And this perchance may be the main Reason of that which some observe, that a sheet of very White Paper being look’d upon by Candle light, ’tis not easie at first to discern it from a light Yellow or Lemon Colour; White Bodyes (as we have elsewhere observ’d) having more than those that are otherwise Colour’d, of a Specular Nature; in regard that though they exhibit not, (unless they be Polish’d,) the shape of the Luminary that shines on them, yet they Reflect its Light more Sincere and Untroubl’d, by either Shades or Refractions, than Bodyes of other Colours (as Blew, or Green, or Yellow or the like.)

EXPERIMENT IX.

We took a Leaf of Such Foliated Gold as Apothecaries are wont to Gild their Pills with; and with the Edge of a Knife, (lightly moysten’d by drawing it over the Surface of the Tongue, and afterwards) laid upon the edge of the Gold Leaf; we so fasten’d it to the Knife, that being held against the light, it conctinu’d extended like a little Flagg.  This Leaf being held very near the Eye, and obverted to the Light, appear’d so full of Pores, that it seem’d to have such a kind of Transparency as that of a Sive, or a piece of Cyprus, or a Love-Hood; but the Light that pass’d by these Pores was in its Passages So Temper’d with Shadow, and Modify’d, that the Eye discern’d no more a Golden Colour, but a Greenish Blew.  And for other’s satisfaction, we did in the Night look upon a Candle through such a Leaf of Gold; and by trying the Effect of Several Proportions of Distance betwixt the Leaf, the Eye and the Light, we quickly hit upon such a Position for the Leaf of Gold, as that the flame, look’d on through it, appear’d of a Greenish Blew, as we have seen in the Day time.  The like Experiment try’d with a Leaf of Silver succeeded not well.

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EXPERIMENT X.

We have sometimes found in the Shops of our Druggists, a certain Wood, which is there called Lignum Nephriticum, because the Inhabitants of the Country where it grows, are wont to use the Infusion of it made in fair Water against the Stone of the Kidneys, and indeed an Eminent Physician of our Acquaintance, who has very Particularly enquir’d into that Disease, assures me, that he has found such an Infusion one of the most effectual Remedyes, which he has ever tried against that formidable Disease.  The ancientest Account I have met with of this Simple, is given us by the Experienc’d Monardes in these Words. Nobis, says he,[16] Nova Hispania mittit quoddam ligni genus crassum & enode, cujus usus jam diu receptus fuit in his Regionibus ad Renum vitia & urinae difficultates ac arenulas pellendas.  Fit autem hac ratione, Lignum assulatim & minutim concisum in limpidissima aqua fontana maceratur, inque ea relinquitur, donec aqua a bibentibus absumpta sit, dimidia hora post injectum lignum aqua caeruleum colorem contrabit, qui sensim intenditur pro temporis diuturnitate, tametsi