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05 - The New Atlantis - Sir Francis Bacon · Classic Science Fiction Books

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  Speaker 1: Section five. The windows likewise were not crowded, but every
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  Speaker 1: one stood in them as if they had been placed.
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  Speaker 1: When the shoe was passed, the Jew said to me,
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  Speaker 1: I shall not be able to attend you as I
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  Speaker 1: would in regard of some charge the city hath laid
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  Speaker 1: upon me for the entertaining of this great person. Three
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  Speaker 1: days after the Jew came to me again and said,
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  Speaker 1: ye are happy men, for the father of Salomon's house
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  Speaker 1: taketh knowledge of your being here, and commandeth me to
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  Speaker 1: tell you that he will admit all your company to
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  Speaker 1: his presence and have private conference with one of you
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  Speaker 1: that ye shall choose. And for this hath appointed the
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  Speaker 1: next day after tomorrow. And because he meaneth to give
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  Speaker 1: you his blessing, he hath appointed it in the forenoon.
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  Speaker 1: We came at our day and hour, and I was
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  Speaker 1: chosen by my fellows for the private access. We found
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  Speaker 1: him in a fair chamber, richly hanged and carpeted under
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  Speaker 1: foot without any degrees to the state. He was set
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  Speaker 1: upon a low throne, richly adorned, and a rich cloth
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  Speaker 1: of state over his head of blue satin embroidered. He
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  Speaker 1: was alone, save that he had two pages of honor
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  Speaker 1: on either hand. One finally attired in white. His under
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  Speaker 1: garments were the like that we saw him wear in
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  Speaker 1: the chariot, but instead of his gown he had on
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  Speaker 1: him a mantle with a cape of the same fine
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  Speaker 1: black fastened about him. When we came in, as we
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  Speaker 1: were taught, we bowed low at our first entrance, And
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  Speaker 1: when we were come near his chair, he stood up,
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  Speaker 1: holding forth his hand ungloved and in posture a blessing,
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  Speaker 1: And we, every one of us stooped down and kissed
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  Speaker 1: the hem of his tippet. That done, the rest departed,
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  Speaker 1: and I remained. Then he warned the pages forth of
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  Speaker 1: the room, and caused me to sit down beside him,
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  Speaker 1: and spake to me thus in the Spanish tongue. God
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  Speaker 1: bless THEE, my son, I will give THEE the greatest
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  Speaker 1: jewel I have, For I will impart unto THEE for
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  Speaker 1: the love of God and men, a relation of the
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  Speaker 1: true state of Salomon's house. Son, to make you know
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  Speaker 1: the true state of Salomon's house, I will keep this order. First,
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  Speaker 1: I will set forth unto you the end of our foundation. Secondly,
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  Speaker 1: the preparations and instruments we have for our works. Thirdly,
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  Speaker 1: the several employments and functions whereto our fellows are assigned,
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  Speaker 1: and fourthly, the ordinances and rights which we observe. The
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  Speaker 1: end of our foundation is the knowledge of causes and
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  Speaker 1: secret motions of things, and the enlarging of the bounds
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  Speaker 1: of human empire to the effecting of all things possible.
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  Speaker 1: The preparations and instruments are these. We have large and
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  Speaker 1: deep caves of several depths. The deepest are sunk six
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  Speaker 1: hundred fathom, and some of them are digged and made
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  Speaker 1: under great hills and mountains, so that if you reckon
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  Speaker 1: together the depth of the hill and the depth of
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  Speaker 1: the cave, they are, some of them above three miles deep.
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  Speaker 1: For we find that the depth of a hill and
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  Speaker 1: the depth of a cave from the flat is the
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  Speaker 1: same thing, both remote alike from the sun and Heaven's beams,
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  Speaker 1: and from the open air. These caves we call the
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  Speaker 1: lower region, and we use them for all coagulations, indurations, refrigerations,
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  Speaker 1: and conservations of bodies. We use them likewise for the
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  Speaker 1: imitation of natural minds, and the producing also of new
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  Speaker 1: artificial metals by compositions and materials which we use and
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  Speaker 1: lay there. For many years. We use them also, sometimes
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  Speaker 1: which may seem strange, for curing of some diseases, and
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  Speaker 1: for prolongation of life in some hermits that choose to
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  Speaker 1: live there well accommodated of all things necessary, and indeed
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  Speaker 1: live very long, by whom also we learn many things.
