may be said to be respiration but since nothing properly can be said to breath but that which hath lungs the instruments of breathing which indeed fishes have not The conclusion is cleare That they have rather a sort of refrigeration then respiration Quest. But is it of truth which wee heare of our Navigators that in the Southerne seas they have seene flying fishes and herring like a foggie or moist cloud fleeing above their heads and falling againe in the Seas with a rushing and flushing Answ. Yea I thinke it possible for the great Creator as he hath created the foules of the Aire the beasts of the earth and the fishes of the Sea at the first creation in their owne true kindes So hath hee made of all these kindes Amphibia And as there are foure footed beasts and fowles of double kinds living promiscuously on land and water why may there not be fishes of that nature also of which hereafter So hath hee indued the Aire as the more noble element of the three with that prerogative that in it either fowles or watery creatures might be engendred out of vapors either moist or terrestriall or extracted from standing lakes stanckes marishes myres or the like oyly and marshie places which waters elevated to the Aire by the violent operation of the Sunnes beames either from the Seas or the fore-said places by the benefit of the warme Aire where they abide as in the fertile belly of a fruitfull mother doe there receave the figure either of frogge or fish according to the predominancy of the matter whereof that vapor is composed from whence again as all heavie things doe tend downeward so doe they also Which hath made some suppose that herrings by them called flying fishes doe descend from the aire their place of generation where indeed more truly the error commeth this way the Herrings in their season doe come in great shoales as Sea men say upon the superfice of the waters where scudding along the coasts some sudden gale of wind they being elevated upon the top of some vaste wave may chance to blow them violently so farre till they encounter and light on a higher billow which hath made Marriners thinke they flie Quest. What have you to say to this that as there are fishes extraordinary so I have heard of fowles without either feete or plumes Answ. Fowles they cannot be because fowles are defined to be living creatures feathered and two footed and since these are not such fowles they cannot be And yet Iulius Scaliger exercitatione 228. sect 1. 24. maketh mention of them calling them Apodes which Greeke word is as much as without feete Quest. But leaving the various diversities of fowles as the Geese who hatch their egges under their paw or foote and the like how doe those claick geese in Scotland breed whereof Du Bartas maketh mention as of a rare work of nature Answ. Their generation is beyond the ordinary course of nature in so much that ordinarily one creature begetteth another but so it is that this fowle is engendred of certaine leaves of trees out of which in a manner it buddeth and ripeneth Now these trees growing upon the bankes of lakes doe at their due time cast these leaves which falling into the lake doe there so putrifie that of them is engendred a Worme which by some secret fomentation agitation of the waters with the Suns helpe groweth by little and little to be a fowle somewhat bigger than a Mallard or wild Duck and in those waters they live and feed and are eaten by the inhabitants thereabouts First then I resolve their questions who argument against the possibility of this generation and then I shall cleare you of that doubt you have proposed thus it standeth then with these Argumentators when Aristotle in his last chapter of his third booke De generatione animalium before he had dissenssed the materiall causes of all kind of perfect creatures In the end falleth upon the materiall cause of insects and so of the lesse perfect one kinde of them he maketh to be produced of a Marish clay an earthie and putrified slimie substance whereof wormes froggs snailes and the like are produced the Sun beames as the efficient cause working upon that matter The other sort is more perfect and these are our Bees waspes flyes midges and so forth which are engendred of some putrified substance as peradventure of a dead horse oxe or asse out of which by the operation of the environing aire and the internal putrefaction together they are brought forth The insects of the Sea are said to have the like generations whereof Aristotle De historia Animalium lib. 1. cap. 1. Et in libro de respiratione and lately the learned Scaliger Exercitatione 191 sect 2. Notwithstanding the venerable testimony and authority of such famous Authors yet our beleevers of miracles doe reason thus both against the generation of the Claik Geese and of the Insects also Every thing begotten must be engendred of a like unto it selfe as men horse Sheepe Neat c. engender their life and this by the warrant and authoritie of Aristotle else where but particularly cap. 7. Meteor Text 2. Quest. But so it is that the body of the heavens the Sun and his heate are no wayes similia or alike unto these Insects produced and procreated from the slymie and putrified matters above rehearsed And therefore that cannot be the way of their generation Thus they Answ. To this answer must be made Philosophically in distinguishing the word alike to it selfe for things may be said alike unto other either of right or univoce as they say in the Schooles That way indeed our Insects are not a like to the putrified earth or beast they came of but Analogice they may be said to be alike that is in some respect in so farre as they communicate in this that they are produced of the earth and by the warmenesse of the Sun which are things actually existing Quest. Now to cleere the question concerning fowles wanting feete and feathers whether may such things be or not Ans. Yea for as the great Creator hath ordained in nature betwixt himselfe and us men here Angels yea good and bad spirits betwixt sensitive and insensitive Creatures mid creatures which wee call Zoophyta and Plantanimalia as the Fishes Holuthuna stella marina Pulmo marinus c. Even so betwixt fowles and fishes nature produced middle or meane creatures by the Greekes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or beasts of two lives partly living by waters partly by earth And of this sort these fowles must be as betwixt land beasts and fishes are frogs and Crocodills and some others the like Sect. 10. Of fishes and their generation How fowles are generated in the waters If gold can be made potable and of the matter of precious stones Question BVt you have not as yet sufficiently enough satisfied my minde of that scruple
wherewith it was perplexed for I was saying that if things on the earth were propagated by their likes as by the authority of Aristotle I did instance and almost unto that the Lyrick Poet Horace applaudeth while he saith although not to this purpose wholly fortes creantur fortibus and againe Nec imbellem feroces progenerant aquilae columbam then how can fishes be said to live and have their substance of and by the Sea For if the Maxime both of Philosophie and medicine hold good that we exist and have our being of those things wherof we are nourished surely fishes existing of a more grosse and more materiall substance than water is cannot be said to live by the Sea much lesse Fowles seeing their flesh is more terrestriall and for that cause they build and bring forth their young ones upon the Land whereas otherwayes it should seeme that they live and have their essence and existence from the Sea for in Genesis we reade that the Great Creator commanded the waters to produce swimming creeping and flying creatures upon the Earth Answ. With Aristotle whom you object to mee you must consider that in the fire and ayre no Creature is framed For so in the 4th Booke of his Meteors he holdeth from them two indeed he admitteth vertue and power to bee derived to those which are created upon the Earth and in the Waters true it is that Fowles being volatile Creatures their generation should have fallen by lot in the Ayre but in respect that none can be well procreated there the next Element became their bringer forth as neerest in nature to the Ayre and as being little lesse than a condensed Ayre from which these Foules might soone flye up so that all things here below being made up of a dry and then of a thickned moist matter which are the Earth and Waters no marvell that properly of them all things are procreated howbeit they may be said to have their temperament and vertues from the superior two fire and ayre and where it may be objected how the matter of Fishes should be so firme and solid they being nourished by the thin waterish and slimy substance of the waters it must be considered that the Seas and waters are not so exempted of some mixture of earth in them out that even as the Earth some way participateth of them so they impart partly to it their moistnesse againe of which mixture both Fowles and Fishes doe live Quest. What is your opinion concerning the potablenesse of Gold after which our Chymists and Extractors of quintessences Calcinators and Pulverizers of Metals make such search and labour whereby Gold made drinkable as they undertake our youth neere spent may be renewed againe all diseases cured and the drinker thereof to live for many Ages Answ. Although Gold of all Metals be the King as the Sun amongst the Planets and that it is the softest of all and most volatile so the easiest to bee extended and wrought upon in so much that one Ounce of it is able to cover many Ounces and Pounds of Silver yea although of all Metals it abideth the triall of the fire best and loseth nothing by it as Arist. in the 3. Booke of his Meteors cap. 6. observeth yet that it may be made potable I doubt much of it and am a Galenist in that point and that for these two notable reasons which Iulius Scaliger setteth downe in his 272. Exercitation First because there must bee some resemblance betwixt the body nourished and the thing that nourisheth which no more holdeth betwixt our bodies and gold than betwixt a living and a dead thing Secondly because nothing is able to nourish us which the heate of our stomack is not able to digest But such is Gold and therefore c. Alwayes of the worth and vertue of Gold reade Plinius lib. 1. c. 3. capâ— 1. Quest. Now what is the matter of precious-Stones earth it cannot be for it is heavie dull and blackish coloured they are glitteringly transparent like Stars water it is not for even Crystalline Ice will dissolve whereas they for hardnesse are almost indissoluble yet Cleopatra is said to have liquefide a Pearle to Anthonie Answ. They are of most purified earth not without some mixture of moistnesse but such as are both mavellously by the force of the Sun subtilized tempered and concocted Section 11. Of the Earth its circumference thicknesse and distance from the Sunne OVR Cosmographers generally but more particularly our Geographers have beene very bold to take upon them the hability as