| Boyle, Robert New experiments physico-mechanicall, touching the spring of the air and its effects 1660 |
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found by our several marks whereby we
had taken notice of its several removes, that
it had descended about (9/16) of an Inch from the
place where it first setled, & the other Inch
and (7/16) it had ascended.
And it seems pro
bable that the height of the Mercurial Cy
linder would have varied yet more, if the
Experiment had been made in the open
Air and in a long Tube, where the Parti
cles of the Imprison'd Air, by having
more room to display themselves in,
might not have had so strong a Spring to
work upon the Quick-silver with.
But for
want both of time and of a competent
quantity of Mercury (which was not to be
procur'd where we then happen'd to be)
we were unable to make any further try
als: which therefore chiefly troubled us,
because we would gladly have try'd an in
genious Experiment which was suggested
unto us by that excellent Mathematician
Mr. Wren, who being invited to name any
thing he would have us try touching the
pressure of the Air, desired us to observe
whether or no the Quick-silver in a long
Tube would not a little vary its height ac
cording to the Tides, especially about the
New and Full Moon, about which times
Mariners observe those great Flowings
and Ebbs of the Sea, that they call the
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