“ loss, or diminution of its virtue; and we find the 'same kind of “ virtue in yeast, &c. (3.) by the preoccupation of motion.”

Under the head of hydrometical instances in the Novum Or. ganum, the expression of preoccupation of motion is explained. * When a musical string is struck, it vibrates, and the strings

appear double, treble, &c. Rings, twirled upon an axis, appear

spheres. A lighted stick moved quickly in a circle, appears a circle “ of fire, or what boys call gold lace. A lighted flambeau carried

quickly by night, appears tailed like a comet.” But if these motions, are performed slowly, such appearances do not exist. It seems, therefore, that they originate in a new impression being made before the effect of a former impression is removed, that is, by the motion of impulse being quicker than the motion of recovery.

So too Bacon says, “ 'The effects produced by gunpowder, are “ occasioned by the inpelling power being quicker than the power “ of resistance.” He says, “ the cause whereof is doubtless this, “ that the motion of dilatation in the powder, which is the impelling “ force, is many degrees swifter than the motion of gravity, which “ makes the resistance, so that the prevailing motion is perforined “ before the opposite inotion begins, whilst at first there was a kind “ of neutrality, or want of resistance. And hence, in all projec“ tiles, it is not so much the strong as the sharp and quick stroke “ that carries the body furthest." And he adds, "Nor was it “ possible that a small quantity of spirit in animals, especially in “ them so bulky as the elephant, or the whale, should move and

manage so great a mass of matter, but for the velocity of the “ motion of the spirit before the quantity of the corporeal mass can resist.”

Lord Bacon's opinions upon vital spirit are chiefly containedin his History of Life and Death: but in his tract upon the Prolongation of Life in the treatise “ De Augmentis,” he says that length of life partly depends upon strengthening the resistance of the body, and diminishing the activity of the spirit. His words are

“ Consumption is caused by two depredations, depredation of “ innate spirit ; and depredation of ambient air. The resistance of “ both is two-fold, either when the agents (that is, the suck and “ moistures of the body, become less predatory, or the patients are “ inade less depredable. The spirit is made less predatory ; if either “ it be condensed in substance, as in the use of opiates, and nitrous "application, and in contristations ; or be diminished in quantity, “ as in spare, Pythagorical, or monastical diets; or is sweetened and “ refreshed with motion, as in ease and tranquillity.”

“ Our second precept is, that the prolongation of life be expected, " rather from working upon spirits, and from a malacissation or in

teneration of parts, than from any kinds of aliment or order of diet. “ Fur seeing the body of man, and the frame thereof (leaving aside “ outward accidents) three ways become passive, namely, from the

spirits; from the parts ; and from aliments; the way of prolonga" tion of life, by means of aliment is a long way about, and that hy

many ambages and circuits ; but the ways by working upon the

spirits, and upon the parts, are more compendious, and sooner " bring us to the end desired; because the spirits are suddenly

inoved, both from vapours and passio:is, which work strangely

upon them; and the parts, by baths, unguents, emplaisters, which “ in like manner make way by sudden impressions."

Shaw, in his edition of Bacon, lately published, says, " the whole

:

" of this enquiry still remains strangely neglected, to the great dis“ advantage of natural philosophy, which seems alınost a dead thing “ without it.” But Professor Stewart, in his Essay, prefixed to the Supplement to the Scotch Encyclopedia, and Coleridge in his Aids to Reflection, page 92, consider this theory to be obsolete.

NOTE B.

Referring to page 125. In his history of Life and Death, he says, Concerning the times “ of nativity, as they refer to long life, nothing hath been observed

worthy the setting down ; save only astrological observations, “ which we rejected in our topics. A birth at the eighth month, is “not only not long-lived, but not likely to live. Also winter births are accounted the longer lived."

And in some other part of his works, he says, a seven month: child proves the strength of the infant, an eight months, the weakness of the mother.

INDEX.

ABDUCTION of women made a capital offence, 226.
Actæon and Penthus, exposition of fables of, 29.
Amalthean horn, parable of, 60.
Apollo, his contest with Pan expounded, 20.
Archelous, exposition of the fable of, 59.
Archery attributed to love, 45.

Ariadne and Bacchus, parable of, 64.
Arthur, Prince, birth of, 125.

his marriage with the Princess Catharine, 374.
dies at Ludlow, 376.

Atalanta, exposition of the fable of, 66.

Audley, Lord, heads the Cornish insurgents, 329.
encamps on Blackheath, 832.

defeated and taken prisoner, 336.
beheaded, 337.

Augustus Cæsar, his civil character, 459.
Bacchus, exposition of the fable of, 61.
Bannocksburn, James III. killed at, £31.
Blindness attributed to love, 46

Britany, designs of Charles VIII. upon, 200.

Archbishop Morton's speech to parliament respecting, 213.
an army sent to the assistance of, 222.

Broughton, Sir Thomas, in correspondence with the rebel Lord Lovel, 187.

joins the rebels, 191.
slain near Newark, 194.
See Margaret of Burgundy.
Capel, Sir William, committed to the Tower, 404.
Cassandra or Divination, 1.

Burgundy, Duchess of.

Castello the legate, made Bishop of Bath and Wells, 231.
his conspiracy against Pope Leo X., 232.