I am informed to shew how many graines of Wheate or Barley will encompasse the whole Earth which I esteeme a thing impossible to any mortall man to doe and therefore frivolous to be undertaken and I think it very much if they can demonsttate how many Miles it is in compasse leaving to trouble their wits with the other yet hereupon I desire to be resolved Answ. The Philosophicall generall knowledge of things is twofold either knowing things which fall under the reach of their Science in their effects thereby to come to the knowledg of the cause or contrariwise by the cause first to know the effects to come But the Mathematicall demonstrations whereof Geometry is a part consist not in these speculations but in reall demonstrations and that in such sort that their positions being once well founded thereon they may build what they please whereas on the other side a little error or mistaking in the beginning becommeth great and irreparable in the end and so to make way to your answer there is no question but if once a Geometrian give up the infallible number of the Miles which the Earth will reach to in compasse but soone and on a sudden hee may shew how many graines will encompasse it for it is universally held that the Earth is in circuit one and twenty thousands and so many odde hundred Miles a Mile consisteth of a thousand paces a pace of five feet a foot of foure palmes a palme of foure fingers breadth a fingers beadth of foure Barley cornes and so from the first to the last the number of the Miles holding sure the supputation of the graines number will cleere it selfe by Multiplication Quest. By that meanes I see you seeme to make no difficulty of that whereof I so much doubted Answ. No indeed and in this point I perceive how farre learned men are to be respected above ignorants yea as much as Pearles Diamonds or precious Stones are to be preferred to grosse Minerals Quest. Seeing all depende upon the knowledge of the Earths compasse then how many Miles hold you it to be in roundnesse Answ. The discovery of our new found-lands and the confident assurance which our moderne Navigators and Mappers have of this Terra australis incognita maketh that punctually not to be pointed out but what may satisfie in that or in knowing how thick the masse of the
matter whereof the Heavens are composed with the confutation of various opinions of Philosophers concerning it Pag. 4 Sect. 2. Of the Starres their substance and splendor where also of the Sunnes place in the Firmament 8 Sect. 3. Of the Moone her light substance and power over all sublunary bodies 10 Sect. 4. Of the Element of Fire whether it be an Element or not and of its place 12 Sect. 5. A briefe Discourse of Meteors of their causes matter and differences Sect. 6. That the Earth and Waters make but one Globe which must bee the Center of the World Of the Seas saltnesse deepnesse flux and reflux why the Mediterrancan and Indian Seas have none Of Magellanes strait what maketh so violent tyde there seeing there is none in the Indian Sea from whence it floweth Of the Southerne Sea or Mare del Zur 18 Sect. 7. That the mountaines and valleyes dispersed over the earth hindreth not the compleatnesse of its roundnes Of burning mountaines and caves within the Earth 25 Sect. 8. Of time whether it be the producer or consumer of things Of the wisedome and sagacity of some Horses and Dogges How the Adamant is mollified of the Needle in the Sea Compas and the reason of its turning alwayes to the North. 28 Sect. 9. Of Fishes if they may be said to breathe seeing they lack pulmons Of flying fishes if such things may be c. which are the reasons of their possibility are deduced exemplified 34 Sect. 10. Of fishes and their generation How fowles are generated in the waters If gold can be made potable and of the matter of precious stones 40 Sect. 11. Of the Earth its circumference thicknesse and distance from the Sunne 43 A TABLE OF THE SECOND BOOKE OF METEORS Chapt. 1. THe definition of Meteors their matter substance place and cause 46 Chap. 2. Where Meteors are composed of Clouds where they are fashioned together with the solution of some questions concerning the middle Region 52 Chapt. 3. Of falling Starres Fleakes in the ayre and other such â—â—ery Meteors 55 Chapt. 4. Of Comets their matter forme nature and what way they portend evill to come 61 Chap. â— Of Râ—ine Dew Hâ—are-frost and their cause 69 Chap. 6. Of Snow its cause matter and nature 73 Chap. 7. Of Windes their true cause matter and nature c. 75 Chap. 8. Of Earth-quakes their cause and nature 79 Chap. 9. Of Thunder Lightning Haâ—le and certaine other secrets of Nature with their solution 82 Chap. 10. Of Rivers Fountaines and Springs their sources and causes 88 A TABLE OF THE Third Booke OF ARMIES AND BATTELS Sect. 1. THat greatest Armies have not alwayes carried away the victory the reason of it two examples of Semiramis and Xerxes 97 Sect. 2. Examples of Greeke Roman and Brittish Battels where the fewer number have overcome the greater 100 Sect. 3. Whether it bee requisite that Princes hazard their Persons in field or not of the encouragement that their presence giveth to the Souldiers When a King should venture to the field and what Lievtenants are to be deputed by him all exemplified 102 Sect. 4. Of the Romans prudencie and foresight in sending two Commanders abroad with their Armies and why the Grecians conjoyned two in their Embassies and of the danger of too strict Commissions 105 Sect. 5. Difference betweene Battels and Duels that Generals may refuse challenges with some passages betwixt Hannibal and Scipio in their warres 108 Sect. 6. That the exploits of our moderne Warriours have bin every way comparable to those of the Ancient with some examples to that effect 111 Sect. 7. The different betwixt the ancient manner of warfare and the moderne how farre the moderne engines of Warre exceede those of the ancient Greekes and Romans 113 Sect. 8. That the Ancients in their warres had greater opportunities to try their prowesse in battell than the modernes have 115 Sect. 9. The manner how the Greekes and Romans ordered their battels both by sea and by land the battels of Cannas and Trasimenes described 116 Sect. 10. A Maxime in Militarie discipline inferred to confirme Pompeys oversight at the battell of Pharsalia 119 Sect. 11. That the French what within their owne Countrey and abroad have fought more battels of late times than any other Nation and of their successe in them 120 Sect. 12. That Emulation amongst the Princes in France rather than Religion was the cause of the many Civill-warres there 122 A TREATISE OF DVELS and COMBATS Sect. 1. OF Combats by Champions for cleering of Queenes honours Combats betwixt Ladies betwixt Church-men and betwixt Iudges Combatants rewarded by Kings their spectators and S. Almachius kill'd for declaiming against Duels c. Sect. 2. A recitall of two memorable duels the one in France betwixt Monsieur de Creky and Don Philippin the other in Spaine betweene Pedro Torrello and Ieronimo Anca both of Arragon in the presence of Charles the fifth 129 Sect. 3. How Combats may be thought permissible the relation of a Combat betwixt Iarnacke and Chastigneray in the presence of King Henry the second of France citations of the Canon Law against Combats Examples of a Combate where the innocent was killed that the decision of all such questions whereupon Duels were permitted ought to be left to God 133 Sect. 4. Severall objections for the tolleration of Duels and Combats confuted Cajetans opinion of Duels wherein also the lawfulnesse of Battels is allowed 136 Sect. 5. Cajetans reason for referring the event of Battels to Monomachie where also is inserted the story of the Horatii and Curiatii 139 Sect. 6. That Kings and Generals of Armies for saving of the greater bloud-shed of their Souldiers have fought single for victories Examples of both A quarrell and challenge betwixt the Emperour Charles the fifth and Francis the first King of France how it tooke no effect 141 Sect. 7. A discourse of a combate where thirteene French Knights fought against so many Italians wherein the French were overcome and some observations thereupon 144 Sect. 8. A memorable Polymachie betwixt two kindreds in the High-lands of Scotland betwixt whom there had beene a long and mortall enmity for the totall extirpation of the one of them fought before Kiâ—g Robert the second at Perth in Scotland 147 Sect. 9. A combate appointed by two French Barons the one of Gasconie the other of Poictou which was taken up of their own accord in the field the end of this Title 149 A TREATISE OF DEATH And of divers Orders and Ceremonies of Burials Sect. 1. The remembrance of death requisite in all men Ceremonies for the remembrance of it some documents against the feare of it what death Iulius Caesar wished of Autocides of selfe-murtherers c. 153 Sect. 2. That Christians ought not to feare death as the Ethnicks did All things save man keepe their constant course The uncertainty of mans life 156 Sect. 3. In what reverence the interring of the dead was amongst the Ancients Of Alexander of Sylla How
his trunck from the Pole Artick from the North and East to the Antartick South West stretching forth the left Arme to the Mediterranean the other to the West-Indian-Seas now the Ocean as the lungs of this imagined body worketh by Systole and Diastole on the neerer parts to it maketh a flux and reflux where its force faileth in the extremities the hands and feet the Mediterranean and Indian Seas Quest. How is that possible that you admit no flux nor reflux to the West-Indian-Seas seeing their Histories informe us that at Magellanes-strait that same West Sea doth glide through the firme land of America into the Mare Del Zur and that with such rapiditie and vertiginousnesse that no Ship is able with Wind or Art to returne from that South-Sea backward Answ. That must not be thought so much a flowing as the course of Nature whereby the Heavens Sun Moone and Stars yea and the Sea doe course from East to West as that Strait doth run I may joyne to this the Easterly-wind which of all others bloweth most commonly as elsewhere so there also which furthereth that violent course and of this opinion is Peter Martyr in his Decads upon the Historie of that Countrey Quest. Admit all be true you say but what have you to say to this that the Mare Del Zur hath flux and reflux and yet your West-Indian-Seas have little or none as you confesse how then can the Moone be the cause of the universall Seas ebbing and flowing seeing they two under one Moone both are neverthelesse so different in Nature and yet so neere in place Answ. Seeing Ferdinando Oviedes who was both Cosmographer Hydographer leaveth that question undilucidated as a thing rather to be admired than solved leaving to the Reader thereby in a manner to adore the great Maker in the variousnes of his works I thinke much more may I be excused not to pry too deepely in it Quest. What is the cause then seeing the Moone is alike in power over all waters that Lakes and Rivers flow not and ebbe not as well as the