Natural magick by John Baptista Porta, a Neapolitane ; in twenty books ... wherein are set forth all the riches and delights of the natural sciences.

CHAP. I.

That heavy things do not descend in the same degree of gravity, nor light things ascend.

BEfore I shall come to what I intend to demonstrate, I must premise somethings necessary, and set down some actions, without the knowledge whereof we can make no proof, nor demonstration. I call that heavy that descends to the Centre, and I say it is so much the heavior the sooner it descends, contrarily; that is light that ascends from the Centre, and the lighter that ascends soonest. I say that bodies yield one to the other, and do not penetrate one the other, as wine and water, and other liquors: Moreover, this action must be pre∣mised, that there is no body that is heavy in its own kind, as water in the element of water, or Air in Air. Also vacuum is so abhorred by Nature, that the world would sooner be pulled asunder than any vacuity can be admitted: and from this re∣pugnancy of vacuum proceeds almost the cause of all wonderful things, which it may be I shall shew in a Book on this Subject. It is the force of vacuum that makes heavy things ascend, and light things descend contrary to the rule of Nature, so necessary it is that there can be nothing in the world without a Body. Therefore these things

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being premised, I shall descend to somethings. And first, a most heavy body shut up in a ves∣sel, whose mouth is turned downwards into some liquor that is heavior, or of the same kind. I say it will not descend. Let the ves∣sel turned with the mouth downwards, be A B filled with water, the mouth of it be∣neath must be put into a broad mouth'd vessel C D full of water, be it with the same liquor, or with another that is heavior. I say the water will not descend out of the vessel A B. For should the water contained in the vessel A B descend, it must needs be heavior than the water contain'd in the broad mouth'd ves∣sel C D, which I said was of the same kind or

heavior, if then it should fall down it would be against the first action. The same would fall out if both vessels were filled with wine or water. For if the water con∣tained in the vessel A B, should descend into the place of C D, there would remain vacuity in A being there is no place for the air to come in; and that were against the second axiom: wherefore by reason of vacuum, and because the body is no heavior, it falls not into the bowl beneath. But should one make a hole in the bottom of the vessel A, that the air might come in, no doubt the water would not fall down into the bazon: Also, if the vessel A B were filled with any ••ight liquor, and the broad bazon with one that is heavior, they would not stir from their places. Let there∣fore the vessel A B be filled with wine, and the mouth of it turned downwards into a bazon full of water; I say both liquors will keep their places, and will not min∣gle; for should the wine descend, either vacuum must needs be in the body A, or a heavy body must ascend out of the vessel C D, which would be against the Nature of Gravity: and the second axiom, namely, that heavy should ascend, and light de∣scend: wherefore they will not remove from their places. Hence comes that which is often done by great drinkers and gluttons, who pour by drops into a cuphalf full of water, so much wine as will fill the cup, they come so close together, that onely a line parts those liquors. And those that would sooner cool their wine, they dip a Vial full of wine into a vessel full of water, with the mouth turned downward, and hold it down under the water: for when the water toucheth the superficies of the wine, they can∣not mingle, and the wine grows sooner cool, though it is necessary that the Vial should be lifted up to the superficies of the water, and suddenly turned about, pour∣ed forth and drank; then fill them again, and set in the bottle as before. From this advantage I complain of those, who first drink water, then pour in wine, for wine being the lighter, and water the heavior, they can hardly mingle: wherefore some drink at first the strongest wine, then mingled, and last of all, water. At great mens Tables they first bring wine in a Glass, then they pour in water, that the water by its weight may mingle with the wine, and get to the bottom, and tast equally. Theo∣phrastus bids men first pour in wine, then water.

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