The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

118 NATURA-L HISTORY. CENT. IX.
with straw to keep them from cold. They remove incorporation doth make the mixture of the body
them also, which addeth some life: and by these more equal in all the parts; which ever induceth
helps they become as good in England, as in Italy a milder taste.
or Provence.'These, and the like means, may
be tried in tobacco. Inquire also of the steeping Experiment solitary touching fiesh edible, and not
of the roots in some such liquor as may give them edible.
vigour to put forth strong. 859. Of fleshes, some are edible; some, exExperiment solitary touching several heats working cept it be in famine, not. F r those that are
7solthey samehi ANeffets haso not edible, the cause is, for that they have
commonly too much bitterness of taste; and
856. Heat of the sun for the maturation of therefore those creatures which are fierce and
fruits; yea, and the heat of vivification of living choleric are not edible; as lions, wolves, squircreatures, are both represented and supplied by rels, dogs, foxes, horses, &c. As for kine,
the heat of fire; and likewise the heats of the sun, sheep, goats, deer, swine, conies, hares, &c., we
and life, are represented one by the other. Trees Yet it is true,
see they are mild and fearful. Yet it is true,
set upon the backs of chimneys do ripen fruit that horses, which are beasts of courage, have
sooner. Vines, that have been drawn in at the been, and are eaten by some nations; as the
window of a kitchen, have sent forth grapes ripe Scythians were called Hippophagi; and the
a month at least before others. Stoves at the Chinese eat horse-flesh at this day; and some
back of walls bring forth oranges here with us. gluttons have used tohave colts'-flesh baked. In
Eggs, as is reported by some, have been hatched.Egos, as is reported by some, have been hatched birds, such as are carnivorae, and birds of prey,
in the warmth of an oven. It is reported by the are commonly no good meat, but the reason is,
ancients, that the ostrich layeth her eggs under rather the choleric nature of those birds, than
sand, where the heat of the sun discloseth them. their feeding upon flesh: for pewets, gulls,
Experimenzt solitary touching swellinr and dilata- shovellers, ducks, do feed upon flesh, and yetare
tion n boilingood meat. And we see that those birds which
857. Barley in the boiling swelleth not much; are of prey, or feed upon flesh, are good meat
857. Bareleth e ri e elth not much; when they are very young; as hawks, rooks out
Wheat swelleth more; rice extremely, insomuch Man's flesh is not eaten.
as a quarter of a pint, unboiled, will arise to a of the nest, owls, &c. Mare thr's flesh is not eaten
pint boiled. The cause no doubt is, for that the
humanity do abhor it: secondly, because no livmore close and compact the body is, the more it humanity do abhor it: secondly, because no livcwill di mlatec: n ow barley is, the morst hollow ing creature that dieth of itself is good to eat:
will dilat more: now barley is the most hollow; and therefore the cannibals themselves eat no
wheat more solid than that; and rice most solid man' s flesi of those that die of themselves, but
man's flesh of those that die of themselves, but
of all. It may be also that some bodies have athere
kind of lentour, and more depertible nature than
others; as we see it evident in colouration; for a must be generally some disparity between the
small quantity of saffron will tinct more than a nourishment and the body nourished and they
very great quantity of brasil or wine. must not be over-near, or like: yet we see, that
in great weaknesses and consumptions, men have
Experirent solitary touching the dulcoration of been sustained with woman's milk; and Facifruits. nus, fondly, as I conceive, adviseth, for the pro858. Fruit groweth sweet by rolling, or press- longation of life, that a vein be opened in the
ing them gently with the hand; as rolling pears, arm of some wholesome young man, and the
damascenes, &c.: by rottenness; as medlars, blood to be sucked. It is said that witches do
services, sloes, hips, &c.: by time; as apples, greedily eat man's flesh; which if it be true, bewardens, pomegranates, &c.: by certain special sides a devilish appetite in them, it is likely to
maturations; as by laying them in hay, straw, proceed, for that man's flesh may send up high
&c.: and by fire; as in roasting, stewing, bak- and pleasing vapours, which may stir the imaginaing, &c. The cause of the sweetness by rolling tion; and witches' felicity is chiefly in imaginaand pressing, is emollition, which they properly tion, as hath been said.
induce; as in beating of stock-fish, flesh, &c.:
by rottenness is, for that the spirits of the fruit by Experiment solitary touching the salamander.
putrefaction gather heat, and thereby digest the 860. There is an ancient received tradition of the
harder part, for in all putrefactions there is a de- salamander, that it liveth in the fire, and hath
gree of heat: by time and keeping is, because force also to extinguish the fire. It must have
the spirits of the body do ever feed upon the tan- two things, if it be true, to this operation: the
gible parts, and attenuate them: by several one a very close skin, whereby flame, which in
maturations is, by some degree of heat: and by the midst is not so hot, cannot enter; for we see
fire is, because it is the proper work of heat to re- that if the palm of the hand be anointed thick
fine, and to incorporate; and all sourness con- with white of egg, and then aqua vitae be poureci
sisteth in some grossness of the body; and all upon it, and inflamed, yet one may endure the