Section I, Book 1, chapters 1–5: The weather-glass, and the experiment of it

MOSAICALL PHILOSOPHY. The First Book. Section 1.

CHAP. I. Here the Author expresseth his Reason, why in the very entrance into this Philosophicall Discourse he propoundeth the making, properties, and usage of this Weather-glasse, and wherefore he styleth it by name of his Experimentall Instrument.

I Must confesse that it is a thing worthy of commendations to prove and maintaine a Philosophicall Proposition, by such acute and peircing shafts of Auguments, as are selected out of the quiver of naturall reason: but because those kind of subtill inquisitions or objections (though they seem at the first sight probable, and may carrie with them a shew of Truth, and yet neverthelesse in the conclusion, may fall out amisse and be found erroneous;) Therefore such as are zealously devoted unto the inviolable Truth of the holy Bible, will bee better established in their beleefe, if that the testimony thereof doe concurre and agree with the rest. And although these two witnesses may appeare unto wisemen to take away all Scruple or doubt from the confirmation of the Truth, yet is the incredulitie of this world so exalted and grown up to such a height of obstinacie, and that especially among the common sort of men; yea verily, it hath so subtilly crept also into the spirits of some of no small learning, which are guided more by the practise of sense then any spirituall reason, that except, with St. Thomas, they see or feel, or, with the Jewes, they may behold a signe, they will in no case be brought to believe. For this reason therefore, since I onely am to enter the lists against the Ethnick Philosophers, who by their inventions have framed out the wisdom of this world, it behoveth me to look to my self, and to gird my loines with a belt of courage, and to indorse an Herculean Armour of proof, being that, as the Apostle did fight with beasts at Ephesus, in the likenesse of men, so am I sure to have to do, like another Alcides, with a second Lernaean Monster, of many heads, I mean, the Protean Philosophy of men, the doctrine whereof, as the Apostle teacheth us, is founded upon vain fallacy, on the traditions of Ethnicks, and according unto the elements of this world, and not according to Christ, in whom is the plenitude of Divinity. Col. 2.8. I purpose therefore with my self, to make and forge me out an Armour, of solid naturall reason, and to temper it with the warrant of sacred authority. And lastly, I will make choice of ocular demonstration, to serve me in this combat, insteed of an unresistable weapon, or Herculean club, to tame and subdue that unreasonable monster, Incredulity; than which, there is no greater enemy unto mankind. And that I may the better accomplish and bring to passe this designe of mine, it is requisite, I should have in a readinesse each necessary materiall, for this conflict; and above all, I ought to have an especiall care, to provide me an experimentall Instrument, or spirituall weapon, which may carve out a ready way to the truth, by a manifest and infallible demonstration, objected even unto the eyes of such, as are infected with extream infidelity, that they may thereby turn from their vain and sophisticating Philosophy, with the wisdom of the world, on which it is erected; and become unfained and faithfull schollars and proficients, in the true and sacred Philosophy, or wisdom of God. I will make therefore election of such demonstrative Machins for my purpose as is vulgarly knowne amongst us, whereby my intentions may be more easily understood of every man; and this Instrument is commonly styled by some, the Calendar-Glasse, and by others, the Weather-glasse: whose composition or fabrick, with the properties and uses thereof, I purpose to expresse unto you briefly, in the Chapters following.

CHAP. II. How the Instrument commonly termed the Weather-glasse, is falsely arrogated by some Men of our age unto themselves, as being averred to be an invention of their owne.

