An entire body of philosophy according to the principles of the famous Renate Des Cartes in three books, (I) the institution ... (II) the history of nature ... (III) a dissertation of the want of sense and knowledge in brute animals ... / written originally in Latin by the learned Anthony Le Grand ; now carefully translated from the last corrections, alterations, and large additions of the author, never yet published ... by Richard Blome.

CHAP. VII. Of Iron and Steel.

I. How Iron which is so hard a Metal comes to be extend∣ed by being made red hot. IRon is the hardest of all other Metals, as being more difficult to be melted than any of the rest; and yet being put into the Furnace and made red hot, it becomes extended in length. For if we take a Plate of Iron of the same bigness with a piece of Wood, and cast it into the Fire till it be red hot, we shall find upon the taking of it out, that it is grown longer than it was when we put it in.

The Reason is, because the Fire that is got into the Pores of the Iron doth widen them; for seeing that there can be no penetration of dimensions, and that 2 extended substances cannot be in one and the same place, it cannot be, but that the Iron must

be dilated by admission of the fiery Particles, and consequently acquire a new Extension.

II. Why Iron is one of the lightest Metals. Tho' Iron be hard to melt, yet it is one of those Metals that are lightest, and are most easily dis∣solved in corrosive Spirits, and destroyed by Rust; for the small Branches of the parts that compose it, being greater and at a farther distance from one another, than those of the other Metals, make this Metal much more Porous and Spungious, than some of the more compact and solid Metals.

III. By what means Iron may be changed into Cop∣per. Iron besmeared with Vinegar and Alom becomes like Copper. At Smolnick there is a Well, the water whereof being turn'd in Channels disposed in 3 rows, turns plates of Iron into Copper.

The cause of this Transmutation is not as some would have it, the loss of a former substantial Form, and the generation of a new one, but only an accession of new parts, whilst the Particles of Alom and Vinegar fill the parts of the Iron, and so change the former connexion of its parts. For seeing that Vinegar is of that sharpness, whereby it easily penetrates into the Pores of the Iron, by this its penetration it changeth the order and dis∣position of them, and by this means a new colour is produced in the Iron. Neither doth the Allom conduce less to this Transmutation, which being endued with a very adstringent Virtue, doth trans∣place those Particles which before stuck very close together, and were firmly entangled. And there∣fore it is no wonder, that when the Texture of the parts of Iron is changed, it should by this means come to resemble Copper.

IV. Why Iron grows harder by being cast into water when it is red hot. If Red-hot Iron be taken out of a Forge or Fur∣nace, and put into the water, it becomes harder, than when it is only exposed to the Air, and cool∣ed there by degrees.

The reason is, because the Pores of Iron when red hot, are very open, and only filled with the matter of the 1st Element, but mingled with many particles of the 3d Element, which swim∣ming upon the Fire, do continually enter them, and come out again. Whence it comes to pass, that when, in this state, it is exposed to the Air, to grow cool, the self-same particles of the Air, continuing their course through its pores, cause the pores to be straitned by degrees, and make the parts of the Iron to retain the same Form they had in the Furnace. Whereas, when red hot Iron is plunged into Water, it cannot indeed hinder the matter of the 1st Element from breaking out from the pores of the Iron; but because there is nothing that can take up those places, besides the subtil matter which is in the Water, whose particles are too small to keep the pores open in the same man∣ner as they did before, they thereupon become sud∣dainly straitned, and consequently come nearer to∣gether; which is the cause of its attaining a great∣er degree of hardness; which is nothing else but a close compression of the parts of a Body, and their mutual contact.

V. Why Rust stops, and hinders conception. Rust stops the Courses of Women, and given in∣wardly, hinders Conception.

The Reason is, because Rust consists of Sulphu∣reous, Branchy and Angulous parts, which are very adstringent, and stop-up the Orifices of the Pores they light into. As may be seen in the Hands of those that handle it, which cannot with∣out grat difficulty be washed clean.

VI. How it comes to pass that Iron and Steel have Pores turn∣ed like Screws. It is found by Experience, that Iron and Steel have abundance of Pores, which are turned and go winding like Screws, and that by means of these, it approacheth to the Loadstone.

The cause of these Screw-like Pores that are in Iron and Steel is, those little Striate Par∣ticles, which according to what we have de∣livered in our Institution of Philosophy, continually coming forth from the inward parts of the Earth, and passing into the outward, have so pene∣trated the substance of the Iron and Steel, as to make passages for themselves through it, which they will still keep open by continuing their mo∣tion through them. Which they could not do, without framing the Pores of the Steel and Iron like so many Screws, which differ nothing from the Screw-like Pores that are in the Loadstone, save only in this, that the little Branches of the Parti∣cles of the Iron and Steel, which rise in their Pores, stand in need to be beaten down, and smoothed by the Particles of the Loadstone, for to afford them a free passage.

