symbolize in weight, in dryness, in fixness and fusibility, only
because the one is sapid and dissoluble in Water, and the other not:
Besides, we see that sapidness and volatility are wont to denominate
the Chymists Mercury or Spirit; and yet how many Bodies, think you,
may agree in those Qualities which may yet be of very differing
natures, and disagree in qualities either more numerous, or more
considerable, or both. For not only Spirit of Nitre, Aqua Fortis,
Spirit of Salt, Spirit of Oyle of Vitriol, Spirit of Allome, Spirit of
Vinager, and all Saline Liquors Distill'd from Animal Bodies, but all
the Acetous Spirits of Woods freed from their Vinager; All these, I
say, and many others must belong to the Chymists Mercury, though it
appear not why some of them should more be comprehended under one
denomination then the Chymists Sulphur, or Oyle should likewise be;
for their Distill'd Oyles are also Fluid, Volatile, and Tastable, as
well as their Mercury; Nor is it Necessary, that their Sulphur should
be Unctuous or Dissoluble in Water, since they generally referr Spirit
of Wine to Sulphurs, although that Spirit be not Unctuous, and will
freely mingle with Water. So that bare Inflamability must constitute
the Essence of the Chymists Sulphur; as uninflamablenesse joyned with
any taste is enough to intitle a Distill'd Liquor to be their Mercury.
Now since I can further observe to You, that Spirit of Nitre and
Spirit of Harts-horne being pour'd together will boile and hisse and
tosse up one another into the air, which the Chymists make signes of
great Antipathy in the Natures of Bodies (as indeed these Spirits
differ much both in Taste, Smell, and Operations;) Since I elsewhere
tell you of my having made two sorts of Oyle out of the same mans
blood, that would not mingle with one another; And since I might tell
You Divers Examples I have met with, of the Contrariety of Bodies
which according to the Chymists must be huddl'd up together under one
Denomination; I leave you to Judge whether such a multitude of
Substances as may agree in these sleight Qualities, and yet Disagree
in Others more Considerable, are more worthy to be call'd by the Name
of a Principle (which ought to be pure and homogeneous,) than to have
appellations given them that may make them differ, in name too, from
the bodies from which they so wildly differ in Nature. And hence also,
by the bye, you may perceive that 'tis not unreasonable to distrust
the Chymists way of Argumentation, when being unable to shew us that
such a Liquor is (for Example) purely saline, they prove, that at
least salt is much the predominant principle, because that the
propos'd substance is strongly tasted, and all Tast proceeds from
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