» — 
Century* 1 , 
may fee great Ax tomes of Nature, through fmall and Contemptible In 
fiances. The Speedy Depredation of Aire vpon Watry Moifture ; and Verfion 
of the fame into Aire , appeareth in nothing more vifible than m the f ud- 
den Difcharge,or vanifhing,ofa little Cloud, of Breath, or Vapour from Glajje 
or the Blade of a Sword,ox any filch Polifhed Body • Such as doth not at all 
Detaine, or Imbibe the Moifture - For the Miftinefle fcattereth and brea- 
keth vp fuddenlv. But the like Cloud, ifit were Oyly, or Patty, will not dif- 
charge - Not becaufe itftickethfafter • But becaufe Ai/epteyeth vpon 
water • And Flame, and Fire, vpon Oyle • And therefore, to take out a 
Spot of Greafe,they vfea Coale vpon browne Paper 5 becaufe Fire wor- 
keth vpon Greafe,or Oyle, as Aire doth vpon water. And we fee Paper oyled 
or Wood oyled, or the like, laft long moift : but wet with Water , dry, or pu- 
trifle fooncr. The Caulc is,for that Aire medleth little with the Moijlure 
of oyle. 
T Here is an Admirable demonftration, in the fame trifling Infiance 
of the Little Cloud vpon Glajje,ox Gtrnmes, or Blades of Swords, of the 
Force of Vnioh, euenin the leaft Quantities, andweakeft Bodies, how 
muchit conducethto Preferuation of the prefent Forme $ And the Refi¬ 
lling ofa New.For marke well the Difcharge of that Clond-, And you fhall 
feeiteuerbreakevp, firft in the Skirts, andlaftinthe middeft. Weefee 
likewife, that much water draweth forth the Iuyce of the Body Infufed * 
But little water, is imbibed by the Body: And this is a Principall Caule, 
why in Operation vpon Bodies, for their Verfion or Alteration, the Triall in 
great Quantities, doth notanfwer the Triall in fmall • Andfo deceiueth 
many - For that (I fay) the greater Body,refifteth more any Alteration of 
Forme, andrequireth farre greater Strength in the Actiue Body, that 
fhouldfubdueit. 
VT V E hauefpoken before in the fifth In fiance b of the Caufeof Orient 
Y\f Colours dm Birds^hich is by the Finenefleot the Strainer : we will 
nowendeuour to reduce the fame Axio'me to a Worke. For this Writing 
of our Silua si bar am, is (to fpeake pfoperly) not Naturall Hifiory , but a 
highkindeof Naturall Mapicke. For it is not a Description onely of Na¬ 
ture, but a Breaking of Nature, into great and ftrange Workes. Try 
therefore, the Anointing oner of Pigeons , or other Bftds, when they 
are but in their downe * Or of Whelpes , cutting their Haire as fhortas 
maybee • Or offome other Beaft 5 with fomeoyntment, that is not hurt- 
fulito the Flefh ; And that will harden, and fticke very clofe - And fee 
whether it will not alter the Colours of the Feathers, or Haire. It is re- 
ceiued, that the Pulling off, the firft Feathers of Birds, cleane, will make' 
the new come, forth white : And it is cercaine, that white is a penurious 
Colour, and where Moifture is (cant. So Blew Violets, and other Flowers , 
iftheybee framed, turne Pale and White • Birds, and Horfes, by Age, or 
Scarres,turne White \ An' 1 ' the Hoare Haire sod Men • come by the fame 
reafon. And therefore in Birds , itis very likely, that the Feathers that 
come 
*9 
Experiment 
Solitary tou¬ 
ching the Force 
ofPnm. 
9 * 
Experiment 
Solitary tou¬ 
ching the Pro 
(lacing of Fea¬ 
thers and Haircs 
ifdiucrsColours . 
91 
