first like maggots and they do as their dammes before them and then die And let this creature end my discourse concerning the things done in this fifth day wherein not able to mention all I have toucht at some and those so excellent as I could have spent more time in their better view were it not that the succeeding day hastens his dawning In the phrase of Moses I will therefore conclude and concluding say The Eve and Morn confine the fifth of dayes And God gives to his work deserved praise CHAP. IX This ninth chapter concerneth the creatures made in the sixth and last day namely creatures living neither in the aire nor water but upon the earth and these be of two sorts the brute beasts and Man This chapter hath two Sections Sect. 1. Wherein is both a division and entrance into this dayes work as also a discourse of the first part of it concerning the brute beasts whose creation was in the first part of the day THe just period of the fifth day being come to an end the sixth approacheth wherein God Almightie shutteth up the creation of every species and after all he resteth from his works watcheth by his providence over each part and parcell of the world which he had made And in this day he first produced the brute beasts living upon the face of the earth then he comes to the creation of man and makes him the Colophon or conclusion of all things else in whose nature he placed the greatest dignitie of any creature that is visible for man is of a middle between the beasts and Angels transcending the one and yet not worthy to equalize the other as afterwards when I come to that particular shall be declared with other things pertinent to his creation And now that the terrestriall beasts and he should be made both in one day is worth observing for had he been to live in the aire he might have seen the sunne with the flying fowls and have been created when they were made or had his habitation been in the waters the fish and he might both at once have been produced But being made neither to swimme with the fishes nor flie with the birds but live upon the earth it was most harmonious that the terrestriall beasts and his creation should in the same day the one succeed the other And that the end might shew the perfection of the work the prioritie of time is given to the beasts but the excellencie and prioritie of all appeares in man who was made Lord of the creatures and in whom God had placed a surpassing condition and by farre a more noble nature For whereas they are led by sense he hath reason whereas they look downwards and groveling from the skie his countenance is erect and his looks are mixt with majestie whereas they are animate without an immortall soul he liveth when he dieth and hath a soul which death it self knows not how to kill and whereas their bodies fall and never rise again his riseth when it is fallen and is like seed sown which sprouteth up when the time is come If this then be both the order and cause of such an order in this dayes work I must leave the most excellent piece untill the last and begin first to look and observe how the beasts in their severall kindes and daintie squadrons march up and down and walk from out the shop of their Creatour being brought to perfection even as soon as that powerfull word who spoke it did onely say it Let them be It would I confesse require no small volume to discourse of all Howbeit even in a few the glory of their Maker will well appeare and with that thought let us name some by which we may admire the rest And first consider what a strong vast creature the mighty Elephant is known to be There is no creature saith one among all the beasts of the world which hath so great and ample demonstration of the power and wisdome of Almighty God as the Elephant both for proportion of body and disposition of spirit and it is admirable to behold the industrie of our ancient forefathers and noble desire to benefit us their posteritie by searching into the qualities of every beast to discover what benefits or harms may come by them to mankinde having never been afraid of the wildest but they tamed them and the greatest but they also set upon them witnesse this beast of which we now speak being like a living mountain in quantitie and outward appearance yet by them so handled as no little dog could be made more serviceable tame or tractable They are usually bred in the hot eastern countreys for by reason they cannot well endure the cold they delight most in the East and South as in India and some places of Africa And before the dayes of Alexander Magnus there were never any in Europe but when he fought against Porus King of India he became master of many and how bravely they fought at the first for their masters and received many wounds Curtius hath related These Indian Elephants are most commonly nine cubits high and five cubits broad and in Africa they be about eleven foot high and of bignesse proportionable to their height Their colour is for the most part mouse-coloured or black and yet there was once one in Ethiopia all white as Mr. Topsell relateth They have a skinne so hard excepting on their belly that it is a very hard matter and in a manner impossible to pierce it with any sword spear or iron It hath on it very few hairs and is very full of chaps or crevises in which there is such a savour as invites the flies to a continuall feast howbeit they pay deerly for their cheer for although the Elephant cannot make use of his tail to drive them away yet by shrinking of himself close together he incloseth the flies within the chaps and so killeth them He hath a long trunked nose mighty teeth foure whereof be within his mouth serving to grinde his meat and two hang forth as afterwards shall be shewed He hath a tail slender and short and legs of an infinite strength his head is very great so that a mans head may as easily be thrust into it as his finger into the mouth of a dog but yet his eares and eyes are not equivalent to the residue of his other parts for his eares are small and their matter like to the wings of a Bat or Dragon and some bred in some places have no eares at all Their eyes likewise are like the eyes of swine but very red Two of their teeth as I said grow farre out of their mouthes one of which they alwayes keep sharp to revenge injuries and defend themselves and the other is lesse sharp being often used to root up plants and trees for their meat and commonly they grow out to the length of ten feet this is that which we
Comets or New strange shining starres Surely if they should suffer their bodies to be thus exhaled they could not choose but fall into a deep consumption and be visibly disproportioned in their shapes and figures farre otherwise then we see them For it is a long time since the world began and no few Comets have had their seats above the Moon where they all cry out against an opinion so improbable shewing that the changes would be such as would be apparant and visible enough to every vulgar eye Besides it cannot but be granted that for ordinary Meteors every starre and Planet hath an exhaling vertue as well as the Sunne why therefore should they now desist and leave it all to him who if he may have this libertie will at the last suck them all to nothing These men may well imagine as they do mountains in the Moon with woods and groves seas and rivers and make every planet another world but yet 'twere good they knew that God made all but one althoûgh the parts be two and that Adam being cast out of Paradise was sent to till the ground and labour the earth which he sought not with the man in the Moon for he knew that that was not to bud forth with fruit bear trees and the like because it had another office For Let the earth saith the Almightie bring forth grasse herb fruit trees c. but let there be lights in the Firmament the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night Also if the Sunne should work thus among the starres and that there should be vapours exhaled from their bodies how comes it to passe that we perceive no clouds in the Ethereall vault and that we cannot see them glide between starre and starre flying upon the wings of such windes as must necessarily upon the admittance of this tenent be generated there Perhaps they will answer that these things may be and we not see them by reason of the great distance between us and them Well be it so yet know that although we could not see them we should sometimes feel them and perceive our mother earth to be watered with showers of rain when we see nothing but a cleare skie over us But it may be they again will answer that the starres do not frequently afford such Vapours and Exhalations but sometimes onely and then if they be not copious enough to make such a cloud as may shine like a Comet or blazing starre they are rather dispersed into nothing then turned into rain for their matter is too hot and drie to make a rainie cloud In good time The starres do not frequently afford such Exhalations and why so I pray surely the sunne is never so farre distant from some one Planet or other but that he would make this his operation appeare if he had at all any such working or power of exhaling matter from them and if not a waterie yet a drie cloud might be visible The starres surely are of such a nature that they be rather fed and nourished by vapours then compelled to suffer an unwilling wasting caused by an exhaling vertue which is improperly given onely to the Sunne because onely to him and from whence these Vapours come which upon all likelihood do continually nourish the starres shall be shewed in the fourth dayes work Neither do some exempt the Sunne from these evaporations but affirm that day and night he also expireth vapours from him which others again denie because they imagine that this publick lamp of the world ought to be more immortall lest being extinct he should be quite without light and afford the world nothing but black and dismall darknesse That therefore which before I affirmed joyning in part with Tycho who fetcheth matter from the Galaxia seems to me farre more probable concerning the generation of these appearances For first the Galaxia doth sensibly appeare as if it were an ample storehouse and had large portions of matter reserved onely for such purposes which when there is a working in nature apt and convenient to produce it is liberally afforded and sent thither where the most power is to attract it And secondly that an earthie Exhalation may sometimes be admitted to joyn with the abovesaid matter this seems to me a reason because like other low and ordinary Meteors these also shew themselves or first begin to shine in the Autumnall season and not in the Spring Summer or Winter Quarter Article 3. Of Thunder and Lightnings NOw it followeth that I speak of such fierie mixt Meteors as are of lesse continuance then Comets or blazing starres and by their generall names they are called Thunder and Lightnings Concerning the first which is Thunder it is not properly any kinde of Meteor but rather an adjunct or depending effect For Thunder is nothing else but a sound heard out of a thick or close compacted cloud which sound is procured by reason of hot and drie Exhalations shut within the cloud which seeking to get out with great violence do knock and rend the cloud from whence proceeds that rumbling noise which we call thunder For when an Exhalation which is more hot then ordinary meets with cold and moist vapours in the middle Region of the aire and are inclosed all together in an hollow cloud it cannot but be that they fall at variance and by this strife being driven together the Exhalation is made stronger and either by the motion or by an Antiperistasis it is set on fire which violently breaking the clouds whilest it seeks for libertie gives an horrid sound A similitude may be taken from a chest-nut apple or egge breaking in the fire or from the cracking of moist wood or any such like thing for this is apparent that when any inclosed hot winde is holden and withholden so as it can have no vent it will then seek it self a way by breaking the skin shell or case and in the breaking seeing it is with violence it must of necessitie make a noise And thus it is in thunder But observe that in thunder the noise made is not alwayes of a like sound for in respect of the hollownesse thicknesse or thinnesse of the cloud and small or great force of the Exhalation the sound is altered A great crack is caused when the cloud is very hollow his sides thick and the Exhalation very drie and copious which if it break the cloud all at once then it maketh a short and terrible crack much like the sound of a gunne If it rend the cloud all along breaking out by leisure then it makes a noise like to the rending of broad cloth or the ratling of stones out of a cart A small crack is caused when either the cloud or Exhalation is but weak or the cloud strong and the Exhalation of some little quantitie And in small thunders it sometimes falleth out that when the sides of the cloud are stronger then the force of
given to that estate CHAP. I. Wherein is shewed that the world neither was from eternitie nor yet shall be extended to eternitie but that it had both a beginning and shall also have an ending wherein also is considerable how that ending shall be as also the time when is largely examined Sect. 1. That the world began and must also end THe Philosophers of ancient times were diversly transported in the stream of their own opinions both concerning the worlds originall and continuance some determining that it once began others imagining that it was without beginning and that the circled orbs should spin out a thread as long as is eternitie before it found an ending Plato could say that it was Dei Patris ad genus humanum epistola an epistle of God the Father unto mankinde and that God was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Creatour Maker and Father of the whole universe But Aristotle sticked not to affirm that the world neither began nor yet shall end Yet this his opinion himself being witnesse was nothing else but a Paradox and as without wrong to him may be affirmed he maintained it rather by way of contradicting others then for any desire of truth calling it Problema topicum as in the first book of his Topicks chap. 9. is manifest and as in that book written in his old age to king Alexander the Great he also confesseth This therefore made one say that it was not so much a logicall question as a thesis or position which Aristotle held and maintained whose reasons some have called vain sophistications to obscure the truth having more with then matter in them and may again be answered by more solid arguments then he alledgeth For that the world had both a beginning and must also have an ending even reason it self although there were no Scripture for it is sufficient As first if the world were eternall then there would be some memorie given us of the generations of men more ancient then that which Moses mentioneth but there is none given us for all other histories are but late in respect of the sacred storie which is an evident argument not onely against the eternitie of the world but also against the fables of the Egyptians Scythians and Grecians concerning their ancientnesse and the ancientnesse of their acts and deeds of fame For indeed omitting their palpable fictions when Ethnick writers tell us of any ancient thing it is either concerning the Thebane or Trojane warre of Cecrops of Inachus of Ogyges Deucalion or Ianus of Ninus or his father Belus or of the warre of the giants striving to heap mountain upon mountain that they might pull the gods out of heaven Now all these were either about the dayes of the Judges Moses Abraham or Noah at the furthest For to whom did they allude by their Ianus with two faces but to Noah who saw the times both before and after the floud Or whom did they point at by their Gigantomachia when Pelion forsooth must be set upon Ossa's back and all thrown down with a thunder-crack whom I say did they point at but Nimrod and his company or those who built the tower of Babel and had their languages confounded for it That of the Poet is therefore pertinent Si nulla fuit genitalis origo Terrarum coeli sempérque aeterna fuâ—…re Cur supra bellum Thebanum funera Trojae Non alias alii quoque res cecinêre Poetae Quò tot facta virûm toties cecidêre nec usquam Aeternis famae monimentis insita florent If that the heavens and earth did not begin Had no creation but remain'd from aye Why did not other Poets something sing Before the Thebane warre or fall of Troy What are become of great mens many deeds They could not die But would remain unto posteritie Secondly thus it may be also proved All things which are to us conspicuous consisting of matter and form are of themselves frail and fading having such a nature that they either are or may be subject to corruption but such is the world and therefore as in respect of its essence it is finite so likewise in respect of time it cannot be infinite but have both a beginning and an ending For first that is properly eternall which is altogether incommunicable or which is without beginning mutation succession and end and such onely is God and not the world Secondly it cannot be denied but that there is the same reason of the whole which is of the parts so that if the parts of the world be subject to corruption then must likewise the whole world also but the parts are as we daily see and therefore the whole But leaving reason we have a rule beyond it which is the rule of faith whos 's first assertion makes it plain that the world began and that Time by which we measure dayes weeks moneths and yeares hath not been for ever For In the beginning saith Moses God created the heavens and the earth and why is it said In the beginning he created but that it might be known especially to his Church that the world 〈◊〉 from everlasting Divinely therefore did Du Bartas sing as in the sound of Silvester we have it Cleare fire for ever hath not ayre embrac't Nor ayre for aye environ'd waters vast Nor waters alwayes wrapt the earth therein But all this ALL did once of nought begin Th' immutable divine decree which shall Cause the worlds end caus'd his originall Which whosoever shall deny he doth but betray his misery either because he wants Gods holy word to be his rule or else because he disdaineth to be ruled by it How great a priviledge then is that which even the poorest Christian hath above the greatest and most wise Philosopher And as for the scoffing Atheist whose peevish and perverse opinion leads him up and down in an affected cloud of ignorance disdaining to have faith because he scoffeth at the rule of faith it is no more then thus with him he kicks against the pricks and cannot therefore escape away unhurt For Sequitur injustas ultor à tergo Deus God as a revenger follows at the heels of a sinner Which many thousands now can witnesse well Whose faults with woe recanted are in hell Sect. 2. BUt concerning the worlds ending here fitly may arise this question viz. Whether it shall be destroyed according to the substance or according to the qualities 1. If it be destroyed according to the substance then it must be so destroyed as that nothing of it be remaining 2. If it be destroyed according to the qualities then it shall onely be purged the substance still abiding Now of both these opinions there can be but one truth which I verily think to be in the latter of them For although it be said in S. Peter that the heavens shall passe away with a noise the elements shall melt away with heat c.