Sea doth Answ. Because these waters are neither large nor deepe enough for her to worke upon and so they receive but a small portion of her influence Quest. What is the reason why seeing the Sea is salt that the Rivers and Fountaines which flow from her for we all know that the Sea is the Mother of all other waters as to her they runne all back againe exinde fluere saith the Poet retro sublapsareferri are not salt likewise Answ. Because the Earth through whose veines and conduits these waters doe passe to burst forth thereafter in springs cleanseth and mundifieth all saltnesse from them as they passe It seemeth that your former discourse maketh way for answer to such as aske why the Sea doth never debord nor accreace a whit notwithstanding that all other waters doe degorge themselves into her bosome the reason being because there runneth ever as much out of her to subministrate water to springs and rivers as she affordeth them But is it possible which is reported that our late Navigators have found by experience that the Seas water so many fathomes below the superficies is fresh so that now they may draw up waters to their shippes by certaine woodden or rather yron vessells which ovally closed doe slyde thorough the first two or three fathomes of the salted superfice downe to the fresh waters where artificially it opens and being filled straight shutteth againe and so is drawne up which they report to have but small difference in tast from the waters of fresh Rivers which if it bee true is a strange but a most happily discovered secret Answ. Yea it is possible for probably it may be thought that the Sunnes raies which before are granted to bee the cause of the Seas saltnesse penetrate no further than the first superfice like as on the contrary the coldnesse of the Northerne windes freezeth but the uppermost water congealing them into Ice or the reason may better be the perpetuall and constant running and disgolfing of Rivers brookes and springs from the earth into it And verily I could be induced to thinke the Mediterranean sea the Sound of Norwey and such like which lye low and are every where encompassed with the higher land except where they breake in from the greater Ocean that such Seas should be fresh low in regard of the incessant currents of large Rivers into them and in respect they doe not furnish water back again to the springs rivers and fountaines seeing they are low beneath the earth yea it hath troubled many braines to understand what becommeth of these waters which these Seas dayly receave but it cannot bee receaved for possible that the waters of the great Ocean are fresh at least drinkably fresh under the first two or three fathomes it being by God in natures decree made salt for portablenesse Sect. 7. That the Mountaines and valleys dispersed over the earth hindreth not the Compleatnesse of its roundnesse Of burning mountaines and Caves within the earth BVt leaving the Sea thus much may be demaunded concerning the earth why it is said to be round since there are so inaccessible high mountaines and such long tracts of plaine valleys scattered over it all Answ. These mountaines and valleys are no more in respect of the earth to hinder its roundnesse then a little flie is upon a round bowll or a naile upon a wheele to evince the rotunditie of it for the protuberances of such knobs deface not the exact roundnesse of the whole Globe as not having a comparable proportion with it But what signifie these burning mountaines so frightfull to men which may be seene in severall places of the earth as that of Island called Hecla in Sicilie called Aetna besides the burning hills of Naples which I have seene one in Mexico in our new found lands of America so formidable as is wonderfull If the earth be cold as you give it forth to be then how can these mountaines burne so excessively or if they bee chimneys of hell venting the fire which burneth there in the center of the earth or not Answ. No question but as there are waters of divers sorts some sweet others salt and others sulphureous according to the minerall veynes they run thorough right so there be some partes of the earth more combustible then others which once being enflamed and kindled either by the heate of the Sunnes beames or by some other accident and then fomented by a little water which rather redoubleth the heate then extinguisheth it as we see by experience in our farriers or smiths forges where to make their coales or charco ales burne the bolder they bedew or besprinkle them with water they hold stil burning the sulphureous ground ever subministrating fewell to the inflammation But they and the like do not hinder the earths being cold no more than one or
have one common matter whereof they are generated and if they have one what can be the cause of their different shapes and formes for we see the snow broad and soft contrarieways haile round and hard No question but one matter is common to all viz. Waters from which by vapours they are elevated to the aire and in which they are dissolved againe but the difference standeth here That the neerest matter to say so of snow is vapours congealed in a cloud which hath in it a great mixture of aire by which meanes being some way heated when the snow dissolveth you see it holdeth open and soft by reason of that aire whereas haile hath no airy substance in it and thus qualified by experience that we see haile fall downe on a suddaine and ofttimes with violence because of the terrestriall heavinesse of it whereas snow falleth but leasurely The reason why haile is round may be this because falling down from the middle region where it is congealed by the way it reencountereth with some circular and round drop of raine or water which accordingly by the rolling about of the haile it selfe becommeth hard likewise more especially as not having any hot place but the cold aire to fall through till it light on our lowest region which accidentally hot for the time you see maketh them immediately after their lighting upon the earth to dissolve quickly or at least not long after And as these two are formed in the highest of the middle regions and for the extreame cold which is there are congealed so on the other side because the clouds from whence raine issueth doe not ascend so high therefore they dissolve in drops before they can be congealed And so by degrees dew and Hoar-frost because they are not mounted so high as the matter and clouds of raine Therefore they fall sooner and softlyer then raine doth so one matter is common mother unto all of them but the degrees of their elevation in the aire maketh their differences the haile higher then the Snow the Snow then the Raine the Raine then the Hoar-frost mildew or dew is CHAP 10. Of Rivers Fountaines and Springs their sources and causes THere ariseth a question here not unworthy of our consideration Whether the Springs and Rivers in and on the earth have their originall from the waters of the Sea by subterranean conduits or from the waters on the superfice of the earth which is caused by raine or finally from the huge and unmeasurable caverns and hollow places of the earth in whose bowells are monstrous lakes pooles and other standing waters created of the ayre therein enclosed which not having any vent to ascend upward but being condensed there dissolveth it selfe into these waters Now before we enter into the solution of this question we must understand that when I speake of the vast and endlesse caves like valleys within the bowels of the earth wherein waters are that it is no invention of mine own for Seneca with him Aristotle in his Meteorologicks in the 19 booke of his naturall questions instanceth it saying Quid miraris saith he si distructos terra non sentiat cum adjectos mare non sentit And againe Quemad modum supra nos imbres it a infra nos fluvios aer facit supra autem nos diu segnis aer stare non potest qui aut sole atteâ—uatur aut vento expâ—nditur sub terra autem quod aerem in aquam vertit idem semper est scilicet umbra aeterna frigus perenne in excitato densitas quae semper materiam fontibus fluminibusque praebebunt and so forth all which hee confirmeth in that same place by authority of Theophrast whom hee bringeth in saying That since the Earth hath swallowed Townes Cities and houses who can doubt but that there are within her bowels Brookes Caves Dens and Valleyes which seeing they cannot be empty must of necessity bee full of waters Seeing then all things are composed of all the Elements as of their common causes For water is a thickned ayre and the Ayre againe a rarified water How then can these subterranean hollow places but be full of waters since the Earth doth dissolve in waters to fil them up For the earth being delved or digged but a very few footsteps downe water doth straight appeare earth and water being of as great affinity as ayre and waters are howbeit Zeno and others doe contradict this opinion saying That the Earth is a massie solid and homogenean body I say that absolutely the Sea as a common Mother to all waters is she from whence all Rivers and Springs have their source but yet not so wholly but that they may be augmented by raine and water as wee see by experience that after huge raines both Fountaines and rivers doe accreasse And if it bee asked how water being of its owne nature heavie can leave its owne element and centre and bee conveighed to the tops of Mountaines and high places as may bee daily seene almost every where To this first I say that the Sea being some way higher than the Earth most easily by its owne conduits and channels it may make passage unto it selfe as through so many veines Besides this the vapours which the Suns heat and the power of some other Planets raiseth from the waters even under the earth are not ever exhaled and carried aloft to the Ayre but sometimes are even retained for a long time in solid places of the innermost parts of the earth where gathering themselves into the concavities thereof they boile upward by the force of the said agitation as a pot upon the fire by the force of an under heare so these waters bubling up through the earth cause our fountaines which running downeward againe to the Valleys and Plaines doe make our Brookes Rivers and Springs And of this opinion is venerable Albertus Coloniensis commenting Aristotle upon this question Dubio nono decimo Or it may be said that the caverns and concavities of the earth being filled up with waters which distill from the want of the caved earth above are procured by the grosse Ayre there inclosed and converted into waters which issuing out of the rarer or voider parts of the Earth above do occasion these Springs Rivers and Brookes If it be demanded if steepe Mountaines do not retribute and send downe waters to feed our Springs and Rivers there is no question for in their concavities of certaine there are treasures of waters which bursting out at their lower parts doe yeeld plenty enough to bedew the lower Countries not that these waters are gathered there by raines which fall for raine-waters penetrate not so deepe into the earth but rather that the Mountaines themselves being spongeous doe attract and draw together their whole dissolved waterish matter to the frontiers and concavities from whence surging and breaking-forth through orifices they grow into springs brooks and sometimes rivers
