Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	land_n	sea_n	water_n	5,314	5	6.4029	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05370	Ravvleigh his ghost. Or a feigned apparition of Syr VValter Rawleigh to a friend of his, for the translating into English, the booke of Leonard Lessius (that most learned man) entituled, De prouidentia numinis, & animi immortalitate: written against atheists, and polititians of these dayes. Translated by A. B.; De providentia numinis, et animi immortalitate. English	Lessius, Leonardus, 1554-1623.; Knott, Edward, 1582-1656.; Raleigh, Walter, Sir, 1552?-1618.	1631 (1631)	STC 15523; ESTC S102372	201,300	468

earth would become dry barren depriued of all beauty ornaments of trees grasse hearbs and flowers and finally not fit and commodious for the habitatiō of man beasts Showers receaue their fecundity and fruitfulnes from a double cause first by the mixture of a viscous and fat matter which is exhaled and drawne vp with the vapours from the earth and the sea for the sea being fertil hath a certaine fatnes with the which fishes are nourished Therefore while the Sunne eleuateth vp the more thin parts of it which are vapours it withal attracteth a certaine oyle and fat matter which being mingled with the vapours after throgh cold conden sd and thickned into rayne doth water the earth The same thing also hapneth when vapours and exhalations are drawne vp through the Suns heat from a fenny earth frō gardēs fields woods Secondly showers take their fruitfulnes from the spirit and heat included and impressed in the cloud or shower by the beames of the Sunne for this spirit or heat causeth all things to grow and increase And to the end that the fall of showers should not ouerwhelme with an ouer great and impetuous force weight the tender buds and flowers therefore the diuyne prouidence hath ordayned that they do not fall ouer abundantly and precipitantly but that frō a great height they should distil by little little through a large tract of the ayre wherby they being deuided into infinite most small drops do be sprinkle the earth with a pleasing moisture and humidity And to the end that what is thus falen vpon the earth should not by the heat of the Sunne be instantly dryed vp consumed before it could penetrate and descend to the roots of plants therefore for the most part certaine dry remnants of clouds do intercept the beames of the Sunne vntill the earth do drinke and suck vp the raine and transmit it to the rootes for the better nourishing of the fruite which it bringeth forth Also Snow which is as it were the froth of clouds is accompanied with no small benefit for besides that it affords matter for the continuance of springs and riuers descending from the highest mountaines it doth couer the earth as it were with a fleece of wool and by this meanes keeping the heat of the earth within it hindreth that frosts penetrating ouer deeply the earth do not extinguish the seminall vertue resyding in rootes and thus Snow is one cause of the earths great fertility of plants Snow also hath in it selfe a fecundity and fruitfulnes in regard of the ayre included in it which shining with infinite bubles giueth that extraordinary whitenes to the Snow Frost in like manner is most profitable to all things for by a repercussion beating backe it keepeth within the spirit heat of the earth and of liuing creatures not suffering it to euaporate and vanish away And from this it cōmeth that in colder coūtryes and such as are subiect to frosts men are of a more robustious greater stature and longer lyued then in hoater regions Now these to wit Wynds showers snow frosts and the like come not promis●●ously in any tyme of the yeare but are so distributed by certaine seasons thereof as they most aptly agree and sort to the begetting growing increasing and perfecting of plants and liuing creatures and to the perpetuating of their species and kynds and further do serue most cōmodiously to Mens vses From all which it is euen demonstratiuely concluded that all these are ordained and instituted by a most wise and most powerfull mynd or spirit for the good and s●ruice of liuing creatures and chiefly of Man to whom all the rest are subiect And that the Elements are for the same cause made and do to that end enioy such their peculiar situations and their proper formes and figures which now they haue doth abundan●ly appeare from the consideration of the earth and water For if we consider precisely things as they should be in their owne nature the earth ought to be exactly round and the water ought on euery syde to couer encompasse the earth Seing all things that are ponderous and heauy ought to descend equally towards the Center of the earth and by how much one body is more heauy then another by so much it ought to be more neere to the center and lower in place then the other Therefore the earth ought to be vnder the waters and the waters specially to be powred about it But we see that these two Elements are far otherwise situated for a huge portion of the earth to wit all that which is not couered with