and all the hosts of them spiritu oris by the spirit of his mouth Psal. 33. 6. All which considered and found to be done in the beginning must needs be then when there was no pre-existent matter to work upon For as it is witnessed the Hebrew word Reshith which is englished the beginning doth not signifie any substance neither doth the other word Bara to create signifie any way to create but of nothing and thereby it is distinguished from the word Iatzar to form and Gnasha to make And therefore though now we behold a glorious something wherein appeares in every part more then much matter of wonder yet at the first saith noble Bartas Nothing but nothing had the Lord Almightie Whereof wherewith whereby to build this citie That Axiome therefore in philosophie Ex nihilo nihil fit must needs stand aloof off when we speak of creation For although it be true that according to the course of nature and ordinary custome of things nothing can be made unlesse out of some former matter yet when we descend ad inquirendam primarum rerum conditionem to enquire after the first condition of the first things then we shall finde that God is above nature because he is the Lord of nature And he whose sufficiencie and efficiencie is altogether absolute must needs be able supernaturali quadam ratione by a certain supernaturall means to produce all things out of nothing Of which nothing that I may say something my best and onely way is to look at Moses and as neare as I can explain his meaning In the beginning saith he God created the heavens and the earth In which words he laboureth not so much to deliver a generall proposition of the works of creation or of the two distinct parts of the world or of the matter of heaven and earth as if the one word did insinuate all the superiour parts of the world the other all the inferiour parts beside or as if taking both together he meant by them joyntly totius mundi semen the seed of the whole world mentioning it under these two words of Heaven and Earth as a Chaos This he meaneth not because that which concerns the Chaos is mentioned afterwards in the second verse And what were it but a plain tautologie to say that in the beginning God created a Chaos and that Chaos was a Chaos Wherefore in those first words he intendeth nothing more then to shew that the world which now is called according to its parts Heaven and Earth was not from everlasting but took beginning and so without controversie the right reading of his words doth also witnesse For in their originall as it is witnessed by expositours thus they sound In the beginning God created these heavens and this earth as if it should be said These very heavens and this very earth which now we see in being were not alwayes but began Then afterwards he proceedeth to shew how and in what time God created them speaking first how all was like a disordered and deformed Chaos the earth and the heavens not distinguished but lying as it were in a confused heap all together And this is manifest For on the second day when the heavens were made it seemeth that their matter was from amongst that masse or unfashioned lump which was said to be void and without form and not able to be kept together had not the Spirit of God cherished it for the Spirit of God moving upon the waters did as it were sit upon it and nourish it as a fowl doth her eggs with heat and life yea their matter I say was from among the waters which by the power of Gods word were extended and stretched like a canopie round about the earth as now we see them In which regard S. Austines words are also pertinent saying concerning this All of which we now speak Materies adhuc erat corporearum rerum informis sine ordine sine luce It was yet an informed matter of corporall things without order without light Or as that Nightingale of France hath sung it This was not then the world 't was but the matter The nurserie whence it should issue after Or rather th' Embryon that within a week Was to be born for that huge lump was like The shapelesse burden in the mothers wombe Which doth in time into good fashion come Thus and in this manner I cannot but think of these things not doubting that Moses in his description of the sensible world meaneth otherwise but sheweth that that heaven and earth which now we see were in the beginning or first degree of being an earth or as an earth or one lump without form and void a darkened depth and waters a matter of no matter and a form without form as one speaketh a rude and indigested Chaos or confusion of matters rather to be beleeved then comprehended of us And this saith he is the second naturall beginning For after the expressing of the matter followeth that which Philosophers call a second naturall principle Privation the want of that form of which this matter was capable which is accidentally a naturall principle required in regard of generation not of constitution here described by that part next us earth which was without form as is said and void This was the internall constitution The externall was darknesse upon the face of the deep Which deep compriseth both the earth before mentioned and the visible heavens also called a depth as to our capacitie infinite and pliant to the Almighty hand of the Creatour called also waters not because it was perfect waters which was yet confused but because of a certain resemblance not onely in the uniformitie thereof but also of that want of stabilitie whereby it could not abide together but as the Spirit of God moved upon these waters to sustain them c. Here therefore is the third beginning or principle in nature that form which the said Spirit by that action framed it unto The Hebrews call the whole masse as it is comprehended under the names of Heaven and Earth Tohu Vabohu Tohu without order bohu without varietie But it was not long that it continued in this imperfect state for in one week it was as I may say both begotten and born and brought from a confused Chaos to a well ordered and variously adorned Universe Or as one saith Materiam Deus ipse creat comitque creatam Whose meaning may be taken thus The matter first God out of nothing drew And then addes beautie to that matter new Which was not because he was unable to make all the world perfect in an instant but because he would not Whereupon an holy Father said Voluntas Dei est causa coeli terrae ideo major est voluntas Dei quà m coelum terra The will of God is the cause of heaven and earth and therefore it is greater then either of them God therefore doth not disable his
them who say that an effect may be called naturall two manner of wayes first in regard of the causes themselves secondly in regard of the direction and application of the causes If we consider the meer secondary and instrumentall causes we may call this effect naturall because it was partly performed by their help and concurrence but if we consider the mutuall application and conjunction of these second causes together with the first cause which extraordinarily set them on work we must needs acknowledge it to be supernaturall Now then although we have built upon reason and so found that before fourtie dayes fully ended the middle Region it self was drowned whereupon it could not rain from thence yet in so doing we do not argue amisse for it is no whit derogating from the power of the Almighty to ascend up higher till we finde the cause of this long rain and also the place from whence it came seeing that when we have so done we shall plainly finde that in regard of the direction and application of the cause it was extraordinarily set on work by a divine dispensation and so the effect was supernaturall I may therefore now proceed and that I may make the matter yet a little plainer concerning these cataracts or windows of heaven and so by consequence of the waters also above the heavens this in the next place may be added namely that Moses setteth down two causes by which there grew so great an augmentation of water as would drown the world the one was the fountain of the great deep the other was the opening of the windows of heaven Now if these windows were the clouds then it seemeth that the waters were increased but by one cause for the clouds in the aire come from the waters in the sea which by descending make no greater augmentation then the decresion was in their ascending And although it may be thought that there are waters enough within the bowels of the earth to overflow the whole earth which is demonstrated by comparing the earths diameter with the height of the highest mountains yet seeing the rain-water is made a companion with the great deep in the augmentation of the drowning waters I see no reason why that should be urged against it especially seeing it is found that the earth emptied not all the water within her bowels but onely some For thus stand the words The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped and the rain from heaven was restrained their store therefore was not spent when they had sufficiently drowned the world but their fury rather was restrained when they had executed Gods purpose by climbing high enough above the hills Cardinall Cajetane was conceited that there was a mount in Paradise which was not overflown and there forsooth he placeth Henoch The like dream also they have amongst them concerning Elias And as their champion and Goliah Bellarmine is perswaded all those mountains onely were overflown where the wicked dwelt Iosephus also reporteth out of Nicholas Damascenus that the hill Baris in Armenia saved many who fled thither for succour But these are dreams and devices which are soon overthrown by Moses in his foresaid evident text where the words are so generall that they include all and every mountain under not onely the Aiery heaven as Cajetane collecteth but under the whole Heaven without exception And now after all what hindereth that there should not be waters above the concave of the Firmament and that the opening of the windows of heaven should not be more then the loosing of the clouds For it is affirmed and not without reason you see that the rain or a great part of it which fell in the universall Floud came from an higher place then the middle Region of the aire and that the upper waters are to be above the Firmament and not the parts of it is an assertion well agreeing to Moses his description of this second dayes work For as hath been shewed concerning the fowls and stars it is true that they are but in the Firmament and not above it neither is there any more Firmament then one seeing Moses mentions not a second The fowls indeed fly above the earth as the text it self speaketh in Gen. 1. 20. but not above the Firmament their course being as Iunius reads the place versus superficiem expansi coeli or ante expansum or coram expanso coeli but never supra expansum And as for the starres the text likewise saith ver 15. Let them be for lights in the out-spread firmament mentioning never more then one and the same Firmament But for the waters it is otherwise The Firmament is appointed to separate them as being between and not above them Esto expansum inter aquas it is learned Iunius his right version of the place ut sit distinguens inter aquas Fecit ergò Deus expansum quod distinguit inter aquas quae sunt sub expanso inter aquas quae sunt supra expansum That is Let there be a firmament between the waters c. Between the waters as having waters above it And how unlike it is that the upper waters should be placed otherwise let the former reasons witnesse For all things considered we need not stand so much upon Pareus his reading Super quasi in expanso and desuper expanso as if they were but above or on high within the concave as are the fowls and starres this I say we need not stand upon seeing Iunius readeth Supra expansum without any such nice salving although he thinketh with Pareus that these upper waters are no higher then the middle Region of the aire And also admit that some derive the word Schamajim or Shamajim which signifieth Heavens from Sham There or in that place and from Majim Waters concluding thereupon that these waters which we now speak of must be There viz. in the heavens and not above them although some I say make this derivation yet others derive the same word otherwise And no few be there who not without reason do suppose that it is no derivative nor compound word at all but rather that the Ismaelitish word Schama which signifieth nothing else but High or Above doth proceed from this word Schamajim which in English we reade Heavens In which regard the Etymologie helpeth nothing to prove the adverse part And yet as I said before let the reader take his choice For perhaps he may now think after all that if there be waters above the starry heaven and that part of those waters descended in the time of the Floud that then the Heavens would have been corrupted and dissolved as some have said the rain falling through them from the convexitie of the out-spread Firmament Sect. 3. An objection answered concerning the nature of the Heavens examining whether they be of a Quint-essence BUt concerning this it may be said that it is not known whether the heavens be of
such a nature as that the rain falling through them should dissolve or corrupt them Those indeed who follow Aristotle make them of a Quint-essence altogether differing from things compounded of the Elements But for mine own part more easily should I be perswaded to think that there is no such fifth essence in them but rather that they are of a like nature with the Elements or not much differing For first although Aristotle deny any change or alteration to have been observed or seen in the heavens since the beginning of the world yet he was deceived For Hipparchus who had better skill in Astronomie then ever Aristotle had he as Plinie witnesseth telleth us out of his own diligent and frequent observations that the heavens have had changes in them for there was in his dayes a new starre like unto that which was once in Cassiopea And that which is beyond the authoritie of the greatest philosopher doth also witnesse as much I mean the sacred voice of the everlasting Spirit affirming that the two parts of this universe the heavens as well as the earth do both of them wax old even as doth a garment which is as if it should be said that by little and little they are changed tending so long to corruption till at last shall come the time of their dissolution What great difference then can there be between the heavens and things here below seeing in their own natures both of them do tend to corruption and are subject to mutation Besides as it is with Man who is the little world so certainly it is with Macrocosme who is the greater world but man changeth and declineth daily not being now as heretofore he hath been and so also as a good consequence it must follow that the greater world doth also suffer change and by declining alteration That man declineth saith one is a thing most manifest For men are of lower stature lesser bones and strength and of shorter lives then their forefathers were Now from whence cometh this but from the declining estate of the greater world The earth we see which is the lower part of it is not so fruitfull as before but beginneth to be barren like the wombe of Sarah neither do the fruits which she bringeth forth yeeld so much nutriment as heretofore they have done And how cometh that to passe but because the heaven also fainteth For the Planets wax old and cannot afford so great vertue and influence to these lower bodies as in times past they did which Plinie and Aulus Gellius testifie And indeed this must needs be a manifest proof seeing lesse and weaker bodies are conceived every Age in the wombe of nature that nature therefore waxeth old and weary of conceiving Also saith he if a man do but behold the face of heaven the Moon looketh pale and wan Mars lesse rubicund Sol lesse orient Iupiter not of so amiable and favourable countenance Venus more hypocriticall and all the rest both of the wandring and fixed starres more weak and suspicious then they did before That mighty Giant which was wont to runne his unwearied course now waxeth wearie as if he would stand still in heaven as he did in the dayes of Joshua for he shineth more dimmely and appeareth more seldome then before being much nearer to the earth then of ancient times For if we may give credit to the calculations of the chief masters in Astronomie the Sunne quoth Copernicus and after him also Stofler is nearer to the earth then it was in the dayes of Ptolomie by the space of twenty six thousand six hundred and sixtie miles or as Philip Melanchthon saith nine thousand nine hundred seventie and six miles to whom saith Diâ—…tericus assenteth that famous mathematician of our age David Origanus in his Prognostication for the yeare of our Lord 1604. All these are proofs and although we do not greatly contend concerning this last allegation of the sunnes approach so neare us yet neverthelesse the assertion in generall is true enough that the heavens as well as the earth as they grow older and older do suffer change and in that regard their natures cannot but be much alike Unto which adde this namely that these visible heavens of which we now speak were taken from that masse or lump which lay here below and that the whole lump was created at once in which regard it cannot be denied that they differ toto genere or altogether but that they are of a much like nature with inferiour bodies or things here below And as for Aristotle he never would so earnestly have defended the contrary had he not known that it was an excellent means to colour that which he also held concerning the worlds eternitie But besides all this the observations of our best and modern Astronomers make much against him for they have modestly and manifestly proved that not onely new starres but comets also have been farre above the moon As for example that strange starre which once was at the back of Cassiopea's chair was of an extraordinarie height above it for it shined without any difference of Aspect Parallax or diversitie of sight even untill all the matter whereof it consisted was consumed having alwayes as the observers thereof do witnesse one and the same station to every of the starres both in all climates and also in all parts of the heaven no diversitie of sight at all observed all which in the lowermost Planets is otherwise and perceived most of all in the moon because the Semidiameter of the earth according to which quantitie we dwell from the centre hath a sensible bignesse unto the distance of the moons sphere from us Had therefore that New starre Comet or what you please to call it been lower then the moon and not in the starrie heaven then like the inferiour Planets it would have suffered a Parallax or diversitie of sight and never have kept such a regular motion as it did contending not to be overcome of the starrie heaven in its motion but to keep as it were an equall pace with it thereby shewing that it was even in the Ethereall heaven it self For this is a rule that by how much a starre is higher then the earth by so much it imitateth the highest heavens in their daily motion Neither was it this starre alone but others also after it even Comets themselves whose places were found to be above the moon for observing more diligently and exactly then in former times the observers could easily demonstrate this truth also thinking thereupon that many of those Comets which have been seen in former ages were burnt out even in the starrie heaven it self and not so many of them below the moon as generally without serious observation have been supposed Longomontanus proveth this both in that last Comet which was seen in the yeare 1618 and also in other Comets before it And now what of all this Nothing but onely thus viz. If
