we are to apply it as it relates to the other Elements and is the proper cause of her Commerce with them Water although appearing fluid yet naturally that is absolutely conceived by it self is void of all fluor but partakes of the greatest weight hardness crassitude smoothness and consistency that is imaginable I prove it Water the more it is remote from the intense heat of the Sun the more heavy thick hard smooth and consistent it is Have you not Mountains of Ice of great weight thickness c. in Greenland in the Summer much more in the Winter yet more directly under the Poles and most of all if apprehended absolute by it self and deprived from extrinsick air and fire when we cannot but judge it to be of the greatest weight thickness and consistency that is apprehensible The Scripture seems to attest the same Job 38. And the waters are hid as with a stone and the face of the deep is frozen By the deep here is meant the Chaos ergo the waters were naturally at their first creation thick and hard Lastly As there are two fluid Elements viz. fire and air So it is also necessary that they should be balanced and met with two opposite consistent ones namely Earth and Water The first being contiguous and hard responds to fire the other being continuous and hard responds to air being continuous and soft Whence we may safely conclude that it is the advent of the fire together with the air that renders the water thus thin and fluid as we see it is II. How Water first gained such a body together as the Sea is our exposition of the worlds creation will advise you The Sea is the greatest collection of water by the Latinists it is called Mare from Meare to go or to flow and not from amarum or the word Marath among the Caldeans signifying bitter as some have thought so it is likewise called Oceanus the Ocean from Ocior amnis a swift current It procures various distinctions from its beating against several shores from those of the East and West India it is surnamed the East and West Indian Ocean of the Mount Atlas the Atlantick Ocean from those of Sarmatia the Sarmatick Ocean near Madagascar the rough Sea from the quicksands that are frequently thereabout of Spain and Brittain the Spanish and Brittish Ocean c. And from the Plage whence it doth flow it is called the East West South or North Ocean The same spreads it self into many particular Seas or great Bayes whereof these are the more principal 1. The Mediterranean Sea so named because it flows through the middle of two great parts of the Earth viz. between a great part of Europe Africa and Asia Or more particularly between Spain France Italy Dalmatia Greece and Natolia of the one side and AEgypt and Barbary of the other Where it toucheth the Spanish coast it is called the Iberick sea and more forward the French Balearick Ligustick near Genoa Tyrrhenian or Tuscan about Sicily Sardinian Sicilian Adriatick Cretick Libyan Phoenicean Cyprian Syriack sea c. its mouth is called the Straits 2. Pontus Euxinus the Euxian sea otherwise named the black sea or Mare Majus whose mouth is called the Hellespont from its narrowness its throat Propontis and the Thracian Bosphor so called from bos an Oxe as if an Oxe were too big to pass through that narrowness 3. The Arabian and Persian sea 4. The Gangetican sea so named from the river Ganges which is disburdened into it 5. The Red sea deriving that name not from the colour of the Sea but of the red sand over which it floweth The Baltick Sea alias the Sinus Coddanus or Suevick Sea from the Suevi a Nation that formerly inhabited those coasts at the mouth it is called the Sound flowing 150 leagues far between Denmark Finland Sueden Prussia Liefland Pomerania and Saxony The pacifick sea is so called from the gentleness of the waves or the South sea because it lyeth to the Southward of the Line limited by the coasts of Asia America and terra Australis or the Country of Megallan III. A Lake is a great and perennal collection of water cirrounded by the Earth whereby it is cut off from the Sea It is distinguisht from a Pool in that the one is perennal the other is apt to be dryed up sometime by the heat of the Sun and driness of the earth and to be filled up again with rain Some of these being famous for their extent others for their admirable qualities I shall willingly insert 1. The greatest Lake in the Universe is the Caspian sea in Asia otherwise called the great sea the Albanian Hircanian Pontick Tartarian Sea the Sea of Sala Bachu Abachu Terbestan or Giorgian It diffuseth it self into three Bayes or Gulph viz. near the Mouth into the Hircanian on the right side into the Caspian and on the left side into the Scytick Gulph It bears the name of a Sea very improperly since it is incompassed by the Earth Nevertheless it is saltish and full of fish 2. The Lake Asphaltites in Judaea otherwise called the dead Sea from its immobility because as Corn. Tacit. relates that scarce any wind be it never so violent is strong enough to lift it up into Waves is noted for sustaining weighty bodies especially if anointed with Alume water that are cast into it in a manner that a man his hands and legs being tyed and cast into it shall swim it breeds no fish nor any other living creatures The Lake of the lesser Armenia and the Lake Aposcidamus in Africa and of Sicily are almost of the same strength On the contrary the Lake Avernum in Campania and that of AEthiopia are unable to sustain the weight of a leaf fallen into them from a tree and according to Pliny there is no fowl that flies over them but falleth dead into them There is a Lake near Lerna and another in Portugal which are so attractive and depressing that they do immediately draw and press down to the bottom whatever is cast into them in such a manner that a man having thrust his hand into either must use force to draw it out again Pomponius Mela and Solinus make mention of a Lake in AEthiopia which to the eye appearing crystalline and sweet to the pallat doth so besmear those that bath in it as if they had been duckt into a bath of oyl In the west of the Isle of Iseland travellers have discovered a great Lake fumous very cold in a short space changing whatever is cast into it into a stonish or rockish body a stick being thrust right up into the bottom that part which is under water is in two daies changed into an Iron substance the other above remaining what it was Hect. Boeth writes of another in Ireland which after some months renders that part of a stick that is thrust into the ground Iron the other part that is under water fliuty the upper part
1. That the disburdening of the Eastern Rivers into the Ocean is not the cause of its Circulation neither are the Sun or Moon the principal causes of this motion 2. The periodical course of the Ocean The causes of the high and low waters of the Ocean 3. How it is possible that the Ocean should move so swiftly as in 24 hours and somewhat more to flow about the terrestrial Globe 4. A further Explanation of the causes of the intumescence and detumescence of the Ocean The causes of the anticipation of the floud of the Ocean 5. That the Suns intense heat in the torrid Zone is a potent adjuvant cause of the Oceans Circulation and likewise the minima's descending from the Moon and the Polar Regions I. HAving in one of the Chapt. of the precedent Book posed a demonstrative and evident ground of the universal course of the great Ocean and the straitness of that Chapt. not permitting the finishing of the fabrick intended by us upon it Therefore this present plain shall serve for to compleat the delineation thereof but encountring with some rocky stones thereon it is requisite they should be rowled aside before the said Atlantick waves may procure a necessary assent of the true cause of their dayly circular floating The conceit of some Philosophers hath induced them to state the copious irreption of many large and deep Rivers into the Eoan Sea for the principal cause of its circulation the which tumefying its body do thereby press it westward This solution seems void of all reason the evacuation of the presupposed Rivers having no proportion to the replenishing of so extended a body as the Ocean scarce of a Lake or an inland Sea as we have observed of the lake Haneygaban and the Euxian Sea Besides many great Rivers disburdening themselves into the Occiduan Sea might upon the same ground return the course of the Ocean Eastward But imagine it was so why should not the said tumefaction rather incline the sea westward than further eastward Others rejecting the former opinion have in their fansie groven the ground whereon the sea beats deeper and deeper towards the west and so the ground being situated higher in the East shelving down gradually to the west the sea doth through its natural gravity rowl it self to the deeper lower Plane but then the eastern waters being arrived to the west how shall they return to the east again for to continue the said motion Wherefore this opinion may take its place among the Castles in the air Shall we then ascribe the cause of this motion to the rarefaction of the sea through the beams of the Sun which as it is successively rarefied doth swell and press its preceding parts forward As touching the Moon she cannot come into consideration here as being rather noted for condensation than rarefaction First I deny that the Sun doth any whit rarifie the Eastern Ocean because according to their Tenent the rarefaction of the sea happens through the commotion of the subsidencies and terrestrial exhalations contained within the bowels of the sea and scattered through its substance whereby it becomes tumefied which I grant in case the Sun casts its beams obliquely into the depth of the Ocean but I prove the contrary supposing the Sun doth cast its beams directly into the Eastern waters In AEgypt it seldom rains because the Sun casting its beams directly into the waters doth through the same degree of heat through which it might raise vapours dissolve them again likewise in the East Ocean the Sun subtilizing the waters doth doubtless through its heat commove exhalations and subsidencies but the waters being through the same heat attenuated are rendred uncapable of sustaining those terrestrial bodies wherefore they sinking deeper to the ground rather cause a detumescence of the sea I have alwaies observed that waters swell more through the cold than heat and that inundations happen for the most part after a frost besides it is obvious that Rivers are much tumefied when they are frozen and that by reason of the foresaid tumefaction inundations happen more frequently in the winter than at any other time of the year Des-Cartes imagineth the compression of the Moon together with the Earths motion about her own Axis to be the cause of the waters circular motion pressing it from East to West and the variation of this pressure to depend upon the various removal of the Moon from the Center of the Earth effecting the anticipation and various celerity of the waters motion So that where the Earth is obverted to the face of the Moon there the waters must be at their lowest being pressed towards the next quarter of the Surface where they are at their highest whence they are carried about through the Earths proper motion c. 1. I deny his supposition of the Earths motion as being fabulous which we have confuted elsewhere He might as well assert that there be as many Neptunes under water moving it circularly as Aristotle stated intelligencies to drive the Heavens for even this he might excuse by saying it was but an Assumption to prove a Phaenomenon of the water 2. What needs he to affirm a tumour of the water for since he assumes the Earth to move circularly we cannot but grant that the water must also move with it as constituting one Globe together 5. Why doth he in vain reassume in the 55 Sect. that out-worn Doctr. of Aristotle touching the Moons driving of the water which argues him to be very unconstant with himself 4. His stating the air to be so complicable and soft a body renders it very unfit for compressing and driving so vast and weighty a body as the Ocean 5. Can any one rationally or probably conceive that the Sun much less the Moon being so remore and whose forcible effects are so little felt by sublunary bodies should be capable of driving so deep so large and so heavy a body as the Ocean which is as powerful to resist through its extream gravity as all the Celestial bodies are potent to move through their extream lightness What because the Ocean and the Moon move one way therefore the one must either follow or move the other What can a passion so durable and constant and so equal depend upon a violent cause Since then such phansies are ridiculous and not to be proposed by any Philosopher let us now proceed in the unfolding of so difficult and admirable a matter as the course of the Ocean which we have formerly demonstrated to flow about the earth once in 12 hours and somewhat more II. Moreover besides this single motion making a sharper inspection into the drift of the Ocean it will appear to us to absolve a compounded periodical course in a perfixt time namely in 15 daies which space may be called a marinal or nautical month The meaning hereof is imagining a part of the Ocean to flow circularly from a certain point or more plainly a Bowle to rowl circularly
water upon the Surface moveth but very slowly towards the side near the hole because the water moving so swiftly underneath doth cause that atop to sink upon it which prevents its swift motion towards the side and that which causeth the water underneath to spout so violently out of the hole is the weight of the water atop pressing violently and forcibly downwards This occasions me to call to memory that apposite Phrase of the Dutch sea-men who instead of saying the water ebbs say Het water sackt that is the water sinks as if they would signifie the water to move from underneath The Ocean then originally and primarily moving from underneath in a very swift current as the forementioned instance may easily confirm to us hath not that extent to overrun there which we might conceive it would have atop but is above the half shortened in its periphery through its depth and consequently through the deep excavation or extenuation of the Earth Wherefore observe 1. That the Ocean underneath doth well absolve so many degrees as we have writ down before but then they are much abbreviated and lessened in comparison to those degrees whereby the superficial circumference of the water is measured 2. I say that the Ocean absolves the foresaid course of 348 in 12 equal hours only in its lower parts But as touching its superficial ones it is certain they are slow absolving the same compass in no shorter time than six months which may be named a Marinal year This slow progress is evidenced to us by the slow drift of a piece of wood floating in the Ocean 3. Although the superficial parts of the Ocean do not slow with so rapid a course yet it hinders not but that they may tumefie as they do throughout their whole circuit about the Earth in the space of 12 hours 4. Since it must necessarily follow that where the water tumefieth in one place it must sink in another therefore the water tumefying once every 12 hours in the East 6 houres long in which space it arriveth to its height it must sink as much in the VVest because that moisture which causeth the intumescence in the East doth slow underneath from the VVest By the same rule the Eastern Ocean must also sink 6 hours in every 12 for to cause a tumefaction in the VVest VVhence it is that every 6 hours we perceive a change of the Tide in the Ocean 5. VVe are not to perswade our selves that the Eastern floud is occasioned by water returning from the VVest and the western floud through the refluxe of the same water from the East because the Ocean doth continually pass from east to west by way of the South not returning the same way through the South from west to east as appeareth by the quick Voyages of those who setting sail with a good wind and weather from Spain towards the West-Indies do usually make land in three or four weeks whereas returning from thence can scarce recover Spain although having the wind very favourable in less than three or four months Likewise a voyage from Moabar in the Indies to Madagascar otherwise called St. Laurences Island may be accomplisht in 20 daies but from Madagascar to Moabar scarce in less time although with a very prosperous wind than three months In the same manner one may much sooner make a voyage from this Island to Spaine lying hence more eastward than from Spain back again hither or in sailing from Alicant a City of Spaine situated upon the Mediterranean Coast towards Palestina they usually make less speed than in returning All which are undoubted marks of the perennal course of the Ocean from East to west VVherefore Philosophers have been misled in imposing the names of Fluxus and Refluxus upon the course of the Ocean as if returning the same way it went I have taken notice that as the Dutch used a fit word for to denote the Ebb so the French have imposed another no less elegant upon the floud viz. La Montè de la Marè or the rising of the Sea exactly squaring with our foregoing discourse Thus when it is floud they usually say Lamarè il monte that is the Sea rises The Latinists call it AEstus Maris or heat of the Sea because when the Sea begins to be filled with hot exhalations it is wonted to be hot through which it swelleth like hot bloud flushing into our faces and glowing causeth a puffing up and a rising whence it is impelled to flow some part of it one way and another another way which caused the floud observed through the rising of the waters upon the shores These exhalations being dissipated the Sea beginning to cool withdraws it self again into its former compass and leaving the shores puts them in mind of the Ebb. But this dictate being proved to be absurd doth justly advise us to reject the forementioned name 6. VVe need not to doubt being fully informed of this Doctrine but that every floud brings in new water that of the last Ebb flowing forwards with the course of the Sea towards the accomplishment of its annual period 7. Let none be offended at us for granting an internall cause of the Seas motion against Scalig. Exer. 52. asserting the Sea to be an Animal in case it should be moved from an internal cause were this a Paradox we must then believe that the Air Fire Heavens and Stars are Animals they all moving through an intrinsick principle IV. My method doth now lead me to demonstrate the several Phoenomena's of the Ocean by their proper causes 1. The Ocean flowing from East to West cannot be thought to be the sole cause of the diurnal intumescence and detumescence of the Sea since it may be supposed to slow equally over an equal ground Wherefore a second cause must concur to wit an unequal ground or an unequal grove through which it passeth The waters being through the second division of the Creation separated from the Earth which then lay in an equal round figure under the waters these consequently equally covering it in the same figure were afterwards through the third division collected into one place where they must have pressed their great weighty body into two great universal groves whereupon the Earth must necessarily be pressed up into two great universal eminences which are divided from one another through the said waters and consequently constitute two great Islands viz. of the New world or America and the Old world or Asia Africa and Europa The Sea after this working through its great weight deeper and deeper into the Earth must necessarily thereby have formed many other deep and great cavities within the sald universal groves The Earth through whose recess or giving way the said other Cavities were impressed must needs have been compressed to some other part not towards the center because the Earth was so very densely beset there that it was impossible it should give way Ergo towards the Surface where it was
frequently happens near to the Moons quarters whose middle is marked by the Moons Full and New Aspect being when it flows with the greatest force causing the highest high waters and the lowest low waters and tends towards its ending when it remits from its height and intends in lowness This augmentation and diminution may be resembled to the fermentation of Wine or Beer swelling gradually untill its height and thence decreasing again Touching the beginning and ending of the Seas single diurnal circuit if we consider it simpliciter it hath none because it is ever in motion as never being eased by a total rest but if agreeing to state the beginning where the Ocean is slowest in its course and thence tending to a swifter motion then the Proposition is resolveable And according to this Supposition the beginning and ending must be moveable differing every single course near 11 degrees This by the way Returning to explain the cause of the gradual augmentation of water and intention of force I am to remember you of the great proportion of the Oceans peregrin Elements consisting of most Earth then Air and lastly fire of whose close coherence with the waters their saltness is an undoubted argument These salin particles violently detaining the waters from recovering the center must necessarily add force to the gravity of the waters and consequently in intending their force they must also augment them in quantity because the more force the waters use the more in quantity they bear along with them The detention of the said salin particles being at their beginning of no great strength or in no great quantity do therefore cause no great intention of the Oceans force but every single period piercing gradually by rarefaction upon the waters must necessarily also augment their tumefaction gradually higher and higher every day untill at last being arrived to their height of penetration which ordinarily happens in 15 circuits the Ocean is likewise elevated unto its height Some of these salin particles being penetrated through the body of the waters are gradually depressed to the ground through their own disposition and the weight of the Ocean others being attrited and confused through their passive motion against the water and the decess of their heaviest particles do more and more gradually desist from their violent detention every circuit returning to the bottom and so the Ocean doth also gradually every day incline nearer and nearer to its natural force and detumescence of its water untill it is returned to its own proper course at which season its force and intumescence are equally at their lowest During this space those subsiding particles begin again to be expanded rarefied and attenuated because of the grinding of the water against them and through the expansion of the aerial and igneous parts adunited to them do bear up again The others elevated atop beginning to concentrate through the conquiescence of the Sea are ready to be compressed downwards both which gradually striving a reciprocal meeting do in the foregoing manner gradually reunite the force and augmentation of the Water V. Here we cannot but admit the Suns intense hear every day beating down the torrid Zone to be a great instrumental and adjuvant cause to the stirring of the aforesaid salin particles But this continuing in one measure equality and station in respect to the torrid Zone all the year long cannot in any wise be thought the principal cause of a motion varying twice every day Likewise the Moon being beset with a great quantity of dampish and heavy particles doth every day spread down some of those particles whereby the Ocean is also gradually filled more more every day And like as these said particles are most apt to rain down the nearer the Moon doth appropinquate to the Ecliptick because the air enjoyeth a greater subtility there from the rarefaction of the Sun hence it is that the Moon frees her self most of these heavy concomitants near her Conjunction and at her apposition So they are most apt to ascend the further the Moon is declined from the Ecliptick as happens in her quarters when for that reason the waters are also at their lowest That these two Lights are accidental causes of the intention of the Oceans force and daily augmentation of its waters is plain enough and their mutual concurrence to the effecting of the same effect we have confirmed beyond all doubting whereby the absurdity of the Moons compression proposed by Des-Cartes and so disagreeing with his own position of the nature of the air is likewise set before you The Moon near her Conjunction makes very high waters because conversing with the hot rayes of the Sun sends down a great number of the foresaid bodies and not because she is impregnated with the light of the Sun whereby she should be grown more potent to excite vapours and exhalations This is ridiculous for we find other bodies to be swelled near that time not only through exhalations raised out of themselves but particularly through particles demitted by the conveyance of the air into their pores The like happens although in a weaker manner when the Moon is in her full Aspect because of her nearer approximation to the Ecliptick But much more in a Lunar Eclipse because she is then found directly in the Ecliptick And most of all yea twice higher than ordinary at the Full Moon of March and September because the Sun being then in the AEquinoxial and most directly over the torrid Zone under which the greatest body of the Ocean floats and the Moon in the same way near the Ecliptick must needs joyntly cause a vast decidence of the forenamed bodies intending and augmenting the waters Or to declare the matter plainer to you The continuation of the Seas Motion forward is not only depending upon the pulsion of succeeding parts bending by refraction naturally forward but also by a kind of attraction or suction of preceding parts thus Suppose the Earth to be excavated into certain great cavities like to great pipes whereof of those that are formed from the East towards the West by the South the furthermost are alwaies deeper and longer than those which are nearest to the East Likewise conceive such Cavities framed in the same proportion to one another from West back again to the East by the North Now I say that the deepest and furthermost cavity must alwaies attract the water out of the shallower and lesser in the same manner as the longer pipe of a sucker a Siphon as some do call it must attract all the moisture of the shorter because the parts of water being continuous and consequently cleaving to one another the lesser part must follow and yield to the greater the which through its crastitude being pressed forwards must also draw the lesser part after Since then the water is no sooner arrived into one cavity but is thence drawn into another hence it is that this tumefaction of waters is not sensible to us in the Ocean
the greatest prevailing and increase of waters would have sufficed Wherefore the words of ver 19. viz. And all the Hills that were under the whole heaven were covered are to be understood only of all the hills that were covered by the whole heaven described by their Horizon And still in the popular speech when we say the whole heaven we mean no more than the Horizon that is as far as we can see round about us II. Next let us consider the manner of this great Deluge 1. It was not caused through the irruption of the Ocean into the earth because then the said Deluge would have been extreamly sudden viz. in six hours time the floud must have brought in the waters and it must have left a large Gulph where it brake in Neither was the Sea high enough to have made such an assault 2. The beginning of it was taken as the Text holds forth v. 11 12. From the breaking up of the fountains of the great deep and the opening of the windows of heaven and the violent rain These sudden impetuous tempests must needs have caused a great astonishment and anguish upon those who had so justly deserved The breaking up of the Fountains were the bursting of the peregrin Elements contained within the bowels of the earth especially of water air and fire out of the great deep that is the vast Mediterranean Sea by men of that Age called and accounted the great deep The great occasion of this bursting out of the waters were 1. The heavy innixe of earth in the shallows of the Mediterranean pressing the waters underneath from its Center 2. The air and fire forced through the earth of the said shallows to pass to their own Element 3. The tearing winds sent down through the opening of the windows of heaven which piercing the pores of the earth contributed not a little to the stirring up of the air and fire contained within the earth and to the vibration of the terrestrial Mass. 4. The impetuous showers of rain breaking down and dividing the earth Through this tempest the waters of the Mediterranean got above the earth and a great proportion of the tract of air brake into the earth having so fair an opportunity as at the nick of bursting to get nearer to the Center But being inclosed by water separated from its Element was by the potent compression of the said water forced to return whereby the waters must necessarily be much tumefied listed up and cast out of their mole whence they were constrained to float over the earth but the air being most returned the rain restrained and the winds directed to pass over the earth the waters setled and retired into their Cavern leaving the earth very much disposed to germination of plants and so the stopping up of the Fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven was accomplished III. Not many years after there hapned another deluge somewhat less than the former caused through the bursting up of those waters that now constitute the Mare majus or Euxiun Sea and the Lake Maeotis Some hundred years after another deluge came upon Persia and Tartary by the bursting up of the Hircanian or Caspian Sea The West-Indians have successively retained in their memory a great Inundation which they imagine was universal came upon them through the bursting up of the Lake Haneygaban or Perime in Guiana Through these before-mentioned deluges a great part of the Island Cea half of the Town Tyndarida in Sicily Acarnania being drowned in the Gulph of Ambracia and Achaia in the Gulph of Corinsh and other great Countries must have been swallowed up and laid even with the bottom of the said waters as likewise hapned to Pyrrha Antissa Elice Bura and many other places others must have appeared through the thrusting up of that Land in whose stead the waters succeeded This occasioned the new appearances of Delos and Rhodus of Nea situated between Lemnus and the Hollespont of Abone Thera Therasia Hiera and Anaphe IV. Through the said discontinued and unequal bursting up of the waters and breaking of the land Sicily was separated from Italy Cyprus from Syria Besby from Bithynia Atlas and Macria from Euboea Euboea from Boeotia Leucosta from the Sirenian Promontory and many other Islands comprehended within the Mediterranean from the Continent Likewise have many Sea port Towns in Europe been separated from the Continent as witness many Ships that have run a ground upon their steeples and houses Thus in the year 1421 many Towns and Villages of Holland and Freezland were swallovved up by the Sea and the Sea-men to this day are forced to take notice vvhere such and such of their Tovvns vvere drovvned for fear of inhabiting them again The vvaters through their pressing vveight do sometimes decline from one place vvhich they then leave dry to another vvhere they have moulded a deeper Cavern by such an occasion vvere the Islands of Antissa left dry and so united to the Continent of Lesbos Zephyrius to Halicarnassus Ethuso to Mindus Dromiscon and Peres to Miletus Narthecusa to the Parthenian Promontory Hybanda Epidaurus Magnesia and Oricon to the Continent The same hath arrived to many other places namely that some part of a shore hath been deserted through the Seas declination as hapned to the Country about Ambracia Ephesus the Plain of Arabia and above Memphis as far as the AEthiopian Mountains having been all over covered by the Sea in such a manner that Ships vvhich had been cast avvay upon the sands near to that shore vvere after some hundreds of years found some miles off from the Sea deeply covered vvith earth by length of time cast upon them partly from the adjacent hills by the vvind and partly by the heaving up of the sand through the seas diurnal Tides Hence vve may easily knovv vvhence that Mast came that vvas found vvith a Pulley to it sticking out of the top of one of the steep hills of Spitsberg in Greenland near vvhere they usually fish for Whales Before I go further I must convince those of their mistake that state Earthquakes the occasion of the disappearance of some Islands and appearance of others formed through the violent and unequal bursting up of earth 1. Let them take notice that Earthquakes are fresh enough in mens memories in the West-Indies and those great ones too yet they never or very seldom have protruded any Islands there neither is their eruption large enough for to compass such an effect 2. Earthquakes happen most through the Earths belching up of wind that hapned to be inclosed vvithin her belly but it is impossible that a wind should drown a Country or raise an Island Possibly you may reply That together with a wind there oft bursteth out a floud of water I grant it and what is this else but a Deluge Thus many Towns and Villages in Holland and Friesland have been formerly swallowed up by such deluges as their great Lakes are still testimonies of and
