An essay for the recording of illustrious providences

The Effects produced by the Lightning ⟨p. 115⟩are exceeding marvellous, sometimes Gold, Silver, Brass, Iron has been melted thereby, when the things wherein they have been kept, received no hurt; yea, when the Wax: on the Bags which contained them, has not been so much as melted. Liquors have been thereby exhausted out of Vessels, when the Vessels themselves remained untouched: And (which is more wonderful) when the Cask has been broken by the Lightning, the Wine has remained as it were included in a skin, without being split; the reason whereof Sennertu• supposeth to be, in that the heat of the Lightning did condense the exterior parts of the Wine. It is also a very strange thing, which Histories report concerning Marcia (a Roman Princess) that the Child in her body was smitten and killed with Lightning, and yet the Mother received no hurt in her own Body. It is hard to give a clear and satisfactory Reason why if a piece of Iron be laid upon the Cask it prevents the Thunder from marring the Wine contained therein, and also keeps Milk from turning. The Virtuosi of France in their Philosophical Conferences (vol.2.P.427.) suppose a Sympathy between Iron and the gross vapours of Thunder and Lightning. They say that which is commonly called the Thunder-bolt does sometimes ⟨p. 116⟩resemble Steel, as it were to show the correspondence that there is between Iron and Thunder: So that the Air being impregnate by those noisome vapours which are of the same nature with Iron, meeting with some piece of it laid on a Vessel, is joined to the Iron by Sympathy, the Iron by its attractive virtue receives them, and by its retentive retains them, and by that means prevents the effects. This conjecture is ingenious. Nor is it easy to give a solid Reason why the Lightning should hurt one creature rather than another. Naturalists observe that it is so Feles canes & capras magis illorum obnoxios ictibui observatio sedula dedit, saith Johnston. Bart•• linus conjectures the reason to be the halitus in the bodies of those creatures, which are a fit nutriment for the fulminious spirits to prey upon. When fire is set to a train of Gunpowder; it will run accordingly straight or crooked, upwards or downwards as the matter it feeds upon is disposed: So proportionably here: but this is a Subject for ingenious minds further to inquire into.