poyson of the Exhalation whereof the Comet consisted unto some such place as lieth obvious unto it and the like Yea and upon the raising of windes come often showers and rains or else overflowings of banks upon high tides and other loftie waters which are forced over upon the violence of the windes Astrologers say that Comets do most hurt either unto those places to which they are verticall or unto those countreys which are subject to the signe wherein they are for they maintain that such and such countreys are subject to such and such signes but omitting part of that they also tell us which stands with good reason that in earthie drie signes they produce barrennesse by reason of drought in waterish signes barrennesse also by reason of too much wet in aierie signes extraordinary winde in signes of a fierie triplicitie extraordinary heat warres fires drought and the like and in all of these seeing their operation is extraordinary some one perilous and infectious sicknesse or other Besides they also tell us that if a Comet be in fashion like unto a sword it then signifieth warres and destruction of cities c. If it be stella crinita or blazing round about and of divers colours then it signifieth winde seditions heresies and the like but if it be blackish with a short tail and no hairs then it is a signe of barrennesse together with long and continued warres But know now that although these and the like accidents be produced by Comets yet if Comets should not be the case would be farre worse for mankinde and more readily would eager death seize upon him For if that which is the matter of Comets were not taken into one place and drawn so as it is up into the aire it would kill us by being dispersed about our dwellings such being the nature of their poisonous Fumes as they by experience know who have seen the danger of damps whilest they played the part of Pioners under ground Wherefore let me adde that the end for which Comets are is threefold for either they appeare for a Politicall end for a Theologicall end or for a Naturall end In respect of a Politicall end they are so to be taken for the Heralds of future calamities that men being forewarned may be forearmed and provided either to shun the threatned disaster or else to endure with patience the common and inevitable misery In respect of a Theologicall end they are either a signe of calamities or else the efficient cause of calamities If they be a signe then their end is this viz. that they may be monitours instigatours and admonishers to repentance and to desire and expect either the turning away or mitigation of those publick punishments But if they be the efficient causes of miserie then their Theologicall end is that they are sent as the instruments of punishing some such enormous malice and contumacie of mankinde as would not be kept under or restrained by any humane law or discipline And lastly in respect of a Naturall end it is that those pestiferous windes spirits or breathings which are gathered from metallique liquours and the like in the earth should be taken up farre into the aire from the common seat of men that thereby we may partake the lesse of their malice for being burnt out and consumed there they can lesse hurt us then if they were below If they should remain in the earth they then as they often do would rend and shake it or should they remain below in the neare neighbouring aire they would poison us sooner then above because if the aire be infected when they are on high and a great way from us much more would it be infected should they be below and round about us But of Comets I have said enough And now methinks I am led from them to a consideration of such appearances as are called New starres such as were in the yeares 1572 1596 1600 1602 1604 and 1612. Artic. 2. Of New starres and especially of that which was in the Constellation of Cassiopea Anno Dom. 1572. NOw here I must confesse that I know not what to write for how they are generated or what they signifie is a matter of most intricate question Noble Tycho that Phenix of Astronomie and after him Longomontanus with certain others have been perswaded that they were more then Comets and generated farre otherwise or of other matter then fierie Meteors are being first set a work so to think by the sight of that strange and admirable New starre which was seen in the constellation of Cassiopea seen from the ninth of November in the yeare 1572 untill the last of March in the yeare 1574. Which starre was indeed truely admirable and as I may say attended with a sad event I mean that cunningly plotted Massacre of Protestants in France at the solemnization of a marriage between Henry of Navarre chief of the Protestants partie and lady Margaret sister to the French King Charles the ninth then reigning and chief authour of the foresaid Massacre at which wedding there was not so much wine drunk as bloud shed thirtie thousand Protestants and upwards of the best and most potent being sent through this Red sea to the land of Canaan Or if this New starre were not attended with that particular accident because the Massacre was in August and the starre appeared not untill two moneths after yet we may hope that rising after such a butcherie and so soon after it as it did that therefore it came to animate distressed Christians shining at the first with a cheerfull countenance but at the last turning into a martiall and bloudie hue as if in so doing he which sent it would have the world take notice that his righteous servants should see truths enemies be they where or whom they will confounded at last by martiall discipline and that those who had made havock of others should be troden down at last themselves although for a time they fairly bore it out But by what instruments the execution of these projects should be performed we cannot tell Yet this I verily think may be said that those late blessed and admired proceedings of the prosperous and successefull GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS King of Sweden whose manifold and sudden conquests made him a spectacle to the astonished world that those I say do point us to him above all men as being the man appointed to shew the first effects of that strange starre and that it was to have an operation farre surpassing the saddest consequents of former threatning Comets To which purpose I finde that learned Tycho hath added a kinde of propheticall conclusion to that book of his which he wrote concerning this New starre wherein he declareth according to his modest and harmlesse rules of art proceeding in them not like a doting heathenish starre-gazer that the effects were to be declared by succeeding events which as they shall not begin
it be grosse the beams piercing it can spread or dilate it but a little way If it be thin they then are able to dilate it further And as for their significations they sometimes signifie rain sometimes winde sometimes fair cleare and calm weather sometimes frost sometimes tempest and sometimes snow 1. Rain if the circle wax altogether thicker and darker 2. Winde when the circle breaketh on the one side The reason whereof is because the circle is broken by the winde which is above and not yet come down to us here below But by this effect above we may gather both that it will come and also from what quarter namely from that quarter where the circle breaketh first 3. But if it vanish away and be dissolved altogether or in all parts alike then it is a token of fair weather 4. Or of frost in winter when it is great about the Moon 5. Of snow when at the same time of the yeare it seemeth to be craggie and rockie 6. Or of tempestuous weather when it looketh ruddie and is grosse and broken in many parts And thus much concerning Circles Artic. 6. Of the Rain-bow THe Rain-bow is to be spoken of next And this is nothing else but the apparition of certain colours in an hollow watery distilling or dropping cloud directly opposite to the Sunne representing in its fashion half a circle Or thus It is a bow of many colours appearing in a dewie dark droppie and hollow cloud by reflection of the Sunne-beams opposite to it For this is certain that lightsome or luminous bodies do cause images colours or appearances upon slender clean and thin objects Now of all bodies the Sunne is most lightsome but the aire and water are clean thin and slender Here then it appeareth that the Efficient cause of the Rain-bow is the light or beams of the Sunne which falling into fit apt or convenient matter opposite to them are refracted and reflected to our sight The Materiall cause is not water in act nor yet thick aire but a dewie vapour which is not continuus sed potiùs corpusculis guttularum discretus not absolutely of one bodie but rather severed into many bodies or little drops The Form of it is to be gathered out of the Figure and Colours And for the Figure we see it is circular But yet it never representeth to us any more then a Semicircle and not alwayes so great an arch The reason of which is because the centre or middle point of the Rain-bow which is diametrally opposite to the centre of the Sunne is alwayes either in the Horizon or under it So that seeing our sight of the heavens is cut off by the earth in such a manner as that we can never see above half of them it must needs be that the appearance of this circle be either more or lesse to us according to the Sunnes great or little distance from the Horizon And as for the colours they are commonly accounted three viz. Ruddie Green and Azure To which some adde a fourth The first is in the thickest and darkest part of the cloud For where a bright shining falleth upon a darkish place there it representeth a ruddie colour being somewhat like a Flame The second is caused by a more weak infâ—…action being in a remoter and more waterie part of the cloud whereupon it looketh greenish The third which is further into the cloud proceeds from the weakest infraction and is therefore of a more dark and obscure colour tending to a blew or an azure hue And sometimes a fourth colour is also perceived being very like a yellow or orenge-tawnie proceeding from a commixture of the red and green according to Aristotles judgement of which the learned may see Iul. Scaliger exerâ—… 80. sect 4. Now these colours in some rain-bows are more vehement or apparent in others more remisse or obscure which is according to the aptnesse of the cloud c. And in rain-bows caused by the moon for sometimes though seldome they have been seen in the night the colours are weaker whiter and lesse conspicuous being in a manner as white as milk which is because the moon having a borrowed light is nothing so strong in the projecting her raies but farre more feeble then the sunne But come to the finall cause and you will finde it twofold partly Naturall partly Supernaturall As it is Naturall we take it either as a signe of rain because it cannot appeare but in a waterie cloud which is so prepared that it is ready to fall in very drops or as a signe of fair weather namely then when the beams of the sunne are strong and the heat of it so great that the moisture of the cloud is dried up and the drops attenuated into thin aire All which may be discerned after this manner viz. when the colours grow either darker and darker or clearer and clearer For if the colours appeare dark thick or obscure by little and little till at the last they bury themselves in a black cloud then rain followeth But if the colours by degrees grow clearer and clearer till at the last they vanish away then we may expect fair and bright weather And this as it is a naturall signe But now as it is Supernaturall and then we behold it as a signe or symbole of Gods mercie towards the world betokening that it shall never be destroyed again through any Deluge or universall Floud For it shall be a signe of the covenant saith God between me and the earth viz. that there shall be no more a Floud of waters to destroy the earth Gen. 9. From both which significations or ends it may well be called Iris for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek is as much as dico in the Latine signifying I say I publish I tell or I declare Iris therefore comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dico First because this bow publisheth or telleth to us the constitution of the aire Secondly because it declareth the covenant of God made with the world after the Floud shewing that his wrath is so farre forth appeased that he will never drown the world again which appeareth even in the order observed in placing the bow for we see it with the bended ends downwards and as one that holdeth a bow in peace insomuch that had it a shaft in it the earth should not be shot neither ought man to fear that the Lord will shoot any more such arrows of displeasure as before Some have thought that there was no rain-bow before the Floud but that it appeared since because God saith When I make the heaven thick with clouds I will put my bow in the clouds Gen. 9. To which it may be answered that God saith not that he will of new create a bow but that he will then put it into the clouds so as it never was before namely to be a signe c. So that although it were
not as a signe of any covenant before the Floud yet without doubt it was as a Meteor then as well as now and therefore was otherwise we might deny both bread and wine and water to be before the institution of the Sacraments for it is the same reason Wherefore as there was water before ever it was used for the water of regeneration in the Sacrament of Baptisme and as there was bread and wine before ever they were used as signes at the holy Communion so also the rain-bow was before ever it had that office to be a signe of Gods covenant between him and mankinde just as at this day it appeareth even to such as are not of the Church very Heathens and Pagans beholding it as well as we Besides there were from the beginning the same causes in nature to produce it for there wanted neither a sunne to draw vapours from waterie places nor yet a convenient place in the aire to thicken them into clouds neither was the sunne destitute of sparkling raies to make reflexion and infraction but as it is caused now so also then and to think otherwise were to think amisse Some again have been perswaded that this bow was before but was not in a cloud before And thus thought certain amongst the Hebrews But this is a reasonlesse assertion and against all Philosophie and not at all approved by Divinitie For how could that appeare in a cleare aire which can have no existence or being but in a dewing or distilling cloud Verily of both absurdities the former was the better namely that it was not at all and yet that also wanted grounds to uphold it as hath been shewed and is yet further manifest For seeing the Lord God in six dayes finished the creation and set the perfect order of all his creatures it followeth that the rain-bow had then his place either in being or in power And thus from two absurdities I bring you to a third For further more it hath been the opinion of some idle doting brains to think that there shall be no rain nor rain-bow 40 yeares before the end or destruction of the world by fire because the very aire say they must be prepared a long time before by a continuall drinesse and each thing made fit for combustion Which surely is a brain-sick fancie For what do they in this but shew their extream follie derogating not onely from reason but also from the power of God For is not God able to destroy the work of his own hands without such a supposed preparation and make the world combustible in an instant if need be Or should there be no rain and consequently no bow because it appeareth in a waterie cloud then how should the fruits of the earth be preserved Great famine and miserie must needs follow in the world if this be true For when the clouds drop no fatnesse then the ground pines away through barrennesse and when the heavens are iron then the earth is brasse whereas it is manifest that at the coming of Christ there shall be pleasant and fruitfull times times full of mirth wherein they shall eat and drink marrie and be given in marriage even as it was in the dayes of Noah Who therefore will think that these men are in their right mindes whilest they affirm that no rain shall fall by the space of 40 yeares before the world endeth The Jews as soon as they behold this bow not daring to gaze upon it do presently go forth and confesse their sinnes acknowledging that they are worthy to be destroyed with a Floud as the old world was and in being spared they celebrate the mercie and â—…lemencie of God for sparing them But saith Pareus although they mingle this religion with much superstition because they dream that the name of Iehovah is as it were engraven on the bow and because they turn their eyes away as from the majestie of God appearing there not daring to look upon it lest as may be said beholding the face of God they die Yet it is meet even for us upon the sight of it to be so farre forth touched with a reverence towards God that we passe not away the symbole of the covenant with a brutish dulnesse lest thereupon we grow unmindefull of Gods severitie and goodnesse There is also another thing observable concerning this bow which I may not forget namely this The mysterie which according to some mens fancies is involved in the colours For in a mysterie they would have it betoken both the baptisme of Christ by water and fire and also the two judgements of the world the one alreadie past the other yet to come that which is past appeareth in the watery colours shewing that the world hath been drowned that which is yet to come appeareth in the fiery colours shewing that the world shall be destroyed by fire or burnt up at the day of judgement But saith one these and the like applications are wittie and prettie rather then wise and pithie I leave them therefore and proceed Artic. 7. Of chaps or gapings in the skie THe Philosophers call this Meteor Chasma 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est hio vel dehisco to gape or open and in Latine it is Hiatus a word of the same signification There are two kindes of these gapings or openings the one wide the other round And although I reckon these amongst such fiery Meteors as are fiery onely in appearance yet it may be that they sometimes burn and sometimes onely seem to burn They seem to burn when the Exhalation by reason oâ—… the want of viscuous matter is not enflamed but enlightened rather on the outward parts having much raritie or thinnesse in them at which time the middle part receiving no light in regard that it is black and thick there appeareth as it were a gulf in the skie The reason whereof is because the black is compassed about with white which white presenting it self sooner to the sight then the black makes the black seem to be farre off and the white neare hand and the black being farre off seems like a gaping deep which as hath been said is sometimes greater sometimes lesse according to the fashion or quantitie of the Exhalation or cloud represented by it And after this manner do cunning painters deceive the eye in shadowing their pictures For when a bright cleare and aiery colour is laid circularly and a thick dark and obscure colour in the middle of it then the appearance is like some gulf hole deep or pit which they fashion diversly according to their skill in fancying the laying of their colours All this is when it burneth not But note that sometimes this Meteor burneth in very deed Which is when the Exhalation hath much viscositie or clammie matter in it the thick and dark not burning but remaining in the middest and the thinner-parts on fire deceiving the sight with a seeming gaping as
