the liuer in the bodies of liuing creatures which is as the fountaine of blood needefull for all the bodie to giue life thereto and then hath made vaines like riuers to disperse and distribute this blood to euerie member disposing them in such sort as there is not any part but doth by meanes of these vaines receiue as much blood as is needefull for the nourishment and preseruation of the life thereof so likewise he hath ordayned heere below in earth the sea and springs of waters which he afterwards disposeth into euerie place by meanes of fountaines floods and riuers who are as the vaines through which the water that is as the blood of the earth is conueyed and communicated that it may be moistned to nourish all manner of fruits which God hath commaunded it to beare for the nouriture both of men and beasts Wherefore as in one bodie there are many veines some greater larger and longer and some lesser narrower and shorter which neuerthelesse do all answere to one selfe same source and fountaine and then doe diuide themselues into sundrie branches so the earth hath her floods riuers and streames some great others small which haue all their common springs and doe oftentimes ioine themselues together or diuide themselues into diuers branches and armes in such sort as the earth is moistened by them so much as is needfull in euerie part thereof Moreouer as it is watred to nourish the fruits so men and other liuing creatures do thereby receiue their beuerage necessarie for the preseruation of their life Of pleasure mixed with profit in the works of God But amongst all these things we are to consider that God the most-good hath not onely prouided by meanes of them for the necessities of his creatures but euen for their honest pleasures so that it hath pleased him to conioyne an excellent beawtie with profit and vtilitie For how goodly a thing is it to behold the fruitfull islands in midst of the sea the cleere and sweete bubling springs and gentle riuers and floods issuing out of rockes and caues of the earth which tumble downe the mountaines flow through the vallies and glide along the plaines through forrests fields and medowes being decked with many sundrie kinds of branched trees that are planted aside from inhabitants in middest of which infinite little birdes flie vp and downe tuning their voices to sing in sweete melodie and naturall musick What vnspeakable pleasure befalleth to all creatures especially to man to liue amongst such abounding beawties And who will not also admire the great varietie which is in the disposition and distinction that wee behold in the earth by the mountaines rocks valleies plaines fields vineyards medowes woods and forrests especially if we consider the fruits and profits which redound to men thereby besides the gallant diuersitie of infinite delectable pastures beawtified in all sorts For there is not one foote of earth which may not be said to serue to some good vse no not in most desert places Some places are fit for fields and champion grounds others for pastures some for vineyards other for fruitfull orchards and others for high and well growne trees fit for building timber or for fire-wood to the ende that men may helpe themselues therewith in all their needfull vses for firing Some places also are particularly commodious for cattell to graze in by which great gaine and pleasure is receiued And for deserts mountaines and forrests they are the proper retyring places for wilde beasts by which likewise men do not only receiue profit but verie great delectation also and healthfull exercise in hunting of them and which is more such places are verie commodious for houshold cattell which do there feed in euerie place to maruellous profit But let vs note that all these properties and profits should not be found in the earth if it were not conioyned with the water by the course thereof thorough euerie part of it Which water likewise doth cause many and vnspeakable profits that redound to men by fish which remaine not onely in the sea but also in lakes ponds and riuers being of so sundrie kindes and natures that it is not possible to number them In which if the prouidence of God be most admirable Commodities that the waters do bring in fishes and what is to bee admired therein it is especially to be obserued in the sea For how many sorts of fishes are there great little and of meane quantitie and how manie sundrie formes and what diuersitie of Nature I beleeue verily that whosoeuer should vndertake to number them by euerie kinde and particularly should be almost as much troubled as if he would purpose to emptie the Ocean But though there be not any little creature in the sea wherein God doth not declare himselfe and shew himselfe great and admirable yet doth he chiefly manifest himselfe so to be in two things The first is in the hugenes and power of the great fishes which he hath created as whales and such like which seeme to be rather sea-monsters then fishes there being no beast in all the earth so great and strong for there are some that seeme a farre off to be islands or mountaines rather then fishes And the other most wonderfull thing is that the Creator hath set such a correspondencie in many points betwixt the fishes and beasts of the earth that it seemeth he would represent a great part of the one by the other So we see also that many names of earthly beasts are giuen to many fishes because of the similitude and likenes which they haue together in figure and in nature yea it seemeth that God would represent in the fishes of the sea almost all the other creatures which are in the rest of the world For there are some which be called Stars because they are like that shape according to which men commonly paint the starres Moreouer how many are there which beare the shape of earthly creatures yea of many instruments made by men Of the fish called the cock For amongst others there is a fish called the Cocke which is also named by fishers in some countries the Ioyner because it hath almost as much diuersitie of bones and gristles as a Ioyner hath of tooles the forme of which they also represent But if we speake of the sundrie fashions of fishes and of their colours scales heads skins fins and of their vnderstanding industrie and chase and of their shels and abiding places and of their natures and infinite properties who should not haue iust cause to woonder Moreouer haue not men forged many fashions of weapons the forme of which they haue taken from diuers fishes What shall we also say of the finnes and little wings which God hath giuen them to direct them and to hold them vp in the sea and in other waters like birds in the aire and as ships are rowed and guided by oares and the rudder Seemeth it not that God hath created them
like watrie birdes to whom he hath giuen wings agreeable to the element for to sustaine themselues with and fit for their nature as he hath done to the fowles of the aire Genes 1. We also read in Genesis that the Lord did make in one day the birds and fishes and euerie flying thing For as the aire hath more agreement with the water then with the earth and approcheth neerer to the nature thereof so is there more answerablenes betweene the creatures which liue conuerse in these two elements then is between thē the beasts of the earth And therefore we see that the seed of both kindes is multiplied by their egs And we must also note that forasmuch as men can receiue no great fruit nor much profit by fish except in their victuals or in some medicine or such like vse which is not so cōmon as ordinarie nourishment God by his prouidence blessing hath made them so fruitfull that they multiplie and increase woondrously as experience doth euidently manifest vnto vs by the great number of frie or spawne that is found in one only fish Which fertilitie we must beleeue to proceede from the power which the Almightie bestowed vpon them as also vpon all his creatures when he said vnto them Bring foorth fruit and multiplie and fill the waters in the sea and let the foule multiplie in the earth A thing which we must well consider vpon to the end that we may referre to this blessing of God all those commodities which we daily receiue either from those creatures or from the earth it selfe or from the other elements and that we must render him continuall thanks and praises therefore For he hath in no lesse wise blessed all his creatures then the fishes and the birds when by his word he gaue their nature to them in which hee created them and did presently after command them to bring foorth fruit according vnto that nature To the ende then that we may be the more induced to glorifie so great a workeman for the excellencie of his workes which shineth in all creatures let vs now intreat of some fishes most accoūted of by those who haue written of their nature and let vs consider of their singularities and woonders so much onely as the scope of our discourse will permit vs in such sort as we haue declared in our antecedent speeches To you then ARAM I referre the relation concerning this matter Of diuers kindes of fishes namely of the whale of the dolphin of the sea-calfe and others Chapter 63. ARAM. IT is affirmed by all the learned who haue diligently searched out the secrets of nature that the water bringeth foorth both more and greater creatures then the earth doth bicause of the abundance of moisture that is therein And the sea is so ample and so fit to giue nourishment and a gentle and fertile increase of all things by meanes of that generating seede which it attracteth from heauen and the aide of nature ordained by the creator which hath this propertie to produce alwaies something that seemeth new that it is no maruell if there be founde incredible and monstrous things in the water For the seedes of all forms doe so interlace and mix themselues therein as well by the windes as by the agitation of the waues that one may well say as is said commonly that there is nothing on earth which is not in the sea yea The admirable property of nature and that there are many things in it which cannot be found either in the aire or on the earth Now great fishes are chiefly resident vnder the Torrid zone bicause that in the Ocean heate and moisture serue for augmentation Of the whale as saltnes doth for conseruation And in this number is the whale of which the ancients write and whome some moderns call Gibbar bicause that the common whale which some take for the Musculus of Aristotle doth not answere to the description of this which is of incredible hugenes For if we will beleeue histories there haue beene some seene of fower acres of ground in length Plin. lib. 9. hist nat They make an horrible crie and spout out of two holes of a cubite long which they haue neere to their nostrils so much water that they oftentimes drowne ships therewith And of their crests men make faire rods which seeme to be of bone or of horne blacke in colour and like to the hornes of a buffe so flexible that they can hardly be broken they do shine in the sunne as if they were gilded Of euery peece of his crest is a rod made so that in one crest there are many rods Moreouer the bone of his whole head is so great that one might make a ship thereof Of the dolphin And as this kinde of fish is the heauiest and mightiest of all so the dolphin is the swiftest and most ingenious not onely of all watrie creatures but of those of the earth and of the aire For they swim faster then a bird can flie And therefore if this fish were not lowe-mouthed there were no fish could scape him But nature prouiding therefore in putting his mouth vnder his belly hath so restrained him that he can catch nothing but backwards whereby the great swiftnes of such fishes doth euidently appeere Wherefore when the dolphin pressed with hunger pursueth any fish to the bottome and that he hath staied long there alwaies holding winde when he riseth he leapes aboue water with incredible quicknes and force to take breath againe Some haue marked in this kinde of fish that they haue their toong mooueable contrarie to the nature of all other water-creatures Their voice is as when one waileth Their backe is bowed and bendeth outwards they are very louing to men and like well of musicke and indeede they doe not shun men as other fishes doe but come right before ships making a thousand leapes and frisks before them Sometimes also as if they had chalenged the mariners to trie who should goe speediest they take their course along with the ships and doe outstrip them how good winde soeuer they haue Of the seacalf Amongst sea-fish also the sea-calfe is very admirable For he hath vdders and haire and calueth vpon the earth as sheepe bring foorth and is deliuered of the second burthen presently after hir yoong ones He snorts mightily when he sleepeth neere to the shore he bleates and bellowes like a calfe and for that cause beareth the same name The sinnes wherewith he swimmeth serue for feete on ground to goe vpon His hide whereof the Islanders make girdles hath a maruellous propertie for the haire which is thereupon riseth when the sea increaseth falleth when it diminisheth Some holde also that this creature is very capable of discipline easily learning that which is shewed him and that he saluteth people by his lookes and with a certaine noise and shaking that he makes Now let vs speake of the tortoise
vnderstood That that which is the first in intention is the last in execution but the meanes betweene keeping a like order doe succeed from the first till the last By such reason therefore the diuision of daies mentioned in Genesis must be referred not to the time but to the order which is to be considered in the producement of things created Thus much for their opinions But others contend to the contrarie and maintaine that God hath distinguished the creation of the world by certaine degrees and course of daies according as Moses describeth them to keepe vs the more attentiue and to constraine vs to abide in the consideration of his works For it is most certaine that we passe lightly ouer the infinite glorie of God which shineth vnto vs here below and the vanitie of our vnderstanding doth willingly carrie vs away To correct which vice his diuine bountie would temper his works to our capacity And they which hold this opinion haue noted how the text before cited out of Ecclesiasticus wherein this word togither is read is not properly so in the Greeke copie but the Greeke word signifieth likewise or in common and hath relation not to the time but to the vniuersalnes and communitie of creatures Now to reconcile these diuers opinions me thinketh we may say that for the matter and rich seede of all the beauties and richesses of the vniuers it hath been created of God all in one moment but that afterward he gaue forme to it taking out of them the works which he did in the sixe daies For thus the prophet speaketh Genes 1. v. 1.2 God in the beginning created the heauen and the earth And the earth was without forme and void and darknes was vpon the deepe and the spirit of God moued vpon the waters Behold then the matter of this All which had his being all at once the chaos the embryon created of nothing which was to take forme figure place and abiding according to the order and disposition of all his partes and which in the meane while was sustained by the secret power of God Afterward when Moses addeth Then God said Let there be light Vers 3.4.5 and there was light And God saw the light that it was good and God separated the light from the darkenes and God called the light day and the darkenes he called night So the euening the morning were the first day In this I say and in all the rest which ensueth concerning the workes of God in the fiue other daies is shewed vnto vs the forme that God gaue to the matter in the space of them creating and forming all creatures celestiall and terrestrial contained in the whole Vniuers See then how we may resolue this question whether all things were created togither or in diuers daies and thus we may reconcile their sundrie opinions Let vs farther note S. August de ciuit Dei lib. 11. ca. 7. how Saint Augustine accustomed to mount as we haue said with the wings of contemplation vnto the Anagogicall sense discoursing vpon this point concerning the light which was said to haue beene created the first day with euening and mormng three daies before the sun confesseth freely that it is farre-remote from our sense what light this is and by what alternate motion the euening and morning were made and he vseth this disiunctiue question whether it were some corporall light that is some lightsome bodie in the highest parts of the world farre from our sight or else a light without bodie in some place whereat the sunne was shortly after kindled or else by the name of light Gal. 4. was signified the holy citie of Angels and blessed spirits whereof the Apostle saith Hierusalem which is aboue is the eternall mother of vs all in the heauens Therefore in another place also this great doctor of the church referreth the euening and morning to the science and knowledge of angelical thoughts calling it morning when by the view of things created knowne in themselues where there is darkenes and most deepe night these blessed spirits aduaunce themselues in the loue of God And if louing and contemplating him they acknowledge all things in him which knowledge is much more certaine then if one should view them indirectly then is it day But it is euening when the angell turneth himselfe from God to things created regarding them not in him but in themselues And yet this euening commeth not to night because these angelicall thoughts neuer preferre the workes before the workman neither haue them in greater estimation for so should it bee most profound night Behold then how deepely Saint Augustine doth discourse in this place concerning the euening and morning But for the place before-cited concerning the point of the light he referreth the same termes euening and morning to the condition of our soule For he saith that that which it can know and vnderstand in comparison of the knowledge of God is like an euening and that yet when it is bent to praise and loue the creator then doth it returne to morning And for the distinct daies concerning the workes of God he applyeth them likewise to the orderly and perfect knowledge of things produced The distinction of the daies inferred to the acknowledgement of the workes of God saying thus When the minde stayeth in the knowledge of it selfe then is there one day when in the acknowledgement of the firmament which betwixt the water beneath and aboue is called the heauen then is the second day if concerning the earth the sea and all things fructifying which keepe themselues in the rootes of the earth there is the third day and when it stayeth in the acknowledgement of the lights both the greater and lesser and of the stars there is the fourth day if of the creatures which liue in the waters there is the fift day if of terrene things and man himselfe there is the sixt day And thus doth this good father trauell to discouer the great mysteries closed concealed vnder the couert of Moses words which in the relation of his historie hee doth most vndoubtedly apply to the capacitie of the rude and common people with whom he had to deale deliuering to the wise and more learned enough wherewith to satisfie their mindes But without farther disputing about this present matter wee may note that in the creation of the light wherewith the world was to be adorned was the beginning of forme giuen to the matter of the world and of the distinction of creatures Yea in that the light did precede the sun moone which were created but the fourth day God would thereby testifie that in his onely hand light is resident and that he can conferre it vpon vs without any other meanes For we are so enclined as nothing more to alligate the power of God to those instruments and organes wherewith he serueth himselfe because that for as much as the sun moone do minister light vnto
that wee shall heere discourse vpon and that the most subtile amongst men can describe is a very small thing in respect of the greatnes and excellencie which their creator hath engraued in them But yet by this which is proposed vnto vs wee may easily consider into what an admiration men should be rauished if it might be permitted them to behold view and contemplate fully and in perfection all the stately works of the heauens and of all the lights in them contained and to vnderstand their natures effects and properties and all the beautie and goodly order which therein is and the great vtilitie which thereby redoundeth to men and to all creatures For all therein is disposed by an excellent order like an host and armie whereof God is the leader and gouernour Deut. 17. Psal 24. Isay 60. And therefore this whole ornament of the heauen and of these faire lights is called in the scripture the host armie and soldiers of heauen and God who is the Lord prince and the great and soueraigne captaine is likewise named the Lord of hosts Moreouer as we haue noted that in the succession of day and night the prouidence of God doth publikely declare it selfe so haue we excellent testimonies in the diuersitie of the monthes Diuersitie oâ— the seasons in the â—eere to testifie the prouidence of God and of the seasons which are throughout the yeere For some are cold others excessiue hot some drie and some wet some temperate and other some vntemperate For according as the sunne doth approch neere or recule from vs or as it is higher or lower according as our sight considereth it and the situation of the places and countries which wee inhabite doth present it vnto vs and that his heate remaineth more or lesse vpon the earth by meanes of his proper and particular course so haue we the daies longer or shorter and the nights likewise and more or lesse hot cold drie and wet weather and more temperatenes and vntemperatenes So that it may seeme that the yeere is distinguished by diuers ages like to the life of man And therefore many say that the spring-time is as the infancie and childhood of the yeere the sommer like the youth and virilitie thereof autumne like the ripe age inclining to oldnes and winter like the decrepite and last age wherein it seemeth that all is mortified and become dead then we behold the spring-time againe returne like a new creation and reparation of the world and consequently al the rest of the seasons not failing of the time ordained to them For as the sunne neuer faileth to bring the day in due time so likewise doth it not faile to distinguish alwaies vnto vs the diuers seasons in euery yeere in such sort as it hath done from the beginning Power of the moone vpon all creatures The moone also hath her proper effects in all these things and is very powerfull as well among liuing creatures as among the fruits of the earth through the changes which are in her For it is seene by experience that according as she encreaseth or decreaseth so doe the humours in all creatures augment and diminish and are tender or firme and change diuersly Moreouer as this planet altereth hir course so doth the weather change in disposition turning sometimes into raine sometimes being faire and sometimes tempestuous But aboue all the power which God hath placed in hir manifesteth it selfe most euidently in the waters of the sea especially in the flowings and ebbings thereof And although that amongst so many effects produced by these two goodly lights Testimonie of the prouidence of God in the harmonie of the seasons of the yeere there are great contrarieties and maruellous differences yet God by his prouidence can reduce them to singular agreement and make them all returne to one bound and point For the excesse of the one is the temperature of the other For as one season is apt to sowe and plant in so is another fit to make the fruits grow and ripen in and another is proper to gather them in and prepare them to serue our vses And as the cold and drought doe much hinder corruptions and infections which might arise through excessiue heate and wetnes so doth heate and moisture temperate the great cold and drinesse and conserue and repaire that which they would destroy so that by the one of these qualities the defect of the other is supplied and the excesse of the one is the temperature of the other as we haue heard that there commeth to passe by the succession of day and night which causeth that many commodities do flow to men and animals By how much the more we consider of these things by so much the more shall we finde occasion to woonder at the works and prouidence of God For whereas the propertie of one contrarie is to destroy another he hath so well tempered and reconciled them that he causeth the one to be preserued by the other yea that the one cannot subsist without the aide of his companion Which taketh place not onely in these things which we haue here alreadie mentioned but likewise in all creatures which are in the vniuersall world For it is all composed of contrarie natures And yet God their father maketh them to fit so well togither that he reduceth all discord into concord and all enimitie into amitie as the example is notable in mans bodie being compounded of elements and qualities cleane contrarie one to another and yet conioined by such a vnitie that the composition and preseruation is most firme and assured so long time as it pleaseth God to maintaine his worke But this matter will be more cleerely expounded when we shall discourse of the elementarie world Yet before we leaue the woorthie subiect which hath been giuen vs to discourse vpon the celestiall fires it will not be a little fruitfull if we consider of the image of God and of his eternall light which is proposed to vs in the sunne and how the felicitie of mans life is represented by changing of the light into darknes Which ARAM I desire that we may heare of you Of the image of God and of his light which is proposed to vs in the sunne with the felicitie of mans life in the changing of light and of darknes Chapter 35. ARAM. THose matters which hitherto haue been by vs deliuered concerning the celestiall bodies although they be very briefly touched of vs yet may they serue for a very good foundation to giue vs some entrance into a more loftie and more excellent Astrologie wherein we haue the word of God for our guide For it is easie for vs alreadie to vnderstand if wee bee well instructed concerning the vnitie of God in trinitie of persons and if we haue in memorie the discourse which we haue helde concerning the creation of heauen and of the celestial bodies what goodly images of this diuine essence we haue pourtraied in them