Suns continual torrid beams and the multitude of waters underneath It is reported that in the Northern Countries winds are sometimes so furious that they cast horse and man down to the ground and in Tartary the winds blow so violently though in the Summer that there is no travelling at such times Likewise about China and Japan tempests are out ragious beyond belief Tercera one of the Azores or Flemish Islands suffers such violences from winds that the bars of Iron that are fastned to the houses although of the thickness of an arm or two are grinded away to the smalness of wier and holes are eaten into the Rocks about the said Island of the bigness of a horse through such tempestuous winds 5. Statarian winds rage commonly every Fryday in the Indies insomuch that Ships are provided with an Anchor more on that day on the Sunday it groweth calm again It will not be amiss to add the cause of the variation of winds perceived by Ships that are in sight of one another and why the wind at Sea differs oft a point or two from the wind at Land viz. Because the wind bursting out low doth reflect against the tumour of the Sea interjected between the two ships or against the Promontories and Hills of the Lands reflecting the wind some larger others narrower The Seas grow oft very turbulent and incensed 1. Through the eruption of winds descending from above and piercing through their body which they raise into high waves by their swelling and strife of passing 2. The said winds do raise other winds and flatuosities within the body of waters partly out of their own substance and partly out of their mud The Sea is much more disposed to disturbations in some places than others As off the Cape of Good Hope likewise between China and Japan where Sea-men oft are forced to pawn their ships and lives to the Ocean CHAP. XVI Of Earthquakes together with their Effects and some strange instances of them 1. What an Earthquake is The manner of its generation The Coucomitants thereof 2. The kinds and differences of Earthquakes 3. The proof of the generation of Earthquakes 4. Their Effects upon the air I. SInce we have lately discoursed upon eruptions of incrassated air out of the clouds we shall next insert a few words touching the eruption of incrassated air out of the Earth whose egress causeth that which we call an Earthquake and is nothing else but the trembling of the earth ordinarily following or preceding the bursting thereof through subterraneous winds vio ently breaking forth The manner of its production is thus A proportion of air and water being lodged in a Cavern underground is further attenuated into subterraneous clouds thence into vapours and thence into incrassated air through fiery minims entring and penetrating through the pores of the Earth whereupon the earth pressing strongly suffers a diruption in the same manner as we see a bottle filled with water being close stopt and exposed to the fire is broke through the force of incrassated air or attenuated and rarefied water within Whence we observe these concomitants to be necessary in an Earthquake 1. A strange great noise 2. A trembling of the Earth 3. A great blast 4. A spouting out of water 5. Sometimes an unequal discontinuation and excavation of the Earth 6. Sometimes a flame II. The kinds of Earthquakes are taken 1. from their effects and manner of motion some causing a shaking or quaking of the earth named by some an Inclination by Aristotle a Tremor through which houses walls or other buildings are weakened in their foundation and thence are occasioned to fall down thus many Cities of Asia in the fifth year of Tiberius of Bithynia near the extream passion of our Saviour the City Nyssena Bâle and particularly Ferrarae a City in Italy were demolished this last was surprized on Martins day in the year 1570 beginning about ten a clock at night with most terrible sounds as if the City had been battered with great pieces of Ordnance next a very horrible shaking or trembling followed raising all the Citizens out of their beds putting them to their beads pouring out their prayers thrice louder than ordinary and forcing them to quit the City and to behold the ruine of their houses in the fields The Palace of the Duke and other great buildings yielded to this violence many were frighted out of their lives others killed through these prodigious accidents not ceasing before the next day at night No less were the Citizens of Constantinople amazed by those most raging Earthquakes in nothing less terrible than the former described by Agath lib. 5. de la guerre Gothique The strange kinds of noises sounds thunder whistling howling cracking that were then perceived are incredible Campania in the time of the Consulship of L. Cornelius and Q. Minutius was infested with a trembling for many daies together Many do write of such Earthquakes as these that lasted a month a year some two years but by fits I suppose In Parthia above two thousand Villages have been demolished by Earthquakes besides many others in Sicily in the 16th year of Charles the fifth in the month of April In October of the 18th year of his Reign another hapned near Puteoli in Campania Others have been observed only to cause a single elevation or puffing up of the Earth afterwards sinking down again without the appearance of any other violence and are by Aristotle named Pulses By these the earth and houses upon it have been lifted up to a great height and sunke down again without the displacing of one single stone Thus the houses of a Town in Switzerland called Friburg were twice at several times lifted up in the year 1509 once in the night the other time in the day By the same accident some houses about Burdeaux in the year 1545 in the month of August were lifted up and sunke down again into their former places Others cause a bursting and excavation of the earth swallowing up its whole Surface where it bursted with the Houses Men and Cattle upon it as when a part of the Island Lango or Coos famous for being the Country of Hippocrates was swallowed up at which time the Inhabitants were not a little amazed by an incredible thunder and fury of its commotion Camden gives a relation of a very stupendious Earthquake that befel the east part of Herefordshire in the year 1575 in March where the earth and a rocky hill called Marcley hill was removed to a far distance thence with the Trees and all the Sheep that were upon it Some other Trees were cast out of the ground whereof many fell flat upon the ground others hapned to fall into the seams of the Hill and closed as fast as if they had taken their first root there The hole which this eruption made was at least 40 foot wide and 80 yards long lasting from Saturday in the Evening untill Munday at noon Likewise a whole Town was
purity that is in its absolute state doth moysten less then Quicksilver which is not at all IV. The Form or first quality of water is gravity with crassitude There is no single word I can think upon in any Language that I know full enough to express what I do here intend and therefore am compelled to substitute these I explain them thus You must apprehend that gravity is a motion from the Circumference to the Center Levity is a diffusion or motion from the Center to the Circumference Now there is a gravity with density that is which hath density accompanying it Density is a closeness of minima's not diducted into a continuity but potentialiter that is Logicè porous and such is proper to earth There is also a gravity with crassitude which is a weight whose parts are diducted into a continuity or I might rather express my self whose parts do concentrate or move from the Circumference to the Center with a continuity that is without any potential pores dividing its matter as in Quicksilver diduct its body to the Circumference as much as you can yet its part will concentrate with a continuity but if you diduct earth you will perceive its porosity so that its body is altogether discontinuated Water is then weighty with a crassitude I prove it First that it is weighty or that its parts move from the Circumference to the Center Water when divided through force doth unite it self in globosity as appears in drops where all its parts falling from the circumference close to their center form a globosity 2. Water doth not only in its divided parts concentrate but also in its whole quantity This is evident to them that are at sea and approaching to the Land they first make it from the top-mast-head whereas standing at the foot of it upon the Deck they cannot The reason is because the water being swelled up in a round figure the top is interposed between the sight of those that stand upon the Deck and the Land-marks as hils or steeples but they that are aloft viz. upon the Yard arm or top-mast may easily discover them because they stand higher then the top of the swelling of the water The same is also remarkeable in a Bowl filled up with water to the Brim where you may discern the water to be elevated in the middle and proportionably descending to the Brim to constitute a round Figure Archimedes doth most excellently infer the same by demonstration but since the alleadging of it would protract time and try your patience I do omit it Lastly The Stars rising and going down do plainly demonstrate the roundness of the water for to those that sayl in the Eastern Seas the Stars do appear sooner then to others in the Western Ocean because the swelling of the water hindreth the light of the Stars rising in the East from illuminating those in the West The same Argument doth withal perswade us that the earth is round and consequently that its parts do all fall from the Outside to the Center V. Secondly That water hath a crassitude joyning to its gravity sight doth declare to us for it is impossible to discern any porosity in water although dropped in a magnifying Glass which in Sand is not It s levor or most exact smoothness expressing its continuity accompanying its weight is an undoubted mark of its crassitude whereas roughness is alwaies a consequent of contiguity and porosity There is not the least or subtilest spark of fire or ayr can pass the substance of water unless it first break the water and so make its way to get through this is the reason why the least portion of ayr when inclosed within the Intrailes of water cannot get out unless it first raises a bubble upon the water which being broke it procures its vent Nor the least Atome of fire cannot transpire through water unless it disrupts the water by a bubble as we see happens when water seeths or disperse the water into vapours and carry vapours and all with it But ayr and fire do easily go through earth because its parts being only contiguous and porous have no obstacle to obstruct them for sand we see in furnaces will suffer the greatest heat or fire to pass through without any disturbance of its parts Lastly Its respectiveness or relation doth require this form both for its own conservation and for others For the earths relative form being to meet and take hold through its weight and porosity this porosity is necessary for admitting the fire within its bowels for were it continuous as water is it would expel fire and dead it of the fire and by ballancing its lightness to preserve their beings mutually it needs the assistance of water for to inclose the fire when it is received by the earth and through its continuity to keep it in otherwise it would soon break through its pores and desert it So that you see that water by doing the earth this courtesie preserveth her self for were she not stayed likewise in her motion through the fire and ayr she would move to an infinitum VI. Moisture is not the first quality or form of the ayr I prove it Moysture as I said before is nothing else but the adhesion of a moyst body to another which it doth affect or touch Now in this moyst body there must be a certain proportion or Ratio substantiae of quantity it must neither be too thick or too thin Water therefore in its purity is unapt to moysten because it is too thick so ayr in its absolute state is too thin to adhere to any body that it reaches unto If ayr in its mixt nature through which it is rendred of a far thicker consistence is nevertheless not yet thick enough to adhere to the sides of another substance much less in its purity Who ever hath really perceived the moysture of Ayr I daily hear people say hang such a thing up to dry in the ayr but yet I never heard any say hang it up in the ayr to moysten but wet it in the water This drying Faculty of the ayr Peripateticks assert to be accidental to it namely through the permixtion of exhalations with the ayr Alas this is like to one of their Evasions Do we not know that the ayr in its lowest region is rather accidentally moyst because of its imbibition of vapours copiously ascending with the fire or heat tending out of the water to its element Is not the heat more apt to conveigh vapours that do so narrowly enclose it then earth which of it self permits free egress to fire yea where an Ounce of Exhalations ascends there arises a Pint of Vapours Waving this I state the case concerning the second Region of the Ayr or of the top of Mountains where according to their own judgment neither Vapours or â—xhalations are so much dispersed as to be capable of drying or moystning any ex rinsick body even here do wet things dry quicker then
at an immediate contact are absolutely disagreeing but mediately accompanying other Elements prove good friends the same Law is between Earth and Ayr. Observe although I have explained their forms by more words then one yet apprehend that in their sense they move a single concept Levity with Rarity is really distinct from Levity with Tenuity their operations and manner of operating being also different for Levity with Rarity is more penetrating vibrating and of a stronger force and therefore Fire exceeds the Ayr in Levity The like is to be understood of the Earth and Water to wit that the former is more weighty then the latter These concur equally to the constitution of one another of the world and of its parts the one contributeth as much as the other and therefore they are of an equal dignity and time CHAP. IX Of the Beginning of the World 1. Whence the world had its beginning What the Chaos is That the Chaos had a Form A Scripture Objection Answered That the Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters did informate the Chaos 2. That the Chaos consisted of the four Elements is proved by Scripture The Etymology of Heaven What Moses meant by Waters above the Waters The Derivation of the Firmament That the Ayr is comprehended under the Notion of waters in Gen. 3. That the Elements were exactly mixt in the Chaos That all the Elements consist of an equal number of Minima's 4. That none but God alone can be rationally thought to be the Efficient of the Chaos How this Action is expressed in Scripture 5. What Creation is Thom. Aq. his Definition of Creation disproved Austins Observations of the Creation 6. That God is the Authour of the Creation proved by the Testimonies of Scripture of Holy men and of Philosophers 7. An Explanation of the Definition of Creation Whether Creation is an emanant or transient Action Creation is either mediate or immediate Scotus his Errour upon this point The Difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherein mediate Creation differs from Generation 8. Of the Place Magnitude tangible Qualities Colour Temperament Time Figure Extent in Figure Duration Quantity and Number of the Chaos THus much shall suffice concerning the Matter and Form of the Elements as they are considered supposedly separated from each other but notwithstanding are the Particulars last insisted upon really in them primatio per se. Now let us proceed Since these Elements are perfections and as it were forms to each other the one being constituted doth suppose them all to be constituted and but one of them being abolisht they are all abolisht Wherefore it is a simple question to demand which of the Elements we could best miss or which of them is most necessary for the preservation of life they being all of an equal necessity I. The first formation of the world took its Original from the creation of a Chaos which that it did hath been demonstrated in one of the precedent Chapters The Chaos is a great and vast natural body consisting of an exact mixture of all the four Elements It is generally explained to be a Confusion of all the Elements Hereby confusion is not meant an imperfect mixtion but it is called a confusion because it is an universal mixtion of all the Elements The Chaos was a natural body because it was constituted by the natural Matter and Form of all the Elements That it had matter is little doubted of by any all derived natural substances being thereout materiated But a form is not so universally allowed to it Moses telling us in the first Chapt. of Gen. That the Earth was without form For the reconciling of this you must know that a form is not alwaies taken in the same sense A Form is somtimes taken for the compleat and last perfection of a thing so we say that the confusion of genitures in matrico is rude and hath no form that is it hath not that compleat further and last perfection and shape which is intended in it 2ly Form is more commonly taken for that which giveth specification and distinction to Matter or that whereby a thing is that which it is so as in this acception the Chaos of the Microcosmus is termed not to be without a form neither is the Chaos of the Macrocosmus void of form although in the former sense it is I prove it The Chaos was either a thing or nothing It was not nothing for the Text mentions it consisted of Heaven and Earth Was it a thing ergo it must have had a form to be that thing which it was or to be distinguisht from nothing It was not only distinguisht from nothing but also from an infinitum and from a single essence it consisting of Heaven and Earth which constituted both a finitum and a compositum But all distinction derives from a form ergo it ha◠form Further the Scripture doth reveal to us that the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and what was the Spirit of God here but the form of the Chaos Again the Spirit of God moving upon the waters doth evidently confirm my former Assertion namely that the form of the Elements is nothing else but a local moving vertue impressed by Nature that is God upon their Matter II. That the whole Clot of each Element contributed to the Matter and Form of this first created body the same Scripture makes clear to us in enumerating them distinctly viz. Chap. 1. 1. In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth And the Earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters First you see here is Heaven comprehending fire and air for as I proved before ayr cannot exist without fire nor fire without air Secondly Both these being near companions and relations the Text comprehends them in one for if you observe the Scripture doth all along in this Chapter enumerate the Elements by paires as it were under one name because of their near affinity So by the deep is meant Earth and Water strictly or properly so called and by waters the two fluid Elements which are those that before are explained to be continuous Elements That this is the genuine Interpretation of the said divine Text the ensuing words do clearly make it out for in v. 6. God saith Let there be a Firmament in the midst of the waters and let it divide the waters from the waters Here the water and ayr being both alike in fluidity and confused together are both called water The ayr then being light and the water weighty God expanding them the ayr through its lightness heaved up from the water and thence constituted a part of Heaven as the Text hath it in v. 8. The water through its weight descended under the ayr and thence it is called in v. 9. the waters under the heaven This must
necessarily be so for water strictly so named had it been heaved up it would have been against its first nature and been moved violently which is improbable since that nullum violentum est perpetuum no violent motion is lasting The nature of air certifieth us that it must be it which moved above the waters under it Lastly The waters above the waters strictly so termed are called the Firmament from its firmness because they are as a deep frame or a strong wall about the waters underneath for to keep them together in a counterpoise from falling to an insinitum but it is ai◠that is above the waters and is a Firmament to them ergo the ayr must be comprehended under the Notion of waters Or thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew is by the Rabbi's and Hebrews expounded an Expansion or thing expanded for its Root is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to attenuate if so then by the waters above must be implied ayr whose nature it is to be expanded as I shewed before So whether you take the word according to the interpretation of the Septuagints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Firmament or of the Rabbi's Expansion there can be nothing else intended by it but ayr I say then as by waters a duplicity of Elements is implied so by the Heavens ayr and fire are implied I prove it Light is fire flaming but the light was drawn from the Chaos if from the Chaos ergo not from the earth for by earth there is only meant earth single but from the Heaven which imports a conjunction of Elements viz. of Ayr and Fire Secondly Is light being a flaming fire drawn from the Heaven ergo there was fire latent in it So let this serve to answer Van Helmont his Objection who denieth fire to be an Element because its name is not set down in the first Chap. of Gen. neither is ayr mentioned among the Elements in so many Letters yet it is comprehended among them 'T is true Fowl are called Fowl of the ayr but what of that this doth not infer that ayr is an Element because Fowl are named Fowl of the Ayr. Secondly Earth and Water are there expressed in so many letters ergo the Chaos was made up of all the four Elements III. The Elements in the Chaos underwent an exact mixture because each being a stem and perfection to the other they required it for had they been unequally mixt then that part which had not been sufficiently counterpoysed by its opposite Element would have fallen from the whole Hence it followeth that they must have been of an equal extent and degree in their first vertue or quality and not only so but also in their quantity that is they consisted all of an equal number of minima's that so each minimum of every Element might be fitted sustained and perfectionated by three single minimum's of each of the other Elements Now was there but one minimum of any of the Elements in excess above the other it would overbalance the whole Chaos and so make a discord which is not to be conceived But here may be objected That the earth in comparison with the heavens beares little more proportion to their circumference then a point I confess that the air and fire exceed the earth and water in many degrees but again as will be apparent below there is never a Star which you see yea and many more then you see but containes a great proportion of earth and water in its body the immense to our thinking Region of the air and fire are furnished with no small proportion of water and earth so that numeratis numerandis the earth and water are not wanting of a minimum less then are contained either in the fire or ayr IV. The efficient of this greatest and universal body is the greatest and universal cause the Almighty God I prove it The action through which this vast mole was produced is infinite for that action which takes its procession ab infinito ad terminum finitum sive a non ente ad ens from an infinite to a finite term or from nothing to somthing is to be counted infinite but an infinite action requireth an infinite agent therefore none but God who is in all respects infinite is to be acknowledged the sole cause and agent of this great and miracuious effect It was a Golden saying upon this matter of Chrysippus the Stoick If there is any thing that doth effect that which man although he is indued with a reason cannot that certainly is greater mightier and wiser then man but he cannot make the Heavens Wherefore that which doth make them excels man in Art Counsel and Prudence And what saith Hermes in his Pimand The Maker made the universal world through his Word and not with his Hands Anaxagoras concluded the divine mind to be the distinguisher of the universe It was the Saying of Orpheus That there was but one born through himself and that all other things were created by him And Sophocles There is but one true God who made Heaven and the large earth Aristotle Lib. 2. De Gen. Cor. c. 10. f. 59. asserts God to be the Creator of this Universe And Lib. 12. Metaph. c. 8. He attests God to be the First Cause of all other Causes This action is in the holy texts called Creation Gen. 1. 1. Mark 10. 6. Psal. 89. 12. Mal. 2. 10. Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not alwaies intended for one and the same signification sometimes it implying the Creation of the world as in the Scriptures next forementioned other whiles it is restricted to Mankind Mark 16. 15. Mat. 28. 19. Luke 24. 47. In other places it is applied to all created beings Mark 13. 19. Gen. 14. 22. Job 38. 8. Prov. 20. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To create is imported by divers other Expressions 1. By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Form Gen. 2. 7. Esay 43. 7. 2. By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To make Gen. 1. 31. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath establisht Psal. 89. 12. Psal. 104. 5. Mat. 13. 35. Heb. 6. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 20. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To stretch or expand Psal. 10. 2. Es. 42. 5. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To prepare or dispose Prov. 8. 27. Psal. 74. 16. V. Creation is a production of a being out of and from nothing Tho. gives us this Definition in Sent. 2. Dist. 1. Quest. 1. Art 2. Creation is an emanation of an universal Being out of nothing By an universal being he intends a being as it comprehends all material and immaterial beings So that this is rather a definition of the creation of the material and immaterial world then a definition of the Formality of Creation 2. His Definition is defective and erroneous for he adds only out of nothing This is not enough it being possible for a thing to emanate out of nothing and yet not be created the immaterial operations of Angels and
