Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/179

 168 BOYLE And in 167, "An Essay about the Origin and Virtue of Gems," together with "A Collection of Tracts upon the Relation between Flame and Air; and several other useful and curious Subjects."In the following year Anthony le Grand, the famous Cartesian philosopher, published at London his Historia Naturae" &c. and in his dedication to Mr. Boyle, he does justice to his universal reputation for extensive learning and amazing sagacity in every branch of experimental philosophy; and says of bim, what Averroes said of Aristotle, that nature had formed bim as an exemplar or pattern of the highest perfection to which humanity can attain. About this tine Mr. Boyle pub- lished "The Excellency of Theology compared with Natural Philosophy;" and Essays on the strange sub- tlety, great efficacy, and determinate nature of Effluvia; to which are added a variety of Experiments on other sub- jects." And in 1674, "A Collection of Tracts upon the Saltness of the Sea, the Moisture of the Air, the Natural and Preternatural State of Bodies; to which is prefised, a Dialogue concerning Cold," and another "Collection of Tracts, containing Suspicions about hidden Qualities of the Air; with an Appendix touching Celestial Magnets: Animadversions upon Mr. Hobbes' Problem about a Va- cuum; a Discourse of the Cause of Attraction and Suc- tion" In the following year, 1675, he published "Some Considerations about the Reconcileableness of Reason and Religion. By T. E. a Layman. To which is annexed, a Discourse about the Possibility of the Resurrection, by Mr. Boyle." Both these pieces were, however, written by him, although the former is marked only with the final letters of his name. In 1676 he published "Experiments and Notes, about the mechanical Origin or Production of particular Qualities." In 1677 there was printed at Geneva, without his know ledge or consent, a collection of his miscellaneous works, in Latin, of which there is a large account given in the Philosophical Transactions. In the following year he