principally in the sunne who alone is in the world sufficient for the totall vniuers euen as there is but one God who is the sufficiencie of all creatures Moreouer as this visible sunne is a fountaine of light which is neuer exhausted nor yet diminisheth in communicating himselfe with all creatures Eccles 42. but is perpetuall so is it of God concerning whome it is written that he hath garnished the excellent workes of his wisedome being from euerlasting and to euerlasting for euer and that vnto him nothing can be added neither can he be diminished 1. Tim. 6. Moreouer when it is said of God that he dwelleth in vnaccessible light by reason that it is incomprehensible to all creatures Iames. 1. Mal. 4. Iohn 13.8.9.12 Matth. 5. Ephes 6. and when he is called the father of light and his sonne Iesus Christ the sonne of Iustice and the light of the world and his word and likewise they who heare it and who receiue it are called lights candles lampes and burning torches we must by so many testimonies propound vnto vs in our vnderstanding another inuisible and spirituall world of which this same visible and corporall one is nothing but a verie rude pourtraiture an image much differing from that which it representeth so conclude that if this image and picture that which yet we behold not but as in a dim glasse be a thing so goodly and so excellent that indeed it may be couered with the vaile of this All which we so much admire Eccles 43. For we may say with Ecclesiasticus That there are hid yet many greater things then these be and we haue seene but few of his works For as he addeth who hath seene him that hee may tell vs And who can magnifie him as he is Consequently let vs set before our eies all this inuisible and spirituall world replenished with soules and spirits as we behold this visible world replenished with bodies and let vs contemplate twise as many spirituall eies in this intelligible sphere as there be corporall in all men and in other liuing creatures and then let vs mount vp to God and to Iesus Christ our Lord which is the Sonne that illuminateth and lightneth all and so let vs consider how bright this sonne must be and what is the light and splendor of him considering that he is the great Sonne eternall infinite and incomprehensible who hath created that Sunne which we behold the light whereof is not so much in proportion comparable with the least beame of the diuine light as is the brightnes of the least star yea of a candle compared with all this visible sunne or as one drop of water balanced with the huge sea Now let vs consider that if the sight of this heauenly planet be pleasant to vs and bring vnto vs ioy and comfort through his light and heat being cause of so many profits and benefits to all creatures how much more should the contemplation of the great euerlasting Sonne be delightfull vnto vs and what inexplicable benefits doth it bring to men namely to their soules and spirits For this is the true Sunne of iustice which according to the prophet hath health in his wings that is in his beames Mal. 4. by which he maketh men enioy life eternall And therefore verie fitly doth the Scripture compare not onely the knowledge of God but also his fauour and grace and the times of prosperitie and of his aide and succour to the light as also it compareth mens ignorance of God and the times of aduersitie and of his furie and vengeance to the night and to darknes Isay 60. For this cause Isay willing to declare a great grace of God to the people of Israell saith amongst other things Thou shalt haue no more sun to shine by day neither shall the brightnes of the Moone shine vnto thee for the Lord shall be thine euerlasting light and thy God thy glorie thy sunne shall neuer goe downe neither shall thy Moone be hid for the Lord shall be thine euerlasting light and the daies of thy sorrow shall be ended And when the prophets denounce vnto men any great and horrible and fearfull iudgement of God they commonly say that the sunne Isay 13. 24. Ioel. 2. Acts 2. Matth. 24. Isay 34. the moone and the stars shall loose their brightnes that the sunne shall waxe darke and the moone shall be turned into blood and the starres shall fall from heauen and the heauen it selfe shall rowle like a scrowle so that the whole face of the world shall be chaunged as if it should be turned vpside downe and perish cleane And though these things come not to passe iust so in respect of the creatures yet doe the prophets by such manner of speech signifie the greatnes of the iudgements of God and of his wrath when he punisheth man For though the nature which he hath created doth still remaine in one estate yet it happeneth commonly to men according to the feeling which they haue of the wrath of God except they be altogither obdurate against his iudgements as if the whole frame of the world were ouerturned and as if all creatures should set themselues against them to warre vpon them and confound them by rushing on them and running at them Isay 9. On the other side Isay declaring the grace which God would shew to his people speaketh thus The people that walked in darkenes haue seene light they that dwelled in the land of the shadow of death vpon them hath the light shined Isay 60. Againe in another place Arise oh Ierusalem be bright for thy light is come and the glorie of the Lord is risen vpon thee For behold darkenes shall couer the earth and grosse darkenes the people but the Lord shall arise vpon thee and his glorie shall be seene vpon thee And the Gentiles shall walke in thy light and kings at the brightnes of thy rising vp But the prophet speaketh in another kinde of language to the people when he talketh to the wicked Isay 59. and telleth them amongst other things Therefore is iudgement far from vs and iustice doth not come neere vs We waite for light but loe it is darkenes for brightnes but we walke in darkenes We grope for the wall like the blind and we feele with our hands as one that were without eies We stumble at noone daies as in darkenes we are in solitarie places as dead men Luke 22. Ephes 6. And therefore also the kingdome of the diuel is called in holy-writ the kingdome of darknes and he which is the king is named the Prince of darkenes But the people of God requesting that the knowledge of him might bee spread abroad throughout the whole earth with all prosperitie and blessednes saith in the Psalmes Psal 67. God be mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs and cause his face to shine amongst vs. So likewise the author of these diuine
in them by them but to him alone must attribute to him the totall glorie thereof to depend wholy vpon him and vpon his prouidence Now if we shall consider all creatures in their originall and end ordained by God we shall finde that they are all good and ordained by the creator for the benefit of the good And yet it might seeme that he hath established some things principally to take vengeance on the wicked as by this text of scripture Iob. 32. where the Lord saith to Iob Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snowe or hast thou seene the treasures of the haile which I haue hid against the time of trouble against the day of warre and battell In which text is deliuered vnto vs a goodly doctrine of the forme and of the place where the snow and haile are engendred to wit in the chambers builded by God among the waters which he gardeth as treasures and congealeth them to serue him for scourges to chastise and punish the froward Psal 147. For it is he as the Psalmist chaunteth who giueth snowe like wooll and scattereth the hoare frost like ashes He casteth foorth his ice like morsels who can abide the cold thereof He sendeth his worde and melteth them he causeth his winde to blowe and the waters flowe This is he also as saith Ecclesiasticus which hasteneth the snowe by his commandement Eccles 43. and strengtheneth the cloudes with great force to make the hailestones cracke The south winde bloweth according to his wil the storme of the north and the whirlewinde flying out like birds scatter the snowe and the falling downe thereof is as an heape of grashoppers or locusts that light downe in any countrie The eie hath the whitenes thereof in admiration and the hart is astonished at the fall of it The Lord powreth out the frost vpon the earth like salt which when it is frozen sticketh on the tops of pales The cold north winde bloweth and the water is frozen it abideth vpon the gatherings togither of the water and clotheth the water as with a brestplate It deuoureth the mountaines and burneth the wildernes and destroieth that that is greene like fire The present remedie against all this is a cloude and the deaw comming before the heate appeaseth it It is also written in the booke of Iob The whirlewinde commeth out of the heape of cloudes and the cold from the northwinde Iob. 37. at the breath of God the frost is giuen and the bredth of the waters is made narrow And therefore the Lord saith to Iob Out of whose wombe came the ice who hath engendred the frost of the heauen The waters are hid as with a stone and the face of the deepe is couered Iob. 38. Which is as much to say as the waters take to them the forme of a stone when they are conuerted into haile and ice and that the sea is frozen ouer for when the water is frozen it seemeth to be hid and lost and to be no more water Surely in these discourses we haue much to consider concerning the woonders of God For is it not an admirable thing that the water which is so soft and runs so swiftly should become as hard as stones and that it can fall from heauen in such forme yea sometimes so great that it doth not onely spoile the fruits of the earth but doth also breake the branches of trees and kil men and beasts Hereof that is a certaine testimonie which we read concerning the haile which God sent vpon the Egyptians Exod. 9. by the ministerie of Moses Iosh 10. and vpon the Amorites in the time of Ioshuah in the warre of the Gibeonites Indeede this was done contrarie to the common course of nature in respect of the Egyptians especially For their land is not moistned nor watred with raine from heauen but onely by the riuer Nilus And therefore the power of God was euidently shewed Deut. 11. when he caused so great haile to fall downe vpon the enimies of his people that no man could iudge it to be naturall For haile is made of raine frozen in the aire and is different from snow and mists in that the haile is engendred of raine more hard frozen snowe of moisture more softly thickned and mists and fogs of cold deawes So that when the congealed water is frozen by a strong colde it becommeth haile if by a small cold it engendreth small drisling haile such as falles commonly in the spring time as in March and Aprill But this me thinketh is worthie of greatest wonder that the water in sommer time should be congealed into haile and that during the great heate of the sunne the greatest congelation should be made from whence commeth this word amongst the Latines Grando which is as much to say as a great drop of water which is not seene in winter when euery thing through the exceeding colde freezeth here on earth or if so be this happen in such a time it is spoken of as a new and strange thing that comes not ordinarily in this season like the snowe and mists which are proper to winter and cold weather For though the Naturalists trauell much to shew that all things are produced by inferior and naturall causes yet must we principally acknowledge a diuine puissance aboue all who hath causes hidden in his incomprehensible treasures from men by which the haile thunder lightning tempestes and stormes are disposed and dispersed according to his good pleasure Exod. 16. For as God made knowne to his people by the Manna which he sent them in the wildernes wherewith he nourished them for the space of fortie yeeres in a barren and vnhabitable place that he could euermore very easily finde meanes ynough both ordinarie and extraordinarie to nourish and maintaine them so hath he made manifest by the rods and scourges wherewith he hath beaten the Egyptians that he can euermore very easily inuent meanes ynow to punish his enimies so often and whensoeuer he pleaseth yea euen then when there shall be no appeerance thereof amongst men Now as God when he pleaseth conuerteth the water into stones Of the frozen water and how it is thawed and so hardneth it that by great cold he doth as it were paue not onely riuers ponds and lakes but also great seas which he maketh so firme that one may passe ouer them yea and draw ouer great and heauy chariots as it were ouer bridges and firme land so when it pleaseth him he causeth all this water so hardened to returne into the proper kinde thereof as if it had neuer beene frozen And as there be windes to congeale it so there are windes to dissolue and thaw it For wee must note that yee doth not dissolue and thaw by the heate of the sunne onely but also by the power of the windes ordained hereto yea and much sooner so then otherwise Concerning all which things and the causes of them
into chrystal bicause that from the moone vpwards there are no creatures subiect to corruption and to such changes as those that are vnder the moone Behold then why these men haue supposed such waters to haue beene made partakers of the nature of heauen But what neede is there to trauell in such disputations and to take paines for to haue recourse to allegories when one may be easily satisfied with the literall sense For there is nothing more easie then to make the wordes of Moses cleere and euident being throughly considered For first he hath declared Of the separation of the terrestriall and celestiall waters how that the earth was couered all ouer with water and that there was a great deepe ouerwhelmed with darknes so that the earth did in no wise appeere till such time as God had commanded the waters to retire themselues into their places which he hath assigned for their perpetuall residence And then the earth was discouered euen so much thereof as was needfull for the habitation and nourishment of men and of all the creatures which God did afterwardes create Psal 104. Therefore Dauid as the expounder of Moses words saith That the Lord hath set the earth vpon hir foundations adding straight after That hee had couered it with the deepe as with a garment and that the waters did stand aboue the mountaines but at his rebuke they fled which is as much to say as when God had commanded the waters to retire and to discouer the earth they suddenly obeied the voice of their creator Now Moses hauing spoken of those waters which are resident here belowe on earth gathered as well into the sea as into fountains and riuers he afterwards declareth how God would assigne vnto them another abode in a certaine region of the aire which he first calleth a spreading abroad and after that heauen which the Psalmist also signifieth when he saith of God that he couereth himselfe with light as with a garment and spreadeth the heauens like a curtaine which is to say that the light is to the creator like a stately garment wherein we beholde his glorie to shine and glister euery where and that he hath spread abroad the heauens like a pauilion for his habitation Moreouer he addeth The Lord doth lay the iousts of his high chambers amōgst the waters he maketh the great cloudes his chariot He holdeth backe saith Iob the face of his throne and stretcheth out his cloude vpon it Iob. 26. And therefore the Scripture doth also teach vs that God hath oftētimes declared his presence Exod. 13.14.16 40. Acts. 1. manifested his glory both to Moses to all the people of Israell by the cloudes And when Iesus Christ ascended into heauen a cloud taking him bare him vp in the sight of his apostles to declare vnto them and make them sure of the place whither he went vsing this cloude as a triumphant chariot which hath giuen testimonie of his soueraigne and eternall maiestie And therefore it is also written that he shall come in the cloudes of heauen with power and glorie Wherefore if we were well instructed in the sacred word of God we should haue a verie cleere doctrine concerning Meteors and which were much more profitable then that which Philosophers teach For the cloudes would excellently declare vnto vs the magnificence and maiestie of God so often as wee should behold them Matth. 24. and would represent vnto vs all the woonders by vs here mentioned as we shall also be induced to admire them considering more neerely the great miracle of the waters sustained and hanged in the aire as pursuing our purpose I leaue to you ACHITOB to discouer Of the waters sustayned and hanged in the aire and of the raine-bowe Chap. 48. ACHITOB. I Will begin my speech with the saying of the kingly prophet Psal 104. who after that he had appointed the heauens for the pauilion of God ordained the cloudes for the planchers thereof whereupon are raised the loftie chambers that is to say the great spatious waters amassed vp within the cloudes which he also proposeth vnto vs as the chariot vpon which the Eternall is borne being consequently willing to shew what the horses are by which this chariot is drawen and driuen he saith He walketh vpon the wings of the wind He maketh the spirits his messengers and flaming fire his ministers which is as much as if in sum he would declare that men need not labour to mount aloft into heauen there to cōtemplate and behold God sith that hee so cleerely manifesteth himselfe throughout the whole world principally by the celestiall creatures and then by the magnificent and maruellous works which he daily performeth heere in the aire neere vnto vs and before our eies So surely if we must account as great miracles the comming of the Sunne vnto vs and his returne which daily continueth and the courses and motions of all the other celestiall bodies we haue no lesse occasion to account as a thing miraculous and worthie of great wonder that we so often behold here below Wonder of the waters carried in the aire a great cel of waters ouer our heads in the aire sustained by the water it selfe by vapours like to smoke as if they were hanged in the aire and were there borne vp without any stay and prop but by the inuisible vertue and power of God For otherwise how could the cloudes sustaine so great heapes and such deepe gulfes of water considering that they are nothing else but water and do also come at lēgth to resolue into water Againe how without this diuine power could these cloudes be supported in the aire seeing that the aire it selfe seemeth to consist of waters most subtilly distilled beeing very light and in continuall motion For it euidently appeareth that the aire retaineth much of the nature of water because that so ordinarily it conuerteth thereinto beeing inclosed in a cold and moist place so that many fountaines are by this meanes engendred of aire if wee will credite Naturalists And therefore as Dauid saith of the waters which runne about the earth that God hath appointed a bound vnto them which they may not passe nor returne any more to ouerflow the habitation of men so may wee likewise say that he hath bounded the waters that hang in the aire within the cloudes to the end that they may not run loosely astray Iob. 26. And therfore Iob saith He bindeth the waters in the cloudes and the cloud is not broken vnder them For else it is most certaine that so often as these waters should fall vpon the earth they would drowne vp all things whereupon they powred like as when the sea and riuers ouerflow the banks or like a great deluge as came to passe when God punished the world by waters Genes 7. in the time of Noah For it is written that not onely all the fountaines of the great deep were broken vp
