And yet as
I said, this Whiteness depended upon the Minuteness and Nearness of the
Little Mercurial _Globuli_, the Convexity of whose Surfaces fitted them to
represent in a Narrow compass a Multitude of Little Lucid Images to
differingly situated Beholders. And here let me observe a thing that seems
much to countenance the Notion I have been recommending: namely, that
whereas divers parts of the Sky, and especially the Milky-way, do to the
naked Eye appear White, (as the name it self imports) yet the Galaxie
look'd upon through the Telescope, does not shew White, but appears to be
made up of a Vast multitude of Little Starrs; so that a Multitude of Lucid
Bodies, if they be so Small that they cannot Singly or apart be discern'd
by the Eye, and if they be sufficiently Thick set by one another, may by
their confus'd beams appear to the Eye One White Body. And why it is not
possible, that the like may be done, when a Multitude of Bright and Little
Corpuscles being crowded together, are made to send together Vivid beams to
the Eye, though they Shine but as the Planets by a Borrow'd Light?
11. But to return to our Experiments. We may take notice, That the White of
an Egg, though in part Transparent, yet by its power of Reflecting some
Incident Rays of Light, is in some measure a Natural _Speculum_, being long
agitated with a Whisk or Spoon, loses its Transparency, and becomes very
White, by being turn'd into Froth, that is into an Aggregate of Numerous
small Bubbles, whose Convex Superficies fits them to Reflect the Light
every way Outwards.
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