The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

116 NATURAL HISTORY. CENT. IX.
whether they be active and eager, or dull and gen- northern countries, mead simple, which, well
7ie. The seventh is the emission, or detention of made and seasoned, is a good wholesome drink,
the spirits in bodies. The eighth is the dilatation, and very clear. They use also in Wales a cornor contraction of the spirits inlbodies, while they pound drink of mead, with herbs and spices. But
are detained. The ninth is the collocation of the meanwhile it were good, in recompense of that
spirits in bodies, whether the collocation be equal, we have lost in honey, there were brought in use
or unequal; and again, whether the spirits be a sugrar-mead, for so we may call it, though withcoacervate, or diffused. The tenth is the density, out any mixture at all of honey, and to brew it,
or rarity of the tangible parts. The eleventh is and keep it stale, as they use mead: for certainly,
the equality, or inequality of the tangible parts. I though it would not be so abstersive, and openThe twelfth is the digestion, or crudity of the ing, and solutive a drink as mead; yet it will be
tangible parts. The thirteenth is the nature of more grateful to the stomach, and more lenitive,
the matter, whether sulphureous or mercurial, and fit to be used in sharp diseases: for we see,
watery or oily, dry and terrestrial, or moist and that the use of sugar in beer and ale hath good
liquid; which natures of sulphureous and mercu- effects in such cases.
rial seem to be natures radical and principal.
The fourteenth is the placing of the tangible parts Experiment solitary touching the finer sort of base
in length or transverse, as it is in the warp; ndmetals.
the woof of textiles, more inward or more out- 849. It is reported by the ancients, that there
ward, &c. The fifteenth is the porosity or impo- was a kind of steel in some places, which would
rosity betwixt the tangible parts, and the greatness polish almost as white and bright as silver. And
or smallness of the pores. The sixteenth is the col- that there was in India a kind of brass, which,
location and posture of the pores. There may be being polished, could scarce be discerned from
more causes; but these do occur for the present. gold. This was in the natural ure: but I am
doubtful, whether men have sufficiently refined
Experimel t soliary tlouching induration. by syml- metals, which we count base; as whether iron,
pathy. brass, and tin be refined to the height 1 But
847. Take lead and melt it, and in the midst of when they come to such a fineness, as serveth the
it, when it beginneth to congeal, make a little dint ordinary use, they try no farther.
or hole, and put quicklsilver wrapped in a piece
of linen into that hole, and the quicksilver will fix E.perimelt solitary toec hing cenelts and quarries.
and run no more, and endure the hammer. This 850. There have been found certain cements
is a noble instance of induration, by consent of under earth that are very soft; and yet, taken
one body with another, and motion of excitation forth into the sun, harden as hard as marble:
to imitate; for to ascribe it only to the vapour of there are also ordinary quarries in Somersetshire,
lead, is less probable. Query, whether the fixing which in the quarry cut soft to any bigness, and
may be in such a degree, as it will be figured like in the building prove firm and hard.
other metals? For if so, you may make works of
it for some purposes, so they come not near the fire. Experiment solitary touching the altering of the
colour of hairs andfeathers.
Experinment solitary touching hone.y and sugar. 851. Living creatures generally do change their
848. Sugar hath put down the use of honey, hair with age, turning to be gray and white: as is
insomuch as we have lost those observations seen in men, though some earlier, some later; in
and preparations of honey which the ancients horses that are dappled, and turn white; in old
had, when it was more in price. First, it squirrels that turn grisly; and many others. So
seemeth that there was in old time tree-honey, do some birds; as cygnets from the gray turn
as well as bee-honey, which was the tear or white; hawks from brown turn more white.
blood issuing from the tree: insomuch as one And some birds there be that upon their moulting
of the ancients relateth, that in Trebisond do turn colour; as robin-red-breasts, after their
there was honey issuing from the box-trees which moulting, grow to be red again by degrees, so do
made men mad. Again, in ancient time there goldfinches upon the head. The cause is, for that
was a kind of honey, which either of its own na- moisture doth chiefly colour hair and feathers, and
ture, or by art, would grow as hard as sugar, and dryness turneth them grey and white: now hair
was not so luscious as ours. They had also a in age waxeth drier; so do feathers. As for feawine of honey, which they made thus. They thers, after moulting, they are young feathers, and
crushed the honey into a great quantity of water, so all one as the feathers of young birds. So the
and then strained the liquor: after they boiled it beard is younger than the hair of the head, and
in a copper to the half; then they poured it into doth, for the most part, wax hoary later. Out of
earthen vessels for a small time, and after turned this ground a man may devise the means of altert into vessels of wood, and kept it for many years. ing the colour of birds, and the retardation of
They have also at this day, in Russia and those, hoary hairs. But of this see the fifth experiment.