raine in sommer the raine is suddenly engendred for when the cloudes are too slowe they are consumed by the drinesse of the sunne And there where the aire is very cold and consequently thicke and grosse the vapor which is thither drawne being very light cannot be condensate bicause of the thicknes of the aire and the thinnesse of the vapor Which causeth that in stead of raine snow is engendred for snowe is a congelation of a vapor not condensate for the subtilitie of his proper substance and for bicause of the thicknes of the aire Wherefore when the cold is great in winter it raineth little And for the spring time bicause that the succeeding day doth consume more vapor then the precedent day had attracted for in the spring time the latter daies are still hotter and haue shorter nights for this cause it raineth then lesse then in autumne and oftner then in sommer or winter But in Autumne showres of raine are commonly great and of long continuance For the sunne being as then still powerfull vpon the earth many vapors are drawen vp But bicause the succeeding day hath still a longer night then the precedent and for that it was also warmer it is necessarie that the vapor should thicken and afterwardes descend And when the earth is moistned then that which did descend is againe attracted lying then vpon the superficies of the earth and being still somewhat deeper then before Whereof are made not onely raines but also rainie and windie cloudes Difference of raine water and earth water Thus haue we in summe then the forme of dewes and raine and the diuersitie of their course and how the earthly and heauenly waters differ from one another the raine water retaining more of the aire and being much purer and lighter then that which doth alwaies remaine in the earth For in comparison of terrestriall water it is like water distilled through a limbeck And yet how light soeuer it be it must neuertheles be heauier then the aire and especially when it is frozen within the cloudes and conuerted into snow or haile which is like stones of ice Wherein it seemeth that this rule of nature and naturall philosophie is not generally true which affirmeth That euery heauie thing doth alwaies drawe downwards considering there are waters hanged in the aire which is much lighter then the waters that it sustaineth Wherefore we must say Cloudes are in the aire as ships are vpon the waters that cloudes are in the aire in the region that is assigned vnto them in such sort as ships are in the water For none doubteth but that stones iron lead and all other mettals yea infinite other things of lesse waight are heauier then the water yet we neuertheles doe behold that there is no burthen so waightie but the water doth easily support it by meanes of a boat or a wooden ship or a galley which shall be euen of it selfe a great and heauie loade And yet the water which will sustaine such a charge cannot beare vp a pinne or a naile or a small peece of gold or siluer or a little stone but all shall sinke to the bottome Now the cause of all these effects is in the participation that the wood hath with the aire which maketh it much lighter then the other bodies which are more solide and massie For by reason that the wood is more open and more loose to giue way to the aire it receiueth lightnes thereof which causeth it to floate vpon the water whereas the other more terrestriall bodies doe sinke thereinto So then the aire sustaineth by meanes of the cloudes the waters which they containe inclosed within them euen as the sea and great riuers sustaine grosse and heauie burthens by meanes of ships For though the cloudes doe consist of water themselues and are engendred of it being drawne into the aire through blowing of the windes and afterwards massed vp in one bodie as we haue already vnderstood yet doe they subsist of a water lesse terrestriall and more airie then those waters which flowe here belowe for which cause they are also more light and more easily sustained by the aire vpon which they floate like ships vpon the sea and other waters And afterwardes when the cloudes returne into their first nature of water and when they be opened to let fall the waters which they containe the water which proceedeth from them doth resume also his proper course according to the naturall heauines thereof and returneth downwards descending to the earth And as ships sinke downe into the water when they are ouercharged as likewise the charges and burdens wherewith they are laden when they are split or broken by violence of windes or by some other force which maketh them dash one against another and against the rocks so is it with the cloudes and with the things which they beare and with the windes also wherewith they are driuen or else are inclosed within them which make a great noise when they striue to issue out so that the cloudes are rent and cracke as the thunders testifie vnto vs and the tempests lightnings and thunder claps which proceede from them as also the great deluges of water which showre downe with great violence and furie But we haue staied long ynough in this matter let vs now consider of the maruellous prouidence of God which shineth in the dispensation of the raine and heauenly waters As AMANA I leaue to you to discourse Of the fertilitie caused by dewes and raine and of the prouidence of God therein Chap. 50. AMANA IN vaine shall we consider in meteors the works of nature which are therein proposed very great and excellent as our precedent speech doth manifest if we doe not learne in the same to consider and acknowledge the prouidence of God gouerning all things as it reuealeth it selfe in sundry sorts For all these goodly visible works must serue vs as images of the inuisible and spirituall things so that all the creatures of God may be competent iudges to condemne vs if by them we doe not learne to acknowledge their and our creator and to obey and honor him as behooueth vs we neede no other iudges I say to make vs vnexcusable before the throne of Gods iustice Rom. 1. according to the testimonie of Saint Paul sith he hath as it were made visible to the eie his diuinitie his power his bountie and his wisdome through his works and that so neere vnto vs as almost to be touched with our owne hands For as this holy apostle in another place saith he is neere to euery one of vs Acts. 17. so that howsoeuer we be blind yet should we at least finde him by groping like those that want sight For he neuer wāteth very euident witnes amongst men in cōferring benefits vpon them namely in giuing them raine from heauen and fruitful seasons according to the subiect we are now to speake of Let vs know then that it is he who
to intreate of the visible creatures which conuerse in the aire Psal 8. Matth. 6. Luk. 8. Genes 1. and of which the holy scripture speaketh in diuers places vnder the name of the foules of the aire considering also that Moses teacheth that the foules and fishes were created before any of the terrestriall creatures For as there is a greater accord between the two elements of water and aire then of aire and earth euen so is there a more correspondencie of nature between fishes and foules then between beasts of the earth and foules For the flying of birds in the aire is like the swimming of fishes in the water Moreouer there are many water-foules which are as it were of a middle nature betweene those which conuerse but only in the aire or in the earth and which therein receiue their nouriture and betweene the fishes that liue in the waters For these birds flie in the aire like other birds and swim also in the water like fishes and liue partly in the water and partly in the aire But before we intreate particularly of these things it seemeth good to me to note vpon the beginning of our discourse concerning liuing creatures that there are two principall kindes of liuing creatures Of two principall kindes of beasts the first are those which haue life in euery part being diuided and cut asunder called in Latine Insecta bicause of the incisions which they seeme to haue vpon their bodies and which are ingendred of putrifaction The second sort is of perfect creatures to whom the former properties agree not but they haue their generation through propagation and race Now we must hereafter speake of insect creatures And for the perfect Of nine kindes of perfect beasts there are found nine principall kindes of them whereof some remaine onely in the aire and haue no feet as the bird called Manucodiata other conuerse in the aire and in the earth as the Eagle and sundry other birds some are earthly and yet like foules neuertheles as is the Estridge some inhabite both in the earth and in the water as the Beauer called in Latine Fiber some foules swim as the swan some creatures are flying fishes others are altogither earthly as the dog some keepe vnder ground as the Mole others liue in the water onely as the dolphin our speech then shall be concerning these nine kinds of creatures and we wil briefly discourse of some of the most excellent of them Of the bird named Manucodiata Now to begin with the birds according as the order of our treatise doth require we will speake of the Manucodiata commonly called the birde of God or of paradise according to the interpretation of the Indian name which birde is found dead vpon the earth or in the sea in the Isles named The Malucos bicause it is neuer seene aliue out of the aire For this birde onely hath no feete for that it abideth aloft in the aire and farre out of mans sight hauing the body and beake like a swallow both in bignes and forme The feathers of his wings and taile are longer then those of a sparrow-hawke but very slender agreeable to the smalenes of the bird The back of the cock is holow whereby reason sheweth that the hen layeth her egges in this hollownes seeing that she hath the like creuise in her belly so that by means of both these pits she may hatch her egges The meate of this foule is the dewe of heauen which serueth it for meate drinke it neuer faileth but through age onely and so long as they liue they sustaine themselues with their owne wings and their taile being spred out in a roundnes by which meanes it doth more commodiously inhabite in the aire Of Eagles Hist nat lib. 10. Next I proceed to the birds which conuerse in the aire and in the earth of which the Eagle for greatnes and strength beareth away the price Plinie setteth downe sixe kindes of which the least in body called the blacke eagle is strongest and it of all others doth onely nourish her eaglets For all the rest chase and driue away their yoong ones bicause that when they haue them their nailes and clawes are turned vpside downe as if nature woulde declare hirselfe very prouident in this to depriue the eagle of al meanes to helpe it selfe with any more purchase then will euen serue her owne turne for otherwise it woulde destroy all the yoong venison of a countrey therefore through hunger which by this occasion they do then sustaine they become white and hate their yoong ones But the Ossifragi which are another sort of wilde eagles doe as diuers affirme gather togither the yoong eaglets which their dam hath expelled and doe nourish them with their owne And eagles neuer die through age or any other malady but for hunger onely their vppermost beak growing so great and so crooked that it is impossible for them to open their mouthes to feede themselues Their feathers being mingled with the feathers of other birds do deuoure and consume them The Phenix is said to be found in no other place of the world but only in Arabia is very seldome seen It is as big as an eagle Of the Phenix and the plumes of her taile are guilded being intermixed with certaine blew and carnation feathers the rest of her body being of a purple colour She hath her head decked with exquisite plumes and with a tuft of very goodly feathers She liueth sixe hundred and sixtie yeeres as Manilius a Senator of Rome recordeth and so Plinie doth make report And feeling herselfe aged Hist nat lib. 10. she maketh her nest with peeces of cynamon and incense and hauing filled it with all sorts of aromaticall odors she dieth thereupon And out of her marrow and bones there commeth first a worme which afterward turneth to a little birde that in time prooueth another Phenix Some report almost the very same of a birde called Semenda which is found in the midst of India which hath her bill clouen into three parts boared and pearced euery where through and she singeth at her death as the swan doth Afterward by beating of her wings she kindleth a fire made of the twigs of a vine which she gathereth togither wherewith she is burned and of her ashes there is a worme engendred of which springeth againe another like birde Swans are birds cleane white and differ but little from geese Of Swans except in bignes They sing sweetelier then any other foules Their propertie is to teare their yoong ones in peeces and to deuour them for which cause they are very rare to be found And some say that they presage their death by their songs Cranes come from the farthest orientall seas of India into the regions of Europe and do neuer part from any place Of Cranes but that they seeme to do it with counsell and by the common consent of all and by the same meanes they
by winde and such like Whereto we will adde also this opinion of those who attribute the cause of such motions and tremblings either to the drinesse of the earth which is the occasion that it cleaueth and chappeth and by this meanes giues open way to the aire and to the windes which penetrate thereinto or else bicause of the older age thereof to which they esteeme all creatures subiect whereupon it happeneth to it as to old buildings which being ruinous and almost rotten doe fall downe in some places of themselues These are the diuers opinions of men vpon this matter wherin if we desire to take a very short and sure way to attaine to the true cause wee must referre it to the wrath and iudgements of God bicause that what causes soeuer the learned can inuent the Eternall sheweth himselfe very powerful The true cause of earthquakes and the profit that wee may reape thereby and to be feared therein considering that he hath disposed all of them and that they all depend vpon him alone And surely this is a worke of the omnipotent woorthie to be woondred at and which may well cause men to mooue and tremble before his maiestie For if he shewe himselfe terrible and fearefull by deluges of water by haile thunder lightning stormes and tempests he doth no lesse by the motions and shakings of the earth which are in regarde thereof as thunders are in the aire For seeing that the earth is as the foot of the world and that it is assigned to men for their habitation whither is it that they may haue recourse if it quake vnder them and faile to sustaine them Whither shall they retire if she will allow them no more dwelling in hir but will spue them out as the scripture saith For if it be hard for them to flie before fire Leuit. 19. and before water and to finde harbour against windes thunders and tempests whither shall they flie if the earth will not receiue nor beare them And what dread may inuade them when sometimes it quaketh in such sort that it openeth and is swallowed vp as into a bottomlesse pitte as it came to passe when it swallowed Corah Dathan and Abiram and their families Nom. 16. Who will not bee astonished when it riseth vp ouerturning all euen the highest mountaines and hardest rockes and mooueth it selfe in such sort that it maketh houses and buildings dance like rammes and sheepe that would one butte at another wherewith many are vtterly destroied Examples of meruailous earth quakes as it happened in the yeere 1531. in the realme of Portugall which was so shaken by an earth-quake that at Lisbone the chiefe citie thereof there were ouerthrown almost twelue hundred houses besides a great number of others which were greatly spoiled This horrible earthquake continued the space of eight daies and gaue verie furious assaults fiue or sixe times a day And in the time of the Emperour Tiberius twelue cities in Asia were quite ruinated in one night by an earth-quake And Iosephus recordeth that by another Lib. 1 de bello Iud. thirtie thousand Iewes died So Iustine recounteth that by another earth-quake many cities were destroyed an hundred and seuentie thousand persons perished in the raigne of Tigranes in Armenia What causes then soeuer there may be in nature of so many terrible euents yet we must alwaies haue recourse to the Author and Gouernour thereof without whom it can performe nothing and he it is Psal 135. that bringeth earth-quakes out of his treasures as he doth the winds either by his commaundement without a meanes or by his ministers ordayned thereto or else by some power infused into things the which may according to his good pleasure display it selfe in effect to denounce his iudgments on men For he it is of whom the prophet speaketh The earth trembled and shaked and the foundations of the mountaines were mooued and quaked 2. Sam. 22. Psal 18. and the foundations of heauen were bowed and trembled because he was angrie Wherefore wee may verie well conclude Isay 66. Matth. 5. Acts. 7. that as God declareth his magnificence and woonderfull glorie in heauen which is assigned to bee his seat as his word teacheth vs and as we haue heretofore amply discoursed so likewise he doth manifest it no lesse in the earth which is his footstoole when he causeth it to shake and remooue as if being supprised with some great strong feuer it shooke trembled before him Iob. 9. And therefore Iob also saith The Eternall is wise in heart and mightie in strength who hath beene fierce against him and hath prospered He remooueth mountaines and they feele not when he ouerthroweth them in his wrath He remooueth the earth out of her place that the pillers thereof do shake Iob. 26. the pillers of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe But now let vs note that all that which we haue here deliuered disprooueth not the earth to remaine alwaies firme immooueable in it selfe in so much as it mooueth not out of the place which was appointed to it by God neither doth it swerue neuer so little considering that the moouings and tremblings are not vniuersall but particular onely in some places in such sort that the foundations thereof are not any whit altered And if we consider well of these things the Earth will serue no lesse for a preacher vnto vs then the aire and the fire yea then all heauen to denounce vnto vs the soueraigne maiestie of the Almightie ruling aboue all his workes as I hope to morrow we may haue goodly testimonies entreating of the water which is dispersed throughout the earth and afterwards speaking of the excellent commodities and pretious riches that these two elements doe yeeld to men into which matter you ASER shall enter with your dicourse The end of the seuenth day THE EIGHT DAIES WORKE Of the sea and of the waters and of the diuision and distribution of them throughout the earth Chap. 57. ASER. THE holy Scripture doth certifie vs how that in the beginning the earth was couered ouer with water and that it appeered not in any sort but onely vnder the forme of a great deepe till such time as God commaunded the waters to retire into the channels and places which hee had prepared for their aboade So that then the earth was discouered euen so much therof as was needfull for the habitation and nourishment of men and beasts But this soueraigne creator of the Vniuers would not haue the waters to be gathered all into one place and not to haue their course through the earth but prouiding for euerie commoditie for his creatures he ordained that out of the great Ocean sea which is as the great bodie of the waters there should issue diuers armes and members by meanes whereof we haue the Mediterran seas out of which againe proceed many other waters as lakes flouds riuers and brookes For although that all
Eternall and those great works and woonders which he declareth in the sea and to haue recourse for their deliuerance out of all dangers to the creator and true Lord of the waters and of the windes and of all nature But yet wee must heere consider the obedience that the sea sheweth euen in the greatest furies therof to the commandement which God hath deliuered to it from the first creation thereof For although it be often mooued as we said yet doth it containe it selfe shut vp within the boundes which were appointed vnto it by the ordinance of God as if it were afraide to run out and durst not passe farther as hauing heard and vnderstood that which the creator thereof had commanded and had engrauen it in memorie for euer And therefore we may see that after it hath swollen risen aloft in waues and that it hath menaced the earth as if it would ouerflowe it and couer it againe with the deepe as at the beginning it is neuerthles arrested and beaten backe to returne into the proper gulfes thereof which are assigned for it to lodge in euen by a very little sand onely For what is the sea shore but sand onely which is a kinde of loose earth like the dust and is easily driuen with the winde And yet the word of God which hath giuen commandement to the sea which is so horrible and fearefull a creature being mooued is of such power that this small sand is sufficient to make it keepe within the confines and limits thereof and to breake the furious waues thereof as if he who hath established this ordinance in nature stood in presence vpon the shore side to command it to doe so and that for feare and reuerence of him it returned to hide it selfe in the deepe How much more then should his word and voice mooue the harts of men breaking cleauing and pearsing them thorough if they were not harder then stones and rocks and more senselesse then the waters For this cause the Lord saith by Esaie Isay 66. And to whome shall I haue respect but to him that is afflicted and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words And Ieremie shewing to the people of Israel the malice and rebellion which was in them Ierem. 5. against the Lord their God doth giue them the sea for a patterne and referreth them to learne to obey their creator after the example thereof Let vs learne then that the sea and other waters do not ouer-passe their bounds and limits but when it pleaseth God that they should ouerflow to chastice men by deluges and flouds as it oftentimes commeth to passe through his iust iudgement But it shal bee your office ACHITOB to speake of this point discoursing vpon the ebbing and flowing of the sea whereupon me thinkes the order of our speech doth require that wee should entreat Of the flowing and ebbing of the sea and of the power that the moone hath ouer it and ouer all other inferior bodies Chap. 58. AMANA IF wee do not refer all things to the heauenly disposition of him who hath framed and compassed all with his hand and doth gouerne all by his prudence and sustaineth all with his power it will be very difficult yea impossible for vs to declare the causes and reasons of his works in an humane discourse which are of such authority that they may put a good spirit out of all scruple and doubt Yea euen in the subiect which wee intend now to entreat of to wit the flowing and ebbing of the sea The searching out of which secret did so trouble a certaine great Philosopher some say Aristotle that beeing vpon the shore of Euboea now called Negropont onely to search out and to behold the naturall cause thereof and not beeing able to enforme himselfe sufficiently therein it did so vex him that chafing at nature himselfe and against the water he cast himselfe into the sea saying to it sith I cannot comprehend thee yet shalt thou haue the honor to comprehend mee and keepe mee within thy gulfs and indeed he was heere swallowed by the deepe And certes this ordinary ebbing and flowing of the ocean according to which it goeth commeth spreadeth it selfe abroade and then doth euery day retire without euer fayling in the order thereof must needes be a most wonderfull thing And that which is most admirable therein is that the flowing and ebbing thereof doe follow the course of the moone Of the ebbing and flowing of the sea To which planet likewise is attributed with most apparant reason the cause of this flowing and ebbing she beeing as the regent of the seas and waters by the appointment of the soueraigne creator as is seene by experience and by the agreeablenes of nature which they haue togither For wee must note that as the moone encreaseth or waineth so is it with the state of the flowing of the sea And therefore although that it happen diuersly yet the principall cause of the motion thereof resideth in his planet For betweene the two times that she riseth which is in fower and twenty howers wherein she compasseth the whole earth the sea doth twise flow doth as oftētimes ebbe And when the moone beginneth to mount in the east then doth the floud rise and the sea swell till such time as this planet doth attaine to our right meridian which is in the mid-heauen and that it begin to decline towardes the west at which time the water ebbeth Yet neuertheles all those six howers wherein the moone maketh hir course towards the line of mid-night opposite to our noone-line the floud returneth and increaseth till after it hath passed that line and then it doth ebbe againe till such time as the said regent thereof the moone returne againe aboue our horizon It is most certaine that the floud doth neuer returne iust at that very hower and instant wherein it flowed the day before But this doth proceede likewise from the course of the moone which seruing for these base and inferiour things and not rising euery day at one selfesame instant she doth draw the course of the sea with hir in such sort that the tide is more late and of shorter continuance at one time then at another and yet doth not the distance of time betweene the tides change one whit for it endureth six howers in ebbe and so long time in flowing But here we meane not all manner of howers as our common howers are according to the different situation of places but we meane equall and equinoctial howers by consideration whereof the ebbing and flowing of the sea will be found alwaies of like time as is abouesaide Moreouer from seuen daies to seuen daies the flowing is found different by the same power of the moone for it is but very small the first quarter thereof and till it be halfe round In the second quarter it alwaies encreaseth till full-moone at which time the sea is at hir greatest height From thence