MAn is so greedy of glory, and so desirous of fame and reputation, that if he can acquire or purchase it any way unto himselfe, be it directly or indirectly, he careth not much: I was the reason that the Ethnick Philosophers did surreptitiously assume and ascribe unto themselves those principles of their Philosophy, which of right did appertain unto the wise and divine Philosopher Moses, and did mask or gild over their theft, with new names or titles, which they imposed on them, the better to make a shew, that they were established by their own inventions, and shall be shewed hereafter. In like manner, the Instrument, commonly termed the Calender, or Weather-Glasse, hath many counterfeit Masters or Patrons, in this our age, who, because that they have a little altered the shape of the modell, do vainly glory and give out, that it is a Master-piece of their own finding out. As for myself, I must acknowledge, and willingly ascribe unto each man his due, and therefo[…]e will not blush or be ashamed, to attribute justly my Philosophicall principles unto my Master Moses, who also received them, figured or framed out by the finger of God; neither can I rightly arrogate, or assume unto my self, the primary fabrick of this Instrument, although I have made use of it in my Naturall History of the great World, and else-where (but in another form), to demonstrate the verity of my Philosophicall Argument; for I confesse, that I found it Graphically specified, and Geometrically delineated, in a Manuscript of five hundred years antiquity at the least. I will therefore set down unto you first, the shape, in which I found it in that antient Monument, and afterwards made use of it for demonstration's cause: And secondly, I will describe the figure and position of, as it is commonly known and used among us.

[Figure]

Where you see, that there is no difference betwixt them, but onely in their forms or shapes; for the Sun-beams operating by their heat, upon the hollow ball of the head A. maketh the rarified aire, included in the said ball, to passe out by the pipe AB. into the pot of water, and so it vanisheth out through the superficies of the water, in the form of bubbles; but when the Sun goeth down, the cold night approaching through the absence of the Sun, doth coagulate, contract, and condense again that included aire, which was the day before rarified, by the presence and hot action of the Sun. But because there is not aire enough in the leaden ball and pipe, to effect this kind of condensation in a due proportion, by reason of a part thereof which was exhaled the day before; therefore to hinder all vacuity in the operation, there is sucked up out of the pot of water C. into the leaden pipe, just as much water as there wanted aire, or as did correspond unto the aire exhaled. Again, when the Sun riseth the next day, the aire in the ball and pipe will be rarified, and then by dilating it self, will repell the water to his former place, the which was mounted into the pipe. And so this alteration in condensation and rarefaction, will ever hold in the same manner, more or lesse, according as the Sun is nearer or farther off from us; or according unto the coldnesse or heat of the Wind, that bloweth in the element.

The self same also will happen to the aire, included in the second glasse; for the globe or ball in the top of the glasse, which is the bowl of the Matras or bolts head, is full of air, and is exactly, in every respect, referred unto the ball of lead, as the streight Pipe which ascendeth out of the water, and is joyned to the head, is exactly compared unto the crooked pipe of the first; so that if the leaden ball be erected upwards, and the crooked pipe be made streight, to ascend perpendicularly out of the pot of water, unto the leaden sphear, then will there be no difference betwixt the shape or figure, of the first & second Machin or Instrument; so that each man may discern, that the condition and usage of them both, are all one in effect.

CHAP. III.

Here the fabrick of this Organ or Instrument, properly termed the Weather-glasse, with the preparation of the Matras or Glasse, commonly called a Bolts-head, and the adaption of the Orifiace or Nose thereof, into a small vessell of water, is expressed. Where also, their opinions are confuted, which deem and affirm, that the water is sucked up into the neck of the Matras by heat.

FIrst, we must observe, that this our experimentall Instrument is composed of three parts, where of two of them are more essentiall, and proper unto the nature of the Engin or Machin; namely, the Matras, or Bolts-head, and the small vessell of water, into the which the nose or orifice of the Matras, after it is prepared, ought to enter: and the other is more accidentall, as being onely ordained to sustain the glasse firmly, in his perpendicular position, and to adorn and set forth the Machin. Touching the Matras or Bolts-head, it is a round or ovall glasse, with a long and narrow neck, whose orifice, or mouth and nose, ought to bee proportionable un[…]o the rest of the neck, and it must be prepared after a two-fold manner; for first of all, the long neck of it being put perpendicularly into the small vessell, being full of water, so that it do touch the bottom of the vessell, we ought to measure from the superficies, or top of the water, and begin our division into degrees, still ascending upwards, till we come unto the very ball, be it round or ovall. And whereas the common sort of this kind of Weather-glasses, hath his first degree beginning downward, marked with the figne of 1. and so ascendeth upward to the round ball, according unto the naturall Arithmeticall progression, thus: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. I for a better method's cause, do alter the order in numeration, and dividing of the neck or pipe of the Matras in the middle, between the head of it, and the superficies of the water. I mark the place of the division with the figure 1. and so count my degrees downward and upward unto 7. after this manner: 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. which I affect, for reasons that I will expresse unto you hereafter. So that the matter will be ordered thus.

