Cold causes rheums and distillations by compressing the brain, and laxes by like reason. Cold increases appetite in the stomach, and willingness to stir. Cold maketh the fire to scald and sparkle. Paracelsus reporteth, that if a glass of wine be set upon a terras in a bitter frost, it will leave some liquor unfrozen in the centre of the glass, which excelleth" spiritus vini" drawn by fire. Cold in Muscovy, and the like countries, causes those parts which are voidest of blood, as the nose, the ears, the toes, the fingers, to mortify and rot; especially if you come suddenly to fire, after you have been in the air abroad, they are sure to moulder and dissolve. They use for remedy, as is said, washing in snow water. If a man come out of a bitter cold suddenly to the fire, he is ready to swoon, or be overcome. So contrariwise at Nova Zembla, when they opened their door at times to go forth, he that opened the door was in danger to be overcome. The quantity of fish in the cold countries, Norway, &c. very abundant. The quantity of fowl and eggs laid in the cliffs in great abundance. In Nova Zembla they found no beasts but bears and foxes, whereof the bears gave over to be seen about September, and the foxes began. Meat will keep from putrifying longer in frosty weather, than at other times. In Iceland they keep fish, by exposing it to the cold, from putrifying without salt. The nature of man endureth the colds in the countries of Scricfinnia, Biarmia, Lappia, Iceland, Groenland; and that not by perpetual keeping in stoves in the winter time, as they do in Russia: but contrariwise, their chief fairs and intercourse is written to be in the winter, because the ice evens and levelleth the passages of waters, plashes, &c. A thaw after a frost doth greatly rot and mellow the ground. Extreme cold hurteth the eyes, and causeth blindness in many beasts, as is reported. The cold maketh any solid substance, as wood, stone, metal, put to the flesh, to cleave to it, and to pull the flesh after it, and so put to any cloth that is moist. Cold maketh the pilage of beasts more thick and long, as foxes of Muscovy, sables, &c. Cold maketh the pilage of most beasts incline to grayness or whiteness, as foxes, bears, and so the plumage of fowls; and maketh also the crests of cocks and their feet white, as is reported. Extreme cold will make nails leap out of the walls, and out of locks, and the like. Extreme cold maketh leather to be stiff like horn. In frosty weather the stars appear clearest and most sparkling. In the change from frost to open weather, or from open weather to frosts, commonly great mists In extreme colds any thing never so little which arresteth the air maketh it to congeal; as we see in cobwebs in windows, which is one of the least and weakest threads that is, and yet drops gather about it like chains of pearl. So in frosts, the inside of glass windows gathereth a dew; Qu. if not more without. Qu. Whether the sweating of marble and stones be in frost, or towards rain. Oil in time of frost gathereth to a substance, as of tallow; and it is said to sparkle some time, so as it giveth a light in the dark. The countries which lie covered with snow, have a hastier maturation of all grain than in other countries, all being within three months or thereabouts. Qu. It is said, that compositions of honey, as mead, do ripen, and are most pleasant in the great colds. The frosts with us are casual, and not tied to any months, so as they are not merely caused by the recess of the sun, but mixed with some inferior causes. In the inland of the northern countries, as in Russia, the weather for the three or four months of November, December, January, February, is constant, viz. clear and perpetual frost, without snows or rains. There is nothing in our region, which, by approach of a matter hot, will not take heat by transition or excitation. There is nothing hot here with us but is in a kind of consumption, if it carry heat in itself; for all fired things are ready to consume; chafed things are ready to fire; and the heat of men's bodies needeth aliment to restore. The transition of heat is without any imparting of substance, and yet remaineth after the body heated is withdrawn; for it is not like smells, for they leave some airs or parts; not like light, for that abideth not when the first body is removed; not unlike to the motion of the loadstone, which is lent without adhesion of substance, for if the iron be filed where it was rubbed, yet it will draw or turn. A LETTER AND DISCOURSE TO SIR HENRY SAVILL, TOUCHING HELPS FOR THE INTELLECTUAL POWERS. SIR, COMING back from your invitation at Eton, where I had refreshed myself with company which I loved, I fell into a consideration of that part of policy, whereof philosophy speaketh too much and laws too little; and that is of education of youth. Whereupon fixing my mind a while, I found straitways, and noted even in the discourses of philosophers which are so large in this argument, a strange silence concerning one principal part of that subject. For as touching the framing and seasoning of youth to moral virtue (as tolerance of labours, continency from pleasures, obedience, honour, and the like) they handle it; but touching the improvement and helping of the intellectual powers, as of conceit, memory, and judgment they say nothing. Whether it were that they thought it to be a matter wherein nature only prevailed; or that they intended it as referred to the several and proper arts which teach the use of |