Illustration. In the twenty-first Figure, ABC is the first Prism, BC its Base, B and C its equal Angles at the Base, each of 45 Degrees, A its rectangular Vertex, FM a beam of the Sun's Light let into a dark Room through a hole F one third part of an Inch broad, M its Incidence on the Base of the Prism, MG a less refracted Ray, MH a more refracted Ray, MN the beam of Light reflected from the Base, VXY the second Prism by which this beam in passing through it is refracted, Nt the less refracted Light of this beam, and Np the more refracted part thereof. When the first Prism ABC is turned about its Axis according to the order of the Letters ABC, the Rays MH emerge more and more obliquely out of that Prism, and at length after their most oblique Emergence are reflected towards N, and going on to p do increase the Number of the Rays Np. Afterwards by continuing the Motion of the first Prism, the Rays MG are also reflected to N and increase the number of the Rays Nt. And therefore the Light MN admits into its Composition, first the more refrangible Rays, and then the less refrangible Rays, and yet after this Composition is of the same Nature with the Sun's immediate Light FM, the Reflexion of the specular Base BC causing no Alteration therein.
Exper. 10. Two Prisms, which were alike in Shape, I tied so together, that their Axis and opposite Sides being parallel, they composed a Parallelopiped. And, the Sun shining into my dark Chamber through a little hole in the Window-shut, I placed that Parallelopiped in his beam at some distance from the hole, in such a Posture, that the Axes of the Prisms might be perpendicular to the incident Rays, and that those Rays being incident upon the first Side of one Prism, might go on through the two contiguous Sides of both Prisms, and emerge out of the last Side of the second Prism. This Side being parallel to the first Side of the first Prism, caused the emerging Light to be parallel to the incident. Then, beyond these two Prisms I placed a third, which might refract that emergent Light, and by that Refraction cast the usual Colours of the Prism upon the opposite Wall, or upon a sheet of white Paper held at a convenient Distance behind the Prism for that refracted Light to fall upon it. After this I turned the Parallelopiped about its Axis, and found that when the contiguous Sides of the two Prisms became so oblique to the incident Rays, that those Rays began all of them to be reflected, those Rays which in the third Prism had suffered the greatest Refraction, and painted the Paper with violet and blue, were first of all by a total Reflexion taken out of the transmitted Light, the rest remaining and on the Paper painting their Colours of green, yellow, orange and red, as before; and