forward the floud decreaseth so that the third quarter it is in the same state wherein it was the first quarter Neuerthelesse when the waining moone is halfe round the floud beginneth to rise But when she is in coniunction with the sunne the tide riseth as high as at full moone And when the moone is high and septentrionall the tide is not so vehement as when she is meridionall bicause that being then more neere to the earth she doth the more exercise hir power But many haue indeuoured in this matter to vnderstand Why the ocean doth differ in flowing from other seas why the flowings of the Ocean sea doe reach farther then those of the other Mediterranean seas wherein the ebbings and flowings doe not appeere as in the Ocean Which may be said to proceed because that a thing which is entire hath more power then any part which is separated Also the high sea retayneth in it selfe more of the power of the Moone which worketh vpon it at ease and pleasure beyond all comparison more forcibly then vpon other seas which are narrower and minister lesse meanes to this planet to exercise her rule therein From whence it commeth to passe that lakes and riuers do neuer flow And for the Mediterranean seas they are enclosed about with the earth as in an hauen though there bee some places or some armes of the same seas verie broad Some likewise are verie much subiect to the Moone as the Adriaticke gulfe wherein Venice is builded which ebbeth and floweth twise euerie day like the Ocean And it is to bee noted that such motions are better perceiued on the shore and sea-coasts then in the midst thereof euen as the pulse of the arteries is better knowne in the extremes of the bodie then in the bulk thereof Other causes of the flowing and ebbing of the sea Some also do render this cause of the flowing and ebbing of the sea to wit that though the waters thereof be salt yet were not this sufficient for their conseruation no more then of their neighbor the aire if they had not a continuall motion For we see that sea-sea-water doth presently corrupt beeing in a vessel and not mooued Many also haue noted that in euery reuolution or course of the moone the tyde resteth for three daies long to wit the 7. 8. and 9. day thereof and that when shee is at full all seas do purge themselues by scummes Certainely it is woondrous to see what power this planet hath not onely ouer the waters but also ouer the earth and ouer all liuing creatures Of the power of the moone ouer all creatures Which hath ministred occasion to many Philosophers to suppose that the moone was that quickning-spirit which nourisheth the earth and that also by hir inconstant course approching diuers waies to the inferior bodies shee produced diuers effects sometimes replenishing them and sometimes leauing them void empty Whereof it commeth that all fishes hauing scales and shels do encrease and decrease according to the course of the moone and that all liuing creatures also which haue bloud do feele themselues refreshed when shee renueth It is likewise supposed that the bloud augmenteth or diminisheth in man according as the moone encreaseth or waineth yea that herbes and trees do partake of hir power Aristotle also doth note that those creatures which are readie to die do die onely when the sea ebbeth But in this matter as in all things which do concerne the ebbing and flowing of the Ocean wee must euer haue recourse to the ordinance that the Eternall father of the vniuers hath established in all his creatures according to which they perseuer in obedience to their creator without transgressing one title of his lawes as wee haue a notable example in the sea and in the waters which containe themselues in such admirable sort as in our former speech is declared within their bounds and limits A maruailous inundation of waters in the yeere 1530. And if at any time they ouerflowe as whilome happened in Holland where the water brake through the dams and banks wherewith the countrie is bounded swallowing vp the coast-townes with an incredible losse of men and riches as also at the same time Tiber did so ouerflowe at Rome that it rose in the fields the height of a lance ruinating in fower and twenty howers many bridges and stately edifices the endommagement whereof comprising therein the mooueable goodes lost was esteemed to amount to the value of three millions of golde there being aboue three thousand persons choaked and drowned Such deluges I say doe not come to passe what natural causes soeuer the learned force themselues to render without the expresse command and ordinance of God who will after this sort vse the water to take vengeance vpon those whom he pleaseth to wash from off the face of the earth as being vnwoorthie to dwell longer thereupon And so he himselfe hath prophesied vnto vs saying Luke 21. There shall bee signes in the sunne and in the moone and in the starres and vpon the earth trouble among the nations with perplexitie the sea and waters shall roare Adding afterwards For the powers of heauen shall be shaken Moreouer we may say that although the celestiall bodies haue no more life sense and vnderstanding then the earth and the sea yet neuertheles they haue as it were a secret feeling by nature of the maiestie of God their creator who causeth them to rise vp against men for their rebellion and wickednes Surely when we see them rise and stand vp against men to worke them euill in stead of doing them good contrarie to the end of their first creation we must consider of them as if they enuied and denied to serue men any more which turne disloyall ingratefull and peruerse towards him from whom their totall good proceedeth As the sunne did witnes when it waxed darke at the death of our Redeemer depriuing those of his light which were risen vp against the eternal Sonne of God that had created them For it is certaine that the creatures do grone and trauell altogither as the scripture saith till such time as Iesus Christ shall come in iudgement Rom. 8. Acts. 3. which is the day of the restitution and restoring of all things foretold by the prophets And which day being neere it is no maruell if God doe daily shew his particular iudgements vpon men to put them in minde of this generall and vniuersall iudgement whereto heauen earth the sea and all creatures shall come togither and therefore also he giueth them so many signes of his wrath by thunders tempests deluges and inundations of water as we haue made mention But let vs proceed to contemplate his other works and great woonders which abound euery where both in the earth and in the sea in other terrestriall waters by which very many commodities do redound to men thorough the prouidence of God And first we will speake of the
diuersitie of waters Which ARAM I would haue you to discourse of Of salt fresh and warme waters and of other diuersities in them Chapter 59. ARAM. ACcording to the nature of the most woonderfull workes of God in all that which he hath created the maruels are innumerable which may be considered in the sea and in all the waters which proceede out of it and returne into it without any increasing or diminishing in it selfe as we haue already heard And if there were no other thing but that the waters of the sea are alwaies salt and other waters are for the most part fresh would not that be sufficient to teach vs to acknowledge the great power wisedome and bountie of the creator and how puissant he is in all his workes For though that all waters are of one nature as making vp one onely element yet doth he make them of diuers qualities according as he knoweth how to purifie distill and purge or else to mingle and mix them Of the diuers qualities of water and of the prouidence of God therein with his other creatures Whereupon it falleth out that wee haue not onely salt waters in the sea but that there are some found also in fountaines yea oftentimes very neere to other springs of fresh water Wherein the prouidence of God declareth it selfe to bee verie great For if all waters were salt men and beasts could not liue nor the earth fructifie and nourish the fruits thereof because that liuing creatures cannot want fresh water whether it be for their drinke or for their other necessary commodities neither is salt water fit to water the earth considering that salt makes it barren On the other side if all waters were fresh where might men finde salt enough to suffice them for the necessarie commodities of their life For although that there bee some salt-mines and some salt-ground as appeareth by the salt waters of fountaines which passe through such grounds yet the best meanes to haue good salt and in abundance is by the waters and chiefly by sea water What may we say also of so many sorts of water whereof some participate with Sulphure some with allom others with iron or brasse or with other mettals or minerals which do heat some of them in such sort as men make naturall bathes of them hauing diuers vertues and powers which serue for medicines in many kindes of diseases Why the sea-water is salt Now the Philosophers doe much straine themselues to declare the causes of so many maruellous effects For some say that the sunne which is the greatest of all planets drying vp by his heat the moisture of the water and burning and sucking vp all the humiditie of the earth doth by this decoction cause the sea to become salt because the force of the solarie fire doth attract vnto it the most fresh and subtile part of the water making the more heauie and thicke part that remaineth to be salter and of more substance whereof it commeth that the water towards the sea bottome is fresher then that which is aboue Others alleage three efficients which both cause and continue the saltnes to wit the heat of the sunne for the foresaid reasons and also because it maketh the water to putrifie then the continuall agitation thereof by flowing and ebbing which causeth that the sea neither resteth nor runneth a direct course and thirdly the ordinarie receiuing of raine For they say that when salt resteth in the water it descendeth downewards by reason of the waight thereof and when the water runneth it is purified by the earth and that all raine-water because it is heated by the sunne and doth putrifie through tardation and slownes is somewhat brackish But they are much more troubled when they entreat of fountaines For some say that the sea yeeldeth none but salt-waters as is seene by many waters neere it And that those which are fresh become so by a long and vehement course Others maintaine that they be engendred by the aire Now experience manifesteth that their saltnes is diminished by the length and continuance of the course of the water For the farther that wels are from the sea the more fresh they are because the water doth more purge it selfe by the earth ouer which it trauerseth leauing a part of the force thereof and sometimes all of it in the slime and in the sand And here we may note that waters Of fountaines and wels and why the water of them seemeth hotter in winter then in summer especially well waters which doe all come from some springs doe seeme to be hotter in winter then in sommer although they doe neuer chaunge their nature for this proceedeth of the aire which is cold in winter and hot in sommer Through the opposition then of these things one selfe same water seemeth to receiue diuers qualities euen as we see that according to the disposition of our bodie the qualitie of the aire which enuironeth vs is esteemed For when we are hot we do suppose that which we touch to be cold and when we be cold we esteeme that which we touch to be otherwise Wherefore we must iudge euen so of the inner parts of the earth esteeming them to be simply neither hotter nor colder in one season more then in another but onely in respect of the aire Indeed water doth waxe a little warme when through the coldnes of the aire the heat is constrained to retire it selfe downeward in such sort as it cannot issue nor spred it selfe vpon the earth and therefore the snow which doth not ly long vpon it doth commonly make it more fertile for it retayneth the heat in the bowels thereof Moreouer the vppermost part of the earth which the water may come to is of a clammie slime of the nature of brimstone or of salt or of mettall which also causeth that the exhalations enclosed in this part doe heat the water And therefore such waters are either odoriferous or of a bad smell or without any sauour of which qualities one may easily iudge by the smell and taste For some waters sauour not onely of lime or of salt but they doe also boile as in the bathes neere to Padua Why some waters do boile yea such waters are verie ordinarie so that there are few regions but haue some of them But they are most common in Germanie and in Italy And the cause that they so boyle is either fire or putrefaction or else naturall or celestiall heat But for the celestiall heat it seemeth that it cannot be so great especially in winter and in the night time that it should heat the water verie much And for naturall heat it is neuer actuall but in liuing creatures because they haue life and sense Neither is putrified heat so powerfull that it can make water to boile neither is it verie likely that the substance of any thing may be engendred and corrupted at one instant It resteth then that the cause should rather be in
the fire considering also that heat hath but little motion except it attaine to the height thereof whereas otherwise it doth quench it selfe And therefore it is that matter which burneth vnder the earth that ministreth this puissant heat which doth so warme the water And wee may moreouer note that all those waters which boyle so are naturally light and haue some medicinable facultie and propertie And yet they are not to be so much accounted of as that which is fit for common vsage in mens affaires to preserue health What water is best For good water hath neither colour smel nor sauour and is passing cleere and being drunke it abideth not long in the belly such they say is the water of the riuer Euleus which falleth from the mountaine Zager by Susiana whereof the kings of Persia did make prouision in their expeditions and warlike voyages For to the preseruation of health water is no lesse to bee carefully chosen Diuers causes of cold waters and their tasts colours and smelles then aire Now as warme waters are famous for the reasons heretofore deliuered so there are some waters also verie much admired for their great coldnes whereof snowe marble mettals cold aire sudden motion and the great fall from aloft euerie one in his degree may be the cause Againe the sauours or tastes of waters are verie diuers and the principal cause thereof is heat For sodden earth which is of sundry sorts giueth a tast to water according to the quality thereof And the like reason is concerning colours for fine thin clay doth cause the colour of waters but thick clay tarrieth not in water and therefore dieth it not The same cause is also in the difference of smels And alwaies waters that are of a good smel are profitable for creatures but stinking waters cause diseases for as Philosophers say contrarie causes appertaine to contrarie things Good water likewise is lightest as that which fleeteth aboue other water be it in riuers springs or wels From whence it commeth that fresh water floateth vpon sea water which likewise being more massiue and waightie beareth more heauie burdens And amongst fresh waters the water of Rhodanus or Rosne in France swimmeth vpon that of the lake of Geneua passing ouer the midst thereof Also many rare properties and great woonders are written concerning waters with the causes of them as that Of a floud which ran not on the sabboth day which is reported by Iosephus of a certaine floud in Iudea neere Syria which ranne euery day except vpon the Sabbaoth day which was reputed a matter religious and as a myracle although that this might happen and come to passe through a naturall cause if we will so argue to wit that no more water was gathered into this floud by orderly spaces then was sufficient to runne for sixe daies and not for the seuenth in such sort as Phisitions render a like cause concerning the renewings or fits and ceasings of feauers For the world is the great man as man is the little worlde But not stretching this discourse any farther we will onelie note for conclusion thereof that in the diuersitie of the kindes of waters that which is gathered togither in one place is salt Of the diuers appellations of waters is called the sea the fresh water so gathered togither is called a lake if it mooue not at all it is named a marish or fen but if it be somewhat deepe it is a standing poole and if it runne then is it a riuer if it gather through raines or by snowe then is it a torrent or raine-floud and if it spring it is a fountaine which is euer the best water and doth slowliest putrifie For it is least moist and is most concocted by the heauenly heate Also the lightest water doth hardliest corrupt for which cause it is most fit for the maintenance of mans life as approching neerest to the substance of the aire by which we breath We haue said enough then concerning this matter But me thinketh that our succeeding discourse requireth that we should entreate of those commodities which men receiue by waters through nauigation which ACHITOB shall be the subiect of your discourse Of the commodities which men reape of the waters by nauigation and of the directions which sea-men receiue from heauen and from the starres vpon the sea Chap. 60. ACHITOB AMongst such things as are woorthie of consideration in the sea and in other waters we must not passe ouer in silence those goodly commodities and great profits which they bring vnto men by the meanes of nauigations and of the dealings and trafficks which they exercise by them For it is to be noted that euery land and countrey cānot be furnished with al commodities bicause God hath so disposed therof that some abound in those things which othersome do greatly want stand in need of But by meanes of sayling by water all that which can be required may be transported from one countrey to another with very small trouble charges so that one nation may communicate those commodities with another which the creator hath particularly bestowed on them all each granting mutuall helpe to the other by this meanes Wherin surely we may acknowledge the prouidence of God to be verie great manifold Of the prouidence of God in distribution of his gifts For first the Lord hath disposed of his creatures and distributed his treasures according to the diuersity of landes and countries euen in such manner as he diuideth his gifts and graces amongst men For he bestoweth not all either vpon one or vpon two or vpon three or vpon any other certaine number of them And therefore there neuer hath beene nor shall be any one which either could or may surpasse all others so much that hee may haue no need of another or that hath sufficient for himselfe For if one man possessed all he would thinke himselfe to be no more a man but a God rather and would therefore contemne all others Moreouer it is most certaine that if euery one were so well furnished with all things that they might all surpasse one another there would be no humane societie For one would make no account of another but being all puffed vp with pride whereto they are naturally enclined there woulde arise a thousand quarrels and dissensions amongst them as wee ordinarily see to happen amongst the proud mightie puissant and rich For seeing that charitie which should dwell amongst men can take no place how could they be vnited and allied togither in amitie if they were not constrained therto through necessitie and if it be a difficult matter to conioine and maintaine them in peace and mutuall good will what neede soeuer they haue one of another one may easilie iudge what woulde ensue if they had not necessitie for their mistresse to this effect which causeth them to do in spight of al their abilities that which she cannot obtaine of them
not attribute either to the prudence and wisedome of any one or yet to the force and power or to the weapons or armies of men the changes which we daily see in the state of the most mighty but to the onely ordinance and disposition of God by which such alterations come to passe according as the soueraigne iudge knoweth to bee expedient and iust for the chastisement and punishing of men by one another or else to shew himselfe benigne and fauorable towards them For which cause the scripture saith that the Lord vsing as his instrument Senacherib the tyrant of Assyria to chastise many people and nations Isay 10. he calleth him the rodde and scourge of his wrath and doth greatly reprehend him by Isay for that he attributed to himselfe the glory of those victories which he had giuen him not bicause of his vertues considering he was a fierce and cruell king but bicause God woulde vse him against those who deserued to be chastised by the hands of such a tyrant and murtherer If then we consider as behooueth vs vpon that which we haue here summarily touched we shall finde therein excellent doctrine for all kings princes and people and for all men as well in generall as in particular to the end to induce them That euery one must containe himselfe within the limits of his habitation that they may containe themselues within the inclosure of those confines wherein God hath placed them For as he is cursed in the lawe which passeth the bounds of his neighbors possession so must we not doubt but that they are subiect to the same curse who cannot containe themselues within the bounds of those countries Deut. 27. in which God hath confined them bestowing vpon them power signories and habitation therein For from whence proceede the greatest dissensions and cruellest wars but from the ambition and auarice of men which will one vsurpe aboue another that which appertaineth not vnto them and by such meanes doe out-passe their limits whereas if euery one would content himselfe with that part and portion of land which the creator thereof hath bestowed vpon him who doubteth but that men should liue in much more peace As then God through his prouidence would constraine them by necessitie and neede which they haue one of another to trafficke and communicate togither in libertie and mutuall securitie by that meanes to receiue out of one countrie into another those things which faile therein and abound elsewhere and for the causes by vs heretofore deliuered so it hath pleased him to set mightie and strong bounds and limits against their ambition and auarice especially of kings princes and great men For we see how he hath diuided and separated one countrie from another and the diuers regions and kingdomes of the earth not onely by meanes of seas lakes and great riuers but also by craggie high and vnpassable mountaines which as the kingly prophet witnesseth he hath established by his power Psal 65. that by this meanes men might be cōfined within the bounds of the habitation assigned by the Eternall to euery people in such sort as he hath inclosed the waters within their places to the course which he hath ordained them Against the ambition and auarice of men hauing bounded them with hils and rocks And yet there are no boundes so difficult to passe which may bridle and restraine the ambition and insatiable desire of men within any limits but that they will passe ouer the deepest the longest the amplest and broadest waters and the highest and steepest mountaines in the world so that there are no places so inaccessible through which they will not cut a passage one to ouer-run another by great outrage and violence Wherein surely they euidently declare that they are much more furious then the sea how outragious and rough soeuer it bee seeing they can in no wise containe themselues within their limits as the waters doe which also maketh them more vnreasonable then brute beasts For although there be many vnruly and furious horses in one stable yet each of them will commonly bee staied with an halter made but of a little coard or leather and will be kept by a little bar of wood from striking running ouer one another so that one onely stable will serue them all But men doe to the contrarie shew themselues to be such furious and contentious beastes that the whole world cannot suffice them For there is neither riuer sea lake nor mountaine which can be a barre sufficient to withhold them from forcing and rauaging one another destroying themselues by horrible massacres and cruell warres Which no doubt commeth vnto them especially through want of acknowledging and considering vpon the prouidence of God by which he hath appointed bounds to their habitation ambition and auarice as we haue said and for that they will not containe themselues within them obeying the ordinance of their creator But we haue said ynough concerning this subiect Let vs now discourse vpon those commodities which come to men and to all creatures by the course of the waters thorough the earth Which AMANA shall be the substance of your speech Of the commodities which are incident to men and to all creatures by the course of the waters through the earth Chap. 62. AMANA IF men doe but slenderly acknowledge the prouidence of God in the limits of their habitation which hee hath appointed as well by meanes of mountaines as by waters as we haue heard in the precedent speech they doe also make but small stay in the consideration of those great commodities which he giueth and sendeth continually to them by means of them of al the earth For as he watereth this fruitfull mother by dew raine from heauen as hath beene heretofore expressed so doth he moisten it by meanes of fountaines floods and riuers which doe run through it Whereupon we must note that the life of all corporall creatures doth principally consist in heate and that this heate cannot be preserued and maintained without moisture whereby it is nourished euen as the flame of the snuffe or match of a candle or lampe is nourished and maintained by the fat and humor which is therein Therefore as God hath placed the sunne in heauen like a great fountaine of heate and a great furnace of fire for to be distributed and disposed into all partes of the world so hath hee established the sea here belowe in the earth as a great and perpetuall fountaine conuenient for the nourishment and conseruation of this heate which is communicated to the earth and to all the creatures that are therein And therefore also this sea spreadeth it selfe into diuers places by the meanes which haue beene declared so that the courses of the waters in the earth are like the vaines in a mans bodie Goodly similitudes of the course of the waters and of the vaines which are in the body For euen as the soueraigne Creator hath placed