the Furnace and beating against the Roof of it doth not reverberate into it self but reflects to the sides and so moves along circularly about the sides of the wall which doth more evidently appear in a globous Furnace Fornax reverberatoria The same is also manifested by the fire of kindled Gunpowder in a Squib which thickneth the ayr by impelling the Vapours and Exhalations therein contained one upon the other and augmenting them by its own fumes is almost every way resisted and beaten back whence therefore we observe it betakes it self to a circular motion The reason is because through a circular motion it is less resisted for one part of it preceding the other doth not stop the following parts but rather one part draweth another after it or bears another before it and moving alwaies round it never meets with any other resistance for the one part is gone before the other can overtake it or what should resist it It is just like un to two horses going both one pace round in a Mill the one can never be a stop to the other but rather the one draweth the other after him because they move both one way Was this motion any other but circular it would meet with resistance This motion is as it were natural to the fire and therefore is also of an eval duration for its nature is ever to move from the Center which it doth in moving circularly not primarily but secondarily it moving first directly to the Circumference and thence reflecting to the sides it creeps as it were all about the surface of the ayr one part drawing the other after it or pushing and thrusting it before it or both waies Did not the fire continue in motion it would soon lose its flame for the flame is continued by being united that which unites it is besides its own motion the crassitude of the ayr which the fire impelling one part upon the other renders thicker and so unites it self the more So that in all Particulars this motion is natural to the fire necessarily of an eval duration because the said motion preserves it in its being and is its proper nature Now were this motion the effect of heat it must be violent and consequently of no long duration for what is violent destroyes the essence of a being It would he violent because heat is produced by a violent cause from without namely the opposition of the ayr 2. We read of no burning heat in the Mosaick Philosophy but only of a moving spirit which is that I call fire or at least an effect impressed upon part of the Chaos by which it moved to the surface for you read that this moving vertue was upon the face of the waters before there was light that is it was drawn out from the Chaos before it could raise a flame to give light What can be more plain Lastly it was necessary that the Elements should be of an eval duration for they were created to exist the same duration which Adam had he abided in his primitive state of Innocency would have existed By all which it appeares that there is no other Principle whence its eval duration is deducible but from hence CHAP. XI Of the second Division of the Chaos 1. An Enarration of Effects befalling the Elements through the second Knock. The proportion of each of the Elements in their purity to the Peregrine Elements 2. The ground of the forementioned proportion of the Elements 3. That fire and ayr constitute the Firmament 4. A grand Objection answered I. LEt us pass to the second Division and speculate the effects of that Through this vibration did the earth yet more concentrate and the waters gulped also upwards equally from all parts for as I said the Chaos was equally mixt otherwise how could the waters equally cover the earth as they did the waters being got atop the ayr got loose in a far greater measure then it did before which being expanded constituted this great tract of the air which now we breath into This breach although in a manner agreeable to the absolute propension of fire and ayr could not since they were soexactly mixed with the weighty elements but give occasion of conveighing a greater proportion of both with them Neither was that little remaining bowl of the great mole whereon we now tread destitute of all her former adherents there still being immerst in her the same proportion of the light Elements to the weighty as there is a proportion of weighty elements attending the separated light ones Consider now the proportion of each to it self 1. Although the earth doth harbour some of the other Elements in her yet she is triumphant over them in the fourth degree that is there are three parts pure earth to one part of the others and amongst these others that constitute a fourth part in her own bowels it is to be conceived that water doth transcend the ayre and so the ayre the fire Supposing then the earth to-consist of 64 parts 48 thereof are pure earth 6 1 â— pure water 5 1 â— pure ayr and 4 1 â— fire Hence from its predominance it is called earth and so the like of water ayr and fire to wit water reserves 48 parts of pure water 5 1 â— of ayr 5 1 â— of earth 5 of fire Ayr is called ayr also from its greater predominance over the other elements not from its purity as if it should be all pure ayr that is impossible It s purity appropriates 48. water and fire each 5 â— â— earth 5. Fire is pure in 48. ayr in 6 1 â— water in 5 1 â— earth in 4 1 â— The proportion of these forementioned elements take thus 64 parts is the whole three fourths of it which are 48 denote the proportion of each element in its purity Then there remains 16 which is the last fourth signifying the proportion of the admisted elements to the principal element as it is considered to be in its purity Again there is another proportion observable among the perigrine elements as they are sharers of the last fourth which is 16. Wherefore in earth 6 parts and a third is taken up by water one less to wit 5 1 â— by ayr and also one less namely 4 1 â— by the fire In water five and a half is equally attributed to earth and air one less that is the overplus fraction of each compleat number of earth and air makes socially one more to fire The last fourth or 16 of the air is supplied in five and a half by each of the ingress of fire and water In five by fire Fire is tied to 6 1 â— of ayr 5 1 â— of water to 4 1 â— of earth II. The ground and reason of this proportion is 1. That the least predominance whereby an element may acquire its name must be triple that is thrice as many times more in quantity then the elements affixed to it for did an element in its purity
beings derive their rise and original from one is evident in that all beings arised from the Chaos 2. In their several kinds as in man all men took their Original from one first man Adam God proposes among the perfectest living creatures a pattern of all the rest which is man Now he being multiplied through one although not from one man it is not improbable that all other Species of living creatures multiplied through one 3. We read in the first Chap. That God did first create the moving Creatures that is one of every kind for otherwise Moses would have written that God immediately and primarily had created two of every kind In v. 20. Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creatures and fowles In v. 21. He plainly expresseth that God created every living creature that moveth that is one of every kind as I said before And in the 24th Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind not living creatures after their kind And in the 29 v. Every Herb bearing Seed not Herbs So that this is not to be doubted of You may object that in the 24th v. It is said that God created great Whales ergo more then one I deny the Consequence for Whales here denotes the plurality of Species of great Fishes to wit Porposes Dolphins Whales strictly so named c. not the plurality of Individua in every kind 4. Nature is uniform and not various in acting ergo since she created the first man single and out of him a woman it is apparent that she observed the same order and manner of creating every other perfect moving creature You may object that according to the Antecedence which I offer as a Maxime man should be created in the same manner as Beasts I Answer If you consider him only as a moving Creature having a sensitive soul he was but if as he is man that is Mens sivo Substantia spiritualis rationalis in corpus hominis vivens sensitivum a Natura infusa a Mind or a spiritual rational substance infused by God into a living and moving body then no doubt but the action is various since it is in diversa actionis specie 5. God acteth by the fewest Meanes but one is fewer or less then more ergo If then all beings are multiplied through one then this one must necessarily be the greatest I prove the Consequence You are to apprehend that man as he is an Animal is propagated in the same manner as other Animals Being then propagated through one that one must have been indued with the greatest and strongest vertue of propagation because that wasting and weakning in progress of time could not be sufficient to last out a whole race this greatest vertue must be assixed to a proportionate subject or body which must then be the greatest body for the greatest vertue cannot be contained in a less subject then the greatest body this is evident in a great flame which must be maintained in a great place 2. We may remember out of History that the nearer men lived to the first man the greater and stronger bodies they had the longer they lived the more numerous issue they had and the more generous and the less exercised in wickedness all which proceeded from a stronger vertue and a greater body If so then it is not improbale that the first man and all the first of other kinds of Animals were the greatest for the same reason Besides we read in Joshua 14. 15. That Arba in some Bibles written Adam was the greatest among the Anakims Which most Interpreters judge to be spoken of the first man Adam But possibly you may reply that if Adam was the greatest man he must have been thought to be a Giant but a Giant is monstrous wherefore Adam was not the greatest man I deny the Minor for monstrous is that which doth degenerate from the Species so that it makes a difference between that which is adjudged to be a Monster and the Species as the abundance or defect of parts or a deformation in some or all parts through which its Subject is rendered different from the Species to which it was intended but a great greater or greatest man is no more a Monster then a little less or least man because there is no difference between either in number form or figure of parts 'T is true Giants have been generally received for Monsters but then they were differing from other men in number and figure of parts as the Cyclopes a great sort of people faigned by the Poets to have had but one eye in the midst of their Forehead and to be Vulcans Journeymen employed in making weapons for Jupiter Grandeur of body if actuated by sufficiency of vigorous spirits is a perfection denoting strength of all the animal and vegetative faculties fitted for long life and propagation which therefore must not be detracted from the first of all kinds II. Hence I may then safely infer that in the Firmament the greatest part of the heterogeneous elements and a great proportion of fire were coagulated into the greatest flame which was the Sun Out of the courser part of the Sun God created another great body next to the greatest the greatest which was the Moon For as Earth Waters and Animals were defaecated by having other bodies formed out of their courser matter so it was also in the Element of fire This is most obvious in Animals whose Female was formed out of the courser part of the Male whereby it becometh more excellent and vigorous in all its actions This may be contradicted in that a Lioness is taken to be more vigorous and fierce then a Lion I Answer that this kind of sierceness and apparent vigour is in all Females but it is not lasting more a spurt and shew of vigour and fierceness then real and durable III. These two great flames did by their hourly motion produce other great ones which again propagated as it were lesser and thence little ones which were those by us now called Stars But of these more particularly hereafter IV. In the Ayr the like coagulation formed the thin Clouds consisting of a great part of Ayr incrassated through a smaller quantity of water and punctually divided by the same proportion of fire balanced and incorporated with the least measure of earth These Cloudes have their continual abode in the ayr seldom vanishing Their Colour is blewish arising from its incrassation through water and incorporation with earth for the ayr of it self is so thin that it is insufficient to unite a light or cause reflection but being reduced to a thicker consistence by the co-expansion of water with it it becomes capable of uniting reflecting and propagating a light now were there no Particle of earth affixt to this mixture the colour would be transparent lucid or Chrystalline But being somewhat obtenebrated through the density of earth is changed into a light blew or light Sky-colour V. Thus did the great
a most excellent Uterin Vegetable comforting the complexion of the Matrix reserating its greatest obstructions expelling all excrementitious humours through facilitating the menstrua producing withal a swift and easie Labour in Women and is admirable in forcing a dead Child out of the Matrix Besides it is much conducing in all Hysterick suffocations being very hot and dry and penetrating 2. Mugwort is hot and dry aperitive and discutient cleanseth the Matrix and excels in the same vertue that Dittany doth 3. Fetherfew is very hot dry penetrating and aperitive yielding to neither of the precedents in vertues It is most efficacious in June XII The Arthriticks are 1. Sassafras If there be ever a Neuritick under the Canopy of the Heavens it is the Bark of the root of this tree strengthning weak joynts and relaxt sinews drying up Catarrhs beyond all belief and in the Gout it is miraculous being hot dry aromatick sudorifick discutient and aperitive 2. Ground Pine is a certain and most efficacious Neuritick and admirable in curing the Gout It is very dry and hot aperitive and cutting 3. Germander although the last of the three is not therefore inferiour to the first but agreeing in the same vertues and qualities with it Both these latter are in their greatest strength in July XIII Lastly to please all parties I shall beyond my purpose recommend three of the most approved Vegetables to help the languor of the parts destined for the preservation of the species The first is Dog stones being of a moist and hot temperament comforting those parts to admiration and rendring either Sex very lusty The second is Green Ginger which is only fit to be eaten by those that are of a frigid temperature whom it will soon put into a contrary passion The third is Rocket an herb whose seed is potent enough to change the coldest temperament into a Satyrs lasciviousness If now your mind tends to the contempt of this beastiality then certainly spirit or sugar of Saturn will put you into another kind of devotion and better sute with your temper Here I have proposed to you a select number of Simples sufficient to cure most internal diseases that are incident to the body of man whereby you may be guided out of those dangers accompanying the making choice of them out of that infinite number of Vegetables whose vertues you must be forced to take upon other mens words oft disagreeing with the expected effects Wherefore know that each of these excepting the latter four I have experienced many and many times upon several bodies not only so but have had them formerly in my travels recommended to me by the eminentest of Physitians abroad as the greatest and most certain vegetable specificks XIV For a Corollary take the description of some rare Plants The Parisatico alias Singady or the mournful tree groweth only at Goa Malacca and some few other places in shape it resembles a Pium-tree it doth within half an hour after the Suns going down shew it self white all over with most pleasant and fragrant flowers Like to those of an Orange tree whereas at the Suns going down there was not one to be seen upon it These flowers stick fast all night untill the rising of the Sun and then they do all fall off but towards the Evening others are spread forth again and so this continues all the year long Arvore de Rays or the root tree is an East-Indian shrub growing up to a certain height and spreading it self into branches from whose top roots do grow down into the earth whence they spring out again into other shrubs of the former height which again at their top emit other roots downwards in a manner that in some space of time this shrub spreading it self near half an English mile round becomes an intire Forâ—est formed as it were out of one continuous Tree The herb Sentida or sensitive Plant may be a pattern of chastity to all the which if you do only touch or cast a little sand upon it its leaves do immediately retract and shut themselves up and do open no sooner again than your finger or what you have cast upon them is withdrawn The she Palm-trees it is observed do not yield any fruit unless planted near to a male Palm tree to which they seem all to incline having their boughs more extended towards it at that side than at any other whence the AEthiopians do usually plant them so that the wind may carry steams from the Male to the Female but in case the male tree be taken away from between the others they become barren and give over bringing forth fruit The fruits of the Indian Palm tree are called Coquos being filled within with water the wight within is very tender and soft and tastes like to an Artichoke but after a longer maturation groweth harder and eats like a Haselhut The water which each of them contains in the measure of a pint or two is very clear and pleasant to drink This tree contains materials for a whole Ship Its wood being light and spongy they cut into planck which they tie together with cords that are drawn off from the said Coquos The sails are made out of the leaves which the Indians call Olas It is reported that there is a tree in Java Major whose innermost marrow is Iron being very thin and running through the whole length of the tree Its fruit is likewise as hard as Iron In the Island of Tylos there are Cotten trees whose gourds being of the bigness of Quinces are found to be full of Cotten when they break through over-ripeness There is a tree in the Island Cimbubon whose twigs being fallen down to the ground do move themselves forwards as if they crept having two small legs of each side and if they be toucht they creep back CHAP. VI. Of Water in order to her Commerce with the other Elements 1. The Etymology of Water That Water naturally is hard and consistent and not fluid 2. The Division of Water 3. What a Lake is The strange vertues of some Lakes 4. What a Fountain is The wonderful properties of some Fountains 5. Of Physical Wells 6. Of Baths 7. Of Rivers and their rare properties 8. Of the chief Straits of the Sea 1. VVAter seems to be derived from washing from its use because people make use of it to wash their foul things with So leau in French from Laver to wash and Wasser in High Dutch from Waschen denoting the same Aqua in the Latine was imposed upon it for to express its excellency and its absolute necessity for the preservation of humane life Aqua dieitur quasi a qua vivamus nutriamur a qua nobis plurima supersint commoda Pisces nobis alit navium vehiculo inservit quibus non pauca nobis afferuntur necessaria ignisque est pardomitrix terram foecundans aeremque spirabilem nobis reddens Formerly we have discoursed of Water and its form absolutely considered now
nodes and cold tumours of the joynts Rickets in children c. they dry up the superfluous moisture in dropsies expel gross humours by sweat and by that means curing inveâ—erate headaches aches of the Limbs they procure womens courses consume their Whites cure the Green-sickness and many other diseases VI. A River is a collection of waters descending from a Fountain and streaming through a tract of the earth towards the Sea whereof some are long others short broad or narrow deep or shallow swift or slow straight or winding some ebbing and flowing as the Thames Elb Mase Seyne c. others for the most part following one course c. Most of the River Waters about the Alpes if usually drank of are apt to breed a great swelling in the throat called by Physitians Bronchocele Vitruvius affirms the same of a River called Silar changing the roots leaves and boughs of the trees that grow on its banks side into stones Pliny adduces another of the same property whereunto the River near Laodicea and those of the Country of Barcia in Hungary may be adjoyned About the borders of Norway near a Castle called New Castle flowes a River whose streams seem blackish breeding also fish of the same colour Philostratus in his book de vita Apoll. recites a Fountain wherein if a forsworn person doth wash his hands or feet he is soon infected with a shameful leprosie Diodorus the Sicilian makes mention of another of the same nature The water of the River of Jordan doth still retain its great fame among the Papists of working Miracles Pilgrims do oft bring quantity of it along with them thence obtesting that it is impossible it should fail curing Dropsies Consumptions malignant Ulcers Kings Evil Barrenness in fine all diseases that surpass cure by Art It renders the face beautiful and nitourous and for cuting spots and deforming rednesses of the face it is taken notice of by most women in Spain France and Italy The East Indians do adscribe the same vertues to the River Ganges which they do believe with such an assurance that as soon as ever they fall dangerously sick they cause themselves to be carried to the River side where they sit under a Hutt with their legs half way in the water so long untill they are either dead or perfectly cured and if they die they leave in their last will that their cinders may be cast into the same River for to be purified I suppose against their Resurrection The AEgyptians used to take their prognostica ions of sundry important things from the River Nilus which if it failed overflowing their Country portended barrenness and consequently Famine and oft times a Pestilential disease and sometime change of Government Thus its inundation was deficient two years together before the death of Antonius and Cleopatra the same hapned also before the great Famine and change of Government under Claudins On the other side if the said River happen to overflow beyond its usual limits it proves likewise an occasion of barrenness because the length of time before the Country can return to a just driness through the decrescence of the water is protracted beyond the Season of Sowing Usually and naturally as I may so say the Nile overflowes once a year being forty daies in increasing arriveth to its height which is unto 16 cubits about the seventeenth day of June and is forty daies more after that in decreasing The Countrey being much fatned by this inundation produces great abundance of pasture corn and other fruits The increase height and decrease of the Nile they know from the observation of a Pit made out of one stone whose water increases and decreases with the Nile This River doth also dispose women for conception whence it is ordinary with them to multiply by twins and three at one birth Moreover it is a very healthfull water preserving the body in a good disposition and curing many diseases Notwithstanding the subtility of the water and heat of the climate yet it never emits vapours whence it is that there falls no rain in that Country The same is also attributed to the River Boristhenes and the Anouros in Thessalia viz. not to rick or to occasion the air to be nebulous The River Ganges is likewise apt sometimes to exceed its bounds through which inundation the Country is very much fertilized The River Arrius of Florence the Danow the Eridanus or Padus the Tiberis and the Athesis of Verona have oft caused a submersion of the neighbouring fields VIII The chief straits or narrownesses of the sea are 1. The straits of Gibraltar where the Sea floats through betwixt the two pillars of Hercules viz. The two Promontories of Calpe and Abila and divides Spain from Fez it is otherwise called the straits of Caliz from the Island Caliz near adjacent to it It s breadth is about seven Leagues 2. The straits of Anjan passing from the outermost western parts of America to the Eastern Coasts of Tartary It is very probable that some of the posterity of Sem crossed these straits to inhabite the West-Indies where they are since multiplied into those several nations 3. The straits of Magallan so called from him that first passed them but since they have found another way into the Pacifick Sea more commodious to sail through called the straits of Le maire 4. The straits of Davis towards Greenland 5. The straits of Nassow or Waigats near Nova Zembla The Mediterranean is pinched by these straits 1. The Siciliâ—n straits 2. The Tuscan straits between Sardinia and Corsica 3. The Calydonian straits 4. The straits of Euripus between Achaia and Euboea 5. The straits of the Hellespont 6. The Thracian straits 7. The Cimmerian or Meotian straits 8. The straits of Cilicia or Caramania between Cilicia and Cyprus A Gulph is an arm of the Sea or the Sea broken into the Earth in the form of an Arm. The principal Gulphs of the Oriental Ocean are 1. The great Gulph passing betwixt Maugi and India extra Gangem 2. The Gangetican Gulph streaming between the Golden Chersonesus and India intra Gangem 3. The Persian Gulph 4. The Gulph of Arabia or the red or Eruthrean Sea deriving its name from the red Sands over which it floats or according to Q. Curtius from the King Eristhra 5. The Gulph of Canthus 6. The Gulph of Barbary or Progloatis or di Melinde The principal Gulphs of the Western Ocean 1. The Sarmatian Gulph 2. The Granduican Gulph or white Sea 3. The Gulph of Mexico 4. The Bay of Biscay The Mediterranean Sea is chiefly dispersed into these Gulphs 1. The Gulph of France reaching Marseilles 2. The Adriatick or Venetian Gulph 3. The Ionian Gulph floating towards Epirus and Macedonia 4. The Corinthian Gulph alias the Crisean or Alcionian Sea 5. The Gulph of Naples 6. The Pamphilian or Issican Gulph 7. The Thermacian or Thessalonian Gulph 8. The Argolick Gulph 9. The black Gulph CHAP. VII Of the Circulation of the Ocean
under water over the bottom of the Sea along with the course of the Ocean from any noted point that the same part of the Ocean or Bowl shall in the space of 15 natural daies arrive to the same point and exactly at the same time begin its next periodical course thence when it departed from that term the month before Nevertheless the Ocean doth not omit its single course in fluctuating about the Earth in somewhat more than twelve hours but then it doth not dayly arrive to the supposed point of a compounded periodical course at the same minute when the latter viz. the compounded begins its progress Expresly the great Ocean through its diurnal course flows the length of 348 degrees about from East to West performing also the same circuit through its nocturnal course That is every twelve AEquinoctial hours it absolves 348 degrees of the terrestrial AEquator Wherefore for to flow 360 degrees it requires 24 24 2â— minutes of an hour above the foresaid twelve hours that is the Ocean flows about the terrestrial AEquator in twelve hours and 24 14 2â— minutes absolving every hour 29 degrees How this swiftness is possible to the Ocean we shall make further declaration of it anon Besides a single diurnal and a periodical compounded monthly motion another must also be added which I call an augmentative motion through which the Ocean doth gradually accrease every high water to some certain cubits of which more fully hereafter Since that time is nothing but a measure of motion and that one time is made known to us by another it is thence occasioned that we come to know the time of the Ocean by comparing it with the time of the Moon and of the Sun as being general marks whereby to calculate the seasons of the Ocean This premised it states a ground reason of the measure of this great Sea viz. That it is usually high water in the Ocean under the AEquinoctial and Ecliptick as also upon the shores of the same at six in the morning and evening when the Moon is in opposition to or conjunction with the Sun and at the same hours about the Moons quarters the waters there are at their lowest On the other side it is as common among Mariners to measure the motion of the Sun and Moon by the Tides or motions of the Seas they being exquisitely skill'd in discerning the hour of the day and night or the season of the several aspects of the Moon by the said tides Wherefore it may be thought as equal a consequence that the Moon in her motion depends upon the course of the Ocean as pressing the air through her tumefaction which again doth impel the Moon forward as that the Moon should tumefie the air and thereby impel the waters forward But I pass by this as ridiculous Although the Ocean keeps so constant and exact a rule and measure in its course as likewise the Sun and Moon yet we must not therefore conceive the one to depend upon the other because two great marks of their time that is one of either viz. The greatest height of waters and the greatest aspect of the Moon are concurring in one day that rather happening because the Ocean began its course at that instant when the Moon after her creation being placed in opposition to the Sun began hers But possibly you will propose this instance to evince that the highest water doth depend upon the greatest compression of the Moon because when she is at her Full she may cause some compression and commotion of air and water she then being in her greatest strength and situated in Perigaeo of her eccentrical Aspect and therefore nearest to the water and so may add somewhat to the enhightning of its stream I answer That it is a mistake to apprehend the Moon to be nearest at the Full most Astronomers asserting her rather to be remotest then and to be nearest when she is in her quarters Ergo according to that rule the highest waters should happen at the Moons quarters and the lowest at the Full of the Moon Or otherwise how can the Moon further the said motion when she is upon the extremity of her decrease her rayes drowned by those of the Sun and she in Apogaeo deferentis Certainly none can be so obtuse as to maintain her in that capacity to have a power of compressing the air when she being most remote the air doth most enjoy its freedom yet nevertheless some are so obstinate to assert that the greatest altitude of the Sea because it hapneth then doth likewise depend upon the compression of the Moon What is more constant certain periodical and equal than the course of the Sea Whereas the Moon is vulgarly maintained to be subjected to anomalies then in this part of the Heavens then in another now in Apogaeo perigaeo concentrical excentrical then swift slow c. if so then a constant and equal effect cannot consecute the efficience of an unequal cause III. Against our discourse touching the diurnal course of the Ocean might be objected That it seems very improbable that the Sea should move so swift as in a little more than 12 hours to overflow the whole terrestrial Globe whereas a ship through the advantage of her sails and a prosperous wind and weather being supposed to out-run the Tide can scarce accomplish that course in a Twelvemonth Hereunto I reply that the water takes the beginning of her motion from underneath for as I have formerly proved that the formal cause of the waters perennal motion is her gravity which bearing down upon the Earth for to gaine the Center is resisted by her and nevertheless continuing in its motion is necessarily shoven there to the side and so the same hapning to the succeeding parts are all impelled through a natural principle of gravity sidewards like unto an Arrow being shot against a stone wall and there resisted is shoven down the side VVhence it is apparent that the waters take beginning of their motion underneath not far from the ground where being pressed by the great weight of many hundred fathoms of water lying upon them must needs cause a very swift course of waters removing underneath and withdrawing from that of the Surface which is prevented of a swift motion because it sinks down to that place whence the subjected parts do withdraw themselves which gives us a reason why the superficial parts of the Sea do not flow by many degrees so swift as the subjected ones Nevertheless some small motion is visible upon the Surface which may accelerate or retardate the course of a ship but not comparable to the waters in the deep This instance will further certifie you touching the truth of the matter before said a flat-bottomed Kettel filled up with water having a hole at the bottom near to the side of the said Kettel doth emit the water underneath spouting out with a very great swiftness through the hole whereas the
