The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INTELLECTUAL GLOBE. 587
rishes not, but remains unextinguished, the same stars as bodies, though the phenomena which
in quantity, and rapidly ascending heavenwards; may occasion uncertainty on the subject are
but on the sides the pressure takes effect, and very few.
from them begins the process of extinction. One For, first of all, no instance, or any analogous
way of demonstrating this fact, I mean the inte- facts in human experience favour the inquiry;
rior flame remaining in a spherical figure, and the since our globe of earth and water does not seem
exterior gradually vanishing and forming a pyra- subject in its mass to any conspicuous augmenta-s
mid, is by an experiment of two flames of different tion or diminution, but preserves its bulk and
colours, There may also be very great difference quantity. But, it may be said, the stars appear
between the heat of flame in the heavenly bodies to our view sometimes of larger, sometimes of
and in ours. For the celestial flame expands smaller size. This is true, but that larger or
freely and serenely, as if in its own medium, smaller dimension of a star is ascribable either to
ours, as if pent up in another, blazes and rages. its proximity or remoteness; or in their apogees
For all fire hedged about and imprisoned becomes and perigees, in the case of the planets; or to the
fiercer. In fact, the rays of the fires of heaven constitution of the medium of vision. So far as
themselves, after reaching denser and more im- this arises from the constitution of the medium, it
penetrable bodies, lose their mild quality and be- is easily discriminated, because that changes not
come more scorching. Wherefore Aristotle ought the appearance of one star in particular, but of all
not to have apprehended Heraclitus's conflagra- equally: as happens on winter nights in a keen
tion for his sphere, even although he had deter- frost, when the stars appear of increased magnimined that the stars were real fires. This ques- tude, because the vapours of the earth both mount
tion then may also be entertained, subject to this in less quantity and are dissipated more power
explanation. fully, and the whole body of the atmosphere is to
Another question follows, Whether the stars a certain degree condensed, and approaches an
are kept alive by due sustentation. and also, aqueous or crystalline character, which exhibits
whether they are increased., lessened, generated, objects in increased dimension. But if it were
extinguished. and in fact one of the ancients some particular intervention of vapours between
supposed, from some vulgar observation, that the our vision and some given star, magnifying the
stars were nourished as fire is, and fed upon the appearance of the star, (which we frequently and
waters, the sea, and the moisture of the earth, and plainly see happening in the case of the sun, and
were sustained by their evaporations and exhala- moon, and other heavenly bodies,) that appearance
tions, a notion which seems unworthy to supply can neither impose upon us in itself, nor does the
matter for any inquiry. For such vapours fall star follow and move with the body of the vapour,
far on this side the height of the stars. Nor is but is quickly extricated from it, and resumes its
there such a quantity of them as to supply the usual appearance. But though these things are
waters and the land by rains and dews, and be- so, yet since both formerly, in ancient times, and
sides suffice for repairing so many and so great now also in our own age, a great change, much
heavenly orbs, especially as it is evident that the noted and celebrated, has taken place in the star
earth and ocean have not suffered diminution in Venus, in its magnitude, colour, and even figure;
the quantity of liquid for many ages, so that it and since a change which always and regularly
seems a necessary conclusion that as much is re- attends a given star, and is seen to move about
placed as is absorbed, Nor is the mode of sup- with its body, ought to be considered as necesply so suitable for the heavenly bodies as it is for sarily existing in the star itself, and not in the
our fire. For where something perishes and is medium of vision; and since, in consequence of
subtracted, there too something is taken up and the neglect of observations, many remarkable
assimilated, This species of assimilation resem- phenomena which take place in heaven are passed
bles the tartarizations of salts, and derives its by unheeded, and are lost to us: we think
source from the contiguity all round it of opposite it right to entertain this second branch of our
or dissimilar substances. But in the consubstan- question.
tial and interior body of the stars nothing of the Of the same kind is another part of our inquiry,
- kind happens, no more than in the bowels of the whether, during the long lapse of ages, stars are
earth, but they preserve their substance by the produced and decomposed. not but that the mullaw of identity, not assimilation. But with re- titude of facts which invite this question is more
spect to the exterior surface of the starry bodies, copious and sufficient, than on that of their inthe question is properly enough proposed; whe- crease, though they be only of one kind, For,
ther they remain in one and the same state, or as respects the ancient stars, no one in the memory
steal from and even taint the surrounding ether? of all ages has remarked the rise of any of them,
And in this sense we may inquire also respecting (except what the ancient Arcadians fabled about
the aliment of the stars. the moon,) and none of them has been missed'
But it is proper here to subjoin the question whereas, with respect to those which are regarded
with respect to the increase and lessening of the as comets, but of a stellar form and motion, and,