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  Speaker 1: We have burials in several earths, where we put diverse cements,
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  Speaker 1: as the Chineses do their porcelain, but we have them
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  Speaker 1: in greater variety, and some of them more fine. We
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  Speaker 1: have also a great variety of composts and soils for
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  Speaker 1: the making of the earth fruitful. We have high towers,
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  Speaker 1: the highest about half a mile in height, and some
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  Speaker 1: of them likewise sat upon high mountains, so that the
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  Speaker 1: vantage of the hill with the tower is in the
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  Speaker 1: highest of them three miles at least. And these places
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  Speaker 1: we call the upper region, accounting the air between the
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  Speaker 1: high places and the low as a middle region. We
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  Speaker 1: use these towers, according to their several heights and situations,
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  Speaker 1: for insulation, refrigeration, conservation, and for the view of diverse
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  Speaker 1: meteors as winds, rain, snow, hail, and some of the
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  Speaker 1: fiery meters also, and upon them in some places are
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  Speaker 1: dwellings of hermits, whom we visit sometimes and instruct what
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  Speaker 1: to observe. We have great lakes, both salt and fresh,
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  Speaker 1: whereof we have use for the fish and fowl. We
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  Speaker 1: use them also for burials of some natural bodies, for
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  Speaker 1: we find a difference in things bear in earth or
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  Speaker 1: in air below the earth, and things buried in water.
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  Speaker 1: We have also pools, of which some do strain fresh
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  Speaker 1: water out of salt, and others by art do turn
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  Speaker 1: fresh water into salt. We have also some rocks in
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  Speaker 1: the midst of the sea, and some bays upon the
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  Speaker 1: shore for some works wherein is required the air and
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  Speaker 1: vapor of the sea. We have likewise violent streams and cataracts,
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  Speaker 1: which serve us for many motions, and likewise engines for
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  Speaker 1: multiplying and enforcing of winds to set also on going
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  Speaker 1: diverse motions. We have also a number of artificial wells
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  Speaker 1: and fountains made in imitation of the natural sources and
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  Speaker 1: baths as tinked it upon vitriol, sulfur, steel, brass, lead, niter,
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  Speaker 1: and other minerals. And again we have little wells for
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  Speaker 1: infusions of many things, where the waters take the virtue
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  Speaker 1: quicker and better than in vessels or basins, and amongst
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  Speaker 1: them we have a water which we call water of Paradise,
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  Speaker 1: being by that we do to it made very sovereign
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  Speaker 1: for health and prolongation of life. We have also great
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  Speaker 1: and spacious houses where we imitate and demonstrate meteors as snow, hail, rain,
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  Speaker 1: some artificial rains of bodies and not of water, thunders, lightnings,
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  Speaker 1: also generations of bodies in air, as frogs, flies, and
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  Speaker 1: diverse others. We have also certain chambers, which we call
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  Speaker 1: chambers of health, where we qualify the air as we
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  Speaker 1: think good and proper for the cure of divers diseases
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  Speaker 1: and preservation of health. We have also fair and large
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  Speaker 1: baths of several mixtures for the cure of diseases and
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  Speaker 1: the restoring of man's body from our affection, and others
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  Speaker 1: for the confirming of it in strength of sinews, vital parts,
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  Speaker 1: and the very juice and substance of the body. We
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  Speaker 1: have also large and various orchards and gardens wherein we
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  Speaker 1: do not so much respect beauty as variety of ground
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  Speaker 1: and soil proper for diverse trees and herbs, and some
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  Speaker 1: very spacious where trees and berries are set whereof we
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  Speaker 1: make diverse kinds of drinks. Besides the vineyards. In these
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  Speaker 1: we practice likewise all conclusions of grafting and inoculating, as
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  Speaker 1: well of wild trees as fruit trees, which produceth many effects.
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  Speaker 1: And we make by art in the same orchards and gardens,
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  Speaker 1: trees and flowers to come earlier or later than their seasons,
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  Speaker 1: and to come up and bear more speedily than by
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  Speaker 1: their natural course they do. We make them also by
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  Speaker 1: art greater much than their nature, and their fruit greater
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  Speaker 1: and sweeter, and of differing tastes, smell, color, and figure
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  Speaker 1: from their nature. And many of them we so order
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  Speaker 1: as they become of medicinal use. We have also means
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  Speaker 1: to make diverse plants rise by mixtures of Earth's without seeds,
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  Speaker 1: and likewise to make diverse new plants differing from the vulgar,
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  Speaker 1: and to make one tree or plant turn into another.
