much by Instructing them, of what things they are to expect the Knowledge from each of the three distinct Principles of Bodies. Alias (says he) Colorum similis ratio est:  De quibus brevem institutionem hanc attendite, quod scilicet colores omnes ex Sale prodeant.  Sal enim dat colorem, dat Balsamum.[19] And a little beneath. Iam natura Ipsa colores protrathit ex sale, cuique speciei dans illum, qui ipsi competit, &c.  After which he concludes; Itaque qui rerum omnium corpora cognoscere vult, huic opus est, ut ante omnia cognoscat Sulphur, Ab hoc, qui desiderat novisse Colores is scientiam istorum petat a Sale, Qui scire vult Virtutes, is scrutetur arcana Mercurii.  Sic nimirum fundamentum hauserit Mysteriorum, in quolibet crescenti indagandorum, prout natura cuilibet speciei ea ingessit.  But though Paracelsus ascribes to each of his belov’d Hypostatical Principles, much more than I fear will be found to belong to it; yet if we please to consider Colours, not as Philosophers, but as Dyers, the concurrence of Salts to the striking and change of Colours, and their Efficacy, will, I suppose, appear so considerable, that we shall not need to quarrel much with Paracelsus, for ascribing in this place (for I dare not affirm that he uses to be still of one Mind) the Colours of Bodies to their Salts, if by Salts he here understood, not only Elementary Salts, but such also as are commonly taken for Salts, as Allom, Crystals of Tartar, Vitriol, &c. because the Saline principle does chiefly abound in them, though indeed they be, as we elsewhere declare, mix’d Bodies, and have most of them, besides what is Saline, both Sulphureous, Aqueous, and Gross or Earthy parts.

  [19] Paracelsus de Mineral. tract. 1. pag. m. 243

But though (Pyrophilus) I have observ’d a Red and Green to be produc’d, the former, by Acid Salts, the later by Salts not Acid, in the express Juices of so many differing Vegetable Substances, that the Observation, if persued, may prove (as I said) of good Use:  yet to show you how much e’vn these Effects depend upon the particular Texture of Bodies, I must subjoyn some cases wherein I (who am somewhat backwards to admit Observations for Universal) had the Curiosity to discover, that the Experiments would not Uniformly succeed, and of these Exceptions, the chief that I now remember, are reducible to the following three.

EXPERIMENT XXVI.

And, (first) I thought fit to try the Operation of Acid Salts upon Vegetable Substances, that are already and by their own Nature Red.  And accordingly I made Trial upon Syrrup of Clove-july-flowers, the clear express’d Juice of the succulent Berries of Spina Cervina, or Buckthorn (which I had long kept by me for the sake of its deep Colour) upon Red Roses, Infusion of Brazil, and divers other Vegetable Substances, on some of which crush’d (as is often mention’d) upon White Paper, (which is