the sea and all the immense weight and heape of mountaines is far higher and more remote from the Center then the water is For there rūneth a mighty vast channell through the middest of the earth of an infinite profundity deuided into seuerall passages which running diuers wayes and in some places of greater breadth in others of lesser do make Ilands Into this channell all the Element of water is receaued that only excepted which being extenuated and made thin turneth into vapours that so the earth as free from being couered with water might be made seruiceable for the habitation of men and other creatures and for the groth and increase of things Furthermore the Earth is so fashioned and brought into that forme that from the sea towards the mediterranean places it by insensible degrees lifteth it selfe vp riseth higher vntill it end into mountaines and rockes in which poynt consisteth a most admirable art of the diuyne Prouidence For first by this structure of the Earth it is made free from all perillous inundations which by little and little and in long processe of tyme by tne influence of the starres or force of the wynds might endanger al the Earth For we see by experience that such bordering parts of the earth as are neere to the sea and do not much exceed the Sea in height are often vtterly ouerflowed with the deaths of the Inhabitants and losse of all goods Furthermore if this easy ascent rysing of the Earth were not there could not be any riuers for if the superficies of the earth were equally distant from the Center as in a globe perfectly round then would there be no fall of riuers for the water cannot flow except it fynd places more low and neere to the Center And if the Earth should suddenly be lifted vp into steepe heights then would the fall of riuers be more impetuous and violent then were requisite neither could riuers being so precipitious and downfall be commodious to mans vse neither could they runne continually through defect of matter I here omit the danger of inundations which often do chance to the great losse and detriment of the inhabitants when abundance of raine aud melted snow being gathered together do suddenly and precipitantly fall from some great height Therfore the Earth ought to ryse in height by

no other end then that the maintainers thereof should not be forced to acknowledge the world to be gouerned by diuyne Prouidence against which Prouidence they had a mighty auersion it selfe of necessity being most formidable and dreadfull to a mynd wallowing in all wickednes voluptuousnes as is euidently gathered out of Lucretius and Pliny That the world and the parts thereof cannot receaue their being from themselues is no lesse euident First among subblunary bodyes as all those be which are vnder the Moone those which are most perfect as Man other liuing Creatures cannot be of themselues for how can those things receaue their being frō themselues which need a preparation and concourse of so many causes that they may be borne and so many externall helpes and furtherrances that they may liue Or how can that be of it selfe which is extinguished perished with so great a facility Here perhaps it may be replyed that those bodies which be Indiuidua as particuler men are not of themselues but that the humane nature in generall as being eternall or for euer is of it selfe and that the like may be said of other Species or kindes of things But this is spoken ignorantly seeing the Species of any creature or body is not a thing separated from the Indiuidua as certaine Platonickes dreamed but doth exist in the Indiuidua neither hath it any esse or being in rerum natura but only by reason of the Indiuidua Yea for exāple species humana or the whole kynd of men is nothing els but the whole multitude of particuler men which haue beene are and may be as they all beare a liknes of nature among themselues Now then if Indiuiduall and particuler Men do depend of another cause then must also the whole Species or kynd which is not distinguished à parte rei as the Philosophers speake from the Indiuidua depend also of another cause This point is further manifested in that the whole Species or kynd may vtterly be extinguished or perishd But what dependeth not of another but hath it being only of it selfe cannot be extinguished for what is of it selfe did neuer begin but had euer its existency and therefore cannot cease or desist to be That it neuer begun is proued in that what once did begin sometimes was not and therefore it is produced as the phrase is à non esle ad esse from the not being of a thing to the being of the thing it selfe Now a thing cannot produce or cause it selfe and the reason is because that which doth produce ought to precede or go before that therby it may draw that which is to be produced à non esle ad esse Therefore whatsoeuer beginneth once to be is produced of another consequently receaueth not it s being of it self for to haue its being of it selfe is to haue its essēce without the influxe of any other efficient cause Therefore it is auident that what is of it selfe did neuer begin