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The Sceptical Chymist

Page 77 of 205, printed 77

themselves to have made the _Analyses_ of mixt Bodies, sufficiently appear, that in such Bodies the _Miscibilia_ that concurr'd to make them up do each of them retain its own peculiar Nature: and by the _Spagyrists_ Fires may be more easily extricated and Recover'd, than Alter'd, either by a Change of Texture in the Parts of the same Ingredient, or by an Association with some parts of another Ingredient more strict than was that of the parts of this or that _Miscibile_ among themselves. At these words _Eleu._ having press'd him to do what he propos'd, and promis'd to do what he desir'd; I consider then (resumes _Carneades_) that, not to mention those improper Kinds of mistion, wherein _Homogeneous_ Bodies are Joyn'd, as when Water is mingl'd with water, or two Vessels full of the same kind of Wine with one another, the mistion I am now to Discourse of seems, Generally speaking, to be but an Union _per Minima_ of any two or more Bodies of differing Denominations; as when Ashes and Sand are Colliquated into Glass or Antimony, and Iron into _Regulus Martis_, or Wine and Water are mingl'd, and Sugar is dissolv'd in the Mixture. Now in this general notion of Mistion it does not appear clearly comprehended, that the _Miscibilia_ or Ingredients do in their small Parts so retain their Nature and remain distinct in the Compound, that they may thence by the Fire be again taken asunder: For though I deny not that in some Mistions of certain permanent Bodies this Recovery of the same Ingredients may be made, yet I am not convinc'd that it will hold in all or even in most, or that it is necessarily deducible from Chymicall Experiments, and the true Notion of Mistion. To explain this a little, I assume, that Bodies may be mingl'd, and that very durably, that are not Elementary or resolv'd [Errata: nor have been resolved] into Elements or Principles that they may be mingl'd; as is evident in the _Regulus_ of Colliquated Antimony, and Iron newly mention'd; and in Gold Coyne, which lasts so many ages; wherein generally the Gold is alloy'd by the mixture of a quantity, greater or lesser, (in our Mints they use about a 12th. part) of either silver, or Copper, or both. Next, I consider, that there being but one Universal matter of things, as 'tis known that the _Aristotelians_ themselves acknowledge, who call it _Materia Prima_ (about which nevertheless I like not all their Opinions,) the Portions of this matter seem to differ from One Another, but in certain Qualities or Accidents, fewer or more; upon whose Account the Corporeal Substance they belong to receives its Denomination, and is referr'd to this or 77
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