“ He finds the Matter of Comets to be in the Æther it self, making the Æther and the Air to differ onely in purity, and esteeming, That the Planets do emit their Exhalations, and have their Atmospheres like unto our Earth. Where he affirms, That the Sun alone may cast out so much Matter at any time in one Year, as that thence shall be produced not one or two Comets, equalling the Moon in Diameter, but very many ”

“ In the East Indies, and in the Kingdom of Quamsy in China, there is found a Stone in the Head of certain Serpents (which they call by a name signifying Hairy Serpents) which heals the bitings of the same Serpent, that else would kill in 24 hours. This Stone is round, white in the middle, and about the edges blew or greenish. Being applyed to the Wound, it adheres to it of it self, and falls not off, but after it hath sucked the Poyson: Then they wash it in Milk, wherein 'tis left awhile, till it return to its natural condition. ”

“ Of some Fossils, as Sand, Gravel, Earths, and their various Differences, Qualities, uses Economical, Chymical, Medical: together with the strange varieties and changes happening in the Earth, and their causes; as also the requisits to Agriculture.
In the eighth: First, of Stones, their Origine, Concretion, difference of Colours; and in particular, of Gems and their variety, causes of generation, transparency in some and colours in others; as also of their various Figures and Pictures, by Nature formed both in common and precious Stones, with their Causes. ”

“ I have also seen a new kinde of Maps in low Relievo, or Sculpture: For example, the Isle of Antibe, upon a square of about eight Foot, made of Boards, with a Frame like a Picture: There is represented the Sea, with Ships and other Vessels Artificially made, with their Canons and Tackle of Wood fixed upon the surface, after a new and most admirable manner. The Rocks about the Island exactly form'd, as they are upon the Natural Place; and the Island it self, with all its Inequalities, and Hills and Dales ”

“ Whilst it is over the Fire, they scum it continually, and fill it out into great Earthen Pots, which hold each 25 or 30 pounds, and these they expose to clear Nights; and if there be any impurity remaining, it will fall to the bottom: Afterwards they break the Pots, and dry the Salt in the Sun. ”

“ It is a rare Stone, for if it be put the second time upon the Wound, and stick to it, 'tis a sign it had not suck'd all the Venome during its first application; but if it stick not, 'tis a mark that all the Poyson was drawn out at first. ”

“ As to Prognostications, he somewhat complains, That Men do more inquire what Comets signifie, then what they are, or how they are generated and moved; professing himself to be of the minde of those that would have Comets rather admired then feared; there appearing indeed no cogent reason, why the Author of Nature may not intend them rather as Monitors of his Glory and Greatness, then of his Anger or Displeasure ”

“ If one would melt by it any great quantity of Metal, that would require much time, the Action of Burning not being perform'd but within the bigness of the Focus, so that ordinarily none but small pieces are exposed to it. ”

“ They draw it out of three sorts of Earth, black, yellow, and white: the best, is that which is drawn out of the black, for it is free from common Salt. They work it in this manner: They make two Pits, flat at the bottom, like those wherein common Salt is made ”

“ I see by two of the Letters, that you incline to believe, the Glasses of Maginus and Septalius do approach to that of Lyons: But I can assure you, they come very far short of it. You may consult Maginus his Book, where he describes his; and there are some Persons here that have seen one of his best, which had but about twenty Inches diameter; so that this of Lyons must perform at least twice as much. As to Septalius, we expect the Relations of it from Intelligent and Impartial Men. It cannot well be compared to that of Lyons, but in bigness ”

“ Fourthly, what the celebrated Philosophers Stone was among the Ancients, and what they understood by the same?
In the twelfth: First, Of the Seminal Principle of all things, its origine, nature and property; of the way how Nature proceeds in the Generation of Minerals, Vegetables, Animals; of spontaneous Generation; of Zeophyts, Insects of all sorts, and particularly of the Worms bred in Men; together with the causes why Nature would produce such swamrs of infinite sorts of Insects. Secondly, of the variety and differences of Vegetables ”

“ Where also occasion is taken to discourse of the Original of Diseases, and cure of Poysonous ones. Secondly, of the wonderful Nature of Sulphur, Antimony, Quick-silver, their origine and qualities; together with the productions of Corals and Pearls.
In the tenth: First of Metallurgy, and the way how that unctuous Body, out of which Mettals are produced, is elaborated by Nature, and what therein are Sulphur, Salt, and Mercury; besides, what it is that renders Mettals fluid in the Fire, but not Stones and Vegetables &c. ”

“ In the second he treats of the Fabrick of the Terrestrial Globe, of the Influences it receives from the Cœlestial Bodies, especially the Sun and Moon, of both which Luminaries he gives a Scheme; of the proportion of the Earth to the Sun and Moon; of the external conformation of the Earth, its Mountains, and their concatenations, decrease and increase, together with the strange transformation thereof. Further, of the Waters encompassing the Earth, and their various Communications by hidden Passages ”

“ He puts it out of doubt, that they are in the Sky it self, producing Reasons for it that are very considerable, and alledging among others, That the Parallaxes doe clearly evince it, which he finds far less in Comets, then in the Moon, yea then sometimes in the Sun it self. Where he also represents, That he hath deduced the Horizontal Parallax of this very Comet from one onely Observation, made Febr 4. st.n. by which he found, That then it was distant from the Earth 5000 Semidiameters of the same, or 4300000 German miles. ”

“ Fourthly, of Subterraneous Animals, Moles, Mice, Birds, Dragons; where is also treated, of those Animals that are found in the midst of Stones.
In the ninth: First, of Poysons, their primeval Origine from Minerals, and their accidental Generation in Vegetable and Animal Bodies, together with their differences; where 'tis discoursed, not onely how Poysons may be bred in Men, but also, how the Poysons of some Animals do infect and kill Men ”

“ An Account of a not ordinary Burning Concave, lately made at Lyons, and compared with several others made formerly.⁠Of Monsieur Hevelius his promise of communicating to the World his Invention of making Optick Glasses; and of the hopes, given by Monsieur Christian Hugens of Zalichem, to perform something of the like nature; as also of the Expectations, conceived of some Persons in England, to improve Telescopes.⁠An Intimation of a way of making more lively Counterfeits of Nature in Wax, then are extant in Painting ”