Lastly, either _Aristotle_ believed, that a Needle demitted longwayes upon the water, would swim, or he believed that it would not swim: If he believed it would not swim, he might well speak as indeed he did; but if he believed and knew that it would float, why, together with the dubious Problem of the Natation of broad Figures, though of ponderous Matter, hath he not also introduced the Question; whence it proceeds, that even long and slender Figures, howbeit of Iron or Lead do swim? And the rather, for that the occasion of doubting seems greater in long and narrow Figures, than in broad and thin, as from _Aristotles_ not having doubted of it, is manifested. No lesser an inconvenience would they fasten upon _Aristotle_, who in his defence should say, that he means a Needle pretty thick, and not a small one; for take it for granted to be intended of a small one; and it shall suffice to reply, that he believed that it would swim; and I will again charge him with having avoided a more wonderfull and intricate Probleme, and introduced the more facile and less wonderfull. We say freely therefore, that _Aristotle_ did hold, that only the broad Figure did swim, but the long and slender, such as a Needle, not. The which nevertheless is false, as it is also false in round Bodies: because, as from what hath been predemonstrated, may be gathered, little Balls of Lead and Iron, do in like manner swim. [Sidenote: _Aristotle_ affirmeth some Bodies volatile for their Minuity, Text. 42.] He proposeth likewise another Conclusion, which likewise seems different from the truth, and it is, That some things, by reason of their littleness fly in the Air, as the small dust of the Earth, and the thin leaves of beaten Gold: but in my Opinion, Experience shews us, that that happens not only in the Air, but also in the water, in which do descend, even those Particles or Atomes of Earth, that disturbe it, whose minuity is such, that they are not deservable, save only when they are many hundreds together. Therefore, the dust of the Earth, and beaten Gold, do not any way sustain themselves in the Air, but descend downwards, and only fly to and again in the same, when strong Windes raise them, or other agitations of the Air commove them: and this also happens in the commotion of the water, which raiseth its Sand from the bottom, and makes it muddy. But _Aristotle_ cannot mean this impediment of the commotion, of which he makes no mention, nor names other than the lightness of such Minutiæ or Atomes, and the Resistance of the Crassitudes of the Water and Air, by which we see, that he speakes of a calme, and not disturbed and agitated Air: but in that case, neither Gold nor Earth, be they never so small, are sustained, but speedily descend. [Sidenote: _Democritus_ placed the Cause of Natation in certain fiery Atomes.]