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CHAP. XCVII. A fourth Paradox. (Book 97)

1. Things contained in the Water of the Spaw, according to the Opinion of o∣thers. 2. The Falshood of their Positions is proved. 3. Ingredients of the Fountains of the Spaw. What the Vitriol of Mars may be. 4. Coagulation is never made without Dissolution, nor this without that. 5. Bodies do not act into each other. 6. Between an Action, there is the Odour of a dissolving Spirit. 7. The dissolving Spirit is Coagulated. 8. Why a vein of Iron is Invisible in the Waters. 9. Why Waters do smell of Sulphur. 10. Why Sharpnesse perisheth in the Waters, and when. 11. That which is manifest becomes hidden; and that which is hidden is made manifest. 12. Why not the Iron but the Vein, may be said to be in Being. 13. The Salt of Fountains doth not grow in the vein of Iron. 14. Why one Fountain is stronger than ano∣ther. 15. The difference of Things contained in Fountains. 16. Why the Fountain Savenirius is not translated elsewhere. 17. Why the Water of Savenirius is the Lighter. 18. The Spirit of Salt doth for some time operate up∣on a Vein.

VVRiters do with one accord, affirm Water to be the continent of the Fountains of the Spaw: But we differ from them only in their Original; because it is [unspec 1] that which brings no small moment unto the Nobility of the same: But in respect of the thing contained in the Waters, they far disagree from us: For in∣deed they affirm, that Vitriol is in the Water of the Spaw, and that Calchitis or red Vitriol, Mysy, Sory, Melantera or Blacking, Salt, Nitre (that Nitre I say, hath been found to be in them, by the examination of Distilling, which elsewhere they never saw, because they testifie it is that which since the Age of Hippocrates, had failed from thence) Bitumen, or a liquid Amber, the pit Coal, Alume, Bole, Oker, Red-lead, the Mother of Iron, the Vein of Iron, Iron, Aerugo or Verdigrease, burnt Chalcanthum, Burnt Alume, also the Flour of Brass and Sulphur, have therein discovered themselves: These things I say, we read to be attributed by Authors, un∣to the Fountain of the Spaw, under their Mistris Uncertainty; and so they doubting unto what Captain they may commit so great an Army, do conclude, that there are

some Fountains, in which thou mayest most difficulty discern an eminent Subterrane∣ous Matter.

Elsewhere in the Fountains of the Spaw, that a Heat of Vitriol is tempered with the Cold of Red-lead and Brass,

In another place, that the Fountains of the Spaw are actually cold and moist, but in Power or Virtue (which one, Physitians do examine) to be hot and dry; and there∣fore especially because they extinguish Thirst.

At length, they say that there is the Faculty of Iron, Sulphur, Vitriol, and of other mineral Things in these Fountains, yet an uncertain Proportion of the first Qualities remaining, whether thou dost consider the Variety of subterraneous Things, or the va∣rious Disposition of the Drinkers. And I also read that, that is to be noted; That the Fountain Savonirius, puts on it, rather the Virtues of mineral Things, than their Sub∣stance (that is, Faculties above, without, or not substantial ones:) For elsewhere they say, that Fountains wax sharp by Vitriol alone, and that Vitriol is of a most sharp Sa∣vour; but in another place, with Diascorides, they find in Vitriol, more of an ungrate∣ful and earthy astriction, than of a sharpness.

Lastly, even as nought but the extream torture of the Fires, doth allure forth a most sharpe Oyl out of Vitriol (to wit, a hungry and sulphurous Salt elevating the brassy Spirits;) So from hence they suppose Fountains to wax sharp, and not otherwise; to wit, that such an Heat in the Earth doth stir up the sharp Spirits of Vitriol, unto the Superficies of the Earth, which being there constrained by Cold, and changed into a sharp Matter, are co-mixed with the neighbouring. Fountain: Which Position, many An∣guishes do accompany.

First. Because there is no such voluntary Distillation in the Universe.

And then, because at least the inward parts of the Earth, according to Hippocrates, [unspec 2] are Cold in Summer; to wit, when the Water of the Spaw is at best.

Thirdly, Because the Spirit of Vitriol cannot but gnaw the Earth or Rockie-stones which it toucheth, and therefore put of all sharpness, which is vainly dedicated to Fountains.

Fourthly, Because in Summer, the coldness of the Earth is not in its Superficies only, because it is more in condensing the Spirits, than the more inward Parts, from whence they imagine the Spirits to be chased, through the force of heat.

Fifthly, Because the Spirits of Vitriol being immingled with the Water, although negligently locked up, do neither lay aside their sharpness, nor are they tinged with a ruddie colour; the which notwithstanding, is altogether social unto Fountainous Waters.

Hitherto the Opinion of others hath led me aside.

