 
of this Phcenomenon made me hope to meet with (bme- 
what new and uncommon in this Water; and the Event 
did not deceive me, for it yielded me, at hft, a real and 
genuine Vitriol. I fay nothing of the Ocre which this 
Water let fall in very great Plenty, that being a thing 
common to all atramentous Waters. 
It'sftrange, how the Thoughts of having found out 
Come new^ thing, that has efcap d the Eyes and Obfcrva« 
tions of all Mankind befides, does footh the Vanity ot 
our Natures : The Appearance of a new Phoenomenon 
makes us think of nothing but fetting up for Authors of 
fome new Hypothefis , and while we give not our 
Thoughts time to cool, and calmjy to deliberate, we 
over-look a great many things, which, in cold Blood, 
we would have thought neceflary to have been enquired 
after,- and thus in our Hade and Tranfporr, for the mod 
part, we lofc our (elves, and leap over the Truth. 
Though ! was as ready as others to congratulate my 
felf for having lyet with a thing that feemed odd enough, 
yet I had ftill fome fecret Sufpicions of this Matter, that 
kept me from confidently affirming that I had met with 
a Spring that held real Vitriol : I couJd not bring my 
felf to think it poffible, that the Pyrites, lying conftant- 
ly under Water, (hould ever yield Vitriol ,• and I knew 
of nothing elfe (at leaft in England) that I could expedl 
it from : And for the Miji, Sory^ Chalcitest and Melan- 
Uria (of (btne of which Vitriol is made in other parts of 
the World, as Agricola^ Caneparius^ and others inform 
us) though the Account we have of 'em from the An- 
cients is very much confus^'d, and fometimes fcems to be 
inconfiftent, and what the Moderns fay in this matter is 
but an imperfed Tranfcript of what the Ancients have 
faid before, yet if any thing can be gathered out of their 
Accounts 
