An essay towards a real character, and a philosophical language by John Wilkins ...

* 1.1WHereas men do now begin to doubt, whether those that are called the Four ELEMENTS be really the Primordia rerum, First Principles, of which all mixed Bodies are compounded; therefore may they here be taken notice of and enumerated, without particular restriction to that Notion of them, as being onely the great Masses of na∣tural Bodies, which are of a more simple Fabric then the rest: For which reason the word METEOR may be annexed to Element, for its affinity in this respect, signifying the several kinds of Bodies which are of a more imperfect mixture. These are, according to the common Theory, distin∣guishable into

• More simple; whether
  • Real, such as do actually exist.
    • ...Lighter;
      • FIRE. I.
      • AIR. II.
    • ...Heavier;
      • WATER. III.
      • EARTH. IV.
  • APPARENT. V.
• More mixed; denoting various modes of Air.
  • WEATHER. VI.

I. The hottest and lightest kind of those that are counted Elements,* 1.2 is called FIRE: Burn, Scald, Singe, Kindle, Tind, Light.

The several Notions referring to the Parts or Kinds of it, are distin∣guishable by their Magnitude, Place, Duration, Shape, &c.

• The General parts or kinds of Fire, are ‖ either greater, which seem to be enkindled Air; or less, being a small separated portion of Fire.
  1.
  • FLAME, Blaze, Coruscation, Flash, Leam, Light fire.
  • SPARK, Strike fire.
• The Special sorts of Fiery Bodies, to which custom hath given particu∣lar names, are such as are either
  • More considerable; in respect of their
    • Lastingness, continuing for some time in the same place; and then ‖ va∣nishing, or falling.
      2.
      • COMET, Standing, Blazing starr.
      • FALLING STARR.
    • Suddenness; being ‖ either the Shining and flash of inflamed Exha∣lations, or the Sound made by such Inflammations,
      3.
      • LIGHTNING, Flash, Coruscation.
      • THUNDER, Fulminate.
  • ...Less considerable;
    • More high in the Air;
      • Of Coherent parts, in the shape of ‖ a standing perpendicular Co∣lumn, or of a Dart in motion.
        4.
        • BEAM, Trabs.
        • DART, Iaculum.
      • Of Disjoyned parts, of a shape ‖ bigger, or lesser.
        5.
        • CAPRA SALTANS.
        • SCINTILLAE VOLANTES.
    • More low in the Air, loose, wandring; ‖ as that which appears often to Mariners at Sea: and if single, it is called St. Hermo, Helena, and is thought to portend Storms; if double, 'tis styled Castor and Pollux, signifying good weather: Or that which adheres to, and encompasses several Animals, without hurting them, being probably an Inflammation of their Effluvia.
      6.
      • IGNIS FATUUS, Will with a Wisp, Iack with a Lanthorn.
      • IGNIS LAMBENS.
    • ...Within the Earth;
      7.
      • DAMP.

* 1.3II. The General name for that kind of Body, which, for its Levity and Warmth, is counted the next Element to that of Fire, is AER-eal, Wind, Breath.

It is distinguishable by its

• Purity; being ‖ either more remote from the Earth and its Exhalations; or adjoyning to the Terrestrial Globe, and impregnated by the Steams and Efflluvia that proceed from it.
  1.
  • AETHER, or aethereal Air, Firmament, Skie, Welkin.
  • ...ATMOSPHERE.
• Kinds of mixture, according to the more
  • General name, or that particular kind which signifies a mixture of Watry parts.
    2
    • EXHALATION, Steam, Reek, Effluvium, volatile.
    • VAPOR, Evaporate, Breathe.
  • Particular kinds in respect of its mixture with ‖ Earthy, or Fiery parts.
    3.
    • FUME.
    • SMOKE, Suffumigation, bloting, fume.
• ...Motion,
  • Above ground; ‖ Direct, or Circular.
    4.
    • WIND, Blow, Gale, Breath, Blast, Puff, Gust, Flaw, Monsoon, Trade∣wind, Bellows, Eolipile, Fan, Ventiduct.
    • WHIRLWIND, He••ricano, Tornado.
  • Vnder ground; ‖ Violent, or Gentle.
    5.
    • EARTHQUAKE.
    • DAMP.

III. The third of those greater Masses of Body, considerable for its Gra∣vity and Moisture,* 1.4 is styled WATER: Aqueous, Dip, padle, Drein.