before when there was onely light in those thinne parts in stead of fire And thus have I shewed you the naturall cause of all fiery Meteors Sect. 2. Parag. 6. Of watery Meteors and their severall kindes NOw it followeth that I speak something of watery Meteors and shew after what manner they are generated They be called watery because they consist most of water their substance being that kinde of Exhalation which we call Vapor and not Fumus And that which in the first place offereth it self is Nubes a Cloud Artic. I. Of Clouds I Begin therefore with clouds And a cloud is a vapour or Exhalation cold and moist drawn from the earth out of wet or watery places by heat of the Sunne into the middle Region of the aire where by cold it is so thickened and knit together that it hangeth untill either the own weight or some resolution causeth it to fall If it be a great cloud it is Nubes if it be but a little one it is called Nubecula The name comes ab obnubendo id est operiendo coelum from hiding or covering the heavens because a cloud through the thicknesse that the vapour is condensed into hindereth that a lesse portion of the heavens is conspicuous then otherwise would be It is also two-fold either fertill or barren A fertill or fruitfull cloud affordeth rain but a barren cloud doth not because it is at length by the blasts of winde and vertue of the heavenly bodies turned into thin aire And to either of these clouds belong motion colour Their motion is caused by the winde most commonly through whose force they are driven to and fro But if the windes blow not then they are drawn along by the Sun and made a companion with him in his travels alwayes moving that way which the Sunne goeth Concerning their colours I spake before in Paragraph 5. Article 2. And therefore here you may expect the lesse yet let me say that they are either simple or mixt Black or white are simple because they consist of no other colours But red green and the rest are mixt They appeare white when the vapour is thin for then it is easily pierced by the light which disperseth it self into it But when they appeare of a black colour then the vapour is thick and more closely condensed insomuch that the beams of light cannot be admitted As for their rednesse it may be caused two wayes according to Goclenius either through the adustion of the aire magno aestu incensum as he saith Or propter retusum radium Solis by reason of the beams of the Sunne beat back again which falling upon a watery cloud that is thickly condensed pierceth not but being doubled causeth rednesse as in the morning and this is a signe of rain but the other is not For the other rednesse is in such a cloud as sheweth the drinesse and adustion of the aire the cloud it self consisting of a smokie humid substance unto which is joyned a kinde of drie and adust matter This therefore is a signe of fair weather being seen in the evening towards the place of Sun-setting according as it hath been said of old Serò rubens coelum mané indicat esse serenum Concerning green clouds they are altogether watery and as it were already resolved into water which receiving into them the light appeare green like unto water in a great vessel or in the sea and deep rivers Blew clouds come something neare to the nature of black excepting that the black are thicker And note If when the Sunne sets there appeare or arise black dark clouds it portendeth rain Also observe the place opposite to the Sunne at his setting viz. the East and see if that be cleare for if it be pestered with black clouds there is but small hope of fair weather that night or the next day The common opinion is that the height of the clouds is not above nine miles But it is agreeable to no reason at all why any certain height should be determined for they are of unequall heights differing both according to the matter of their composure and also according to the time of the yeare being lower in winter then in summer for when the sunne hath the greatest force they then ascend the higher and in his smaller force they hang the lower By which it appeareth that the sunne helpeth to uphold them and keepeth them although heavier then the aire even in the aire for they sometimes also follow his motion But note that it is not the sunne alone which upholds them for the aire it self is also a cause of their not falling and that both within the clouds and also without them within the clouds for the clouds are of a spungie nature and full of pores which are filled with aire leâ—…t there should be vacuum and this aire heaveth them up causing them to aspire without the clouds also because they do as it were float up and down in the aire as some heavie things do in the water and yet not sink unlesse their substance be too earthie and heavie Artic. 2. Of Rain FRom clouds I proceed to speak of rain And rain is nothing else but as it were the melting of a cloud turned into water Or according to Aristotle it is the flux of a fertill cloud resolved by the heat of the sunne into distilling drops of water which being depressed with their own weight fall down to the earth For when the matter of the cloud being a cold vapour and earthly humour is drawn from the earth and waters into the middle Region of the aire and there thickened through the cold dwelling in the confines of that place it is at the last dissolved and cannot therefore but fall down in drops which drops if they be great are caused either by the quick resolution of the cloud or else by the little distance of it from the earth But if they be smaller then either the great distance or slow resolution maketh them of no ample quantitie The first of these is named nimbus the other is called imber And note that the dissolution as hath been said proceedeth out of heat which is not onely of the sunne but of windes also of an hot temper as is seen in the southern winde which bloweth up rain sooner then any other winde And as for rains which come from cold coasts and at cold times of the yeare if the cloud be not at such times as some may think dissolved through the heat of any winde it dissolveth it self through its own weight being a little holpen by the sunne for it continueth in the aire even whilest it can stay no longer And at these times also if we consider all aright we shall finde that the winde somewhat helpeth although not so speedily as from hotter coasts for naturally there is a kinde of heat in every winde because it is an Exhalation hot and drie although by accident as from
Zanchius his opinion was not much differing for speaking of strange rains he confessed concerning some of them that they were produced by such causes or the like as I before alledged concluding for the rest which were more occult that they were truely prodigious and caused either by the power of God as portenders of his wrath or else by the sleights of the devil through Gods permission Artic. 3. Of Dew DEw offers it self in the next place as being a neare kinsman to rain For it consisteth of a cold moist vapour which the sunne draweth into the aire from whence when it is somewhat thickened and condensed through cold of the night and also of the place whither the sunne exhaled it it falleth down in very small and indiscernible drops to the great refreshment of the earth And this is certain that the morning and the evening are the onely times when it falleth the reason being in regard of the sunne which both positively privatively causeth it Dew at night is caused privatively dew in the morning positively At night or in the evening privatively because when the sunne setteth the lowest part of the vapour not being high enough to hang in the aire falleth down through absence of the sunne And in the morning positively because at the return of the sunne the residue of the vapour together with the augmentation of it haply by some condensed aire caused by cold of the night is dissolved by his approaching beams and so made fit to fall rather then hang any longer For look what vapours are about the Horizon at the rising of the sunne are dispersed by his first approach and so it comes to passe that the morning as well as the evening affordeth dew But know that if the vapour be not conveniently placed that is if it be very high above the Horizon or in a loftie station of the aire then the sunnes approaching beam neither dissolveth nor disperseth it whereupon we have no dew but rather look for rain because the matter of dew is still in the aire staying there till it be turned into a cloud and so into rain And now by this you may see what is the materiall what the efficient what the formall and lastly what the finall cause of dew The materiall cause is a subtil and moist vapour being the thinnest of all vapours The efficient cause is the temperate cold of the night together with the absence and approach of the sunne The formall cause is the sprinkling of most thin drops which the hand can scarcely perceive And the finall cause that without rain the earth may have some refreshment Yet neverthelesse this I finde concerning dew as it is of a calorificall nature that rorilentas segetes collectas putrefacit because every externall heat is putrefactive Also dew is a great enemie to sheep begetting a deadly rot in them or a dangerous flux of the bellie which cometh to passe in regard of the humour being of much viscositie and not throughly refined or purged Wherefore your carefull and skilfull shepherds will never drive out their sheep to feed untill the sunne or the winde have licked the tops of the grasse and flowers Also know that a windie night hindereth the falling of dew Some say three things hinder it viz. winde great heat and cold for the most temperate and calm times afford it when other times want it As for the kindes of dew I cannot but joyn with them who divide them into three For there is first common dew secondly sweet dew and thirdly bitter blasting dew The common dew is ordinary Sweet dew is threefold 1. Manna 2. Mel. 3. Ladanum Manna is said to be white like sugar by some it is called Coeli sudor The matter of it is a fat and pure vapour not tainted with any putrid or corrupt Exhalations Or according to some it is roris melliti genus sed concreti a kinde of hony-sweet dew but concrete or compact more close together it falleth in the East parts Arabia Syria c. As for that Manna which God rained to the Israelites in the wildernesse some think that it was altogether miraculous others that it was ejusdem speciei cum Manna vulgari of the same kinde with common Manna which I also think because Iosephus in his third book and first chapter writeth that in his dayes there was great store of it in that part of Arabia wherein Moses was 40 yeares with the Israelites What should hinder this opinion I see not unlesse because the common Manna is of a purging qualitie and therefore to be taken for a medicine rather then for food To which I finde an answer that haply at the first it might work the like effect on their bodies also till it expelled the humours proceeding from the onyons and leeks that they eat in Egypt but afterwards through custome it might not work at all upon them or else God for their good that they might be fed might allay that qualitie in it by his mighty power for God resting from all his works on the seventh day created no new species of anything afterwards Fuohsius a learned Physician testifieth that there falleth great store of Manna upon the mountain of Libanus which is eaten without harm although they take it in plentifull abundance Yet neverthelesse it cannot be denied but that the Israelites had many things miraculous in theirs as that they could not finde it on the Sabbath day that he which gathered little and he which gathered much had alwayes sufficient for his eating and the like All which proclaimed the power of God In which regard he saith that he fed them with Angels food Not that the Angels eat of it but because it was cibus excellentissimus a most excellent kinde of meat insomuch that were the Angels to be fed with bread they might be fed with this In which sense we also call that which is daintie meat meat for a King or a Prince intimating the goodnesse of it So also the poets called their Myrrhina or their Nectar the drink of the Gods because it was a liquour of such excellencie But besides this the Scripture in like manner saith that it was bread from heaven as well as Angels food Not that it came from heaven if heaven be taken in a strict sense but because it was a symbole of Christs descending from heaven as it is John the 6. Moses gave you not that bread saith our Saviour but I am that bread of life come down from heaven Or else it is said to come from heaven because it came out of the aire for so the word signifying heaven is often used as the fowls of the aire are said to flie in the open firmament of heaven Gen. 1. 20. The clouds are called the clouds of heaven and the windes the windes of heaven although they be but in the aire Dan. 7. And thus much concerning Manna
The other kinde of sweet dew is Mel or an Hony-dew Now this falleth not onely in other countreys but also here in England and we cannot give it a more significant name then a Mel-dew being both as sweet and also of the same substance that hony is Some suppose that it is drawn out of sweet herbs and flowers which I also beleeve acknowledging that there is a kinde of resudation of juice proceeding from them at a certain convenient time of their growth which juice is either drawn up as a vapour and so sweeteneth the dew in the aire by such time as it falleth or else issuing of it self from the said flowers and plants but not ascending it sweeteneth the dew after it is come down or fallen on them although the said dew be but ordinary for when ordinary dew falleth upon any of those leaves which yeeld such a resudation or sweat it cannot but be sweetened although none of the sweet liquour be drawn into the aire as a vapour with it Now of these two choose which in your judgement is the most probable Plinie witnesseth that these dews are most common at the shining of Syrius or the great Dog-starre and that before the rising of Virgiliae or the Seven starres in the morning with the Sunne they cannot at all be Ladanum is another kinde of sweet dew Arabia hath great plentie of it and no other countrey as Plinie writeth unlesse it be Nabathaea bordering on the Arabick coast of Syria It is called Ladanum because it is a vapour falling upon the herb Ladon or Ledum and is sweetened by the juice issuing from the leaves of the said herb mixing it self with the vapour Goats hairs are often found amongst it because the Goat feeding upon that herb scattereth some of his hairs which are incorporated with the vapour and the juice of Ladon whilest like gumme it is hardened by the Sunne And thus much of sweet dews Now followeth that which I called bitter blasting dew The Germanes say it is Mildaw which is an improper name if it hath relation to that which we call Mel-dew For Mel-dew as before I shewed is an hony-sweet dew and not a bitter dew This therefore may be rather named Ros noxius or bitter blasting dew because it hurteth and killeth such herbs and plants as it falleth on and sticketh or cleaveth to This vapour hath much earthly matter in it and therefore it remaineth white when the moisture is gone It is also corrupted which comes to passe as 't is conjectured through the often change of the Aire which being tainted or infected through varietie of differing Exhalations sendeth down noysome and unwholesome dews falling sometimes even in the day time it self And here an end concerning dew Artic. 4. Of white hoar-frosts I Come now to speak of Frosts for as dew claimed kindred of rain so white hoar-frost is of the house and linage of dew As for example thus When a vapour drawn into the aire is congealed before it can be turned into dew then we have Pruina in stead thereof or a white hoar-frost so that such a frost is nothing else but dew congealed by overmuch cold Aristotle affirmeth the like shewing among other things that both in respect of matter and place of generation they do well agree to which is also pertinent the calmnesse clearnesse and quietnesse of the time wherein either of them falleth For both of them consist of subtill thin vapours and are generated in the lowest region of the aire because upon some high hills there is neither hoar-frost nor dew to be seen the vapour as it seemeth ascendeth not so high And as for a windie obscure time it is an enemie to them both The difference being that hoar-frost is congealed in the vapour before it can be turned into water The one caused in a season that is temperately warm the other when it is cold The materiall cause therefore of hoar-frost is a subtill thinne vapour The formall is the congealing of it by which it differeth from dew The efficient is the autumnall or winter cold for those are the most common and ordinary times peculiar to it although sometimes it comes as an unwelcome guest in the spring and summer when the aire through cold is forward to send it And last of all the end or principall effects when it cometh not out of season or the finall cause is the contraction or shutting up of the pores or breathing holes of the earth and about the roots of plants that thereby their spirits being the chariots of heat may be contained in their own bowels for the good of such things as they give life unto And thus much concerning frost Artic. 5. Of Snow THere is no great difference between the matter of snow and matter of rain and hail excepting as some think that the vapour for snow is of an hotter qualitie then the vapour for rain and yet not so hot as that which is the materiall cause of hail For it is a tenent amongst Philosophers that hot things being cooled are apter for congelation then cold as is seen in warm water taken from the fire which will more suddenly and throughly be frozen then that which never felt the heat And this comes to passe in regard of the pores or passages made into the water through heat into which the cold entring it both cooleth it the sooner and congealeth it the more Neither is there any difference between white frost and snow excepting that frost is made of a vapour before it be turned into a cloud and snow of a cloud before it can be turned into water Snow therefore is a cloud congealed by great cold before it be perfectly resolved from vapours into water For if it should come to the densitie of water before the congelation then it could not fall so like locks of wooll as it doth but would be more closely compacted or joyned together having little or no spunginesse in it As for the whitenesse it proceedeth not from its own proper colour but rather in respect of those parts which are more aierie then the rest whereupon I finde some authours who determine the case thus namely that the white is by receiving the light into it at those many small parts even as in froth and fome is seen For say some Nix est spuma quaedam Snow is a kinde of froth and when it loseth part of its frothie nature and begins to melt it loseth also part of that whitenesse which at the first it retained To this also may be added the coldnesse that is infused into it when it is congealed as being a cause of whitenesse even as in phlegmatick bodies and cold countreys may be seen For such people are alwayes whiter of complexion then others cold being the cause of that their whitenesse Such winters as are void of snow are not so good for the fruits of the ground
is primarily true but not shewed how it is secondarily effected For although concerning some things extraordinary the cause be hid yet such as be ordinary are not wrought by the first cause without an administration of the second As for example God is not onely said to bring the windes out of his treasures but also to send forth the lightnings with the rain as it is in the forenamed Psalme yet neverthelesse the Prophet Jeremie sheweth that these are wrought not immediately but mediately by the help of secondary causes as in Jer. 10. 13. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth By which it appeareth that he maketh not the rain without them but of them those ascending vapours being the matter of rain And again * The day is thine and the night is thine thou hast made summer and winter as in the Psalmist Yet neverthelesse we know that the day and the night together with the seasons of the yeare are not made but by the motion of the sunne and starres as it is in Genesis 1. 14. 2. Wherefore in the second place seeing God worketh these things by means the motion of the windes is attributed to the Angels it being supposed that instrumentally they perform Gods will in this causing the windes to blow c. Whereupon the Psalmist is again alledged shewing that the clouds are Gods divine chariot the horses carrying it are the windes the coachmen are the Angels whom God calleth Cherubims and his darts are hot thunder-bolts which he casteth from the clouds And furthermore that Angels cause the windes S. John declares it also Revel 7. 1. affirming that he saw foure Angels standing upon the foure corners of the earth holding the windes that they should not blow The Angels therefore move the windes To which again it is answered that neither is this opinion sound For first concerning the Psalmist what doth that Prophet but in a figurative speech expresse Gods swiftnesse in coming to succour him And secondly for the foure Angels standing upon the foure corners of the earth to keep the windes from blowing I marvell that it can be taken so neare a literall sense Napeir in his Comment upon the Revelation confesseth that the Jews indeed have certain books of antiquitie dividing the government of the earth among foure great Angels and under them they imagine to be many inferiour ones But he withall acknowledgeth that they are assertions more curious then certain And therefore he understandeth by these foure Angels the good Angels of God and the foure windes he expoundeth to be the spirits of Satan and executours of vengeance For in a figurative sense these and the like things are to be taken Besides the irregularitie of the windes turning sometimes three or foure times in a day doth sufficiently shew as it is elsewhere witnessed by another authour that they are not immediately governed by any intellectuall substance for in their actions you may observe a greater constancie and more certain law 3. Wherefore leaving this opinion also I come to a third wherein I finde that winde is nothing else but the flowing and reflowing or motion of the aire having no other materiall substance then the very thin aire it self To which it may be answered that this opinion although better then the former cannot float farre before it sink and will therefore drown him in an errour who sticketh to it For as Aristotle testifieth we fall into other absurdities upon the admittance of this tenent or else we dissent from them who maintained it of old imagining thus that when the aire is compelled to move we have winde when it standeth still it is thickened into a cloud when it raineth it is condensed into water all which is very idle For furthermore if the winde were nothing else but the motion of the aire then it would necessarily follow that all and every aire moved should be winde but all and every moved aire is not winde therefore winde is more then the moved aire Havenreuter in his Comment upon Aristotles Meteors proveth the assumption by this similitude Even as every flowing water saith he although there be great plentie of it cannot be called a river but that onely which ariseth from a fountain or hath some certain beginning of fluxion so also not all and every aire moved by one kinde of means or other can be called winde but that onely which is as it were derived from some beginning or fountain As for example the aire which is turned about by the heavens is moved yet it was never called winde And again in a bloudie bulleting fight the aire is forced and stirred by the thundring sound of gunnes and yet no winde is raised by it Besides make winde to be nothing else but the moving of the aire and then there can be no sufficient reason given why we should have greater plentie of windes at one time then at another nor yet why they should blow from this point or corner rather then from that In which regard they also are confuted who suppose that the motion of the heavens moveth the windes for if they were moved by the heavens then the winde must blow alwayes one way and never turn into a differing corner But it followeth Another opinion and this is the last that I mean to mention maintaineth that the windes do actually reside somewhere and are shut up as in a prison from whence they have sometimes libertie for a while but at length they retire betake themselves to their dennes or cave again This the Poets aimed at when they made Aeolus the God of the windes affirming that he kept them close or let them loose at his pleasure Whereupon Homer may be remembred who brings in Ulysses speaking of the said Aeolus thus But he gave me saith he an bollow bottle or leather bag made of the skin of a nine-year◅old ox in which he bound the blasts of the stormic tempestuo◅ windes Or as Ovid speaks of Iupiter who had a commanding power over all the other Gods Protinus Aeoliis Aquilonem claudit in antnis Emittit̄que Notum madidis Notus evolat alis He forthwith shut the Northern winde within Aeolus den And loose he lets the Southern winde which flies with moistned pen. Now this last opinion although the Poets have turned it into a fiction is not so bad as it seems to be For take all cum grano salis as is said and then it will appeare that the winde is in some sort shut as within a den and although not loosed by Aeolus yet by Helios for Helios which is the Sunne doth indeed help to let it loose from out the bowels of the earth drawing it into the aire and above the ground where we may feel it fanne our faces sometimes churlishly as if it were angry sometimes gently as if it were pleased But of the severall kindes of blasts I
