The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

48 NATURAL HISTORY. CENT. IV.
311. As for percolation inward and outward, maketh it work again. It were good also to enwhich belongeth to separation, trial would be made force the spirits by some mixtures that may excite
of clarifying by adhesion, with milk put into new and quicken them; as by putting into the bottles,
beer, and stirred with it: for it may be that the nitre, chalk, lime, &c. We see cream is matured
grosser part of the beer will cleave to the milk: and made to rise more speedily by putting in cold
the doubt is, whether the milk will sever well water; which, as it seemeth, getteth down the
again; which is soon tried. And it is usual in whey.
clarifying hippocras to put in milk; which after 315. It is tried, that the burying of bottles of
severeth and carrieth with it the grosser parts of drink well stopped, either in dry earth a good
the hippocras, as hath been said elsewhere. Also depth; or in the bottom of a well within water;
for the better clarification by percolation, when and best of all, the hanging of them in a deep well
they tun new beer, they use to let it pass through somewhat above the water for some fortnight's
a strainer, and it is like the finer the strainer is space, is an excellent means of making drink fiesh
the clearer it will be. and quick; for the cold doth not cause any exhaling of the spirits at all, as heat doth, though it rariExperiments in conlsort toucAhing mahtration, and fieth the rest that remain; but cold maketh the
the cccelerating thereof. dnd first, touching the spirits vigorous, and irritateth them, whereby they
mnatulration cnzdqtuickening of drinks..qnd next, incorporate the parts of the liquor perfectly.
touchZin the mzatucration offruits. 316. As for the maturation offruits, it is wrought
The accelerating of maturation we will now in- by the calling forth of the spirits of the body out(luire of. And of maturation itself. It is of three ward, and so spreading them more smoothly: and
natures. The maturation of fruits, the maturation likewise by digesting in some degree the grosser
of drinkls, and the maturation of imposthumes and parts; and this is effected by heat, motion, attraclcers. This lastwe refer to another place, where tion, and by a rudiment of putrefaction; for the
tvrye shall handle experiments medicinal. There inception of putrefaction hath in it a maturation.
ne also other maturations, as of metals, &c. where- 317. There were taken apples, and laid in straw,
of we will speak as occasion serveth. But we in hay, in flour, in chalk, in lime; covered over
will begin with that of drinks, because it hath with onions, covered over with crabs, closed up
such affinity with the clarification of liquors. in wax, shut in a box, &c. There was also an
312. For the maturation of drinks, it is wrought apple hanged up in smoke, of all which the expeby the congregation of the spirits together, where- riment sorted in this manner.
by they digest more perfectly the grosser parts: 318. After a month's space, the apple enclosed
and it is effected partly by the same means that in wax was as green and fresh as at the first putclarification is, whereof we spakebefore; but then ting in, and the kernels continued white. The
note, that an extreme clarification doth spread the cause is, for that all exclusion of open air, which
spirits so smooth, as they become dull, and the is ever predatory, maintaineth the body in its first
drink dead, which ought to have a little flowering. freshness and moisture; but the inconvenience
And therefore all your clear amber drink is flat. is, that it tasteth a little of the wax: which I sup313. We see the degrees of maturation of drinks pose, in a pomegranate, or some such thick-coated
in muste, in wine, as it is drunk, and in vinegar. fruit, it would not do.
Whereof muste hath not the spirits well congre- 319. The apple hanged in the smoke turned
gated; wine hath them well united, so as they make like an old mellow apple, wrinkled, dry, soft,
the parts somewhat more oily; vinegar hath them sweet, yellow within. The cause is, for that such
congregated, but more jejune, and in a smaller a degree of heat, which doth neither melt nor
quantity, the greatest and finest spirit and part scorch, (for we see that in a greater heat, a roast
being exhaled: for we see vinegar is made by set- apple softeneth and melteth; and pigs' feet, made
ting the vessel of wine against the hot sun; and of quarters of wardens, scorch and have a skin of
therefore vinegar will not burn; for that much of cole,) doth mellow, and not adure: the smoke,
the finer parts is exhaled. also maketh the apple, as it were, sprinkled with
314. The refreshing and quickening of drink soot, which helpeth to mature. We see that in
palled or dead, is by enforcing the motion of the drying of pears and prunes in the oven, and respirit: so we see that open weather relaxeth the moving of them often as they begin to sweat, there
spirit, and maketh it more lively in motion. ve is a like operation; but that is with a far more insee also bottling of beer or ale, while it is new tense degree of heat.
afnd full of spirit, so that it spirteth when the stop- 320. The apples covered in the lime and ashes
pie is taken forth, maketh the drink more quick were well matured, as appeared both in their yeland windy. A pan of coals in the cellar doth lowness and sweetness. The cause is, for that
likewise good, and maketh the drink work again. that degree of heat which is in lime and ashes, beNew drink put to drink that is dead provoketh it ing a smothering heat, is of all the rest most proto work again: nay, which is more, as some per, for it doth neither liquefy nor arefy, and that
affirm, a brewing of newt beer set by old beer is true maturation. Note, that the taste of those