The number of these cavities we must suppose to be fifteen on each half of the terrestrial Globe because the Sea doth in every periodical compounded course make thirty stations or so many tumefactions by which it must needs work it self into so many cavities This supposed it doth infer another assumption viz. That since the Ocean moves over so many borders or shelves of cavities it must necessarily move in Bores A Bore or more properly a Bare is a tumefaction of water underneath moving very swift and elevating the waters atop into a tumefaction proportionable to it underneath An example of Bores you have in the River of Seyne and many other Rivers where great shallows obstruct the floud of the waters underneath But of this more hereafter The Ocean then moving in a great bore must raise a tumefaction wherever it passeth This tumefaction being originally in the middle parts causes the floud by sending a proportion of waters falling through their gravity from the top to the sides as being lower situated to the coasts on both sides which it passeth Hence we may collect that where ever the borders of the foresaid cavities do respect the Coasts there the Inhabitants must have a swise appulse of the floud The Ebbe is nothing else but the waters returning from the sides to the middle parts being left lower through the recess of the Oceans bore or tumefaction but this by the way It is most certain that the Western Ocean directs its waves towards the East but whence this continual course of water is supplied may justly be doubted and although the Eastern Ocean doth constantly flow towards the West yet how and where Mar del Nort meets with Mar del Zur remains to be made to appear Their visible communication through the straits of Magallan or of Le maire or the straites of Martin Forbisher and of Anjan cannot be imagined to conduce any thing considerable towards the presupposed evacuation that of Magallan little exceeding a League in breadth or above 10 or 12 fathom in depth besides the many turnings and windings and length of near 110 or 120 Leagues hindering any considerable course of water The others not much surpassing these either in breadth or depth seem to conduce as little But to make the course clear beyond all dispute the West-Indian Earth is boared through deep underneath by the former compression of the Ocean through which immense perforation the great bore of the Sea enjoys a free passage and rowles along under the Peruvian Ocean By means of this vast perforation the Indian Earth is much elevated and in most places hath acquired the full height which it obtaineth being clome up atop the Sea by many Leagues whence it is that the Land by far overlooking the Ocean doth appear to Mariners three or fourscore Leagues off at Sea CHAP. VIII Of the course of the Sea towards the polar Coasts 1. What the Libration of the Ocean is That the Tides are not occasioned by Libration The Navil of the World Whence the Seas move towards the North Polar Why the Ebb is stronger in the Narrow Seas than the Floud and why the Floud is stronger than the Ebb in the Ocean Why the Irish Seas are sorough 2. Why the Baltick Sea is not subjected to Tides The rice of the East Sea or Sinus Codanus 3. The cause of the bore in the River of Seyne 4. The causes of the courses of the Mediterranean The rice of this Sea I. HItherto we have followed the main course of the Ocean Westward In the next place let us cast an eye towards the Northern coasts where we shall meet the Sea rowling contrarily now from the South to the North then from the North back again towards the South This contrariety must not perswade us although authorized with Scaligers subtility that the Sea is an Animal neither need we to lay hold upon that notion of the Libration of the universal waters for to salve this doubt However I will not think it much to tell you the meaning of it The Libration of the Ocean is the projection of its parts from the Center to the Circumference through a diurnal fermentation raised by the torrid rayes of the Sun or according to Libavius his droling through a diurnal-egurgitation of water out of a bottomless pit of the Ocean called its navil and projected toward its extream parts As this kind of spouting should be the cause of the floud so its returning back into the Earths tun belly or the cessation of the foresaid fermentation should be the cause of the Oceans reflux from the said parts be they Northern or Southern c. The exposition it self of this subject will evert its supposed reality for if such a fermentation were granted the Ocean must at one and the same time move to all the points of the Compass and at the same time return from the same points to the Center But what expert Mariner is there that will not testifie otherwise And where is this Center Possibly in the torrid Zone between Madagascar and Los Romeros where a very strong tide is generally observed but not moving Eastward and Westward at one time if so no Ship could pass without yielding her self to the bottom Neither can Libavius his fansie be admitted because such a Gurges spouting out would cast Ships from it at one time into all parts with an unimaginable force and likewise would attract Ships from those parts back again with no less force and swallow them down into her belly That these properties would necessarily accompany such a vast Whirl-Pool is proved by that dangerous Whirl-Pool in the North sea near the coasts of Norway by Mariners called the Navil of the world through its egurgitation casting Ships to a great distance from it and through its ingurgitation drawing them from the same distance into her throat These Hypotheses insisting upon no sparke of appearance we are forced to make choice of our precedent one whereby to demonstrate the different flowing and ebbing of these narrow Seas towards and from the Septentrional Polar There be few but knows that the Narrow Seas undergo a gradual tumefaction a rowling up of their waters being withal very swift and arriving successively from one coast to another as also a successive detumescence and decurrence of the said waters Now the reason why these waters do not accompany the Ocean from the East towards the West is their shallowness and inclosure between narrow borders For the bore of the Ocean coming rowling down the AEthiopian Ocean towards Mar del Nort is discontinued as it were in its depth through the shallow bottom of the polar Seas and therefore doth only give them a cast or throw in passing For the bore arriving and swelling gradually doth through that gradual swelling squeeze the shallow polar seas towards the Poles in passing by notwithstanding continuing its course Westward The bore being passed the Ocean beginneth to wax detumescent whereby the shallow waters being deserted
waters of the straits of Gibraltar or the Pillars of Hercules inwards This impulse of the waters inwards is much stronger at the intumescence of the Ocean but weak at the detumescence nevertheless the current of the Sea runs constantly inwards because of the constant diurnal course of the Ocean from East to VVest so that this constant current into the Pillars of Hercules is an Herculean argument confirming the constant diurnal motion of the Ocean That which causeth the floud or intumescence here is the Ocean impelling the Sea strongly underneath at its intumescence The cause of the detumescence is the water falling from underneath the Mediterranean into the universal Cavern because of the detumescence of the Ocean Moreover observe the property of the ebbing and flowing of this Sea Through the intumescence the water is impelled Eastward as well near the shores as in the middle Through the detumescence or waters falling from underneath the waters of the shores do fall towards the central or middle parts of that Sea yet somewhat westward because the Sea doth fall from underneath westward and notwithstanding the detumescence doth the middle of the Mediterranean float constantly inwards although but weakly because of the aforesaid impulse Hence it appears that the Mediterranean is an exact emblem of all the motions befalling the Ocean Touching its original it is certain that the Ocean did not form its Cavern through its constant motion because were it so that Sea would be largest at its mouth as having withstood the first violence of the Ocean 2. Because it is situated out of the reach of the course of the Ocean floating alwaies westward 3. VVhere this Sea communicates with the Ocean it seems rather to be its ending than the mouth of its narrowness and it is very probable that near the creation the extremity of Spain and the Kingdom of Fez joyned in an Istmus which since through violence of the Ocean and the pressure of the Mediterranean is bored through The rice then of this Sea must be adscribed to the peregrin Element of water breaking out of the Earth through the concussion of the third Division which afterwards was contained within a great rent or Sinus of the Earth Neither did the Euxian Sea derive its original from the Mediterranean because of the narrowness of the Channel through which they have access to each other But this with most great Lakes of the World as the Maotis Haneygaban c. were formed through accidental protrusions of the peregrin Element of water as you shall read in the next Chapter Among the various courses of the Sea we must not forget the inserting the causes of currents whose waters although communicating with the Ocean do notwithstanding make choice of a distinct motion varying withall at certain seasons Thus Mariners observe a strong current from Cabo Delgado towards the Cape of Good Hope streaming Southwest and another floating westward from Cabo das correntes to the River Aguada of Boapaz Near Aguada de San Bras the current runs towards the Land The cause is the different position and degree of depth of their Cavity which varying from that of the Ocean do suffer their waters to be squeezed to a different course Neither must any imagine that the wind is the principal cause of these currents and much less of the universal Tides of the Ocean because the stronger the wind blowes against them the stronger they float against the wind CHAP. IX Of Inundations 1. Of the rice of the great Gulphs of the Ocean The causes of Inundations That the Deluge mentioned in Genesis was not universal The explanation of the Text. 2. The manner of the Deluge That it was not occasioned through the overfilling of the Ocean 3. That there hapned very great Deluges since when and where 4. The effects of the first Deluge 5. Inland Inundations 1. THe Ocean and others of its Arms through their continual violence against the Earth do in time bore great Caverns into her body whence the great Gulphs of Bengala Persia Arabia Mexico most great Bayes and straits took their beginning and no wonder since they were moulded by the strong stream of the Ocean floating westward Neither is the Ocean satisfied of the Earth for possessing the Center for which they have both an equal claim in making such assaults upon her but is still striving to enter and begin new irruptions into her whereby it oft grows victorious of some of her Plains as appears by those frequent inundations sustained in England particularly that of Somersetshire extending to 20 miles in length and 15 in breadth whose fury had drowned several Towns and swallowed up many hundreds of men some making their escape upon deales and pieces of Timber of Houses that were washt away Rabbets fled their lodges and got atop Sheeps backs swimming as long as they could for their lives Corn and straw floated up and down in abundance being filled with Rats and Mice endeavouring their escape besides a great number of dead creatures that were seen adrift Holland many places of Asia Africa c. Among these none was ever more furious than the Deluge hapning in the year of the Creation 1656 mentioned in the seventh Chapter of Genesis whose eminence above the Earth reached to 15 Cubits destroying all living Creatures except some few only that had thitherto fed upon the fruits of the ground I must not forget here to rectifie Peoples judgments perswading themselves that this Inundation should have been universal I grant it was universal in two respects 1. To all the Earth that was inhabited by the Patriarchs and their Tribes 2. In respect to the universal damage and loss for it had destroyed all that was upon Earth excepting those that were miraculously preserved for the preservation and use of the race of Man But pray can any one rationally conceive that the height of 15 Cubits of water above those hills of Asia should have exceeded the tops of all the mountains of the world What proportion is there between those hills 15 Cubits and the Peak of Taeneriffe the Mount Venpi in Queticheu or Jekin in Chingutu or Kesing Mung Hocang Juntay Loyang Kiming where they are nine daies in getting up to the top Funghoan being all Mountains of China reaching higher than the lower clouds The Olympas Athos or those high Mountains upon the West-Indian Coasts No more than there is between a man and a steeple Or is it probable that forty daies rain should drown the whole World when a whole six months rain falling every Winter upon the East-Indies scarce increaseth the intumescence of the Ocean But observe the scope of the Scripture Gen. 7. 18. And the waters prevailed greatly and were greatly increased upon the earth c. Here the divine Text seemeth to intend nothing further than a great prevailing and increase of the waters which could effect little more than a partial Inundation for otherwise to have caused an universal one none less than
ground swimming atop it in the forme of clay or mud they having little or no sandy ground within their dikes or bankes Hence it appears that towards the constitution of a Hill these conditions must be required 1. A great quantity of water must be bored underneath the Earth for a small quantity would prove invalid to lift it up 2. They must form their Cavern very deep for near the Surface they would sooner break through than raise the earth 3. The ground under which they bore must be very dense dry and sandy for to keep in the water for were it moist or loose it would not rise but sooner break Besides this density and sandiness of the earth doth serve to concentrate and conclomerate the earth into one body whereby it is gradually raised and lifted up From this discourse observe why hills are sandy and dry although containing such a bulk of water underneath them viz. because of the closeness or density of the minima's or sands of the earth compelling the water under them 2. The reason why all hills do not emit fountains of water is because the water is lodged very deep under them or because of the extream density of their terrestrial minima's V. This cannot but confute that improbable opinion asserting hills to be formed through the violence of the waters after the Deluge carrying great pieces of the earth along with them in returning to their receptacle another reason against this is because great torrents tumbling down with a tempestuous fury and causing an Inundation or Deluge wherever they touch scarce leave any sign of inequality of the earth behind them 2. Here may then be demanded from them how and whence those hills before or after the Deluge of Noah or of Ogâ—ges or Deucaleon it is the same received their formation Hills there were before for besides the Bible Josephus Abydenus Berosus and others make mention of a very high hill in Armenia major called Barin by others Chardaeus whereupon a pious man should have saved himself in an Ark. So Ovid speaks of the Mount Parnassus whose height should have preserved Deucaleon with his wife Pyrrha from the rage of the Deluge Others to save the matter have conceited the Stars to have attracted lumps out of the earth and so raised them into hills but this opinion is so absurd that it needs no confutation The Vulgar observing most hills to be sandy do beyond all reproof believe that they are nothing else but congestions of sand or earth heaped up by the winds I shall not think it much to insert their judgment touching a very high hill in Holland situated a mile off from the Hague towards Shiveling and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called the High Clift which about a hundred years ago they say was of that height that one might have washt his hand in the clouds upon the top of it but now is diminisht to one third to what it was and I my self can remember that it was much higher than now it is The cause of this diminution they adscribe to the winds blowing down the sands out of which they say all those small hills that are about it were formed But to rectifie their apprehensions who can rationally judge that winds are forcible enough to remove hills of that weight and bigness or that winds should be strong enough to heap up such a Mountain Any one would sooner imagine the winds to blow them down If then winds have not the power to raise a Mountain certainly they are too weak to pull one down Or thus If winds be so powerful why did they not blow down such hils before they came to that height 2. Hills in many Islands of the West-Indies are raised much higher where the winds are much more out ragious Wherefore the cause of the diminution of the fore-mentioned High Clift must be adscribed to the removal of the water underneath whereby the hill doth gradually sink and grow lesser and boring further into several places about hath raised those other hills VI. But since hills are so numerous Lakes and Rivers not scarce a disquisition must be made whence and how such a vast quantity of water doth redound within the bowels of the earth The peregrin Element of water within the earth bears no proportion of affording a competent moisture towards the casting up of so many monstrous Mountains or scattering such large perennal Fountains and Rivers or of depressing the Surface of the earth by such vast Lakes Wherefore I say nothing appears full enough to effuse such dimensions of water but the Ocean alone whose belly being oppressed with an inexhaustible plenitude is constantly irritated to vomit up its superfluities into the weaker and lower parts of the earth Reason will incline us to this truth that must be the original of waters whereinto they are disburdened for otherwise if the Sea did retain all those waters evacuated by Rivers it would manifestly increase but since it doth not it is an argument that the Sea expels as much as it receives but that is the Ocean Ergo. 2. Many Lakes Fountains and Rivers although remote from the lips of the Sea do notwithstanding participate of the flowing and ebbing thereof as that Fountain in the Island Gades another near Burdeaux c. ergo the sea doth press water thither 3. The divine words of Solomon confirm the same to us Eccl. 1. 7. Unto the Place from whence the Rivers come thither do they return again but that is into the Sea Ergo. 4. The ancient Church-men do also subscribe to this viz. Isidor lib. 3. de Orig. Cap. 20. Basil. Hom. 4. Hex Jerom upon Eccles. 1. Damasc. lib. 2. de sid orth c. 9. Hugo de S. Vict. upon Gen. Dionys. upon Prov. 8. c. The manner of the Seas conveyance or passage to the innermost parts of the earth is by screwing pressing and penetrating through the lowermost parts for there the Sea is most potent exercising its weight refracted to the sides whereas atop it is too weak or were it strong enough it would break forth before it had passed any considerable way Besides its own weight the saltness of the Sea doth very much conduce to the intending of its force for those salin particles are apt to undergo a dividing and cutting pressure VII Places that are bordering upon the Sea are alwaies and every where cast up into high hills or mountains because they receive the first impulse of the Sea waters pressing underneath Hence it is that every where about the Coasts are encompassed by hills Mountains are oft higher and greater within the Land than near the Sea because they are raised by the meeting of great quantities of water impelled from two Seas So the Alpes are cast up by the water impelled from the Venetian Gulph of the one side and the Tyrrhenian Sea of the other both meeting under them The Peak of Teneriffe is thrust up to the height of threescore miles through casting up all that
particles in the Winter That Fountain of Arcadia exerciseth such a penetrable concentrating force upon Gold and Silver through the quantity and strength of its nitrous spirits which are only obtused by a Mules hoof through the Lentor and obtuseness of its body and therefore may easily be contained in it The Fountain of the Holy Cross appears red through the admixture of red bole The overflowing of Fountains for a certain space depends upon the pressure of a greater quantity of water thither which in the Summer time may prove more copious through the attenuation of the water and rarefaction of the earth The reason of their detumescence after their repletion is the waters further impression towards other parts or repression thither whence they came through the expiration of the air flatuosities out the mouths of the Fount whence the earths gravity depresseth them back again Those that increase and decrease with the course of the Moon or rather of the Ocean vary through the change of the universal Tides of which hath been sufficiently treated above Touching the Lithopoetick vertue of waters it is much agreeing with that of the earth of which above The Sibaris causeth sneezing through its acre and vitriolat spirits Some waters are apt to change the temperament of the body into a cold or phlegmatick disposition causing the hair of Cattel to be protruded with a faire colour others into a cholerick habit causing the hair to be of a reddish colour The Fountain Lycos is unctious and therefore serveth to burn in a Lamp Whether to adscribe the egurgitation of that oyly Spring discovered near the Incarnation of our Saviour to the collection of unctious exhalations permisted with water or to a miracle both being possible I leave to the inclination of your belief But the disclosing of a false swearer if there be a Fountain of that vertue is an extraordinary impression of God upon the waters Jacobs Fountain changeth in colour and motion through the fermentation of various heteregeneous bodies contained within it II. Wells are distinguished from Fountains in that the former do oft appear in a plain or valley as the foot of a hill are subject to fill up and after to be dried up again Neither do they spout out water with a force like unto Fountains Ipsum and Barnet Wells operate their effects through a thick Chalchantous or Vitriolat juyce which through its sulphureous particles irritates the belly to excretion and through its subtiller spirits to urine By the way you must not imagine that their admixture is right and true Vitriol for in distillation by the colour of the subsidence it doth appear otherwise Neither is the taste a perfect vitriolat taste or their operation so nauseous as Vitriol dissolved in water Besides those juyces are indisposed to concretion into Vitriol since these are more sulphureous and less digested Nevertheless they are somwhat like to Vitriol in taste operation and grayness of colour as being nearest to green Although the main effect is adscribed to a Vitriolat like juyce it hinders not but that some Ferrugineous and Aluminous juyces may be commixt with them Tunbridge waters are impregnated with a thin chalchantous spirit wherby they are usually pierced through with the urine except in some delicate fine bodies whose bellies partake likewise of their effect III. Among the Spaw waters as Pouhont and Savenier agree in vertue with those of Tunbridge so likewise in their causes And Geronster with Ipsum Nevertheless Hendricus van Heer doth not forbear lib. de Acid. Spadan cap. 5. imputing their effects to red Chalck which he found together with some Oker and a little Vitriol upon the bottom of the body of the Still after distillation of the waters I wonder how he guessed those substances so readily which had nothing in them like to the said bodies but their colour Besides the red chalck he named the mother of Iron A wise saying In effect those subsidences were nothing else but the caput mortuum of the forementioned chalchantous juyces whose subtiller parts being abstracted and exhaled left the courser insipid like to what the caput mortuum of Vitriol useth to be But pray who ever knew â—ed Chalck or Oket to be eccoprotick or diuretick Particularly he found Geronster to leave dregs which being cast upon a red hot Iron would not yield to liquefaction Ergo it must be steel he concluded Neither would his Oker or Chalk have melted presently because they were deprived of their Sulphur But will the infusion of Steel purge by stool and urine like those waters Certainly no. Ergo their purgative ingredient must have been a crude chalchantous juyce Fallopius beyond him attests to have found Alume Salt green Vitriol Plaister Marble and chalk in those waters which they cal Physical waters a meer guess these partaking in nothing but colour and scarce that with the forenamed Minerals Doubtless nature had never intended them for such bodies Touching the commistions of these juyces with the waters they do immediately mix with them as soon as they are exhaled out of the earth which had they been intended for those pretended kind of Minerals nature would have lockt them up in a matrix IV. Baths derive their natures from the actual hidden flames of a thick and dense sulphureous and chalky matter the proportion of which do cause a greater or lesser ebullition The waters of the Rivers descending out of the Alpes breed such congestions under the throat through a permixture of coagulating and incrassating particles to wit of nitrous juyces Touching the other properties of Rivers we have already treated of them and therefore judge their repetition needless CHAP. XIII Of the various Tastes Smells Congelation and Choice of Water 1. Various tastes of several Lakes Fountain and River waters 2. The divers sents of waters 3. The causes of the said tastes That the saltness of the Sea is not generated by the broyling heat of the Sun The Authors opinion 4. The causes of the sents of Waters 5. What Ice is the cause of it and manner of its generation Why some Countries are less exposed to frosts than others that are nearer to the Line 6. The differences of frosts Why a frost doth usually begin and end with the change of the Moon 7. The original or rice of frosty minims Why fresh waters are aptest to be frozen How it is possible for the Sea to be frozen 8. What waters are the best and the worst the reasons of their excellency and badness I. VVAter besides its own natural taste of which we have spoken above is distinguished by the variety of adventicious tasts viz. some are sharp and sowre as the Savenier Tunbridge waters and those near Gopingen in Suevia and others near Lyncestus in Macedonia Others are of a sweet taste as the water of the River Himera in Sicily Those of the River Liparis have a fat taste Some waters in the Isles Andros Naxos and Paphlagonia do taste like wine The
waters of the Fountain Campeius are bitter and flowing into the river Hipanis in Pontus infects it with the same taste There are other fountains between the Nile and the red Sea that agree with the former in taste likewise those of Silicia near Corycius The pit waters of Galniceus are acerbous The salt taste of waters is unknown to none since the Ocean is pregnant enough with it Some inland Lakes and Fountains are of the same taste viz. Three in Sicilia the Concanican Agrigentinian Lakes and another near Gela. There is another called Myrtuntius of the same relish between Leucades and the Ambracian Gulph The Taus in Phrygia Thopetis in Babylonia Asphaltites in Judaea Sputa in Media Atropacia Mantianus in Armenia one in Cyprus near Citium another between Laodicea and Apamia two in Bactria another near the Lake Moeotis and that of Yaogan Forrien besides many more are all of a saltish taste Touching Fountains there is one in Narbone exceeding the Sea in saltness There are six more of the same taste near the Adriatick gulph where it bends towards Aquileia besides several other salt pits in Italy Illyris Cappadocia c. II. Waters vary no less in their sent Some stinking as the Lake between Laodicea and Apamia the Fountain among the Phalisci another near Leuca in Calabria and those rivulets near the Lake Asphaltites c. Others give a sweet sent as the Fountain of Cabara in Mesopotamia The Pit Methone in Peloponesus smells like a Salve III. Next let me make address to the causes of these qualities A sharp taste is derived from those acute and Vitriolate particles immixt in the water A sweet taste is produced in water through an exact aerial mixtion or percoction with it The waters of Paphlagonia afford a vinous taste through the admixture of tartareous exhalations or such as are like to the mixture of Tartar of wine Bitterness flows from adust terrestrial particles admixt to waters Aluminous exhalations dispersed through water render it acerbous The saltness of the Sea and other Inland waters is communicated to them from the admixture of saltish particles exhaling out of the mud Touching the generation of salt and its mixtion I have inserted my opinion above I shall here only have a word or two with those that state the Sun the efficient cause of the said saltish particles broyling and aduring those exhalations contained with the body of the waters whence they assert the superficial parts of the Sea to be more saltish than the lower parts of it because the Suns heat is more vigorous there If the broyling Sun be the efficient whence is it then that some Lakes and Fountains are very salt where the Sun doth not cast its aduring beams 2. It is very improbable that so vast a number of saltish partiticles should be generated in the torrid Zone where the Sun doth only broyle as to infect the waters within the polars that are so remote thence How then is it that the waters prove as saltish there where the cold is as potent as the heat elsewhere as in Greenland Or absurdly supposing the Sea to be so far communicative of its savour why doth it not obtain a power of changing those sweet waters which it is constrained to harbour within it self As those which Columbus relates to have found in the American Sea near to the road of the Drakes head Moreover he attests to have sailed through fresh water a hundred and four Leagues far in the North Sea Pliny lib. 2. c. 103. affirms the same viz. to have discovered fresh water near Aradus in the Mediterranean and others by the Chaledonian Islands And in lib. 6. c. 17. he reports that Alexander Magnus had drank a draught of Sea water that was fresh and that Pompey when he was employed against Mithridates should have tasted of the same 3. The Ocean being alwaies in such an agitation cannot be a fit matrix to concrease or unite such mixtures 4. The broyling Sun doth rather render salt waters fresh as hath been experienced among Seamen by exposing pails of Sea water upon the deck to the torrid Sun under the Line which after a while standing do become much fresher An open heat doubtless sooner dissolves a mixture than it generates one for boyl Sea-water long upon the fire and it will grow fresh or distill it and you will find the same effect Beyond all scruple these saltish particles must be united into such mixtures out of earth proportioned to the other Elements in a close place or matrix yet not so close as to concrease them into a fixed subterraneous body or mineral whose coldness doth adact impact and bind the said Elements into an union and mixture which through defect of an entire closeness do soon exhale or transpire In a word the saltness of the Sea is generated within its mud whose closeness impacts and coagulates the exhalations of the earth into salin particles whence they are soon disturbed through the motion of the Sea and the attracting heat of the Sun Hence it is that old mud clay and such like bodies prove generally saltish so that the Sun adds little excepting in the stirring up of the said exhalations And touching the foregoing instance of the waters greater saltness atop than below it is fictitious for the Sea is much fuller of salt below than above because of its weight Nevertheless the Sea doth taste more saltish atop than below because the subtiller parts of the Salt are attracted or forced by the heat of the Sun towards the top which meeting there are apt to strike the tongue more piercing than otherwaies But whence these fresh waters do burst up into the Sea is worth our inquiry To resolve you you must know that the earth in many places under water is raised up into hills or shallows analogal to them whose earth atop lying very close doth hinder the water above it from passing especially in the Northern Climate where the Sea is somewhat thicker than under the Line but is nevertheless bursted through propulsion of the waters underneath which evacuated into the body of the Sea do cause that extent of fresh water without suffering themselves to be infected with the Saltness of the Sea because the sea-Sea-water is so thick and closs that it excepts the fresh water from making an irruption into its continuity Hence it is that the River of the Amazons besides many others although irrupting into the Sea many Leagues far yet is maintained impolluted and fresh But why those salin particles should be generated near to those fresh springs and not close about them may seem strange It is because one ground is muddy and disposed to generate salt the other about the said spring is sandy dry as it were and close and not at all masht through as mud is The Sea-water deposeth its saltness in being percolated through the earth suffering the subtiller parts alone of the waters to pass but keeping back the grosser and
