The history of philosophy, in eight parts by Thomas Stanley.

CHAP. XI.

Of imperfect mixt bodies.

a 1.1 MIxt bodies are twofold, imperfect and perfect: Meteors are imperfect mixt bodies produced according to Nature, but after a lesse orderly and constant manner.b 1.2 The generall matter thereof are the Elements; the efficient, the celestiall bodies which act upon inferiours by a kind of coherence.c 1.3 Heaven is highest; next Heaven the Element of fire; next fire, air, under air, water and earth. Clouds are not generated in the sphear of fire, nor in the region of the air, partly by reason of the heat which is there, partly because of the motion of the Heavens which carrieth a∣long with it the element of fire, and the upper region of the air, by which motion heat is produced in inferiour bodies; for the air being carried along by the Heaven, is heated by that motion, and by the proximity of the Sunne and of the Element of fire.

d 1.4 Flames that appear in the upper part of the air are made thus; The Sun by his warmth extracteth a kind of breath out of the Earth, which, if hot and dry, is called exhalation, and if hot and moist, vapour. Exhalation ascends higher, as being higher, and being got into the upper region of the air, is there enkindled by the motion of the air, and proximity of the fire. Hence come those they call fire-brands, goates, falling-starres and the like. e 1.5 Hence are also Phasmes, such as are called gulses, chasmes, bloody colours, and the like; the exhalation being variously colour'd by re∣flection of the light, but chiefly seeming purple, which colour ari∣seth from the mixture of fire and white.

f 1.6 The efficient cause of Comets are the Sun and stars; the ma∣teriall an exhalation, hot, dry, condensed, and combustible;

so as it burnes not much, nor is soon extinguished. It is called a Comet, or airy starre, when it is a like on every side; a pogoneia or bearded starre, when it hath a long train. That it consists of fire is manifest, because at the same time, there is commonly great winde and drought. It appears seldome, and then single, and beyond the Tropicks, because starres, especially the Sun, dissi∣pate the matter whereof it consists.

g 1.7 The Galaxie is not the light of many starrs together, as Anaxagoras held, but an exhalation hot and dry, kindled by the motion of many great starrs, which are in that part where the Galaxie appeareth.

h 1.8 We come next to those meteors which are in the middle and lower region of the air. When the Sun and other Starres draw up vapours out of waterish places, into the middle region of the air, they are there kept so long, untill they are con∣densed by the cold of that place into drops of water, which if they come down very small, are called misling, if greater, rain. This thick vapour, which is seen suspended in the aire and changeth from air to water, is a Cloud. Mist is the superfluity of a cloud, condensed into water.

i 1.9 Vapour attracted by a small heat not much above the earth, and descending more condensed by the nocturnall cold, becom∣eth either dew or frost: Frost when it congealeth before it resolves into water; Dew, when it turnes into water, so as the warmth cannot dry it up, nor the cold freez it.

k 1.10 Snow is a congealed cloud; rain, dew, frost, and snow differ al∣most only in bignesse and smalnesse.

l 1.11 Haile, though it be of the same nature as ice, yet is seldome produced in winter, as being caused by Antiperistasis.

m 1.12 As the air above the earth condensed, becommeth vapour, and vapour by cold becommeth water, so doth it also in the ca∣verns and receptacles of the earth, by a continuall mutation; first it turnes into little drops, then those little into greater. Hence comes all springs, and heads of rivers, abundantly flow∣ing out at one part of the earth. Hence great Rivers and Foun∣tains commonly flow from great hills, which have greatest ca∣verns.

m 1.13 The parts of the earth are in continuall mutation, some∣times humid, sometimes dry, sometimes fertile, sometimes de∣sert, by new eruptions or defections of rivers, or accesse or re∣cesse of the sea, according to certain periods of time. Thus have the parts of the earth their youth and age, as well as plants and living creatures, by the heat and conversion of the Sun. Time and the World are eternall; but Nilus and Tanais were not al∣waies, for those places whence they first issued, were once dry grounds.

