The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

56 NATURAL HISTORY. CENT. IV.
han the pure wax, Then followed in swiftness that hole; and then set it upright again; and
Ahe clear wax itself. Then the bay-salt, which put a wick in at the hole, and lighten it; you
Lasted about an eighth part longer than the clear shall find that it will burn slow, and a long time:
wax. Then followed the aqua vitae, which lasted which is caused, as was said last before, for
about a fifth part longer than the clear wax. that the flame fetcheth the nourishment afar off.
Then followed the milk and water with little You shall find also, that as the oil wasteth and
difference from the aqua vitae, but the water descendeth, so the top of the turret by little and
slowest. And in these four last, the wick would little filleth with air; which is caused by the raspit forth little sparks. For the nitre, it would refaction of the oil by the heat. It were worthy
not hold lighted above some twelve pulses, but the observation to make a hole in the top of the
all the while it would spit out portions of flame, turret, and to try when the oil is almost consumed,
which afterwards would go out into a vapour. whether the air made of the oil, if you put to it a
For the brimstone, it would hold lighted much flame of a candle, in the letting of it forth, will
about the same time with the nitre; but then after inflame. It were good also to have the lamp
a little while it would harden and cake about the made, not of tin, but glass, that you may see how
snaste; so that the mixture of bay-salt with wax the vapour or air gathereth by degrees in the top.
will win an eighth part of the time of lasting, 374. A fourth point that importeth the lasting
and the water a fifth. of the flame, is the closeness of the air wherein
370. After the several materials were tried, the flame burneth. We see that if wind bloweth
trial was likewise made of several wicks; as of upon a candle it wasteth apace. We see also it
ordinary cotton, sewing thread, rush, silk, straw, lasteth longer in a lantern than at large. And
and wood. The silk, straw, and wood would there are traditions of lamps and candles, that
flame a little, till they came to the wax, and then have burnt a very long time in caves and tombs.
go out: of the other three, the thread consumed 375. A fifth point that importeth the lasting of
faster than the cotton, by a sixth part of time; the flame, is the nature of the air where the flame
the cotton next; then the rush consumed slower burneth; whether it be cold or hot, moist or dry.
than the cotton, by at least a third part of time. The air, if it be very cold, irritateth the flame,
For the bigness of the flame, the cotton and and maketh it burn more fiercely, as fire scorcheth
thread cast a flame much alike; and the rush in frosty weather, and so furthereth the consumpmuch less and dimmer. Query, Whether wood tion. The air once heated, I conceive, maketh
and wicks both, as in torches, consume faster the flame burn more mildly, and so helpeth the
than the wicks simple. continuance. The air, if it be dry, is indifferent:
371. We have spoken of the several materials, the air, if it be moist, doth in a degree quench the
and the several wicks: but to the lasting of the flame, as we see lights will go out in the damps
flame it importeth also, not only what the mate- of mines, and howsoever maketh it burn more
rial is, but the same material whether it be hard, dully, and so helpeth the continuance.
soft, old, new, &c. Good housewives, to make
their candles burn longer, use to lay them one by Experiments in consort touching burials or infuone in bran or flour, which make them harder, sions of divers bodies in earth.
and so they consume the slower: insomuch as 376. Burials in earth serve for preservation, and
by this means they will outlast other candles of for condensation, and for induration of bodies.
the same stuff almost half in half. For bran and And if you intend condensation or induration, you
flour have a virtue to harden; so that both age, may bury the bodies so as earth may touch them:
and lying in the bran, doth help to the lasting. as if you will make artificial porcelane, &c. And
And we see that wax candles last longer than tal- the like you may do for conservation, if the
low candles, because wax is more firm and hard. bodies be hard and solid; as clay, wood, &c. But
372. The lasting of flame also dependeth upon if you intend preservation of bodies more soft and
the easy drawing of the nourishment; as we see in tender, then you must do one of these two: either
the Court of England there is a service which you must put them in cases, whereby they may
they call Allnight; which is as it were a great not touch the earth, or else you must vault the
cake of wax, with the wick in the midst; where- earth, whereby it may hang over them and not
by it cometh to pass, that the wick fetcheth the touch them: for if the earth touch them, it will
nourishment farther off. We see also thatlamps do more hurt by the moisture, causing them to
last longrer, because the vessel is far broader than putrefy, than good by the virtual cold, to conserve
the breadth of a taper or candle. them, except the earth be very dry and sandy.
373. Take a turreted lamp of tin, made in the 377. An orange, lemon, and apple, wrapt in a
form of square; the height of the turret being linen cloth, being buried for a fortnight's space
thrice as much as the length of the lower part four foot deep within the earth, though it were in
whereupon the lamp standeth: make only one a moist place, and a rainy time, yet came forth
hole in it, at the end of the return farthest from noways mouldy or rotten, but were become a
tile turret. Reverse it, and fill it full of oil by little harder than they were; otherwise fresh in