Εξ ιλιου εβλαϛησε χθων αυτη,Argonaut. 4.
The Earth of Slime was made,
Affirms (out of Zeno) that the Chaos, whereof all things were made, was, according to Hesiod, Water; which, settling first, became Slime, and then condens’d into solid Earth. And the same Opinion about the Generation of Slime seems to have been entertain’d by Orpheus, out of whom one of the AntientsAthenagoras. cites this Testimony,
Εκ του ὑδατος ιλυι κατιϛη.
Of Water Slime was made.
It seems also by what is delivered in StraboUniversarum rerum primordia diverta esse, faciendi autem mundi initium aquam. Strabo. Geograp. lib. 15. circa medium. out of another Author, concerning the Indians, That they likewise held that all things had differing Beginnings, but that of which the World was made, was Water. And the like Opinion has been by some of the Antients ascrib’d to the Phœnicians, from whom Thales himself is conceiv’d to have borrow’d it; as probably the Greeks did much of their Theologie, and, as I am apt to think, of their Philosophy too; since the Devising of the Atomical Hypothesis commonly ascrib’d to Lucippus and his Disciple Democritus, is by Learned Men attributed to one Moschus a Phœnician. And possibly the Opinion is yet antienter than so; For ’tis known that the Phœnicians borrow’d most of their Learning from the Hebrews. And among those that acknowledge the Books of Moses, many have been inclin’d to think Water to have been the Primitive and Universal Matter, by perusing the Beginning of Genesis, where the Waters seem to be mention’d as the Material Cause, not only of Sublunary Compounded Bodies, but of all those that make up the Universe; whose Component Parts did orderly, as it were, emerge out of that vast Abysse, by the Operation of the Spirit of God, who is said to have been moving Himself as hatching Females do (as the Original םרחפת, MeracephetDeuter. 32. 11. is said to Import, and as it seems to signifie in one of the two other places, wherein alone I have met with it in the Hebrew Bible)Jerem. 23. 9. upon the Face of the Waters; which being, as may be suppos’d, Divinely Impregnated with the seeds of all things, were by that productive Incubation qualify’d to produce them. But you, I presume, Expect that I should Discourse of this Matter like a Naturalist, not a Philologer. Wherefore I shall add, to Countenance Helmont’s Opinion, That whereas he gives not, that I remember, any Instance of any Mineral Body, nor scarce of any Animal, generated of Water, a French Chymist, Monsieur de Rochas, has presented his Readers an Experiment, which if it were punctually such as he has deliver’d it, is very Notable. He then, Discoursing of the Generation of things according to certain Chymical and Metaphorical Notions (which I confess are not to me Intelligible) sets down, among divers Speculations not pertinent to our Subject, the following Narrative, which I shall repeat to you the sence of in English, with as little variation from the Literal sence of the French words, as my memory will enable me. Having (sayes he) discern’d such great Wonders by the Natural Operation of Water, I would know what may be done with it by Art Imitating Nature. Wherefore I took Water which I well knew not to be compounded, nor to be mix’d with any other thing than that Spirit of Life (whereof he had spoken before;) and with a Heat Artificial, Continual and Proportionate, I prepar’d and dispos’d it by the above mention’d Graduations of Coagulation, Congelation, and Fixation, untill it was turn’d into Earth, which Earth produc’d Animals, Vegetables and Minerals. I tell not what Animals, Vegetables and Minerals, for that is reserv’d for another Occasion: but the Animals did Move of themselves, Eat, &c.—and by the true Anatomie I made of them, I found that they were compos’d of much Sulphur, little Mercury, and less Salt.—The Minerals began to grow and encrease by converting into their own Nature one part of the Earth thereunto dispos’d; they were solid and heavy. And by this truly Demonstrative Science, namely Chymistry, I found that they were compos’d of much Salt, little Sulphur, and less Mercury.
But (sayes Carneades) I have some Suspitions concerning this strange Relation, which make me unwilling to Declare an Opinion of it, unless I were satisfied concerning divers Material Circumstances that our Author has left unmentioned; though as for the Generation of Living Creatures, both Vegetable and Sensitive, it needs not seem Incredible, since we finde that our common water (which indeed is often Impregnated with Variety of Seminal Principles and Rudiments) being long kept in a quiet place will putrifie and stink, and then perhaps too produce Moss and little Worms, or other Insects, according to the nature of the Seeds that were lurking in it. I must likewise desire you to take Notice, that as Helmont gives us no Instance of the Production of Minerals out of Water, so the main Argument that he employ’s to prove that they and other Bodies may be resolv’d into water, is drawn from the Operations of his Alkahest, and consequently cannot be satisfactorily Examin’d by You and Me.