therefore shall neuer end and on the contrary syde what did begin hath not its being from it selfe but is necessarily produced of another Furthermore euery thing compounded of matter and forme cannot be of it selfe but necessarily is produed of some efficient cause which must dispose the matter and produce the forme and ioyne the forme to the matter for the matter neither receaueth those dispositions nor the forme from its owne essence since they may be separated therefore this vnion of the matter the forme is occasioned by some extrinsecal cause The same may be said of euery thing consisting of parts for seing the parts are not through any necessity vnited among themselues but may be mutually separated one from another it must needes follow that this vnion proceedeth from some cause which ioyned the parts togeather From these premises afore it appeareth that also the Elements as the earth the water the ayre and the fire are not of thēselues but haue some efficient begining for if those things which are most perfect for their nature among these sublunary bodyes haue not their being from themselues but from some other cause then much more those bodies which are most imperfect as the Elements are must for their being depend of another for to be of it selfe and not to depend of another is a signe of greatest perfection seing what is thus in nature is to it selfe the origen and fountaine of all good and standeth not in need of any thing externall Furthermore the Elements are not for themselues but for others I meane as they are parts of the world and as they afford matter to compounded bodyes therfore they haue not their being from themselues for that Axiome in Philosophy is true to wit Quod habet causam finalem ad quam ordinetur habet etiam efficientem à qua ordinetur What hath a final cause to the which it is directed and ordained the same hath also an efficient cause by the which it is so ordained for nothing is of it selfe to the end that it may serue another but that it may enioy it selfe Therefore euen in this respect that any thing is non propter se sed propter aliud not for it owne self but that it may conduce and be seruiceable to some other thing it followeth that the same thing is ordained by some one which hath intended the good of another Besides in that the Elemēts do enioy this or that magnitude or greatnes this place or that place in respect of the whole space and place in the world they receaue not this from thēselues seing their essence necessarily exacteth none of these circumstances therefore they take them from some extrinsecall cause which appointeth to euery one of the Elements their measure or greatnes their place or situation To conclude the Elements are subiect to so many mutations and changes and to so great a need of extrinsecall causes as that in regard hereof how can it be possibly conceaued that they should be of themselues or be at their owne fredome and liberty and in respect of their being not to depend of another These former reasons do conuince that Materia prima whereof the Philosophers do teach that all things were first made hath not its being from it selfe but from some other cause For this Materia prima either is not distinguished from the Elements as many auncient Philosophers did should who taught that the Elements are mere simple bodies without composition of matter or forme and the last subiect of all former or els if it be distinguished from thē as Aristotle with his followers maintained then is it far more imperfect then the Elements as seruing but for their matter whereof they are made Therefore seing this Materia prima is most imperfect and next to Nothing being subiect to all mutations and as it were a seruant to all natural causes and being of it owne nature depriued of all forme wherwith to be inuested and

borrowing all its perfection from other things it therefore cannot haue its being of it selfe indepēdent of all other causes Now then from all this heretofore obserued it followeth demonstratiuely that no Sublunary body hath its being and essence from it selfe but that all things receaue their being from some efficient cause Now that this cause is incorporeall and intelligent or enioying Reason and Vnderstanding appeareth seuerall waies first because Materia prima could not be produced by any corporeall cause seing that euery action of a corporeall thing euer presupposeth the subiect into the which it is receaued as Aristotle and all Philosophers do teach but before Materia Prima was no subiect can be imagined seing it was the first and as I may tearme it the deepest and most fundamentall subiect Againe if this Cause were corporeall thē doubtlesly the heauēs should be this Cause since there remaineth no other corporeal Cause to the which it may be ascribed But the heauens could not produce this Materia prima both by reason that the Heauens worke not but by the mediation of light influence of the stars both which qualities require a subiect into the which they may be receaued as also because before this production the whole space in which now the Elements are