'tis Observable, that though Oyl or Liquid Sulphur be one of the
Elements Separated by this Fiery _Analysis_, yet the Heat which
Accidentally Unites the Particles of the other Volatile Principles,
has not alwayes the same Operation on this, there being divers Bodies
which Yield Two Oyls, whereof the One sinks to the Bottom of that
Spirit on which the other Swims; as I can shew You in some Oyls of the
same Deers Blood, which are yet by Me: Nay I can shew you Two Oyls
carefully made of the same Parcel of Humane Blood, which not only
Differ extreamly in Colour, but Swim upon one another without Mixture,
and if by Agitation Confounded will of themselves Divorce again.
And that the Fire doth oftentimes divide Bodies, upon the account that
some of their Parts are more Fixt, and some more Volatile, how far
soever either of these Two may be from a pure Elementary Nature is
Obvious enough, if Men would but heed it in the Burning of Wood, which
the Fire Dissipates into Smoake and Ashes: For not only the latter of
these is Confessedly made up of two such Differing Bodies as Earth and
Salt; but the Former being condens'd into that Soot which adheres to
our Chimneys, Discovers it self to Contain both Salt and Oyl, and
Spirit and Earth, (and some Portion of Phlegme too) which being, all
almost, Equally Volatile to that Degree of Fire which Forces them up,
(the more Volatile Parts Helping perhaps, as well as the Urgency of
the Fire, to carry up the more Fixt ones, as I have often Try'd in
Dulcify'd _Colcothar_, Sublim'd by _Sal Armoniack_ Blended with it)
are carried Up together, but may afterwards be Separated by other
Degrees of Fire, whose orderly Gradation allowes the Disparity of
their Volatileness to Discover it self. Besides, if Differing Bodies
United into one Mass be both sufficiently Fixt, the Fire finding no
Parts Volatile enough to be Expell'd or carried up, makes no
Separation at all; as may appear by a Mixture of Colliquated Silver
and Gold, whose Component Metals may be easily Sever'd by _Aqua
Fortis_, or _Aqua Regis_ (according to the Predominancy of the Silver
or the Gold) but in the Fire alone, though vehement, the Metals remain
unsever'd, the Fire only dividing the Body into smaller Particles
(whose Littlenesse may be argu'd from their Fluidity) in which either
the little nimble Atoms of Fire, or its brisk and numberless strokes
upon the Vessels, hinder Rest and Continuity, without any
Sequestration of Elementary Principles. Moreover, the Fire sometimes
does not Separate, so much as Unite, Bodies of a differing Nature;
provided they be of an almost resembling Fixedness, and have in the
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