by William Gilbert

“ For as the one imparts and stirs, so the other conceives, and being stirred remains in virtue, and pours back the forces also by its own activity. But since iron is more like iron than loadstone, and the virtue in both pieces of iron is exalted by the proximity of the loadstone, so in the loadstone itself, in case of equal strength, likeness of substance prevails, and iron gives itself up rather to iron, and they are united by their very similar homogenic powers. ”

“ The natural magnetick virtue, confused and dormant in the iron, is aroused by the loadstone, is linked to the loadstone, and rejoices with it in its primary form; then smelted iron becomes a perfect magnetick, as robust as the loadstone itself. ”

“ Which thing happens not so much from a coition, as from a firmer unition; and a knob or snout of steel, fixed skilfully on the pole of the stone, raises greater weights of iron than the stone of itself could. ”