shall speak afterwards and therefore let them now rest untill I meet them Artic. 2. What winde is upon what causes it dependeth and how it is moved FRom the falsehood of the former opinions I come to declare the truth concerning the generation of windes affirming that windes are generated by vertue of the Sunne which causeth an hot and drie Exhalation to be evaporated or aspired out of the earth Unto which some adde the power and operation of certain subterranean fires which are as an antecedent cause or causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the said windie exhalations yet so as being come neare to the superficies of the earth the Sunne provokes or stirres them up to come abroad being therein causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the moving cause for the Sunne as a porter rarifies the superficies of the earth and thereby openeth the pores and passages of it through which the matter of winde comes forth and flyeth sidelong over the face of the earth And if at any time it happen that these exhalations can have no way made them but are kept close prisoners they then by striving to get out shake the earth which makes sad mortals alwayes fear sometimes suffer and not seldome wonder Wherefore winde may be thus defined namely that it is a certain plentie of hot and drie exhalations void of pinguid matter which being partly aspired and partly exhaled out of the earth are driven about it lest the aire should be corrupted The matter then we see must be an exhalation The quantitie of it must be copious and so Aristotle also witnesseth affirming that in the generation of windes there is a concourse of many exhalations by little and little begetting a large masse of matter The qualitie of which matter must be hot and drie not mixed with any fattie substance for if it were of a pinguid nature then it would be enflamed like lightning seeing lightning is an hot and drie exhalation and like unto this save onely that it containeth great plentie of fattie matter such as is not amongst the matter of winde Unto which adde this observation that a meer earthie exhalation is never the whole matter of winde For it draweth up many mixed vapours with it as may be seen if we call to minde the storms and showers which often happen upon the allaying of a winde For that part of the exhalation which is more moist and vaporous then the rest is thickened and condensed into a rainie cloud whilest the other is either drawn high into the upper Region or else quite wasted dispersed and consumed Also know that the aire may increase and augment the exhalation after the motion is begun and so the blast seemeth the greater For the exhalation cannot but drive some part of the aire before it then followeth other some after it lest there should be vacuum And furthermore in that I assent to a twofold efficient cause of winde viz. the beams of the sunne attracting and also some certain subterranean fires expelling it is not without reason for it evidently appeareth when the sunne hath either little or no force to draw up an exhalation that then we have often great blasts as those Northern windes in winter and boisterous blasts which happen in the night above our Horizon when the sunne is under it And unto this may be also added the secret influence of the Planets who being in such or such a position do powerfully cause the earth to afford the aire great store of windie exhalations As for example the aspect of Iupiter especially his conjunction with the sunne causeth great windes producing also as they may be placed thunder and hail as well as fair weather And as for Mercury if he be aspected either with the sunne moon or Iupiter in Gemini Libra or Aquarius it is evermore an infallible signe of winde unlesse there be some other particular and more powerfull influence to crosse it for as some have found it generall influences may hinder those which are particular But come now to the motion of windes I said before in their definition that they were driven about the earth and now it may be demanded how that motion is and from whence it proceedeth Their motion is a laterall or sidelong motion caused through the aspiring of the exhalation and detrusion of the aire For the exhalation is hot and drie and drawn up by the attractive power of the sunne other starres whereupon whilest it tendeth towards the middle Region of the aire it is beaten down again through the coldnesse and densitie of that place and so with a refracted and disjoynted force it is driven hither and thither and not suffered to fly up nor willing to fall down in respect of the great levitie in it and having as it were divided the contention between both viz. the cold of the aire and heat of the exhalation neither overcoming other it flyeth not directly up nor directly down but laterally or obliquely for it is held to be a kinde of Axiome that those things which are moved partly by force and partly naturally move themselves obliquely By which reason lightning also shooting starres and the like Meteors fly not directly down nor up but sidelong as the winde unlesse it be that when they consist of Heterogenean parts or parts of a divers kinde which some also attribute to the matter of windes they then through the strife of those their elevating and depressing parts have a transverse motion as before The place from whence this motion of the windes beginneth is from above First because the motion must necessarily begin from that place whither the exhalation is carried as is seen in a vapour turned to rain Secondly because all those things which have great force there where they have their greatest force are not farre from their head or beginning of motion but the windes have their greatest force in places up on high therefore there they begin their motion as Havenreuter proveth Thirdly know that the rednesse of the skie and all other visible signes of winde do declare that some spirits or windie breathings are above which in short time will be turned into blasts For rednesse is a token of the adustion of exhalations in the aire and the breaking of a circle about the moon from some one side or other doth also shew the winde that is above but not as yet come down unto us The like also doth the swift motion of a single cloud in a cleare skie when we feel no blasts below Besides the hot and drie exhalation we know is carried first upright and cannot therefore move obliquely untill it be encountered wherefore the motion beginneth in the aire above and not in places here below And yet some imagine that certain particular windes which are known but onely in some countreys have their immediate motion from out the caverns of the earth without any ascent into the skie and
no such luckie flouds there it is found that these bounteous watrie bodies yeelding vapours do purchase for them such dropping showers of rain that the valleys stand so thick with corn that they laugh and sing and therefore these are great benefits challenging most humble thanks as it is Psal. 107. The third is that they can quell the rage of the hottest element and keep our mansions from cinders or a flamie conversion into ashes The fourth is that they yeeld us an easinesse and speedinesse of conduct and traffick by which each place partaketh of the blessings of every place Yea these and many more are the benefits of water without which the life of man could not be sustained But here I contract my sails and end this question for by coming on the shore I shall the better view that which remaineth concerning this liquid element Wherefore it followeth The next and last question propounded was concerning the fluxion and refluxion of the sea wherein I purpose as neare as I can to shew both why seas have that alternate motion as also why such murmuring brooks and rivers as do not ebbe and flow are destitute of the foresaid courses The motion of the sea is either naturall or violent The first is performeth on its own accord the other it doth not but by some externall force compelling it The first being a naturall motion is such as is in every other water namely that all waters do evermore flow into the lowest place because they have an heavinesse or ponderositie in them And thus the ocean naturally floweth from the North where it is highest unto the South as the lower place for there in regard of the great cold the waters are not onely kept from drying up but also increased whilest much aire is turned into water whereas in the South by reason of great heat they are alwayes sucked up and diminished Now this motion is called a motion of Equation because it is for this end namely that the superficies of the water may be made equall and distant alike on every side from the centre of gravitie The other being that which dependeth upon some externall cause is such as may be distinguished into a threefold motion One is rapt and caused by force of the heavens whereby it floweth from East to West The second is a motion of Libration in which the sea striving to poise it self equally doth as it were wave from one opposite shore to another And note that this is onely in such as are but strait and narrow seas being a kinde of trepidation in them or as I said before a motion of Libration just like a rising and falling of the beam of an equall-poised balance which will not stand still but be continually waving to and fro The third and last is Reciprocatio or Aestus maris called the ebbing and flowing of the sea The cause of which hath added no little trouble nor small perplexitie to the brains of the best and greatest Philosophers Aristotle that master of knowledge helps us little or nothing in this question And yet Plutarch affirmeth that he attributed the cause to the motion of the sunne Others have gathered from him that he seemed to teach it was by certain exhalations which be under the water causing it to be driven to and fro according to contrary bounds and limits But howsoever he taught or whatsoever he thought this we finde that nothing troubled him more For as Coelius Rhodiginus writeth when he had studied long about it and at the last being weary he died through the tediousnesse of such an intricate doubt Some say he drowned himself in Negropont or Euripus because he could finde no reason why it had so various a fluxion and refluxion ebbing and flowing seven times a day at the least adding before that his untimely and disastrous precipitation these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quandoquidem Aristoteles non cepit Euripum Euripus capiat Aristotelem That is Although Aristotle hath not taken Euripus yet Euripus shall take Aristotle meaning that that should end him whose cause could not be comprehended by him But leaving Aristotle we shall finde as little help from his master Plato who as did also the Stoicks attributed the cause to the breath of the world Such also have been the fancies of others among whom Kepler may not be forgotten who in good earnest affirmeth and beleeveth that the earth is a great living creature which with the mightie bellows of her lungs first draweth in the waters into her hollow bowels then by breathing respires them out again A prettie fiction this and well worthy the pen of some fabling poet rather then to be spoken in good sober sadnesse and affirmed as a truth Others would have the cause to be by reason of waters in the holes of the earth forced out by spirits which comes something neare to that before concerning the breath of the world A third sort attribute the cause to the circular motion of the earth affirming that there is a daily motion of the earth round about the heavens which it performeth in 24 houres the heavens in the mean time onely seeming to move and not moving in very deed This opinion came first from the Pythagoreans and is defended by the Copernicanians as an effect of the foresaid motion As for example the earth moving swiftly round the water not able to follow the motion is left behinde and caused to flow to and fro like as in a broad shallow vessel may be seen for put water in such a vessel and let it be swiftly pulled forward and then you shall see that by being left behinde it will beat it self against the one side before the other can at all partake of its company and so it is also in the earth leaving the waters behinde whilest it moveth But if this opinion be true first tell me how it comes to passe that the sea doth not ebbe and flow alwayes at one and the same time but altereth his course and is every day about one houre later then other Secondly shew me why the tides are at one time of the moneth higher then at another Thirdly let me be informed why broad lakes and large rivers do not flow as well as seas Fourthly let me be rightly instructed how it comes to passe that things tend to the earth as their centre if the sunne as Copernicus and his followers imagine be the centre of the world Fifthly shew me why the aire in the middle Region is not rather hot then cold for surely if the earth should move round with a diurnall motion as they maintain then the middle Region must be either farre higher then it is or else the aire would be so heated by going round that the coldnesse in it would be either little or none at all for it is a ruled case that Remotio à motu circulari dat quietem frigiditatem et gravitatem sicut
propinquitas dat motum calorem et levitatem and thereupon it comes to passe that we have coldnesse in the middle Region the cause first beginning it being in respect of the hills which hinder the aire from following the motion of the heavens as in two severall places of the second dayes work I have declared Sixthly I would also know why an arrow being shot upright should fall neare upon the same place where the shooter standeth and not rather fall beyond him seeing the earth must needs carry him farre away whilest the arrow flyeth up and falleth down again or why should a stone being perpendicularly let fall on the West side of a tower fall just at the foot of it or on the East side fall at all and not rather be forced to knock against it We see that a man in a ship at sea throwing a stone upright is carried away before the stone falleth and if it be mounted up in any reasonable height not onely he which cast it but the ship also is gone Now why it should be otherwise in the motion of the earth I do not well perceive If you say that the earth equally carries the shooter aire arrow tower and stone then methinks you are plainly convinced by the former instance of the ship or if not by that then by the various flying of clouds and of birds nay of the smallest grashopper flie flea or gnat whose motion is not tied to any one quarter of the world but thither onely whither their own strength shall carry them some flying one way some another way at one and the same time We see that the winde sometimes hindereth the flight of those prettie creatures but we could never yet perceive that they were hindered by the aire which must needs hinder them if it were carried alwayes one way by the motion of the earth for from that effect of the earths motion this effect must needs also be produced Arm'd with these reasons 't were superfluous To joyn our forces with Copernicus But perhaps you will say it is a thing impossible for so vast a bodie as the heavens to move dayly about the earth and be no longer then 24 houres before one revolution be accomplished for if the compasse were no more then such a distance would make as is from hence to Saturns sphere the motion must extend in one first scruple or minute of time to 55804 miles and in a moment to 930 miles which is a thing impossible for any Physicall bodie to perform Unto which I must first answer that in these mensurations we must not think to come so neare the truth as in those things which are subject to sense and under our hands For we oft times fail yea even in them much more therefore in those which are remote and as it were quite absent by reason of their manifold distance Secondly I also answer that the wonder is not more in the swiftnesse of the motion then in the largenesse of the circumference for that which is but a slow motion in a little circuit although it be one and the same motion still must needs be an extraordinary motion in a greater circle and so I say the wonder is not more in the motion then in the largenesse of the circumference Wherefore he that was able by the power of his word to make such a large-compassed bodie was also able so to make it that it should endure to undergo the swiftest motion that the quickest thought can keep pace with or possibly be forged in imagination For his works are wonderfull and in wisdome he hath made them all Besides do but go on a while and adhere a little to the sect of Copernicus and then you shall finde so large a space between the convexitie of Saturns sphere and the concavitie of the eighth sphere being more then 20 times the distance of Saturn from us and yet void of bodies and serving to no other purpose but to salve the annuall motion of the earth so great a distance I say that thereby that proportion is quite taken away which God the Creatour hath observed in all other things making them all in number weight and measure in an excellent portion and harmonie Last of all let me demand how the earths motion and heavens rest can agree with holy Scripture It is true indeed as they alledge that the grounds of Astronomie are not taught us in Gods book yet when I heare the voice of the everlasting and sacred Spirit say thus Sun stand thou still and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon I cannot be perswaded either to think teach or write that the earth stood still but the sunne stood and the moon stayed untill the people had avenged themselves on their enemies Neither do I think after this that it was the earth which went back but the sunne upon Ahaz his diall in the dayes of Ezekias For when God had made the earth what said he did he bid it move round about the heavens that thereby dayes weeks moneths and yeares might be produced No. What then This was its office and this that which it should do namely bud and bring forth fruit for the use of man And for motion it was absolutely and directly bestowed upon the heavens and starres witnesse those very words appointing to the sunne and moon their courses setting them in the heavens so as they should never rest but be for signes and for seasons for dayes and for yeares And so also the wise Siracides understood it saying Did not the sunne go back by his means and was not one day as long as two I conclude therefore and concluding cannot forget that sweet meditation of a religious and learned Prelate saying Heaven ever moves yet is that the place of our rest Earth ever rests yet is that the place of our travell and unrest And now laying all together if the cause be taken away the effect perisheth My meaning is no more but thus that seeing the earth is void of motion the ebbing and flowing of the sea cannot be caused by it but dependeth upon some other thing Or again were it so that the earth had such a motion I should scarce beleeve that this ebbing and flowing depended on it For as I said before if this were the cause it could never be that the course of ebbs and flouds should keep such a regular alteration as they do day by day Neither could it produce a cause why the tides should be more at one time of the moneth then at another Nor yet as some suppose could the waters be suffered to flow back again but alwayes must be going on as fast as they can toward the Eastern part of the world But I leave this and come to another It was a mad fancie of him who attributed the cause to an Angel which should stand in a certain place of the world and sometimes heave up the earth above the waters
