The worlds olio written by the Right Honorable, the Lady Margaret Newcastle.

Of Chymistry.

THE greatest Chymists are of a strong Opinion, that they can enforce Nature, as to make her go out of her Natural Pace, and to do that by Art in a Furnace, as the Elixar, in half a Year, that Nature cannot in a hundred or a thousand Years; and that their Art can do as much as Nature, in making her Ori∣ginals another way than she hath made them; as Paracelsus little Man, which may be some Dregs gathered together in a Form, and then perswaded himself it was like the Shape of a Man, as Fancies will form, and liken the Vapours that are gathered into Clouds, to the Figures of several things. Nay, they will pre∣tend to do more than ever we saw Nature to do, as if they were the God of Nature, and not the Work of Nature, to return Life into that which is dead, as to renew a Flower out of its own Ashes, and make that Flower live fresh again; which seems strange, since we find nothing that Nature hath made, that can be more powerfull, or more cunning, or curious, than her self: for though the Arts of Men, and other Creatures, are very fine and profitable, yet they are nothing in comparison to Natures works, when they are compared. Besides, it seems impossible to imitate Nature, as to do as Nature doth, because her Waies and her Originals are utterly unknown: for Man can only guess at them, or indeed but at some of them. But the reason of raising such Imaginations in Man, is, because they find by practice, that they can extract and divide one Quality from another, though it may be in question, whether they can do it purely or no, but so as to deform that Nature hath formed: But to compass and make as Nature doth, as they imagin they can, is such a Difficulty, as I believe they have not the power to perform; for to divide, or sub∣stract, is to undo; and Nature hath given that Faculty to Man to do some things when he will, but not in all, as, he may ruin and destroy that he cannot build, or renew; & though he be an Instru∣ment, as all other things are, to further Natures Works, since she is pleased to work one thing out of another, not making new Prin∣ciples for every thing, yet he cannot work as she worketh: for though he can extract, yet he cannot make; for he may extract Fire out of a thing, but he cannot make the principle Element of Fire; so of Water and Earth; no more can he make the Elizar, than he can make the Sun, Sea, or Earth; and so it seems as

impossible to make a Man, as to make a piece of Meat, put into a Pot, and setting it upon the Fire, of what temper, or which way he can, he shall never turn it into Blood, as it doth in the Stomack, or make such Excrements as the Bowels cast forth: And to make the Essence of a Flower return into the same Flower again, seems more strange; for first, that Motion is ceased and gone, that gave it that Form; and where they will find that Motion, or know what kind moves it, or what moved it to that Form, I doubt is beyond their skill. Besides, those Qualities, or Substan∣ces, are evapoured out, that gave it that tast, or smell, or that made it such a thing; and though they be never so Industrious to keep those Vapours in, yet they are too subtil to be restrained, and In∣sensible to be found again, when once they are separated: so as it is as hard to gather the dispersed Parts, as to make the first Prin∣ciples, which none but the God of Nature can do; for it is a hard thing out of the Ashes of a Billet to make a Billet again. But Nature hath given such a Presumptuous Self-love to Man∣kind, and filled him with that Credulity of Powerfull Art, that he thinks not onely to learn Natures Waies, but to know her Means and Abilities, and become Lord of Nature, as to rule her, and bring her under his Subjection. But in this Man seems rather to play than work, to seek rather than to find; for Nature hath infinite Varieties of Motions to form Matters with, that Man knows not, nor can guess at; and such Materials and In∣gredients, as Mans gross Sense cannot find out insomuch that we scarce see the Shadow of Natures Works, but live in Twi∣light, and have not alwaies that; but sometimes we are in Utter Darkness, where the more we wander, the apter we are to break our Heads.