1 3 
3\(aluraU History 
Experiment 
Solitary tou¬ 
ching the Pcr- 
fiin and Tranf- 
mutatitnai 
AircintoWater. 
Experiment 
Solitary tou¬ 
ching Helpcs 
towards the 
Beauty and 
gtod features' 
oiPerfons. 
28 
Sorcerefles-, as well amongft the Heathen , as amongft the Chrifiians, haue j 
fed vpon Mansfltfh, toaid(as itfeemeth) their Imagination, with High \ 
and Fouie Vapours. 
f Tieemeth that there bee thefewayes (in likelihood) 6 ^ Verfion y ofva- 
Xpoins. or Aire, into Water and CMoifture. The firft is Cold ; which 
doth manifeftly condenfe • As wee fee in the Contracting oj toe Aire 
in the Weather'Glajfe . Whereby it is a Degree nearer to water. Wee fee 
it alfo in the Generation of springs , which the Ancients thought (very 
probably) to bee made by the Verfion of Aire into Water, holpen by the 
Reft; which the Aire hath in thofe Parts • Whereby it cannot diffiparc. 
And by the Coldneffe of Rockes . For there Springs are chiefly generated. 
Wee fee it alfo in the Effects of the Coldot' the Middle Region (as they 
call it) of the Aire ; Which produceth Dewes, an d Raines. And the Ex¬ 
periment of turning Water into Ice , by Snow, Nitre, and Salt (where¬ 
of wee lhall fpeake hereafter) would bee transferred to the Turning 
of Aire into water. The Second wav is by Comprefton • As in StiUa- 
tories, where the Vapour is turned backe, vpon it felfe, bv the Encounter 
of the S ides of the Stillatory ; And in the Dew vpon the Couers of Boyling 
Pets • And in the Dew towards R&ine, vpon Marble , and wainfeot. But 
this is like to doe no great effed • Except it bee vpon Vapours, and 
groffe Aire , that are already very neere in Degree to Water. The 
Third is that, which may beefearched into, but doth not yet appeare ; 
which is, by Mingling of Moifi Vapours with Aire • And trying if / 
they will not bring a Returne of more water , than the water was at ’ 
hr ft : For if fo •, That Increafe is a Verfion of the Aire : Therefore put 
water into the Bor.comeof a Stillatory, with the Neb flopped 5 Weigh 
the water firft ; Hang in the Middle of the Stillatory a large Spunge$ 
And fee what Quantity of water you cancrufh outofir ; And what it 
is more, or lefle, compared with the Water fpent 5 For you muft vnder- 
ftand, that if any Verfion can bee wrought, it will bee ealilieft clone in 
finall Pores: And that is theReafon why wee preferibe a S gunge. The 
Fourth way it Probable alfo, though not Appearing s Which is, by 
Receiuing the Aire into the ftnal 1 Pores of Bodies • For (as hath beene (aid) 
euery thing in finall Quantity is more eafie for verfion ; And Tangible 
Bodies haue no pleafure in the Confort of Aire , but endetiour to fubaft it 
into a more Denfe Body : But in Entire Bodies it is checked j becaufe if the 
Aire fhould Condenfe,there is nothing to fucceed 1 Therefore it muft be 
in loofe Bodie f,as Sand and Powder ^ which we fee, if they lieclofe of them- 
felues gather Moifture. 
I T is reported by fome of the Ancients ; That whelps , or other Crea¬ 
tures ^ if they bee put Young, intofuchaCage, or Box, as they can 
not rife to their Stature, but may increafe in Bredth, or Lengthy 
will grow accordingly , as they can get Roome : which if ic bee 
true, andfaifible, and thattbe young Creature fo prefTed, and ftreight- 
ned. 