VII. Wherein Iron and the Load∣stone do a∣gree. And therefore Iron is said to be of kin to the Loadstone, because both of them are dug out of the same Mines, and are of the same colour; but more especially, because they agree and correspond in their Fibres and Pores: For the striate matter finds a free passage through both of them, much in the same manner, as it doth through the midst of the Earth, which it cannot do through any other Body. Hence Iron is said to cherish and strengthen the Virtue and Life of the Loadstone, much in the same manner, as the water and Virtue of Foun∣tains, is preferved by conveniently disposed Chan∣nels for it to pass through.

VIII. Why Steel becomes softer by being cooled leisurely and by de∣grees. Steel that is made by fusion in a vehement Fire, becomes softer if it be made red hot again, and af∣terwards cooled by degrees.

The Reason is, because when it is thus cooled, the cornerd and rugged Particles of it, which by the force of the heat were driven from the sur∣faces of the Clots of it to the more inward parts, begin to appear outword, and entangling together, do as it were with little Hooks, joyn the Clots of the Steel together: By which means it happens, that these Particles are no longer so closely joyned to their Clots, nor do the Clots any longer so im∣mediately touch one another, but do only hang to∣gether as it were by Hooks or Links; and conse∣quently the Steel is not very hard and stiff, nor brittle, but soft and flexible. In which respect it doth not differ from the common Iron, save only in this, that when Steel is made red hot a 2d time, and afterwards suddainly quenched, its former hardness and stiffness is restored, whereas by the same means, the same is not performed in Iron.

IX. What is the reason that Wood in some Pools is changed into Iron. Some Historians tell us, that Wood by being put into some Pools, becomes turned into Iron. Thus MAGINUS tells us of a Pool in Ireland, into which if a Stake be thrust, that part which is covered with the Mud becomes changed into Iron, and the other that is covered with Water, into Stone.

The Reason of this is, because the Wood by being long buried in the Mud, becomes penetra∣ted by a Metallick steam, which insinuating it self betwixt the Fibres of it, becomes one Body with it, and filling up all its Pores by degrees, at last communicates to it the hardness and appearance of Iron.

X. How Bones and Wood are some∣times changed into Stone. In like manner, Bones and pieces of Wood are changed into Stone. Thus many Bones are to be seen at Rome, Amsterdam and in other places which have been turned into Stone. Thus pieces of Wood have sometime since been taken up at Aqua-Sparta in Italy, which seem to be nothing else, but the fragments of Stakes, which having for a long time been covered with the Earth, have been so penetrated by a Bituminous and Sulphureous steam, and grown to that Stony hardness, as to be no longer capable of being cleft. Thus likewise Cockle-shells are turned into Stone, by being fill'd with such a kind of Petrifying Juice, which in time reduceth them to the hardness and consistence of Stones. For the same Cockle-shells that abound on the Sea-shoar, have been often found far from the Sea on High Mountains. Thus in the Gueri∣nean Cavern or Grotto, Leaves of Oak, Holm, Alder, Poplar, Bay, Ivy and other Trees have been found turn'd into stone, by means of a Petrifying Humour.

XI. Why Steel is more stiff and brittle than Iron. Steel is more stiff and hard than Iron, and hath a greater force to leap back, than any other Metal.

The Reason is, because the parts of Steel are not joyn'd together with entangling Branches, as those of Lead are; but by a multiplicity of sur∣faces lying one upon another like Glass, which is the reason that when Steel is bent, the ranging of its Parts is not changed, but only the figure of its pores; upon the change whereof, the force of the Body running against them is increased. And by this means the Steel-Spring of a Watch is of great use to the performing of all the motions of it. And for the same Reason, Steel must needs be more brittle than Iron, because the Drops whereof it is composed, are only joyn'd together by the contact of their surfaces, which, like the parts of Glass, only touch one another in a few Points, and must therefore be somewhat Brittle.

XII. How Iron may be preserved from Rust. For the cleansing of Iron from Rust, Ceruss-Plaister, and other such like, are commonly made use of; but there is nothing that takes it away better or more speedily, than Oil of Tartar, which presently looseth the Rust, and is then easily wiped off. And to prevent Iron from Rusting, there is nothing better than to besmear it with the Marrow of a Deer, or with Oil, which by obstructing the pores by their clammy Matter, hinder any watry Moisture from entring into, or Steams from coming out of them.