n 1.14 The proper place of water is the concave superficies of the

aire: This place the Sea, compassing the earth, possesseth; for the swift and more rare water is drawn upwards by the heat of the Sun; the salt, more thick and terrene setleth downwards. For this reason all waters tend to the sea, as to their proper place▪ yet, hereby the Sea is not enlarged, for the sun draweth out of it, by reason of its expansion, as great a quantity of water, as it re∣ceiveth from rivers.o 1.15 The sea is, as the world, eternall, the saltnesse thereof proceedeth from admixtion of some terrene, adust, exhalation. From the top of the Sea is drawn up a fresh vapour; from the bottom, heated by the Sun, an exhalation, which passeth through the Sea, and commeth up with the va∣pour; but falling back into the Sea, bringeth that saltnesse with it, as water passed often through ashes.

p 1.16 Winds are produced by the Sun and Starrs, of a hot, dry ex∣halation, which ascending, is driven down again by the cold∣nesse of the middle region of the air, and by reason of the light∣nesse of its nature, cannot go directly to the bottom, but is car∣ried by the air up and down. We call it a hot and dry exhalati∣on, as being more dry then humid. Winde is weakest in the beginning, but gaineth strength, by taking along with it other light exhalations, which it meets with by the way.

q 1.17 Winds are laid by heat and cold, excessive heat consumeth the exhalations, as soon as it commeth out of the earth; excessive cold binds up the pores of the earth, so as it cannot passe.

r 1.18 Earthquake is a trembling of the earth, caused by an exhala∣tion hot and dry, inclosed in the bowells of the earth, which striving to get forth, as its nature requireth, and not able, by reason of the solidity of the earth, to passe, maketh the earth shake, forcing a way through it, and bearing down whatsoever opposeth it. The more hot this included spirit is, the more vehe∣ment.

Of the same nature is lightning, thunder, and the like. Thunder is when an exhalation enclosed in a thick cold cloud, rolleth it up and down, and at last breaketh through it with more or lesse noise, according to the thicknesse of the cloud. By this eruption it acquireth a rare kinde of heat and light, which is lightning, subsequent to the noise of the eruption; yet, seen before the other is heard, by reason of the quicknesse of the sight beyond the hearing.

s 1.19 As of dry exhalations, the rare and dispersed produce thun∣der and lightning; so of the great and condensed is made 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and thunder-bolts.

t 1.20 Of lucid Meteors appearing in the clouds, are Haloes, Rain∣bowes, Parelies, and Streaks: All these are caused by refraction, but differ according to the objects from which they are refle∣cted. A Halo appeareth about some starre, when there happeneth a cloud to be, the middle part whereof, by reason of its rarity,

being dissipated, the rest of the parts about, by reflection, repre∣sent the colour of the star. Rainbow is a refraction of the Suns beam upon a humid cloud, ready to dissolve into rain. In like manner are caused Parelies and Streaks.

u 1.21 There are likewise imperfect mixt bodies, under, or with∣in the earth, and these also of two kinds; some caused by exha∣lation, called Mineralls; others by vapour, called Metalls, fusile or ductile.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Meteor. lib. 1•• cap. 1.
• b 1.2

  Cap. 2.
• c 1.3

  Cap. 3.
• d 1.4

  Cap. 4.
• e 1.5

  Cap. 5.
• f 1.6

  Cap. 6, 7.
• g 1.7

  Cap. 8.
• h 1.8

  Cap. 9.
• i 1.9

  Cap. 10.
• k 1.10

  Cap. 11.
• l 1.11

  Cap. 12.
• m 1.12

  Cap. 13.
• m 1.13

  Cap. 14.
• n 1.14

  Lib. 2. cap. 2.
• o 1.15

  Cap. 3.
• p 1.16

  Cap. 4.
• q 1.17

  Cap. 5.
• r 1.18

  Cap. 8.
• s 1.19

  Cap. 9.
• t 1.20

  Lib. 3. cap. 1.
• u 1.21

  Cap. 7.