them; especially since although they cannot but appear Very much to
their Disadvantage, If you Consider Them as they are propos'd without
those Reasons and Explanations by which I could perhaps make them
appear much lesse extravagant; yet I want time to offer you what may
be alledg'd to clear and countenance these notions; my design in
mentioning them unto you at present being, _partly_, to bring some
Light and Confirmation to divers passages of my discourse to you;
_partly_ to shew you, that I do not (as you seem to have suspected)
embrace all _Epicurus_ his principles; but Dissent from him in some
main things, as well as from _Aristotle_ and the Chymists, in others;
& _partly_ also, or rather chiefly, to intimate to you the grounds
upon which I likewise differ from _Helmont_ in this, that whereas he
ascribes almost all things, and even diseases themselves, to their
determinate Seeds; I am of opinion, that besides the peculiar
Fabricks of the Bodies of Plants and Animals (and perhaps also of some
Metals and Minerals) which I take to be the Effects of seminal
principles, there are many other bodies in nature which have and
deserve distinct and Proper names, but yet do but result from such
contextures of the matter they are made of, as may without determinate
seeds be effected by heat, cold, artificial mixtures and compositions,
and divers other causes which sometimes nature imployes of her own
accord; and oftentimes man by his power and skill makes use of to
fashion the matter according to his Intentions. This may be
exemplified both in the productions of Nature, and in those of Art; of
the first sort I might name multitudes; but to shew how sleight a
variation of Textures without addition of new ingredients may procure
a parcel of matter divers names, and make it be Lookt upon as
Different Things;
I shall invite you to observe with me, That Clouds, Rain, Hail, Snow,
Froth, and Ice, may be but water, having its parts varyed as to their
size and distance in respect of each other, and as to motion and
rest. And among Artificial Productions we may take notice (to skip the
Crystals of Tartar) of Glass, Regulus, Martis-Stellatus [Errata:
Regulus Martis Stellatus], and particularly of the Sugar of Lead,
which though made of that insipid Metal and sour salt of Vinager, has
in it a sweetnesse surpassing that of common Sugar, and divers other
qualities, which being not to be found in either of its two
ingredients, must be confess'd to belong to the Concrete it self, upon
the account of its Texture.
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