which will drown bastard children that be cast into it but drive to land them that be lawfully begotten Or is not this strange which he also mentioneth of a certain well in Sicilia whereof if theeves drink they are made blinde by the efficacie of the water The like I finde in other authours concerning certain fountains in Sardinia for it is said that they have this marvellous propertie namely that if there be a cause to draw any one to his oath he that is perjured and drinketh thereof becometh blinde and the true witnesse seeth more clearely then he did before Solinus and Isiodore report it Solinus also and Aristotle make mention of a water called the Eleusinian or Halesinian spring which through the noise of singing or musick is moved as if it danced or capered up and down whereas at other times it is still and quiet But I conclude and as that honoured Poet cannot but say Sure in the legend of absurdest fables I should enroll most of these admirables Save for the reverence of th' unstained credit Of many a witnesse where I yerst have read it And saving that our gain-spurr'd Pilots finde In our dayes waters of more wondrous kinde Unto which in things that are strange and not fabulous let this also be added that God Almighty hath proposed infinite secrets to men under the key of his wisdome that he might thereby humble them and that seeing what meer nothings they are they might acknowledge that all are ignorant of more then they know for indeed this is a rule Maxima pars eorum quae scimus est minima pars eorum quae nescimus The greatest part of those things which we know is the least part of those things which we know not Sect. 3. Of the drie-land appearing after the gathering of the waters THe waters were no sooner gathered but the drie-land then appeared and this may be called the second part of the third dayes work For the end of the gathering of the waters was that the earth might shew it self and not onely so but that also it might appeare solid and drie Two things therefore saith Pareus did the earth in this act principally receive one was that it might be conspicuous the other that it might be solid and drie and both depended upon the law of great necessitie For first had it been continually covered with waters how could it have been a place for habitation either man must have been otherwise then he is or else the earth must as it was be uncovered Secondly were it uncovered and not also drie and solid it could not conveniently have bore up those living creatures weights and other things which tread and presse upon it Whereupon Expositours well witnesse that earth is so named from the Hebrew Erets which say they implieth a thing trod and runne upon by the creatures on it and heavenly orbs about it The same word spoken of particular places is englished land as the land or earth of Canaan and the like Here then it appeareth that this was that time when the earth received her proper elementarie qualitie which it had potentially before but not actually till now Now therefore it being not onely uncovered but also made drie it might easily be distinguished from the other three elements of fire aire and water For the proper qualitie of the fire is heat of the aire is moisture of the water is coldnesse and of the earth is drinesse These qualities I say are most proper and peculiar to them yet so as the aire is not onely moist but of a moderate heat as being nearest to the element of fire the water not onely cold but also moist as coming nearest to the nature of aire and the earth not onely drie but something cold as being hoast or landlord to the water and upon these terms the elements are combined together there being in all an harmonious order pointing to him who in number weight and measure hath constituted all things I will not go about to prove that the earth is the centre of the world for fear I should be like to him who disputed whether snow were white onely I will adde that even as an infant is potentially rationall by nature but is made rationall in act by youth or yeares so it was with the earth both before and after the drying of it Unto which let this also be joyned that the earth is not so arid or drie that it is void of all moisture for then it would be dissolved and fall into dust But it is arid and dry that it might be solid and firm retaining in the mean time even in the solid parts of it such a conveniencie of humour that all parts may both be glewed together and also have sufficient nutriment for the things which like to a teeming mother she either bringeth forth or nourisheth in her wombe Thus was the earth prepared and thus was it made a fit habitation for man to dwell on But as if man were not alwayes worthy to tread upon such a solid foundation we see it often shakes and quakes and rocks and rends it self as if it shewed that he which made it threatened by this trembling the impietie of the world and ruines of those which dwell upon the earth For though the efficient materiall and formall causes of an earthquake be naturall yet the finall is the signification of an angry God moved by the execrable crimes of a wicked people according to that of David in the 18 Psalme at the 7 verse The earth trembled and quaked the very foundations of the hills also shook and were removed because he was wroth Fear chills our hearts What heart can fear dissemble When steeples stagger and huge mountains tremble The Romanes in times past commanded by publick edict that prayers and supplications should be made in time of an earthquake but they must call upon no god by name as on their other holy-dayes for fear they mistook that god unto whom it belonged And the most ancient of the Grecians called Neptune the shaker and mover of the earth because they supposed that the cause proceeded from the fluctuations and flowings of waters up and down in the hollow places under ground Others thought that the shaking proceeded from the downfalls of subterranean dens or caves and that sometimes whole mountains sunk in and they caused the trembling But by that which I said before in the generation of windes it appeareth that what it is which is the cause of windes above the earth is also the cause of trembling and shaking in the earth For when it happeneth that aire and windie spirits or Exhalations be shut up within the caverns of the earth or have such passage as is too narrow for them they then striving to break their prisons shake the earth and make it tremble Now this imprisonment is said to be caused thus namely when the earth which is dry by nature
happeneth to be watred by continuall rains then not onely the pores and caverns thereof are stopped and closed up but even the aire and Exhalations within the earth are increased To which purpose Dr. Fulk in the third book of his Meteors writeth saying The great caves and dens of the earth must needs be full of aire continually for there is no vacuum in nature but when by the heat of the Sunne the moisture of the earth is resolved many Exhalations are generated as well within the earth as without and whereas the places were full before so that they could hold or receive no more except part of that which is in them be let out it must needs follow that in such countreys where the earth hath few pores or else where they be stopped with moisture that there I say these Exhalations striving to get out do either rend the earth or lift it up that thereby either a free passage may be had or else room enough to abide within I am perswaded that as in other windes there be also in this subterranean fires which help to move and stirre the Vapours and Exhalations Neither do I think that the Sunne is the onely cause of shutting the pores of the ground for then earthquakes would in a manner be as frequent and common as dryings after a rain Some of the other Planets therefore have their operation in this effect Which as Astrologers witnesse is Saturn being of an astringent nature and chiefly in earthie signes must this be produced For say they if Saturn have the sole dominion either in the revolution of the world or in any great conjunction or in the ecliptick place and be strong in earthie signes such as be Taurus Virgo and Capricorn and shall behold the Moon when she is impedite with a quadrate or opposite aspect then he foresheweth that there will be an earthquake And questionlesse this is not altogether idle For the influence of the Planets is divers and may as well according to their places and positions work these effects as have any power at all in the changes and alterations of the aire in the producing of Meteors cherishing of plants and the like And happily it is not Saturn onely nor the bright beams of the Sunne but other of the Planets also being conveniently placed and disposed which helpeth forward this sad effect Authours vary about the kindes of earthquakes some making more some fewer kindes Aristotle De Meteoris lib. 2. cap. 8. maketh onely two Tremor and Pulsus a Trembling and a Beating Some adde a third which they call Hiatus Others make seven And some adde onely foure to which may be joyned a fifth The first is when the whole force of the winde driveth to one place there being no contrary motion to let or hinder it Many hills and buildings have been rushed down by this kinde of earthquake especially when the winde causing it was strong For if it be a feeble winde it onely looseth or unfasteneth foundations if lesse feeble then without further harm the earth onely shakes like one sick of an ague This is called a laterall or side-long shaking The second is not so much laterall as perpendicular or upright which is when the earth with great violence is so lifted up that the buildings are like to fall and by and by sinketh down again For after the winde that caused the earth to swell is broke out of prison the earth returneth to his old place even as it was before The third kinde is Hiatus a gaping rending or cleaving of the earth one part being driven so farre from another that whole towns cities hills rocks rivers seas and the like are swallowed up and never seen again The fourth is a shaking that causeth sinking and is farre differing from the former For now the earth splitteth not but sinketh this being in such places where though the surface of the ground be solid yet it hath but a salt foundation which being moistened with water driven through it by the force of the shaking Exhalation is turned into water also Thus was the Atlantick Ocean caused to be a sea whereas before it was an island according to the testimonie of famous Plato who lived in his flourishing fame about 366 yeares before Christ was born and before his time it was that this island sunk Where by the way in a word or two may be discussed not so much how the late discovered parts of the world came to be peopled as how at the first to be unknown Concerning which this I think may be supposed that America was sometimes part of that great land which Plato calleth the Atlantick island and that the Kings of that island had some intercourse between the people of Europe and Africa Some have related that they were the sonnes of Neptune and did govern part of Europe and Africa as well as of the said island in which regard there was knowledge of the late known parts long ago But when it happened that this island became a sea time wore out the remembrance of remote countreys and that upon this occasion namely by reason of the mud and dirt and other rubbish of the island For when it sunk it became a sea which at the first was full of mud and thereupon could not be sailed untill a long â—…me after yea so long that such as were the sea-men in those dayes were either dead before the sea came to be cleare again or else sunk with the island the residue being little expert in the art of navigation might as necessitie taught them sail in some certain boats from island to island but not venturing further their memorie perished And not onely so but also thus this island sinking might so damp up the sea that neither those that were in these parts did ever attempt to seek any land that wayes to the Westwards nor yet those who were remaining upon that part of the island that did not sink would ever attempt to seek any land unto the Eastwards and so the one forgot the other More I might say touching this thing but this perhaps is more then enough Yet that such an island was and swallowed by an earthquake I am verily perswaded and if America joyned not to the West part of it yet surely it could not be farre distant because Plato deseribes it as a great island neither do I think that there was much sea between Africa and the said island But I leave this digression and proceed The fifth kinde of earthquake is contrary to the former for as before the ground sinks down so now it is cast up like as in the second kinde already mentioned onely this is the difference that now it returneth not to its place again but remaineth a great mountain an embleme whereof may be seen in the busie mole casting up hills in a plain ground And note that if such a rising be in the sea it not onely causeth overflowings but produceth
devoted pilgrims count this way For sure the world is but a gaudie ball Whose quilt is vanitie no joy at all Rouze then thy minde witcht mortall from the ground Think of that place where true joyes may be found Choak not thy soul with earth for thou dost winne Nought for thy care but punishment of sinne Rouze then I say thy thoughts think what it is To be partaker of eternall blisse For when the drie-land God did make appeare 'T was not that man should think his heaven's here Sect. 4. Concerning the sprouting springing and fructification of the earth I Am now come to that which I called the third and last part of this dayes work and it is the budding and fructification of the earth For after God had discovered it and made it drie he commands it to bring forth every green thing as grasse herbs trees c. by which he caused it to change a mourning black and sad-russet weed into a green gallant rich enameled robe and ladylike to paint it self in braverie having green grassie locks whose hair doth not more adorn then profit whose rosie cheeks are not more admired then for their vertues wisht whose frank free fragrant fruitfull breasts do so nourish her own children sprung from her never resting wombe that they again adde nourishment to other things both man and beast gaining by her never ending labours For God by saying Let it bring forth did not onely give an abilitie or power of bringing forth but brought that power also into act causing this act to be so begun that it might be continued from thence to the very end of time And to this purpose we see it is that the herb must bring forth seed and the tree bear fruit For God would not that either the herb should be sterill or the tree barren but with their seeds and fruits according to their kindes by which it was and is that their kindes both were and are preserved For first we see the buds spring up these at the first are tender but afterwards growing a little older we call them herbs the herbs being of convenient growth bring forth flowers under the flowers grow and wax ripe the seeds the seeds being ripe and cast into the ground do again bring forth the tender buds and they herbs in their severall kindes and so on as before by which you may see how God hath constituted a never ending course in nature being the same in the trees also as well as in the herbs For their tender branches do not grow to be woodie but by little and little then they aspire to the height and name of trees and being trees they blossome from their blossomes arise fruits and within their fruits be seeds and in those seeds resteth the power of other sprouts or tender shoots Now some would observe from hence that here is mention made of three kinde of plants and fruits that the earth bringeth forth viz. the bud the herb and the tree which by others are distinguished into herbs shrubs and trees But I rather think the bud is to be exempted and not taken as one peculiar thing proper to a kinde of its own For as I have already shewed that which is the bud may be taken either for the tender shoot of any herb or grasse or else for the tender and unwoodie branches of shrubs and trees for that which they be in their sprouting they are not in their perfection neither are they in their perfection what they be in sprouting And is it not an endlesse wonder to see the varietie growth power and vertue of these the earths rich liveries some great some lesse some little some low some large some long some whose vertue excells in this some whose power appeares in that some hot and moist some cold and drie some hot and drie some cold and moist Of all which I purpose to give my reader a taste that thereby he may be driven to admire the rest Herbs hot and moist ANd first of all I begin with Basil in Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Ocimum Basilicum or Râ—…gium This is an herb hot in the second degree and somewhat moist Galen would not that this herb should be taken inwardly because it hath a kinde of superfluous moisture joyned to it but being applied outwardly it is good to digest distribute or concoct We in England seldome or never eat it yet we greatly esteem it because it smelleth sweet and as some think comforteth the brain But know that weak brains are rather hurt then holpen by it for the say our is strong and therefore much smelled unto it proeureth the headaeh and as the authour of the haven of health affirmeth out of Hollerius Basil hath a strong propertie beyond all these For saith he a certain Italian by often smelling to Basil had a scorpion bred in his brain and after vehement and long pain he died thereof Moreover that we shunne the eating of it is also necessary because if it be chewed and laid afterwards into the sunne it engendreth worms Mr Thomas Hill in his art of gardening testifieth that the seeds of Basil put up into the nose procure sneezing and being mixed with shoemakers black do take away warts killing them to the very roots The wilde Mallow is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying a 〈◊〉 of pain and in Latine it is Malva sylvestris It hath a certain moderate and middle heat in it together with some moisture The leaves stamped with a little hony and one anointed with them shall not be stung by bees wasps or the like Borage is a common herb and yet some account a fourefold difference in it as thus Garden Borage white-flowred Borage never dying Borage so called because fair blew flowers ripe seeds and buds for new flowers may be seen all at once on it and also another kinde of Borage which is little differing from the former excepting that the flowers look fair and red This herb is hot and moist in the first degree Unto this may be joyned Buglosse which according to Dioscorides as Mr. Gerard writeth is the true Borage whereupon saith he many are of an opinion that the one is but a degenerate kinde from the other In the Greek it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the Latine Lingua bubula Plinie giveth a reason of this name which is because it is like an oxes tongue Moreover he likewise calleth it Euphrosynum from the effect namely because it maketh a man merry and joyfull For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Laetitia and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth some such thing as doth laetitiam adferre or bring mirth which he witnesseth of this herb to be true saying that being put into wine it increaseth the delights of the minde Plin. lib. 25. cap. 8. The like is also said of Borage Ego Borage gaudia