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  Speaker 1: We have also parks and inclosures of all sorts of
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  Speaker 1: beasts and birds, which we use not only for view
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  Speaker 1: or rareness, but likewise for dissections and trials, that thereby
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  Speaker 1: we may take light what may be wrought upon the
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  Speaker 1: body of man. Wherein we find many strange effects as
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  Speaker 1: continuing life in them, though diverse parts which you account vital,
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  Speaker 1: be perished and taken forth, resuscitating of some that seem
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  Speaker 1: dead in appearance, and the like. We try also all
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  Speaker 1: poisons and other medicines upon them, as well of tiburgory,
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  Speaker 1: as physic by art. Likewise, we make them greater or
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  Speaker 1: taller than their kind is, and contrariwise dwarf them and
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  Speaker 1: stay their growth. We make them more fruitful and bearing
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  Speaker 1: than their kind is, and contrariwise barren and not generative.
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  Speaker 1: Also we make them differ in color, shape, activity. Many
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  Speaker 1: ways we find means to make commixtures and copulations of
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  Speaker 1: different kinds, which have produced many new kinds, and them
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  Speaker 1: not barren, as the general opinion is. We make a
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  Speaker 1: number of kinds of serpents, worms, flies, fishes of putrefaction,
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  Speaker 1: whereof some are advanced in effect to be perfect creatures
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  Speaker 1: like beasts or birds, and have sexes and do propagate.
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  Speaker 1: Neither do we this by chance, but we know beforehand
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  Speaker 1: of what matter and commixture what kind of those creatures
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  Speaker 1: will arise. We have also particular pools where we make
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  Speaker 1: trials upon fishes. As we have said before, of beasts
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  Speaker 1: and birds. We have also places for breed and generation
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  Speaker 1: of those kinds of worms and flies which are of
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  Speaker 1: special use, such as are with you your silkworms and bees.
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  Speaker 1: I will not hold you long with recounting of our
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  Speaker 1: brew houses, bake houses, and kitchens, where are made diverse drinks,
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  Speaker 1: breads and meats rare and of special effects. Wines we
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  Speaker 1: have of grapes and drinks of other juice, of fruits,
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  Speaker 1: of grains, and of roots, and of mixtures with honey, sugar, manna,
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  Speaker 1: and fruits dried and decocted, also of the tears or
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  Speaker 1: woundings of trees, and of the pulp of canes. And
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  Speaker 1: these drinks are of several ages, some to the age
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  Speaker 1: or last of forty years. We have drinks also brewed
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  Speaker 1: with several herbs and roots and spices, yea, with several fleshes,
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  Speaker 1: and white meats, whereof some of the drinks are such
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  Speaker 1: as they are in effect meat and drink, both, so
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  Speaker 1: that diverse, especially in age, do desire to live with
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  Speaker 1: them with little or no meat or bread. And above
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  Speaker 1: all we strive to have drink of extreme thin parts
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  Speaker 1: to insinuate into the body, and yet without all biting
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  Speaker 1: sharpness or fretting, insomuch as some of them put upon
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  Speaker 1: the back of your hand, will with a little stay
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  Speaker 1: pass through to the palm, and yet taste mild to
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  Speaker 1: the mouth. We have also waters, which we ripen in
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  Speaker 1: that fashion, as they become nourishing, so that they are
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  Speaker 1: indeed excellent drink, and many will use no other. Breads.