was voyde as being destitute of any corporeall body and then it followeth that the heauens should produce this Materia prima in vacuo not hauing any precedent subiect matter to worke vpon and therefore should create it of nothing but this doth transcend the power and force of any corporall nature Therefore in regard of this absurdity it followeth that the cause of this Materia prima must be incorporall and most powerfull as being able to giue it an essence and being euen from nothing From which Collection it further followeth that this cause ought to be also intelligent as knowing what it doth or worketh both because euery incorporall substance is intelligent as the Philosophers teach as also in that it did not produce this Materia prima after a blynd and ignorant manner but with a certaine finall intention and determination to wit that of it all other things should be made and that it should be the subiect of all formes This poynt is made further euident in that to a cause which is so perfect high and potent the most perfect manner of working is to be giuen but the most perfect manner is by the vnderstanding and the will Againe the same is become more cleare in that there ought to be contained in the cause all the perfections of the effect and this magis emi●●nter more eminently then is in the effect I meane when the cause is of a different nature from the effect Wherefore seing Mans nature which is endued with reason and the diuers kynd of liuing Creatures which enioy sense are the effects of this incorporeall or spirituall cause it most consequently may be concluded that all the perfection of these to wit reason and sense are after an eminent manner contayned in the said cause That the heauenly bodies haue not their being from themselues appeareth first from their motions for if their motions do depēd of some other superiour Cause and that spirituall as is afore proued then can it be but acknowledged that their substance and figure are produced of the same cause for who is so voyd of consideratiō as to thinke that that Supreme cause should enter into the world as into an ample and maisterles house wherunto it can pretend no right or title and should challenge to it selfe the gouernment thereof Can it be thought to be so impotent as not to be able to frame to it selfe as it were a proper house of its owne If this house of the world belong not to this Cause why then doth it assume the regiment thereof Or why hath it stored this our inferiour world with such opulency abundance of riches of al kynd as of metals pretious stones hearbs trees birds fishes earthly creatures and all other variety of things whatsoeuer To conclude if thou considerest the stupendious power which this cause sheweth in the motions of these celestial Orbs thou canst not doubt but that the same Cause is the authour of this whole worke For although the Sunne be incomparably greater then the vniuesal● Globe of the earth and water as is euicted from the poynt of the shadow of the earth which reacheth not to the Orbe of Mars yea according to the iudment of the Astronomers the Sunne is an hundred sixty six tymes greater then the earth and water notwithstanding the Sūne with its whole orbe is carryed about with such a velocity and swiftnes that in compasse of one houre it goeth in its motion aboue ten hundred thousand myles wherupon it is certaine that in the same space of tyme it equalleth the compasse of the earth in its course aboue fifty tymes Among the fixed starres there are many which are 50. 70. 90. or 100. tymes greater then the whole earth as the Astronomers teach there is none of them which is not 18. tymes greater then the earth and yet they are carryed about with their whole Orbe with such a swiftnes as that such starres as are neare to the equinoctiall lyne do moue euery houre more then 40. millions of myles euery million being ten hundred thousand and so in one houre moueth more then comes to two thousand tymes the cōpasse of the earth Now who is he that will not here fall into an astonishing admiration of his boundles power who turneth about such vast and immense bodyes with so incomprehensible and impetuous a celerity Or what greater prints or intimations of Omnipotency can be then these are If any one of the starres should be carryed about neare vnto the earth with the like speed presently all things would be dissipated shiuered asunder the mountaines would be shaken and pulled vp as it were by the roots and turned with the earth and the sea into very dust The swiftnes of a bullet shot out of a great peece of ordināce seemes great and yet if one consider attentiuely supposing the bullet to be carryed the space of a hundred houres with one the same swiftnes yet would it not go so far as once the compasse of the earth For experience sheweth vs that in one minute of an houre it is carryed scarce three myles therefore in one houre 180. myles in an hūdred houres 18. thousand myles which wanteth of the compasse of the earth its circūference according to the more true iudgmēt of Astronomers being 19. thousand myles and 80. Wherfore from this we gather that the Sunne performeth a farre greater course in one houre thē a bullet would do in fiue thousand houres Now the celerity speed of the fixed starres about the Equinoctiall is forty tymes greater then the celerity of the Sunne Therefore that incorporeal power and vertue which doth so gouerne sterne the celestiall Orbes as that