that fishes breath What way fishes may be said to breath If herring can â—â—ie How herring may be engendred in the Aire A sea-sawing râ—â—â—on why herring 〈◊〉 site Apodes or fowles without feet or Plumes Of Claick Geese Diverse kindes of Insects Sea Insects Reasons why Insects are not propagated by a Celestiall heat What middle Creatures are How fishes can be said to live by the Sea seeing their flesh is more firme then the water whereof they are geneâ—â—ted How fowles are brought forth in waters The cause of the firme flesh of fishes That Gold cannot bee made potable The matter of precious stones Quest. Two Philosophicall wayes to know things What leeteth that We cannot aright give up the supputation of the Earths cricumference Diversity of opinions concerning the worlds Compasse The earths circumference or compasse The thicknesse of the earth Distance of the earth from heaven The most approved opinion of the earths distance from the Sun Definition of Meteors their matter substance and height of formation Meteors severally considered by Philosophers and naâ—uralists A comparison of these Vapors â—nto the body of man chiefly to the venâ—â—icle and head Whether there be any exhalaâ—ions from the lowest Region of the ayre The lowest region of the aire is hot and moist both by nature and accident The uppermost region hot and dry The middle region is only cold at least respectively In what region of the Ayre the Meteors are composed What clouds are Clouds are fashioned in the middle region Concerning the middle â—â—gion Solution The foggy vapours which we see like clouds skimming our lakes are but ascending to frame the cloud The matter and forme of fiery Meteors from whence they proceed What are our falling-stars What maketh them fal dovvn seeing they are light Solution Of thunâ—er the matter whereof and place where The matter forme of thâ—se which we call pretty Dancers Fower sorts of vapors ascend from the earth and waters which arâ— the neerest mâ—tter of all Meteors Ayre what Raine what wind Quest. What is the cause that the falling Stars make no noyse as the Thunder seeing one matter is common to both What meaneth these fiâ—es wee see by night before us or by us when we ride at some times Why are they not seene in the day time What be these complainings and laughing which sometimes are heard in the ayre They are Aereall spirits The nature forme of comets The reason of their long hayre or beard Sometimes they are round Halos 1. area What are the Circles about the Moone which we call broughes What course the Comets observe Answer for the diverse courses of Comets What maketh the Comets commonly move from the South to the North. The place of their abode commonly Whether or not they can portend evill to come The Philosophers deny it admitting them but as naturall things The Philosophicall reason why not Other of their reasons why they can portend no evill to come Other reasons of theirs The contrary is seene by experience Lamentable accidents which have followed after the appearing of Comets The reasons which our Astronomicall Philosophers give that Comets may portend change of States Examples of Comets appearing before desolâ—tion Answer to the former objections Conclusion of comets with a particular observation The first matter of raine The way how raine falleth downe The matter manner how dew is engendred What is that which in France we call Serene The matter manner how Hoare-frost are fashioned The place where dew and hoare-frost are framed Some more good observations of dew and Hoar-frost What Snow is Much Snow in the Northerne climats and Why Difference betwixt the Snowy cloud and the rainy one The matter and cause of winde The beginning of wind is but small but it encreaseth in blowing A place of Scripture concerning winds solved What maketh raine commonly follow winde And what after raine What maketh some windes cold other hot seeing one matter is common to both What maketh that in the heat of Summer there are fewest winds seeing then there should be most The way how the wind bloweth Againe the way how the wind bloweth The matter and forme of Earthquakes What makes the Southerne countries most subject to these earthquakes The odâ— betweene wind earthquakes A very fit comparison As our bodies are stirred with a hot ague even so the earth with an inclosed wind A remarkable question Solutions both Philosophicall and Theologicall What is the matter of lightnings The right cause of the noyse of thunder after the lightning Why we see the lightning before wee heare the noyse And why doâ—â— it descend seing it is light The cause of the admirable effects of thunder Why the thunder of blacke clouds are more terrible then those of White Why those that be thunder beaten smell of brimstone The true matter of thunder The reason why the thunder of black clouds are most dangerous All weake Meteors have one common matter Their difference in forme and place Why haile is round Why raine falleth in drops From whence fountains have their courses That there is waters within the earth The Sea the mother of fountaines How Fountaines are on the tops of mountaines How mountaine furnisheth water unto fountains Why some springs cease running What maketh two fountaines a little distant one hot and another cold The veines through which the waters run maketh them salt hot or cold Gods power outreacheth mans wisdome The comparison of the great little world A worthy similitude Greatest armies have not alwayes done great Semiramis innumerable army defeated by a very few under an Indian Prince Xerxes alio overthrowne by a handfull of Greekes and Salamines The battaile of Thermopilae Iohn King of France overthrowne by Edward the black Prince of England Edward Carnarvan of england overthrowen by Bruce at Bannak-burne Scanderbeg with a handfulâ— overthrew Mahomet If Princes may hazzard their persons in a field or not Queene Elizabeth on the front of her armie in 88. The countenance of a King a great incouragement unto souldiers When a King should be in proper person in a field Why powerful subjects are not alwâ—yes fiâ—est to bee elected Generals of armies One Generall â—itter not two How the Romans and Grecians send two Commanders with their armies abroad Their foresight and prudence herein Fabius and Marcellus contrary dispositions Why the Grecians did send alwayes two in ambassage or to field The limitating of Generals Commission dangerous Great ods betwixt battels and duels To shun fighting at times is no disgrace unto a General Hannibal sueth for peace at Scipio Hannibals speech unto Scipio Sr. Fr. Drakes stratageme in 88. Hannibals stratagem A comparison of drawing up of our armies with the Old Romans If the Roman field malice exceeded ours yet our beleaguring instruments of warre exceed theirs The terriblenes of our pieces How the Romans had a fitter occasion of trying their valour then we The battell of Lepanto surpasseth all the Romans Sea-fights
and then are perceived to flutter about Horse-meines and feet or amongst people gone astray in darke nights And these our Meteorologians call Ignes fatui ignes lambentes wilde-fires Sect. 6. That the earth and waters make but one globe which must be the Center of the world Of the Seas saltnesse deepnesse flux and reflux why the mediterranean Indian Seas have none Of Magellanes strait what maketh so violent tyde there seeing there is none in the Indian Sea from whence it floweth Of the Southerne Sea or Mare del Zur THus then leaving the Aire I betake me unto the third and fourth elements which are the earth and waters for these two I conjoyne in the Chapter of the world and that after the opinion of the most renowned Cosmographers howbeit Plinius Lib. 2. Naturalis Histor cap. 66. and with him Strabo lib. 1. distinguish them so as they would have the waters to compasse the earth about the middle as though the one halfe of it were under the waters and the other above like a bowle or Apple swimming in a vessell for indeede Ptolomee his opinion is more true that the earth and waters mutually and linkingly embrace one another and make up one Globe whose center should be the' center of the world But here now I aske seeing the frame of the universe is such that the heaven circularly encompasseth the low spheares each one of them another these the fire it the Aire the aire againe encompasseth the waters what way shall the water be reputed an element if it observe not the same elementarie course which the rest doe which is to compasse the earth also which should be its elementarie place Answer True it is that the nature of the element is such but GOD the Creator hath disposed them other wayes and that for the Well of his Creatures upon earth Who as he is above nature and at times can worke beyond and above it for other wayes the earth should have beene made improfitable either for the production or entertainement of living and vegetable Creatures if all had beene swallowed up and covered with waters both which now by their mutuall embracing they do hence necessarily it followeth that the Sea is not the element of water seeing all elements are simple and unmixt creatures whereas the Seas are both salt and some way terrestriall also How deepe hold you the Sea to be Answ. Proportionably shallow or deepe as the earth is either stretched forth in valleys or swelling in mountaines and like enough it is that where the mouth of a large valley endeth at the Sea that shooting as it were it selfe forth into the said Sea that there it should bee more shallow then where a tract of mountaines end or shall I say that probably it is thought that the Sea is as deepe or shallow below as commonly the earth is high in mountaines and proportionably either deepe or shallow as the earth is either high in mountaines or low and streacht forth in vallies But what reason can you render for the Seas saltnesse Answer If we trust Aristotle in his 2 booke of Meteors and 3. as he imputeth the ebbing and flowing of the Sea to the Moone so he ascribeth the cause of its saltnesse to the Sunne by whose beames the thinnest and sweetest purer parts of it are extenuated and elevated in vapors whilest the thicker and more terrestriall parts which are left behind by that same heate being adust become bitter and salt which the same Author confirmeth in that same place before cited by this that the Southerne Seas are salter and that more in Summer then the others are and inforceth it by a comparison in our bodies where our urine by him is alleadged to be salt in respect that the thinner and purer part of that moistnesse by our inborne warmenesse is conveyed and carryed from our stomack wherein by our meate and drinke it was engendred thorough the rest of the parts of our body Neither leaveth he it so but in his Problems Sect 23. 