SECT. VI. Of the Earth.

THe Earth is the last of Principles, both of fixt and volatile; it is a naked substance, divested of all manifest qualities, except dryness and astringency; for as concerning Weight, we shall speak of it hereafter: I say, manifest quality, because this Earth retains alwayes in it self, the indelible character of that vertue she was once possessed with, viz. of embodying or cor∣porizing, and Ideifying the Universal Spirit. The first Idea she imparts to it, is that of Hermaphroditical Salt, which restores Page  30to this Earth, her first Principles, so that the mixt is as it were by it resuscitated, since from the same body, the same specifi∣cal Principles, which by Chymical separation were before sepa∣rated, may be extracted again; as we shall explain hereafter more at large, when we come to treat of this matter. Let us consider at present, the usefulness of this substance, very necessary in the Compound of the body, since it is by her means that it receives firmness and consistency: For being united to the Salt, it causes presently the corporeity, and consequently, the continuity of the parts: Mixt with the Oyl or Sulphur, it causes tenacity, viscosity, and lent or, i. e. slowness in motion; it yields then with Salt, hardness and firmness; for as Salt is of a brickle and crum∣bling nature, and easily reduced to dust, it could not intimately be united to the earth, to give it a solidity, but by the help of moyst and liquid substances. The inconveniencies of this Prin∣ciple are manifested in this, that the Mixt requireth abundance of the other substances: For when Earth doth predominate, it makes the body heavy, slow, cold and stupid, according to the nature of Composites, wherein it doth abound.

But you shall notwithstanding take notice, by the By, that it is not the sole Earth which causeth the heaviness of the body, as those Philosophers do assert, who are little acquainted with our handy-work: For we finde more Earth in a pound of Cork after its resolution, though it be a very light body, then in three or four of Box and Guaiacum, which are so heavy, that (against the nature of other Woods) they can scarce hold above water: Whence we must of necessity conclude, that the greatest heavi∣ness and weight of Bodies, proceeds of Salt and Spirits aboun∣ding in these Woods, whereof Cork is deprived. It is also ex∣perimentally seen, that a Glass filled with Spirit of Vitriol, or some other sharp Spirit well rectified, shall outweigh two or three Glasses of the same bigness, filled with water, or any other like Liquor. I know it will be objected against this Experiment, that the heaviness of Guaiacum proceeds from the compactedness of its substance, almost impenetrable to Air, and that the lightness of Cork doth proceed from the great quantity of big and large pores it hath, which are filled with that light Element, and cause it to swim above water, contrarily to Box and Guaiacum. But Page  31this Answer is not fully satisfactory; for if levity and heaviness are caused by rarefaction and condensation, it will follow thence, that those many pores in Cork, must proceed from the abundance of earth in it, and the defect of the other Principles; and hence it will be concluded necessarily, that Earth is porous of it self; and secondly, that it causeth porosity in Bodies: For the Axiom is true, Nihil dat quod non habet; &, Propter quod unumquodque est tale, illud est magis tale, say the Peripatetick or Ambulatory Phi∣losophers; and so shall they be forced to assert by their own rea∣son, though contradictory to their Maxims, that Earth causeth not only the levity of Mixts, but that it is also light of its own na∣ture, which in their Philosophy should be a Monster: and contra∣dicts also to experience; for of all the Principles, when they are duely and according to Art separated one from the other, none is heavyer then the Earth, which ever subsideth in the bot∣tom of the Glass, when they are mixt together.

To come out of this Labyrinth, a higher Philosophy is requi∣red, and fair Ariadne, which is Nature it self, must be courted, to obtain this Clue, and finde the issue of its winding paths; which if we can happily attain to, we shall be taught by the operations of Chymistry, that there is two sorts of levity and heaviness, the one internal, the other external; the one found in the Principles, whilest they yet compound the Mixt, the other when they are separated asunder.