intermediate as bitter acerbe acid and salt p. 196. l. 12. r. assimilation p. 197. l. 1 3. r. Lynx l. 12. r. very near p. 198. l. 5. r. Fish l. 9. r. do l. 20. r. A Cat is delighted p. 230. l. 21. r. An Opale p. 238. l. 19. r. White Chalck p. 330. l. 6 9. r. rise p. 331 l. 36. r. Perinaean p. 343. l. 31. r. within p. 350. l. 16. r. River p. 363. l. 23. r. 28. p. 398. l. 34. r. doth Hence Ovid Ingenuas didicisse sideliter artes Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros * Take form in a large sense as it doth imply an Essence or entire Being * By really understand effectively properly * So a possible being which is a non ens reale may be concelved to be an ens rationis By Figure understand the Habit of Modes in one essence Aver Met. 7. c. 3. Tho. A. p. 1. q. 77. 1. Art c. 1. Herv qual 1. q 9. Apol. de an q 7. Thom. p. 1. q. 77. Art 6. That is a parte actus * That is by a formal reality or such as any other operation of the mind might adjudge to be formally real or to respond from without to that distinct formality which it conceiveth from within * Chap. 3. v. 17. and Chap. 1. v. 5. Lib. 1. cap. 1. Ethie * Luc. 8. None is good but God alone * L a. Ty. * Namely from Theology that is from its neerest end or Summum Bonum * Mark that practick here imports practick strictly so called and poetick * For even then he is assisted with God's ordinary power * Not as we are like unto men but rather unto beasts * Take Attributes here in a large sense Col. 1. 12 13. Col. 1. 26 27. * A description of the second Paradise you may also read in Isa. 65. 17 18 19 c. and in the next ensuing Chapter 2 Pet. 3. 13 and in the 21 and 22 Chapter of the Revelat Stob. Serm. 109. Xen. Mem. 1 4. Plat. dc Repub. l. 6. Lib. de Relig c. 9. Phaed. Just. Mart. or at Paraenet ad Gent. Plat. Phaed. Cicer. do amic Plat. Phaed. Lactant. l. 1. c. 5. Arist. l. de par animal c. 5. Arist. Met. b. 6. c. 1. Text. 1. * That is intirely separated existences That is beyond its points it is nothing * That is an actual vertue or continuated act Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fundo sive consundo * That is an inequality of the elements in respect to parts or the whole whereby the central parts are perfused with more hear or spirits then the circumferential ones but notwithstanding the mixture is equal in particles * That is in the whole yet in parts or if not in parts they are in particles * Or rather is expressed by the overpowering gravity of the weighty clements as you may read below in the Chap. of Vacuum * Or rather are the easier expelled by the down presâ—ing earth * Hereby the earthy waterish parts are divided from the light ones and cast aside hence it is that we spy such a clodding together of waterish earthy particles and their separation from the light humours in bloud drawn from a feaverish patient * By taking advice from our sense * That is the spirits dispersed through the optick ayr * That is lucid * That is equal in proportion * To wit extrinsecally by peregrin water * That is homogeneously continuous * Compare the quoted place other wise you will scarce apprehend the sense of these consequences * Because it is represented without being terminated by any mixt colour * By pinching here do not understand a greater obtension but rather a relaxing or withdrawing from or a contraction of the light and drawing of it from the sight by being relaxed drowned deaded by a dense weighty body * Or rather by coagulating the white salt of the Aq. Fort. * Or a reflection continuated * Namely of an opake body * That is inheres in the air like an accident in its substance †Whereas an accident and its substance are not really different as hath been proved in my Metaph * That is fire not converted into a flame * viz. The pallate and gills * Or a perspective-Glass first invented some 40 or 50 years ago by Jacobus Metius of Alcmaer although accidentally by holding one piece of glass before another to his eye whereof the nearest was somewhat thicker theÌ„ the other * To wit from the extreme circumference of the second region to the circumference of the first * Because of its depressing weight * viz. To operate presently from the stomack upon the heart as soon as the medicament is swallowed down * The beast it self wherin it is found they call Pazan * And in the Island Vacquas near the mouth of the Gulph of cambain likewise in the Country of Pan near Malacca * I have wittingly omitted the inferring the Draconite as being dubious whether any such be in nature * In the iense ex pressed in the Chapt. of temp * Suppose them to be transversly contorted inclining from East to West most to terminate obliquely into the poles especially the North Pole in its North Hemisphere †That is in the North Hemisphere * To wit most in its lower region * To wit the Sun * Namely of the Needle * To wit the latent fire into which the extinguisht flame was dissolved * Except where it is condensed * Or by incision * Of each dissimilar part in particular * From the Buleares Ilands to wit Majorca Minorca * From Baltheus a Belt because it environeth Sconen like a Belt * These should have have been inserted in the preceding Chap. * Or 30 single periods * Hence you may collect the cause of the retardation of the tide every day * Namely at the bottom underneath ergo the waters must also begin to move from underneath * viz. The east west grove * Namely the west grove * Take notice by the way that by Grove I do not intend any thing like to a Grove of trees as the word is derived from growing but a cavern as the same word is derived from Groven or to grave into the earth * For one drop of water in an AEolipile is attenuated into a great blast of wind or air as the vulgar may call it Ergo c. * That is underneath some what what remote from the reach of the water atop * Or rather to be boâ—ed or prâ—fied through * And likewise the air about the Poles irrupting into the water as you may read in the next Chapter * To wit by the crushing of the air tending downwards * Add hereunto the rarefying beams of the Sun intending the force of the internal air towards the circumference in the same manner as you shall read it to be intended within the Earth in the next Chapter * These are very frequent off the Cape de bona Esper. where Sailers term them Travadas * Namely off the short of Cuba and Hispaniola * Or rather is detruded * Like Gun powder suddenly taking fire causing a violent noise when discharged out of a gun or any other close hollow body * Except they be descended so low as to find themselves seated within the upper erratick clouds * Besides it appears plainly in a Thermometer * To wit externally * Besides acutenesse as we have observed in the 1 B. 2 Par. as a concomitant of Density whereby a weighty body is also the better disposed to cut through the inferiour part of the air when pressed from the superiour * As in fountains that are led over a mountain or in Machins that raise the water higher than its source * To wit impressed upon the air by the Projector * Namely for to recover its place and to avoid a penetration of bodies * In the same manner as we have described the air to force up water in vapours * To wit being incorporated with fire * Compare the generation of winds hereunto for the manner is the same of both * That is is bound up by the continuous tenuity of the air * Witness the â—…sones * viz. the adventitious matter * Otherwise if held near to it it is conical * viz. as there are restant deg from 346 deg 49 min. c. to 360 degr * That is remoter †But accidentally by expelling those vapours that incrassate it * To wit from the knee
Union might be more properly termed a Principle than Privation p. 8. 2. The Principles of a Material Being stated by Pythagoras rejected p. 9. 3. That to treat of Matter and Form is more proper to Metaphysicks 10. 4. That the Materia Prima of Aristotle is a Non Ens. ib. 5. That the Chaos had a Form p. 11. 6. The Authors Materia Prima p. 12. 7. That it doth not appertain to Physicks to explain the nature of the first Matter ib. 8. What the first Form of all natural Beings is ib. 13. CHAP. IV. Of the Nature and Essence of the Elements 1. The nearest Definition of a Natural Being p. 15. 2. The Definition of an Element That all Physical Definitions ought to be sensible The proof of the Existence of the Elements and of their Number p. 16. 3. An Exposition of the Definition of an Element It s Etymology and Honomony p. 17. 4. What Distinction the Author makes between Principle Cause and Element p 18. 5. What a Natural Cause is That the Elements are no single real Beings That they are treated of separately and singly Ratione only ib. 6. That there are but three Natural Causes Their Necessity proved in particular ib. CHAP. V. Of New Philosophy and the Authors of it 1. Helmontius his arrogance and vainglory How and wherein he rejected the Peripatetick Philosophy His own Principles p. 19 20. 2. The Life and Death of the said Helmontius p. 21. 3. A Confutation of all his Physical Principles in particular p. 22. 4. Some few Arguments against Renè des Cartes his Principles in general p. 23 24 25. CHAP. VI. Of the Material Principle of Natural Beings 1. The Causes of the Elements p. 26. 2. That the Elements are really compounded natural beings ib. 3. That Matter and Quantity are really identificated ib. 4. What Quantity is What its Ratio formalis is p. 27. 5. That in rebus quantis there is a maximum and a minimum Definitum p. 28. 6. Experimental Instances proving that there are actual Minima's and that all natural beings do consist out of them p. 29. 7. The pursuit of the preceding Instances inferring a Continuum to be constituted out of actual Indivisibles Some Geometrical Objections answered p. 30. CHAP. VII Of the Natural Matter and Form of the Elements 1. That the Elements are constituted out of minima's That they were at first created a maximum divisible into minima's p. 31. 2. That supposing there were a materia prima Aristotelica yet it is absurd to essert her to have a Potentia Essentialis or Appetitus Formae p. 32. 3. That the Natural Form is not educed è Potentia Materiae ib. 4. That the Actus of Local Motion is the Form of the Elements ib. 5. The manner of knowing the first constitution of the Elements That there was a Chaos p. 33. 6. That there was conferred a distinct form upon every Element Whether a Form is a Substance 'T is proved that it is not ib. 34. CHAP. VIII Of the absolute and Respective Form of Earth Water Ayr and Fire 1. What Form it is the Author allots to Earth That driness is not the first quality of Earth p. 35. 2. The respective form of Earth 36. 3. That Coldness is not the first quality of Water That water is not moyst naturally neither doth it moysten What it is to moysten Why water acuated with spirits of Vitriol Sulphur or of Salt-peter doth moysten and abate thirst more than when it is single ib. 4. The form of Water What Gravity is and what Levity What Density is The form of water proved Why water disperseth it self into drops Why Sea-men cannot make Land upon the Cap-head when they may upon the Top-Mast-head Why the Stars do appear sooner to those in the east-East-Seas than to others in the west p. 37. 5. That water is thick but not dense Whence it is that water is smooth Why Ayr makes a bubble upon the water when it breaks forth That the least Atome of Ayr cannot break through the water without raising a bubble Why the same doth not happen to Earth p. 38. 6. That Moysture is not the first quality of Ayr neither doth the Ayr naturally moysten any body but to the contrary dryeth it p. 39. 7. The form of Ayr. What Tenuity is Why Feathers Cobwebs and other light Bodies do expand themselves when thrown through the Ayr. Why Grease Oyl Wax c. do make Splatches when poured upon the ground Why Gunpowder Smoak Breathes of living Creatures Vapours Exhalations Dust c. do diffuse themselves in that manner Whence it is that the least breath moves and shakes the Ayr. The relative form of ayr Why spirits of wine mix easier and sooner with water than one water with another p. 40 41. 8. The first quality of Fire What Rarity is Whence it is that a Torch or Candle spreads its Beams circularly as appears at a distance That Fire is rough the cause of it Fire's Relative nature A comparing of all the first qualities of the Elements one to the other p. 42 43. CHAP. IX Of the beginning of the World 1. Whence the world had its beginning What the Chaos is That the Chaos had a form A Scripture Objection answered That the Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters did informate the Chaos p. 44. 2. That the Chaos consisted of the four Elements is proved by Scripture The Etymology of Heaven What Moses meant by Waters above the Waters The Derivation of the Firmament That the Ayr is comprehended under the Notion of waters in Gen. p. 45. 3. That the Elements were exactly mixt in the Chaos That all the Elements consist of an equal number of Minima's p 46. 4. That none but God alone can be rationally thought to be the Efficient of the Chaos How this Action is expressed in Scripture p 47. 5. What Creation is Thom. Aq. his Definition of Creation disproved Austins Observations of the Creation p. 48. 6. That God is the Authour of the Creation proved by the Testimonies of Scripture of Holy men and of Philosophers p. 49. 7. An Explanation of the Definition of Creation Whether Creation is an emanent or transient Action Creation is either mediate or immediate Scotus his Errour upon this point The difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherein mediate Creation differs from Generation p. 50 51. 8. Of the place magnitude tangible qualities colour temperament time figure extent in figure duration quantity and number of the Chaos p. 52 53 54. CHAP. X. Of the first Division of the Chaos 1. Why the Chaos was broken p. 55. 2. That the Chaos could never have wrought its own change through it self The Efficient of its mutation p. 56. 3. The several Changes which the Chaos underwent through its Disruption The manner of the said Disruption ib. 4. How Light was first produced out of the Chaos What a Flame is p. 58. 5. A perfect description
The division of water p. 289. 3. VVhat a Lake is The strange vertues of some Lakes 290 291 292. 4. VVhat a Fountain is The wonderfull properties of some Fountains p. 293 to 295. 5. Of Physical Wells p. 296. Of Baths p. 297. 7. Of Rivers and their rare properties ib. 298. 8. Of the chief Straits of the Sea p. 299 230. CHAP. VII Of the Circulation of the Ocean 1. That the disburdening of the Eastern Rivers into the Ocean is not the cause of its Circulation neither are the Sunne or Moon the principal causes of this motion p. 301 302. 2. The periodical course of the Ocean The causes of the high and low waters of the Ocean p. 303 304 305. 3. How it is possible that the Ocean should move so swiftly as in 12 hours and somewhat more to slow about the terrestrial Globe p 306 307 308. 4. A further explanation of the causes of the intumescence and detumescence of the Ocean The causes of the anticipation of the floud of the Ocean 309 to 312. 5. That the Suns intense heat in the torrid Zone is a potent adjuvant cause of the Oceans circulation and likewise the minima's descening from the Moon and the Polar Regions p. 313 to 316. CHAP. VIII Of the course of the Sea towards the Polar Coasts 1. What the Libration of the Ocean is That the Tides are not occasioned by Libration The Navil of the World Whence the Seas move towards the North Polar Why the Ebb is stronger in the Narrow Seas than the Floud and why the Floud is stronger than the Ebb in the Ocean Why the Irish Seas are so rough p. 316 317 318. 2. VVhy the Baltick Sea is not subjected to Tides The rise of the East Sea or Sinus Codanus p. 319. 3. The cause of the bore in the River of Seyne p. 320. 4. The causes of the courses of the Mediterranean The rise of this Sea ib. 321. CHAP. IX Of Inundations 1. Of the rise of the great Gulphs of the Ocean The causes of Inundations That the Deluge mentioned in Genesis was not universal The explanation of the Text. p 422 323. 2. The manner of the Deluge That it was not occasioned through the overfilling of the Ocean p. 324. 3. That there hapned very great Deluges since when and where p. 325. 4. The effects of the first deluge ib. 5. Inland Inundations p. 327. CHAP. X. Of the causes of the before-formentioned properties of Lakes 1. Whence the Lake Asphaltites is so strong for sustaining of weighty bodies and why it breeds no Fish The cause of qualities contrary to these in other Lakes The cause of the effects of the Lake Lerna p. 328. 2. Whence the vertues of the Lake Eaug of Thrace Gerasa the Lake among the Troglodites Clitorius Laumond Vadimon and Benaco are derived ib. 3. Whence the properties of the Lake Larius Pilats Pool and the Lake of Laubach emanate p. 329. CHAP. XI Of the rise of Fountains Rivers and Hills 1. That Fountains are not supplied by rain p. 330. 2. Aristotles opinion touching the rise of Fountains examined p. 331. 3. The Authors assertion concerning the rise of Fountains The rise of many principal Fountains of the world ib 332. 4. Why Holland is not mountanous p. 333. 5. That the first deluge was not the cause of Hills ib. 334 6. Whence that great quantity of water contained within the bowels of the Earth is derived p. 335. 7. Whence it is that most shores are mountanous Why the Island Ferro is not irrigated with any Rivers Why the Earth is depressed under the torrid Zone and elevated towards the Polars The cause of the multitude of Hills in some Countries and scarcity in others ib. 336. 8. How it is possible for the Sea to penetrate into the bowels of the Earth p. 337. CHAP XII Of the causes of the effects produced by Fountains 1. Whence some Fountains are deleterious The cause of the effect of the Fountain Lethe of Cea Lincystis Arania The causes of foecundation and of rendring barren of other Fountains The causes of the properties of the Fountains of the Sun of the Eleusinian waters of the Fountains of Illyrium Epirus Cyreniaca Arcadia the Holy Cross Sibaris Lycos of the unctious Fountain of Rome and Jacobs Fountain p. 338 339. 2. The causes of the effects of Ipsum and Barnet Wells p. 340. 3. Whence the vertues of the Spaw waters are derived ib. 4. Of the formal causes of Baths 341. CHAP. XIII Of the various Tastes Smells Congelation and Choice of Water 1. Various tastes of several Lakes Fountain and River waters p. 342. 2. The divers sents of waters p. 343. 3. The causes of the said Tastes That the saltness of the Sea is not generated by the broyling heat of the Sun The Authors opinion ib. 4. The causes of the sents of wates p. 345. 5. What Ice is the cause of it and manner of its generation Why some Countries are less exposed to frosts than others that are nearer to the Line ib. 346. 6. The differences of frosts Why a frost doth usually begin and end with the change of the Moon p. 347. 7. The original or rise of frosty minims Why fresh waters are aptest to be frozen How it is possible for the Sea to be frozen p. 348. 8. What waters are the best and the worst the reasons of their excellency and badaess p 349 350. CHAP. XIV Of the commerce of the Ayr with the other Elements 1. How the Air moves downwards VVhat motions the Elements would exercise supposing they enjoyed their Center VVhy the Air doth not easily toss the terraqueous Globe out of its place How the Air is capable of two contrary motions 351 352. 2. That the Air moves continually from East through the South to West and thence back again to the East through the North. p. 353. 3. An Objection against the airs circular motion answered p. 354. 4. The Poles of the Air. ib. 5. The proportion of Air to Fire its distinction into three profundities p. 355 CHAP. XV. Of the production of Clouds 1. VVhat a Cloud is how generated its difference How a Rainbow is produced Whether there appeared any Rainbows before the Floud 356 2. The generation of Rain p. 357. 3. How Snow and Hail are engendred p. 358. 4. The manner of generation of winds ib. to 362. 5 The difference of winds Of Monzones Provincial winds general winds c. Of the kinds of storms and their causes What a mist and a dew are p. 362 to 370. CHAP. XVI Of Earthquakes together with their effects and some strange instances of them 1. VVhat an Earthquake is The manner of its generation The concomitants thereof p. 370. 2. The kinds and differences of Earthquakes ib. 371 372. 3. The proof of the generation of Earthquakes p. 373. 4. Their Effects upon the air p. 374. CHAP. XVII Of fiery Meteors in the Air. 1. Of the generation of a Fools fire a Licking fire Helens fire Pollux
and Castor a Flying Drake a burning Candle a perpendicular fire a skipping Goat flying sparks and a burning flame p. 375 376. 2. Of the generation of Thunder Fulguration and Fulmination and of their effects Of a thunder stone p. 377 378. 3. Of Comets Of their production p. 379 380 381. CHAP. XVIII Of the term Antiperistasis and a Vacuum 1. Whether there be such a thing as an Antiperistasis p. 382. 2. Whether a Vacuum be impossible and why p. 383. 3. Experiments inferring a Vacuum answered p. 384 385. 4. Whether a Vacuum can be effected by an Angelical or by the Divine Power p. 386. 5 Whether Local Motion be possible in a Vacuum A threefold sense of the doubt proposed In what sense Local Motion is possible in a Vacuum in what not ib. 387. CHAP. XIX Of Physical Motion 1. What a Physical Motion is The kinds of it The definition of Alteration Local Motion and quantitative motions The subdivision of Local Motion p. 388 389. 2. That all alterative and quantitative motions are direct p. 390. 3. That all externall motions are violent ib. 4. That all weighty mixt bodies being removed from their Element are disposed to be detruded downwards from without but do not move from any internal inclination or appetite they have to their universal Center p. 391 392. 5. The causes of swiftness and slowness of external Local Motion 393 6. That light bodies are disposed to be moved upwards ib. 7. That airy bodies being seated in the fiery Region are disposed to be moved downwards p. 394. CHAP. XX. Of Attraction Expulsion Projection Disruption Undulation and Recurrent Motion 1. How Air is attracted by a water-spout or Siphon p. 395. 2. The manner of another kind of Attraction by a sucking Leather 396. 3. How two slat Marble stones clapt close together draw one another up ib. 4. How a Wine-Coopers Pipe attracts Wine out of a Cask ib. 5. How sucking with ones mouth attracts water p. 397. 6. How a Sucker attracts the water ib. 7. The manner of Attraction by Filtration p. 398. 8. The manner of Electrical Attraction ib. 9. How fire and fiery bodies are said to attract p. 399. 400. 10. What Projection is and the manner of it p. 401. 11. What Disruption Undulation and Recurrent motion are ib 402. CHAP. XXI Of Fire being an Introduction to a New Astronomy 1. The Fires division into three Regions p. 402. 2. The qualification of the inferiour Region What the Sun is What his torrid Rayes are and how generated ib. 3. How the other Planets are generated ib. 4. How the fixed Stars were generated p. 404. 5. A further explanation of the Stars their Ventilation That there are many Stars within the Planetary Region that are invisible Of the appearance of new Stars or Comets Of the Galaxia or Milk-way p. 405. 6. That the fiery Regions are much attenuated p. 406. CHAP. XXII Of the Motion of the Element of Fire 1. VVhere the Poles of the Heavens are p. 408. 2. The Opinions of Ptolomy and Tycho rejected p. 409. 3. That the Planets move freely and loosely and why the fixed Stars are moved so uniformly ib. 4. The Suns retrograde motion unfolded and the cause of it ib. 5. How the Ecliptick AEquator and the Zodiack were first found out p. 410 6. The manner of the fiery Heavens their ventilation p. 411. 7. Whence it is that the Sun moves swifter through the Austrinal Medeity and slower through the Boreal How the Sun happens to measure a larger fiery Tract at some seasons in the same time than at others p. 412. 8. VVhence the difference of the Suns greatest declination in the time of Hipparchus Ptolomy and of this our age happens p. 414. 9. An undoubted and exact way of Calculating the natural end of the World The manner of the Worlds dissolution The same proved also by the holy Scriptures The prevention of a Calumny ib. 415 416. CHAP. XXIII Of the Magnitude and distance of the Sun and Moon and the motion of the other Planets 1. That the Magnitude of the Sun hath not been probably much less certainly stated by any The Arguments vulgarly proffered for the proof of the Suns Magnitude rejected p. 417 418. 2. That the Sun might be capable enough of illuminating the World were he much lesser than the terraqueous Globe than I suppose him to be p 419. 3. That the shadow of the Earth is to some extent Cylindrical ib. 4. That the Sun existing in the AEquator doth at once illuminate the whole Hemisphere of the Earth ib. 5. Concerning the diminution or increase of the shadow of the Earth within the Polars together with the cause of the Prolongation and Abbreviation of the dayes That the Sun is much bigger than he appears to be p 420. 6. What the spots of the Sun and Moon are and their causes ib. 7. That the Arguments proposed by Astronomers for rendring the Moon lesser than the Earth and proving the distance of the Sun are invalid p. 421. 8. That the Moon is by far lesser than the Earth ib. 9. Several Phaenomena's of the Moon demonstrated p. 422. 10. Concerning the motion of Venus and Mercury p 423. 11. Of the motion of the fixed Stars and their Scintillation p. 424. CHAP. I. Problems relating to the Earth 1. Why two weighty bodies are not moved downwards in parallel Lines p. 426. 2. Why a great Stone is more difficultly moved on the top of a high hill than below p. 427. 3. Why a pair of Scales is easier moved empty than ballanced ib. 4. Whence it is that a man may carry a greater weight upon a Wheelbarrow than upon his back ib. 5. Why a weighty body is easier thrust forward with a Pole than immediately by ones arms besides 5. other Probl. more p. 428 429 430 6. Why a stick thrust into a hole if bended is apt to be broke near the hole What the cause of the relaxation of a bowed stick is p. 431. 7. Whether Gold doth attract Mercury ib. 8. Why the herb of the Sun vulgarly called Chrysanthemum Peruvianum obverteth its leaves and flowers to the Sun wheresoever he be p. 432. Why the Laurel is seldom or never struoken by Lightning b. CHAP. II. Containing Problems relating to Water 1. Why is red hot Iron rendered harder by being quencht in cold water p. 432. 2. Whence is it there fals a kind of small Rain every day at noon under the AEquinoctial Region p. 433. 3. How Glass is made ib 4. Whence it is that so great a Mole as a Ship yeelds to be turned by so small a thing as her Rudder p. 434. 5. What the cause of a Ships swimming upon the water is p 335. 6. Whether all hard waterish bodies are freed from fire ib. CHAP. III. Comprizing Problems touching the Air. 1. Whether Air â—e weighty p 436. 2. Whether a Bladder blown up with wind â—e heavier than when empty ib. 3. Why water contained in a beer glass being
