Book II.

the prefent age, have been fo much and fo totally neglected and condemned j yet, however impudent in their adertions, and bigotted to their own falfe opinions, fome of our modern philofophers may be, yet we have feen two or three individuals, who, by dint of perfeverance, have proved the truth and poffibility of Magnetifm, by repeated and public experiments. Indeed the ingenious invention of the Magnetic TraCtors prove at once that fcience fhould never be impeded by public flander or mifreprefentation of faCts that have proved to be of general utility. And we do not doubt but that we £hall be able to fhew, by the theory and practice delivered in the fequel, that many excellent cures may be performed by a due confideration and attentive obfer- vance of the principles upon which fympathy, antipathy, magnetic at- traction, &c. are founded ; and which will be fully illuftrated in the fol- lowing compendium :
We fhall haften to explain the firft principles of Magnetifm, by examin- ing the magnetic or attractive power.
CHAP. I.
* THE MAGNETIC, OR ATTRACTIVE TOWER OR FACULTY.'
AS concerning an aCtion locally at a diftance, wines do fugged: a demon- ftration unto us : for, every kind of wine, although it be bred out of co-bordering provinces, and likewife more timely bloffoming elfewhere, yet it is troubled while our country vine flowereth ; neither doth fuch a dif- turbance ceafe as long as the flower fhall not fall off from our vine ; which thing furely happens, either from a common motive-caufe of the vine and wine, or from a particular difpofition of the vine, the which indeed troubles the wine, and doth fhake it up and down with a confufed temped: : or like- wife, becaufe the wine itfelf doth thus trouble itfelf of its own free accord,
* Van Helmont.
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