Boyle, Robert New experiments physico-mechanicall, touching the spring of the air and its effects 1660
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129
self, does less potently press upon the sub­
jacent Mercury.

And since we are fallen upon the consi­
deration of the Altitude of the Mercurial
Cylinder, I must not conceal from Your
Lordship an Experiment relating thereun­
to, which perhaps will set both You and
many of your Friends the Virtuosi a think­
ing; and, by disclosing some things a­
bout the Air or Atmosphere that have
scarce hitherto been taken notice of, may
afford you some hints conducive to a fur­
ther discovery of the subject of this E­
pistle.

WE took a Glass Tube, which,

though it were not much above
three Foot long, we made choice of be­
cause it was of a more then ordinarily
even thickness. This we fill'd with Mer­
cury, though not with as much care as we
could, yet with somewhat more then is
wont to be used in making the Torricellian
Experiment. Then, having according to
the manner inverted the Tube, and open'd
the mouth of it beneath the surface of
some other Quick-silver, that in the Tube
fell down to the wonted heigth, leaving,