The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

128 NATURAL HISTORY. CENT. X
choose. It would be done also when the dew is wine into them; and so kept himself alive with
a little off the ground, lest the vapour be too moist. the odour of them, till the feast was past. I
I knew a great man that lived long, who had a knew a gentleman that would fast, sometimes
clean clod of earth brought to him every morning three or four, yea, five days, without meat, bread,
as he sat in his bed: and he would hold his head or drink; but the same man used to have contiover it a good pretty while. I commend also, nually a great wisp of herbs that he smelled on;
sometimes, in digging of new earth, to pour in and amongst those herbs, some esculent herbs of
some Malmsey or Greek wine, that the vapour of strong scent; as onions, garlic, leeks, and, the
the earth and wine together may comfort the like.
spirits the more: provided. always it be not taken 935. They do use, for the accident of the mofor a heathen sacrifice, or libation to the earth. ther, to burn feathers and other things of ill odour;
929. They have in physic use of pomanders, and by those ill smells the rising of the mother is
and knots of powders, for drying of rheums, com- put down.
forting of the heart, provoking of sleep, &c. For 936. There be airs which the physicians adthough those things be not so strong as perfumes, vise their patients to remove unto, in consumpyet you may have them continually in your hand; tions, or upon recovery of long sicknesses;
whereas perfumes you can take but at times; and which, commonly, are plain champaigns, but grazbesides, there be divers things that breathe better ing, and not over-grown with heath or the like;
of themselves, than when they come to the fire; or else timber-shades, as in forests, and the like.
as nigella romana, the seed of melanthium, amo- It is noted also, that groves of bays do forbid pesmum, &c. tilent airs: which was accounted a great cause
930. There be two things which, inwardly used, of the wholesome air of Antiochia. There be also
do cool and condense the spirits; and I wish the some soils that put forth odorate herbs of themsame to be tried outwardly in vapours. The one selves; as wild thyme, wild marjoram, pennyis nitre, which I would have dissolved in Malm- royal, camomile; and in which the brier roses
sey, or Greek wine, and so the smell of the wine smell almost like musk-roses; which, no doubt,
taken; or if you would have it more forcible, pour are signs that do discover an excellent air.
of it upon a firepan, well heated, as they do rose- 937. It were good for men to think of having
water and vinegar. The other is the distilled healthful air in their houses; which will never be
water of wild poppy, which I wish to be mingled, if the rooms be low roofed, or full of windows and
at half, with rose-water, and so taken with some doors; for the one maketh the air close, and not
mixture of a few cloves in a perfuming pan. The fresh, and the other maketh it exceeding unequal;
like would be done with the distilled water of which is a great enemy to health. The windows
saffron-flowers. also should not be high up to the roof, which is in
931. Smells of musk, and amber, and civet, are use for beauty and magnificence, but low. Also
thought to further venerous appetite; which they stone walls are not wholesome; but timber is
may do by the refreshing and calling forth of the more wholesome; and especially brick: nay, it
spirits. hath been used by some with great success to
932. Incense and nidorous smells, such as make their walls thick; and to put a lay of chalk
were of sacrifices, were thought to intoxicate the between the bricks, to take away all dampishbrain, and to dispose men to devotion: which ness.
they may do by a kind of sadness, and contristation of the spirits; and partly also by heating and Experiment solitary touching the emissions of spiexaltingthem. We see thatamongstthe Jews the ritual species which efect the senses.
principal perfume of the sanctuary was forbidden 938. These emissions, as we said before, are
all common uses. handled, and ought to be handled by themselves
933. There be some perfumes prescribed by the under their proper titles: that is, visibles and auwriters of natural magic, which procure pleasant dibles, each apart: in this place it shall suffice to
dreams: and some others, as they say, that pro- give some general observations common to both.
cure prophetical dreams; as the seeds of flax, First, they seem to be incorporeal. Secondly,
fleawort, &c. they work swiftly. Thirdly, they work at large
934. It is certain, that odours do, in a small distances. Fourthly, incurious varieties. Fifthdegree, nourish; especially the odour of wine; ly, they are not effective of any thing; nor leave
and we see men an hungered do love to smell hot no work behind them; but are energies merely:
bread. It is related that Democritus, when he for their working upon mirrors and places of echo
lay a dying, heard a woman in the house corn- doth not alter any thing in those bodies; but it
plain that she should be kept from being at a feast is the same action with the original, only reperand solemnity, which she much desired to see, cussed. And as for the shaking of windows, or
because there would be a corpse in the house; rarifying the air by great noises, and the heat
whereupon he caused loaves of new bread to be caused by burning-glasses: they are rather consent for, and opened them, and poured a little comitants of the audible and visible species, than