Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi upon questions of all sorts for the improving of natural knowledg made in the assembly of the Beaux Esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation / render'd into English by G. Havers, Gent. & J. Davies ..., Gent.

CONFERENCE CXCVI. Why a Needle touch'd by a Loadstone turns toward the North? (Book 196)

TO omit Preface in this Question, There are two sorts of Load-stones; the black, distinguisht with little lines, which draws flesh; and that which is of the colour of Iron. This latter is call'd Lapis Herculeus, perhaps, upon account of its great virtue; and Sideritis, from Iron which it attracts. Cardan mentions a third sort, with which a Needle being rub'd, enters into the flesh without being felt. We here consider the second sort, which turns it self towards the tail of the lesser Bear. And since nothing is done in vain, the Loadstone must be mov'd thi∣ther by some Cause, which also must be either in Heaven or on Earth, the Poles of both which are fixt. I am of their opinion, who say, that under the Northern Pole there is an Island call'd Ilva, wherein there are high Mountains of Loadstone, towards which, (the stronger prevailing over the weaker) both our lesser Loadstones and Needles toucht therewith turn; because those vast heaps of Loadstone diffuse their virtue over the whole Earth, and so draw all Loadstones, and what-ever Iron is rub'd with them towards themselves.

The Second said, That the Cause of this Motion ought rather to be ascrib'd to some thing in Heaven, because in Ships that ap∣proach that Island of Loadstone, the Needle still tends towards the North, and not towards that Island. The truth is, there is a Sympathy between some parts and things of the world; the Female Palm bends towards the Male, Straw moves to Amber, all Flowers, and, particularly, the Marigold and Sun-flower in∣cline towards the Sun, the Loadstone towards the Iron and the tail of the little Bear, which if we conceive to be of the Nature of Iron, there is no more inconvenience therein than in the other Properties attributed to the rest of the Starrs and Planets.

The Third said, That (to wave what other Authors have said) this inclination of the Loadstone proceeds from the great humi∣dity of the North, which is the Centre of all waters, towards which they tend. For the Loadstone being extreamly dry, and oblig'd to tend some way, when it is in aequilibrio it veers to∣wards that quarter to seek the moisture which is wanting to it; as also doth Steel heated red hot, and suffer'd to cool of it self, if it be lay'd upon a piece of the wood floating gently in water.

The Fourth was of Cardan's Opinion, who conceives, that stones are animated, and, consequently, that the soul of the Loadstone carries it to the search of its food and its good; as the the Eye affects Light, a Whelp is carry'd to his Dam's teat, and a

Sheep naturally eschews a Wolf. For it matters not whether we hold, That the touch'd Load-stone moves towards the tail of the little Bear, which is distant five degrees from the Arctick Pole; or, Whether it flie and recoil from the part of Heaven diametrically opposite thereunto? Now that the Loadstone is animated, appears by its being nourisht with, and kept in the filings of Steel, by its growing old, and by the diminishing of its attractive virtue with age; just as the virtues of other bodies do. Wherefore, 'tis probable, that the Loadstone's soul either with-draws it from that part which is contrary to it, or else leads it towards its good. Indeed two different inclinations are ob∣serv'd in this Stone, depending upon the situation it had in the Mine; one Northwards, whither it turnes the part that once lay that way; the other Southwards, whither it turns its op∣posite part. But the Experiment of Iron loosing its attraction by being rub'd on the Loadstone the contrary way to which it was rub'd at first, is an evident sign of such a soul in it, which makes it thus vary its actions.

The Fifth said, That all these accounts leave many difficulties to be resolv'd; for if the Loadstone mov'd towards those great Adamantine Mountains of Ilva, then they would draw only that and not Iron; if Iron too, why not before 'tis rub'd with a Loadstone? Nor doth this inclination of the Loadstone proceed from its dryness, for then plain Iron, (which is as dry) Pumice, Lime, and Plaster, (which are dryer) should have the same effect: Besides that, there is not such want of humidity as that this stone should seek it Northwards, the Mediterranean and the Main Ocean being nearer hand. As for Heaven, the Cause is no less obscure there, and the terms of Sympathy and Antipathy differ not much from those which profess naked Ignorance. The second Opinion hath most probability; for since the two pieces of a Loadstone cut parallel to the Axis, have so great a community of inclinations, that a Needle touch'd with one piece, is mov'd at any distance whatsoever, according to the motion of another toucht with the other piece; why may we not admit that the tail of the little Bear, or its neighbouring parts, are of a Magnetical Nature; and have the same commu∣nity with our Terrestrial Loadstone; according to that Maxim in Trismegistus's Smaragdine-Table, That which is above, is as that which is below.