Page:Reflections upon ancient and modern learning (IA b3032449x).pdf/285

 That the Natural History of Minerals was anciently very imperfect, is evident from what has been said of Chymistry already; to which, all the Advances that have ever been made in that Art, unless when Experiments have been tried upon Vegetable or Animal Substances, are properly to be referred. I take Minerals here in the largest Sence; for all sorts of Earths, Sulphurs, Salts, Stones, Metals, and Minerals properly so called. For Chymistry is not only circumstantially useful, but essentially necessary here; since a great many Minerals of very differing Natures would never have been known to have belonged to several Families, if they had not been examined in the Furnaces of the Chymists. But I think this is so clear, that I should lose Time if I should say any Thing more about it; and therefore I shall rather mention some other Things, wherein Discoveries have been made in and by Mineral Bodies, without the help of Chymistry. The greatest of which is, of a Stone which the Ancients admired (a), without ever examining to what Uses it might be applied; and that is, the Magnet: The noblest Properties whereof Sir William Temple acknow-