différent from each other, fo fmall and minute that we cannot perceive them by any artifice or medium whatsoever, and confequently cannot any wife be able to determine their figuration, and what are their other Proprieties.

But inasmuch as the Names of fixed, volatile, Spirit, &c. are not common, and feveral Chymifts who have made ufe of them, have too often but very confufed and indiftinct ideas of them: I think it neceffary here to explain to you how I conceive them.

We fee by the Effects of the great Concave Mirror which is in the King's Library, that there is no kind of folid Body whatsoever which does not melt by an extreme heat: Earths, Talcs, Scones, Plafter, Slate, Lead-oar, Bloodftone, Rock-crystal in Powder, and feveral other matters vitrify in a very little time after they have been expofed to the focus of this Mirror; and it is most likely that thofe of which no Experiment has yet been made, would likewife be thrown into a flux; and because the greatest part of these Matters are feen to fmoke before they are melted, and when they are melted boil and bubble up, it is eafy to judge that these Effects proceed from fome of their more fubtle Parts, which become volatile and put themfelves in motion one after another.

It is alfo obferved that thofe Bodies which appear the moft fixed, as Stones and Metals, become luminous in the Fire. Now the Light very probably proceeds from a most rapid and violent Motion; hence we may conclude, that fome of the Particles of these Bodies then move, and of confequence are volatile, or at least would come to be fo at laft, if thefe matters were exposed to a Mirror, which caufes Effects

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more

more confiderable than that which we have been speaking of.

We cannot then be affured that any Body is of its own Nature truly hard or fixed; however, to conform my felf with the Chymifts, I call There hard that which is difficult to be melted ; fixed, that which does not rife but by a very great; and volatile, that which a moderate heat may caufe to rife; but there are different degrees of hardness, fixity and volatility; as for Example, Water is more volatile than Sal Armoniac, and Spirits of Wine more than Water; each melts by heat with greater difficulty than Salts.

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The Chymifts call Spirits the non-aqueous Parts which rife from Bodies by heat, and are reduced into Liquor by diftillation, as the Spirit of Sulphur, Spirit of Vitriol, and Spirit of Salt.

They call alfo Spirits the aqueous Liquor which are drawn by diftillation, when they are replete and impregnated with fome Salts, or fome other active Principles which are raifed along with them by the force of Fire.

We know the natural Union of fome of these Principles by the following Experiments.

Put Spirit of Wine drawn from Saltpetre up-'. on Salt of Tartar diffolved in common Water, or upon any other fixed Salt of the like nature with Salt of Tartar, and you will fee that there will be produced a very great effervefcency or ebullition in these matters; which proceeds probably from a violent motion of their most minute Parts, when they hook themselves to each other in order to their intimate union, and fo make a new Compofitum, like the firft Saltpetre from whence the Spirit had been drawn.

The

fame

fame thing happens to Spirit of Vitriol and Spirit of Salt, when we mix them with the fame fixed Salts. The acid Spirits of Plants being poured upon the volatile Salt, which rifes from fome of them at the end of their diftillation, caufe alfo a very confiderable effervefcency, as will likewife the diftilled Liquors of Earths when we pour them upon brick. We know also this motion of reunion by the Salts of Ashes, from which, by the force of Fire, we have feparated the Water, and then other fimple Principles with which thefe Salts are ordinarily joined; for they penetrate into the flesh of Animals to rejoin themselves to thofe Principles: Whence we may judge that the acid and penetrating taste of the Spirit of Saltpetre, and other Spirits feparated by diftillation, proceeds from this, that they penetrate deeply into the Tongue, and that the fweetnefs which we find in the greatest part of Fruits, proceeds from an exact union of the Principles of which they are compofed; for when we have let fome of them evaporate, what remains becomes acid and penetrates the Tongue. It is for this reafon that Mead and fweet Wines grow four when we leave them unftopt; and that a great deal of thefe acid Spirits have the power to diffolve Metals and feveral other Bodies, by infinuating themselves into their clofeft Pores to unite themfelves to that which is proper to them in these Matters.

I do not intend however to attribute to thefe Principles any knowledge by which they feek to unite, but I conceive that they have a natural Difpofition reciprocally to move themselves for this exact union when they touch each other; and though it be extremely difficult to deter mine what this Difpofition is, it is fufficient to

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know that there are in nature a great many Examples of fuch Motions. Thus heavy Bodies move towards the centre of the Earth, and Iron towards the Loadstone; and thefe Motions are no more difficult to conceive, than thofe of the Planets in their Orbs, or that of the Sun round its Axis, or of the Heart in a living Animal.

Some Chymifts believe that there is in Nature a moft fubtle Body, which they call an univerfal Spirit, which infinuating it felf into divers Matters, produces the grofs Principles of Bodies; but we may with greater reafon believe the contrary, that is to fay, that there is a fixed Salt which ferves as a Bafis for these Principles, and that the different Spirits fpecify and deter

mine them.

The following Experiment I have feen made.. Take three equal parts of Salt of Tartar, pour on the firft, Spirit of Salt; on the fecond, Spirit of Saltpetre; and on the third, Spirit of Vitriol, till thefe Matters make no longer an effervefcency; let part of the Liquors evaporate, and you will find in the first mixture true Salt of a cubical Figure, which crackles in the Fire, and has fenfibly the tafte of common Salt: In the fecond, there will be a true Saltpetre in long Needles, which has a piquant tafte and fulminates in the Fire; and in the third, Vitriol of an hexagonal Figure, or in points like Diamonds, and which has alfo the other qualities of Vitriol, and that it is not green, and does not blacken the folution of Galls: But this may be because the metallick Matter which is mixed with Vitriol, and which gives it its green colour, and the vertue blackening does not pafs through the Alembick with the Spirits.

My

ways fway'd by a Female Hand, and the Women in general rul'd in all Things, &c.

The Topicks of the Converfation of their Men are very Womanifh, as defcrib'd by the Author: Their Converfation, fays he, was vaftly infipid, except when it turn'd upon Scandal: They wou'd frequently difcourfe of their Drefs, and the Difpofition of their Attire; fometimes indeed they wou'd argue, but then the Topic they ufually debated upon was to enquire, whether it were more graceful to let the Hair defcend in Ringlets upon the Shoulders, or to tye it up with a Ribbon; whether an artificial Red fpread upon the Cheeks did not heighten Beauty; and if the Colours with which Nature paints the Face, is not more faint than thofe which Art has invented; whether a Complexion that inclines to brown is not more lovely in the Eyes of Women, than a Complexion that has too much of the Lilly and Rofe in it. Each of them pronounced upon thefe important Particulars ast the Looking-glafs directed.

How far our modern Sparks are hafting to this Tafte, we leave the Reader to judge.

The Author then defcribes a Country whofe Inhabitants foon grow old, and enjoy but a very fhort Life.

A third, whofe Inhabitants, tho' fuperlatively deform'd and ugly, do nevertheless appear handfome in the Eyes of their Countrymen.

This Hint is fo very whimsical, and the Incidents fo Grotefque, that they cannot but delight all Readers who have a Tafte for Comedy; a fpecimen whereof we fhall now give in the Description of the Emperor's Perfon.

The Emperor was look'd upon as one of the fineft fhap'd Princes that had ever fat upon the Throne