struggle he could make, his resistance is not the less because it does not prevail. And the state of this matter, (viz. whether the yielding motion be, as it were, annihilated by the predominancy, or whether the resistance be continued, though latent, in the conflict) may perhaps appear from concurrency. For example, let trial be made in shooting, whether a musquet, or cannon, fired at its utmost random, or point blank distance, throws a bullet more forcibly upwards, where the percussion is simple, or downwards where the motion of gravity concurs, or conspires with the stroke.

Lastly, the canons, or rule of the predominancies, which occur, should be collected, as for example, that the more common the good which is desired, the stronger the motion; and that the motion of connection, which regards the communion of the universe, is stronger than the motion of gravity, which regards the communion of dense bodies; again, that the appetites of a private good do not generally prevail against the appetites of a more public good, unless in small quantities. And it were to be wished this also obtained in civil affairs*

Here is an opening in that kind of Persian magic, which the Author has prosecuted farther on another occasion. Let the several kinds of motion, above laid down, be

49. Among prerogative instances, we assign the twenty-fifth place to intimating instances; that is, such as hint, or point out, the advantages or conveniencies of mankind, for bare power and knowledge only enlarge, but do not enrich human nature, and therefore such things as principally appertain to the uses of life, are to be selected, or culled out from the general mass of things. The more proper place for speaking of these, will be when we treat of reducing knowledge to practice*. But through the whole business of interpretation, we constantly, in every particular enquiry, or upon every subject, allot a place for the table of human uses, or the table of desiderata, wishes, or optatives; for it is a part of knowledge to enquire, and even to wish discreetly.

50. In the twenty-sixth place, among prerogative instances, come sovereign or general instances; that is, such as regard a variety of particulars, and occur frequently; whence they greatly save trouble, and prevent the search after new demonstrations. But for the instruments

compared with those of Sir Isaac Newton, and the modern mathematical writers.

* A part not gone upon in the Novum Organum. See above, Aph. 21.

+ See the close of the History of Winds, and Condensation and Rarifaction.

themselves, and the particular managements, the more proper place to treat of them is, when we come to the ways of practice, and the method of experimenting*; for the things hitherto known and used, in the exercise of all particular arts, must be described. But at present we will subjoin a few generals with regard thereto, in the way of exemplifying these sovereign instances.

Man, therefore, (besides the business of simply putting bodies together, and taking them asunder) operates upon natural bodies seven principal ways, viz. 1. by excluding such things as might hinder or disturb the process; 2. by compressing, extending, agitating, and the like; 3. by heat or cold; 4. by continuing the matters in a convenient place; 5. by the moderating and governing of motion; 6. by particular consents; 7. by a seasonable and due change, alteration, or series and succession, of all the preceding ways, or at least some of them.

With regard to the first means of practice, viz. by excluding such things as might hinder or disturb the process, the common air, which is every where at hand, insinuating itself, and the rays of the celestial bodies, cause great disturbance; and therefore such things as exclude

* See the Sylva Sylvarum throughout. See also the De Augment. Scientiarum, Sect. 12.

them, may deservedly be accounted sovereign. And to this belong the matter and strength, or thickness of the vessels, wherein the subject, or bodies prepared for the operation, are included, as also the exact methods of closing up these vessels, with proper and strong materials, or. with philosophical luting, as the chemists call it. So likewise the closing of vessels, by means of liquors applied on the outside, is a very useful thing, as when they pour oil upon wine, or other vegetable juices, for the oil floating on the top, like a stopple, excellently preserves them from the injury of the air. Nor are powders unfit for this purpose, which though they contain a mixture of air, yet expel and prevent the force of the external air, as we see in the preserving of grapes and other fruits, by sand or flower. So again, wax, honey, pitch, and the like tenacious bodies, are properly used with a view to close vessels perfectly, and exclude the external air, or atmosphere. And we have sometimes buried vessels and other bodies in quicksilver, the densest fluid that can be employed for this purpose.

Pits, caves, and subterraneous receptacles, are likewise of great use, to exclude the sun; and the open air, which preys upon things. And these kinds of caves are used, in the northern part of Germany, for granaries. And to this head belongs also the suffering of bodies to lie at

the bottom of water. Thus I remember to have heard, that certain bottles of wine, let down to cool in a well, being by a casual neglect left there and forgotten, for many years, but at length drawn up again, the wine was found to be grown, not vapid or flat, but much more generous and noble *. But if it should be required to sink bodies to the bottom of a river, or the sea, without their touching the water, or without being included in stopped vessels, and yet be surrounded by air, the diving-bell, which is a vessel sometimes employed in working upon wrecks, or ships under water, may here prove of good service.

This vessel is made of metal, hollow like a cask, and being let down with its bottom parallel to the surface of the water, it carries along with it all the air it contains to the bottom of the seat; and having three feet to stand upon, somewhat short of the height of a man, the diver, when he wants to breathe, conveys his head into the cavity of the vessel, where being refreshed with air, he afterwards continues his work. we have heard, that a boat, or small ship, was lately contrived, wherein men may row under

And

* See the article Maturation, in the Sylva Sylvarum. + See Dr. Halley's account of the diving-bell, in the Philosophical Transactions, No. 349.