Royal Society EL/W3/3

while we expect from your Lordship an accurate Theory from the time of Noah unknowne, and reserved for your Lordship a 2d great endeavour of humane nature. The Needle had possibly more of Chance than invention, yet it gave us a new world, this will be the product of reason and philosophy, and may give us the remaining undiscovered parts of the Globe. In the few Chymicall Experiments I have been acquainted with, I cannot tell, whether there be any, that will not prove too durty or tedious for an Entertainment. Experiments in Anatomy (though of the most value for their use) are sordid and noysome to any, but those, whose desire of knowledge persuadeth them to digest them. Experiments for the establishment of natural philosophy are seldom pompous: tis upon Billiards and Tennis bals, upon the parting of Sticks and Topps, upon a Viall of water, or a wedge of Glasse, that the great Descartes hath built the most refined accurate theoryes that human wit ever reacht to, and certainly Nature in the best of her works is apparent enough by obvious things, were they but curiously observed. The key, that opens treasures, is often plain and rusty, but, unlesse it be guilt, the key alone will make no show at Court.

If I have been conversant in philosophicall things, it hath been principally in those wayes, which I have recounted to your Lordship, by which your Lordship perceiveth, how uselesse I am for this occasion, yet if your Lordship will still pursue me, I know not what shift to make, but to retire back to something, I have formerly produced or discoursed of.

I have pleased myself not a little with the play of the weather wheale (the only true way to measure expansions of the Aire) and I fancy, it must needs give others satisfaction, if it were once finely made, which I suppose may be done, if the Circular pipe, which cannot be truly blown in glasse, were made of Bras, by those who make Trumpets and Sackbuts (who wiredraw their Pipes through a hole and equall them, and then filling them with melted Lead, turne them round into what flex they please) but the insides of the Pipe must be vernished with China-Vernice (which Greatrix hath) to preserve it from the quicksilver, and the Glasses must be fixed to the Pipe with Vernice, which I take to be the best Cement in the world for thus the Chinese fixe Glasse and mother of Pearle in their workes.

It would be no unpleasing spectacle to see a man live without new Aire, as long as you please. A description of the vessel for cooling and percolating the Aire at once I formerly shewed the Society, and left with Mr Boyle. I suppose it worth putting in practise. You will at least learne thus much from it, if something else in Aire is requisite for life then that it should be coole only, and free from the fulginous vapours and moisture, it was infected with in exspiration, for all these will in probability be separated in the circulation of the breath in the Engine. If Nitrous fumes be found requisite (as I suspect) wayes may perhaps be found to supply that too, by placing some benigne Chymicall Spirits, that by fumes may impregnate the Aire within the vessell.

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