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Solomon's House, modelled in my new Atlantis. And I can hope, my lords, that my midnight studies, to make our countries flourish and outvie European neighbours in mysterious and beneficent arts, have not so ingratefully affected your noble intellects, that you will delay or resist his majesty's desires, and my humble petition in this benevolent, yea, magnificent affair; since your honourable posterities may be enriched thereby, and my ends are only to make the world my heir, and the learned fathers of my Solomon's House, the successive and sworn trustees in the dispensation of this great service, for God's glory, my prince's magnificence, this parliament's honour, our country's general good, and the propagation of my

own memory.

And I may assure your lordships, that all my proposals in order to this great architype, seemed so rational and feasible to my royal sovereign, our Christian Solomon, that I thereby prevailed with his majesty to call this honourable parliament, to confirm and impower me in my own way of mining, by an act of the same, after his majesty's more weighty affairs were considered in your wisdoms; both which he desires your lordships, and you gentlemen that are chosen as the patriots of your respective countries, to take speedy care of: which done, I shall not then doubt the happy issue of my undertakings in this design, whereby concealed treasures, which now seem utterly lost to mankind, shall be confined to so universal a piety, and brought into use by the industry of converted penitents, whose wretched carcases the impartial laws have, or shall dedicate, as untimely feasts, to the worms of the earth, in whose womb those deserted mineral riches must ever lie buried as lost abortments, unless those be made the active midwives to deliver them. For, my lords, I humbly conceive them to be the fittest of all men to effect this great work, for the ends and causes which I have before expressed.

All which, my lords, I humbly refer to your grave and solid judgments to conclude of, together with

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such other assistances to this frame, as your own oraculous wisdom shall intimate, for the magnifying our Creator in his inscrutable providence, and admirable works of nature.

Certain experiments made by the Lord BACON about weight in air and water.

A NEW Sovereign of equal weight in the air to the piece in brass, overweigheth in the water nine grains: in three sovereigns the difference in the water is but twenty-four grains.

The same sovereign overweigheth an equal weight of lead, four grains in the water, in brass grains for gold: in three sovereigns about eleven grains.

The same sovereign overweigheth an equal weight of stones in the air, at least sixty-five grains in the water the grains being for the weight of gold in brass metal.

A glass filled with water weighing, in Troy weights, thirteen ounces and five drams, the glass and the water together weigheth severally, viz. the water nine ounces and a half, and the glass four ounces and a dram.

A bladder weighing two ounces seven drams and a half, a pebble laid upon the top of the bladder makes three ounces six drams and a half, the stone weigheth seven drams.

The bladder, as above, blown, and the same fallen, weigheth equal.

A sponge dry weigheth one ounce twenty-six grains the same sponge being wet, weigheth fourteen ounces six drams and three quarters: the water weigheth in several eleven ounces one dram and a half, and the sponge three ounces and a half, and three quarters of a dram. First time.

The sponge and water together weigh fifteen ounces and seven drams: in several, the water weigheth eleven ounces and seven drams, and the sponge three ounces seven drams and a half. Second time.

'Three sovereigns made equal to a weight in silver in the air, differ in the water.

For false weights, one beam long, the other thick. The stick and thread weigh half a dram, and twenty grains, being laid in the balance.

The stick tied to reach within half an inch of the end of the beam, and so much from the tongue, weigheth twenty-eight grains; the difference is twenty-two grains.

The same stick being tied to hang over the end of the beam an inch and a half, weigheth half a dram and twenty-four grains, exceeding the weight of the said stick in the balance by four grains.

The same stick being hanged down beneath the thread, as near the tongue as is possible, weigheth only eight grains.

Two weights of gold being made equal in the air, and weighing severally seven drams; the one balance being put into the water, and the other hanging in the air, the balance in the water weigheth only five drams and three grains, and abateth of the weight in the air, one dram and a half, and twenty-seven grains.