Yet certainly (sayes Eleutherius) You cannot but have somewhat wonder’d as well as I, to observe how great a share of Water goes to the making up of Divers Bodies, whose Disguises promise nothing neere so much. The Distillation of Eeles, though it yielded me some Oyle, and Spirit, and Volatile Salt, besides the Caput mortuum, yet were all these so disproportionate to the Phlegm that came from them (and in which at first they boyl’d as in a Pot of Water) that they seem’d to have bin nothing but coagulated Phlegm, which does likewise strangely abound in Vipers, though they are esteem’d very hot in Operation, and will in a Convenient Aire survive some dayes the loss of their Heads and Hearts, so vigorous is their Vivacity. Mans Bloud it self as Spirituous, and as Elaborate a Liquor as ’tis reputed, does so abound in Phlegm, that, the other Day, Distilling some of it on purpose to try the Experiment (as I had formerly done in Deers Bloud) out of about seven Ounces and a half of pure Bloud we drew neere six Ounces of Phlegm, before any of the more operative Principles began to arise, and Invite us to change the Receiver. And to satisfie my self that some of these Animall Phlegms were void enough of Spirit to deserve that Name, I would not content my self to taste them only, but fruitlesly pour’d on them acid Liquors, to try if they contain’d any Volatile Salt or Spirit, which (had there been any there) would probably have discover’d it self by making an Ebullition with the affused Liquor. And now I mention Corrosive Spirits, I am minded to Informe you, That though they seem to be nothing else but Fluid Salts, yet they abound in Water, as you may Observe, if either you Entangle, and so Fix their Saline Part, by making them Corrode some idoneous Body, or else if you mortifie it with a contrary Salt; as I have very manifestly Observ’d in the making a Medecine somewhat like Helmont’s Balsamus Samech, with Distill’d Vinager instead of Spirit of Wine, wherewith he prepares it: For you would scarce Beleeve (what I have lately Observ’d) that of that acid Spirit, the Salt of Tartar, from which it is Distill’d, will by mortifying and retaining the acid Salt turn into worthless Phlegm neere twenty times its weight, before it be so fully Impregnated as to rob no more Distill’d Vinager of its Salt. And though Spirit of Wine Exquisitely rectify’d seem of all Liquors to be the most free from Water, it being so Igneous that it will Flame all away without leaving the least Drop behinde it, yet even this Fiery Liquor is by Helmont not improbably affirm’d, in case what he relates be True, to be Materially Water, under a Sulphureous Disguise: For, according to him, in the making that excellent Medecine, Paracelsus his Balsamus Samech, (which is nothing but Sal Tartari dulcify’d by Distilling from it Spirit of Wine till the Salt be sufficiently glutted with its Sulphur, [and suffer] the Liquor to be drawn off, as strong as it was pour’d on) when the Salt of Tartar from which it is Distill’d hath retain’d, or depriv’d it of the Sulphureous parts of the Spirit of Wine, the rest, which is incomparably the greater part of the Liquor, will remigrate into Phlegm. I added that Clause [In case what he Relates be True] because I have not as yet sufficiently try’d it my self. But not only something of Experiment keeps me from thinking it, as many Chymists do, absurd, (though I have, as well as they, in vain try’d it with ordinary Salt of Tartar;) but besides that Helmont often Relates it, and draws Consequences from it; A Person noted for his Sobernesse and Skill in Spagyrical Preparations, having been askt by me, Whether the Experiment might not be made to succeed, if the Salt and Spirit were prepar’d according to a way suitable to my Principles, he affirm’d to me, that he had that way I propos’d made Helmont’s Experiment succeed very well, without adding any thing to the Salt and Spirit. But our way is neither short nor Easie.
I have indeed (sayes Carneades) sometimes wonder’d to see how much Phlegme may be obtain’d from Bodies by the Fire. But concerning that Phlegme I may anon have Occasion to note something, which I therefore shall not now anticipate. But to return to the Opinion of Thales, and of Helmont, I consider, that supposing the Alkahest could reduce all Bodies into water, yet whether that water, because insipid, must be Elementary, may not groundlesly be doubted; For I remember the Candid and Eloquent Petrus Laurembergius in his Notes upon Sala’s Aphorismes affirmes, that he saw an insipid Menstruum that was a powerfull Dissolvent, and (if my Memory do not much mis-informe me) could dissolve Gold. And the water which may be Drawn from Quicksilver without Addition, though it be almost Tastless, You will I believe think of a differing Nature from simple Water, especially if you Digest in it Appropriated Mineralls. To which I shall add but this, that this Consideration may be further extended. For I see no Necessity to conceive that the Water mention’d in the Beginning of Genesis, as the Universal Matter, was simple and Elementary Water; since though we should Suppose it to have been an Agitated Congeries or Heap consisting of a great Variety of Seminal Principles and Rudiments, and of other Corpuscles fit to be subdu’d and Fashion’d by them, it might yet be a Body Fluid like Water, in case the Corpuscles it was made up of, were by their Creator made small enough, and put into such an actuall Motion as might make them Glide along one another. And as we now say, the Sea consists of Water, [notwithstanding] the Saline, Terrestrial, and other Bodies mingl’d with it,) such a Liquor may well enough be called Water, because that was the greatest of the known Bodies whereunto it was like; Though, that a Body may be Fluid enough to appear a Liquor, and yet contain Corpuscles of a very differing Nature, You will easily believe, if You but expose a good Quantity of Vitriol in a strong Vessel to a Competent Fire. For although it contains both Aqueous, Earthy, Saline, Sulphureous, and Metalline Corpuscles, yet the whole Mass will at first be Fluid like water, and boyle like a seething pot.