A general collection of discourses of the virtuosi of France, upon questions of all sorts of philosophy, and other 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.

I. Of Thunder.

AS Water and Earth are the grossest of the Elements, so they receive most sensibly the actions of the Celestial Bo∣dies, chiefly the Sun's heat; which exhaling and drawing up their purer parts, vapours from the Water, and exhalations from the Earth, forms meteors of them. And as the cold and moist vapours make tempests, dew, and frost, in the lower Region; and in the middle, clouds, rain, hail, snow. Exhalations, if fat and unctuous, cause Comets in the higher Region, and in the lower the two Ignes Fatui; if dry and subtile, they make Earth-quakes in the bowels of the Earth; in its surface, winds and tempests; in the middle Region of the Air, Lightning, Fulgur, or the Thunder-bolts and Thunder. For these three commonly fol∣low and produce one another. Lightning is the coruscation or flashing of the matter inflam'd. And though produc'd by Thunder, yet is sooner perceiv'd then the other heard; because the Sight is quicker then the Hearing, by reason its object, the visible species, are mov'd in an instant; but sound successively, because of the resistance of the Air, its medium. Thunder is the noise excited by the shock and shattering of the cloud by the inclos'd exhalation; whence rain commonly follows it. Fulgur is the exhalation inflam'd, which impetuously breaks out at the sides of the cloud, wherein it is oftentimes turn'd into a stone of the shape of a wedge; the celestial heat then working the

same effect in the cavities of the cloud that our common fire doth in crucibles; in which equal portions of Sulphur, Tartara, and Antimony inflam'd, turn into a very hard stone, of the colour of the Thunder-bolt, call'd Regulus Antimonii.

The Second said, As fire is sometimes produc'd in the Air without noise, and noise without fire; so a great fire is made there with little noise, as when what they call a Falling Star passes through a moist cloud, in which it makes a hissing like that of hot Iron in cold water, whence Winds proceed; and sometimes a great noise with little fire; as when an Exhalation inflam'd hollows and breaks the cloud which encloses it, or else impressing a violent and rapid motion upon it, makes it clash impetuously against other clouds. For impetuousness supplies for hardnesse, as is seen in Air which whistles when beaten by Winds; there being some things which tension renders hard, as Wind included in a foot-ball. And what is reported of the Ca∣taracts of Nile, whose waters make so vehement a noise, that it renders the people there abouts deaf, is a sufficient evidence that two fluid bodies clashing violently together, make as great a sound as two solid bodies mov'd with lesse violence.

The Third said, That what is done below being the figure of what is done on high, the one may be clearly explicated by the other. Wherefore as Exhalation with vapor makes metals in the entrails of the Earth; so in the Air it makes Thunder, whither they ascend together, the vapor being blended with the Exhalation; or severally, this latter being set on fire in the cold and vaporous cloud; or being no longer containable there through its great rarity, encounter'd by the coldness of the cloud and the Air, it seeks some out-let; which not finding, 'tis necessitated to hollow the bollow the belly of the cloud which obstructed it. This rarity proceeds from its heat and drynesse, which are commonly turn'd into fire by the sole motion of the Exhalation, or by the rayes of the Sun, or of some other Stars reflected by the smooth surface of an opposite cloud; in the same manner as Burning-glasses set on fire such things as are plac'd at some convenient distance. Which should be thought no more strange then mock-suns and mock-moons, which are made in the same manner, but in a flat or plain cloud, not parabolical, such as the figure of Burning-glasses must be. Moreover, fire may be ex∣cited by the Antiperistasis of the vehement cold in the middle Region of the Air, which causes the degrees of heat to unite, (as those of other qualities strengthen one another in an enemy country) and become flame. Hence Thunders are more fre∣quent in Southern then in Northern Countries, in hot seasons then in Winter, wherein the cold closing the pores of the Earth, hinders the free issue of the Exhalations, and the middle Region of the Air is found less cold. But the most sensible example of Thunder is that of our Guns; the powder, being so suddenly inflam'd that it cannot reside in the barrel, where it takes up a

thousand times more room then it did whilst it remain'd in its terrene nature, according to the decuple proportion of the Ele∣ments, violently breaks forth, and carries with it what ever resists it, breaking the Gun (unless the mouth be open) though much stronger then a cloud, whose spissitude nevertheless sup∣plies for its rarity.