[Figure]

As for the small vessell of water, you see it here also described, with the proportion of the pipe of the Matras, that descendeth into the bottome of it; which is so farre from division as it entreth into the water.

Now when you have thus divided the neck of your Matras into parts, you must prepare, and order it after this manner to make it magneticall and attractive by cold, and expulsive or dilatative by heat; you must therefore take the orifice of the Bolts head in your hand, and hold forth the head thereof, or the round which is above it against the fire, till it be very hot; for the heat of the fire will rarifie and dilate the Ayre in the glasse, and cause by that meanes a good portion of it to flye out of the glasse's orifice, and so it will remaine in that estate, so long as the glasse is in the degree of heat: at which time, if you suddenly put the nose of the pipe into the water, you shall perceive that as the bolts head doth keel or waxe cold, so also will the water by little and little mount upwards into the neck of the glasse: And we must, note the hotter the glasse is made, and the colder the externall ayre will be found as that present, the higher and by so many more degrees will the water ascend into the neck. And the reason hereof is, because that as heat doth rarifie the aire, so the greater the heat is, the more excellent will the degree of rarifaction be. Contrariwise, as cold doth condense and thicken, so the greater the cold is, the stronger will the condensation be: and therefore, after that the included aire is much rarified, by an intense externall heat, It followeth, that as the heat doth by little and little fade, so the cold will by little and little prevail, and have dominion; and consequently, the included rarified aire must needs by little & little be condensed; but because there wanteth sufficient matter or corpulency in the aire, for the cold to work on, being that a part of it was spent and evaporated by rarifaction, It followeth, that as the succeeding cold doth condense & contract the aire, so the aire by contraction of it self, must also attract and suck up into it, so much water out of the vessell, as there wanteth air to satisfie the contractive appetite of the cold; for the interposition of the water between the externall aire, and the internall or included aire, will not permit the internall, to suck or draw into it the externall to supply her want, for the satisfaction of the externall cold's lust, and therefore the water is forced to asscend, in lieu of the externall aire. And this is the mystery of the Instrument, and the manner of his fabricle, whereby it plainly appeareth, that they have been deceived which have deemed, that the heat was the occasion of the attraction of the water upwards, being that each man may be an eye-witnesse, that it is heat that driveth it downwards; and contrariwise, that cold is the cause of his mounting.

And whereas some Sophisticators, to make the matter the more strange, have given out, that it is a secret peculiar included spirit, which worketh the feat; and to make men to give credit to their tales, they have dyed the common water in the vessell with Vardegrease, or such like stuffe; I must give you to understand, that all their prattle is but deceit, and that plain dealing is a jewell.

As for the accidentall part of this Machin, being it is framed and composed in a diverse fashion, I will not graphically delineate, or draw it out unto your view, being that the pictures will be chargeable; and the matter being done, will serve you but to little purpose.

CHAP. IV. Wherein are Expressed the sundry properties, with the usage of this demonstrative Instrument.

I Divide as well the property as the use of this Instrument, into two kinds, whereof I call the one generall, and I make the other more peculiar. As for the generall property of it, by the one it contracteth and condenseth, namely, when the included aire is animated by the externall cold; and by the other, it dilateth and rarifieth, to wit, if the included spirit be excited by any externall heat. And therefore, through his constrictive nature or action, which is made evident by the contraction of the aire; we may easily discern the universall reason, of the inspissation and condensation of things that w[…]re thin. And again, by his dilatation, we may scan or decipher the cause of rarifaction of such things, as were thick. For by the speculation we shall find, that there is nothing in the whole Empire of Nature, which can be rarified and made subtle, except it be by the action of light or fire, whether it be visible or invisible; and the essentiall effect of that action is light. And on the contrary part, nothing can be condensed or inspissared, where darknesse hath not dominion; forasmuch as darknesse is the essentiall root of cold, which is the immoderate act or in condensation. The particular properties, with the uses thereof, are manifold; for first, The nature of it, is to discover the temper of the externall aire, or catholick element, in heat and cold; for the higher that the water doth climbe in the neck or pipe of the Matras, it argueth, that the firmer & stronger is the dominion of cold in the aire; so that by this means we may daily judge, of the increase or decrease of cold in the aire; and by consequence, we may guesse at the proportion of heat, in the sublunary spirit of the world, by the descent of the water.