any benefit to it selfe or to any other thing euen as the fruition of great riches should be altogeather vnprofitable if the man possessing them should haue neither knowledge vse nor feeling of them The same poynt is further made euident frō the motion of the celestiall Orbs which motion bringeth no benefit to the heauens themselues but is wholy applyed to the good and vtility of man of those things which are commodious to the vse of man For first the motion of them is so tempered that all Countries of the earth excepting some few which are beyond 66. degrees neere to the Poles enioy within the space of 24. houres both day and night this being so directed to the most gratefull alteration and change of day and night Furthermore the Sunne by his proper motion vnder the Eclyptick euēly cutting the equinoctiall lyne and declining sometimes to the south or at other tymes to the north more then 23. degrees causeth the foure seuerall tēperatures of the yeares I meane Winter Spring-tyme Summer and Autumne all these being most accommodate and fitting for the good of such things as the Earth bringeth forth For the winter so worketh by its cold that the spirit and heat which is within the seeds and buds being inwardly receaued all things may be more strengthned with in that so they may better gather humour and nourishment that they may fasten their rootes in the earth and finally that all such things may inwardly swell therby to burst out in due tyme. The spring through its pleasing and tēpered heat calleth all things forth drawing out buds leaues grasse flowers and the like The Summer with its greater heat consumeth the super abundāt humour disgesteth crude and raw things extenuateth and refineth things grosse openeth passages in the bodyes diffuseth or powreth in the spirit bringeth fruites to their maturity and rypenes To conclude the Autumne with its humour and moderate heat tempereth a new all things correcteth the drynes and heat of things which the summer aforehād bestowed it also disposeth the earth to new seedes and new grothes lastly it repaireth the decayed states of liuing bodyes through want of naturall heat Now out of all these obseruations who seeth not that all this motion of the Sunne and the heauenly bodyes was first ordained euer after is perpetuated and continuated to the benefit of man to the grouth increase and fuller aboundance of all liuing creatures other bodies which may in any sort be seruiceable to the vse of man For no other benefit of it can be assigned thē this nor any other cause can be alledged why the motion of the Sunne and the other celestiall Orbes should be in any such and such sort Now if any enter into consideration of Wynds raine snow and frosts he shall easily discouer that these are ordayned for the good emolument and benefit of liuing creatures but chiefly of Man And first of Wynds the vse of them is various and great for they ventilate and fan the ayre and so m●ke it more wholsome to be breathed in which if it should continue vnmoued and vnshaken would putryxy and being by this meanes affected with some pestilent quality would kil both men and beasts For such close places we may obserue wherin the wynds blow not are become most pestiferous and noysome Secondly the wynds serue to carry the clouds about through the ayre and so to disperse and distribute them to seueral countryes regions for without the help of the wynds the mediterranean places and such as are farre distant from the sea would be euer destitute of cloudes and showers and so would become ouer hoate barren and inhabitable For seing from coasts and places far remote from the sea there cannot be drawne vp sufficiēt store of vapours which may serue for clouds and raine except they being eleuated frō other places be thither carryed by force of the wynds the said mediterranean countryes would be continually scorched with the sunne and be depriued of all rigation and watering For it is the sea which chiefly ministreth matter for clouds out of whose vast bosome being directly and continually opposed to the Sunne great abundance of vapours are attracted vpwards by the heat of the Sunne which being after by force of the cold gathered into Clouds are lastly resolued into showers of raine wherfore except the wynds did carry these clouds vnto another place all raine would fall into the sea from whence the matter of it doth ryse and the whole earth through want of watering would remaine barren and vnprofitable Neither this aboue would happen but also all fountaines riuers would in a short tyme be drawne dry for these take their begining and continuance from the srow showers which fall vpon the mediterraneā and mountanous places For the Snow which during the winter falleth vpon