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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 separated by the attracting and repelling powers in the strainers, ducts, and pores of thofe bodies, forms feveral diftinct kinds of fulphur, all which, before such separation, were loft and blended together, in one common mass of light or fire feemingly homoge

neous.

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192. In the analysis of inflammable bodies, the fire or fulphur is loft, and the diminution of weight fheweth 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 imprifoned made part of the compound, 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 specificates fome new fubject, of the animal, vegetable, or mineral kingdom. Fire therefore in the fenfe of philofophers is also 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 should 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 exposed to the fire of a burning glafs, 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 (a) 169.

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to their pores. It is alfo obferved, that urine produceth no phosphorus, unless it be long exposed to the folar light. From all which it From all which it may be con

cluded, that bodies attract and fix the light; whence it fhould feem, as fome have obferved, that fire without burning is an ingredient in many things, as water without wetting.

194. Of this there cannot be a better proof, than the experiment of Monfieur Homberg, who made gold of mercury, by introducing light into its pores, but at fuch trouble and expence, that I fuppofe no body will try the experiment for profit. By this junction of light and mercury, both bodies became fixed, and produced a third different from either, to wit, real gold. For the truth of which fact, I refer to the memoirs of the French academy of Sciences. From the foregoing experiment it appears, that gold is only a mafs of mercury penetrated and cemented by the subftance of light, the particles of those bodies attracting and fixing each other. This feems to have been not altogether unknown to former philofophers; Marfilius Ficinus the Platonist, in his commentary on the first book of the fecond Ennead of Plotinus, and others likewife before him, regarding mercury as the mother, and fulphur as the father of metals; and Plato himfelf in his Timæus defcribing gold, to be a denfe fluid with a fhining yellow light, which well fuits a compofition of light and mercury.

195. Fire or light mixeth with all bodies (4), even with water; witness the flashing lights in the fea, whose waves feem frequently all on fire. Its operations are various according to its kind, quantity, and degree of vehemence. One degree

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keeps water fluid, another turns it into elastic air (a). And air itself feems to be nothing else but vapours and exhalations, rendered elaftic 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.

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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 explofion 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 fhould feèm impregnated with fire. Mr. Hales thinks it is with air. The vaft expansion 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 phofphorus burns equally, with and without air.

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197. Perhaps they who hold the oppofite fides in this question, may be reconciled by obferving that air is in reality nothing more than particles of wet and dry bodies volatilised, and rendered elastic 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 difcerned but by means of fome groffer body, which

(a) 149.

(6) 147, 150, 151,
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ferves not, for a pabulum to nourish the fire, but for a vehicle to arrest and bring it into view. Which feems the fole ufe of oil, air, or any other thing, that vulgarly paffeth for a pabulum or food of that element.

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198. To explain this matter more clearly, it is to be obferved, that fire, in order to become senfible, must have fome fubject to act upon. This being penetrated and agitated by fire affects us with light, heat, or fome other fenfible alteration. ! And this fubject fo wrought upon may be called culinary fire. In the focus of a burning glafs ex- › pofed to the fun, there is real actual fire, though not difcerned by the fenfe, till it hath somewhat to work on, and can fhew itself in it's effects, heating, flaming, melting, and the like. Every ignited body is, in the foregoing fenfe, culinary fire. But it will not therefore follow, that it is convertible into pure elementary fire. This, for ought that appears, may be ingenerable and incorruptible by the courfe of nature. It may be fixed and imprifoned in a compound (a), and yet retain it's nature, though loft to fenfe, and though it return into the invisible elementary mafs, upon the analyfis of the compounded body: as is manifeft in the folution of ftone lime by water.

199. It should seem, therefore, that what is faid of air's being the pabulum of fire, or being converted into fire, ought to be understood only in this sense; to wit, that air being lefs gross than other bodies, is of a middle nature, and therefore more fit to receive the impreffions of a fine ætherial fire (b), and impart them to other things. According to the antients, foul ferveth for a vehicle to (b) 163.

(a) 169, 192. 193.

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intellect (a), and light or fire for a vehicle to the foul; and, in like manner, air may be fuppofed a vehicle to fire, fixing it in fome degree, and com municating it's effects to other bodies.

200. The pure invifible fire or æther doth permeate all bodies, even the hardest and most folid, as the diamond. This alone, therefore, cannot, as some learned men have fuppofed, be the cause of muscular motion, by a mere impulfe of the nerves communicated from the brain to the membranes of the muscles, and thereby to the enclosed æther, whofe expanfive motion, being by that means increased, is thought to fwell the muscles, and caufe a contraction of the fleshy fibres. This, it should feem, the pure æther cannot do immediately, and of itself, because, fuppofing it's expanfive motion to be increased, it muft ftill pafs through the membranes, and confequently not fwell them, inafmuch as æther is fuppofed freely to pervade the moft folid bodies. It should seem therefore, that this effect must be owing, not to pure æther, but to æther in some part fixed and arrested by the par

ticles of air.

201. Although this æther be extremely elastic, yet, as it is fometimes found by experience to be attracted, imprisoned and detained in grofs bodies (b), fo we may fuppofe it to be attracted, and its expanfive force diminifhed, though it fhould not be quite fixed, by the loose particles of air, which combining and cohering therewith may bring it down, and qualify it for intercourse with groffer things. Pure fire may be faid to animate air, and air other things. Pure fire is invifible; therefore flame is not pure fire. Air is neceffary both to life and flame. And it is found by experi

(a) 178.

(b) 169.

ment,

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