Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 003.djvu/156

 hæc corporis molem habeat, illud non habeat: Quoniam quoad altitudinem (secundum quam comparantur) Homogenea sunt, utut alias Heterogenea. Dum vero ille, ad Æqualitatem aut Inæqualitatem requiri docet, ut juxta corpors melem comparentur; tu mecum juxta judicabis, credo, hoc minus sanum esse. (Sufficit utique ut juxta Longitudinem, Latitudinem, Altitudinem, angulum Inclinationis, Curvedinem, Durationem, Numerum, Vim, Pondus, Celeritatem, aut aliud quodcunque demum fuit quantitatis genus comparentur, quod utrique comparatorum commune sit; non minus quam juxta molem corporis.) Vides itaque quo tendunt ipsius nova principia, hucusque nondum tradita, quorum hoc unum est.

His Author makes it not his maine business in this Book to shew the progress of the Performance sand Effects of Chymistry, and to what pitch men are arrived thereby, to evince its great usefulness both in Physick and the Discovery of Nature (though he toucheth something of both;) but he chiefly informes the Curious of its first Original, and Progress from place to place, how it sprung up and flourished in Ægypt; passed thence, into Greece, Italy, Arabia, China, Spain, France, and all Europe. And because Conringius and Ursinus do mainly interpose in this Progress, he endeavours to remove the rubbs, which they cast in the way.

Here and there he inserts some Observations, which would be considerable enough, if they might be relyed on. E. g. About Metallick Germinations; where he relateth one of them, very admirable, seen by one San-Simon, to whom he giveth the Character of it man of great veracity, and of no credulity; who living about 25 years agoe at Brussels, was visited by a stranger, who having prefaced to him, what some had told him of his curiosity and ingenuity, as well as of his incredulity concerning Rh