ered anything from the loadstone. But
none the less they strive to come together and are changed. Therefore there
is no such conception and origin of the magnetick powers; nor do the very
minute portions of the stone exist, which have been wrongly imagined to
exist by Baptista Porta, aggregated, as it were, into hairs, and arising
from the rubbing of the stone which, sticking to the iron, constitute its
strength. Electrick effluvia are not only impeded by any dense matter, but
also in like manner by flames, or if a small flame is near, they do not
allure. But as iron is not hindered by any obstacle from receiving force or
motion from a loadstone, so it will pass through the midst of flames to the
body of the loadstone and adhaere to the stone. Let there be a flame or a
candle near the stone; bring up a short piece of iron wire, and when it has
come near, it will penetrate through the midst of the flames to the stone;
* and a versorium turns towards the loadstone nor more slowly nor less
eagerly through the midst of flames than through open air. So flames
interposed do not hinder the coition. But if the iron itself became heated
by a great heat, it is demonstrable that it would not be attracted. Bring a
strongly ignited rod of iron near a magnetized versorium; the versorium
remains steady and does not turn towards * such iron; but it immediately
turns towards it, so soon as it has lost somewhat of its heat. When a piece
of iron has been touched by a loadstone, if it be placed in a hot fire
until it is perfectly red hot * and remain in the fire some considerable
time, it will lose that magnetick strength it had acquired. Even a
loadstone itself through a {67} longish stay in the fire, loses the powers
of attracting implanted and innate in it, and any other magnetick powers.
And although certain veins of loadstone exhale when burnt a dark vapour of
a black colour, or of a sulphurous foul odour, yet that vapour was not the
soul, or the cause of its attraction of iron (as Porta thinks), nor do all
loadstones whilst they are being baked or burnt smell of or exhale sulphur.
It is acquired as a sort of inborn defect from a rather impure mine or
matrix. Nor does anything analogous penetrate into the iron from that
material corporeal cause, since the iron conceives the power of attracting
and verticity from the loadstone, even if glass or gold or any other stone
be interposed. Then also cast iron acquires the power of attracting iron