30. for corroboration hereof he maintaineth that the lower or deeper the sea-Sea-water is it is so much the fresher and that because the force of the Suns heat pierces and reaches no further then the Winter Cold extendeth its force for freezing of waters unto the uppermost superfice only and no further If it bee true then that the Seas are salt wherefore are not lakes and rivers by that same reason salt also Answer Because that the perpetuall running and streames of rivers in flouds hindreth that so that the sun beames can catch no hold to make their operation upon them and as for lakes because they are ever infreshed with streames of fresh springs which flow and run into them they cannot be salt at all the same reason almost may serve to those who asâ—â— what makes some springs savour of salt some vitrioâ—â—â—â—e of brimstone some of brasse and the like To which nothing can be more pertinently answered then that the diversity of mineralls through which they run giveth them those severall tastes What have you to say concerning the cause of the flowing and ebbing of the Sea Answ. To that all I can say is this that Aristotle himselfe for all his cunning was so perplexed in following that doubt that he died for griefe because he could not understand it aright if it be truth which Coelius Rhodiginus lib. 29. antiquarum lectionum cap. 8. writeth of him it is true indeede yea and more probable that many ascribe the cause of his death to have beene a deepe melancholy contracted for not conceaving the cause aright of the often flowing and ebbing of Euripus a day rather than to the not knowing the true cause of the Seas ebbing and flowing chiefly seeing Meteor 2 3. he ascribeth it to the Moone the mother and nurse of all moist things which is the most receaved opinion and warranted with the authoritie of Ptolomee and Plinius both as depending upon her magnetick power being of all Planets the lowest and so the neerer to the Sea which all doe acknowledge to bee the mistris of moisture and so no question but to it it must be referred which may bee fortified with this reason That at all full Moones and changes the Seas flowing and swelling is higher then at other times and that all high streams and tydes are observed to bee so seeing the Moone doth shine alike upon all Seas what is the cause that the Mediterranean Sea together with the West Indian-Seas all along Hispaniola and Cuba and the Coasts washing along the firme Land of America to a world of extent hath no ebbing nor flowing but a certain swelling not comparable to our Seas ebbing and flowing Answ. Gonsalus Ferdinando Oviedes observation in his History of the West-Indian-Seas shall solve you of that doubt and this it is He compareth the great Ocean to the body of a man lying upon his back reaching
poore condemned caitive who fled into his denne and cave because he pulled out of his pawe the thorne which molested him but likewise fed him by killing beasts of all sorts and bringing them unto him whereof Gellius at length and out of him Du Bartas If I should follow forth here all other questions of Natures secrets the taske were long and tedious and peradventure lesse pleasant to the Reader than painfull to me as why the Adamant-stone which of its owne nature is so hard that neither fire nor Iron can bruise or break it is neverthelesse broke in peeces in a dishfull of hot Goates-bloud soft bloud being more powerfull than hard Iron Whether fishes doe breath or not seeing they have no lungs the bellowes of breath What can be the cause of the Loadstones attractive power to draw Iron unto it Why some Plants and Herbes ripen sooner than others Or what makes a member of a Man or Beast being cut from the body to dye presently and yet branches of trees cut off will retaine their lively sap so long within them Whether or not there be such affinity and to say love amongst plants and herbes that some will more fruitfully increase being set planted or sowen together then when mixed amongst others according to that of the Poet Vivunt in Venerem frondes omnisque vicissim Felix arbor amat nutant ad mutua palmae Foedera populeo suspirat populus ictu c. To which questions some others hereafter to be handled for me to give answer were no lesse presumption and foole-hardinesse than a demonstration of my grosser ignorance since Cardan and Scaliger are so farre from agreement in these matters as may be seen in Scaligers Exercitations yet having propounded these questions and to say nothing of my owne opinion touching the solution of such Riddles as wee call them were someway an imputation and I might be equally blamed with those who leade their neighbour upon the Ice and leave him there wherefore thus I adventure And first why the Adamant which for hardnesse is able to abide both the force of the fire and dint of any hammer yet being put in Goates-bloud parteth asunder Answ. Howbeit Scaliger in his 345. Exercitation Sect. 8. giveth no other reason than that absolutely it is one of the greatest miracles and secrets of Nature and therein refuteth their opinions who alleage the Analogie and agreement of the common principles of Nature which are common to the bloud and to the Adamant together to be the cause yet I thinke for my owne part that if any naturall reason may be given in so hidden a mystery it may be this That Goates as we all know live and feed usually on cliffie Rocks wheron herbs of rare pearcing and penetrative vertues and qualities grow neither is the derivation of that herbes name Saxifrage other than from the power it hath to breake stones asunder Goates then feeding on such rockie-herbes as these no wonder that their bloud having Analogie and proportion to their food be penetrative and more proper to bee powerfull in vertue than otherwayes convertible in fatnesse for wee see them of all grazing Beasts the leanest Quest. Now by what power draweth the Loadstone Iron unto it Answ. Aristotle in the 7th Booke of his Physicks which almost al other Philosophers do affirme That the Loadstone attracteth Iron unto it by their similitude and likenesse of substances for so you see they are both of a like colour and that must be the cause how the false-Prophet Mahomet his Chest of Iron wherein his bones are doth hang miraculously unsupported of any thing because either the pend or some verticall stone of the Vault where it is kept is of Loadstone and thus with Iulius Scaliger Exercitatione 151. I disallow Caspar Bartholinus his opinion who alleageth that the Loadstone doth not meerely and solely by its attractive faculty draw Iron unto it but for that it is nourished and fed by Iron for nothing more properly can bee said to feed than that which hath life Therefore c. Here also it will not be amisse to adde the reason why the Needles of Sea-compasses as these of other Sun-Dyals being touched by the Loadstone doe alwayes turne to the North and this is the most received That there is under our North-Pole a huge black Rock under which our Ocean surgeth and issueth forth in foure Currants answerable to the foure corners of the Earth or the foure winds which place if the Seas have a source must bee thought to be its spring and this Rock is thought to be all of Loadstone so that by a kinde of affinity it would seeme by a particular instinct of nature it draweth all other such like stones or other metals touched by them towards it So that the reason of the Needles turning to the North in Compasses is that Nigra rupes of Loadstone lying under our North Pole which by the attractive power it hath draweth all things touched by it or it s alike thither Section 9. Of Fishes if they may be said to breath seeing they lack pulmons Of flying fishes if such things may be c. which are the reasons of their possibility are deduced exemplified Quest. BVT whether and after what manner can Fishes be said to breath seeing they have no lungs the bellowes of breath Answ. This question hath beene agitated many Ages agoe both pro contra as we say Arist. cap. 1. De respiratione denying that they can breath Plato and divers others of his Sect affirming the contrary they who maintaine the negative part do reason thus Creatures that want the Organs and Instruments of breathing cannot be said to breath or respire but such are all fishes therefore c. The opposites on the other side doe thus maintaine their breathing all living creatures not onely breath but so necessarily must breath that for lack of it they dye as experience sheweth nay that the very insects or as you would say demi-creatures they must breathe but fishes are living Creatures therefore they must breathe The Aristotelians answering this distinguish the major proposition restraining the universality of it but to such Creatures as live in the Aire whereas there is no Ayre in the water the nature of it not admitting place for Ayre as the Earth doth which being opened with any Instrument as with a Plough or Spade may admit Ayre whereas the waters will fill all the void presently againe as we may see by buckets boxes or any other materiall thing being put into the water and taken out againe doe leave no vacuum behinde them for the waters doe straight wayes reincorporate seeing then there is no Ayre in the Fishes Element they cannot nor need not be said to breath for contrariwise wee see that being drawne from the waters to the Ayre they doe incontinently dye For answer to both extreames I could allow for fishes a kind of respiration called refrigeration which improperly
