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State in which he might suppose himself and that to be, in cafe there was no fuch thing as Fire.

After the setting of the Sun, and all other Hea venly Lights (to take no notice here that the Light thereof does even in a great meafure confift of Fire, or brings a great deal of that Element along with it) how does the whole Earth, cover'd with Cloudy and Nocturnal Vapours, differ from the most dismal Subterraneous Caverns and Dungeons ? Since during fuch a time no Man would be able to move one Foot forwards, or to dispatch any kind of Business. Without Fire, which by the Means of Candles, Lamps, Torches, and the like, affords us Light in the greatest Darkness, what difference would there be between our Condition, and that of Men who should be blind half their Life-time? Without Fire, most of the Productions of the Earth, which ferve Mankind for Food, for Refrefhment, and for Dainties, would not be fit to be used in. many Countries to thofe Purposes, nor could be chewed by the Teeth, nor digefted by the Stomach. And every body to whom the way of living, and of preparing our Diet in thefe Countries is known, must be convinced, that neither Bread nor Flesh, nor most of the Fruits of the Ground, or of Trees, would be of much ufe without these Means, but would turn to an unwholesome, crude Nourishment, and perhaps to no Nourishment at all.

Would not the dreadful Cold of Winter, if not moderated by Fire, be capable of difpeopling whole Countries, and of freezing to Death numbers of Women and Children, that are not capable of keeping themselves warm by strong and violent Motions?

If there were no Metals for the ufe of Mankind, (to fay nothing of Gold and Silver, which may be the most easily fpared) especially if there were no Iron, which furnishes us with fo many Instruments

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for numberless Ufes; for plowing, building, and in a manner, for all other Arts and Purposes, every one may eafily conclude, under what Inconveniences all Mankind would labour: Now tho' the Iron and other Mines fhould be infinitely more in number than they now are, yet it is fufficiently known, that without Fire, no ufe could be made of them, nor could they be fmelted or feparated from their respective Ores.

SECT. III. Convictions from thence.

To reckon no more, let an Atheist represent to himself the World in fuch a Condition, that he and all Men should be without Light in Darkness, without Warmth in Cold, without any Preparation for raw Food, without all the Conveniences which Metals, and chiefly Iron would afford them: Now, if any one fhould come and tell him, that he had difcover'd fuch a Matter by which all thefe Defects and Wants might be fupplied, and the World become happier in fo many Inftances, would not even the moft obftinate Infidel acknowledge the Inventor to be a very wife Perfon? Now fince the fame is perform'd by a Being infinitely fuperior to Man, and after a much more fublime and wonderful manner, why will he refufe to own the Wisdom of fuch a Being?

SECT. IV. It is ftill uncertain what Fire is.

THERE have not been wanting among the Enquirers into the Secrets of Nature, thofe that have endeavour'd to difeover what Fire is in itself, and what are its Properties; and it feems probable that Mr. De Stair, who has in a manner confider'd all Opinions, has fallen upon the beft Notion of it in the following Words; Explor. VI. §. 1. There is

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nothing in Nature more obvious to the Senfes, and nothing lefs intelligible than the Nature of Fire.

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SECT. V. The First Notion concerning Fire.

Two Opinions, which are defended with many Arguments by thofe who maintain them, are at present in vogue; the firft is, that all Particles of Matter, of what Nature foever they be, are capable of being turned into Fire, if they can but be moved fwiftly enough, or can be divided small enough.

Now, whether fuch Motion be occafioned by that Fire-Fluid, which the Followers of the famous Cartefius term the firft Principle, or of fomething elfe, we fhall not here enquire.

SECT. VI. The Second Notion. Fire feems to be a Particular Subftance.

THE Second Opinion laid down by other Philofophers is, that Fire is a particular Fluid Matter, like Water or Air, which, like those, adheres to many Bodies, and adds fomething to the Compofition thereof.

What fort of Figure the Particles of Fire confift of, we shall not here attempt, as fome have done, to inveftigate; forafmuch as it is not eafie to difcover the fame; nor likewife, whether the Chymifts have gueffed any better, fome of whom will have the Effence of Fire to confift in Sulphur, others in an Acid. We fhall content our felves with producing the Reafons why it seems most credible, that Fire both has, and maintains its own Effence and Figure, remaining always Fire, tho not always burning.

SECT.

SECT. VII. The firft Reafon for the aforefaid Opinion.

To prove this, the firft Reafon feems to be, that all Subftances are not combustible.

How happens it, that Wood and Turf will burn; but that the Ashes which they make are incapable of burning? If it be not upon this account, that the Fire-Particles, which were before in the Wood and the Turf, fly away by burning, leaving the Ashes bereft of them, and therefore unfit for burning.

I know very well, that those who are of the foregoing Sentiment, will anfwer to this, that Afhes and other Bodies, as the Amianthus or Feather-Allum, and the like, which cannot be burnt by Fire, are of too grofs and heavy Parts to be put into Motion by that fubtil Matter. But if that were true, it would seem to be a neceffary Confequence, that the smallest and lightest Parts would, without Difference, be the fittest and best difpofed to produce Fire: But (not to say, that Water might therefore burn, at leaft, much better than Oyl cf Cinnamon, Cloves, and others, which being heavier than Water, fink down in it) why don't Volatile Salts burn? which are fo eafily put into Motion, that the leaft Warmth is capable of making them evaporate into the Air, and the Parts thereof fo fine and small, that no Glafs can be fhut close enough to keep them always in. And to the end that no other Objections may be offer'd on account of the exceeding Fineness of their Parts, it is known, that they are fo powerful and fharp, that being only diffolved in Water, they will even destroy a Metal as hard as Copper, and turn it into a liquid Matter. They that have a mind to make a Trial thereof, need only put a Copper

Copper Farthing into the Spirit of Sal-Armoniac, in which they will find it quickly diffolved.

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SECT. VIII. The Second Reafon; and an Experiment.

Secondly, Ir a very swift Motion were only neceffary to reduce all Bodies to Fire, and that a particular and determinate Matter were not required thereto, how comes it to pass, that hot Water being moved more violently by blowing, is not render'd hotter but colder? And yet, the Air is fo abfolutely neceffary to our Fires, that without it, they would be extinguifh'd

The Truth of this is known even to Women themselves, who for that purpose extinguish their Fire with Covers, or fhut it up in Dove Pots.

And to the End, that no body should believe that this way of extinguifhing the Fire is not fo much owing to the want of Air as to the obstructing the Afcent of the Smoak, whereby it is fuffocated; Let a Man make a Tube of Paper (Tab. XVI. Fig. 2. ABCD) the Cavity whereof must be a little larger than the Thickness of the Candle GH; and let him fuddenly put it over the faid Candle burning; now if there remains below at CD, any Orifice or Opening between the Candle and the faid Paper Tube, fo as to admit a free Paffage to the Air, the Candle will keep its Flame, and remain burning; but if one should compress the Paper at EF, fo as to obftruct the Paffage of the Air, the Candle will be immediately extinguifhed; notwithstanding that the Tube remained open all the while at A B, and allowed a free Paffage for the Smoak. [See this Experiment in the Works of Profeffor Senguerdius of Leyden.]

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