the hils melting by little and little through the Suns heat and distilling into the hollowes and concauityes of the hils doth in the end cause springs or fountaines In lyke sort the waters of showers being receaued and drink vp into the higher places of the hils and after many wyndings to and ●●o vnder the earth meeting together do in the end fynding an issue or passage breake out into fountaines or springs Now of springs being mixed with other waters whether proceeding of snow or of showers running into one common channel are begotten Riuers And hence it followeth that during the summer when it but seldome raineth riuers are greatly decreased and except they be sed with snow water they are sometymes dryed vp So as if for the space of two or three yeares it should neither raine nor snow it would follow that all riuers and almost all fountaines would cease their rūning through want of matter But these things are so disposed and gouerned that for certaine seasons so great store of raine and snow may fall as that therby the springs and riuers may be continually maintayned and fed Furthermore the wynds are necessary to dry vp the vnprofitable humour of the earth to recreate and refresh the bodyes of liuing creatures to rypen fruites to the turning of mils and such machines or workes and finally to the vse of Nauigation for ●●●●●●●ting there were no wynds all Nauigation would almost cease But what great pro●● doth ryse by Nauigation to Man For by this what merchandize is in forraine countryes which conduceth either to the commodities of mans lyfe or to the vse of phisick or to the delicacy of nature the same is most easily transported throughout the whole world and what is peculiar to few is by this meanes communicated imparted to all mankynd Neither is the profit of the showers raine inferiour to that of the wynds for it cooleth the ayre refresheth the bodyes of liuing creatures perpetuateth and continueth springs riuers ministers drinke to beasts watereth the earth and maketh it fruitful for without showers of raine the

little and little and by insensible increasings from the mouthes of the riuers where they runne and disgorge themselues into the sea euen to their springs and to other mediterranean places Now if we insist in the speculation of mountaines we shall fynd that in nature there is no necessity of them but only for the behoofe and benefit of man For they first serue to breake the force of wynds which might be very domageable to all creatures if all coasts were plaine euen and no hinderance were interposed to slacken their strength Hence it proceedeth that wynds are more impetuous and boysterous in the open Sea where all is plaine and eauen without any obstacle then in the middle places of the Earth Secondly Mountaynes high hils serue for bounds of regions and kingdomes for they are as it were the limits or closures of great kingdomes by the which the ambition of men and desire of further enlarging their Regality is bridled and restrained least it should incessantly exercise it selfe in vexing and subduing their bordering neighbours Therefore the safety of kingdomes is much preserued and the infinite miseries and pressures still attending vpō wares by the difficult inaccessible passages of the mountaines are much hindered Great hils do furthermore suppeditate and mini●●er matter for building as stones lyme wood tyle or slate with many other things either necessary or at least very commodious to mans life For almost all metals and diuers kynds of pretious stones are digged out of the bowels and veynes of mountaines There also do grow vpon mountaines diuers rootes of great vertue and infinite kynds of hearbs as also most excellent wynes and oliues Lastly they containe the origins and beginnings of springs and riuers and they perpetuate stil continue them by feeding thē with matter and store of water Now let vs next descend to the quality of the Earth and Sea For this is not found to be such as the nature of these Elements being considered in it selfe doth require but such as may best sort to the preseruation of liuing Creatures and commodity of man For if we precisely consider the nature of these bodyes the Elements ought to be simple or without mixture of other bodies vniforme and in euery place of the same vertue operation affectiō For the earth in its owne nature is vehemently dry and moderately cold the water extremly cold and moyst the ayre moyst and moderately hot and all these are naturally depriued and voyd of al sapour or tast colour and odour or smell But this poynt is far otherwise for there are many diuersities differences of soyles of the earth for they are hoat cold temperate such as may be crūled away or brokē into small peeces light ponderous fatty vnctious dry In colours blackish reddish yellow whyte as also of seuerall tasts ●nd odours or smels and fit and commodious for the bringing forth of seuerall things according to those verses Hic segetes illic veniunt faeliciùs vuae Arborei foetus alibi atque iniussa virescunt Gramina Nonne vides croceos vt Tmolus odores India mittit ebur molles