Ce[…]tain Experiments worthy of observa[…]ion, and approved by many of this City, touching this Experimentall Glasse.

If the water in the pipe of the glasse, which before was highly mounted, doth fall on the sodaine by some degrees, it will be an undoubted signe that raine will immediately ensue.

If the water in the space of one night doth descend, it is also a signe that raine will come not long after.

If the South or East wind do blow, immediately after a North or Westerlie wind, the water will fall by certaine degrees: but if the North wind or cold Westerlie wind do blow, after a Southerne or Easterlie wind, then will the water be forth with exalted.

If the water doth attaine unto the figure. 1. it argueth that the Ayre is in a moderation between heat and cold, as when the Sunne is in the vernall Equinoctiall, or as the naturall temper of the Spring useth to be.

But if the water mount higher, then it argueth that the disposition of the Ayre is by so many degrees more of Northen or Boreall nature, as the water is mounted towards the bolts head; for you must conceive that the degrees from 1. unto the uppermost 7. are belonging unto the winter Hemisphere, and therefore are the degrees which note the augmentation of cold. So that if the water do mount up unto. 2. in the Northern or higher part, it is an argument that cold hath dominion over heat in the externall Ayre only by one degree. If it mount unto the 3. of the same Hemisphere, it doth foretell a slight frost: but if it ascend unto. 4. or. 5. it pretendeth a hard and solid frost: if it come unto 6. and 7. it argueth great ice; but if it mount yet higher, it sheweth that a hard Ice is likely to surprize and cover the whole river of Thames.

On the other side, if the water descend from. 1. unto. 2. of the lower ranck of degrees which importeth the Summer or hot Hemisphere, then it argueth heat hath gotten dominion over cold by one degree. But if it descend unto 3. or 4. it importeth a greater distemper of the Ayre in heat: if it descendeth unto 5. or 6. it demonstrateth the ayre to be exceeding hot, but if the water be beaten downe unto the lower figure of 7. it sheweth that extreame and Sultry heat, causing Coruscations and lightnings, hath dominion in the Aire.

So that we may discerne how great a reference or relation there is between the externall ayre or universall sublunary Element, and the Ayre included in the instrument. But I will in better termes expresse the Consanguinity and Sympatheticall relation which is between the one and the other in this subsequent Chapter.

CHAP. V.

Here it is proved evidently, notwithstanding any objection which may be made to the contrary, that not only this experimentall Organ hath a relation unto the great world, but also the spirit included in this little modell doth resemble and imitate the action of that which is included in the great or macrocosmicall Machin.

