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NAtural air, which is not metamorphosed air, is made by such kinde of motions, as makes cloth that is spun threads weaved, as with shuttles in a loom; so some moti∣ons spin threads of thin dull matter, and other motions in∣terweave those threads, where the grossest sort makes the thick∣er air, as great threads make course cloth, and the thinner
matter makes the serenest air, as small threads make the finest cloth; where some is like cobweb-lawn, so sheer, or clear, as the smallest objects may be seen through, which is spread about the globe of the earth, as a thin vail over a face, or body, and from the sun rising, the motions that make light run in lines upon it, and so is like a gar∣ment laid all over with silver-twist, or rather like silver∣wier, from the sun rising to high noon, it is as it were, setting, sewing, or imbroidering on; this serene air at mid-day it is quite finished, and by sun set it is quite reapt off again.
And to shew that the lines of light are as it were laid upon this serene air, and not mixt into it, is by the vapor which gathers into dark clouds, which will obscure the light, as far as they spread, besides if the light were intermixt the moti∣ons and matter could not so easily, nor so quickly withdraw, or intermingle, as we see they do; for what is intermixt, is hard to separate; but dark clouds are onely as spots, which by rarification are rubbed out, if they be wet spots, or drops, they fall out in shours of rain, but by such sorts of motions as by ringing, or squeesing, or griping with a hand, or the like, which breaks the sea, or waves of water, which are clouds, into several streams of drops, sometimes with a greater force, and sometimes with a lesse, according as the motions are stronger, or weaker.
The difference betwixt this serene, and natural air, and the metamorphosed air, is as a natural face, and a mask which is put on, or put off according as the watry circles contract, or dilate; the other in probability may be as lasting as the sun it self, not being subject to change, but by a natural crea∣tion or dissolution.