The Fourth said, That the Nature of Thunder and Thunder∣bolts is so occult that all antiquity call'd them the weapons of Ju∣piter which he discharg'd upon the wicked, as is testifi'd by their fables of the Giants, Salmoneus, Phaeton, and some others. Nor is there any so hardned in wickedness, but trembles at the crack∣ing of Thunder and Thunder-bolts, which Socrates, in Xenophon, calls the Invisible Ministers of God. And one Emperor acknow∣ledg'd himself no God, by going to hide himself in a cave while it thunder'd, because Thunder-bolts are conceiv'd not to enter the Earth above five foot deep. Others have thought that there is something supernatural in it, and that Daemons have commonly a hand in it; because its effects being unlike those of corporeal Agents seem to be produc'd by spirits, who are able to move what ever there is in Nature; and this the more easily, being not ty'd to the conditions of the matter, but mov'd in an instant, and penetrating all bodies whatever. For Thunder hath kill'd many who had no appearance of hurt upon them; the Hair of some hath been taken off without other inconvenience; it hath consum'd the Tongues of some, or turn'd them downwards; it hath melted the money in the purse, and the sword in the scab∣bard, without other mischief; it sowres Wine in the vessel, spoils Eggs under a Hen, and makes Sheep abortive. Moreover, the Scripture tells us, that God hath many times us'd Thunder either to punish or terrifie men, as he did in Aegypt by the rod of Moses, who calls Thunder-bolts God's swords, as David doth his Arrows, and the Thunder his voice. The Law was given to the Israelites with Thunders and Lightnings; and Saint John in his Revelation saith, that Thunders and Lightnings proceed from Gods Throne. Indeed nothing more visibly notifies his presence, power, and justice; yet alwayes accompany'd with Clemency; for he threatens by Lightning, and speaks by Thun∣der, before he strikes by the Thunder-bolt; and the rumbling of this Thunder menaces a whole Region, though commonly it carries the blow but upon one person, or oftentimes none at all.

The Fifth said, Fear (which not onely sometimes made the Romans worship Famine and the Fever, but makes it self an Idol in the Minds of the Ignorant) has perswaded men that there is something Divine in Thunder, because they dread the dismal ef∣fects of it and know not the cause, although it be as natural as that of all other Meteors. Hence some have had recourse to im∣pertinent and superstitious remedies; as, to pronounce certain barbarous words, to carry certain figures or characters about

them, and (according to Wierus) to lay a Thunder-stone, call'd by the Greeks, Ceraunium, between two Eggs upon a Table in the house which you would preserve, or hang an Egg lay'd on As∣cension-day to the roof of the House; and such other absurd and prophane means. The Northern people were much more ri∣diculous; who, as Olaus reports, shot Arrows up to Heaven when it Thunder'd, thereby (as they said) to help their Gods who were assail'd by others. The Thracians fell a howling against Heaven, struck their shields with their swords, and rung all their bells; which latter is practis'd at this day, to the end the vehement agitation of the Air may divert the Thunder-bolt from the steeples, upon which, as upon all other high places, especially upon trees, it is wont to fall. 'Tis held also that strong smells have the same virtue; as amongst Animals, the Sea-calf and Hyaena, and amongst Plants, the Fig-tree and Lawrell, of which Caesar commonly wore a wreath, rather for this purpose then to cover his bald head. But 'tis little probable what they relate of Zoroaster and Numa, as that they still'd Thunder when they pleas'd, and that Tullus Hostilius attempting to do the same was Thunder-struck.