to the diversity of the matter whereof they are framed which are dry and moist vapours and exhalations extracted from the earth and waters and from thence elevated to the regions of the ayre where they are fashioned and that diversely according either to the degree of the Region they are framed in or the matter whereof they are fashioned The Philosophers and meere naturalists have not alike consideration of them for Philosophers have regard to them both as they have their dependance from above specifying time place and all other their circumstances whereas the meere naturalists doe particularize none of them but generally shew how they flow from the earth the knowledge of stars and of the regions of the ayre better fitting the Philosopher then the other For so it is that the vapors and exhalations which the Sun extracteth out of the Seas and earth sending them up to the regions of the ayre are the true and originall materiall cause of these Meteors Not of all uniformely but severally of each one according to the height whereto they are elevated from the said waters and earth and the nature of the vapour elevated which I may not unfitly compare to the naturall body of man whose stomacke is the centre of his fabrick which sendeth up to the head the moyst or flatulent humors wherewith for the time it is affected and receiveth backe againe either heated and consuming distillations or refrigerated and quenching humors wherewith to attemperate and refresh the incessant motion and heat of the other noble parts by a circular motion Quest. I know the curiosity of more subtile spirits will move the question whether the Sun draweth exhalations from the lowest or first region of the ayre seeing it is humid and hot sometime hotter sometime colder according as the reverberation of the Sunnes heat from the earth affecteth it although I grant that the ayre of its owne nature is hot yet that hindereth not but accidentally it may be heated also yea sometimes made hotter then of its nature it is To this question I answer Answ. That the subtilty and rarefaction of the ayrs humidity hindereth the Sunne from exhaling of it for although some parts of the moist ayre be grosser than others yet the same grosser parts are more subtile then any vapor which the Sun extracteth from the earth or waters for not all subtile humidity is evaporable but that of water only as that which may more easily be apprehended by heat As then the lowest and first region of the ayre about us wherin we breath here is hot and moist both by nature and accident as I was saying by the reverberation of the sunne-beames upon solid and combustible bodyes and heated by the exhalation of fumes from places or things that are apt to be kindled even so the uppermost region is hot and dry both by nature and accident and almost more or rather by accident then by nature propter viciniam ignis albeit the supreme region must be hotter then the lower both in respect of the propinquity of it to the element of fire even as the lowest region by the neighbour-hood of it to the earth oftentimes is colder than hot as also in respect of the nearenesse of it to the heavens which as with the light of them they warme the lower things So by the rapidity and velocity of their circular course they heate this first region also Now as these two regions are of themselves hot and moist and hot and dry so the middle Region is only cold but drierwhere it is contiguous with the uppermost and more moist whereit is â—igher the lowest This great coldnesse of it enforced together by an Antiperistasis as we say or opposite contrarieties of heate above and cold below The Ayre then being divided into these three Regions wherewith the uppermost as comprehended within the concavity of the fiery Element is ever hot and dry the lowest hot and moist but of a weake and debill heat which by a breathing cold may be changed the middle Region is alwayes cold CHAP. 2. Where Meteors are composed Of Clouds where they are fashioned together with the solution of some questions concerning the middle Region NOW remaines to know in which of these Regions any of these Meteors are framed and first whether or not Clouds be generated in the middle Region of the Ayre It is most likely that not there but in the lower because in it diverse other Meteors alike in matter and forme are framed To which not so much cold is requisit as to the other two yet the nature of Clouds being considered we shall finde them to be generated in the middle Region onely For seeing Clouds are nothing else but vapours mounted and thickned by condensed cold then sure they cannot bee framed in the uppermost Region of the Ayre because in it the Sunnes rayes are directed lacking reflex beside the circular and Spherick motion it hath by vertue of the proximity of the Elementary fire which warmeth it againe this thickning or condensing cold cannot be in the lower region by reason of the heate of it through the reverberation of the Suns rayes beating upon the solid bodies of the earth and waters so there resteth the middle Region in which the reflex faileth the vertue from above too of the direct Sunnes rayes so that naturally it being cold in it only these vapours must be condensed to a cloud And whereas I was saying before that it should seeme that the Clouds are begotten in the lowest Region in respect that in it Waters as Dew and Fountaines at least their matter and forme are brought forth that alwayes cannot hold because that Fountaines and Rivers are rather bred in the concavities and hollow places of the earth than of it or rather flow and have their source from the Seas Neither must my words be mistaken when I say that the middle Region is naturally cold seeing before I have set downe the Ayre naturally to be hot and moist for when I say that it is cold it must bee understood but respectively in regard of the other two as wanting the reflective heate of the lower Region and the circulative heat by the ignean or fiery warmenesse of the other Now if it be objected that seeing the middle Region of the Ayre is cold and all cold things are heavie and so consequently tend downeward what can be the reason that this middle Region falleth not thorow the lowest to its own centre of weight which is the earth It availeth not for first not all frigidity draweth or tendeth alwayes from its circumferences to the centre but that only which is absolutely and simply cold as that of the Earth and Waters and not that of the Ayre which as I say before is but respectively cold yea albeit that the middle Region divide not the lowest in whole yet in parts it doth as in raine when it falleth from the
should Comets they being neerer to it than the first Region Now albeit the Heaven Fire and Ayre move in a circular motion yet they move not all alike for by certaine degrees the course of the one is swifter than the other so that the Ayre as neerest to the Earth is flower than the other two By this subdeficiency then the Ayre and they within it seemes but to goe about froÌ„ Occident to Orient of its own proper motion having regard to the swiftnesse and velocity of the superior course And whereas I say that they move high and low to and fro that is to be understood in so far that every thing perfectible striveth to attaine to its owne perfection which consisteth in the approximation and neere attaining and touching of the generant which chiefly beareth rule in the place whereat they aime or tend whether that thing engendred bee a Star or any other celestiall vertue whereunto this subdeficient striveth to attaine Now the reason wherefore most commonly Comets doe reach either to the South or North is to be attributed to the speciall influence of some other Star drawing them thitherward as the Loadstone maketh Iron turne towards it and whereas sometimes they appeare low and neere the Earth at other times farther remote from it that must be appropriated either to the inflamation of the Comets matter either at the neerer or farther end or else to the height or lownesse of the Region above which it is elevated for none of the three Regions but have in them their owne degrees and stations some parts in them being higher than others are The place of their appearing is most frequently in the Northerne Climates and that most often under Via lactea which is that white coloured draught called the milkey way in the firmament which may be perceived by night reaching in a manner from East to West The time of their abode againe is but at shortest seven or eight dayes albeit I reade of some that blazed halfe a yeare but such have seldome happened neverthelesse the shortnesse or length of their abode is to bee imputed imputed to the bignesse or scantnesse of their matter Now rests to know whether or not these Comets may portend or prognosticate bad or infortunate events of things here below and whether over particular persons or Countries in generall To this the Philosophers who will have all things either above or below to be and exist by naturall reasons and admit no prodigies or things beyond nature make answer that Comets are but meere naturall things no way fore shewing evils to come Because say they when Iupiter fals to bee in the signe of Pisces or in the signe of Cancer if then the Comets appeare it foretokeneth aboundance and wealth as in the dayes of Iulius Caesar there was one seene which neverthelesse had no evill ensuing upon it as it may bee seene in Albertus his Commentary upon Aristotles Text in the Meteors latinized Ejus autem quod est Besides this say they when Comets are seene then these evils which follow them and which they portend should fall forth through all or very many parts of the Earth seeing they are seene by all or most the contrary whereof is knowne Besides that burning Lances or Speares which now and then also are seene in the Ayre and other fiery impressions which are of that same matter with these Comets should foretell evils to happen as well as they which are not But above all seeing it is oftenest thought that Comets either foretoken great winds or raines none of which can be say they not winds because the matter whereof the winds behoveth to be which are dry exhalations are converted towards the framing of the same Comets themselves Not raine for no one thing can be a signe of two opposite contrarieties Thus seeing Comets portend drouth they cannot likewise preaugurate inundations and overflowings finally much lesse the death of Princes and Monarchs no more than of other private men seeing the same constellation and ascendent may be equall and have regard to meane men as well as to them in a like distance Which reasons with diverse moe albeit at first view they may seeme forcible yet being better considered their insufficiency will soone appeare for none of the naturall Philosophers but doe acknowledge their Prognostications for some one thing or other albeit the Astrologicall Philosopher particularizeth them more punctually And thus they say that a Comet circumbeamed about with that which they call long hayre to say so invironing it as we see about the Sunne Moone and Starres before a storme and great tempest doth signifie and portend great debording of waters whereas if it bee but radiant in one side that is a sure signe of terrible and destructive drougth and consequently of famine and scarcity because without humidity and warmenesse corne and fruits cannot grow Now as high winds move and stirre the Seas with other waters so from that commotion ariseth raine and boisterous showers so that appeare how they will yet they ever portend some one evill or other As for death of Princes and change of estates foreâ—howne by them experience of former Ages can qualifie and by late miserable proofe it may be understood by that blazing Star which appeared in the yeare 1618. I being at that time in Florence where an Italian Astronomer upon the third Bridge drawing in his Table-bookes the height and aspect of it was overheard by us who gazed on him to cry although with a low voice Vae Germaniae Woe unto Germany and who so is but never so little acquainted with the histories of diverse Nations shall soone perceive in them what lamentable accidents have ensued after extraordinary deluges and overflowings of waters and intollerable droughts but more especially after the appearing of Comets what dreadfull effects according to their affections so we require that those Recusants would with the Philosopher who denied that the fire was hot but put their finger into it to try the truth of his assertion Neither do our Astronomicall Philosophers want their owne grounds wherein they settle the warrant of change of estates after the apparitions of these Comets and this for one That the exhalations of hot and dry vapours from the Earth whereof these Comets are made betoken a bilious and wrathfull sudden and irefull disposition of the in-dwellers of these Countries for the same ayre which they attract and emit doth someway affect them and this ayre is filled with these exhalations resolved by the heat of the incumbing Sun so no question but this same way it moveth their bodies and minds to feare fiery and sudden revolts fightings seditions and uproares Comets appeared in England before their Countrey was conquered by the Normans and thereafter another when they subdued France What more remarkable one then that which appeared above Hierusalem before its sacking and captivity And againe what desolation befell all