The names belonging to this are such as concern either

• The smaller Particles of it; ‖ whether Solid, or Hollow.
  1.
  • DROP, Drip, drible, drizle, trickle, sprinkle, run, shed, instil.
  • BUBBLE, Froth, Spume, Fome, Mantle, Ebullition.
• The Mixture of it with Air, ‖ Vpper, or Lower.
  2.
  • CLOUD, Overcast, gloomy.
  • MIST, Fogg, nebulous.
• The Condensation of it, ‖ from a Cloud, or from a Mist.
  3.
  • RAIN, Drizie.
  • DEW.
• The Congelation of it, according to its more
  • General acception, or according to that special kind of it relating to the smaller particles of a Cloud, styled
    4
    • FROST, Freeze, Ice, congele, Isicle.
    • SNOW.
  • Particular restriction to the Drops ‖ of Rain, or of Dew.
    5▪
    • HAIL.
    • RIME, Hoar••frost.
• The Kinds of Dew:
  • More Concrete; of a sweet tast: to which may be adjoyned that pe∣culiar kind of physical Dew mixed with the Exudations of the Plant Ladanum.
    6.
    • MANNA.
    • LADANUM.
  • More Liquid; gathered from Plants by Bees: to which may be ad∣joyned for its affinity, that other natural Body gathered likewise by Bees, and of a clammy consistence.
    7.
    • HONY.
    • WAX.

IV. That which is commonly described to be the Coldest, Thickest,* 1.5 Heaviest, of any of those Bodies counted Elements, is called EARTH, Land, Mold.

This is distinguishable by its

• Smaller Particles;
  • Alone and without mixture.
    1.
    • DUST.
  • ...Mixed with Water.
    2.
    • DURT, Mud, Mire, daggle, puddle:
  • Separated by Fire, ‖ descending, or ascending.
    3.
    • ASHES, Embers, Cinders.
    • SOOT, Fuliginous.
• Bigger Masses of it, serviceable for building, and of a
  • Cold, clammy consistence, to which that common mixture which is made of this may be adjoyned for its affinity.
    4.
    • CLAY.
    • MORTAR, Lome.
  • Hot and dry consistence, usually made of burnt Stone; to which, for the same reason, may be adjoyned that other common mixture made of this.
    5.
    • LIME.
    • PLASTER, Parget, Tarras, daube.

The placing of that Pair, Flame, Spark under the first Difference;* 1.6 and that other Pair, Drop, Bubble, under the third Difference; with those other Species under the fourth Difference, must be granted to be besides the common Theory; But there is this account to be given of it, That there seems to be the like kind of resemblance and affinity in these to their Genus'es, as there is in some of the other Species, which are com∣monly received.

V. APPEARING METEORS are such as onely seem to be, and have not any real existence.* 1.7

These are either of a

• ...Determined Shape;
  • ...Part of a round.
    1.
    • RAINBOW, Iris.
  • ...Round wholly;
    • Encompassing any of the Planets or bigger Starrs.
      2.
      • HALO.
    • Representing ‖ the Sun, or the Moon.
      3.
      • PARELIUS.
      • PARASELENE.
  • ...Straight.
    4.
    • VIRGAE, Streaks, Rays of Light.
• Vndetermined Shape, being a seeming Hollowness or Opening in the Heavens
  5.
  • CHASM, Gaping.

* 1.8VI. By WEATHER is meant the state and condition of the Air; the several kinds of which, not sufficiently expressible by any words in the precedent Table, are considered either as to

• The Air's ‖ Transparency, or Opacity.
  1.
  • CLEARNESS, Open, serene.
  • ...HAZINESS.
• The various Meteors wherewith it may be affected; whether
  • ...Rain,
    • Simply and by it self; either
      • Drops, ‖ little, or great.
        2.
        • MIZLING, Drizzle.
        • SHOWR.
      • ...Stream.
        3.
        • SPOUT.
    • Mixed, ‖ with violent Winds, or with Snow.
      4.
      • STORM.
      • SLEET.
  • Winde, considered according to its
    • Quality; whether excessively cold, or mixed with noxious va∣pours.
      5.
      • BLASTING.
    • Quantity; being either
      • Little, or not sufficient to ruffle the waters.
        6.
        • GENTLE GALE, Breez.
        • CALM, Still, Halcyon.
      • Much; whether equal, or unequal.
        7.
        • STIFF GALE, High wind.
        • TEMPEST, Storm, Flaw, blustering, boisterous.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. I.
• * 1.2

  I. FIRE.
• * 1.3

  II. AIR.
• * 1.4

  III. WATER.
• * 1.5

  IV. EARTH.
• * 1.6

  NOTE.
• * 1.7

  V. APPEAR∣ING METE∣ORS.
• * 1.8

  VI. WEA∣THER.