Experiments and Considerations Touching Colours (1664) by Robert Boyle
page 87 of 285 (30%)
page 87 of 285 (30%)
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Red, or at least more Yellow. And when the Sun Shines upon that Natural
Looking-glass, a Smooth water, that part of it, which appears to this or that particular Beholder, the most Shin'd on, does to his Eye seem far Whiter than the rest. And here I shall add, that I have sometimes had the Opportunity to observe a thing, that may make to my present purpose, namely, that when the Sun was Veil'd over as it were, with a Thin White Cloud, and yet was too Bright to be Look'd upon Directly without Dazling, by casting my Eyes upon a Smooth water, as we sometimes do to observe Eclipses without prejudice to our Eyes, the Sun then not far from the Meridian, appear'd to me not Red, but so White, that 'twas not without some Wonder, that I made the Observation. Besides, though we in _English_ are wont to say, a thing is Red hot, as an Expression of its being Superlatively _Ignitum_, (if I may so Speak for want of a proper _English_ word) yet in the Forges of Smiths, and the Furnaces of other Artificers, by that which they call a White heat, they mean a further Degree of _Ignition_, than by that which both they and we call a Red heat. 5. Secondly, I consider, that common Experience informs us, that as much Light Over-powers the Eye, so when the Ground is covered with Snow, (a Body extremely White) those that have Weak Eyes are wont to complain of too much Light: And even those that have not, are generally Sensible of an Extraordinary measure of Light in the Air; and if they are fain to Look very long upon the Snow, find their Sight Offended by it. On which occasion we may call to mind what _Xenophon_ relates, that his _Cyrus_ marching his Army for divers days through Mountains covered with Snow, the Dazling splendor of its Whiteness prejudic'd the Sight of very many of his Souldiers, and Blinded some of them; and other Stories of that Nature be met with in Writers of good Note. And the like has been affirm'd to me by credible Persons of my own Acquaintance, and especially by one who though Skill'd in Physick and not Ancient confess'd to me when I purposely ask'd |
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