ON THE VACUUM IN THE BOOK

OF PNEUMATICS original: "Delli Spiritali"

For the understanding of the Work.

A large decorative woodcut initial 'M' features ornate scrollwork and a landscape scene in the background.

Many people have universally said, or rather affirmed, that there is no empty space vacuo vacuum; others have thought that while there is no continuous vacuum by nature, it exists by means of certain small parts disseminated throughout the air, water, fire, and other bodies, and it is necessary to agree with this. But concerning all that which falls under the senses and appears manifest, we shall strive to show in the following pages that it is indeed so, and not otherwise. As an example of this, we say that vessels, to many who do not consider the matter further, appear empty; but they are not empty as they think; rather, they are filled with air. Air, as it pleases the natural philosophers, is composed of small and light bodies, for the most part not understood nor seen by us. For if one pours water into a vessel that, as we have said, appears empty to us, as much water as enters the vessel, so much air will come out of it; and from this, everyone may understand what we have said above. One may also understand that if someone takes a vessel (which, as we say, will appear empty to us) and submerges it upside down in water, holding it upright, there is no doubt that water will not enter it, even if it is forcibly pushed entirely under the water. Thus, it becomes clear to us that since air is a body, it will not permit water to enter; because all the space that is in the vessel is filled with air. And this will be seen when it is drawn straight out of the water: for when the interior surface of it is held upright, it will be found to be as dry and pure as it was before it was submerged in water. But if, as has been said, while the vessel stands upside down and upright in the water, someone bores a hole in the bottom, the water will enter through the mouth of the vessel, and the air will exit through the said hole. From this, we must judge that air is a body which, when moved, becomes a spirit spirito spirit/moving air, since a spirit is nothing other than moved air. And if, after the vessel is pierced at the bottom and submerged in water, one places a hand over the hole, without doubt one will feel the spirit exiting from that vessel, and this is nothing other than air pushed out by the water. Nor must we judge that in these things that are vacuums, a certain continuous nature persists; rather, it exists according to some small parts disseminated in the air, in the water, and in other bodies—unless by chance one believes that only the diamond is entirely devoid of any vacuum, since it can neither be burned nor broken; rather, when placed on anvils and struck with very heavy hammers, it enters entirely into both the anvils and the hammers. Nor should this be attributed to it because it is devoid of a vacuum by its solid nature, but rather because of the continuous density that is in it; for since the small bodies of fire are larger than the vacuum that...