Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 002.djvu/197

 suppressed by the withdrawing of the Air. Wherefore having removed the Receiver into a convenient place, I caused it to be brought to me about midnight (after I was in Bed) and having by close drawing the Curtains, and other means, made the place pretty dark, I perceived the included Body to continue to shine more vividly than one would have expected, (and, if I mistake not, I saw it shining in the morning, whilst it was dark;) but the night after, coming to look upon it again, its light appeared no more: notwithstanding which, I made a shift to keep out the Air about 24 hours longer, and so after 48 hours in all, we opened the Receiver in a dark place, and presently upon the ingress of the Air were pleadingly saluted with so vivid an Apparition of Light, that the included Body continued to shine, when carried into a Room, where there was both Fire and Candle, if it were but by a Hat screen'd from the beams.

Being encouraged, as Well as pleased with this success, we forthwith exhausted the Air once more out of the same Receiver, and having kept it about 4 hours longer, we lookt upon it again in a dark place, and finding no appearance of Light, let the Air in upon it, whereby it was made to shine again, and that vigorously enough, so that had caused the Receiver to be exhausted once more, but that it being Sunday night, I was unwilling to scandalize any, by putting my Servants upon a laborious, and not necessary work.

The suddenness, with which the included Body appeared to be, as 'twere, rekindled upon the first contact of the Air, revived in me some suspicions I have had about the possible causes of these short-liv'd Apparitions of Light (for I speak not now of real Lamps, found in Tombs, for a reason to be told you another time) which disclosing themselves upon mens coming in, and consequently letting in fresh Air into Vaults, that had been very long close, did soon after vanish. These thoughts, as I was saying, occurr'd to me upon what I had been relating, by reason of the sudden operation of the fresh Air upon a Body, that but a minute before disclosed no light. For though the Lights reported to have been seen in Caves, quickly disappeared, which that of our Fish did not; yet that difference might possibly proceed from the Tenacity, or some other disposition of the matter, wherein