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  Speaker 1: We have of several grains, roots and kernels, and some
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  Speaker 1: of flesh and fish dried with diverse kinds of leavenings
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  Speaker 1: and seasonings, so that some do extremely move appetites, some
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  Speaker 1: do nourish, so as divers do live of them without
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  Speaker 1: any other meat, who live very long. So for meats
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  Speaker 1: we have some of them so beaten and made tender
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  Speaker 1: and mortified, yet without all corrupting, as a weak heat
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  Speaker 1: of the stomach will turn them into good kylis, as
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  Speaker 1: well as a strong heat would meet otherwise prepared. We
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  Speaker 1: have some meats also in breads and drinks, which taken
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  Speaker 1: by men enable them to fast long after, And some
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  Speaker 1: other that used make the very flesh of men's bodies
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  Speaker 1: sensibly more hard and tough, and their strength far greater
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  Speaker 1: than otherwise it would be. We have dispensatories or shops
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  Speaker 1: of medicines, wherein you may easily think if we have
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  Speaker 1: such variety of plants and living creatures, more than you
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  Speaker 1: have in Europe. For we know what you have. The
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  Speaker 1: simples drugs and ingredients of medicines must likewise be in
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  Speaker 1: so much the greater variety. We have them, likewise of
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  Speaker 1: diverse ages and long fermentations. And for their preparations we
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  Speaker 1: have not only all manner of exquisite distillations and separations,
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  Speaker 1: and especially by gentle heats and percolations through diverse strainers,
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  Speaker 1: yeay and substances, but also exact forms of composition, whereby
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  Speaker 1: they incorporate almost as they were natural simples. We have
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  Speaker 1: also diverse mechanical arts, which you have not, and stuffs
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  Speaker 1: made by them, as papers, linen, silks, tissues, dainty works
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  Speaker 1: of feathers, of wonderful luster, excellent dyes, and many others
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  Speaker 1: and shops likewise as well, for such as are not
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  Speaker 1: brought into vulgar use amongst us, as for those that are,
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  Speaker 1: for you must know that of the things before we cited,
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  Speaker 1: many of them are grown into use throughout the kingdom.
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  Speaker 1: But yet if they did flow from our invention, we
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  Speaker 1: have of them also for patterns and principles. We have
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  Speaker 1: also furnaces of great diversities, and that keep great diverse
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  Speaker 1: of heats, fierce and quick, strong and constant, soft and mild, blown, quiet, dry, moist,
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  Speaker 1: and the like. But above all we have heats in
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  Speaker 1: imitation of the suns and heavenly bodies, heats that pass
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  Speaker 1: diverse inequalities, and as it were, orbs progresses and returns,
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  Speaker 1: whereby we produce admirable effects. Besides, we have heats of dungs,
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  Speaker 1: and of bellies and maws of living creatures, and of
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  Speaker 1: their bloods and bodies, and of haze and herbs laid up, moist,
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  Speaker 1: of lime unquenched, and such like instruments also which generate
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  Speaker 1: heat only by motion, and farther places for strong insulations,
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  Speaker 1: and again places under the earth, which, by nature or art,
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  Speaker 1: yield heat. These diverse heats we use as the nature
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  Speaker 1: of the operation which we intend requireth We have also
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  Speaker 1: perspective houses, where we make demonstrations of all lights and radiations,
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  Speaker 1: and of all colors, and out of things uncolored and transparent,
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  Speaker 1: we can represent unto you all several colors, not in rainbows,
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  Speaker 1: as it is in gems, and prisms, but of themselves single.
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  Speaker 1: We represent also all multiplications of light, which we carry
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  Speaker 1: to great distance and make so sharp as to discern
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  Speaker 1: small points and lines. Also all colorations of light, all
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  Speaker 1: delusions and deceits of the sight, in figures, magnitudes, motions, colors,
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  Speaker 1: all demonstrations of shadows. We find also diverse means, yet
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  Speaker 1: unknown to you, of producing of light originally from diverse bodies.
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  Speaker 1: We procure means of seeing objects afar off as in
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  Speaker 1: the heaven and remote places, and represent things near as
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  Speaker 1: afar off and things afar off as near, making feigned distances.
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  Speaker 1: We have also helps for the sight far above spectacles
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  Speaker 1: and glasses in use. We have also glasses and means
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  Speaker 1: to see small and minute bodies perfectly and distinctly, as
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  Speaker 1: the shapes and colors of small flies and worms, grains
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  Speaker 1: and flaws and gems which cannot otherwise be seen, observations
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  Speaker 1: in urine and blood not otherwise to be seen. We
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  Speaker 1: make artificial rainbows, halos, and circles about light. We represent
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  Speaker 1: also all manner of reflections, refractions, and multiplications of visual
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  Speaker 1: beams of objects. We have also precious stones of all kinds,
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  Speaker 1: many of them of great beauty, and to you unknown
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  Speaker 1: crystals likewise, and glasses of diverse kinds, and amongst them
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  Speaker 1: some of metals vitrificated and other materials, besides those of
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  Speaker 1: which you make glass. Also a number of fossils and
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  Speaker 1: imperfect minerals which you have not likewise load stones of
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  Speaker 1: prodigious virtue, and other rare stones, both natural and artificial.
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  Speaker 1: End of Section five.