which is of a very strange forme There are found of them in the coast of India so great Of Tortoises that one shell onely is sufficient to couer a good pretie shed And in the countrie of the Chelonophagi there are some isles where they ordinarily vse tortoise shels in stead of boates For we must note that there be three sorts of Tortoises the terrestriall which breedeth in forrests marish ones which breed in fens and watry ones which breed in the sea Those then of this last sort haue insteed of feete so many broad gristles they haue no teeth but the nibbe of their beake is passing sharpe and their vnderchappe doth close as iustly within their vpper chap as a boxe doth with the lidde of it Being in the sea they liue vpon shell fishes for their mouth is so strong and hard that they crush them yea euen stones in peeces yet when they come on land they neuer liue but vpon herbes They lay egges like birds so that sometimes one may finde an hundred togither And they neuer hatch them in the water but putting them into an hole which they make in the ground and couering them well they smooth with their shels vnderneath the place wherein they are and hatch in the night time for a whole yeere long Also amongst the fishes which are famous for their strange operatiue power is the Torpedo or crampfish Of the cramp-fish which is a kind of hedgehogge hath many bristles the touch of whom be nummeth the fishers hands by some naturall and secret vertue And there be many kindes of these fishes who haue all of them their shell couered with bristles very thicke which bristles they vse in stead of feete to staie themselues vpon when they mooue and stirre from one place to another Their head and mouth is the lowest part of them and towards the ground And amongst the rest there is one not of the kinde of this bristled crampfish but a shell fish which the Latins call Remora because it hath such power that if it take hold of the bottome of ships it staieth them Yet we cannot read that any such thing hath beene seene since the time of Caius Caligula the emperor whom Historiographers report to haue beene one time staied in his ship by this fish to his great endommagement Of the Triton But the most woonderfull of all fishes is the Triton otherwise called the sea Bugge for hee hath haire vpon his head the nose of a man a broad mouth and the teeth of a wilde beast His hands fingers and nailes are somewhat like those of a man And the rest of his bodie is couered with a thinne shell with a taile vnder his belly in stead of feete like a dolphin Hist nat lib. 9. Pliny reporteth that in the time of the emperor Tyberius the people of Lisbone sent embassadors onely to aduertise him that in the coast of their sea there was a Triton discouered blowing of an horne in a caue Of the Nereides The Nereides also otherwise called Sirens or Mermaides do very neere approch to humane forme sauing that they bee rough and ful of shels in euery part of their body There are some also who testifie that they haue seene a sea-man hauing the entire forme of a man Finally it is a thing that seemeth altogither incredible that the diuersitie of fishes or rather sea-monsters should be such as they affirme who haue written thereof But we may well beleeue that the facilitie of generation and of life in the waters Of the cause of innumerable formes of fishes is cause of so many strange shapes For heate and moisture consist togither in generation and nourishment maintaineth life and in the sea heate and fatte moisture and nutriment do abound It is also to be noted that by reason of motion the pestilence neuer commeth into the water as into the aire for the sea is euer mooued and the aire is often still For which cause all kindes of creatures may easily be preserued in the sea but not so in the aire Againe fishes mooue themselues in the sea easily and without labour which the beasts of the earth do not who therefore are constrained to be hungrie or necessarily to be consumed by too much labour and trauaile Moreouer the sea freezeth not neither yet is too hot like the earth and like other waters except it be and that very seldome in the superficies thereof which is touched by the aire Therefore through so manie commodities and by the mixture of creatures of diuers kindes many monsters are engendred in the sea so that sometimes when it ariseth by meanes of the flowing thereof one may finde vpon the shore of the westerne Ocean to the number of three hundred kindes of monstrous fishes But although it seemeth that nature would expresse in fishes the formes of all terrestriall creatures put in them some resemblance of shape yet in the hinder part all fishes are except some fewe sea-monsters of a peculiar forme agreeable to their nature and do onely resemble other creatures in the forepart For as the rudder directeth and gouerneth a ship in the sterne so the taile of a fish doth guide it in swimming And for this cause the tailes of all fishes almost are forked But this is most certaine that their sorts and kinds surmount the kindes of other creatures in multitude in greatnes in force and in varietie of shapes But our intent is not heere to number them as we haue said for so we should finde matter enough to make a great volume as others haue done Wherefore to finish this argument and this daies speech see ACHITOB if by our discourses of the sea of the waters and of the liuing creatures which are engendred do liue in them you can deliuer any instruction which may be answerable to that end for which we especially continue our treatise concerning this great vniuers Of the image that we haue of the state of this world and of men in the sea and in the fishes thereof Chap. 64. ACHITOB LEt vs not doubt companions but that we haue a goodly image in this daies discourse of the state of this world and of all mans life For first That the world is like a sea what is this world but a sea wherein we nauigate and are in continuall danger Nay is the sea it selfe so variable so inconstant and so outragious For if we haue neuer so little respite peace and rest like as when the sea is calme and quiet presently there arise such violent whirlewindes stormes and furious tempests as it seemeth oftentimes that heauen earth and all the elements conspire and runne togither to worke nor ruine Yea when this wicked world sheweth vs fairest countenance becommeth most calme and gentle and that it feedeth vs with the fattest morsels then is it most false vnto vs and then are we in greatest danger For when we thinke our selues most sure therein then are
we sodainly tost and carried away as with violent waues and horrible whire-winds into the lowest gulfes and deepes of the earth Moreouer as the huge monsters of the sea and the greatest and strongest fishes do eate vp and deuoure the smallest and weakest and as the craftiest entrap the simplest and pray vpon them euen so is it with the men of this world For the mightiest tyrants and the richest strongest and greatest rouers theeues and robbers do pill and take away the substance of the least and feeblest and do consume and deuoure them And they which cannot doe so by force haue recourse to sleights deceits and treasons by which they surprise the simple and meeke And therefore also as the holy Ghost compareth in the Scripture tyrants Soph. 3. Dan. 7. Ezech. 22. Psal 74. Luk. 13. rouers theeues and murderers to woolues beares lyons and such like beasts and the craftie and deceitful to foxes dragons and serpents who do by subtiltie and guile that which they cannot performe by power and force so doth he compare them to huge whales and to the great fishes of the sea So because Nilus a renowned riuer whereof we haue alreadie spoken passeth through the land of Egypt and runneth into the sea by seuen mouthes or armes Isay calleth Pharaoh the king and tyrant of that countrey Isay 27. Leuiathan or Whale which God did strike with his strong hand and his mightie arme ouerwhelming him in the red sea It is also saide for the like consideration in the Psalmes Thou brakest the heads of dragons in the waters Psal 74. Thou brakest the head of Leuiathan in peeces and gauest him for meate to the people in the wildernes Abac. 1. And the prophet Abacuc doth likewise compare the king and tyrant of Babylon to a great fisher who casteth his nets into the sea and causeth the fishes to come into them and so he taketh them But heere we are to note that although there be some kinds of beasts who eate one another yet are they not all of this nature For there are but certaine of them that liue so vpon praie and rapine And amongst them that so liue there are but verie fewe that eate beastes of their owne kinde except great famine constraine them thereto Yea hunger doth inuite them that liue by pray to chase and deuour others rather then their owne kinde For it is necessitie and want of sustenance that driueth them thereto And though especially fishes do least spare their owne kinde yet doe they not eate one another except when hunger constraineth them thereto to preserue their life How men are more cruell then beasts But men most wretched surely haue not all these causes to mooue them against their own kind against their owne flesh and bloud as it is ordinarily seene that they are more cruelly and more fiercely bent one against another then any bruite beasts but contrariwise they shoulde be much better furnished in all their necessities and should liue much more at their ease if they could maintaine good peace and vnitie one with another Wherefore in that they do otherwise it is easie to iudge how much their nature is corrupted peruerse except they be regenerated by the spirite of God For there is no bond of nature whatsoeuer no not that which is kept amongst the brutest beasts as of the female towards her yoong ones or of the male towards the female and such like which men do not shamefully breake and violate But we must herein acknowledge a terrible iudgment furie of God against them bicause of their sin which hath so peruerted and infected the first original nature of the stock of mankinde For when he giueth strength and power to the one for to torment and destroy the other yea to most cruell tyrants and bloudie murtherers who make lesse account of men then of beasts we must learne this doctrine that herein the iust ordināce of the Almightie is very euident by which he punisheth the wicked by the wicked Good doctrine touching the tyrannie of the wicked taketh reuenge vpon his enimies euen by his enimies thēselues as he hath threatned them in his law And therefore there is lesse maruel herein then that God suffreth the small fishes to be eaten by great ones the weakest by the strongest and the simplest by the craftiest as also the gentlest birds by the cruellest and lambes sheepe and other priuate domesticall and harmelesse beasts by woolues beares lyons and other wilde beasts For it is very certaine that the beasts haue not offended their creator nor deserued his wrath through any sinne against him as men haue done who being created in his owne image are fallen from innocencie and holines through their own fault through the corruption of nature which the transgression of Gods ordinance hath brought vpon them And if we cannot make answere for the cause of this nature of vnreasonable creatures but onely that it hath so pleased God who is the master and lord of all these works and who hath prouided for them according to his good pleasure surely also when we can conceiue no other reason for the tyrannie and crueltie of men exercised one vpon another this same reason should then suffice vs. For the onely will of the eternall the which cannot be but iust and reasonable alwaies must euer serue for a reason when wee cannot vnderstand the causes as we would But as I saide euen now this reason manifesteth it selfe sufficiently in his iust iudgements vpon men bicause of their sinnes Now albeit wee holde this sufficiently good in regard of the wicked and of those who oppose themselues and rebell fiercely against the Almightie yet the consideration might seeme to vs to be otherwise in respect of the meeke and of those whome he holdeth not onely for his seruants but also for his beloued children who neuerthelesse are commonly a pray to the wicked as sheepe are to woolues I must indeed confesse that these iudgements of God seeme more strange to humane reason then the other do yet they are not so secret and mysticall but that he manifesteth causes enough not onely by his worde Notable things to be considered in the aduersities of the good but also by common experience For first how much goodnes holines and perfection soeuer can consist in any man yet neuertheles as concerning his flesh he walloweth altogither in sinne and very much naturall corruption in pride arrogancie rebellion and disobedience against God which haue great neede to bee better mortified humbled tamed and brought downe Againe how easie a matter is it for vs to forget our Creator and our owne selues and to abuse all the graces and benefits which we receiue continually at his hand Also seeing that he will be glorified and that his power shall be knowne in the faith constancie charitie and patience of his we should not thinke it strange that he puts them to triall exercising them by diuers
cosmographer saith Lib. 10. de cosm c. 4. if these shels or oisters haue no other substance within them but this pearle so conceiued of dew how doth the race of this shell-fish maintaine it selfe Moreouer in the west Indian seas where aboundance of these pearles are found it cannot bee seene how their generation may bee iudged by the cleere or obscure disposition of the weather for if that were so there is no doubt but that all the pearles which were found in one shell should be all of one manner whereas the contrary is seene that within one shell are found some darke pearles others drawing to a tawnie some pale some greenish and some againe blewish and very few there are which haue the perfection required in a faire pearle Thereupon he concludeth that this pearled fish maintaineth the kinde thereof by the egs which it breedeth and that the pearles come out of the sand and grauell wherein they breede and are hidden because that by little and little this grauell refineth it selfe and groweth into these shels or oisters till such time as it hath attained to an entire and perfect forme remaining still soft for so long time as the oister is within the water but beeing out it presently hardneth and becommeth such pearle as wee see But without much disputing hereupon euery man is of opinion that these pearles are bred in the shels of fishes And the experience hereof is not onely seene in the Indian sea but also in the British seas yea in all seas and fresh waters because that such oisters do swim aswell as fishes of which there haue beene some fished vp in the riuer Garonne But the industry of such as fish for them in the bottome of the sea is wonderfull for from thence they fetch their best mother of pearle which lie within and vpon rocks hidden in the waters They which are appointed to such fishing enter into boats and afterwards leauing some within to gouerne them and to help themselues also vp when they haue done their fishing they cast themselues into the water diuing downe to the bottome where they sometimes remaine for the space of halfe an hower and with nets catch these shels hauing taken some they returne againe to the top of the water and are receiued by those in the vessell where refreshing themselues with meat and drinke and hauing fitted on that which they put before their face which is as of little peeces of seare cloth very fine like a thinne bladder made that they may see cleerely through within the water they leap in fiue or six times a day These oisters are also found fastned vpon rocks which appeare aboue water from whence they are fetched with paine and beeing catched the pearles are straightwaies taken out which otherwise would consume and lose their fresh colour and in one shell there are sometimes thirty or forty small and meane ones but few great ones to wit one or two They were doubtlesse Pearles of great price woonderfull faire which were giuen to Ferdinand Magellano in a certaine Isle of the Moluccaes which were fower in number each one of the bignes of a pigeons egge esteemed to bee woorth fiue and twentie thousand crownes a peece But this was a very smal matter in comparison to the two Vnions of Cleopatra Queene of Egypt esteemed woorth fifteene hundred thousand crownes one whereof she dissolued in very strong vineger and dranke it vp at a banket because it might bee said that shee had surpassed in sumptuousnes of cost the feast which Anthonie had made hir Now for the vertues of pearles they are very good for passions and faintnes of hart and purge the bloud and beeing put into medicines they take away clowdes and dimnes from before the eies and drie vp the moisture that runnes from them Of corall Corall is likewise fished for in the sea and put into the number of stones although indeed it is a plant or shrubbe which being drawne out of the Mediterranean sea and feeling the aire doth waxe hard by the power thereof And there is found white red and blacke in one selfe same plant which groweth amongst stones and rocks in the bottome of the water but the best coral is the red if it be euenly congealed for the white is not so massiue nor heauie but is light rare and full of holes like a spunge When it is fished for it is all couered with mosse and hath no signe or apparition of rednes But being clensed it taketh colour and appeereth fairely polished now those graines of round corall which are put in bracelets and collers are not found so in the shrubbe but it consisteth of many little branches whereof these graines are made with a wheele and files and are afterwards polished with vermilion with a certaine earth which is brought frō Tripoly in Africa The properties which are attributed to coral are marueilous for some say that being hāged about the necke or taken in drinke it is good for them that haue the falling euill for bloodie flixes and loosenes of the belly to fasten the teeth to heale sorenes in the mouth to prouoke sleepe in such as haue feuers to diminish the spleene for those that vomite and spit bloud Auicen placeth it amongst those medicines that comfort the hart and Plinie saith that being burnt and puluerized and so drunke with water it is good for them that haue wringing in their belly and the stone in the bladder The ashes thereof also are put into medicines for the eies it thickneth refrigerateth and doth incarnate hollow vlcers and maketh skars smooth But amongst other properties this is most admirable and true that red corall which is pure and fulgent like the carbuncle being tyed about ones necke so that it touch the skinne when that person is sicke or shall be in short space after or hath drunke any venim which he yet feeleth not the corall doth wax pale and lose the splendor thereof which Cardanus hath often testified to haue prooued by experience I will hereto adde some short discourse concerning Chrystall Of chrystall because that as it is engendred in the veines of the earth of the same humour that the Diamond is which opened the entrance of this discourse concerning precious stones so now this speech of Chrystall may shut it vp againe Plinie and many others haue supposed that it was made of yce or snow in a word that it was water congealed through great cold But it appeereth that chrystall is engendred of some verie wel purified humour in that it is the cleerest of all stones Againe if the oldest yce in the world be put into an hot place it doth presently melt which chrystall doth not Moreouer it is most certaine that it is not found on the tops of mountaines where there is continuall snow and extreme coldnes but in quarries of marble and of other stones yea and in mines of diuers mettals This also is another reason that yce doth alwaies
