Volume 3

Physical and chemical essays / translated from the original Latin of Sir Torbern Bergman ... by Edmund Cullen ... To which are added notes and illustrations by the translator.

  • Bergman, Torbern, 1735-1784.
Date:
1784-1791
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Physical and chemical essays / translated from the original Latin of Sir Torbern Bergman ... by Edmund Cullen ... To which are added notes and illustrations by the translator. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    84/472 (page 62)
    In this place may be remarked the invention alfo of Callinicus the architect, who, when he had fled from Heliopolis in Egypt to Conflantino- pie, difcovered the marine fire, (*•«/» wThich they call Greek likewife ; and burnt during win- ter the fleet of the Saracens at Cyzicus This fire, when thrown into the water, acquires great¬ er force, flies about violently in all directions, confirming every thing in its way that is the leafl: combufiible. Gonftantinus Pogonatus* who was then on the throne, and his fucceflbrs* ufed it with advantage in their wars with the Saracens. It was reckoned one of their valua¬ ble fecrets; and as fuch has been faithfully kept, for we are not in the leafl; acquainted with its compofition. Among the writers on chemiftry I fhall not reckon Orpheus f, Homer, or Pindar, and feveral others of the fame kind; as no one has demon- fixated, that the fable of the golden apples of Hefperis, of the Hydra conquered by Hercules* of the Phoenix rifing from its own allies, of the golden V * Cedrenus. f Orpheus is the reputed author of the Argonautid hymns, and a lingular book, entitled ^ which treats of the fecret nature of Hones, and explains their viitues in the offer¬ ing of facrifices, and rendering the gods propitious. The Hones mentioned in this book are nearly the following: —— KpvraWoCy >-a\KKT<T»f, TfTjSKKfc, a^scrwf, xEpctf fXcxjtn#, fiapfiipof KiS-oCp Mtcxts, TOTfcurioc, oxccWto;, pxyvrTitf, e^opmof, y.cpvpv- %vpxK\tOVf YtVptTTS)