starres which like glittering saphires or golden spangles in a well wrought canopie do shew the admired work of the worlds brave palace And seeing this was not done before the sprouting of the earth it may well be granted that they are but foolish naturalists who will presume to binde Gods mighty hand in natures bands and tie him so to second causes as if he were no free or voluntarie agent but must be alwayes bound to work by means And again the Text declareth that the sun moon and starres were all unmade before this present day and yet it saith there was light before But it was then a dispersed shining and now united to these bright lamps of heaven that that riding and they running like fierie chariots might not onely rule the day and night but also distinguish the better and more harmoniously the dayes from nights seasons weeks moneths and yeares and not onely so but be also for signes of something else Also God made them saith the Text. See then the folly of those who make them gods and vainly do adore them For let it be observed that although the sunne and moon be called the greatest lights yet if they be worshipped they are abused to the greatest darknesse and they that deifie them may damnifie themselves by being as blinde as the heathen Gentiles and as superstitiously addicted as some of old amongst the Jews whose answer to the Prophet Jeremie was that they would not do according to his teaching but follow rather the desperate bent of their own bows in worshipping the moon as Queen of heaven As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth cut of our own mouth to burn incense to the Queen of heaven and to poure out drink-offerings unto her as we have done we and our fathers our kings and our princes in the cities of Iudah and in the streets of Ierusalem Of which they give this reason For then say they we had plentie of victuals and were well and saw no evil Jer. 44. 16 17. By which last words it well appeareth that it was fear as much as any thing else which made them thus advance this practise And truely fear is an effect proceeding from the nature of superstition and so farre prevailing that it will there make gods where it doubteth most of danger as the Egyptians did in making fortune a goddesse For they kept an annuall feast in honour of her deitie giving thanks for the yeare which was past and earnestly imploring her favour for the yeare to come It was Pluâ—…archs observation that the superstitious alwayes think the gods readie to do hurt By means whereof he accounteth them in worse case then malefactours or fugitives who if they once recover the Altar are there secured from fear where neverthelesse the superstitious are in greatest thraldome And from hence arose that ancient saying Primus in orbe deos fecit timor And hence it also was that the heathen in institution of their sacrifices did offer as well to all their gods that they should not hurt them as for any help they expected from them An example whereof we have again among the poore silly Indians who sacrifice their children unto the devil at this very day because they be mainly afraid of him And of old as it is storied we have the example of Alexander Magnus who sacrificed to the sunne moon and earth that thereby he might divert the evil luck which as he feared was portended by an Eclipse but a little before And the Jews did not onely burn incense to the Queen of heaven but offer up cakes unto her also as in Jer. 7. 18. From which kinde of idolatrie Job did thus acquit himself saying If I have beheld the sunne when it shined or the moon when it walked in brightnesse or if my heart hath secretly enticed my mouth to kisse my hand unto it or by way of worshipping it then this were iniquitie that ought to be punished chap. 31. verse 26. It ought indeed to be punished because God Almightie had forbidden it as in Deut. 4. 19. Beware lest thou lift up thine eyes to heaven and when thou seest the sunne and the moon and the starres even all the host of heaven shouldest be driven to worship and serve them which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven And in Jerem. chap. 10. vers 2. Learn not the way of the heathen and be not dismaid at the signes of heaven for the heathen are dismaid at them Which is as if it should be said The way of the heathen is to worship their gods with a servile fear and attribute divine honour to the creature But you which are my people do not you so for God willeth not that the works of his hands should be worshipped Or thus He there teacheth them to have their trust so firmly fixed on him that what disaster soever the heavens in the course of nature should threaten unto them they ought not to fear it For Astra regunt homines sed Deus astra regit And again Moses in the text calls the sunne and moon two great lights the greatest of which even the sunne it self seemeth to our eyes but little and yet by rules of art is found farre greater then the earth that thereby we may learn not to trust our senses too much in heavenly things Last of all let me prevent a question The moon is lesse then any starre For Tycho makes Mercury but 19 times lesse then the earth whereas the moon is lesse by 42 times how then can the moon be called a great light seeing her bodie is no bigger Take this answer The sunne and moon are called great lights partly from their nature effects because they give more light then other starres The sunne appeareth alone in the day not because he is alone but because through his exceeding brightnesse the other starres cannot be seen The moon also in her brightnesse obscureth many starres and being more beautifull then any other hath worthily the chief preheminence in ruling the night as the Scripture speaketh Or thus They be called great lights say some according to the custome of the Scripture speaking according to the capacitie of the simple for in outward appearance they are the greatest And yet as great as the greatest is if one should go about to perswade the vulgar that the earth is of a farre lesse circuit they would scarce beleeve it making the sunne of the bignesse of some wheel and the moon as much in compasse as the breadth of a bushel howbeit S. Ambrose gives sensible and apparent reasons of greatnesse in the sunne and moon even by daily experience For first they appeare of like quantitie to all the world whereas herds of cattel being espied farre off seem as ants and a ship discerned farre in
part whereof is circa mundi medium from whence may be had in readinesse alwayes that which is sufficient to water and fructifie the earth and leave a place for habitation The other circa mundi extremum as in a great treasure and plentifull store-house from whence per mediam aëris naturam both the starres are cherished their beams made wholesome to the world and also the expense of these lower waters salved in what is needfull for the earth as a bad debter either sends back none or little of that which it borrowed not being easily turned into any other element From whence saith he we may answer that question amongst the ancient Ethnick Philosophers mentioned by Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unde nutriatur mundus And indeed for mine own part I also think that the starres are of such a nature or substance that in their kinde they stand in need of daily sustentation like a lamp which can burn no longer then the oyl lasteth which ever feeds it For the heavens are subject to change and alteration neither is there any necessitie compelling us to attribute a quintessence to either of them especially seeing we are certain that the world is not eternall but that we may as well and as probably grant them to be of the same nature with the elements as formerly I have related Which being granted I suppose them to be chiefly of a fierie nature and this perhaps they took from the highest part of the aire in the supream height of heaven which reacheth to the utmost extent of the out-spread firmament For there is that which we call the Elementarie fire there I say and not in a lower place although Aristotle would have it in concavo lunae or next under the orb of the moon of which see more in the second dayes work And herein I do willingly also embrace the opinion of Plato that the starres for the most part are fierie yet so as they in some sort participate also of the other elements that thereby their bodies may be as it were glewed together and firmly concreted into a durable lump differing no otherwise from a Comet then ice doth from crystall or a cleare solid gemme from bright brittle glasse An experiment whereof we have in that new starre of Cassiopea's chair which because it was of a more solid composition then ordinarie comets and of a nearer nature to the matter of the continuing starres did therefore appeare like one of them lasted a long while with them before it was extinguished for had it not been exalted to a great perfection and solid composition of the parts it had been gone extinct and vanished a long while sooner And in granting to them something of every element although their greatest portion especially in the sunne be fierie it comes to passe that they have differing qualities of which see more afterwards in the Astrologicall part of this dayes work Neither shall I need to stand upon it as a thing necessary for me to prove whether they make warm the aire and us by any heat which is formally in them or by the attrition made with their beams Onely know that it is hotter in summer then in winter because when the beams of the sunne come nearest to a perpendicular trajection their heat is the greater because their reflexion is the stronger But leaving this give me leave to proceed and to prosecute more fully the matter in hand that thereby I may shew my meaning now more clearely concerning the daily nourishment of these bright heavenly lamps For as hath been said seeing their chiefest matter is of that nature of which it appeareth to be they must of necessitie be nourished out of some store-house or other otherwise the world comes to decay impavidum ferient ruinae and the very ruines will strike him who fears it not For satisfaction therefore in this it cannot be amisse to remember the opinion amongst sundry of the ancient Philosophers who said the truth and yet erred in declaring it as Cleanthes who allowed the matter of the sunne to be fierie and that it was nourished by humours attracted from the ocean Also Anaximander and Diogenes after whom Epicurus and the Stoicks thought in like manner that the sunne was nourished by waters and lest it should perish through any defect of aliment they fondly supposed that the oblique motion which it had from one Tropick to another was to finde out moist humours that thereby it might live perpetually Now these things very worthily were held by Aristotle to be ridiculous and absurd as in the second book of his Meteors at the second chapter is apparent Yet neverthelesse succeeding times did in a manner pitch still upon the same tenents and would not onely have the sunne and rest of the Planets but even all the other starres nourished by vapours and watrie humours as well as they For amongst others it was Cicero's opinion in his second book De natura deorum making the sea and waters of the earth their daily store-house See also Seneca in his 6 book and 16 chapter of Naturall questions and Plutarch in libello de Iside and Plinie in his Naturall historie lib 2. cap. 9. whose words are these Sydera verò haud dubiè humore terreno pasci c. These indeed spake the truth but as I said before they erred in declaring it For it is nothing probable neither may it be granted that all the seas or waters in the world are able to afford moisture enough for such a purpose And therefore smile I at those fable-forgers Whose busie-idle style so stiffly urges The heav'ns bright Saphires to be living creatures Ranging for food and hungry fodder-eaters Still sucking up in their eternall motion The earth for meat and for their drink the ocean Nor can I see how th' earth and sea should feed So many starres whose greatnesse doth exceed So many times if starre-divines say troth The greatnesse of the earth and ocean both For here our cattell in a moneth will eat Sev'n times the bulk of their own bulk in meat Wherefore be pleased to call to minde what was formerly mentioned in the second day concerning the waters above the heavens set apart from these below by the out-spread Firmament but how it is that there they are and that the out-spread Firmament is able to uphold them let the alledged reasons in the foresaid day be again remembred And then observe that these waters were certainly separated for some purpose for Deus Natura nihil faciunt frustra God and Nature make nothing in vain He made all things in number weight and measure saith Solomon so that there is nothing which was not made for something I do therefore consent again to those who suppose that these waters do daily nourish and cherish the starres thereby also so tempering and ordering their beams that they may remain wholesome to the world turning also and attenuating those drops with
indeed may well be neare their feet for they prize the trash we trample on farre above the joyes of heaven else would they never work their fond purposes by deceitfull means and damage others to help themselves Amongst the severall sorts of shell-fishes the glistering Pearl-fish deserves remembrance not onely in respect of her self but also in regard of the Prawn another fish and her companion for between these two there is a most firm league of friendship much kindenesse and such familiaritie as cannot but breed admiration in the reader They have a subtill kinde of hunting which being ended they divide their prey in loving manner for seeing they one help the other in the getting of it they likewise joyn in the equall sharing And in few words thus it is of which ye may reade in Plinie Plutarch Elian c. When the Pearl-fish gapeth wide she hath a curious glistering within her shell by which she allureth the small fry to come swimming into her which when her companion the Prawn perceiveth he gives her a secret touch with one of his prickles whereupon she shuts her gaping shell and so incloseth her wished prey then as I said they equally share them out and feed themselves And thus day by day they get their livings like a combined knot of cheaters who have no other trade then the cunning deceit of quaint cousenage hooking in the simpler sort with such subtill tricks that be their purses stuft with either more or lesse they know a way to sound the bottome and send them lighter home lighter in purse though heavier in heart The foresaid authours make mention of the Gilthead or Golden-eye which helpeth the one the other out of a snare or from off an hook for if the insnared fish cannot help himself by loosing the snare with his tail then will his companion put to his mouth and set him free Or if the one see the other hanged on a hook it may be easily observed how his free mate will skip at the line and never leave till he have broke it off Which may serve well to teach us that we ought not to leave our friends in danger but do the best and utmost that we can to set them free For a friend is never known till such an occasion shall discover him at other times we have friends enow The Plaice if it be well grown and something thick is said to be a passing good fish It takes the name from Placeo to please because it pleaseth the palate That fish which we call the Sole is a very wholesome fish And so is the Whiting often entertained in the court I have heard the Gurnard likewise much commended But the Conger is hard of substance and therefore not easie to be digested And so also is the Salmon hard of digestion although it be a pleasant fish and very sweet especially the belly Whereupon it comes to passe that we do not eat it hot or presently after it is boyled The Ray or Thornback is scarce so wholesome as other fish for Physicians write that it makes men subject to the falling evil by reason that it is a fish full of superfluous juice Howbeit the pricks which grow without upon the skinne if they be pulled up by the roots dried made into powder and given fasting in White or Rhenish wine is an excellent medicine to avoid gravell and to break the stone Herring is a fish common and cheap very dangerous if they be not moderately eaten fresh for we often see that want of care in the eating of them casteth many into fevers And as for Red Herrings and Red Sprats they must needs have little wholesomenesse or nourishment in them for if we may beleeve the learned they give as good nourishment to the bodie as rustie Bacon We reade that in the river Ganges are Eeles of an extraordinarie bignesse and length This fish is never better moved from his nest then in a thunder They be not bred out of spawn as other fishes but from the slime and dirt of the earth as the common opinion goeth and of all fishes which are tooth some these are the least wholesome They breed agues stop and hurt the voice procure the stone by reason of their great sliminesse and do also dispose a man to the gowt by breeding such matter as brings pain in the joynts But know that after Eeles and Eâ—…mpreys we should drink good strong wine and indeed generally with all kindes of fish wine is very wholesome The Shad is never is season but in the spring for at other times it is full of bones And in the choice of fish this is a rule that such as have seales and â—…innes are best for many scales and â—…innes betoken the purenesse of their substance as the physicians tell us The Gogion is a daintie fish and found aswell in the sea as in fresh waters of which there be sundry sorts but the best live in sandie places and about rocks The Tench is commonly called the Physician of other fishes for when they be hurt they heal themselves again by touching the Tench finding the slime of his body to be as a soveraigne salve The Perch useth to wound others with his sharp fins whereupon the Pike or Pickerell dares not devoure him Both these give the body pure nourishment by reason of their firm and hard substance The Rock Dace Chevine Bream Smelt and Carp are good But the Trout is admirable for this is so sound in nourishment that when we would speak of one who is sound indeed we say that he is as sound as a Trout This is in some kinde a foolish fish and an embleme of one who loves to be flattered for when he is once in his hold you may take him with your hands by tickling rubbing or clawing him under the bellie I will not say who else is like this fish for fear I should offend some squeamish dame but let not her anger shew her wantonnesse and so we are both charmed to hold our peace she to salve her own credit and I to end this present section wherein I do confesse I might have spoken of sundry other fishes but I had rather send my reader to Gesner and such other ample authours then tire him with my relations Sect. 2. Containing the second part of this fifth day which is of Birds or Fowl flying in the open firmament of heaven FRom fishes I must come to birds from the water to the aire and teach my pen to flie a while with the feathered fowls as before it was swimming with the fearfull silent fish And now why God hath joyned the creation of fish and fowl together may without curiositie be observed to wit because he would in every work and part thereof continue an harmonious order Great is the likenesse between fish and fowl whether it be that we consider the
rather then man should finde it they use to hide it in the earth or sand and yet they are deceived for as Plinie writeth it is there soonest of all converted into a stone and not seldome found Which by Geminianus is rightly made an embleme of the envious man who will not onely endeavour to do hurt but be heartily sorie if by chance it be his hap to do any one good The Beaver is a beast of a very hot nature living both in the water and on the land and differeth from an Otter onely in the tail Germanie Spain France Italy and divers other places abound with these beasts His stones are much used in physick the hunters therefore catch him that they may geld him whereupon he is called Castor for it is but a fable to say he biteth out his own stones when they come to take him for indeed they lie too close in his bodie to be pulled out with his teeth These stones and genitalls the Physicians call Castoreum and as for his skinne and hairs their use is also excellent The Otter is something lesse then a Beaver and may well be called A dog of the water and as Mr Topsell thinketh is without all doubt a kinde of Beaver It is a sharp-biting beast never letting his hold go untill he make the bones to crack between his teeth and as for the females they use to give suck to their whelps untill they be almost as big as themselves Olaus Magnus calleth them Lutrae quadrato ore mordaces and telleth us that some great men in Suetia keep tame Otters in their houses which are so tractable that the cook of the kitchin can send them into the fish-ponds to bring him fish for his masters dinner Their skinnes besides other uses if they be worn in caps or stocking-soles are good and wholesome against the palsie megrim and other pains of the head Topsell Sciurus the Squirrell is a quick nimble creature which will skip from tree to tree with great facilitie When she is out of her nest her tail serveth to secure her both from sunne and rain Howbeit it is sometimes a hurt unto her for the hairs of it be so thick that striving to swimme over a river her tail is so laden with water that sinking she drowneth Wherefore nature hath taught her this prettie piece of policie namely to get upon a little piece of wood which swimming wafts her securely over and wanting a sail her bushie tail set up and spread abroad supplies the room of that defect Plinie saith they have great foresight in the change of weather and will therefore stop up the hole of their nest on that side from whence the tempest is like to blow opening a passage in the contrarie place or side opposite to it The like whereunto is affirmed of the Hedge-hog also Their skinnes are exceeding warm and their tails profitable to make brushes their flesh is tender and in a manner comparable to the flesh of Kids or Conies yet not very wholsome except the squirrell were a black one When this beast is hunted she cannot be driven to the ground to creep into hedges unlesse extremitie of faintnesse cause her so to do through an unwilling compulsion for such saith one is the stately minde of this little beast that while her limbes and strength lasteth she tarrieth and saveth her self in the tops of tall trees disdaining to come down for every harm or hurt which she feeleth knowing indeed her greatest danger to rest below among the dogs and busie hunters From whence may be gathered a perfect pattern for us to be secured from all the wiles and hungrie chasings of the treacherous devil namely that we keep above in the loftie palaces of heavenly meditations for there is small securitie in things on earth and greatest ought to be our fear of danger when we leave to look and think of heaven But I come to another beast which in Topsells historie is thus described There is in the New-found World farre into the South a strange and terrible beast which they of the countrey where it liveth call a Su so named because it liveth neare the water and su in their language signifieth water It is a creature of a very deformed shape monstrous presence a great ravener and altogether untameable She hath a mightie great tail which is brushie fierce talons and a cruell look Now when hunters for the desire of her skinne shall set upon her she flieth very swift carrying her young ones upon her back and covereth them with her broad tail And the hunter not daring to encounter with her but by treacherie is forced to this project namely to dig great holes in the ground and cover them over with boughs sticks and earth which he doth so weakly that if the beast chance at any time to come upon it she and her young ones fall down into the pit where they have no way but one they must be taken But this cruell untameable impatient violent ravening and bloudy beast perceiving that her naturall strength cannot deliver her first of all to save her young ones as she supposeth she destroyeth them all with her own teeth so that never any of them could be taken and tamed and then howleth and roareth at the hunters who come about her but now they need not fear her she is secure enough whereupon they use means quickly to dispatch her and by fatall blows to stop her mouth from bawling Then they take off her skinne and leave her carcase in the earth and of what use her skinne is I have not heard The Hedge-hog is a beast well known about the bignesse of a conie but like to a Swine having her body beset with and compassed all over with sharp tâ—…orny hairs or pricking bristles which she setteth up or keepeth down at her pleasure and by these she defendeth her self from those who seek her life which is attributed to her as a kinde of craft and wilinesse Some therefore have likened a deceitfull man unto this beast who turneth and windeth himself for all advantages and is now this then that sometimes neither this nor that Between him and the Serpent there is mortall hatred for it is said that the serpent will seek out the hedge-hogs den and then falleth upon him with purpose to kill him but the Hedge-hog draweth himself up together round like a foot-ball so that nothing appeareth but his thornie pricks where at the Serpent biteth in vain for the more she laboureth to annoy the Hedge-hog the more she is wounded and harmeth her self howbeit the height of her minde and hate of her heart be such that they will not suffer her to let him go till one or both parties be destroyed yea it sometimes so happeneth that the least creature hath the best successe and gets the conquest So have I seen some provoke others to their own
