of fire, Daniel

le, and y flame

tles faw

This rai-
or body
; which
centuries
to have
ery glory

wrote by
of late
nion, that
necinah or
nt and or.
›mmenting

have gone
bishop ob

downright

kely he in-
he best re
the Lord
g light. It
paffages of
uftrate this
Dearing and
on of which

Bafilidians,

pinion, that

the element of fire in a peculiar light, and treated
it with more than common regard, as if it were
fomething of a very fingular and extraordinary
nature. Nor are there wanting authors of princi-
pal account among the moderns, who entertain
like notions concerning fire, especially among those
who are most converfant in that element, and
should seem beft acquainted with it.

189. Mr. Homberg the famous modern chemift,
who brought that art to fo great perfection, holds
the fubftance of light or fire to be the true chemic
principal fulphur (a), and to extend it felf through-
out the whole univerfe. It is his opinion that
this is the only active principle. That mixed with
various things it formeth feveral forts of natural
productions, with falts making oyl, with earth
bitumen, with mercury metal. That this princi-
ple of fulphur, fire, or the fubftance of light, is in
it felf imperceptible, and only becomes fenfible'
as it is joined with fome other principle, which
ferves as a vehicle for it. That, although it be
the most active of all things, yet it is at the fame
time the most firm bond and cement to combine
and hold the principles together, and give form to
the mixed bodies. And, that in the analyfis of
bodies it is always loft, efcaping the skill of the
artift, and paffing through the clofeft veffels.

190. Boerhaave, Niewenty't, and divers other moderns are in the fame way of thinking. They with the ancients diftinguifh a pure, elementary, invifible fire from the culinary, or that which ap. pears in ignited bodies (b). This laft they will not allow to be pure fire. The pure fire is to be dif cerned by it's effects alone; fuch as heat, dila. tation of all folid bodies, and rarefaction of fluids, (b) 163, 166.

(a) 129.

the

1

the fegregating heterogeneous bodies, gregating thofe that are homogene therefore which fmoakes and flames is no but that which is collected in the focu rour or burning glafs. This fire feems of all the operations in nature withou either vegetates, or putrefies, lives o ferments, is diffolved or compounded throughout this whole natural world i fubfift. Were it not for this, the w be one great ftupid inanimate mafs. active element is fuppofed to be every always prefent, imparting different deg heat, and motion, to the various anima bles, and other natural productions, a the elements themselves, wherein the duced and nourished.

191. As water acts upon falt, or aqu an iron, fo fire diffolves all other bo air, and water are all three menftruun two last seem to derive all their force from the first (a). And indeed there f originally or ultimately, but one me nature, to which all other menftruum reduced. Acid falts are a menftruum force and distinct powers are from fulp fidered as pure, or in themselves, they the fame nature. But, as obtained tion, they are conftantly joined with phur, which characterizeth and canno rated from them. This is the doctri fieur Homberg. But what is it that eth or differenceth the fulphurs them fulphur be the fubftance of light, as will have it, whence is it that anin (a) 149.

con

That

fire,
mir-

ource

thing

yes or

tered,

ch we wou'd it this

e, and

of life,

vegeta-
ell as to

re pro

›rtis up

Fire,

but the

activity as to be, ruum in may be

but their . Con

re all of

diftillaTome fulbe fepaof monarecteriz ves? If at author

vege

table,

table, and metallic fulphurs impart different quali ties to the fame acid falt? Can this be explained upon Homberg's principles? And are we not ob liged to fuppofe, that light feparated by the at tracting and repelling powers in the strainers, ducts, and pores of thofe bodies, forms feveral di ftinct kinds of fulphur, all which, before fuch fes paration, were loft and blended together, in one common mafs of light or fire feemingly homoge

neous.