The same trial being made the second time, and more truly and exactly betwixt gold and gold, weighing severally, as above; and making a just and equal weight in the air, the one balance being put into the water the depth of five inches, and the other hanging in the air, the balance in the water weigheth only four drams, and fifty-five grains, and abateth of the weight in the air two drams and five grains.

The trial being made betwixt lead and lead, weighing severally seven drams in the air, the balance in the water weigheth only four drams and forty-one grains, and abateth of the weight in the air two drams and nineteen grains; the balance kept the same depth in the water as abovesaid.

The trial being made betwixt silver and silver, weighing severally seven drams in the air, the balance in the water weigheth only four drams and twentyfive grains. So it abateth two drams and thirty-five grains; the same depth in the water observed.

In iron and iron, weighing severally each balance in

the air seven drams, the balance in the water weigheth only four drams and eighteen grains; and abateth of the weight in the air two drams and forty-two grains; the depth observe as above.

In stone and stone, the same weight of seven drams equally in the air, the balance in the water weigheth only two drams and twenty-two grains; and abateth of the weight in the air four drams and thirty-eight grains; the depth as above.

In brass and brass, the same weight of seven drams in each balance, equal in the air, the balance in the water weigheth only four drams and twenty-two grains; and abateth in the water two drams and thirty-eight grains; the depth observed.

The two balances being weighed in air and water, the balance in the air over-weigheth the other in the water one dram and twenty-eight grains; the depth in the water as aforesaid.

It is a profitable experiment which sheweth the weights of several bodies in comparison with water. It is of use in lading of ships, and other bottoms, and may help to shew what burden in the several kinds they will bear.

Certain sudden thoughts of the Lord BACON's, set down by him under the title of EXPERIMENTS FOR PROFIT.

MUCK of leaves: muck of river, earth, and chalk muck of earth closed, both for salt-petre and muck setting of wheat and peas: mending of crops by steeping of seeds: making peas, cherries, and strawberries come early: strengthening of earth for often returns of radishes, parsnips, turnips, etc. making great roots of onions, radishes, and other esculent roots sowing of seeds of trefoil: setting of woad: setting of tobacco, and taking away the rawns: grafting upon boughs of old trees: making of a hasty coppice: planting of osiers in wet grounds: making of candles to last long: building of chimnies, furnaces, and ovens, to give heat with less wood: fixing of logwood: other means to make yellow and green fixed:

conserving of oranges, lemons, citrons, pomegranates, etc. all summer recovering of pearl, coral, turcoise colour, by a conservatory of snow: sowing of fennel : brewing with hay, haws, trefoil, broom, hips, brambleberries, woodbines, wild thyme, instead of hops, thistles: multiplying and dressing artichokes.

Certain experiments of the Lord BACON's, about the commixture of liquors only, not solids, without keat or agitation, but only by simple composition and settling.

SPIRIT of wine mingled with common water, although it be much lighter than oil, yet so as if the first fall be broken, by means of a sop, or otherwise, it stayeth above; and if it be once mingled, it severeth not again, as oil doth. Tried with water coloured

with saffron.

Spirit of wine mingled with common water hath a kind of clouding, and motion shewing no ready commixture. Tried with saffron.

A dram of gold dissolved in aqua regis, with a dram of copper in aqua fortis, commixed, gave a green colour, but no visible motion in the parts. Note, that the dissolution of the gold was, twelve parts water to one part body: and of the copper was, six parts water to one part body.

Oil of almonds commixed with spirit of wine severeth, and the spirit of wine remaineth on the top, and the oil in the bottom.

Gold dissolved, commixed with spirit of wine, a dram of each, doth commix, and no other apparent alteration.

Quicksilver dissolved with gold dissolved, a dram of each, doth turn to a mouldy liquor, black, and like smiths water.

Note, the dissolution of the gold was twelve parts water, ut supra, and one part metal: that of water was two parts, and one part metal.

Spirit of wine and quicksilver commixed, a dram of each, at the first shewed a white milky substance at the top, but soon after mingled..

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