Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural PhilosophyNewcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Philosophy
Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural Philosophy
Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Newcastle, William Cavendish, Duke of, 1592-1676; Philosophy
But there is some difference between those figures that
perceive light, and those that are light themselves; for when we sleep,
there is made the figure of light, but not from a copy; but when the
eye seeth light, that figure is made from a copy of the real figure of
the Sun; but those lights which are inherent, as in Glow-worms-tails,
are original lights, in which is as much difference as between a Man
and his Picture; and as for the swiftness of the Motions of light, and
the violence of the Motions of fire, it is very probable they are so,
but they are a certain particular kind or sort of swift and violent
motions; neither will all sorts of swift and violent motions make fire
or light, as for example the swift and violent Circular motion of a
Whirlewind neither makes light nor fire; Neither is all fire light,
nor all light fire, for there is a sort of dead fire, as in Spices,
Spirits, Oyles, and the like; and several sorts of lights, which are
not hot, as the light which is made in Dreams, as also the inherent
lights in Glow-worms, Cats-eyes, Fish-bones, and the like; all which
several fires and lights are made by the self-moving matter and motions
distinguishable by their figures, for those Motions make such a figure
for the Suns light, such a figure for Glow-worms light, such a figure
for Cats-eyes light, and so some alteration in every sort of light;
The same for Fire, onely Fire-light is a mixt figure, as partly of the
figure of Fire, and partly of the figure of Light: Also Colours are
made after the like manner, _viz._ so many several Colours, so many
several Figures; and as these Figures are less or more different, so
are the Colours.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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