Quest. What causeth some Fountaines to last longer than others certainly that must proceed from the copiousnesse and aboundance of the veine and and waters such long-lasting ones have above the others Or finally if it be demanded what can be the cause that some Rivers and Springs which formerly did flow in large swift currents do lessen and sometimes totally dry up That must not be imputed to the scituation or change of the Starres as some suppose by which say they all places in the world are altered but rather unto the decay of the veine peradventure because the earth preasing to fill up voidnesse hath sunke down in that place and so choaked the passage and turned the course another way Neither can there be a fitter reply given unto those who aske what maketh two Springs or Fountaines which are separated onely by a little parcell of ground to bee of a contrary nature yea one sweet and fresh the other brackish and salt one extreame cold another neere adjoyning to it to bee luke-warme Then the diversity of Oares or Metals through which these waters doe runne which is the cause of their different tasts and temperatures as on one parcell of ground some flowers and herbs salutiferous and healthfull others venemous and mortall may grow The Moone is often said to bee the efficient cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea now if so be as universally all the Learned hold what is the cause seeing shee is universally seene by all Seas in a manner and I may say equally that therefore all Seas flow not and ebbe not alike To this I thinke no better reply can be given than that some Seas there are which be rather Lakes in a manner and of fresher water than Seas in respect of the incessant running of endlesse Rivers into them whereof they make no account againe to say so by subministring matter to Rivers Fountaines Brookes or Lakes as the Ocean doth the invironing bankes and shoares being higher almost than they such are all Sounds Gulphs and it may be the Mediterranean Sea also Or yet we may say that the profundity and deepenesse of some Coasts hindereth the flowing more then it doth upon shallow and ebbe sands and other valley and low bankes Now the cause of our hot Baths neere Bristoll in Flanders Germany France Italy and else where is onely the sulphureous and a brimstony Oare or Metall through which their waters runne as the salt earth through which some waters doe runne is the cause of their saltnesse such as the Salt-pits in Poland and Hungarie out of which Salt is digged as our Pit-coales and stones are digged out of Quarries And no question but these waters are heated too by running through such earth These and the like are the reasons given by Philosophers for such secrets of Nature as either here before I have touched or may handle hereafter and howbeit by humane reason men cannot further pry into these and the like yet no question but the power of the great Maker hath secrets inclosed within the bowels of Nature beyond all search of man To learne us all to bend the eyes of our bodies and minds upward to the Heavens from whence they flow to rest there in a reverent admiration of his power working in by and above nature and that by a way not as yet wholly manifested unto mortall men By all which and many more we may easily espie as the power so the wisdome of this our Maker in disposing the forme of this Vniverse whether the great World or the little one MAN in both which there is such a harmony sympathy and agreement betwixt the powers above which wee see with our eyes as the Heavens and the distinguished Regions of the Ayre in the greater World with the Earth and Seas or of the soule minde life and intellect of Man the heaven in him comparatively with his body the Earth and such like of the one with the other that is the great and little world together as is a wonder For as in the Ayre how the lower parts are affected so are the superiour and contrarywise as the superior is disposed right so the inferiour So we see that not onely a heaven of Brasse maketh the Earth of Iron but likewise waterish and moist earth causeth foggy and rainy ayre as a serene or tempestuous day maketh us commonly either ioyfull or melancholy or as a sad and grieved minde causeth a heavie and dull body but contrariwayes a healthfull and well tempered body commonly effecteth a generous and jovially disposed minde OF VARIETIES THE THIRD BOOKE CONTEINING FIVE TREATISES OF 1. Armies and Battels 2. Combats and Duels 3. Death and Burials 4. Laughing and Mourning 5. Mentall Reservation BY DAVID PERSON OF Loughlands in SCOTLAND GENTLEMAN Et quae non prosunt singula multa juvant LONDON Printed by RICHARD Badger for Thomas Alchorn and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Greene Dragon 1635. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THOMAS Earle of Hadington LORD Privy Seale of Scotland and one of His Majesties most HONOURABLE Privy Counsell in both KINGDOMES Right Honourable IF writers of books in former ages have made a gratefull commemoration in the front of their workes of worthy men who for their brave deeds either in Peace or War Church or Common wealth were renounced thereby to enternize their fame and by their examples to extimulate others to the imitation of their vertues nothing could expiat my trespasse if I should passe over your Lordships most accomplished rare vertues thereby to deprive posterity of so excellent a President especially amongst your other many exquisite perfections you being in this barren age so worthy a patterne and Bountifull Patron of letters and literate men Let antiquity boast it selfe of the integritie of a Greeke Aristides in the gravity and inflexibilitie of a Roman Cato and the rest yet our age may rejoyce to have all these accumulated on your Lordship alone Envy cannot conceale with what credit and generall applause as through the Temple of Vertue to the Sacrary of Honour you have past all the orders of our Senatoriall Tribunall even to the highest dignity where like an Oracle you strike light through most foggie and obscurest doubts The continued favour of Kings the aggrandizing of your estate by well managed fortune the peopling by the fecunditie of your fruitefull loynes not only your owne large stocke but many of the most ancient and honourable families in our nation may well set out your praises to the world but the true Panegyrick which I if able would sound abroad your Honours due deserving merits to which in all humility and reverence I offer this small pledge of my entirer affection hoping ere long to present them with something more worthy the studies and travels of Your Lordships in all dutifull obedience D. PERSON OF ARMIES AND BATTELLS VVherein by the way our moderne VVarfare is compared with
the Old Roman THE THIRD BOOKE Section 1. That greatest armies have not alwayes carryed away the victory the reason of it two examples of Semiramis and Xerxes I FIND in Histories that not alwayes the greatest and most numerous armies have carried away the victories in Battels whether it is that the LORD of Hoasts will disappoint them who trust in their numbers and armies of men or their Martiall Horses and their strength or in their military discipline For it is probable that as their infinite numbers cannot ever be so well Marshalled as that at all times requisite they can come to blowes so on the contrary if once they chance to turne backes the Panike feare that seazeth on so grosse and peccant a body is so remedilesse that they can scarce ever bee brought againe into any right or perfect order which in lesser armies driven to such extremities we heare and reade to have hapned Or rather shall we say with that Captaine of the Volsci marching against the old Romans Armati armatis obstant virtute pares sed necessitate superiores And againe Iustum est bellum quibus necessarium pia arma quibus nulla nisi in armis relinquitur spes I need not insist too much on battels of unequall numbers for the Greeke and Roman Histories are replenished with them yet two I will produce as incredible for their numbers as unlikely for their losse The one of Semiramis Queene of Babylon who setting out for the conquest of the Indies made up an army of three millions of armed men whereof tenne hundred thousand Horsemen the rest were foot besides many hundred thousand Chariots with blades like sythes or falchions sticking out on either side with many hundred thousand Camells and Elephants to fight on Which horrible armie was so overthrown by the Indian Emperour that scarce one hundred returned home alive The other was of Xerxes that powerfull King of Persia who intending to subdue Greece came downe upon it with such an army that Rivers were drunke dry by the multitude of his souldiers Herodotus reporter of the former two reckoneth this whole army to amount to seventeene hundred thousand by land and two hundred and fifty thousand by Sea with 2200 Galleys for by Sea and land he intended their subversion and came downe for that intent The insolencie of this King environed with this terrible armie was such that intending likewise to subdue Europe and for which purpose he prepared to passe the Hellespont some seaven miles broad but because his bridge of boates by the waters impetuousnesse was overthrowne which he caused to be contrived for that effect as Alexander did at Tyre he made his Souldiers with him vainely to whip the Sea for it's resistance against his so vast power Neverthelesse this presumptuous King I say with all his forces and numbers of men by a small number of Greekes was overcome at the Battell of Thermopilae in so far that that same glorious King of Medes and Persians was forced to steale over the Hellespont slenderly accompanied in a frigat or Shallop in the yeare of the world 4720. or thereabouts if Sabellicus mistake not Now as these two remarkable and populous armies were thus defeated by the smaller number and so confirmeth this assertion afore-mentioned So who will follow forth the tract of all either divine or heathen Histories shall finde it more manifestly approved As for holy Histories unlesse I were obliged not only by an Historicall but by an Evangelicall faith also to trust all comprehended withâ—n the old and New Testament as undoubted veritie I could hardly be induced to beleeve that so little a territory as the holy land was and yet is could afford so