Peripateticall institutions. In the way of that eminent person and excellent philosopher Sr. Kenelm Digby. The theoricall part. Also a theologicall appendix of the beginning of the world. / By Thomas White Gent.

LESSON IV.

Of the four First Qualities.

1. OUt of what has been said, it being concluded that Rare and Dense are the first Differences, and that they by con∣sequence, like Quantity, are varied with endlesse Differences; seeing, too, that there is a perpetuall Tumult as it were, in the world, of heavy things descending towards the Centre of the Earth: there must, of ne∣cessity, be some degree of rare Bodies so ea∣sily divisible, that it needs nothing, but this very impulse, to separate their parts, & carry them, the nearest way to the Centre.

2. Such bodies, therefore, will spread themselves without any limits about the Earth, unlesse they be hindred; whence, they'l have no proper figure of their own: but when they encounter with a den∣ser body, upon which the impulse

that divides them, has not the like power; there they'l stop their division, and receive a figure from that.

3. They will, therefore, be easily ter∣minable by others bounds, hardly by their own: But, on the contrary, Bodies, upon which the motion of gravity has not such force, will be easily terminable by their own bounds, hardly by others. Now, this, Nature and Aristotle have assign'd for the notion of Drynesse, that, of Moysture; wherefore, these will be dry bodies, those moist.

4. It appears, therefore, both that all bodies, that have a Consistency, are dry; and that, if there be any so rare, that, by all others, it will be repell'd from the Cen∣tre, (that is, rare in the highest degree) that, too, is dry; for, its parts take not easily their ply, that is, are not spread by the falling of heavy bodies, but are carri∣ed by their own Motion: Yet, that which is dense in the highest degree will be more dry; because the rarest receiv's a figure partly from those without it, partly from it self.

5. But, among moist bodies, that which is rarer is moister; as more yielding to the gravity which divides it.

6. You'l object, that Dust and Fire ac∣commodate themselves to the bounds of other bodies; and, therefore, must be moist. 'Tis answer'd, Dust is not one bo∣dy, but many: besides, it does not so ac∣commodate it self; since, if it lye free, a heap of Dust is full of Aire, by which it is rendred so easily plyable. Fire, too, has a proper motion, and is reflected, when forc'd by a hard body; nor does it who∣ly accommodate it self, as appears in light and the flames of Furnaces.

7. Again; since, by the same motion of heavy bodies, rare ones must necessari∣ly be press'd against dense, and dense a∣gainst rare: if a very rare body be so forc'd against a dense, that it be con∣strain'd to make its way; since, 'tis divisi∣ble into minutest parts, and 'tis easier to make a narrow then a wide way; 'tis plain, the rare body will bore it self a world of little passages and paths, and consequent∣ly, will dissect the dense, which opposes it, into an infinity of little parts.

8. Whence, it follows, that, if there were many heterogene bodies, (that is, of a different nature) shut up in the dense bo∣dy; all, now being set at liberty, by such dissection, will, by their proper motions,

gather themselves to their own Parties, and be separated, every one, from those of a∣nother kind.

9. But if a dense body compresse a rare one, 'twill let nothing scape out of it; but, whatever if finds, it condenses and crowds into a narrower room.

10. Dense bodies, therefore, have this nature, to gather together heterogene bo∣dies; that is, they are cold: and Rare bo∣dies, to gather together homogene (or bo∣dies of the same kind,) but to disperse he∣terogene; that is, they are hot. For, Na∣ture and Aristotle have given us these no∣tions of hot and cold.

11. And among rare bodies, 'tis appa∣rent, the rarest will be the best dividers, that is, the hotest: but, among dense bo∣dies, those will be the coldest, which most streightly besiege the rare bodies, and those are such as are most plyant to their parts; whence, they which are, in some measure, moist, too, will be the coldest.