Catesby, William, his attainder, 119.
Cato Uticensis, prophetic foresight of, 2.
Cecile, Duchess of York, death of, 309.
Ceres discovered by Pan, exposition of, 20.
Charles VIII., state of France under, 199.

embassy to King Henry, 201.
invades Britany, 209.

his attempts to defeat the marriage of Maximilian with the
Duchess of Britany, 213.

sends an embassy to Henry, 245.
answer to his ambassadors, 252.

Charles VIII., marries the Duchess of Britany, 256.

preparations for war against, 262.
pretends to support Perkin Warbeck, 281.
his success and misconduct in Italy, S08.
recommends Perkin Warbeck to the King of Scotland, 313.

death of, 360.
Charles, Prince of Castile, his marriage with the Princess Mary, 104.
Chariots, invention of, attributed to Ericthonius, 55.
Cicero, his answer to the admonition of Decius Brutus, 58.
Clergy, privileges of reduced, 226.
Clifford, Sir Robert, joins in Perkin Warbeck's conspiracy, 285.

won over to the king, 290.

impeaches the Lord Chamberlain to Henry, 296.
Cloth manufactory, King Henry's laws relating to, 838.
Cælum, exposition of fable of, 35.
Counsellors of State, capital offence to conspire the death of, 295.
Cupid and Pan, exposition of the fable of their wrestling, 20.
Cupid, or an Atom, fable of, 43.

generation and attributes of, 44.

individualizes the desire excited by Venus, 48.
Cyclops, exposition of the fable of, 5.

instruments of terrour, 6.
Dædalus, exposition of fable of, 51.
Dam taken by stratagem by the Duke of Saxony, 264.
D’Aubigny, Lord, made lord chamberlain, 300.
Democritus, his doctrine respecting an atom, 45.
Deucalion, exposition of the fable of, 55.
Diomedes, exposition of the fable of,"48.
Dionysius, exposition of the fable of, 61.
Dudley and Empson, wicked instruments of Henry, 880.

made speaker of the house of commons, 386.
Echo, story of her marriage with Pan expounded, 21.
Edward Plantagenet imprisoned in the Tower, 111.

shewn to the people, 135.

his execution, 365.
Egremont, Sir John, insurrection under, 929.

flies to Margaret of Burgundy, 229.
Elizabeth Plantagenet, married to King Henry,

crowned, 197.

death of,.879.
Elizabeth, Queen, felicities of, 457.
Empson and Dudley, wicked instruments of Henry, 880.
Endymion, exposition of the fable of, 26.
Ericthonius, exposition of the fable of, 54.
Europe, the state of, in 1580, 428.
Exchequer standard, statute for disputing. 262.
Exeter besieged by Perkin Warbeck's followers, 347. •
Fable of Cassandra, 1.

Fable of Endymion, or a Favourite, 26.

of the Sister of the Giants, or Fame, 28.
of Actæon, and Pentheus, or A Curious Man, 29.
of Orpheus, or Philosophy. 31.
of Cælum, or Beginnings, 35.
of Proteus, or Matter, 33.
of Memnon, or A Youth too forward, 40.
of Tithonus, or Satiety, 41.
of Juno's Suitor, or Baseness, 42.
of Cupid, or an Atom, 43.
of Diomedes, or Zeal, 48.
of Dædalus, or Perverted Mechanical Wisdom, 51.
of Ericthonius, or Imposture, 5).
of Deucalion, or Restitution, 55.
of Nemesis, or Vicissitude of Things, 56.
of Archelous, or Battle, 59.
of Dionysius, or Passion, 61.
of Jupiter and Semele, 61.
of Atalanta, or Gain, 66.
of Scylla and Icarus, or the Middle Way, 82.
of Sphynx, or Science, 84.
of Proserpina, or Spirit, 88.
of Theseus and Penthous, 89, 92.
of Metis, or Counsel, 93.

of the Syrens, or Pleasures, 95.
Fame, the Sister of the Giants, fable of, expounded, 28.
Fears and Terrours, why Pan said to be the author of, 19.
Ferdinand and Isabella, treaty of marriage between their daughter and Prince

Arthur, 340.

conquest of Grenada by, 266.
Ferrers, Lord, his attainder, 119.
Fire, invention of, attributed to Prometheus, 72.
Flemings, commercial treaty with, 325.
Fox, Bishop of Exeter, keeper of the privy seal, 122.
France, state of, under Charles VIII., 200.
Gabato, Sebastian, his voyage to America, 357.
Games of Prometheus, 81.
Greæ, treasons meant by, 25.
Great Britain, fragment of a history of, 421.
Grenada, conquest of by Ferdinand and Isabella, 266.

thanksgiving at St. Paul's for conquest of, 267.
Greek Philosophers, excellencies and defects of, 45.
Harmony and Empire, ensigns of, borne by Pan, 16.
Hammock Thomas, excites an insurrection in Cornwall, 328.

defeated, and executed, 337.
Hialus, Peter, brings proposals for a marriage between Prince Arthur and n

Princess of Spain, 340.

sent ambassador to Scotland, 341.
Henry VII. his accession to the crown, 105.

difficulties of his title, 107.
his entry into London, 112.
his coronation, 115.
holds his first parliament, 116. :
attainder of bis enemies, 119.
his marriage with the Lady Elizabeth, 122.'
bis movements on the conspiracy in favour of Simnell, 190.
keeps his Christmas at Norwich, 190.
prepares to meet the insurgent army, 191.
defeats the rebels near Newark, 194.
causes the Queen to be crowned, 197.