IO 
Experiment 
Solitary tou¬ 
ching the Com- 
mixture oi 
Flame and /lire, 
And the grea t 
force thereof. 
30 
Experiment 
Solitary tou¬ 
ching theSe- 
cret Nature of 
Flame. 
3 * 
J\(aturall History: 
F lame and Aire doe not Mingle, except it bpe in an Infiant • Or in the 
viiall (pirits of Vegetables and Lining Creatures . In Gunpowder , the 
Force of it hath beeneaferibed, to Rarefaction of the Earthly Sub fiance 
into Flame : And thus farre it is true : And then (forfooth) it is be¬ 
come another Element ; the Forme whereof occupieth more place ; 
Andfo, of Necefiity, followetha Dilatation : And therefore, left two 
Bodies fhouldbeein one place, there mull needs alfo follow an Expul- 
lion of the Pellet 5 Or Blowing vp of the Mine. Butthefe are Crude 
and Ignorant Speculations. For Flame, if there were nothingelfe, except 
it were in very great quantity, will bee fuffocate with any hard Body, 
ftich as a Pellet is, or the Barrell of aGunne 5 So as the Flame would 
not expell the hard Body 5 But the hard Body would kill the Flame, 
and not fulfer it to kindle, or fpread. But the caufe of this fo potent 
a Motion, is the 2 ^itre, {'which wee callotherwi fesalt-Perre ^ ) which 
hauing in it a notable Crude and windy spirit, firft,by the Heat of the 
Fire fuddenly dilateth it felfe ; (And wee know that fimple Aire, be¬ 
ing preternaturally attenuated by Heat, will make it felfe Roome, and 1 
breake and blow vp that which refifteth it i ) And Secondly, when 
the Nitre hath dilated it felfe, it bloweoh abroad the Flame, as an inward 
Bellowes. And therefore we fee that Brimfionr. Pitch, Camphire, Wilde 
Fire , and diners other Inflamable Matters, though they burne cruelly 
and are hard to quench • Yet they make no fuch fiery winde, as Gm 
powder doth : And on the other fide, wee fee that Quick filuer *, (which 
is a moft Crudeand Watry Body) heated, and pent in, hath the like force 
with Gun-powder. As for Lining Creatures, it is certaine, their Vit all Spi¬ 
rits area Subftance Compounded of an Airy and Flamy Matter ; And 
though Aire and Flame being free, will not well mingle 5, yetboundin 
by a Body that hathfome fixing, they will. For that you may beft lee 
in thole two Bodies (which are their Aliments , ) Water, and ode • For 
they likewife will not well mingle of themfelues, but in the Bodies of 
Plants and Lining Creatures, they will. It is no maruell therefore, that 
a fmall Quantity of Spirits, in the Cells of theBraine, and Canales of 
theSinewes, are able to moue the whole Body, (which is of fo great 
Malle) both with lo great Force, as in Wreftling, Leaping ; And with 
fo great Swi fine fie, As in playing Diuifionvpon the Lute. Such is the 
force ofthefe two Natures, Aire and Flame , when they incorporate. 
T Ake-a finall Wax-Candle, and put it in a Socket, ofBrafle, or Iron; 
Then let it vpright in a Porringer full of Spirit of Wine, heated; 
Then fetboth the Candle, and Spirit of Wine, on fire, andvou (Ball fee 
the Flame of the Candle, open it felfe^and become foure or fiue times big¬ 
ger than other wile it would hauebeene ; andappeare in Figure Globular, 
and not in Piramis. You {hall lee alfo, that the Inward Flame of the 
Candle keepeth Colour, and doth not wax any whit blue towards 
theColourof the Outward Flame of the Spirit of Wine . This is a Noble; 
Infiance 