I will confess my Blindness. I at sometime seriously distilled Savenirius, and Pouhon∣tius; and indeed, I found not so great a Catalogue of Minerals, yea not any thing in [unspec 3] them, besides Fountain-water, and the Vitriol of Iron, by other Writers before me neg∣lected: But the Vitriol of Mars consisteth of the hungry Salt of embryonated Sulphur, and of the Vein of Iron (not of Iron) which Vein, the hungry Salt being as yet volatile, hath by licking, corroded.

In which Act of corroding, there is made a certain kind of Dissolution of the Vein it self, and a coagulation or fixation of the volatile Salt: The Salt I say, as long as it is [unspec 4] volatile, that is, apt by being pressed by the Fire, to fly away, is reckoned among Spirits. But Bodies do not corrode Bodies, as such,; neither do fixed things act on, or into each other; but only as one of them is volatile, that is, a Spirit, whether it be grown toge∣ther, [unspec 5] or liquid.

In the next place, in all solution (as may be seen in the activity of Aqua Fortis, distil∣led [unspec 6] Vinegar, &c.) Some Exhalations are stirred up, being before at quiet, which as they are wild ones, they do not again obey coagulation; therefore the Waters do of necessity fly away, or being restrained, do burst the Vessels. But besides that also is afterwards to be noted, that how much of the Spirits hath compleated the solution of the Body, so [unspec 7] much also it hath assumed a corporality in the solved Body.

From hence therefore, a reason plainly appeareth, why the Waters of the Spaw, in so great a clearness or perspicuity, do hide in them the dark Body of the Vein of Iron.

Next, why in the activity of an hungry Salt, they do cast a smell of Sulphur, notwith∣standing the corporal Sulphur be absent. [unspec 8]

At length, it is also easie to be seen, why the Waters about the end of their activity (for that speediness of solution doth continue a longer or shorter time, in diverse Fountains) [unspec 9] do loose their Sharpness, and why the Vein being before transparent, doth then appear ruddy.

To wit, the Spirits being now partly chased away, or the same being weakened, and co∣agulated at the end of Activity, the imbibed Vein settles, and is manifested, which be∣fore [unspec 10] had remained hidden; the Waters in the meantime, recovering their natural or pro∣per Simplicity.

Furthermore, it is not idly to be denyed, that Iron, or the Fragments of Iron are in the Fountains of the Spaw, but the Vein of Iron to be in them: For truly there doth more [unspec 11] Virtue occur in the Vein, than in the Iron, to wit, of those subtile Parts, which the Furnace filched away in time of Fusion: Wherefore the Juice, Spirit, or hungry Salt (call it as thou listest) doth not grow within the Vein of the Iron, so that there may be a like [unspec 12] co-melting of both in the Waters; far be it: The Salt hath obtained other Wombs in the Earth, from whence the Water sliding by, melts that Salt, and snatcheth it away with it self, as it were a Cousin-germane, being once the Son of another Water.

But if therefore, it be the longer detained in a notable hollowness about the Vein, it suppeth up more of the Vein into it self, as doth Pouhontius, and this the Fountain Geron∣ster [unspec 13] doth as yet more amply do: But Tonneletius being richer than the two foregoing Foun∣tains, in a hungry Salt; yet is poorer than the same in the Vein: For from hence it is Cold, and more troublesome to the Stomack: Therefore which-soever Fountain doth more provoke Stoole, is the more fertile in the Vein. Neither indeed was that thing unknown to the Antients, who used the Scale of Iron for the loosing of the Belly.

Virgins also taking Stomoma or the Powder of Steel, are wont also to vomit on the first dayes. Geronster therefore hath received more of the Vein than Tonneletius; but [unspec 14] as much of Salt, but mitigated by reason of the Activity of the Vein received into it; and therefore that Salt hath become more gross and corpulent: But Savenirius is far more washy in Waters, having the least of the Vein, and hungry Salt; and therefore it sooner [unspec 15] finisheth the Action of the hungry Salt, and Vein, and the Medicinal water sooner dyeth: And for the same Cause, it most easily passeth thorow the Stomack, is sooner concocted, and doth penetrate.

The presence therefore of the Spirit acting into the Vein, enlargeth the Pores in the Water, and works up the Water of the Fountain unto a lighter weight.

It is further to be noted, that even as in Wines, and unripe Oyl of Olives, there is a fermental boyling up; So the Action of the hungry Salt it self, is made: And not only upon the Vein, while it gnaws and passeth thorow the same; but also it operates for some time, upon the same, being snatched away with it: Pouhontius I say, far longer than Save∣nirius, &c. until that the Activities of the Spirits being worn out of exhausted, as well the Agent, as the Patient, the thing dissolving I say, like as also the thing to be dissolved, do decay or faile in the same endeavour.