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Sect. 2. 
Whence this Fluidity. 
Tis Water that firft occafions, and afterwards 
maintains, this Fluidity ; and the Reafon why we find 
none of this fparry Mafs in its fluid State, nor ever fee 
this lapideous Juice, is, becaufe that whilft it remains 
incorporated with theWater, it is not to be diftinguifli’d 
from the Liquor in which it fwimsj and as foon as 
ever it is deferted by theWater that circulated it in 
the Bowels of the Earth, and othef neceflary Cir- 
cumftanccs concur to produce that Change, it be- 
comes Stone : By Water it is that the fparry Atoms 
are wa(hed forth 6tit of their Repofttories (8), col- 
lected into a thick, tranfparent, or opaque Juice 
(the flony Particles attracting each other as much as 
the intermediate W ater will give leave) ; and as foon 
as the redundant Water is drained off, or evaporated, 
the lapideous Parts (now more at Liberty) accede to 
a clofer Union, and are aflifted greatly therein, as 
well by the condenftng Nature of Cold, which com- 
prefles the Parts, and forces them nearer one to the 
other, as by fudden evaporating Heats ; and thus the 
Stone forms itfelf, fo much Water refling in the Pores 
and Interftices of the Parts (in proportion to the 
Number and Magnitude of thofe Pores), as is nccef- 
(8) Woodward’s Nat Hid. of the Eaith, 2d Edit, p.189. 
‘ c Water is the only Agent that educes the Matter, of which they 
c ‘ (viz. Spar and Cryftai) confift, out of the Strata, and complies 
tC and forms it in the perpendicular Fiflfures” Woodward's N. H>Jl. 
of F off. Vol. 1. p. 150. 
fary 