chap. 15 Page 74 Of diuels and euill spirits chap. 16 The third daies worke Page 80 OF the celestiall or sphericall world chap. 17 Page 86 Of the forme and figure of heauen and of the motion thereof as well generall as particular chap. 18 Page 91 Of the circles ingenerall and particularly of the Equinoctiall and Zodiake and of their signes chap. 19 Page 95 Of the two great circles named Colures and of the fower lesse circles and parallels and of the fiue Zones of the world and immooueable circles chap. 20 Page 101 Of the hower-circles and what is done by them in sunne-dials and of the circles which diuide the 12. houses of heauen chap. 21 Page 106 Of the ascensions and descensions of the stars and of the signes and other arkes of the Zodiake and of the orientall and occidentall latitude of the sun or degrees of the zodiacke chap. 22 Page 109 Of the naturall and artificiall daies and of the nights of their diuersitie and cause chap. 23 Page 112 Of equall and vnequall temporall and artificiall howers of the heights of the sunne aboue the Horizon and of his right and reuerse shadowes chap. 24 The fourth daies worke Page 117 OF the substance and nature of heauen and of the celestiall bodies of their continuance change cha 25 Page 121 Of motions ingenerall of their first cause and of their vnion in all nature chap. 26 Page 125 Of the life reason and vnderstanding of the celestiall bodies and of the excellent politicall and militarie order which is amongst them chap. 27 Page 130 Of the influence and effects of the planets and starres in things here below either to good or euill chap. 28 Page 135 Of the truth which is found in prognostications of Astrologers and how the starres are appointed by God for signes and that from their influences no euill proceedeth chap. 29 Page 140 Of the planet Saturne and how it is not euill nor anie other starre chap. 30 Page 144 Of the planets ingenerall and how they worke in man not in constraining but disposing chap. 31 Page 148 Of the true Astronomie which the heauens doe teach vs and especially the sunne in his admirable effects chap. 32 The fift daies worke Page 152 OF the rising and setting of the sunne and of the prouidence of God which shineth in the commodities of daie and night chap. 33 Page 157 Of the second course and motion of the sunne and moone for the distinction of yeeres moneths and seasons and of the prouidence of God in these things chap. 34 Page 161 Of the image of God and of his light which is proposed vnto vs in the sunne with the felicitie of mans life in changing of light and darkenes chap. 35 Page 166 Of the eclipses of the sunne and moone and of the image which we haue therein of the constancie which is in God and of the inconstancie of men and of humane things chap. 36 Page 171 Of the beginning of naturall and corruptible things chap. 37 Page 176 Of the elements and of things to be considered in them in that they are distinguished by the number of fower chap. 38 Page 180 Of the opinion of those who admit but three elements not acknowledging the elementarie fire chap. 39 Page 185 Of the perfect compositions which are in the nature of all things by which the fower elements may be considered chap 40 The sixt daies worke Page 189 OF the agreement betwixt the elements and planets chapter 41 Page 195 Of the fire and of the aire and of the things engendred in them and of their motions and of the windes cha 42 Page 199 Of thunder and lightning chap. 43 Page 203 Of the true Meteors of Christians and of the supernaturall causes of thunder and lightning chap. 44 Page 208 Of snowes mists frosts frosts yce and haile chap. 45 Page 212 Of comets chap. 46 Page 216 Of cloudes and vapours chap. 47 Page 221 Of the waters sustayned and hanged in the aire and of the rainebow chap. 48 The seuenth daies worke Page 226 OF dewes and raine chap. 49 Page 230 Of the fertilitie caused by dewes and raine and of the prouidence of God therein chap. 50 Page 234 Of the windes and of their kindes and names and of the testimonies which we haue in them of the power and maiestie of God chapter 51 Page 239 Of the fowles of the aire and namely of the Manucodiata of the Eagle of the Phenix and of other wilde fowle chap. 52 Page 243 Of singing birdes and chiefly of the Nightingale and of sundrie others and of their wit and industrie chap. 53 Page 247 Of the Estridge of the Peacocke of the Cocke and of other fowles chap. 54 Page 251 Of the earth and of the situation immobilitie figure and qualitie thereof chap. 55 Page 255 Of earth-quakes chap. 56 The eight daies worke Page 261 OF the sea and of the waters and of the diuision and distribution of them throughout the earth chap. 57 Page 265 Of the flowing and ebbing of the sea and of the power that the moone hath ouer it and ouer all other inferior bodies chap. 58 Page 269 Of salt fresh and warme waters and of other diuersities in them chapter 59 Page 274 Of the commodities which men reape of the waters by Nauigation and of the directions which sea-men doe receiue from heauen and from the starres vpon the sea chap. 60 Page 278 Of the diuision of lands and countries amongst men by the waters and of the limits which are appointed them for the bounds of their habitation chap. 61 Page 283 Of the commodities which are incident to men and to all creatures by the course of the waters thorough the earth chap. 62 Page 287 Of diuers kindes of fishes namely of the whale of the dolphin of the sea-calfe and others chap. 63 Page 291 Of the image that we haue of the state of this world and of men in the sea and in the fishes thereof chap. 64 The ninth daies worke Page 295 OF fruits and of the fertilitie of the earth and the causes thereof and of herbes trees and plants chap. 65 Page 299 Of the vertue that herbes and other fruits of the earth haue in phisick and in food and of the true vse of them chap. 66 Page 304 Of the diuersitie of plants and of their difference and naturall growth and of their parts of the most excellent amongst them chapter 67 Page 308 Of trees and especiallie of the pine the fir-tree the cypress tree and the cedar chap. 68 Page 313 Of trees bearing cinnamom cassia franckincense mirrh and cloues chap. 69 Page 318 Of trees and plants that beare nutmegs ginger and pepper chapter 70 Page 321 Of the date-tree of the Baratha or tree of India of the Gehuph and of brasill chap. 71 Page 326 Of the citron-tree limon-tree orange-tree oliue-tree and pomegranate-tree chap. 72 The tenth daies worke Page 331 OF mallowes wilde-mallowes purple-violets betonie ceterach and Saint Iohns-wort
Would they not grant me this that by a certaine order the matter was before the forme and yet preceded it not in time So is it that God was before the world by a certaine order of eternitie What they farther inferre That the instant is the end of time past and the beginning of time to come Of the point as instant We answere them that as the point is to things continued so is the instant to things succeeding Now the point is sometime the extreme of one part of a line and the beginning of another part and sometimes also it is the beginning of the whole line and not the end of any part precedent So the instant and moment wherein the world had being was the beginning of the time to ensue and not the end of any past They adde another argument against this doctrine That say they which passeth on hath something both before and after it But I le proceede farther and grant them more to wit that all that which passeth on returneth to the same point from whence it began to passe For the water returneth to the sea from whence it had an originall The bodie returneth to the earth from whence it was borrowed The soule Al things returne to God and other intellectuall things created of God I except that which the Scripture teacheth vs of the reprobate returne to himselfe of whom they were engendred And all essences produced from the diuine thought make a full circle beginning in God and finishing in God himselfe So must time returne into the same eternitie whereout it proceeded and which shall remaine this same ceasing in such sort as it consisted before it And therefore we answere those who demaund how the creator coulde precede the fabrication of the world that hee proceeded it by an eternall enduring Wherefore they conclude iust nothing against the Creation of that which then was and is after the generation of things Others which reason vpon the point which we haue deliuered concerning the opinion of Auerrois that the world is not corruptible therefore not engendred argue thus That which is dissolued into another thing is diuided but considering that beside the world there is nothing into which it can be dissolued it must therefore endure euerlastingly To which we may answere them How the world is dissolued that the world is dissolued according to his parts to the ende that it may remaine in a better estate But now we dispute not of the dissolution but onely of the originall thereof And it may seeme nothing contrarie to Christian religion that the worke of God may alwaies haue a being but farre otherwise then as we see it and which shall be then when we most blessed shall inhabite the new heauens and new earth in life euerlasting And herein doe we concurre with sundrie great Philosophers who esteeme that it is ill done to suppose that those things which immediately proceed from the blessed God can perish And therefore we affirme that the soule is immortall because it was produced and inspired by God and that the bodie it selfe shall obtaine eternitie when afterwards in the resurrection it shall be reuested with the nature of the soule which subiect we haue amply discoursed vpon in the second part of our Academie But it is ill-concluded to take away all beginning from things by reason of the perpetuall enduring of the same The opinion of diuers is that the celestiall spirits mooâ—e the spheres For as we haue declared it were to argue by naturall generations of the diuine masterpeece of worke which surpasseth all sensible consideration And sith we are in this talke of the enduring of the world we may further note that those who haue thereupon imagined to take away the originall thereof haue taught that the spirits moouing the spheres should obtaine felicitie in the eternall recourse of the heauens which point Aristotle enforceth himselfe to demonstrate in his most loftie part of Philosophie where repeating diuers considerations more loftie then in any other place he sharply contendeth for this eternitie of the world And Iohn Lescot seemeth to graunt him more then he requireth when he saith that the spirits are blessed not only moouing the spheres but for so much as by such reuolution seruing God they communicate perfection to things here beneath To which agreeth that which Plotin entreating of heauen and of the soule of the world saith It is an absurd thing and discordant to suppose that that soule which did for a time containe the heauen should not alwaies do the same as if by violence it had contained it And thereupon he coÌ„cludeth that the world should endure for euer because the principall part of the soule thereof cannot be dissolued nor the nature thereof empaire Aristotle also amongst his other considerations inserteth this That the prince of this worldly palace being eternall not receiuing any vicissitude or chaunging it is most likely that his palace should also be eternall and that his ministers or celestiall spirits being altogither addicted to perpetuall motion should neuer take rest But that we may vntie this knot we will say that it is an error of comparison to argue of that which hath his beginning immediately from God in respect of the creator and of that which is here below in regard of things aboue and of the immediate ende of euerie thing in comparison of his last ende For the immediate end of vnreasonable creatures is to liue Of the sundrie ends of all thingâ— and feede themselues but their finall ende is to serue mans vse which according to the minde of sundrie wisemen is the ende of all things here below And the immediate ende of man is to gouerne his house and family or the common-wealth to contemplate trafficke and such like businesses but his latest ende is to attaine to God or to felicitie be it as one would say through a Stoicall vertue or by a Peripateticke contemplation or by Academicke purifying or which is most certaine true through faith and grace according as our religion doth import And also wee affirme that the immediate ende of the spirits separated from God and of the corruptible matter is to gouerne the heauens and men and such other things as haue beene committed to their charge But their last ende is their onely contemplation of that first essence from which they deriue their felicitie as Aristotle himselfe testifieth in his Ethickes Suppose then that they cease to mooue from their immediate end yet shall they neuer cease to be blessed no more then man shall be lesse happie when he shall cease to gouerne the common-wealth or to performe his other temporall businesses And certainely it is maruellous that any can thinke that the Angels and celestiall spirits should obtaine their happines by moouing the heauens continually about seeing that all moouings as the Philosophers teach do tend to a resting But none can say that the spirits shall not cease
propertie of things correspondent with their said effects Of the names of the twelue signes and the causes thereof The first signe is nominated Aries bicause that the Sunne then beginneth to approch to the highest point and the heate thereof doth increase which mixing with the humiditie that the precedent winter had brought in maketh the temperature of the aire hot and moist which agreeth with the nature of a ram The second signe is called Taurus bicause that when the sunne is therein the heate fortifieth it selfe and consumeth the moisture so that the temperature of the aire tendeth somewhat to drinesse which seemeth very answerable to the nature of the bull which is of greater power then that of sheepe The third signe is named Gemini bicause the Sunne being therein hath his heat redoubled and amongst all kindes of beastes the males and females haue naturall copulation two and two togither to ingender one like themselues and to continue their kinde The fourth signe is said to be Cancer for euen as the crab goeth backward so the sunne entring into this signe retireth backe towardes the Equinoctiall from whence he came making his declinations contrarie to those of Gemini The fift signe is called Leo bicause the sunne being therein by the redoubling of his beames the heate is strong and drinesse great euen as the lion is a puissant beast of hot and drie nature The sixt signe is named Virgo for as the virgine is a weake creature and of her selfe barren so the sunne being in this signe the heate diminisheth and drinesse ruleth whereby the production of things ceaseth and the earth becommeth barren The seuenth signe hath to name Libra bicause the disposition of the aire is then in ballance betweene the wasted heate and new-begun coldnes and bicause also the sunne being in this signe the daies and nights are in ballance betweene the decreasing of the one and increasing of the other The eight is called Scorpio bicause that then the colde ruling with drinesse are great enimies to nature and doe corrupt the aire which hath the proper qualitie of hot and moist whereupon ensue plagues and other dangerous diseases which surprise the creature like the venome of a scorpion which lies in his taile and is engendred of corruption The ninth signe is named Sagittarius for the sunne being in it the too much weakened heate is surmounted by cold whereupon there ensue fogs and frosts and other alterations of the aire as hurtfull to creatures as enuenomed arrowes The tenth signe is nominated Capricornus bicause that the sunne entring thereinto is the farthest that all the yeere it can be from the verticall point so that by rigour of the colde mixed with drinesse which hath then full domination as also by reason of the debilitie of heate the disposition of the aire is melancholie retaining the nature of a goate The eleuenth signe is signified by Aquarius bicause then the drinesse is surmounted by the moisture now beginning the cold neuerthelesse remaining wherefore the aire is cold and moist like water and disposed to snowes and raine The twelfth and last signe is Pisces bicause as fishes are colde and moist following naturally the water hauing yet some little naturall heate euen so is the temperature of the aire then cold and moist hauing yet some heate growing by the approch of the sunne to the vernall Equinoctiall point so that the cold diminisheth And thus much concerning the signes of the Zodiacke and the names to them ascribed for which cause the fixed starres which are in this circle and comprised within the said signes both of the one side and on the other haue been painted according to the fashion of the saide beasts and their influence iudged from the causes by vs here declared and not that the said signes haue taken their names of the nature and disposition of the said starres And by this consideration of the propertie of each signe in the Zodiacke we learne that by the introduction of one qualitie ensueth the expulsion of the contrarie and by the augmentation of the one the decrease of the other Which must onely be vnderstood concerning the qualities happening in the aire by the radiation of the sunne onely being strong meane and weake and the disposition of inferiour things without comprising therein the other constellations and aspects of the planets changing greatly altering the said disposition of the aire neither doe we touch the opinions of professors of iudiciall Astrologie who for other reasons and principles of the said arte attribute to the same signes other qualities then those that we haue expressed But from them wee may extract fower triplicities which make the twelue signes correspond with the fower elements to wit Gemini Cancer Leo with the fire Pisces Aries and Taurus with the aire Sagittarius Capricornus Aquarius with water and Virgo Libra and Scorpio with earth Now must we pursue our purpose concerning the circles of the sphere as well great as small mooueable as immooueable the treatise whereof ACHITOB I referre to you Of the two great circles named Colures and of the fower lesse circles and parallels of the fiue Zones of the world and immooueable circles Chap. 20. ACHITOB. BEsides the two principall mooueable circles which haue beene declared vnto vs in the precedent speech there are also demonstrated in the sphere two other great circles whereof one passeth by the Equinoctiall points and the other by the Solstists or sunsteads and poles of the Zodiacke and both by the poles of the world where they are diuided into three angles And by this meanes they part as well the Equinoctiall as the Zodiacke into fower parts the parts whereof answere togither in iust and equall proportion Of two circles called Colures These two circles haue to name Colures that is to say vnperfect because they haue an vnperfect reuolution in turning with the sphere vpon the points of their circumference and not about their proper poles like other circles One of them then is called the Equinoctiall colure and the other the Solstitial colure And the one passeth by the circle of the Zodiacke at the beginning of the signes Aries Libra which are the Equinoctiall signes and the other at the beginning of the signes Cancer and Capricorne which are the Solstitiall signes And it is to be noted that the arck of the Solstitiall Colure comprised betweene the Equinoctiall and one of the Solstists is the measure of the greatest declination of the Sunne which must of necessitie be equall to the arck of that Colure which is betweene one of the poles of the world and the next pole of the Zodiacke For by how much one greater circle declineth from another by so much the poles of the one are distant from the poles of the other because all greater circles are equall and haue one common center and do equally part themselues and likewise their declination is iust in the midst of their cuttings or intersections We must
Motion and Place For they say that the principle Motion seemeth to be naturally in all bodies of which some as light are carried aloft others as heauie descend downe and yet are they not forcibly driuen for then violently they would returne to their proper place Neither are they drawen for the place is an accident and draweth no element at all Then forsomuch as all motion is made in place it seemeth verie well that it must be set for one of the principles of all things Now place is the supreme superficies of euerie bodie enuironing the same round about which superficies remayneth the bodie being separated And euerie place is equall to the bodie therein contayned Euerie bodie likewise is in a place and in euerie place is a bodie For euerie bodie hath his extreme superficies and the place cannot be without a bodie considering that euerie place is the highest superficies contayning a bodie And when the place is taken in regard of the roundnes of the heauens it is immutable insomuch as it contayneth the entire bodie of the Vniuers But being considered as the superficies of any particular bodie it is changed by the diuers disposition and alteration of the creatures and remayneth not alwaies the same Behold then that which I haue thought worthie to be summarily noted in regard of the principles whereof the Philosophers dispute and of which and by which namely of the forme and first matter the sensible elements of all corruptible things doe consist and are composed Whereof we are according to the course of our talke to enforme our selues as AMANA you shall presently do Of the elements and of things to be considered in them in that they are distinguished by the number of fower Chap. 38. AMANA WHen we take the heauen in his most proper signification we meane thereby the firmament and the celestiall spheres which couer and encompasse all things that are in the vniuersall world But heauen is likewise taken oftimes for the aire and for the regions next to the spheres because they approch neerest to the nature of them and for that they be elements drawne out of the first principles for the composition of corruptible things And yet in the diuision of the world there are commonly mentioned but two principall parts that is the celestiall and the elementary part as we haue heretofore related Now vnder this last part whereof our ensuing discourse must entreat we must vnderstand all that which is comprehended within the concauitie or hollow vault of heauen vnder the Moone euen to the center of the earth Of the elementary region that is the fower simple elements which are Fire Aire Water and Earth incessantly employed in the generation and corruption of all creatures vnder the which part we comprise all the diuers and innumerable species of all bodies both perfect and imperfect The number and qualities of the elements materially engendred by the naturall commixture and power of the said elements Which cannot be in number aboue fower that is iust so many and neither more nor lesse then there are first qualities predomināt in them which are heat moisture colde and drienes which neuerthelesse alone and by themselues do not constitute an element for they cannot haue the power both to doe and to suffer as it is needfull that there should be in the generation and corruption of all things neither can the foresaid qualities consist aboue two together for feare least contrarie things should be found in one selfe same subiect but being ioyned two and two they are correspondent the one to the other as the qualities of heat and drines which are in the fire the heat moisture which are in the aire cold moisture which are in the water and cold drines which are in the earth But heat cold which are actiue qualities and moisture drines which are passiue qualities are altogether contrarie And therefore can they not cōsist both together in one selfe same element Scituation of the elements wherupon it cōmeth to passe that the fire the water the aire the earth are cleane contrarie one to another which causeth also that the fire as the most subtile lightest element tending naturally vpwards is placed aboue the other three elements and enuironeth the aire round about which agreeth in heate with it which aire encompasseth the water agreeing therewith in moisture and the water is dispersed about the earth and agreeth therewith in coldnes and the same earth as the most heauie and hardest element is heaped and compacted togither in the midst of the whole world containing the center thereof It is certaine that the water enuironeth not the earth cleane round about but is spread abroad by diuers armes branches and lakes which we call seas as well within as about the same for so it was necessarie that some partes of the earth might be vncouered for the health and habitation of liuing creatures so as it hath pleased the soueraigne king of the world to ordaine for the benefit of all things There are then fower elements first foundations of things compounded and subiect to corruption How the number of fowre is note-woorthy in diuers things And by this number of fower perfectly consonant the elementarie world is diuided into these fower partes the firie the airie the watrie and the earthy part so also is this terrestriall frame distinguished into fower points to wit East West North and South as we knowe the like to be in the celestiall bodies And by their diuers motions and courses we obtaine the fower seasons of the yeere to wit the spring sommer autumne and winter From whence likewise proceedeth all aide and fauor to the substance and composition of the creatures comprised vnder these fower kindes that is corporall vegetable sensitiue and reasonable creatures which subsist of these fower qualities hot cold moist and drie We likewise see that all quantitie is diuided into fower to wit into a point into a length bredth and depth There are also fower sortes of motion ascending descending progression and turning round Moreouer if we will here drawe out some mysteries of the Pythagorians we shall knowe that all the foundation of euery deepe studie and inuention must be setled vpon the number of fower bicause it is the roote and beginning of all numbers which exceed fower For a vnitie being ioined to a fower maketh vp ten and in this number all the rest to ten are found as may appeere in this figure 1. 2. 3. 4. Aboue which number of ten as Aristotle in his problemes and Hierocles in his verses vpon Pythagoras reciteth no land nor language hath euer proceeded For the Hebrues Greekes Latins and Barbarians themselues being come so farre as to ten begin againe with an vnitie saying 11. 12. and so forward imitating nature guided by her soueraigne who by the order of tens parteth the fingers of the hands and toes of the feete as the same creator would distribute