sua thura Sabaei Therefore seuerall soyles earth haue their peculiar fecundity quality impressed in them by him who first created this Element Neither can we ascribe all this diuersity to the Sunne and the starres seing that vnder one and the same Climate there are some places more desert barren other most fertill and such of these places as are fertill do not bring forth the same kynds of plants other liuing Creatures though they receaue one and the same aspect influence from the Sunne and the starres In like sort the earth doth not produce all kinds of metals and minerals in one and the same place but diuers in diuers places For ●n one place it bringeth forth stones in another chalke red lead in a third brasse tyn and lead in others gold siluer pretious stones Therefore the earth in diuers places receaueth diuers vertues forces and operations that therby it may minister to Man all kynd of riches which not only cōduce to an absolute necessity of mans life but also to a greater conueniency delicacy and splendour thereof which poynt doth turne to the greater honour glory laud of so munificent a Creatour In lyke sort the Sea hath its fruitfulnes altogether most admirable this diuers according to the difference of places For not in each part of the Sea all kynds of fishes are found for some kynds do breed in the North others in the South seas Some also only in the East others in the West seas Furthermore all the sea meere contrary to the nature of that Element is of a strāge saltnes Now from whence doth this come Or what power vertue gaue this saltnes to it and to what end The reason is ridiculous and absurd which some Philosophers haue inuented hereof to wit that this saltnes cometh by reason of the Sunne beames by the which the bottome of the sea is scorched and burned and that adustion and burning causeth saltnes say they is proued from the experience in burnt ashes That this reason is most insufficient is euident for how cā the bottome or the groūd vnder the sea being couered with such an infinite store of waters that in some places it is 500. or a thousand cubits deepe be so burnt by the Sunne as that from them all the whole sea should contract such a bryny saltnes For the Sunne burneth not but only by reasō of its light which light doth not penetrate in the water further then 15. cubits as diuers Swimmers vnder water affirme and the light is so faynt that the heat thereof can hardly be felt but a little vnder the water Now that saltnes should proceed of adustion it is required that the adustion be so great as that it dissolueth the matter reduceth it to its beginning as experience showeth Neither doth adustion and burning properly cause salt in other things but rather openeth and discouereth it And therefore we see that of seuerall bodyes the salt is seuerall and taketh its seuerall vertues operations from the bodyes so strayned refyned as the Chymickes do experimentally proue In like manner the spirit of euery thing or the oyle which is extracted out of it by fyre doth aforehand lye hidden in the thing it selfe Furthermore if salsity or brynenes proceed from this adustion then ought the Sea to be dosy more and more salt wherupon it would ●ollow that the fishes as not ēduring that temperature would in the end dye as it hapneth in the Lake Asphaltites which is called Mare mortuū since the nature of fishes requires a certaine temperature of the waters To conclude the increase of this saltnes in the Sea would be noted at least in seuerall ages but no such augmentation hath hitherto bene obserued Of the lyke improbability is that sentence of the first origin of

euery one of them hauing their outward and inward parts and members most aptly framed to their vses and ends so nothing is there to be found which is not disposed with all reason wisedome prouidence Neither is this variety of formes elegancy of structure to be found only in the bodies of fishes but also in shels with the which the small fishes though imperfect in nature are couered Of these Shels their beauty and variety is wonderfull although they serue to no other vse then to couer and arme the small bodies of their fishes For there is no where greater shew of diuyne arte and skil then in these especially where there is produced such variety without any seed and only out of a formed Element as appeareth from the testimony of Pliny himselfe T●● ibi colorum differentiae c. So many differences of colours in Shels so many figures and formes as plaine hollow long horned as the moone gathered together in a round forme smooth rough c with many other formes by him recyted then after he further writeth Nitor puritas c. The shining purity is incredible in diuers of them exceeding ●ll mettals of gold and siluer and not to be corrupted but in a most long space tyme. This further is worthy of consideration in liuing Creatures To wit To man in that he is endued with reason there is giuē at his birth neither any thing to cloath his body nor any weapon for his owne defēce but in place of these Hands are giuen him with the which he may make to himselfe all kynd