any further to propose the Opinions of others concerning the first Principles Elements and Constitution of natural Bodies Baptista van Helmont impropriating the knowledge of true Philosophy and Physick to himself alone cals Hippocrates Galen Aristotle and all other wise men Fooles and terms their Dictates figments but withal propounds new foundations of Philosophy and Physick threatning a great danger to those who did obstinately adhere to their Tenents and promising an infinite treasure to such as should receive his Wherefore I shall first contractly relate his Philosophick Principles then examine them Fol. 33. of his Ort. Med. Dist. 3. He reproves the heathens for falsly teaching the Number of Elements to be four as also for asserting three Principles to wit Matter Form and Privation All things saith he are idle empty and dead and therefore stand only in need of a vital and seminal Principle which besides life have also an order in them He denieth the four Genders of Causes the first matter the causality of a form receiving it for an effect alone Further he states only two causes namely Matter and her internal Agent Efficient or Archeus In the same place he terms Matter a co-agent not a subject which he saith was improperly attributed to her by Philosophers And in Dist. 21. he denieth the congress of the four Elements yea not of two of them to concur to the constitution of mixt bodies His two Causes or Principles he cals bodies in one place in another as you may read below he detracts it from the latter The first of the said Principles is called ex quo out of which the latter per quod through which Dist. 23. he concludes water to be a beginning out of which initium ex quo and the Ferment to be the seminal beginning through which that is Disposing whence the Semen Seed is immediately produced in the matter which it having acquired becometh through it life or the media materia the middle matter of that being extending to the period of the thing it self or to the last matter Dist. 24. The Ferment is a created formal being which is neither a Substance or Accident but neither in the manner of light fire magnal forms c. created from the beginning of the world in the places of their Monarchy for to prepare and excite the semina seeds and to precede them I consider the ferments to be truly and actually existing and to be individually distinguisht through Species kinds Wherefore the ferments are Gifts and Roots establisht from the Lord the Creator to all ages being sufficient and durable through their continual propagation that they might raise and make seeds proper to themselves out of the water to wit wherein he gave the earth a virtue of germinating he gave it as many ferments as there are expectations of fruits Wherefore the ferments produce their own seeds and not others That is each according to its Nature and Properties as the Poet saith For nature is underneath the earth Neither doth all ground bring forth all things For in all places there is a certain order placed from God a certain manner and unchangeable root of producing some determinate effects or fruits not only of Vegetables but also of Minerals and Insects For the bottomes of the earth and its Properties differ and that for some cause which is connatural and coeval to that earth This I do attribute namely to the formal ferment that is created therein Whence consequently several fruits bud forth and break out of themselves in several places whose seeds we see being carried over to other places come forth more weakly like to an undercast child That which I have said concerning the ferment cast into the earth the same you shall also find in the Ayr and the Water The difference which there is between the ferment and efficient is that the former is the remote Principle of Generation and produceth the latter which is the semen which is the immediate active Principle of a thing Here you have a Synopsis of his Philosophy which in the progress throughout his Book he repeats ad nauseam usque II. When I first took a view of the Title of his Volume which was The Rise of Medicine that is The unheard of Beginnings of Physick A new Progress of Medicine to a long Life for the revenge of Diseases by the Author John Babtista van Helmont Governour in Merode Royenlorch Oorschot Pellines c. He might be Governour of himself in those places but not of c. I wonder what those places signified since the people of Brussel admired upon what his Heir liveth This old man in his life-time was strangely melancholy and by Fits transported into Phanatick Extasies questionless had he been of a Religious House he would much have added by help of these Raptures to the incredible Bulk of the Golden Legends but his Daemon turned them to Physick He had a great Design in Christening his Son Mercurius to have made another Trismegistus of him and not unlikely for wherever he is he is all-knowing I was much abused by the Title of his Tract hoping to have found a new sound Archologia and lighting upon ignorance of Terms abuse of words but a most exact Orthography limiting almost every second word with a Comma or a stop as being measured by his asâ—matick breathing The Fame which he deserved from his Countrey-folkes was equal to a famous Mountebank The Church-yard was the surer Register of his Patients His Arrogance and Boastings were Symptomes of his depravate conceptions His Cruelty fell it last upon his own bowels through which he lost his Life for the neglect of very ordinary means This is the account I had at Brussels of his Life and Transactions which I thought was not unworthy of my insertion in this place thereby to disadvise some from a rash belief to his vain words that so they might avoid the same Dangers and Cruelties upon their own and other mens Lives III. But in reference to his Dictates He rejects the number of four Elements without proposing any Argument for Confutation He denieth the existence of a first matter also without giving proof for the contrary Both which we have already demonstrated The form is an effect saith he and not a cause this argueth his misseapprehension of a cause and effect for most Authors agree that a cause in a large sense is whatever produceth an effect now the form produceth an effect in giving a specification to the whole It seems he intends nothing for a cause unless it be really distinct from its effect which in a strict and proper sense may be allowed but if granted nevertheless he is in an Errour for asserting Matter and the Archeus to be causes neither of which are really distinct from the being constituted by them Further it is no reason that because the form is an effect therefore it can be no cause for all beings in respect to their own production are effects and yet
of water proved Why water disperseth it self into Drops Why Sea-men cannot make Land upon the Cap-head when they may upon the Top Mast-head Why the Stars do appear sooner to those in the east-East-Seas then to others in the West 5. That water is thick but not dense Whence it is that water is smooth Why Ayr makes a Bubble upon the water when it breaks forth That the least Atoms of Ayr cannot break through the water without raising a Bubble Why the same doth not happen to Earth 6. That Moysture is not the first quality of Ayr neither doth the Ayr naturally moysten any body but to the contrary dryeth it 7. The form of Ayr. What Tenuity is Why Feathers Cobwebs and other light Bodies do expand themselves when thrown through the Ayr. Why Grease Oyl Wax c. do make Splatches when poured upon the ground Why Gunpowder Smoak Breathes of living creatures Vapours Exhalations Dust c. do diffuse themselves in that manner Whence it is that the least breath moves and shakes the Ayr. The relative form of Ayr. Why Spirits of Wine mix easier and sooner with water then one water with another 8. The first quality of fire What Rarity is Whence it is that a Torch or Candle spreads its Beames circularly as appears at a distance That Fire is roof the cause of it Fire's Relative nature A comparing of all the first qualities of the Elements one to the other 1. THe Form lately mentioned may justly be surnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfection because it confers a Perfection upon matter But to return where I left After sufficient evidence that each of the Elements are actuated by a distinct form I begin first with the Earth whose form and first quality is weight pondus with density 1. Because through it it performeth all its Operations and Effects 2. The form or first quality of a body is unremoveable but dense weight is unremoveable from earth ergo it is its form and first quality whereas dryness which is brought in competition with it by all Peripateticks is removeable for earth may be moystened with water This is an Herculean Argument if well weighed 3. A Privation cannot be the first quality of earth because it is accidental to it but dryness is only a privation of moysture and consequently accidental I confirm the Minor had there never been any moysture who could ever have thought of dryness Again in the ordinary Ideom of speech we say such a thing is dry because we feel no dampness in it for first we feel and gather it together to try whether we can feel any moysture but perceiving no moysture or dampness we say it is dry Ergo because of the privation of moysture Further moysture and dryness are privative opposites because the one being removed the other also vanishes For take away sight and you take away blindness it being improper to say a thing is blind unless in opposition to sight The same is appliable to dryness and moysture take away moysture and then it will be improper to say dryness Lastly the Peripatetick description of dryness proves no less Dryness is whose subject is easily contained within its own bounds but difficultly within anothers Now unless there were water within whose bounds it could not be contained there could be no dryness since that dryness is whose subject cannot be contained unless difficultly within the bounds of water or Ayr either II. All elements and each of them are actuated by a respective or relative form that is their being and conservation consisteth in a relation of a dependence from each other for instance the earth is inconsistent of it self for through its incomprehensible gravity it would move to an infinitum which is repugnant to its truth so that through its pondus it inclineth to the fire which again through its lightness bendeth to it and so meeting one another they embrace and constitute each other in their being Well may Authors term their close and entire union a discors amicitia or amica discordia since their motion to each other is so fierce and eager that it doth as it were appear a fighting or discord but it tending to so mutual a good and benefit proves the greatest friendship But should coldness and heat be stated to be the form or first qualities of the Elements they could not subsist one moment because they are the greatest contraries and therefore would not cease from their most incenst hostility before each were expelled from their common subject as we see plainly in water and fire III. This makes way to free water from coldness to which it is neither but a privation of heat For suppose there were a dish of water placed without the sphear of the elements it would be improper to say it were either hot or cold Neither is Moysture the first quality of water for water of it self per se doth not moysten any thing absolutely that is freed from all mixture I prove it To moysten is nothing else but to be thinly covered or dasht over with water or its vapours but water when it is in its absolute state is of so thick parts that it is unapt to adhere to any thing We observe that Quick-silver or rather quick Lead for so it is in effect and melted Lead although liquid yet they do not moysten because their parts are thick By thickness I do not intend a depth of quantity or of matter only but such a depth of quantity that is not porous or a crassitude whose parts are diducted and drawn out into a continuity and that throughout all its dimensions and therefore through defect of tenuity doth not adhere to whatever is immerst in it even so it is with water which supposed in its absolute or separated state doth by far exceed quick-Lead in thickness and consequently is unapt for humectation but in the state wherein it now is which is mixed and attenuated with much fire and ayr it doth easily adhere to whatever body that is dipt in it This is the reason why water in hot Countries doth sooner quench thirst then in cold or wine sooner then water because the watery parts are more subtilized by the indivisibilities of fire that are dispersed through them Now water abates drought but little because of its crassitude Experience tels us that one little measure of water acuated with Spirits of Vitriol of Sulphur or of Salt-Peter doth moysten the body and abate thirst in a Feaver more then a Pint of water single because the water is subtilized by the forementioned Ingredients But Physitians vulgarly adscribe this effect to the penetrability of the admixtures A blind reason because water doth penetrate to the internals therefore it moystens the more this is not all for suppose that water did penetrate yet it would not moysten because it doth not adhere to the parts which it doth touch wherefore it is only to be imputed to its subtilization All which demonstrates that water in its
yet be one fourth less and likewise fire and ayr would in their supposed purity possess a place yet one fourth larger the reason is because the fourth part of the admisted Elements to each pure Element doth so much the more augment or diminish its quantity which being prescinded must necessarily either enlarge or lessen their places Wherefore you see that it doth not hinder but that the minima's of the earth and water may be equal in number activity to the minima's of the others Neither doth it hinder but that the earth and water being expanded by the support of the light elements as appears in the Chaos might have constituted so great a mole as the Chaos was notwithstanding it appeares so small now for every natural point of water was almost half as much diducted violently as it were by the thin levity of the ayr as such a proportion of ayr is now naturally through its absolute form expanded So likewise was the air then half as much cohibited and incrassated through its relative form by the water as the water is now incrassated The like conceive of fire and earth Through these abstractions did all the temperate qualities of the Chaos cease each element did arrive almost to its absolute nature The greatest commerce which they then exercised was with each their nearest adjacent as the fire with ayr ayr with water and fire water with earth and ayr earth with water and fire with ayr In this Scheme you may see the apparition of the second Division which was the third act of Creation The fire moves circulatly by reason of the ayr the ayr is cast equally over the water the water over the earth both pursuing a circular course The Representation of the Chaos after its second Division CHAP. XII Of the Third Division of the Chaos 1. The effects of the Third Knock. Why earth is heavier then water Why water is more weighty near the top then towards the bottom Why a man when he is drowned doth not go down to the bottom of the Ocean Why a potch'd Egge doth commonly rest it self about the middle of the water in a Skillet Why the middle parts of Salt-water are more saltish then the upper parts 2. Whence the earth hapned to be thrust out into great protuberancies How the earth arrived to be disposed to germination of Plants A vast Grove pressed into the earth 3. The cause of the waters continual circular motion 4. The cause of the rise of such a variety of Plants 1. THe third Division or the fourth act of Creation was whereby the most universal Nature naturans did yet more purifie and as it were clarifie the Elements in abstracting each element from its nearer and congregating it to a proper place of its own These several acts of purification and exaltation are not unlike to the operations of an Alchymist in purifying a Mineral 1. He reduceth it to a powder and mixeth it exactly and so it was with the Chaos 2. Then it is either put into a Retort Alembick or a Sublimatory whereby the light parts are separated and abstracted from the heavy ones this hapned also in the first Division 3. He rectifieth the light parts in repeating the former operation and exalts it to a more sublime and pure nature and so separates the lightest parts from the light ones even so it was here God did yet more separate the fire from the ayr Touching the caput mortuum as the earthy parts that he dissolves in water and afterwards to purifie it he coagulates the earth and so separates it from the water in the same manner did God here coagulate the earth and parted it from the waters Further how this is effected I shall in brief explain to you The water through her gravity with crassitude doth obtain a vertue in her of squeezing which is performed by a body that is weighty and continuous for by its weight it presseth downwards to the center and through its continuity it impedes the body which it presseth from entring into its own substance and so forceth it to give way which is the manner of squeezing Now was this body weighty and contiguous only then it would be uncapable of squeezing but would rather press another substance into its own Pores Through this squeezing vertue is water rendred capable of collecting her own parts by making Groves into the earth especially being thereunto impelled by the divine Architect But possibly you may object that water cannot squeeze or press the earth because the earth is weightier then it I answer that earth is weightier then water caeter is paribus supposing that neither is obstructed or violently as it were detained for instance imagining that the mass of earth and of water were each of them placed in Scales no doubt but earth would be heavier and its parts make a greater impulse to the Center because they are single in every minimum and not continuated one to the other and therefore one part doth not hinder the force of the other but rather helpeth it As for water her impulse is lesser because her parts are continuated one to the other and so are a mutual hinderance to one another This I prove take an hour-glass and fill it with water never a drop shall pass through the center-hole the reason is evident because although its parts are weighty yet their continuity hinders them from stilling through and so one part naturally cleaving to the other doth preclude the way but sand you see easily passeth because it being weighty and contiguous only the one part giveth way to the other and impels the same through Wherefore I conclude that all conditions being equal earth is heavier then water But the one being violently detained may prove weightier then the other and so water is detained by earth for water is impeded from concentrating through the protuberance of the mass of earth which therefore causeth a more forcible innixe in water upon the superficial parts of the earth I prove it water weigheth heavier upon the top of high mountains then in the lowermost Region of the Ayr because there it is remoter from its center 2. Water presseth more atop then underneath because it is more remote from the center this is apparent by mens experience in the water for if they suffer themselves to sink down they feel the greatest force to press them from the supream parts of the water but the lower they descend to the bottom the less force they perceive Also there are many things as an Egge dropt out of the shell into the water in a Skillet and others go no deeper then half way to the bottom the reason is because the superficial parts being most remote from the center press more forcible then the parts under them Men when they are drowned in the Sea do not descend so low as to reach the ground but so far only as the superficial parts of the Sea thrusteth them besides there is reason
for this a mans body although alive must needs be less weighty then the thick water at the bottom of the Sea I do not speak of the Seas depth near shoars but where it is of an ordinary profundity as in the Ocean Dissolve Salt into water the middle parts shall be more saltish then the superficial parts for the same reason Besides these experiments the understanding affords also an argument to demonstrate the same If the natural propension of water be concentration then the further it is remote from its center the more it must incline to it But the natural propension of water is concentration ergo II. Since then it is yielded that water is violently detained and remote from its center no wonder if it doth squeeze the extime parts of the earth whereby the earth giveth way in rotundity and is protruded either into longitude or latitude Water having formed but a small dent into the earth a greater quantity of water must needs depress thither and so through a continuated force bores a greater cavern into the earth until at last it hath perduced into her a vast grove whereinto the body of water did retire and so constituted the Ocean The earth being thus impacted by the waters must of a necessity be protruded above some part of the waters and hereby was the earth disposed to germination of plants she being now exposed to the celestial Influences and moderately irrigated and foecundated by the remaines of the water The Representation of the Chaos after its third Division IV. Through this division was the earth in part detected whereby as I said before it was rendred capable of germination or protruding plants God did also congregate the earth and separated her body from heterogeneous Elements yet not so but that there remained still some small part of them These heterogeneous Elements as I may call them for doctrines sake were coagulated into small bodies of divers figures These bodies were of a different size and proportion according to Gods intent and purpose for to effect various and divers kinds of mixt bodies The different proportion was that in some there was a greater quantity of fire in others of ayr c. The coagulation of these small bodies was a close and near compaction of the elements within one small compass Through this compaction each element was pinched in as it were which caused the same violent detention of each as you have read to be in water necessarily augmenting the force and activity of each element in fire it effected a heat which is nothing else but a greater and condensed motion of the fire look below in the Chapt. of 2d Qualit in ayr it agitated a thin swelling or bubling which proceeds from a coarctation of the ayr whereby it is constipated in its motion towards the circumference by water moving to the center Water again is incitated to a stronger motion through the detention of ayr swelling up against its compression The earth is no less compelled to require her natural place the Center then she is opposed by the fire Were all these violent motions as it were equal in their elements being formed also in one figure they might continue so for ever like as if they were all surprized by a Catoche but being coagulated in an unequal proportion and unlike figure they break through one another in some progress of time and being confused in various figures they effect also protrusions of no less variety in figures Observe that in these commistions the elements are confused in a contrary manner then they are placed without in their entire bodies For here the fire against its nature as it were is constituted in the center next the ayr then earth and water is outermost There the earth is the center next to it is water c. Herein appeares the wisdom and providence of Nature which although casting the Elements into a fight yet directs terminates them into a most perfect friendship These coagulated bodies are called seeds which are multiplied according to the number of the kinds thence budding Seeds understand in a large sense as they denominate the Rudiments and first beginnings of all mixt bodies Otherwise Seeds are strictly attributed to living Creatures alone as to Plants and Animals Although Hearbs and Plants are alone nominated by Moses to be produced through this Division yet the seeds of Minerals and of their recrements as they erroneously term them and of Stones were also implied since their Creation is no where else mentioned CHAP. XIII Of the Fourth Fifth Sixth and Seventh Division of the Chaos 1. An Enarration of the Effects of the fourth Division That Nature created the first bodies of every Species the greatest is instanced in Bees Fishes and Fowl That all Species are derived from one individuum That Adam was the greatest man that ever was since the Creation What those Giants were which the Poets faigned 2. How the Sun and Moon were created That a Lioness is not more vigorous then a Lion 3. How the Stars of the Firmament were created 4. How the durable Clouds of the Ayr were created 5. The Effects of the fifth Division 6. The Effects of the sixth Division 7. The Effects of the last Division AS there was a coagulation of the waters and earth so God did in the same manner through the fourth Division coagulate and further purifie the Elements of fire and ayr This coagulation was of the heterogeneous Elements namely of part of the adjoyned 16 parts of the peregrine Elements These being congregated did condense and unite a great portion of fire which condensation through a mixture of ayr water and earth constituted it into a flame Earth giveth a body to fire and staies its light parts ayr and water keep in the flame Look below where I have particularly illustrated the generation of a flame 1. These coagulations consisted of parts differing variously in quantity some greater others less Nature did also observe a most exact order among them to wit she first coagulated one greatest body afterwards some greater bodies lastly many little ones I prove this In all kinds there is one greatest because there is the least for where there is a least there must necessarily be a greatest Among Bees there is one which is the greatest and therefore he is the Leader and King of all the rest Among Fowl we see the same namely that there is one greatest in each kind of them which all the rest follow and fly about In a multitude of Fishes they all swim after and about one which is the greatest among them c 2. The greatest of all kinds were created at the beginning of the world because that being the Superlative degree and therefore excelling the others must have been created immediately by God he creating immediately nothing but what is the most excellent Since that all beings have their rise and origine from one it is necessary that this one should be the greatest That all
man The great errour committed in trying of Witches by casting them into the water 3. That a greater Condensation or Rarefaction is impossible in the Earth 4. In what sense the Author understands and intends Rarefaction and Condensation throughout his Philosophy 5. The third Respective quality of Fire What Driness is The Definition of Moysture The third respective qualities of Water and Ayr. Aristotles Description of Moysture rejected That water is the primum humidum In what sense Ayr is termed dry in what moyst 1. THe Second Respective quality of Ayr is a continuous expression towards the Circumference as we see in water viz. in bubbles within whose body ayr being contained doth express the water to the Circumference When water is thus expressed to the Circumference we say then it is water attenuated or rarefied and when ayr is contained within the body of water so as it is not strong enough to come forth we say it is ayr incrassated but these are no real transmutations For can any body imagine that ayr is really and essentially incrassated or condensed as they call it or that water is attenuated or essentially changed into a thin substance by ayr I prove that a real incrassation of the ayr is impossible Peripatecicks generally conceive the incrassation of the ayr to happen when that ayr having thinly or naturally filled up a cavity there is as much more impacted in that cavity upon the preceding ayr as the cavity contained before Through this impaction the former ayr must needs give way into it self for to admit that ayr which is last entred wherefore say they there must be a penetration of bodies whereby that former ayr doth introcede into it self The ayr then thus introceding into it self is called ayr incrassated Water is attenuated when a Pint of water is diducted to a Pint and a quarter or more without being insufflated by the ayr or any other admitted body So rarefaction of earth is when the earth possessing the space of a Pistol Bullet is diducted to the extent of space of a Musket Bullet without the admission of any other Element Fire is supposed to be condensed in the same manner as Ayr is incrassated This is the true and evident state of the Controversie touching Rarefaction and Condensation Attenuation Incrassation which never any among the Peripateticks did yet truly state They supposing and taking it for granted that such a Condensation Rarefaction Artenuation and Incrassation is possible and hapneth every moment do proceed in debating whether a penetration of bodies be not necessary in Rarefaction and Condensation As for insufflation that is not to be called in question because we stated Incrassation and Rarefaction to happen without the admittance of any other body Wherefore proving such an Incrassation and Attenuation to be impossible and absurd their further surmising of penetration will seem ridiculous Supposing that a Glass were filled with pure water all the Arts of the world could not distend it without the admission of another body through the force of which its parts might be divided and lifted up Since then that water is said to be attenuated because its parts are lifted up diducted through Ayr and Fire retained with their body this cannot be a natural and proper attenuation of the real parts of water but only a violent diduction of water through the ayr which is under it Here may be objected That water when it is thus lifted up and expanded is stretcht and through that stretching its parts are attenuated and its quantity is increased because after the retching it possesseth a larger place To this I Answer that the encrease of quantity about the Surface is not through a single extent of water without access of other parts of water to it but the encrease is from the access of those parts which did possess the Center and now are beaten away and impelled to the Surface where arriving they must be extended in greater quantity and possess a larger place So that what is encreased in the Surface is decreased from the Center and its adjacent parts A Chord of an Instrument is producted in length because it is diminished in thickness and not from a meer quality without the Access of other parts 2. Were the natural thickness of water transmutable into thinness then one extream contrary would be transmutable into the other for thinness and thickness are as much contrary as coldness and heat or dryness and moysture and who ever knew the same coldness changed into heat or the same heat into coldness That would be as if one said one and the same was both cold and hot at the same time I guess your Reply to wit that through Thinness is not meant an extream Thinness but a less Thickness only I answer That if a thick Element is transmutable into a less thick then certainly through the continuance and intention of the cause of that less thickning it might become least thick that is most thin wherefore your Reply is invalid 3. Were thickness transmutable into thinness then every rarefaction would be a creation secundi modi or a new generation because such a transmutation is a non esse vel a nihilo sui ad esse aliquid for thickness is a positive if I may be suffered to term it so privation and negation of thinness because when we affirm a thing to be thick it is the same as if we said it is not thin 4. Thickness is a property quarti modi of water but a proprium quarti modi is inseparable from its Subject and that to remain in being II. The same Arguments prove the impossibility of incrassating Ayr and such a supposition is so far absurd that it is impossible and contradictory to Nature that one Minimum more of Ayr should enter into a Cavity already filled up with it and the ayr would sooner break the world then admit incrassation although but in one Minimum If the nature of ayr is to be thin then in taking away tenuity you take away the nature of Ayr. And if ayr could be incrassated in one minimum it might be incrassated to the thickness of water Lastly was there any such incrassation there must of necessity a penetration of bodies be allowed but a penetration is impossible ergo Incrassation also I prove that a penetration is impossible Suppose a hundred minima's of ayr were through penetration incrassated to fifty and these fifty to possess but half the place which the hundred did fill up I conclude then that through continuance and intention of the same incrassating cause they could be reduced to one minimum and from one minimum to the essence of a spirit or to nothing for since they through penetration have lost the space of Ninety nine unities of points through the same reason they might the easier lose the last unity and so become spirits and thence nothing if there was a penetration of bodies then the less body into which the