wanteth fastnes clearnes and waight which makes this mettall vnperfect and impure And Iron is procreated of the same quicksiluer impure tough part earthie and burnt white and not cleere which maketh this mettall base and foule failing in purenes and in waight All which mettals being made of quicksiluer which is waterie doe for this cause retaine the nature of the water To this author accordeth Auicen in his Phisickes and in the epistle to Hazem the philosopher But Gilgil the Spanyard supposed that mettals had been engendred of cinders bicause they sinke in water and melt like the glasse which is drawne from terrestriall-cinders and beaten stone But this concludeth not for mettall sinketh and descendeth by reason of that terrestriall part which it hath incorporated with the liquid part and bicause that the pores which retaine the aire are closed and shut vp And for glasse it is not extracted out of the earthie matter but out of the radicall moisture which is within the cinders and stones For in euery compound are the fower elements though the nature of one hath more domination therein For this cause likewise plants are founded vpon the third angle of the world called airie Concord of the plants with the aire for they doe not growe nor fructifie but in open day and doe properly retaine the nature of the aire which they alwaies require as being fittest and aptest for them Yea the wood it selfe would presently corrupt and rot being depriued of the aire if the watrie humor doe not succour it which participateth with the aire Finally vpon the fourth angle of this fower-faced edifice to wit Animals accord with the fire vpon the fire is the liuing sensitiue creature built whose life as many learned doe teach is by meanes of fire and obtained from the Empyreall heauen and from the spirit of life which is a quickning fire and distributeth life to all the mundane wheeles as we may learne by the oracles of Ezechiel saying Ezech. 1. And the spirit of life was in the wheeles Behold then how vpon the fower bases of the elements are planted fower sorts of perfect compounds to wit stones mettals plants and liuing creatures True it is that vnder euery vniuersall kinde of these there are diuers particular species distinct the one from the other for although stones may be properly earthie yet are they sometimes nominated of some other element which most preuaileth in their composition For doubtlesse all the elements doe meete togither in the procreation of them but chiefly earth and water Whereupon obscure and thicke-darke stones are called earthie-stones and cleere transparent stones waterie Diuersitie of the nature of stones and some also are melted by a great fire to be turned into glasse Some also with raine falling drop by drop are engendred in the shels of oisters as those pearles which are found in the Indian and Britaine seas The chrystal and Beryll are made of water frozen voide of pores or subtile passages so that they can neither receiue heate nor be melted It appeereth also that there is fire in the composition of stones which likewise is forced out of the flint being stroken with a gad of steele To which purpose Hermes amongst his secrets teacheth that a stone doth sometimes spring out of the fire mounting from earth to heauen and then againe returning to the earth that nourished it For mettals likewise Diuersitie of the mettals though they be waterie some of them doe neuertheles retaine the nature of fire as gold and iron one of which imitateth the fire of the sunne and the other the fire of Mars But tinne and copper are airie this receiuing influence from Venus that from Iupiter Siluer agreeth with the moone Lead with Saturne quicksiluer with Mercurie and yet all of them are endued with a waterie nature wil melt and doe differ in waight For as one water doth differ in waight from another so doth mettall from mettall not onely in speciall but also in vndiuisible proportion For common gold differeth in waight from that which the Latines call Obrysum or else Ofiryzum of the Hebrue word Ofir which we call fine golde and which hath been oftentimes purged and refined in the fire and wasteth not therein The gold of Tharsis also doth differ from the gold of India and Hungarie and so of others So likewise doe waters differ in goodnes and in waight according to the region and place wherein they are and by how much they are neerer to the fountaine by so much are they better and lighter And by their waight as Vitruuius will haue it one may knowe the goodnes of the aire according to which he willeth men to choose out places to build houses in Concerning plants although they may be by nature airie A different propertie of the plants yet there are some whose rootes iuice leaues and blossomes are said to be hot in the first second third or fourth degree and others are cold and drie some also are moist which diuersitie happeneth according as the plant obtaineth more or lesse of the nature of one of the elements Diuersitie of nature in animalibus The like is of liuing creatures For though they may properly be said to be of the nature of fire yet are there some which being more earthie delight in the earth as mowles woormes and commonly all creeping things Likewise all fishes are nourished by the water the chameleon by the aire the salamander by fire as some affirme bicause that he long time indureth fire through his excessiue coldnes There are some also which burne with great heate as doues and lions some are cooled with moisture as the lambe and some are dry as hares and deere But neuerthelesse in regarde of their life they are all especially of the nature of fire distinguished by degrees wherefore diuers names haue beene assigned to them being borrowed from the elements or from their qualities Of the celestiall and supercelestiall elements And besides all this which we haue heere discoursed concerning the elements which may bee found in the perfectly compounded substances of this elementarie world many learned men affirme that they are also resident in the celestiall and supercelestiall world But that as they are heere thicke and grosse so by a contrary reason they are pure and cleane in heauen and in it liuing and euery where well doing They say then that these celestiall elements are as the woorthiest excellent portion of those which subsist vnder the moones-sphere in the second degree and which remaine also in the bowels of the earth as the most base and grosse lees of the elements And that in heauen they are certaine vertues or powers and in nature the seedes of things and in the world below grosse formes For as they argue if there were no elementarie powers in heauen how then by the celestiall influences should these elements heere below be engendred and transformed in such sort as that which
let vs now returne to our elementarie world and particularly behold the nature of the fower elements and of things engendred in them and by them Then haue we enough to stand vpon for the common opinion of those who establish this number of fower in that which hath beene already declared and now also in this discourse Let vs first then AMANA heare you discourse of the fire and of the aire and of their maruailous effects Of the fire and of the aire and of the things engendred in them and of their motions and of the Windes Chap. 42. AMANA MAny Philosophers doe diuide all that which subsisteth vnder the concaue of the Moone into three parts one of which they call the highest the other the middle and the third the lowest part The highest they place aboue the middle region of the aire and make as it were the same element partaker with the most pure fire which the ancients nominated Aether because that there the elements are pure subtile thin rare and for that the aire there is very temperate and cleere agreeing with the nature of heauen as to the contrarie in the lower part which is that where we inhabite there is not any sincere element for a sensible element is not pure but all things are there compounded and mixed with the muddie and grosse part of this mundane bodie And concerning the middle region of the aire it is that verie place where the meteors and high impressions do appeere So then aboue the elements are pure beneath the perfect composed bodies do faile by reason of their mixture of the elementary simplicitie in the middle they compound themselues vnperfectly in such sort that one may say that they possesse the middle place betwixt the nature of the elements and of things compounded Now as we haue said before and as the common saying of people is the heauen is often taken for this supreme and middle region of the aire and for the things which are to them conioined and do depend vpon their effects Of the things conioyned and depending vpon the effectes of the fire and of the aire So that in this regard we may vnderstand first two of the fower elements to wit the aire and the fire then all things ingendred in them and by them as windes thunders lightnings haile whirle-windes cloudes Psal 8. Matth. 6. Luke 8. tempests raine dewes frosts snowes and all kinds of fire and such like which arise and appeere in the aire And therein we may also comprise all the creatures which conuerse in it as birds and all creatures that flie euen as the holy Scripture teacheth vs when it maketh mention of the birds of heauen Now the element of fire is knowne to haue his place neerest to the moone being by nature hot and dry and is for this cause lightest hauing his motion quicker then all the elements bicause that lightnes and quicknes is proper to these two qualities heat and drines and therefore also the propertie thereof is to mount alwaies vpwards Of the proper nature of the fire and of the aire vntill that it hath attained to the place destinated vnto it being most conuenient for the nature thereof and which ioineth next vnto the spheres Next the fire the aire possesseth the second place and agreeth in nature with the fire in that it is hot but is contrarie thereto in that it is also moist And therefore the motion thereof followeth that of the fire but it is not so light and quicke by reason of the humiditie which maketh it more heauie and slow That the aire is alwaies mooued And yet it appeereth that it is alwaies mooued bicause that in narrow places small winds doe blow without ceasing For considering that the aire hath the motion thereof tending alwaies vpwards and that it is continually mooued vp and downe it bloweth in a great space very gently but passing through a creuisse or streight place all the violence thereof being drawne togither by reason of the narrownes of the place driueth out flieth vehemently vpon vs after the maner of the waters of great flouds which when it seemeth that they can scarce flowe being vrged through a narrow place or through sluces are constrained to runne out by much force with noise and roring Moreouer according as the aire is mooued either by the heate of the sunne or by the vapors and exhalations which this heat causeth to rise out of the waters and out of the earth or by the waues of the sea or by the caues of the earth and such like causes What winde is we perceiue the aire diuersly agitated For we must note that the windes are nothing else but the aire which is mooued and driuen more violently then ordinarie and which hath his motion more sodaine more violent and strong being driuen and pressed forwards according as the causes are more great or small and according to the places from whence they proceed And this is the reason why the aire is sometimes so peaceable that one cannot feele so much as one onely small puffe of winde but it is as calme as the sea when it is not tossed with any winde or tempest As is euident by those vanes and weathercocks which are set in the tops of turrets and houses for when the winde bloweth not their plates are nothing mooued and yet the aire doth neuer faile to blowe by reason of the perpetuall motion thereof but insomuch as it is not hoised vp and downe it passeth and flieth lightly away without any noise or bruite towards that part whereto we see the point of the vane enclined Of the diuersity of the windes and of the order and boundes of them Sometimes also one may feele some small pleasant and gentle winde to blowe without any violence which is very delectable recreatiue and profitable not onely in regard of men and other liuing things but in respect also of all the fruits of the earth At another time likewise the violence of the windes is so great that it raiseth vp whirle-windes stormes and tempestes which driue the aire with such fury and roughnes that it seemeth they would ouerthrow and confound heauen and earth togither beating downe and carying away all that is before them like a great deluge and water-floud which beareth away with it all that it meets with But though one may suppose so during such tempests yet the course of the windes are not so confused but that all of them obserue their order and certaine places out of which they issue and proceed and their bounds likewise whereat they stay and wherein they are confined as the element of which they are engendred And therefore by experience we see that they follow the course of the Sunne and that they are distributed and disposed according to all the partes of the world as we vsually diuide it hauing respect to the moouing of the spheres For as we diuide the course of the sunne and
Of cloudes and vapors Chap. 47. ARAM. AS the Lord and father of this great vniuers doth publish his glorie by the motions of the heauens the maruellous courses of all the lights in them so doth he likewise in the aire after many sorts as we haue alreadie heard as we haue yet good proofs in that which is presented vnto vs for the matter of our discourse And therefore the kingly prophet saith Psal 19. that the heauens report the glory of God and the firmament doth declare his works For the Hebrew word which wee call firmament doth properly signifie a spreading abroad and comprehendeth both the heauen and the aire Now let vs first note that there is nothing more weake then the aire nor any element that can worse sustaine a charge if it haue no other prop. Then let vs consider of what matter the cloudes are made and what firmenes they may retaine How cloudes are made of vapors It is certaine that they are nothing else but vapors attracted out of the waters by the power of the sunne as wee behold after a great raine when the heat of the sunne striketh vpon the earth For wee perceiue the water to ascend vpwards like a great smoke and wee see an other cleere experience hereof in wet clothes and linnen when they receiue the heat of heauen or of the fire So it is then that the water ceaseth not to mount from earth vp into the aire and then to descend downe againe so that the course thereof is perpetuall as if there were a sea mounting from earth to heauen which we call Aire then descending from thence downe hither to vs. For after that of vapors which ascend from the earth the cloudes are gathered togither which like spunges doe receiue the steame of the waters whereof they themselues are engendred then doe they carrie them like chariots to distribute them through all the quarters of the world according as is ordained by the prouidence of God And therefore Elihu saith in the booke of Iob. Behold God is excellent and we know it not Iob. 36. neither can the number of his yeeres be searched out when he restraineth the drops of water the raine powreth downe by the vapor thereof which raine the clouds doe drop and let fall abundantly vpon man Then proceeding to shew how God spreadeth out the light of the sunne vpon the waters of the sea to draw out and produce vapors he addeth Who can know the diuisions that is the varieties and diuersities of the cloudes and the thunders of his tabernacle Behold hee spreadeth his light vpon it and couereth the rootes of the sea Meaning by rootes the waters of the sea as well because they are deepe as for that they are diuided by diuers waues like the branches of rootes Propertie of the windes in regard of the cloudes Moreouer we must consider that to carrie conuey the cloudes hither and thither God hath created the winds which blow from all the quarters of the world some to gather the cloudes together and to bring raine and snow or haile and tempests by meanes of the same cloudes according as pleaseth the Creator to dispose them other winds on the contrarie do disperse them and make the aire cleere and pleasant bringing faire weather Hereof then it commeth that aboue in the aire betweene heauen and earth there is as it were an other heauen made of clouds spread out like a curtaine and like a vault or couering ouer our heads which hindreth vs of sight of the Sunne Moone and stars But as this masse of cloudes is made by meanes of winds ordained thereto so when it pleaseth God to giue vs faire weather then doth he sende vs other winds which chase away all these cloudes and cleere the aire as if they had beene swept away and the heauen sheweth another countenance to the world as if it had beene changed and renued Now while the aire is so filled with cloudes this may verie well be considered by vs that men haue then as it were a great sea of water ouer their heads contayned and held within those cloudes as the waters of the sea are within the bounds which are assigned them for their course Which it seemeth that Moses taught when he sheweth that God creating all things separated the waters which are vpon the earth from those which are in the aire Genes 1. saying thus That there was a stretching out betweene the waters and that it separated the waters from the waters God then made the firmament or spreading abroad or stretching out and separated the waters which are vnder the firmament from those which were aboue it and it was so And God called the firmament Heauen It is sure that by these words many haue thought that the prophet would teach that there were waters both vnder aboue heauen which seemeth to be cōfirmed by the Psalmist Psal 148. Whether there be any materiall waters aboue the heauens saying Praise yee the Lord heauens of heauens waters that be aboue the heauens praise his name Neuerthelesse it is not verie easie for vs to vnderstand what waters may be aboue the heauens if we doe not take the name of heauen in these two texts for the aire as wee haue heretofore shewed that it is oftentimes so taken For what shall wee answere beeing demaunded to what vse the materiall waters may serue either among the spheres or aboue the planets and stars And for to take the name of waters here for spirituall waters not corporall as many haue argued mee seemeth vnder correction of the wiser which wee preferre in all our discourses that this cannot fitly be affirmed because it doth euidently appeare that Moses speaketh of materiall waters For he accommodating himselfe to a grosse people amongst whom hee conuersed maketh no mention in all the creation of the world but of the creating of visible and corporall things so that there is small likelihood that he should speake of other waters mixing spirituall things with corporall But because the Latin translator of the common version of the bible hath vsed in this text the word firmament following the translation of the Greekes and not the proper word spreading abroad as the Hebrue phrase doth signifie some of the learned haue obserued how that many Latine diuines haue beene hindred from the vnderstanding of this doctrine For they haue taken the name Firmament for the starrie heauen as also the Greekes haue iudged imitating their translation Whereupon the imagination is sproong of waters aboue the heauens and of a christalline heauen which I suppose to haue been so called Of the chrystaline heauen by reason of these waters which were supposed to be aboue the firmament bicause that chrystall is made of ice and ice of water For it had beene very difficult to conceiue how materiall waters which by nature are corruptible might be aboue the celestiall spheres except they were hardened and conuerted