of vestmēts or weapons to weare or lay by at his pleasure But to beasts because they cannot make and procure these things to themselues they therefore receiue thē euen frō a most benigne and diuyne Prouidēce and they increase with the increasing of the beasts neither do they allat any time need any repayring For weapons are giuen to some Hornes to others Teeth to others Clawes to others strength in their feet to others a sharpe dart in their tayles to others a venemous poyson in their teeth or their hoofes and this endangereth their Enemies either by touching or breathing Of others their safety doth lye in their speedines of flying away or in their naturall craft and deceipt or in the hardnes of their shels wherwith they are couered or in the pricks of their skins which some of them can cast from them against their enemies Insteed of Cloth wherwith they are couered some haue haire others wool fethers scales a sharpe hard pil or rynd shels a smooth skin yet of sufficient hardnes Furthermore their is in euery liuing 〈◊〉 a vertue o● power by the which all these veapons and vestments as it were are framed in conuenient places formes and colours and this out of the earthly gros●er part of the nourishment or meat otherwise improfitable and but to be purged away Therefore we may worthily admire Gods Prouidence herein which turneth the matter otherwise hurtfull for the nourishing of the body into such necessary vses I heere pretermit the most diuers formes and shapes of those liuing creatures which are commonly called Insecta as flies gnats and the like as also all little wormes with the which the ayre the earth the fields the riuers and standing waters do abound in the Summer time Al parts or members in them are wonderfully fa●e all most exactly framed and all most perfectly agreing and fitting to the functions for which they were made Among so many kinds of which small liuing bodies there is not one so base and vyle which is not able to procure an astonishing admiration in whom behold them attentiuely Yea by how much the creature ie more base and abiect by so much the more the art of diuyne Prouidence shineth in the fabricke and making of it The like Prouidence is shewed in the making of Plants which comming out of the earth do remaine fixed to the earth wherof there are many kinds most diuers formes of the said kynds Nothing is in thē which is without the height and fulnes o● reason All their parts most aptly sort to their ends The rootes whether it be a tree a young bud or an hearb do serue to ●asten the whole plant to the earth and to sucke from thence humour for the nourishing of al its parts The vertue of the rootes is strange seing the greatest trees that are though neuer so much diffused and spred out into brāches are by their rootes ●o affixed to the earth that no force of wynds can leuell thē with the earth The Barke or outward ●ynd seruing as a cloathing to them defenc● them from cold and heat and from the encounter of any other domageable thing The Bowes and branches are directed for the greater increase of fruites The leaues serue partly for ornament and parly for the safty of the fruits least they perish through heat and showers The fruit serues for the continuance of the seed and in most of them for food of men and other liuing creatures and therefore they are more full of suck and there is greater store of them then the continuance of the seed requireth as appeareth in apples peares melions and many other kynds of fruits Plants do want Muscles because they want motion and do cleaue immoueably to the earth All parts euen from the lowest peece of the roote to the highest of the leaues are ful of pores they haue a power of sucking in and what they sucke in they do assimilate make it the same with the substance of the tree The leaues and fruyte do hang by a little stalke which cōsisteth of many fibrae or smal strings through the stalke all the iuyce passeth which after is dispersed through the pores of the fibrae into all parts of the leaues and fruites in a most strange manner The stalkes do not adhere or cleaue to the boughes by any fibrae which are continued to the boughes but by such as are inserted in them and glewed or ioyned together through the force of a certaine humour The which humour being once dryed the fruyt and the leaues either freely of themselues or with very small pulling do fall downe In the Medulla or marrow of the Plant there is a genitall power or vertue and therfore it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in Latin Matrix the which marrow being taken away though the tree do beare fruite yet is this fruite destitute of seed Euen as the roote the stocke of the tree and the boughes or branches do consist of the barke the wood and the marrow so the fruite consisteth of the barke of that part which is commonly called Pulpa and of the seed The sucke and humours of the earth being attracted by the roote and dispersed by the fibrae into the body and the boughes and perfectly con●octed the watery parts being improfitable to the tree or to that woodden substance whatsoeuer the