Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/181

 BOYLE 170 process which he had received from the communications of another. We are, indeed, strongly inclined to regard Kraaft as a designing empiric, who, in revenge for the discovery of his secret processes, endeavoured to blast the reputation of the man who pablished them for the benefit of the world at large. Mr. Boyle afterwards instructed in the manipulations of the process, one Godfrey Hantk witz, who exposed it for sale in a shop in Southampton street, Covent Garden, which has since remained a che- mist's to the present day, having still his name over the door, with the date 1680. Mr. Boyle also published about this time, " Historical Account of a Degradation of Gold, by an Anti-Elixir; a strange chemical narrative." In 1681 he published a "Discourse of Things above Reason; inquiring whether a philosopher should admit there are any such" and in the following year, "New Experiments and Observations made upon the Icy Nocti- luca; to which is added, a Chemical Paradox, grounded upon new experiments, making it probable that chemical principles are transmutable, so that out of one of them others may be produced" and also about the same time, "A Continuation of New Experiments, Physico-Mecha- nical, touching the Spring and Weight of the Air, and their effects." In 1683 nothing appeared from his pen, except a short letter to Dr. Beal, relative to making fresh water out of salt. But in 1684 he printed two very con- siderable works; "Memoirs for the Natural History of Human Blood, especially the spirit of that liquor;" and "Experiments and Considerations about the Porosity of Bodies." At this time Dr. Ralph Cudworth, celebrated for his immortal work, "The Intellectual System," wrote to him in the most pressing terms, requesting him to make an entire collection of his various writings, which had now become so very numerous; and to publish them together in Latio, "and then," says he, "what you shall superadd will be easily collected, and added afterwards. Aud I pray