these waters seeme to haue their Springing out of certaine fountaines which many affirme to be made of the aire yet the verie truth is that their chiefe source is out of the sea which as it is named in Iob is as the wombe out of which all waters both celestiall and terrestriall haue their first originall and do engender repaire themselues continually by the meanes that we haue alreadie heard Why the water is mixed with the earth Now according to the opinion of the Philosophers all reason teacheth vs that this ordinance in nature concerning the distribution of the waters throughout the earth hath beene made of necessitie for the mutuall maintenance of these two elements for so much as the Earth being naturally drie cannot subsist without moisture and contrariwise the flowing water could not haue ought to stay vpon without being propped vp by the earth Wherfore it was necessarie that the earth should giue it place and that it should open all her vaines and conduicts that the water might passe through the same both within vpon it yea and to pierce euen to the highest mountaine tops in which place being pressed with the waight of the earth and also in some place mooued by the aire which driueth it one shall see it issue out in great vehemencie euen as if it were squirted out Whosoeuer then will consider of the whole circuit of the earth shall learne that the moitie of the roundnes thereof is enuironed by the sea which floweth round about it causing the waues thereof to goe and come continually sometimes aloft and sometimes verie low like as if this terrene globe were a bowle cast into the water one part whereof should lye discouered out of it That the water is round and the other couered within it Which water the Philosophers hold to be entirely round hauing the open heauen in euerie part ouer it And this is confirmed by those drops of water which fall vpon the ground or vpon leaues of trees and of herbs which are round If also one fill a vessell top-brim-full of water they may euidently behold that the water riseth and swelleth in the middest making a kinde of round forme In truth by reason that the water is subtile and soft these things are far better comprehended by arguments and concluding reasons wherewith the bookes of the learned are replenished then by the view of the eie Notwithstanding this is verie admirable that if one put neuer so little water into a vessell alreadie brimme-full the vppermost part thereof will shedde ouer and yet if one cast into the same so top-full vessell some heauy thing yea to the waight of twenty pence the water will not spill therefore but will swell onely till such time as it stand much aboue the brimme of the vessell by the rising thereof Moreouer the roundenesse of the water which causeth this doth also make that those which are in the top of a ship do sooner discouer land then those which are in the foredeck or in the sterne thereof so likewise if any shining thing bee fastned to the top of the mast at parting from the port it seemeth that the vessell still goeth downewards till at length the sight of hir will be cleane lost Moreouer how should it bee possible that the ocean sea which enuironeth the earth as being the mother-sea and the receptacle of all the rest doth not run abroad considering there is no banck to with-hold it if it were not of round forme Wherein this is to bee noted that the water of the sea doth in no sort ouerpasse the limits thereof nor doth euer runne but toward the place of the naturall scituation thereof Why the water doth retaine it selfe in it selfe without running abroade Of which the Greeke Philosophers haue rendred an especiall reason by Geometricall propositions and conclusions making demonstration that this water cannot run otherwise what roome or scope soeuer it haue For they say that considering the nature of water is to fall alwaies downeward and that also the sea stretcheth it selfe out so far as it can neuerthelesse according as the declining of the sea can suffer as euery one may see with his eie and by how much the lower it is by so much the more it doth approch to the center of the earth whereupon ensueth that all lynes drawne from that center to the waters neerest to it are shorter then those lines which are drawne from the vppermost waters to the extremity of the sea so that by that meanes the water of the sea doth alwaies decline towards the center from whence it can in no sort fall but doth there retaine it selfe Surely if wee doe neerely consider this maruellous worke of God the sea and waters we shall therein finde goodly mirrors wherein to contemplate his maiestie and greatnes Good christian instructions taken from the waters Ioâ— 38. According as he saith to his seruant Iob Who hath shut vp the sea with doores when it issued and came foorth as out of the wombe When I made the cloudes as a couering thereof and darknes as the swadling bands thereof When I established my commandement vpon it and set barres and doores And said Hitherto shalt thou come but no farther and here shalt thou stay thy proud waues The like is also taught by the Psalmist saying Psas 33. Hee gathereth the waters of the sea together as vpon an heape and layeth vppe the depths in his treasures Which is as much as if hee should say GOD holdeth backe the waters as with a bridle that they may not ouerrunne and couer the earth Wherein we are moreouer to note that the holy Ghost speaketh concerning the sea in this fore-alledged text of Iob and in many other places of scripture as if it had some sense and vnderstanding and that God had caused it to heare his voice and had commanded it as he commandeth men to obey his ordinance although it be a senselesse creature and without life but this is to the end that we may better learne to acknowledge the power prouidence of God ouer all his works For the sea is not onely deafe and depriued of all sense and much more without vnderstanding but also exceeding furious and outragious being mooued by force of windes and tempests in such sort that it often seemeth as if it would ouerrun and swallow vp all the earth with the waues thereof and would rise with the flouds thereof and mount vp to heauen For one may behold how at one time the waues will swell and rise vp like high mountaines and suddenly after wil tumble couch downe like vallies as if the sea would cleaue and diuide it selfe and so discouer the deepe bottome thereof Psal 107. And therefore the kingly prophet hauing diuinely described all things togither with the power that the soueraigne creator hath to raise and to appease such tempests hee exhorteth all men to acknowledge this infinite power of the
but by force Againe how could men exercise the workes of charitie amongst themselues which workes are very much commended vnto them by God to be done towards their neighbors if euery one could at his pleasure excell his companion As then God hath placed and disposed sundry members in one bodie and yet hath not appointed them one selfesame office but to euery one his owne so hath it pleased him to diuide and distribute his goodnes gifts and graces amongst men to the end that they may one serue another as members of one and the same bodie which can not consist without the reciprocall helpe of all So likewise hath he established the sundrie regions of the earth enriching euerie one of them with certaine particular commodities which do often constraine men to helpe and succour one another and to liue in peace without which they woulde like madde beasts ouer-runne and destroy each other as we wretches doe finde true especially in time of warre But wee may well note vpon this point that although the most mightie do by their hate enimities dissensions reuengements and warres contend oftentimes with all their power to stop and hinder the trafficke dealings and transportations of merchandize from one countrey and out of one place to another especially of foode and victuals yet whatsoeuer they may or can doe bee they kings princes or Emperors they cannot for all that make such a stoppe That nothing can stop the intercourse of men but that they will alwaies passe and scape by some meanes maugre all their powers Wherein wee must acknowledge that seeing God hath ordained that those which beare his image shoulde haue communication one with another for the causes aforesaide and that chiefly by the aide of nauigation it is a great presumption in mighty men to oppose themselues against the order of the Omnipotent and against that communion of benefits which hee will haue to bee maintained amongst men Whom he can constraine to obserue his ordinances euen through their owne couetousnes when their charitie faileth making them to despise all dangers that they may supply where neede is though they be forbidden vpon paine of death For such restraint by commandement is so farre from hindring their couetousnes that it doth more inflame it bicause they expect greater gaine then if there were mutual libertie and therefore they cause more ware secretly to passe and by that meanes they put all to hazard yea they would rather open a way vnder ground like moles or else would flie in the aire like birds then leaue such trading so woonderfull is God in all his works and in the gouernment of all nature For when he pleaseth he serueth his owne turne with the affections and euill works of men yea drawing good out of their euill euen against their owne wils And therefore we may very well affirme that seeing God will haue men trafficke togither it cannot choose howsoeuer they enterprise to the contrarie but that this order must be continued For this cause likewise it was not the will of the creator that the waters should so gather themselues into one place that they might not run through the earth but hee ordained that out of the great Ocean which is like the great bodie of the waters and like the wombe out of which they doe all first spring and wherein they are engendred and whereby they are repaired for euer there should issue diuers armes and members by meanes whereof wee haue the Mediterranean seas lakes floods riuers and brookes So also in this distribution and by the meanes of nauigation God hath giuen vs many other meanes to the ende we might behold with our eies many testimonies of his prouidence engrauen in euery part of the vniuers by the disposition of the works of his almightie hand as they who saile vpon the waters are constrained to acknowledge Of the direction that marriners haue by the stars For as he hath appointed the watrie element to serue men to nauigate therin so hath he established the heauē ordained the stars enchased therin to direct them in the midst of the great gulfs deeps of the sea For when the ships are entred very farre into it they that be therein doe cleane lose the sight of lande so that they cannot iudge by the consideration thereof in what place they are nor vpon what side neither to what place they may bend their course to finde a conuenient port but they must take their directions from heauen And for this cause also though that the heauen be in perpetuall motion and that all the planets and starres doe follow it rising and setting in such sort as they doe not alwaies appeere to men yet there are some of another condition For neere to the place which Astronomers take for the pole there are certaine starres which haue their motion and course so disposed that they are alwaies seene at sea being neuer hidden like the rest and among these that is one which is called the Pole-starre which is neuer seene to remooue except a very little out of one place so that it seemeth the whole heauen turneth about this starre As we also maintaine that it hath the like place correspondent thereto directly ouer against it in the other part of heauen with a like appellation of name as we haue heretofore declared in our discourses concerning the celestiall bodies excepting the difference which is put betweene these two poles taken from their opposite situation in heauen and from the starres which are next vnto them which also haue their course and motion like the rest but doe onely differ in this that rising and setting are not attributed vnto them bicause they may be alwaies seen when the spheres are discerned For when the skie is couered with clouds marriners doe finde themselues very much hindred and troubled For then they prooue that which Iob saith concerning the workes of God to wit Iob. 9. that hee commandeth the sunne and it riseth not and he closeth vp the starres as vnder a signet And that he maketh the starre Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the Climates of the south doing great things and vnsearchable yea maruellous things without number Whereupon we may note that here is especiall mention made of the septentrionall starres as well bicause that they are more seene then the rest as also bicause it is their propertie to bring and to procure raine and tempests if we may credite Astrologers which cause that the heauen cannot be seene Of Charles hi◠waine And bicause that some of these starres are so disposed that they seeme to represent the figure of a chariot with fower wheeles and they are very much glistering aboue others they are commonly called by the name of Charles-waine bicause also they haue three other very bright starres neere to them placed in such order as if they were cart-horses or oxen Indeede some haue called them the Beare seeing them so cōioined togither taking the foure quarters
apart as if they were the fower quarters of a Beare and the other three as the taile thereof There are some also who haue named them the Dragon or Serpent bicause that being considered togither they might seeme to represent some such forme But howsoeuer it is certaine that pilots of gallies and ships doe direct and guide themselues chiefly by these northren starres as being most seene and best knowne by men and bicause they doe almost alwaies remaine in one place like the pole or else doe mooue so little that they are neuer out of sight especially that constellation which is properly designed by name of the Beare is called the greater Beare in comparison of a lesse called the lesser Beare And for which cause also the pole which is in this region and part of heauen is called Arcticke which is to say of the Beare for Arctos in Greeke signifieth a Beare Now hereby we farther learne that it is very requisite for marriners and chiefly for masters and gouernors of gallies and ships to be Astronomers at leastwise so much as to know the foresaid starres and to know how to iudge of the eleuation of the pole and of the degrees and the distances of euery land and countrie according to the eleuation For it is by it that not onely marriners but Geometricians and Geographers also doe take their measures and dimensions to part and measure out the earth But wee haue staied long ynough in this matter now we will consider how God hath diuided and limited out this terrestriall globe and the sundry countries and regions that are therein by the sea and separation of the water as ASER you can discourse vnto vs. Of the diuision of lands and countries amongst men by the waters and of the limits which are appointed them for the bounds of their habitations Chap. 61. ASER. STrabo a man as well seene in good letters as anie other that hath written of Geographie saith That the earth is enuironed about by the Ocean and therfore he parteth it into foure very great gulfes Diuision of the Ocean into fowre gulfes the first wherof turneth towards the north is called the Caspian or Hircanian sea the second and third is that of Arabia and the gulfe of Ormuz or the Persian sea turning towards the south and the fourth being greatest of all the rest is that whereinto the Ocean entreth at the streight of Gibraltar which some call the pillers of Hercules which gulfe is called by the name of the Mediterran or Middle-earth-sea bicause it is compassed round about with land And the same Mediterran sea runneth enlarging it selfe making many bayes gulfs somtimes washing the coast of Europe and sometimes that of Africa and so it extendeth towards the east and receiueth diuers names according to the places through which it passeth For the first coast by which it runneth is called Mauritania Tingitana which is that of Tremissen Of the mediterranean seas then doth it take the name of Mauritania Caesariensis towards Algier and Tunis then is it named the Africke-sea towards Tripoly in Barbarie then passing the quicke sandes it is the Lybian sea and entring vpon the Marmarica and Cyrenaica it glideth with that name till it water Egypt and then it is saide to be the Egyptian sea And all this coast is from the east to the west till you arriue at the gulfe of Larissa beyond Damiata and at the vttermost of the desarts of the south-east where Asia and Africa do separate From which port being in Palestina you must turne north and north-east as if you would take your course by the west and then this sea which was called the Syriack-sea bicause of all Syria to Tripolis changeth name and is called the Egean sea till you come to Galli-polis or Helespont making all this way diuers baies and gulfes and vnder this name it coasteth Thracia and the lands which abutte vpon Macedonia and Morea till you come to Albania and there it beginneth to be called the Adriatick sea then doubling towards the south it floweth by the countrey of Calabria to the towne of Rhegium vnder the name of the Ionick sea and passing betweene Sicilie and Italy in stead of the old name Charybdis it is called the Tyrrhene sea and from thence it runneth towards the coast of Genoa by name of the Ligustick sea which diuideth and separateth France from Italy being nominated the French sea then to end the course and finish the compasse it approcheth the isles of Maiorca Minorca being called the Balearick sea And proceeding farther it runneth to the streight of Barbarie bearing name the Iberian sea where it returneth to the first point from whence we said it first parted to wit at the streight of Gibraltar which is the entrance of one sea into another Now in this briefe discourse vpon which Cosmogrophers haue written many great volumes we haue verie goodly matter to consider vpon not without much woonder of the prouidence of God in that it hath pleased him to diuide part and limit out the earth Things to bee considered of by the diuision of lands by the waters Acts. 17. and the sundry countries and nations that are therein by the sea and by the bosomes gulfes and armes thereof For as it is written God hath made of one bloud all mankinde to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath assigned the times which were ordained before and the bounds of their habitation Which is as much to say that as men haue not made nor created themselues but haue beene created by the Eternall so are they borne where he pleaseth hauing assigned them a place vpon the earth not at their choise but at his pleasure And therefore also he establisheth their habitation or changeth it according to his good will either keeping them within the countrey in which they were borne or else driuing them out and bringing them into strange lands as we haue verie euident examples throughout all the holy Historie where mention is made of the children of Israel For though the Scripture doth deliuer vs no testimonie of the prouidence of God so speciall towards other nations as it assureth vs to haue beene towards the people of Israel yet we must neuerthelesse beleeue that there is not any one man that dwelleth vpon the earth to whom the Lord hath not by his prouidence assigned the place of his habitation But he would giue an example and more certainty in his people of that which he ordinarily doth towards all nations although hee doth it not so openly nor with so great fauour and grace as is declared in those whom he accounteth for his children Dan. 2. And therefore the prophet saith That it is God who changeth the times and seasons he taketh away kings he setteth vp kings bicause he giueth and taketh away kingdomes and he augmenteth cutteth off and altereth the limits of them as he pleaseth Whereby we also learne that we must
great and dangerous temptations and afflictions Now the tyrannie malice crueltie and peruersnes of the wicked serueth in all these things for his children and to his glorie through his prouidence notwithstanding that he hateth all the wicked vsing them only as rods and scourges to chastise and punish those whom he pleaseth as he is likewise serued by diuels without approouing their works insomuch as they proceed from themselues But there is more yet For considering that God hath not created men like vnto beasts onely to liue in this world with a corporall temporall life but hath made them to immortality and eternall life like the angels he will then by the aduersities which he sendeth vnto them heere giue them to vnderstand that other blessings doe attend for them far greater then those which may be tasted vpon earth and which are common betwixt them and beasts Behold then the fruit which me seemeth must be gathered in our discourse this day now to morrow wee will step out of the sea and waters to take land againe and to consider vpon the treasures and benefits therein which it produceth for the commoditie of men and the diuersitie of creatures that liue therein whereof ASER you shall begin to discourse The end of the eighth daies worke THE NINTH DAIES WORKE Of fruits and of the fertilitie of the earth and the causes thereof and of herbs trees and plants Chap. 65. ASER. AS the holy scripture teacheth vs that before God did create the beasts of the earth Genes 1. he commaunded the earth that was discouered and free from the waters to bud foorth the bud of the herbe that seedeth seede the fruitfull tree which beareth fruit according to his kinde which hath his seede in it selfe vpon the earth and it was so we must likewise vnderstand that this commandement had not such vertue for that time onely but that it endureth and remaineth alwaies and so will doe till the consummation of the world For all herbes trees and plants that the earth euer hath borne doth beare or shall beare euen from the creation of the same vntill the end of the world doe proceede from the first ordinance and eternall word of the soueraigne by which all things haue beene created Wherefore Moses to the ende that men might acknowledge this diuine power which maketh the earth so fruitful doth expressely tell vs that God gaue this fertilitie before there was any sunne moone or starre in heauen For hee saith that these goodly lights were created the fourth day but that the production of herbs What is the cause of the fertility of the earth trees plants was on the third day Thereby then we must learne that although the sun moone and starres besides the husbandrie of man do serue by the ordinance of God for to make the earth fertile yet for all that it can bring foorth no fruit if the word and blessing of the Almightie do not giue it power For as it was fertile before it was aided by the starres euen so is it now in regarde of the tillage and husbandrie of man For there was neither man nor beast when it budded foorth the fruites which God commanded it to beare yea so much wanteth it to become fruitful by the trauell of man that to the contrarie it hath lost very much fertilitie and a great part thereof hath become barren since his first creation bicause of his sinne For in lieu of the blessing that God at first gaue thereunto Genes 3. he said afterwards to the man that it should be cursed for his sake and that it should bring foorth thornes and thistles and that he should eate the fruits thereof in sorrow For these causes then we must alwaies haue respect to the power of the word and of the blessing of God by which all things haue been created in their order as we haue heretofore declared and man last of al as the master-peece of the Lords worke Who hauing determined in his eternall counsell to create man after his owne image and likenes to the end that he might in this visible world represent his creator as in his most liuely semblance was not onely pleased to build him his lodging first to wit the whole world but would also replenish and furnish it euery where to the end that nothing might be found emptie But that which is herein to bee chiefly considered is that this diuine prouidence hauing giuen essence to all corporall creatures hath therewithall prouided necessarie meanes to keepe and preserue them all in their natures For minding to giue life to birds to fishes and to the beastes of the earth he had already prepared their foode before he had created them and had ordained the earth as the mother and the nurse of all creatures which are engendred and which dwell and are conuersant therein How creatures are nourished and preserued and in the waters and aire also for the birds and fishes Moreouer as all bodies are composed of fire of aire of earth and of water so the Lords will was that all these enimies should conioine togither and receiue aide one from another to the preseruation of liuing creatures by vertue of the alliance and agreement which is not onely betwixt the said elements but also betwixt them and the celestiall spheres as wee haue alreadie discoursed For considering that they be the principles of things hauing life they cannot liue nor be naturally conserued but by meane of the very same elements from which they take their originall And therefore the prouidence of God causeth that they doe all accord togither to nourish and maintaine those creatures which he hath made and created But seeing that we are in talke of the fertilitie of the Earth Of the fertility of the earth ordayned by God to that ende according as we haue declared who is it that can number the diuers kinds of herbs of trees and of all sorts of plants which it produceth And who is it that can but onely name and finde proper denominations agreeable vnto them And if we should speake of their diuersities and varieties in rootes in stalks in stockes in tops in branches in boughes in leaues in shapes in flowers in colours in seeds in fruits in tastes in smels and in sauours who would not maruell verie much We see how the Lord speaking onely of the Lilly of the field doth testifie that Salomon in all his royaltie was not adorned like one of those and therefore he bringeth it as a testimonie of his goodnes in reproch of those which take care for their clothing as if they distrusted in the prouidence of God Matth. 6. Luk. 12. and as if they supposed him not able enough to apparell them or at least that he had not so much care of men as he hath of the herbs and flowers of the field which he endueth and decketh with so gallant clothing with so many sorts of excellent faire colours and yet