The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

CENT. VII. NATURAL HISTORY. 93
observation, that in firnaces of copper and brass, therefore imagination; and whereas some of the
where chalcites, which is vitriol, is often cast in ancients have said, that their motion is indeterto mend the working, there riseth suddenly a fly, minate, and their imagination indefinite, it is negwhich sometimes moveth as if it took hold of the ligently observed; for ants go right forward to
walls of the furnace: sometimes is seen moving their hills, and bees do admirably know the way
in the fire below; and dieth presently as soon as from a flowery heath two or three miles off to
it is out of the furnace: which is a noble instance, their hives. It may be, gnats and flies have
and worthy to be weighed; for it showeth, that their imagination more irrutable and giddy, as
as well violent heat of fire, as the gentle heat of siall birds likewise have. It is said by some
living creatures, will vivify, if it have matter pro- of the ancients, that they have only the sense of
portionable. Now the great axiom of vivifica — feeling, which is manifestly untrue: for if they
tion is, that there must be heat to dilate the spirit go forth right to a place, they must needs have
of the body; an active spirit to be dilated; matter sight; besides, they delight more in one flower or
viscous or tenacious to hold in the spirit; and herb than in another, and therefore have taste:
that matter to be put forth and figured. Now a and bees are called with sound upon brass, and
spirit dilated by so ardent a fire as that of the therefore they have hearing; which showeth likefurnace, as soon as ever it cooleth never so little, wise, that though their spirit be diffused, yet there
congealeth presently. And, no doubt, this action is a seat of their senses in their head.
is furthered by the chalcites, which hath a spirit Other observations concerning the insecta, tothat will put forth and germinate, as we see in gether with the enumeration of them, we refer to
chymical trials. Briefly, most things putrefied that place, where we mean to handle the title of
bring forth insecta of several names; but we will animals in general.
not take upon us now to enumerate them all.
697. The insecta have been noted by the an- Experiment solitary touching leaping.
cients to feed little: but this hath not been dili- 699. A man leapeth better with weights in his
gently observed; for grasshoppers eatup the green hands than without. The cause is, for that the
of whole countries; and silk-worms devour leaves weight, if it be proportionable, strengtheneth the
swiftly; and ants make great provision. It is sinews by contracting them. For otherwise,
true, that creatures that sleep and rest much, eat where no contraction is needful, weight hinderlittle; as dormice and bats, &c. They are all eth. As we see in horse-races, men are curious
without blood: which may be, for that the juice to foresee, that there be not the least weight upon
of their bodies is almost all one; not blood, and the one horse more than upon the other. In leapflesh, and skin, and bone, as in perfect creatures; ing with weights the arms are first cast backthe integral parts have extreme variety, but the wards, and then forwards, with so much the
similar parts little. It is true, that they have, greater force; for the hands go backward before
some of them, a diaphragm and an intestine; and they take their rise. Query, if the contrary mothey have all skins; which in most of the insecta tion of the spirits, immediately before the motion
are cast often. They are not generally of long we intend, doth not cause the spirits as it were
life; yet bees have been known to live seven years; to break forth with more force l as breath also,
and snakes are thought, the rather for the casting drawn and kept in, cometh forth more forcibly:
of their spoil, to live till they be old: and eels, and in casting of any thing, the arms, to make a
which many times breed of putrefaction, will live greater swing,lare first cast backward.
and grow very long: and those that interchange
from worms to flies in the summer, and from flies Experiment solitary touching the pleasures and disto worms in the winter, have been kept in boxes pleasures of the senses, especially of hearing.
four years at the least. Yet there are certain 700. Of musical tones and unequal sounds we
flies that are called ephemera that live but a day. have spoken before; but touching the pleasure
The cause is the exility of the spirit, or perhaps and displeasure of the senses, not so fully. Harsh
the absence of the sun; for that if they were sounds, as of a saw when it is sharpened; grindbrought in, or kept close, they might live longer. ing of one stone against another; squeaking or
Many of the insecta, as butterflies and other shrieking noise; make a shivering or horror in
flies, revive easily when they seem dead, being the body, and set the teeth on edge. The cause
brought to the sun or fire. The cause whereof is, for that the objects of the ear do affect the
is the diffusion of the vital spirit, and the easy spirits, immediately, most with pleasure and
dilating of it by a little heat. They stir a good offence. We see there is no colour that affectwhile after their heads are off, or that they be cut eth the eye much with displeasure: there be
in pieces; which is caused also, for that their sights that are horrible, because they excite the
vital spirits are more diffused throughout all their memory of things that are odious or fearful; but
parts, and less confined to organs than in perfect the same things painted do little affect. As for
creatures., smells, tastes, and touches, they be things that
698. The insecta have voluntary motion, and do affect by a participation or impulsion of the