192. In the analysis of inflammable bodies, the fire or fulphur is loft, and the diminution of weight theweth the lofs (a). Oil is refolved into water, earth, and falt, none of which is inflammable. But the fire or vinculum which connected those: things, and gave the form of oil, efcapes from: the artift. It disappears, but is not deftroyed.. Light or fire imprisoned made part of the com pound, gave union to the other parts, and form to the whole. But having escaped, it mingles with the general ocean of æther, till being again parted and attracted, it enters and fpecificates fome new fubject, of the animal, vegetable, or mineral kingdom. Fire therefore in the fenfe of philofophers is alfo fire, though not always flame.

193. Solar fire or light, in calcining certain. bodies, is obferved to add to their weight. There is therefore no doubt but light can be fixed, and enter the compofition of a body. And though it fhould lye latent for a long time, yet, being fet. free from its prifon, it shall still fhew itself to be fire, Lead, tin, or regulus of antimony, being expofed to the fire of a burning glass, though they lofe much in fmoak and fteam, are nevertheless! found to be confiderably increased in weight, which proves the introduction of light or fire in

.

to their pores. It is alfo obferved, that duceth no phosphorus, unless it be lor to the folar light. From all which it m cluded, that bodies attract and fix whence it fhould feem, as fome have that fire without burning is an ingredien things, as water without wetting.

J

194. Of this there cannot be a be than the experiment of Monfieur Hom made gold of mercury, by introducing its pores, but at fuch trouble and expe fuppofe no body will try the experime fit. By this junction of light and mer bodies became fixed, and produced a rent from either, to wit, real gold. truth of which fact, I refer to the mem French academy of Sciences. From th experiment it appears, that gold is o of mercury penetrated and cemented ftance of light, the particles of those bo ing and fixing each other. This feer been not altogether unknown to form phers; Marfilius Ficinus the Platonist, mentary on the firft book of the fecond Plotinus, and others likewife before hi ing mercury as the mother, and fulphu ther of metals; and Plato himself in H defcribing gold, to be a denfe fluid with yellow light, which well fuits a com light and mercury.

24

195. Fire or light mixeth with all even with water; witnefs the flashing li fea, whose waves feem frequently a Its operations are various according t quantity, and degree of vehemence.

(a) 157.

pro

ofed

con

ght;
rved,

many

proof,
who

at into
that I
or pro-
both
a diffe

For the

of the

pregoing
a mafs
the fub-
s attract

to have
philofo-

This com-
nnead of
regard
as the fa
Timæus
a fhining

fition of

odies (4), nts in the on 'fire. its kind

ne degree

keeps

keeps water fluid, another turns it into elaftic air (a). And air itself feems to be nothing elfe but vapours and exhalations, rendered elastic by fire. Nothing flames but oil: and fulphur with water, falt, and earth compofe oil; which fulphur is fire therefore fire enclosed attracts fire, and caufeth the bodies whofe compofition it enters to burn and blaze.

196. Fire collected in the focus of a glafs operates in vacuo, and therefore is thought not to need air to fupport it. Calx of lead hath gone off with an explosion in vacuo, which Niewenty't and others take for a proof that fire can burn without air. But Mr. Hales attributes this effect to air enclosed in the red lead, and perhaps too in the receiver, which cannot be perfectly exhaufted. When common lead is put into the fire in order to make red-lead, a greater weight of this comes out than was put in of common lead. Therefore the red-lead hould feem impregnated with fire. Mr. Hales thinks it is with air. The vaft expanfion of compound aqua fortis, Mr. Niewenty't will have to proceed from fire alone. Mr. Hales contends that air muft neceffarily co-operate. Though by Niewentyt's experiment it fhould feem, the phof phorus burns equally, with and without air.

197. Perhaps they who hold the oppofite fides in this queftion, may be reconciled by obferving that air is in reality nothing more than particles of wet and dry bodies volatilifed, and rendered elaftic by fire (b). Whatever therefore is done by air must be ascribed to fire, which fire is a fubtile invifible thing, whofe operation is not to be dif cerned but by means of fome groffer body, which