Iron Sory is a Mineral hard and thick like to a Stone glistering with yellowish Sparks These three are of a causting quality thereby burning Scars and Crusts into the Flesh besides they are somewhat adstringent Misy is the strongest and Sory is the next to it in strength Antimony is a Mineral of a blewish colour shining throughout its Body like Streeks of Silver its mixture is out of course earth and dense fire yet less dense then any of the foregoing It s vertue is internally vomitive and purgative externally it is discutient detergent and adstringent All these are natural recrements of Metals yet not recrements alone as I said before Bombast and his Sectators analyze all Metals and Minerals into Sal Sulphur and Mercury as if they were all generated out of these as their first Principles for say they our Art instructs us to reduce every Metal or Mineral into each of those foresaid Principles Either this is to be understood that it is possible to reduce all Minerals really into Sal Sulphur Mercury or into some certain more concected beings analogal to them Generally they seem to pretend to educe real Mercury out of all Minerals but as for the others they are only analogal Why should they more expect to extract real Mercury then real Salt or Sulphur Wherefore it will be more consisting with Reason to conclude them all equally analogal that is like in consistency to ordinary Mercury Sal and Sulphur but not in effects It is a Madness for any one to imagine that Gold is constituted by the same Mercury but more concocted that is usually digged out of Mines and that Mercury is convertible into Gold if thereunto intended by a strong concocting preparation They might as well say that Gut-Excrements were convertible into Flesh and that flesh consisted out of the said real Excrements The Case is thus Mercury is by them accounted to be an Excrement of Metals wherefore as an Excrement is a Body really different from those bodies from which it is rejected and in no wise convertible unless it be some of the purest parts of it that have escaped natures Diligence so neither is Mercury any part of Metals nor convertible into them unless it be the smallest purest parts which had fled the earths Metalliferous quality Possibly you will Object that Gold feeds upon Mercury and Mercury upon it wherefore they are convertible into one anothers Nature I deny the Antecedence for Gold is dissolved and destroyed by it as appears in Amalgamation or dissolving Gold by the fume of Mercury ergo it is not fed by it Mercury effects no less in the Body of man for it dissolves his humid parts yea his solid parts too as Mercurial Salivations testifie All which is a sufficient Argument to induce us to forbear from explaining the Causes of Natural Beings by Sal Sulphur Mercury Probably you reply That this is not the meaning of Bombast who intended these Names only to be analogal to those things vulgarly so called Wherefore by Mercury is understood a thin pure liquor by Sulphur a subtil Spirit by Salt the gross substance of a Body I Answer Either you must take these for first Principles or for mixt bodies they cannot be the first because his Mercury is constituted out of water reduced from its greatest hardness into a subtil fluor through admixture of Air and Fire His Sulphur consists of fire condensed by Earth and of Air ergo they must be mixt Bodies if so they are no first Principles of Metals because even these are reducible into more simple bodies viz. his Mercury into thick water a thin air and a rare fire Sulphur into air fire c. This I will grant them that all Metals are dissolveable into such kinds of analogal Substances which are not bodies less mixt but only changed into bodies of several consistencies viz. thick and thin course and fine CHAP. II. Of Stones and Earths 1. A Description of the most Precious Stones 2. A Description of the less Precious Stones that are engendred within Living Creatures 3. A Description of the less Precious Stones that are engendred without the Bodies of Living Creatures 4. An Enumeration of common stones 5. A Disquisition upon the vertues of the forementioned stones An Observation on the Effects of Powders composed out of Precious stones Whether the Tincture of an Emerald is so admirable in a bloudy Flux 6. A particular Examination of the vertues of a Bezoar stone Piedra de Puerco Pearles c. 7. The Kinds of Earth and their Vertues I. OUr Method hath led us to propose the Demonstration of universal Natures before that of particulars and that of Metals before the other of imperfect Minerals and Stones as being more excellent through their perfection of mixture wherefore we have next allotted this Chapter for the treatise of the particular natures of Stones Stones are either known under the name of most Precious less Precious or Common The most Precious Stones are ordinarily called Jewels being 18 in number 1. An Agathe 2. An Amethist 3. An Asterites 4. A Beril 5. A Carbuncle 6. A Chalcedonie 7. A Chrysolite 8. A Diamond 9. An Emerald 10. A Jaspis 11. An Jacinth 12. An Onyx 13. A Ruby 14. A Sarda 15. A Saphir 16 A Sardonix 17. A Topaze 18. A Turcois An Agathe is a stone of divers mixt colours and in no wise transparent An Asterites is a stone somewhat resembling Crystal and within the Moon when she is at full An Amethist is a stone of a Violet colour A Beril is of a Sea-green colour and sometimes is found to have other colours mixt with it A Prase is not unlike to it only that it is not of so deep a green neither so hard for it wears away by much usage A Carbuncle is esteemed for the most precious of all Stones and is of a Gold or Flaming colour It is said that there is a kind of a Carbuncle called a Pyrope to be found in the East-Indies which shines as bright in the Night as the Sun doth in the Day A Chalcedonie is a stone of a Purple colour A Chrysolite is of a Golden colour hard and transparent A Chrysoprase is hard and of a greenish colour A Diamond is thought to be the hardest of all Stones An Emerald is hard and of a perfect green colour A Jaspis is of a greenish colour sported here and there with bloudy Spots An Jacinth is of a Gold or flaming colour Some of them decline from a Yellow to a deep Saffron red or sometimes to a blewish colour They are neither perspicuous or opake but between both An Onyx is of a brownish white but of a dull transparency An Opale stone is by Pliny Lib. 37. c. 6 accounted for the best and rarest of Stones as participating of the rarest Colours of the rarest Stones its fire is more subtil then of a Carbuncle shining with a Purple of an Amethist greenish like to the Sea-green of an
Emerald c. A Ruby is a reddish stone A Granate is a worser sort of Rubies A Sarda is of a transparent fiery red colour A Cornelian is comprehended under it A Sardonix is composed as it were out of a Sarda and Onyx it is scarce transparent A Saphire is opake but of a clear sky or blew colour and very hard A Turcois is opake and of a colour between green and blew A Topaze is transparent and of a colour between a grass green and a Saffron yellow it is falsely confounded with a Chrysolite there being a very discernable difference between them II. The less Precious Stones are found either within the bodies of living Creatures or without Those that are found within the Bodies of Living Creatures are 1. The Bezoar stone which is found in the Belly of an Indian Goat-Stag a Beast in some parts like to a Goat in others to a Stag. The Stone is for the most part of a dark green yet some are found of a yellowish others of a Brown and Olive colour They are brittle and friable containing oft-times a Straw or a small Kernel in the midst of them about which there concreaseth a slimy matter baking to it in Blades There are two sorts of them viz. Oriental and Occidental 2. A Tair of a Stag is a little Stone engendred in the corner of a Stags eye It is very bright smooth round very small and light It s colour is yellowish mixt with a few black streaks and gives a strong Sent. 3. The Stones of a Goat are taken out of its Stomack or Gall. 4. There are also Stones found in the Stomack and Gall of an Oxe 5. The German Bezoar stones are taken out of the Bellies of some Does that haunt the Alpes 6. The Stone of an Indian Hogge or as the Portugueses call it Piedra de Puerco is found in the Gall of an East-India Hogge or in the stomack of a Porcupine it is soft and fat to feel to just as if you felt a piece of Castile Sope. Pearles that are generated within the Bellies of Sea shell-fish as of Cockles Muscles or Sea-Oysters These do most gather to the Sea-shore about the Spring where they or rather the Sun through its drying faculty do open their shels whereby that glutinous and clear moysture which they had retained undigested a longtime in their Bellies and now being freed from its ayry parts doth congeal through compression of the remaining thick waterish substance which if they do happen to be engendred when the sky is dampish and cloudy are affected also with a cloudiness as not being sufficiently purified through the driness and heat of the Sun and the ambient air As long as they be under water they are soft but after a short time lying in the dry air they do soon grow hard When they are taken out of the shell some of the Fishes flesh cleaves to them which they usually bite off by covering them for a while with Salt 2. The Alectory Stone is taken out of a Cocks Maw This stone is more frequently found in Cocks when they are in their fourth or fifth year 3. A Bufonite is a Stone found in the head of an old Toad its shape is for the most part long or round 4. A Chelidony is taken out of the Maw or Liver of a young Swallow its colour is a black mixt with a little red Sometimes they breed two together whereof the one is more blackish the other enclines more to a red 5. The Carp-stone is white without and yellow within being found in the throat of a Carp There is also another triangular stone engendred in the head of it besides two long stones more sticking above its eyes 6. The Stones of a Crab otherwise called Crabs-eyes are white and round 7. A Saurite is found in the Belly of a Lizzard 8. A Limace-stone is engendred in the head of a House-Snaile 9. The Perch-stones are taken out of the head of a Perch near to the Back-bone III. The less pretious stones found without the bodies of Living Creatures are 1. The AEtites or Eagle-stone which is found in an Eagles Nest and is of a light red colour 2. Coral which is a shrub of the Sea being green and soft under water but assoon as it is plucked from the bottom of the Sea and exposed to the air it becomes red and hard like unto a stone Hence Ovid. Lib. 4. Metam Nunc quoque coralliis eadem Natura remansit Duritiem tacto capiant ut ab aere quodque Vimen in aequore er at fiat super aquore saxum There are several sorts of it viz. Red Green White Yellow Brown Black and of a mixt colour Some pieces of Coral appear to be half Wood and half Stone Crystal waxeth upon the snowie Hils It is oft found upon the Alpes that divide Italy from Helvetia It s shape is hexagonal the cause is the same with that of the angular shape of Alume Authors are at great variance whether it is generated out of Ice No certainly for Ice is nothing near so clear neither can it be purified after its concretion It s Matter then is the subtiler and purer part of Snow concreased and congealed for what is more crystalline and pure then the liquor of Snow as being purified from all gross parts through its first evaporation from the waters to the Heavens and thence precipitated pure and freed from its greater part of terrestrial admixture I need not add more for to explain its generation since it is generated in the same manner that all other stones are generated The Haematite or Blood-stone is of an Iron colour permixt with bloudy streakes some are more blackish others yellowish The Galactite or Milk-stone is of an Ash colour A Marble is a smooth shining stone admitting of sundry colours It is known by three sorts 1. Alabaster which is a white transparent Marble 2. The Porphirstone which is drawn through with red and white streakes 3. An Ophirstone whose colour is a green spotted with spots like unto those of a Serpent A Sarcophage or flesh-eating stone is of an Ash colour It derives its name from eating mans flesh away without pain A Lazul-stone is of a blew colour speckt within its body with Golden specks like unto so many stars An Armene stone is of the same colour excepting that in stead of Golden specks it is marked with green blew and blackish spots The Themeade is a stone which driveth Iron from it wherein it proves contrary to the attraction of the Loadstone upon which we shall insist particularly in a Chapter by it self as requiring a more distinct and nice search The Nephritick stone is sent hither by the Inhabitants of Nova Hispania it looâ—s greasie about as if it were besmeated with Oyl Iâ—s colour is for the most part a light green others are of a mixt colour It is hought to be a kind of a Jaspis The Judaean stone so called because it is frequently found
above the water continuing wood In Thrace it is said there is a Lake whose water proves mortal to any that do drink of it or do bath therein Many of the Troglodites have forfeited their reason for venturing to taste of the water of a pernicious Lake in that Country The Lake Clitorius effects sobriety in men and excites them to a hatred against Wine and Drunkenness The Lake Gerasa in the Country of the Gadarens whereinto the Herd of Swine animated with those dispossessed devils of whom we read in Luk. 8. 33. violently ran down is at present so venomous that it causes the hair and nails of all those to come off that have at any time drank of it The Lake Laumond in Scotland imbracing thirty Islands breeds fish without finnes and is cast sometimes into a most raging tempest although there be little or no wind stirring One of those Islands is said to fluctuate up and down in her The Lakes of Chirchen in China is said to change Iron into Copper Scotland is noted for a Lake whereof the one half yieldeth to be hardned by the frost the other maintaining her fluidity the whole Winter So likewise in Norway although Saturn is felt to be very furious there yet many Lakes lye open all the Winter The like is observable in a Lake near New Castle which in some part refuseth concretion although in the coldest weather There is a Lake near Nidrossa whose waters atop are extreamly cold but the mud near the bottom is constantly boyling hot insomuch that if you tye an Egg to a string and let it sink down to the bottom you may soon draw it up ready boyled Not far from Jensu a City in China is a Lake which is very cold in the Summer and scalding hot in the Winter The same is said of the Lake Jen near Chinchen in the same Country The waters of the Lake Anien at first feel extream cold but after a little while they begin to feel warm they also generate stones out of any matter received from without The Lake of Vadimon shews it self sometimes suddenly very turbulent without giving any manifest token of the cause of it The same is said of the Lake of Geneve or Lausanne Italy is dignified with one of the most famous Lakes in the world called Benaco its plaisance is supplied by a sight of Olive trees growing upon its borders and beautified about the sides with gardens planted with Citron and Pomgranate trees fertilized with rare fish having its water so bright and clear that you may plainly see the bottom through it except in the middle where it is almost not to be fathomed but notwithstanding so fair a complexion in good weather yet appears much more humourous in foul in such a manner that it doth then cast it self into raging high waves whereby it proves no less dangerous and dreadful than a tempestuous sea The Lake Larius by the Hetrusces styled the Prince of Lakes is much swelled in its belly through the swallowing up of the River Abda alias Abdua tumbling down from the Rhetian Alpes through the Valley Voltilena Boaring with a swift stream through the said standing water which gives it passage without the least commotion of its body neither permits it self to be mingled with those rapid and most limpid streams The said River persisting in its Velocity breaks out again near Leuk a Village In like manner doth the River Rhene stream through the Lake Acronius and the River Danow through part of the Surian Sea Hispaniola is watered with a great Lake named by the Inhabitants Haneygaban into which many great Rivers are disburdened and to the admiration of many is nothing engrossed although visibly venting no part of what it hath imbibed The same is observed of the Caspian sea receiving the copious evacuations of the Rivers Volga Janick Abiamu Chesel and many others Lucerna a Town in Switzerland is situated near to a Lake whereinto a stone or piece of wood being cast doth set it into so vehement a commotion that it fluctuates upwards in roaring waves and surmounting its borders happens somtimes to cause an inundation of the next adjacent fields wherefore for the prevention of such inconveniencies it is decreed by the Magistrate that none shall offer to cast any thing into it upon a severe penalty The Inhabitants impure the foresaid exestuation to the pernicious infection which the Lake received from the pestilent Carcass of that hellish Judge Pontius Pilate who after his banishment was thought to have drowned himself therein whence it is that they vulgarly call it Pilat's Pool There is a Lake not unlike to this upon the Mount Tidalu near Chaoking in China whereinto if one throws a stone or any other heavy thing he will immediately hear a roaring noise like thunder and soon after the sky about it grows gloomy and casts down rain In Carniola near the chief City Laubach every year about the Autumn there appears a Pool between some mountains about a league and half in compass and abounding with fish none apprehending whence this quantity of moisture should derive and towards the Spring it begins to dry up after which the ground is copiously fertilized and is haunted with a number of Deer IV. A Fountain or Spring is a pereunal eruption of water out of the Earth The differences of these is no less various than of Lakes to wit in quantity quality motion and situation Furthermore some are artificial others natural We shall only instance the admirable properties of some of the latter Aristotle writes of a Fountain in Thrace whereunto another in Arcadia named Styx as also one in Sarmatia and that of Armenia Lydia and Sicilia are like in vertue which casteth the drinkers of it into a mortal Syncope breeding fish working the same effect upon those that eat them The waters of the Founts of Valentia in Spain Wolchenstein Trecha the Kingdom of Crobus upon the Alpes Berosus and of Manglo in China are all deleterious corrosive and extreamly venomous Boeotia spouts out two springs whereof the one called Lethe effects forgetfulness the other cures it The water of the Fountain in the Island Cea as Pliny relates being drank dulleth a mans understanding and makes him sottish The Fountain of Susa in Persia loosens the teeth and causeth them to fall out Pliny speaks also of another in Germany on the other side of the Rhene effecting the same A draught of the water of Lyncistis filleth a mans brain and makes him drunk The Fountain of Arania a part of Arcadia makes one loath Wine Isidorus and Solinus write of two Fountains whereof the one procures fruitfulness in women the other barrenness The Garamants make mention of a Fountain among them called the fountain of the Sun whose extream coldness in the day renders it importable and in the night is so excessive hot that it proves scalding Aristotle relates of the Fountain Elusine which naturally being quiet and clear is affected with the noise of
of the squeezing Ocean do return into the Ocean The universal intumescence passing twice every naturall day doth cause a double change of the polar Tides in the same time That swiftness which befalls our Tides in these parts is likewise caused through the shallowness of waters which are necessarily impelled swifter forward than if they being imagined to be deep where consequently waters being in a great confluence more weighty must move slower Hence we may learn the reason why the tide in some places doth move swifter than in others namely because the Sea is more shallow there and therefore Ships arriving near the shore make a greater benefit of the Tide than far from it The Floud is commonly weaker and slower near the shores and within the compass of these narrow Seas but the Ebb is stronger and swifter because the waters do clime upwards being forced against their natural impulse and therefore resist more potently but returning do descend fortified with their own natural inclination into places detumefied and therefore meeting with no resistence On the contrary in the middle of the Ocean the floud or rather intumescence is stronger and swifter than the ebb or detumescence because the universal bore which is the cause of the floud or intumescence of the water doth cause a greater impulse of the water atop through her presence than when she is quite passed Hence it is that Ships sailing from East-India Westward do over run a larger tract in one six houres of the intumescence than the other six of detumescence Those Seas which are derived directly northerly from the Ocean do suffer a greater commotion of tides than others than are indirectly thence descending Hence it is that the Irish Seas being directly opposite from the North to the Ocean do undergo more violent Tides than others because they receive the squeezing or impulse of the Ocean directly upon them whereas in the Channel North sea and the Bay of Biscay the waters do perform their Tides more moderately because they floating under the North the Oceans universal impulse is much mitigated by the defence of the Promontories of France England and Spain That which doth further augment the violence of Tides in the Irish Seas is the shallowness of the water and the meeting of Tides viz. First they receive the impulse of the Ocean directly from the Southwest passing between the West of England and the East of Ireland towards the North then the same Ocean continuing its impulse against the west Coasts of Ireland the Sea sets about the Northwest Cape of Ireland towards the VVest of Scotland and the stronger because it is refracted and as it were somewhat pinched by the shallowness of the Hebrides and other Islands Through this thwart setting off of the Tide it meets with the Tide passing through between England and Ireland which it beats back and that more forcibly towards the latter end of the Floud The Tides then meeting here and reflecting must necessarily cause very rough Seas besides this the German Seas seem to set off somewhat towards the Northwest of Scotland where meeting with the Irish Sea do much intend the aforesaid roughness This also causes the duplication of Tides in several parts of the Irish Seas It will not be unprofitable to observe the streams of the Tides where Sea-men do state a general rule viz. That the Tide sets off athwart wherever it beats against a great Promontory Hence it is that throughout the Channel the Tide sets off athwart in many places from the French Coast towards the English where the Land sticks out in great nooks As from the great Promontory of France in the mouth of the Channel and from that which is opposite to the Isle of Wight and from before Calis c. II. The Promontories do very much weaken the Tides and clip them off from waters streaming in the No theast whence it is that there is no Tide in the East or Baltick Seas besides 1. Because the Tide of the German Sea is clipt off by the peninsule of Denmark or Jutland and the narrowness of the Sound 2. The course of the German Sea is the easier kept off because it floats to the Northward whereas the Baltick Sea opens into it from the East Hence it is also that a great part of these Seas consists of fresh waters because the North Sea is not disburdened into it Touching the first production of this Sea to wit the East Sea it is very probable that it derived its rice from a great Lake risen in the deepest and broadest place of the said Sea which by continuance of pressure hath bored through that large tract vvhich novv is That this is so I prove 1. Had the German Ocean bâ—red this Cavern then a greater part of it vvould have been salt and heavy like unto the same 2. It would then have been more deep than it is and have had a greater opening vvherefore it must needs have had its beginning from a Lake and for that reason is very improperly called a Sea more justly deserving the name of a Sinus or Gulph III. In many places the Sea is taken notice to rise to the height of a Pike as before the River of Seyne vvhose rising they vulgarly call the Bare or bore taking its beginning vvith the advent of the Floud and aftervvards overflovving a great length of that River as far as Roan in a great height but gradually diminishing The cause of this is to be attributed to the depth of a Cavern encompassed by shelves and banks wherein the Sea is collected and stayed until such time that it doth gather it self into a bare whereby it lifteth it self up and climbs up the banks and being attended with the same force whereby it did elevate it self is protracted as far as Roan Here again we have an evident testimony of the Seas moving underneath confirming what I have proposed touching the universal Bore If the waters here took their beginning of motion from their superficial parts then a bare were impossible to arise here because the waters are free and in no wise stopt in their motion atop Ergo being stopt underneath it is undoubted that the waters take their beginning of motion thence The same bares you have here and there in the Seas which occasion the oversetting of many a Ship or the casting of them upon rocks and shelves which they could not escape because of the violence of the same bores This bare is seldom visibly perceived in the Seas because it seems to be drowned by the waves nevertheless in many places it is The cause of the breaking of the Sea upon banks you may easily know out of the precedents IV. The Mediterranean Sea undergoeth an intumescence and detumescence although not very strong or swift the reason of the latter is because it being situated Easterly escapes the strength of the course of the Ocean flowing westwards Only the Ocean through its continual passing by doth continually impell the
