A general collection of discourses of the virtuosi of France, upon questions of all sorts of philosophy, and other natural knowledg / Made in the assembly of the beaux esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation ; Render'd into English by G. Havers.

  • Bureau d'adresse et de rencontre (Paris, France)
Date:
1664
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A general collection of discourses of the virtuosi of France, upon questions of all sorts of philosophy, and other natural knowledg / Made in the assembly of the beaux esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation ; Render'd into English by G. Havers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    598/612 (page 572)
    fufceptible of thofe lights which burn not, then the Air which is the prime'diaphanous body, and confequently moft capable of receiving them 5 although polfibly we cannot truly know what temper the Air muft acquire to become luminous,no more then what is fit for it in other fubjefts, For to attribute the caufe thereof to purity or fimplicity, lignifies little S for earth and afhes are more fimple then the flefh, or other part, dead or living, of an Animal 5 and yet this (hines, and thofe not. The Second faid. That thefe fires may be referr’d to four forts. The firfi: refemble falling Stars or lighted Torches, which Plutarch faith were feen to fall upon Ponipe/s Camp the eve be¬ fore the Battle of Pharfalia. The fécond is that kind of flame which has appear’d upon the heads of fome, as of Afcamvs in Virgil, and of Servius Hojlilius3 which was an omen to them of Royalty. The third are thofe which appear at Sea about the Mafts and Shrouds of the Ships, named by the Ancient, Ca- Sior and Pollux when they are two, and when but one, Helena 3 and by the Moderns, the fire of S. Elnte, The laft are thole which are feen in the Country in the night time,and are thought to drive or draw Travellers into precipices. As for the firfi:, *tis certain that the fame exhalation which makes Comets in the higheft Region of the Air, and Thunders in the middlemoft, is alfo the matter of thefe falling Stars, and being rais’d in final! quantity from the .earth is condens’d by the cold of themiddle Region, where finding no cloud ftrong enough to uphold it, Ys inflam’d by the antiperiftafis of its contrary, or the fwift motion of its fall, by reafon of its great heat and ficcity. And as they proceed from the fame caufe as dry winds do, lb they prefage winds and droughts, elpecially in that quarter from whence they fall. But as for the other forts, I conceive they are only lights, and not fires : For the Air being tranlparent, and the firfi: fubjed of Whitenefs, as Arijlotle faith, hath like- wife in itfelf fome radical light, which is fuftein’d by that of the Stars which Ihine in the night. And this whitenefs of the Airis prov’d by the appearance of it when tis enclos’d in moi ft bodies, as in froth, fnow, and cryftal 5 which whitnefs is very lymbolical to light, which it preferves and congregates, as is feen by the fame fnow in a very dark night: Yea, to fpeak plainly, whitenefs is nothing elfe but light extind, luminous bodies appearing white neer a greater light, and white lumi¬ nous in darknefs. So 'tis poffible that the thinner parts of the Air being inclos’d in thefe un&uous vapours, they appear en- lightned and Ihining, as well by reafon of the condenfation of its body as the inequality of its furfaces 5 like a diamond cut in¬ to feveral facets 3 or as the Stars appear luminous only by being the denfer parts of their Orbs. And this kind of light has been feen upon the heads of children, whole moifter brain exhal’d a vapour proper for it 3 fuch alfo as that is which forms the Will-ith’-wijp) which may alfo proceed from the reflexion of the