at the rising of the Sunne Fromond Met. lib. 6. Du Batt a Halo Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nominatur hoc est Area quoniam ut Seneca testatuâ—… apud veteres terendis frugibus loca destinata fere rotunda suerunt Latini Coronam vocant quia rotundâ plerumque constat figurâ sidera cingere atque coronare videtur The signification of Circles f They are very seldome seen about the Sunne because of winde in the day time or because the Sunne either draweth the vapours too high or else disperseth them too much In the yeare 1104 there was a blazing starre and 4 circles about the Sunne which was a signe of the new kindling malice again between Henry the first King of England and his brother Duke of Normandy Stow in his chron The efficient cause of the Rain-bow The materiall cause The formall cause The colours in the Rain-bow Moon-bows The finall cause How to judge of the weather by the rain-bow The derivation of Iris signifying the rain-bow The rainbow was before the Floud A grosse absurditie of some who think that there shall be no rain nor rain-bow 40 yeares before the worlds end What the Jews do at the sight of the rain-bow a On Gen. chap. 9. pag. 898. b Dr. Willet on Gen. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naâ—… â—…hilosoph b Quâ—… clara sunt alboque apparent colore 〈◊〉 visum movent quâ—… vero nigra obscura sunt minus cum afficiunt c Si magna fuerit vorago si non it a magna hiatus nonâ—…natur Titclman a It is said that clouds have sometimes fallen down to the earth with great noise to the teâ—…rour damage of such as had them in their Zenith which clouds came but from the highest part of the lowest region yet neverthelesse they were generated in the middle Region but waxing very heavie have sunk down by little and little till at last they seem to fall no further then the lowest Region But this is seldome They may also fall by drops through their own weight b Nigredo in nubibus ob vaporum densitatem oritur quâ—… lumen collustrans non admittit Et sic é contrá â—…it Albor viz. è vapore subtiliore parùm conspissato quem radius facillimé peâ—…etrat â—…quabiliter in illum spaâ—…gitur Goclen Disâ—…us Phys. c 〈◊〉 rubedo 〈◊〉 significat quia rubedo nubem raraâ—…t estâ—… solis 〈◊〉 ejúsque 〈◊〉 abâ—… esse â—…tat Sed 〈◊〉 rubedo pluâ—…ias 〈◊〉 ventos promiâ—…tit quia vapores humidarum sub densarum 〈◊〉 absumi non 〈◊〉 Ibid. The height of the clouds How the clouds naturally hang in the aire a This may be seen if any will but assay to poure water from an high place Ordinary and extraordinary rains Prodigious rain Worms Frogs Fishes Wheat b Paragraph â—… art 3. and elsewhere c Fulk in his Meteors Milk * Which may the sooner be done in summer and in hot countreys Flesh. Bloud d Lanquet â—…tow c. Object Answ. Wooll Stones Iron Earth Red crosses e Ruâ—…finus Histor. Eccles. lib. 1. cap. 39 f Theod. Histor. Eccles. lib. 3. cap. 20. Reasons concerning Red crosses at other times g Lib. 4. cap. 6. * So also in Westphalia ann 1543. at Lovane 1568. ipso Pentecostes die And in the yeare 1571 in duione Embdensi in Frisus Orientalibus See Fromond Meteor Lib. 5. cap. 6. art 3. The devil many times worketh in the Aire * Psal. 78. 49. How it comes to passe that the deviâ—…s knowledge is farre beyond mans * Matth. 8. 31. Job 1. 12. h Saxo Grammat Olaus magnus * Ephes. 2. 2. Exod. cap. 7 8. i Sentio inquit tales 〈◊〉 is verâ—… prodigioâ—…as esse fieri 〈◊〉 solâ Dei potentiâ eoque iram Dei portendere qualis fuit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pluit sulphure igne supra Sodomam alias urbes aut etiam 〈◊〉 praestigiâ—… Deo permit tenâ—…e fieri Zanch. Tom. 3. lib. 3. cap. 5. quâ—…st 6. Thes. 3. Why dew is but in the morning and at evening Why no dew is a signe of rain a Titâ—…lm 〈◊〉 lib. 6. cap. 6. How sheep mayâ—… get a deadly flux 〈◊〉 of dew Three kindes of dew Manna Of the Israelites Manna b 〈◊〉 oâ—… 〈◊〉 The Israelites Manna was not without miracle in many respects * Psal. 78. 25 26. How Manna is said to be Angels food c Myrrhina is a wine mixed with Myrâ—…he and other sweet â—…pices How Manna is said to come from heaven Hony-dew d Lib. 11. cap. 12. e It riseth with Sol about the end of July f Which is about the 17 day of April Ladanum the third kinde of sweet dew g Plin. lib. 12. cap. 17. Blasting dew h Magir. Phys. Com. lib. 4. cap. 6. a Lib. 1. de Meteâ—… câ—…p 10. Hot things cooled are soonest congealed Arist. Met. lib. 1. cap. 11. The matter of snow Why snow is white a Fulks Meteors b Havenreut com In Arist. de Met. lib. 1. Warm winters hurtfull c Lib. 17. cap. 2. One and the same cloud may give the mountains snow and the valleys rain The reason of sleet Crystall d Fulk Met. What hail is Winter-hail how and where it is made The sundry fashions of hail-stones Hail doth many times much hurt How the heathen used to secure their fields from hail and other harms * Psal. 107. 34 35 Charms unlawfull The descending mist is twofold Why mists and fogs stink A rot for cattell and an harm to men How by a mist to judge of the weather * And that 's the reason why when it hangs on the stubble or the like places we see so many little spiders busie in it for the matter doth as it were feed them and perhaps through the Sun-beams generate them The first opinion Answer a Dâ—… dicit Deum producere ventos de thesauris suis hoc tantùm innuit ventorum materiam exhalatiâ—…nen in terra tanquam thesauro inclusam esse unde Deâ—…s ventos producit per causas intermedias naturales quae sunt calor solis terrâ—… Havenreut Psal. 74. 17. 18. A socâ—…nd opinion * Psal. 104. 3. †Ibid. * Psal. 18. 10. †Ibid. vers 14. Answer â—… third opinion Answer b Metâ—…r lib. 1. cap. 13. Winde is more then the motion of the aire Another opinion * The reason of which fiction was because the clouds and mists rising about the sâ—…en Aeolian Islands of which he was king did alwayes portend great store of windes c Metamor lib. 1. a Lâ—…d de origâ—… font cap. 3. The cause and effects of an earthquake The definition of winde b Met. lib. 2. cap. 4. Why it useth to rain when the winde is down The aire moved augments the winde How the windes are moved and by what c Havenâ—â—us de Mes. lib. 2. cap. 4. Where 〈◊〉 motion of the winde beginneth Particular windes Why the winde bloweth not alwayes one way Opposite 〈◊〉 Oblique windes Whisâ—…ing windes The matter of winde not
The Scolopendra * De animal lib. 13. cap. 23. An embleme from this fish of swallowing the baits of sinne The Sturgeon An embleme concerning thriving The Calamarie * Liâ—… 9. cap. 29. The Purple The Polypus 〈◊〉 â—…sons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Polypus The Pearl-fish The Pearl and the Prawn emblemes of cheating The Gilthead An embleme of friendship The Plaice The Sole Whiting Gurnard Conger Salmon Thornback A medicine against the stone Herring Eeles The Shad. The Gogion or Gudgion Tâ—… 〈◊〉 The Perch and Pike The Trout The Eagle Parents ought not to bring up their children in idlenesse by an example taken from the Eagle The Phenix * Lib. 10. cap. 2. 〈◊〉 lib. 6. * Lib. 58. †Lib. de emend temp alio quoâ—… lib. cap. 22. The Griffon * See also 〈◊〉 Cosmog The Ostrich Job 39. 14 15. The Ostrich like women who will not nurse their children Ibis The Kite Emblemes from the Kite concerning the covetous gripers of this world Envie shadowed forth The Raven An emblem from the Fox and Raven concerning compaâ—…ions in ill c. Good to help digestion Plin. lib. 10. cap. 1â—… Against such aâ—… want naturall affection Aelian de animal lib. 3. cap. 43. Children should not be used too harshly in their minoritie * Prov. 13. 24. and chap. 23. 13. †Lib. 10. cap. 12. The egges of ravens are naught for big beâ—…ed women †Lib. 10. cap. 47. The Pelican * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perforo to beat or pierce Policie is better then strength The Stork Plin. lib. 10. cap. 23. There ought to be societie amongst men From whence men first learned to purge by clyster The Heron The Hawk Olaus Mag. lib. 19. Emblemes from the Ape and Hawk concerning treacherie and ruine to a mans house The Partridge The Phesant * Liâ—… 1â—… cap. 4â—… The Mallard Schol. Salernâ—… translated by Sir John Hir. The Nightingale * Aelian 〈◊〉 hist. lib. 12. Du Bart. The Lark Black-bird Linot Finch Mavis Redbreast Wren Thrush and Starling The Owl Bubo The Night-raven The Scriech-owl Noctua The Howlet To make a drunkard lothe â—…is liquour The Bat. The Cuckoe Lib. 19. False friends Ovid. Epist. Adulterous mâ—…n like the Cuckoe The Swallow * And so much the rather because they are seen in hotter countrâ—… when they be gone from hence neither can any one shew a cause for every thing in Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Turtle Innocencie to be learned from the Dove The Pigeon The Sparrow * 〈◊〉 hinketh so but I suppose that although their time be short yet it may be more then a yeare A storie of a Sparrow The Peacock An example of envie * 〈◊〉 lib 4. cap. 43. The Cock The Cock â—…eth the Lion Cock-fights * Var. hist. lib. 2. A storie concerning Cock-fighting Ibid. Du â—…art The Crane Care ought to be in Pastoâ—…rs Magistrates and Governours taught by an example from the Crane The tongue hath brought many to mischief The Swan A pattern of matrimoniall love Death ought to be cheerfull The Sea-crow A bird called Platea Policie is better then strength The Ray kills the Sea-crows The Plover * See the haven of health pag. 136. The Lapwing * Tereâ—…s â—…ex Thraâ—… Meta. lib. 6. The Osprey The Charadrion An emblemâ—… from the cure done by this bird concerning our cure wrought by Christ. Porphyrio The King-fisher * Lib. 10. cap. 3â—… Ovid. Met. lib. 11. Dâ—… 〈◊〉 * He names onely the â—…icilian sea Bermuda birds Birds of Paradise * Who also writeth that he saw a tree in the East-Indies the leaves of which changed themselves into birds who lived but 8 houres Du Bart. Sum. And of birds in the Moluccos as big as hens with horns in stead of crests They lay their egges in the sâ—…nd and there they be hatched The Cucuios * Like unto which are those birds mentioned by Plinie and Solinus Plin. lib. 10. cap 47. * See Purch and Du Bart. summary pag. 240. Bees * Topsel in his Hist. of Serpents Tops bist Sâ—…rp Wasps * But sometimes in thaâ—…ched houses Hornets A fight between a Sparrow and a Hornet The Badger on enemie to the Hornet A good medicine against stinging Cantharides Pyrausta Tarantula †Like unto which is an herb in Sardinia of which if any â—…at much they perish and die laughing It is like to Balm gentle 〈◊〉 Bombyx The creation of beasts The Elephant a Topsel b Plin. lib. 8. cap. 11 c 〈◊〉 lib. 8. d Topsel * And in Pegu the King hath many it being part of his royall title King of the White Elephants See Mr. Purch in his Pilgr of Asia lib. 5. e Munst. cosmog. The way to catch Elephants * These 〈◊〉 are anoinâ—…ed with a certain oyl which causeth the wilde Elephant to follow them †Some say they are chased in as is also the tame Elephant trained up on purpose for such huntings Purch of Asia lib. 5. The mouse is offensive to the Elephant Munst. An embleme from the Elephant The marriage bed must not be abused f Gemin lib. 5. cap. 60. Tobit 8. 4 7 8. * Ezek. 8. 6. and 22. 10. Levit. 18. 19. g See Mr. Perk. in his Aurea 〈◊〉 h Munst. A pattern for great men Gemin lib. 5. cap. 96. The Rhinoceros l Purch 5 book of Asia k Topsell l Purch ibid. ex 〈◊〉 The Unicorn Deut. 33. 17. Isai. 34. 7. Job 39. 9. Psalm 92. 10. A description of the Unicorns horn How hunters take them The Lion A storie of a Lion Another storie of a Lion * Aeliâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…ist lib. 1 †Munst. He is truely valiant that can overcome himself * Fortiâ—…r est qui se quam qui fortiffuâ—… vincit 〈◊〉 The Tiger * And note thaâ—… his Mustachios are holden for mortall poisen causing men to die mad if they be given in meat Purch m Plin. lib. 8. cap. 18. n Munster Topsell o Topsell The Panther p Plin. lib. 8. cap. 17. How the Leopard is begotten An embleme from the Panther concerning fair tongues and false hearts q Topsell The Camel r Purch s Plin. lib. 8. cap. 18. t Plin. ibid. An embleme from the Camel concerning those who preferre earth before heaven * Matth. 19. 24. The Horse and Camel great enemies Stuffes made of Camels hair A lesson of patience and humilitie taught by the Camel The Dromedarie The Cameleopard u Lib. 8. cap. 30. The Hyaena x Topsell y Idem Pag. 439. The Corcuta The Mantichora a Purch lib. of Africa cap. 1. Zebra Muflo b Munst. Cos. Epit. The Ovassom Virginia Dogs Wolves Foxes c. The Wolf c Geâ—…in lib. 5. 6. 39 d Ibid. * Or elsé come with the green leaves and small boughs of Osrers c. Plin. lib. 8. cap. 22. Ola. Mag. lib. 18. e Tops f Ibid. Romulus Remus not nursed by a Wolf The Fox The subtilties of the Fox How the Fox catcheth fleas d Topsell †Geâ—…in lib.
â—… cap. 39. A cunning trick of a tame Fox An embleme from the Fox and her young concerning false friends e 〈◊〉 The Lynx f Tops ex Belloâ—… g Idem ibid. An embleme of envie h Lib. 37. cap. 3. i Lib. 5. cap. 71. The Beaver The Otter k Lib. 18. A medicine for the megrim and palsie The Squirrell Olaus Mag. ibid. l Plin. lib. 8. cap. 38. m Tops pag. 658. An embleme from the hunted Squirrell concerning the small securitie in things on earth A strange beast called a Su. The Hedge-hog n Tops pag. 279. An embleme from the Serpent and Hedge hog concerning mean estates The Hedge-hog changeth his nest The embleme detecteth Time-servers and unconstant Professours The Porcupine or Mountain Hedge-hog The Armadill The Alborach The Hare o Lib. 8. cap. 55. p North. hist. lib. 1â—… q Willet on Lâ—…vit An embleme from the Hare concerning the wayes to heaven and hell Another r Idem ibid. How to use our hearing and seeing The Conie s Topsell * Markhams Meth. t Haven of health pag. 119. u Mark ibid. The Ferret An embleme from the Ferret concerning covetous rich men A storie of an usurer The Poulcat The Weasel * Lib. 8. cap. 21. An embleme from the Weasel concerning the use of an enemie The Mole †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11. c. 37. o Topsel p Gemâ—… ex Arist. q Idem lib. 5. c. 29. and Dr. Will. on Levit. cap. 1â—… An embleme from the Mole A sinner though blinde in life sees in death †Ibid. cap. 29. The Ermin †Meaning the Martins The Sivet-cat The Musk-cat The Cat. Why the male Cat eateth his young Wherein Cats be dangerous A storie shewing the danger of making Cats too familiar Lib. 18. â—… The Mouse q Gemin lib. 5. cap. 6. r Var. hist. lib. 1. A storie of a Bishop eaten up with Mice An embleme from the Mouse concerning those who destroy themselves to serve their bellies The Shrew-mouse The Dormouse †Epiphan The Alpine Mouse * Munst. Coâ—…m The Rat. †Topsel Dogs An embleme from Dogs being a caveat against too great haste in any action The Greyhound The Hound The Spaniel The Mâ—…stive a Bark in his Summ. â—…onum A story of a loving Dog Another storie Another storie Apes †Breeding in islands on the further side of Ganges and in the Eastern mountains of India * Aenigma in the Theban language signifieth an inrode or warlike incursion wherefore the people complained in this sort This Greâ—…ian Sphinx robbeth us in setting upon us with an â—…nigma but no man knoweth after what manner she maketh this â—…nigma Tops history of beasts pag. 18. Alexander deceived by Apes How to 〈◊〉 wilde Apes * Plin. lib. â—… cap. 54. An embleme from the Ape and her 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib 5 cap. 10. Against the fondnesse of parents The follie of a covetous man In them who are blessed the dew of heaven is before the fatnesse of the earth The Bear †Lib. â—… 〈◊〉 3â—… A â—…orie of a man saved by a Bear * Nâ—…rth 〈◊〉 lib. 1â—… An embleme concerning the end of sins sweetnesse * Gemin lib. 5. c. 35. †Jer. 23. 29. * Psal. 50. 17. †Rom. 2. 16. The Bugill Wilde Bulls 〈◊〉 hurt themselves because they cannot hurt others The Elk. The Buffe * 〈◊〉 Of Deere Gemiâ—… lib. 5 c. 42. * Lib. 8. cap. 32. An embleme from the Hart shewing that children should be taught betimes Another Our eyes are opened in affliction Another embleme concerning those who sorrow to part with earth although they may gain heaven †Gemin lib. 5. Another embleme We should weep for sinne by the example of the Hart. Tragelaphus The Rangifer The Goat The Badger Sheep An embleme from the Lambes concerning those who often perish by following the steps of the greatest multitude The Horse * Pliâ—… lib. â—… cap. 4â—… The marks of a good Horse How to know the age of an Horse The Ierf A fit embleme against gâ—…uttonie and drunkennesse By Sir Richard Bark in his Suâ—… 〈◊〉 Another embleme concerning those who are suddenly taken away in the very act of their sinnes The Gorgon The Basilisk n Tops Hist. of serpents pag. 125 * Idem ibid A note concerning nocuous creatures The Boas The Dragon †Munst. Epit. cos * Munst. The Dipsas Hypnale Prester Haemorrhois The Dart. The Amphisbena * Pâ—…rch An embleme concerning government Cerastes †Pâ—…rch The Viper * Pliâ—… lib. 1â—… cap. 62. †Hist. 〈◊〉 lib. 5. cap. â—…lt The Slow-worm The Adder An Embleme from tâ—…e Adder casting hâ—…s skin concerâ—…ing the 〈◊〉 of abstinence and â—…asting if it be rightly used African Snakes and Adders A great serpent * â—…ib 6 cap. 3. Dragons in Congo * Purch The Scorpion The Asp. Plin. lib. 8. cap. 23. * Topsell †See the authour of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Summarie The Chameleon Why the Chameleon changeth colour An embleme against flattery The Lizzard The Salamander The conclusion of the first Section Gen. 2. 19. * Hug. in didase lib. 1. The spirits heart liver brain arteries veins and nerves The veins and the arteries go together Passions have their seat in the heart The humours stirre up the passions The heart liveth first and dieth last The head The eyes The eares The tongue The lungs The nose The hand The feet The soul. How man was made according to Gods image Woman made according to the image of God as well as man 1. Cor. 11. 7. How woman is the glorie of the man Quarl upon Esther Med. 3. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 1. cap. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ideâ—… ibid. * Gen. 3. â—… * Gen. 1. 31. †See Rom. 8. 19 20 21 22 23.