And when the Sun Shines upon that Natural
Looking-glass, a Smooth water, that part of it, which appears to this or
that particular Beholder, the most Shin'd on, does to his Eye seem far
Whiter than the rest. And here I shall add, that I have sometimes had the
Opportunity to observe a thing, that may make to my present purpose,
namely, that when the Sun was Veil'd over as it were, with a Thin White
Cloud, and yet was too Bright to be Look'd upon Directly without Dazling,
by casting my Eyes upon a Smooth water, as we sometimes do to observe
Eclipses without prejudice to our Eyes, the Sun then not far from the
Meridian, appear'd to me not Red, but so White, that 'twas not without some
Wonder, that I made the Observation. Besides, though we in _English_ are
wont to say, a thing is Red hot, as an Expression of its being
Superlatively _Ignitum_, (if I may so Speak for want of a proper _English_
word) yet in the Forges of Smiths, and the Furnaces of other Artificers, by
that which they call a White heat, they mean a further Degree of
_Ignition_, than by that which both they and we call a Red heat.
5. Secondly, I consider, that common Experience informs us, that as much
Light Over-powers the Eye, so when the Ground is covered with Snow, (a Body
extremely White) those that have Weak Eyes are wont to complain of too much
Light: And even those that have not, are generally Sensible of an
Extraordinary measure of Light in the Air; and if they are fain to Look
very long upon the Snow, find their Sight Offended by it.
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