_Annotation I._
I presume you may have taken notice (_Pyrophilus_) that I have borrowed
some of the Instances mention'd in this 47th Experiment, from the
Laboratories of Chymists, and because in some (though very few) other
passages of this Essay, I have likewise made use of Experiments mention'd
also by some Spagyrical Writers, I think it not amiss to represent to you
on this Occasion once for all, some things besides those which I intimated
in the praeamble of this present Experiment; For besides, that 'tis very
allowable for a Writer to repeat an Experiment which he invented not, in
case he improve it; And besides that many Experiments familiar to Chymists
are unknown to the generality of Learned Men, who either never read
Chymical processes, or never understood their meaning, or never durst
believe them; besides these things, I say, I shall represent, That, as to
the few Experiments I have borrowed from the Chymists, if they be very
Vulgar, 'twould perhaps be difficult to ascribe each of them its own
Author, and 'tis more than the generality of Chymists themselves can do:
and if they be not of very known and familiar practise among them, unless
the Authors wherein I found them had given me cause to believe, themselves
had try'd them, I know not why I might not set them down, as a part of the
_Phaenomena_ of Colours which I present you; Many things unanimously enough
deliver'd as matters of fact by (I know not how many Chymical Writers)
being not to be rely'd on, upon the single Authority of such Authors: For
Instance, as some Spagyrists deliver (perhaps amongst several deceitful
processes) that _Saccarum Saturni_ with Spirit of Turpentine will afford a
Balsom, so _Beguinus_ and many more tell us, that the same Concrete
(_Saccarum Saturni_) will yield an incomparably fragrant Spirit, and a
pretty Quantity of two several Oyles, and yet since many have complain'd,
as well as I have done, that they could find no such odoriferous, but
rather an ill-sented Liquor, and scarce any oyl in their Distillation of
that sweet Vitriol, a wary person would as little build any thing on what
they say of the former Experiment, as upon what they averr of the later,
and therefore I scrupled not to mention this Red Balsom of which I have not
seen any, (but what I made) among my other experiments about redness.
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