Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 1: Containing a collection of some of the principal phaenomena in nature, accounted for by the greatest philosophers of this age
History
Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 1: Containing a collection of some of the principal phaenomena in nature, accounted for by the greatest philosophers of this age
Natural history; Science -- Early works to 1800; Voyages and travels -- Early works to 1800
13. I might add more Instances of this Nature; but I shall conclude with
this general one, that the Colours of all natural Bodies have no other
Origin than this, that they are variously qualified to reflect one sort
of Light in greater plenty than another. And this I have experimented in
a dark Room, by illuminating those Bodies with uncompounded Light of
divers Colours. For by that means any body may be made to appear of any
Colour. They have there no appropriate Colour, but ever appear of the
Colour of the Light cast upon them; but yet with this difference,
that they are most brisk and vivid in the Light of their own
day-light-colour. _Minium_ appeareth there of any Colour indifferently,
with which 'tis illustrated, but yet most luminous in red; and so _Bise_
appeareth indifferently of any Colour with which 'tis illustrated, but
yet most luminous in blue. And therefore _Minium_ reflecteth Rays of any
Colour, but most copiously those endu'd with red, and consequently when
illustrated with day-light, that is, with all sorts of Rays
promiscuously blended, those qualified with red, shall abound most in
the reflected Light, and by their prevalence cause it to appear of that
Colour. And for the same reason _Bise_, reflecting blue most copiously,
shall appear blue by the excess of those Rays in its reflected Light;
and the like of other Bodies. And that this is the intire and adequate
cause of their Colours, is manifest, because they have no power to
change or alter the Colours of any sort of Rays incident apart, but put
on all Colours indifferently, with which they are enlightned.
These things being so, it can be no longer disputed, whether there be
Colours in the dark, nor whether they be the Qualities of the Objects we
see, no nor perhaps, whether Light be a Body. For, since Colours are the
_Qualities_ of Light, having its Rays for their intire and immediate
Subject, how can we think those Rays _Qualities_ also, unless one
Quality may be the Subject of and sustain another; which in effect is to
call it _Substance_? We should not know Bodies for Substances, were it
not for their sensible Qualities; and the principal of those being now
found due to something else, we have as good reason to believe that to
be a Substance also.
Besides, whoever thought any Quality to be a _heterogeneous_ Aggregate,
such as Light is discovered to be? But to determine more absolutely,
what Light is, after what manner refracted, and by what Modes or Actions
it produceth in our Minds the Phantasms of Colours, is not so easie. And
I shall not mingle Conjectures with Certainties.
Reviewing what I have written, I see the Discourse it self will lead to
divers Experiments sufficient for its Examination; and therefore I shall
not trouble you farther, than to describe one of those, which I have
already insinuated.
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