cause of the multitude of Hills in some Countries and scarcity in others 8. How it is possible for the Sea to penetrate into the bowels of the earth I. THe opinion of Fountains scattering out of the earth and supplied by waters rained down and collected within Caverns of the earth as it hath vulgarly taken place among many so it is very suspitious experience tells us that many perennal Fountains spring forth out of sandy and every where about dry Mountains whereunto notwithstanding but little is contributed by the moisture of the heavens since the rain falleth but seldom as in AEgypt and other places and the Sun is very hot the Country very dry insomuch that did the rain fall in twice that quantity it would scarce be sufficient to irrigate the soile much less of supplying moisture for Fountains 2. Many Fountains draw their water very deep near a hundred foot yea two or three hundred deep out of the earth Whereas rain seldom penetrates deeper into the earth than ten or eleven foot 3. Some Fountains break forth out of Rocky Mountains which are uncapable of imbibing rain Ergo their rice and continuation are not from rain II. The opinion of Aristotle is much more absurd asserting subterraneous air converted into water to be the cause of Springs since we have formerly made it appear that the conversion of air into water is impossible or were it not it would seem very irrational to suppose the earth to be so hollow as to be capable of containing such an infinite quantity of air as to continuate the course of a Fountain because a great quantity of air condensed as they call it would produce but little more than a drop III. 1. In brief Fountains owe their beginning and continuation to great quantities of water collected within great Caverns of the earth This the diggers of Mines confirm to us who sometime through digging too deep meet with great and sudden burstings out of waters which oft do prove perennal Such mischances have hapned not once in the Coal-pits near Newcastle to the drowning of many a man Moreover there are no great hills but which rest upon great gulphs of water underneath them insomuch that a hill is nothing else but the raising of the earth through a great gulph of water lodging underneath it Hence it is that hills are generally the store-houses of Rivers and their sides or tops their Springs How many slouds of water are there discovered to break out of the sides of several great hills in Kent Surrey and innumerous other places of the world Whence should those pregnant Pewter Mines in Cornwal or Lead Mines in Derbishire and all other Mines in the world be supplied with a sufficient quantity of water for their matter were it not that the hills afforded it out of their Caverns Whereout should all those vast stony and rocky Mountains of the Universe consist but out of water derived from the Earths bowels Whence should those great perennal Rivers that spout forth from under the Alpes and Peruvian Mountains take their rice but from those gulphs of water whereby they are raised to that height Whence should all the water of those great Lakes upon hills arrive As that between the middle of the three tops of the hill Taihu in China whose depth was yet never fathomed and that upon the Mount Jenkin near the City So being of no less depth and near a quarter of a Mile in compass likewise that of Tieuchi near Mien that deep Lake upon the Mount Tienlu called the Lake of the Drake because it is so horrible through its depth and commotion that if any should cast a stone into it it would render a great noise like unto a thunder besides many others in Europe as those in Ireland c. In fine do not all the greatest Rivers of the world viz. Ganges Nilus Senaga Nuba Tana Nieper Morava Garumna Thames c. yea and all others spout out of hills or are they not derived from Lakes Lakes usually are environned by a Plain because those waters which should thrust up hills about them are collected in an open Cavern Notwithstanding are the same waters of Lakes through the ait's pressure forced underneath into the earth where at some distance they do cast up hils for to disburden the earth whereat they spout out Rivers for a Lake is uncapable of it self to spout out a River because being situated low wants force to spout it out from it whereas waters that are protruded and continually impacted and crusht very thick or close into Caverns of hills do by a renitency press against the earth above and below and swallow up the air contained within the said Caverns into their substance and the earth doth reciprocally press against them but the air being thin smooth and glib is at last violently protruded by both their gravities which erupting with a great force and discontinuation of the earth doth make way upwards for the water to be pressed out the easier by the earth with such a force as may square to the protruding of a long River Wherefore it is necessary that Rivers should derive either immediately or mediately from hills Thus immediately the Rhein springs forth out of the Mount Adula aliás Vogel The Danow out of a Mount within the black wood some 6 Leagues off from Tubingen The Necker out of another near the same Town The Garona out of one of the Perinean Mountains The Jaxartes out of the Sogdian Mountains as Ptolomy names them The Dnieper out of some Mountains near Dnieperco The River of Jordan out of two Issues of the Mount Lebanon viz. Jor and Dan both which meeting communicate in one name of Jordan The River Euphrates out of the Mount standing in the midst of the Garden of Eden The Boetis in Spain out of the Mount Orespeda near Castao The Anien out of the Mountains among the Trebani the Zepusium out of some Mountain in Poland and so a million of others Mediately The River of Nile descends out of some Hills that draw their water out of the Lake Zembre The River Niger salies vigorously out of some hills near the Lake Borno whose Caverns are filled the length of threescore Leagues under ground by streams flowing out of a Lake between Guidan and Vangue The River Nuba out of Mountains deriving their water from the Lake Nuba and in like manner many others Touching narrow short Rivers that flow from their head downwards to a low place they may draw their rice immediately from a Lake because they need not that vigour of impulse IV. Holland and Zealand although very rich in water yet are poo◠in Mountains because their ground is so much thorow soakt and masht with water that being changed into a mud it would sooner break into crums than be raised up into hills Wherefore the name of Holland was very aptly imposed upon that Countrey since that underneath it is hollow filled up only with water the
ground into whose room a great depth of water is succeeded undermining it all about The Island Ferro is not irrigated atop with any fluent moisture as Lake River or Springs except only with the abundant droppings of a tree drawing moisture from a great depth or by collecting the dew of the air which sufficeth to quench the thirst of all the Inhabitants and their Cattel because consisting throughout of high Mountains their sand lying very close deep and heavy doth detain the water underneath them The earth is much more depressed under the torrid Zone and as much more raised towards the Poles because the Ocean being gathered into a vast body under the forementioned Zone depresseth all the land under it and near to it with one collected and united force of weight towards the Poles which doth undoubtedly assure me that under both Poles Artick and Antartick the firm land doth stick out far above the waters And questionless Greenland is protracted quite throughout the Northern polar Region The Mountain Serra Leona in AEthiopia bearing up to the height of the clouds wherewith the top is alwaies beset although raised within the torrid Zone is suffulted by a great gulph collected through the meeting of two or more parts of the Sea under ground And whole Africa seems to be inflated into high mountains from the limits of AEgypt until the farthest part of the Atlantick mountain through communication of Lakes which again arise out of the concourse of waters propelled from the Mediterranean Eruthrean AEthiopian and Atlantick Seas Arabia is likewise lofty through hills vaunting upon waters immitted from the Persian and Arabian Gulphs Muscovia and Lithuania are for the greater part Champian Countries because their soil is too much soakt for to be raised up into hills 2. By reason of the multiplicity of Lakes and Rivers through which the subterraneous waters are vented Sweden Norway Scania are very abundantly watered with Lakes and Rivers the Sea upon those Coasts exceeds in depth the length of Ships Cables The reason is because those waters are very much intended in their pressure downwards through the vast number of cold and frosty minima's raining down from the North Pole VIII Before I digress from the subject of this Chapter I am only to shew you the possibility of Marin waters their pressure out from the depth of the Ocean in to the innermost parts of the earth This I shall easily accomplish in mentioning that the force of fresh waters within the land have moulded through the ground the length of many Leagues if so the same is much more possible to salt water The River Niger bores through a heavy dense and deep ground the length of 60 miles before it evacuates it self into the Lake Borno The River Nuba doth likewise force a Cavern many miles long into the earth The Spaniards vaunt excessively of a long Bridge whereon ten thousand Goats and Sheep reap their pasture and is nothing else but the passing of the River Anas alias Guadiana the dimension of 8 or 9 Leagues underground beginning to disappear near Medelina The Tigris runs her self under ground on one side of the mount Taurus and comes up again on the other side and beyond the Lake Thorpes hides it self again within the earth 18 miles further Camden in his Britannia makes observation of the River Mole in Surrey diving under ground near white hill and appearing again a mile or two thence near Letherhed bridge Historians tell us that the Alphaeus floats secretly under ground as far as Sicily where with its appearance makes choice of a new name viz. Arethusa famous for gulping up of offals that had been cast into the Alphaeus at the Olimpick Games usual every fifth year The Danow runs some miles under ground before it flows into the Sava Upon the top of the mount Stella is a certain Lake near 12 Leagues distant from the Sea which oft vomits up wracks of Ships that were cast away at Sea CHAP. XII Of the causes of the effects produced by Fountains 1. Whence some Fountains are deleterious The cause of the effect of the Fountain Lethe of Cea Lincystis Arania The causes of foecundation and of rendring barren of other Fountains The causes of the properties of the Fountain of the Sun of the Eleusinian waters of the Fountains of Illyrium Epyrus Cyreniaca Arcadia the Holy Cross Sibaris Lycos of the unctious Fountain of Rome and Jacobs Fountain 2. The causes of the effects of Ipsum and Barnet Wells 3. Whence the vertues of the Spaw waters are derived 4. Of the formal causes of Baths 1. THe Fountains of Thrace Arcadia Sarmatia Armenia Lydia and Sicilia are deleterious through the permixtion of crude arsernical juyces transpiring out of the earth The same causes operate the same effects in the Founts of Wolchenstein Valentia Berosus c. The Lethe of Boeotia owes its effects to crude Mercurial vapours immixt within its substance Another in the same Countrey produceth a contrary effect through a succinous exhalation The Fountains of Cea and Susae differ little in causality from the Lethe The Lincystis inebriates the brain through repletion by sulphurous exhalations The Fountain of Arania makes use of crude nitrous juyces for the accomplishing of its effects The Fountain which Solinus affirms to conduce to foecundity must be a thorowly attenuated and well concocted water like to that of the Nile The other opposite to this in operation must be very Saturnal A sulphureous Nitre or a mixture of Sulphur and Nitre into one close juyce dispersed through the waters of the Fountain of the Sun among the Garamantes renders them very cold in the day time because the Nitre then predominating condenseth and incrassates the waters the more because its sulphureous parts which do otherwise rarefie them are through the Suns beams extracted disunited and dispersed Whereas in the night season the sulphureous parts benâ—g united through the condensing cold of the night and condensation of the nitrous particles turn into an internal flame causing that fervent heat The Eleusinian waters are irritated to a fermentation of heterogeneous mineral juyces through the percussion of the air by a sharp musical string whereby through continuation the waters are likewise percussed and its contenta stirred In the same manner is the next related fountain cast into an exestuation through the shrill acute vibrating and penetrating percussion of the air by the lips whereas the walking about stirring the air but obtusely cannot effect such a penetrative or acute motion The Fountain of Illyrium contains secret Vitriolat sulphureous flames within its substance whereby it proves so consuming The Fountains of Epyrus and Cyreniaca vary in heat by reason of the greater or lesser dispersing and rarefying or uniting and condensing of their sulphureous flames Springs remain cool in the Summer through the rarefaction of their fiery spirits exhaling and passing out of the ground in the Summer they produce a small warmth through the condensation of their igneous
most to tend through the disposition of water and earth contained within those vapours and the greater force of the heavens driving them towards the Poles as the weaker places for there motion is least observed where being arrived are by the privative coldness of that Region assisted to free themselves of the fire and air the water now cleaving to the earth and divided into millions upon millions of minima's make up a dense body whence through the depression of the air they are devolved down to the earth Waters that are least in motion less fiery and aerial are most disposed to concretion Hence fresh waters are aptest to be frozen Whereas the Sea is seldom reduced to concretion because of its continual motion expelling the frosty minima's as fast as they are received or precipating them to the bottom or by melting their body through the fiery salin and aerial particles contained within it Notwithstanding is the Sea reduced to concretion in some Climates viz. within the Polars where you have the Oceanus Glacialis or Icy Ocean whose Ice is in some places 60 or 80 fathom deep in others reaching from the bottom of the Sea to the top insomuch that the tops of many of those Icy mountains stick out as far above the Surface of the liquid Sea as the same Sea is deep underneath The properties of that Ice is to be clear and transparent like glass Herodotus doth likewise make mention of the freezing of the Bosphorus so Beda lib. de natur rer c. 9. writes that within a daies sail from the Isle Tyle towards the North the Sea is frozen Olans Magn. tells us of the Gothiek Sea being frozen But this hapneth because the Sea thereabout may be deprived of its saltness yea some assert that those mountains of Ice are most fresh water concreased which being precipitated to the bottom through the density of the frosty minima's constantly descending like showers under the Pole the remaining Surface of fresh water is soon congealed Before I close this Paragraph I shall only adde the cause of a strange passion befalling the Glacial Sea where sometimes of a sudden and in a moment a whole mountain of Ice is melted away causing a dangerous current subverting or carrying away many a ship and yet the frost continueth The cause of this is not the broyling and melting heat of the Sun for the Sun is never so kind there but the union of those fiery salin particles precipitated as we told you above by the frosty minims down into the mud whence working or bursting with an united condensed force upwards do occasion such sudden degelations VIII Lastly Waters in respect of wholsomness differ very much in excellency and choice Spring water and those of Rivers are commended above others of Pools Lakes and Pit waters because these latter through their standing still contract a muddiness and filth out of the earth and sometimes noxious particles co gulated out of exhalations transpiring out the said mud besides that they are disposed to putrefactions through the abundance of peregrin bodies protruding venomous herbs and generating Toads Frogs Leeches Snails Eeles and other filthy Insects Snow waters are no less noxious than the former because of their crudity nitrosity and thickness Waters gathered and kept in a Leaden Cistern through Leaden or Tin spouts are crude and windy because they descend out of the cold region of the air Moreover as Galen doth well except they contract a pernicious quality from the Lead Wherefore Fountain or River waters carry the bell before them all but which of these two excells the other we must next distinguish Fountain waters as they spring out of the mountains are yet filled with wind and earthy minima's and therefore must yield to River waters I mean such as are derived from a Fountain In these the waters through their rapid streams depose those earthy crude and windy bodies which they brought along with them out of the Fountains Cavern and are attenuated and clarified through the Sun beams and lastly depose their dregs into the earth through being strained through its dense and clear sands And among these there is a great difference those that take their rice from a standing water or a Lake and flow through a muddy ground are much inferiour to many fountain waters But others that stream rapidly from a bright fountain and take their course through a pure sandy or gravelly ground and meet the East Sun are the best River waters in hot Countries where the air is clear are preferred before others in cold Climats Hence Rivers of a Continent take place before those of an Iland because the latter is generally beset with a nubilous air filling the said waters with mud and keeping off the rayes of the Sun from concocting them Wherefore River waters in the Southeast parts of France are esteemed before any in England those of the Southeast parts of Spain before others of the same Continent where the River Tago is much extolled for its wholsomeness of water In Persia the Choaspis affords the best waters In India the Ganges c. The Rivers of Thames affords the best water in England but further up towards the Woodmongers Gallows Oxford not about London where the ground is muddy besides that it is infected by the Tides flowing out of the Sea with many saltish particles dirt dung carkasses c. There must also notice be taken of the rice of a River viz. That it do not spring out of a Mine and of the Countries through which it passeth whether Chalky Gravelly or Clayish Insumma waters that are the lightest thinnest clearest and most limpid of no strong tangue but of a sweet pleasing rellish are the best The weight of waters is known by weighing one with the other in Scales By letting them run through a small sieve or thick close linnen their tenuity is known by dropping them upon a Looking-glass whereof that which drops the least drops and makes the greatest splatch is the subtillest by distillation boyling dissolving Salt or Soape in them by their shaking smalness and number of streams by the swimming of a piece of wood in them viz. that wherein it smimmeth deepest is the lightest and thinnest c. CHAP. XIV Of the commerce of the air with the other Elements 1. How the air moves downwards What motions the Elements would exercise supposing they enjoyed their Center Why the Air doth not easily toss the terraqueous Globe out of its place How the Air is capable of two contrary motions 2. That the Air moves continually from East through the South to West and thence back again to the East through the North. 3. An objection against the airs circular motion answered 4. The Poles of the Air. 5. The proportion of Air to Fire its distinction into three profundities 1. AIr is a debtor for its name to aer in Latine which again to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lift up because it was lifted up as it were
of the Siphon and the internal pussing up of the water within the Siphon do testifie II. Another kind of Attraction not unlike to this is observable in boyes their sucking Leathers being wetted and clapt flat upon a stone and afterwards drawn up with a packthread fastned in it attracts the stone with it The cause is alone the continuous cohesion of the water to the stone defending it self from the disruption of the air the which as soon as breaking through occasions the separation of the Leather from the stone III. Two smooth flat equal Marble stones clapt close one upon the other the uppermost attracts the lowermost if equally lifted up from their Center by a ring fastned to it because of the air through its continuity sticking fast to the lowermost and the undermost stones but if disrupted through an unequal lifting the lowermost stone falls In the same manner doth a plain board cast upon the water attract it into a Rising when lifted up by the central part IV. A Wine-Coopers Pipe attracts Wine out of the bung-hole of a Cask The Pipe is somewhat long and narrower towards the bottom and the top but wider in the middle which thrust open at both ends into a Cask full of Wine through the Bung-hole and afterwards applying one 's Thum close to the hole atop may attract a competent quantity of Wine out of the Vessel which with the opening of the upper hole runs out again But methinks that this and the forementioned attractions might rather be termed cohesions or detensions since that which doth attract is the extrinsick attractor viz. ones arm The cause of its attraction is the immission of the Pipe into the Cask to a certain depth where the air being excluded from it and closed with your Thumb you will find a drawing or sucking to your Thumb which is nothing else but the weight of the Wine pressed downwards and notwithstanding cleaving fast to the continuity of your Thumb which being continuous and obtuse doth sustain the liquor continuated to it whereas were it subtil that it could give way as the free air it would not be contained so But suppose you thrusted a Beaker with the mouth downwards under water and stopt a small hole made on the bottom of it with your Thumb the water would not keep in there because the air would enter underneath through which the parts of the water would be disunited and so desert the supposed cohesion of parts why the Wine descends at the opening of the upper hole is through the impulse of the air entring V. The sucking of water through a Reed by the mouth is effected by causing a flat closs cohesion of your Tongue and lips with the continuous parts of water or air for what is contiguous cannot be suckt unless by means of its inherency in continuous bodies because its parts are unapt to cohere To all these kinds of cohesions or adhesions the closeness of sides of those external bodies that cohere together through the internal cohesion of air doth mainly contribute by keeping off the discontinuating air as the closeness of the sucking leather sticking of the two Marble stones of the sides of the Wine-Coopers Pipe of the Lips in sucking c. VI. A Sucker otherwise called a Siphon being a Pipe consisting of two arms of an unequal length meeting in a curvilineal Angle attracts water out of a Vessel untill it be all run out provided it be set running by sucking the water down to the lowermost part of the longer arm being placed without the said Vessel This instance gives us a plain demonstration that attraction is caused by the means of the cohesion of continuous parts to other continuous ones especially if separated through a close Cane from dividing bodies as the air and by the same cause kept close together for water as I said before will alwaies through its weight and continuity cohere and keep close to its next central parts and never separates unless through a disunion by the air or other bodies Hence it is also that water is easily led to any height if impelled by any force through a close Pipe or by a Sucker But why water contained within the shorter arm should yield to water contained within the longer may justly be doubted The reason is because the water contained within the longer Pipe being more in quantity is heavier than the other and therefore prevails and is more disposed for to be pressed downwards But then you might reply That the water of the shorter Pipe is assisted in weight by the other proportion contained within the capacity of the Vessel I answer That the water of the shorter arm is impelled forward through the pressure of the said water contained within the capacity of the Vessel But not through its own gravity pressing downward towards the Center of the world for every proportion of water as I said before retaining the nature of their universal Element only strives for to maintain its own center and therefore water if enjoying a center within its own Circumference wherever it be doth not press or weigh but strives to maintain its nature in rest But that which doth cause a force upon water downwards in the Vessel is the strong sinking down of the air tending downwards for its Center For otherwise water in a Vessel would contain it self in a round figure which it cannot because it is reduced to a flatness by the sinking air VII Attraction by Filtration is performed by causing one end of a piece of Flannell or other wollen cloath to hang into any Liquor over the brim of the containing Vessel and the other end into an empty one whereby the light parts of the water ascend up the cloath and distill into the other Vessel This is effected by separating the thick parts of water and rarefying it through the labels subtil fibres whence the other heavy parts of the water by descending downwards and being pressed by the air do over-press its subtiler and aerial parts upwards the grosser and heavier remaining behind By this it appears that Filtration and other kinds of Attraction already mentioned are not so much Attractions as violent Expulsions As the water of a Sucker will not run out unless the longer arm exceeds the depth of the water in length so neither will water attracted by a filter distill down into the empty vessel unless the distilling Label be lower than the water contained within the other Vessel for the same reason VIII Attraction effected by Amber or other Bituminous bodies otherwise called Electrical attraction depends on emanations or continuous steams emitted from Amber especially if rubbed consisting of incrassated air and fire being impelled circularly untill where they are gathered by a continuous body which if light do return with those emanations upwards for the said emanations being diducted expansive and light are by the weighty comparativè vapourous air of this lower Region striving to keep their nearness to the center squeezed
of the Elements That there was a Chaos 6. That there was conferred a distinct form upon every Element Whether a Form is a Substance 'T is proved that it is not I. ANd now give me leave to apply what hath been stated in the preceding Chapter to the Elements which as they are constituted out of Indivisibles Points or minima's so they are dissolveable into the said Indivisibles At their first Creation they were each created a Maximum Their matter is nothing else but their concrete quantity mole or magnitude Neither are we to imagine that God did create all the minima's of the world before he united them to one Mass but created the whole Mass at once divisible into indivisibilities that so they being divided into indivisibilities might become a fit matter for mixture and therein he imposed an order and law upon the Elements of generation and dissolution and without this Law what Order is there imaginable II. Supposing these points coagmented into one Mass were created before the advent of a form which is impossible secundum quid and being without any determination figure motion or any thing that descends from a form it would be nothing differing from Aristotles materia prima Now then I demand what Potentia essemialis or Appetitus formae could there be rationally conceived to inhere in her Certainly no essential one but obediential neither an Appetite to a form for she being blind how could she perceive a form to covet it or being destitute of motion how could she have an appetite since Appetite is nothing else but a natural motion or inclination III. Matter having brought quantity place habit and duration along with her let us further enquire what company the form hath attending it A form as we said before is little else but a Mode of activity and quality For quantity without her is nothing of her self it is the same that doth constitute her and addes distinction and action to her That which giveth activity and quality to Matter and Quantity is an actus of Local Motion This actus of motion is not raised out of quantity or matter for then it would remain quantity neither is it educed out of the disposition of matter for even so it could be nothing yet but matter disposed Wherefore it is a strange saying to assert that the form is educed out of the power of matter Either this may be taken properly and then it is equipollent as if you said the form is educed out of the matter as she is potent that is as having a disposition or propension unto and this is impossible or improperly when the power of matter is taken for a being which as yet is not but may be neither can the form in this sense be educed for she then would be educed e nihilo or e privatione IV. That the actus continuus of local motion is the form of the Elements I prove it That which is the first cause of all the effects acted by the Elements must needs be their form but such is the act of local motion Wherefore c. I shall omit the proving of the Minor here in general since I have proved it below in particular V. The particular production of each part of the world holds forth the manner of the production of the whole since they are all derived from one universal efficient Nature Naturating We observe then daily as for instance in the production of Man Beasts Fowls Minerals that these draw their first Original from a confusion of Principles of Elements which is an assured note or mark that the Elements of the universe were first cast into a confusion quia pars totius naturam aemulatur 2. It is no less undoubtable that as the activity and qualities of these fore-instanced formations were latent and contained in their confused Elements and gradually extracted inacted and exalted to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfection through the vertue of an efficient in like manner were the activity and qualities or forms of the elements latent in their Chaos and afterwards gradually extracted expanded divided and exalted into their fulness by the same Nature 3. It is hence apparent that the Elements underwent several changes but total not partial ones and therefore require a particular disquisition upon each VI. Let us imagine many millions upon millions of minima's of quantity or matter divided into four equal parts whereof each is set apart to be the matter and subject of every one of the four Elements Each of these 't is necessary should be vivified and actuated by a distinct form for otherwise they could not in their dissolution from the Chaos prove apt substances for the constitution of distinct bodies Or simply a form is needful or how or by what power could they act But the question will be whether this form is not an incompleat Substance as the Philosopher states The question me thinks is rather whether it is not a Bull to name a substance incompleat For a substance is a substance because it is compleat and its completion or perfection gives it a subsistence so that were a form a substance it might subsist per se Besides would it not according to Aristotle make an unum per Accidens or could it be directly referred to a Predicament were it united to another real substance Neither is it sufficient to distinguish it from an Accident because it doth constitute part of the compositum for so doth every other accident or mode as appears in Metaphysicks Doth it not inhere in Subjecto per modum accidentis or can it exist out of it And wherein is it then different from an Accident 2. It is frustraneous for the form to be a substance since that a being through its quantity only is capable of receiving quality and activity or vertue of acting A form then is a power of acting in a substance but not a substance it is essential to a being but modally only distinguisht from it not really for an activity in a substance is nothing else but an active substance The concomitants of this activity or form are many as alterative qualities colour figure and all determination and distinction In a word it renders its subject hoc aliquid Although the form is not educed e potentia materiae it hinders not from being educed e potestate actuali Agentis vel efficientis as Scaliger delivers CHAP. VIII Of the Absolute and Respective Form of Earth Water Ayr and Fire 1. What Form it is the Author allots to Earth That driness is not the first quality of earth 2. The respective form of Earth 3. That Coldness is not the first quality of Water That water is not moyst naturally neither doth it moysten What it is to moysten Why water acuated with Spirits of Vitriol Sulphur or of Salt-Peter doth moysten and abate thirst more then when it is single 4. The form of water What Gravity is and what Levity What Density is The form