BUt before I will proceed in any further comparison, between the spirit contained in the small modell, with the properties of the agents and patients in it, and this of the great world; I do think it to be necessary, first, to answer unto a certain doubt or objection that may be made, the which, unlesse it be resolved and taken away, such a relation or comparison may appear unto the ignorant, either improper, or altogether impossible. I know therefore, that not a few will object and say, that no convenient comparison can be made, between this our small artificiall Machin, and that naturall fabrick or organ of the world; forasmuch as the spirit in our Glasse is every where inclosed, and strictly included in his vessell, and therefore may easily be incited by force, to move according unto the regular figure, or fashion of the glasse: But the case is far otherwise in the spirit, which is contained in the vast cavity of the world; for in it, the aire or spirit doth use at every impulsion, to move freely this way and that way, as we are instructed by daily experience, in the blowing of the winds from each quarter of the world. Unto this I answer, That it is the self same reason of motion and relation, from a thicker or denser nature, unto a thinner; and in like manner, from a thinner or rarer, unto a thicker or denser, in a small subject, that is in a greater; so that the like respects be had, and that by an equall weight, and proportionate measure, in cold and heat. Yea verily, and I averre boldly, that the whole World, or worldly Round, is as well and compleatly stuffed or filled with spirit or aire, as is this our artificiall vessell, or experimentall Machin; which if it should not be, it would consequently follow, that vacuity would be admitted into the nature of things, the which would be but an absurd thing in a Philosopher to credit. Wherefore we may boldly conclude, that the spirit is in the like quantity, weight, and proportion, in the concavity of this instrument, considering his magnitude, as it is in the great or little world. But experience teacheth us, that the self same nature, be it hot or cold, which useth to reigne and have dominion every quarter of the year, in the cosmicall or worldly spirit, doth produce the self same effects in rarifaction and condensation of the aire, included in our artificiall vessell, as it useth to procreate in the aire of the world; all which is fully demonstrated before. For by how much the more the state of the aire doth abound in heat or cold, by so much will the water contained in the neck of the glasse be depressed, by reason of the included aire's subtilation. And again, by how much the more the inclemency of cold doth vegetate and abound in the air, by so many degrees higher will the water be exalted. And this is the reason (as it is already told you) that by the observation of this Weather-glasse, the temper of the aire in the great world is so exactly discovered unto us. And therefore by this it is evident, that the foresaid doubt or scruple is abolished and taken away.

I would in this regard have each discreet Reader to understand, that, when he beholdeth this Instrument's nature, he contemplateth the action (as it were) of a little world; and that it hath, after the manner of the great world, his Northern and his Southern Hemisphear, plainly to be discerned in it, the which two are divided exactly by an Aequinoctiall line in effect, which cutteth the Degree, signed with the character 1. Also it hath his two Tropicks, with their Poles; onely we take the Southern Pole and Hemisphear to be hot, in regard of us, because the breath which commeth from it is from the Sun, which in our respect is Southernly disposed; and therefore we term that Pole, the Summer-Pole or Hemisphear, and the other, the winter-Pole or Hemisphear. And we have demonstrated, that the degree in the neck of the Glasse 1. doth correspond exactly unto the place of the Aequator, because that if the Northern or Winter Tropick be imagined to be the Basis of one Triangle, whose Cone shall end in the centre of the Northern Tropick, then it must follow, that where the intersection is made by these two imaginary Triangles, the Aequator must of necessity passe. As for example.

[Figure: Vide Med. Cathol. 26.]

And we tearm the place of the Aequinoctiall, the Sphear of equality, because when as the Sun is in Aries or Libra, which are the vernall and autumnall intersection of the Aequinoctiall, the daies and nights are equall; so also, the temper of each Hemisphear in heat and cold, is naturally observed to tend unto a mediocrity or equality. Even such also will the temper of the micro-cosmicall aire, or catholick spirituall element, be unto the earth, when the water in the Glasse is drawn up half way.

I have sufficiently described unto you as well the fabrick as the nature of this Instrument, and therefore since I have prepared it to serve me for ocular demonstration instead of an Herculean Club, in this combate which I undergoe against our insulting Peripatetick Adversary; and that I am provided of sufficient naturall reasons instead of a trusty armour; and that this armour is well tempered and made as it were musket-proof, at the least by Authority drawn out of the whole Harmony of the sacred Bible, Why should I fear the number of mine enemies when it is T[…]u[…]h's owne cause which I undergo? If God be with me I care not who is against me, being that verity, which conquereth all things, will (I am well assured) fight for me, and defend me, though but onely one against a multitude. Why should I expect any favour from them, in telling the truth, and condemning their errours, since that they do Satyrically censure, and deride my honest endeavours, when I hold my peace, and say nothing unto them? It is an easier matter for malitious carpers and back-biters, like temerarious and rash Cynicks, to find fault with a thing; than with moderate and judicious spirits, to judge, amend, and correct it with equity. In the first, namely, to condemn before the case is heard or understood, it is an argument of envy, cloked with wilfull ignorance. In the latter, namely, to teach a man his errours, a token of learned zeal, and Christian charity.