many hundred thousand fighting men as were so often recorded to bee raised in it unlesse that some would say that beside the blessing of God upon that land in making it to overflow with milke and hony wheat wine and oyle that so he would have it to abound in men likewise Sect. 2. Examples of Greeke Roman and British Battels where the fewer number have overcome the greater THere is a freedome left to every Reader of Histories to beleeve or not beleeve every particular in them yet those battailes where the fewer numbers have overcome the greater will most startle beleefe as that victorie of Alexander over Darius the battails of Thrasymenes Cannes with the Pharsalian field and the like For Alexander with but a few did beat Darius great hosts Hannibal with lesser multitudes overthrew the Roman Consuls Paulus Aemilius and Terentius Varro Iulius Caesar with almost the halfe of Pompeys number put him and his armie to rout But neither the imparitie of the Greeke nor Roman battels fought by them can give so great assurance of possibility that small troupes have overcome the greater As that battell of Poictiers by Edward the blacke Prince of England against Iohn King of France where not onely foure times as many that day were put to rout by the worthy English but likewise the King himselfe was led captive into England whose ransome redacted his countrie unto that penury and scarcity of money that they were forced thereafter to coyne and stampe pieces of leather money as their History of that time recordeth Neither was that glorious victory over the French much more remarkeable nor more sufficient for proofe of this then was that famous victorie of our valiant Bruce at the battell of Bannak-burne against an other Edward I might adde to these two the renowned victories woone by Scanderbeg a petty Prince of the Epirots who with but a handfull of men as it were did overcome the hundreds of thousands of that victorious Mahomet as at length may bee read in the Turkish Historie Sect. 3. Whether it be requisite that Princes hazard their Persons in field or not of the Encouragement that their presence giveth to the Souldiers When a King should venter to the field and what Lievtenants are to bee deputed by him all exemplified OVr Politicians of latter times have made it a great question whether a Soveraigne Prince should hazard his person in battell or not considering the great losse that ensueth either by his death or captivitie a thing never doubted of in former ages no not by such Kings who though sickly and diseased have caused to carry their bodyes from their bed unto the field thereby the more to encourage with their presence their mutining and doubting armies as Plutarch witnesseth in the life of Eumenes Yea Xisca had such a conciete of himselfe and his owne presence that after his death he ordained his skinne to be flead off him and a drumme to be covered with it imagining thereby that as he in his life had terrified and sorely beaten his enemies so the sound of this after his death would be a terrour unto them Neither was there any thing encouraged our brave English at the approch of the Spanish armado more
suffered from all beginning the waters to overflow all the rest But not content with this contemplation onely he never gave over till he put the tryall of it in practise wherefore in the yeere of God 1492. aided and therefore furthered by the King of Spaine he set to sea directing his course to the Canary-Islands whereat from Spaine he first arrived towards the Southwest but having spent many dayes upon the Sea without sight of land to the great toile labour and anguish of his men who began to mutine amongst themselves and despaire of ever returning home much lesse of attaining their adventure he was driven to his wits end whereupon politickly and as it were prophetically he strove with all probabilities to assure them that within two or three dayes at furthest they should discover land which the more confidently he undertooke because saith my Author he had perceived the colour of the clouds then tending towards him to bee more white and more purified like landclouds from whence they behoved to come then those that meerely proceeded from the seas which conjecture of his proved true for it pleased God that the third day thereafter they discovered this land they sought for of which with its length bredth nature c. there are whole volumes extant and from this countrey it is that the gold money and ware be transported which hath caused our dearths all things in the dayes of our forefathers being bartered one for another as common merchandises This mans spirit no question was warmed with a more celestiall fire than ordinary who first of all before him did both invent and execute so glorious a designe and profitable an enterprise as the discovery of a new world Neverthelesse there hath not wanted some who to bereave him of this honour doe gather out of Plato's dialogue twixt Critias and Solon that there was some knowledge of this world in former times because so it is that the Aegyptian Priests of the City Sais reported unto him that they had found in ancient Monuments some mention of a terrible great Island called Atlantida which was opposit or went off and on with the straits of Gibaltar of old called Hercules Pillars but that it was taken away by Deucalions deluge as we reade of Sicily to have beene rent from Italy Which admit were true yet who amongst the sonnes of men before Columbus did ever adventure to discover it nay who so thinketh it to be an Island mistaketh farre for our moderne navigators have found it to be continent almost and firme land as joyning to the East-Indies on the one hand and to those Lands under the two Poles on the other moreover whereas Sicily is removed from Italy but a very few miles if ever they were conjoyned as Ireland is from Britanne this America or as they would have it Atlantida is distant from the mouth of the straights where they say it was taken away some thousands of miles I know too how Peter Martyr cap. 1. and first decade attributeth the first discovery of this to a Spaniard to defraud Columbus of his due praise and honour and how some have gone about to take away from him the denomination of that Countrey attributing it to Vespucius calling him Americus because he entered farther in the firme land than Columbus who glad of his first discovery made no long stay there so that at the second setting out of a new Navie this Vespucius went further in Egregiam verò laudem as if the honour were not the first attempters so Sheepe beare wooll and Oxen plough although not for themselves Some too say that Columbus being a learned man gathered this enterprize from some verses in Seneca in his Medea Venient annis secula seris Quibus oceanus vincula rerum Laxet ingens pateat Tellus Tiphis que novos deteget orbes Nec sit terris ultima Thule c. And why not for this same if it so was argued the sublimity of his spirit for who I pray you before him ever marked or gathered the like from them to put that Theory and contemplation in practise Then sure it is that none of the ancients Greeke or Roman whatsoever can in this be compared or balanced with him Sect. 12. The conclusion of this Treatise of curiosity containing a singular curiosity of Livia Tiberius Caesars wife BVT ere I fully close up this Treatise and where I might bring before you many let me onely present you with one woman whose singular curiosity was admirable or if you will casuall it is reported by Cuspinian an ancient and famous Author in the life of Tiberius Caesar that Livia being with childe of Tiberius fell into an inquisitive curiosity to know whether the child she went withall should prove male or female wherupon repairing to Scribonius the Astrologer she was advised by him to take an Egge from under a sitting Hen and to hold it so long betwixt her hands till through the heate of them the egge should burd and breake the shell which accordingly she did and thereout came a Cock-chicken whereupon the Mathematician divined that she should be delivered of a man childe who as the bird was crested should beare a crowne and command over others and so thereafter it happened OF DIVINE PHILOSOPHY AND MANS FELICITY Section 1. The Sunne and Moone in the Heavens compared to the understanding and will in Man Aristotles definition of happinesse The distinction of understanding and Will and wherein ancient Philosophers placed their chiefe felicitie AS there are two Lamps in the heavens which enlighten this lower world the Sunne and the Moone So there are two principall faculties which rule in Man the understanding and the will For as the Sunne in the Firmament is as Master of the rest of the Stars giving life to the Earth by the mediation of the Ayre so this understanding ruleth the rest of the faculties of the minde and as the Moone hath little light of her selfe as being but a diaphanous body or susceptible of light but what it borroweth from the Sunne as the wife hath her lustre from her husband so should not the will obstinately will any thing but what the cleerenesse of the understanding foreseeth to bee conducible unto us and what hath passed and bin sifted through the judgement though otherwise we see it oft times come to passe The Philosophers have a much disputed question in what our happinesse consisteth Whether in the actions of our understanding or in those of our will which indeed are nothing else but that which we terme contemplation and action distinctly in any one of them or in both conjunctly For seeing Aristotle defineth happinesse to bee an operation of the soule according to most perfect vertue and that elsewhere he calleth it the best and pleasantest thing that is it cannot be then but one because what is spoken superlatively is peculiar but to one onely so it
marke of Pusillanimity and want of firme and constant resolution to behold and withstand dangers and inciteth us rather to awaite death which is the worst that can befall us then to prevent the sufferance of triviall crosses by unnaturally Boutchering our selves To which purpose Cicero in presence of this same Cato saith That since we are placed here by our generall the GOD Almighty as Souldiers in a garrison that it behooveth us not basely to forgoe our station till it be his good pleasure to call us off So much for sleepe now to dreames which are the companions of sleepe Section 4. Of Dreames both Naturall Accidentall Divine and Diabolicall Apollodorus dreame Abrahams Iosephs Pharaohs Nebuchadnezzars c. MAny more things might have beene brought in in the former Sections as of those that walke or talke in their sleepe with the reasons thereof and illustrations to that purpose but so many having handled those theames and I studying so much as I can brevity and to shun tautologies I remit the Reader to them and will now by the way touch upon dreames And they are either Naturall Accidentall Divine or Diabolicall Naturall are caused either by the Predominant matter humor or affections in us As the Cholericke who dreameth of fire debates skirmishes and the like The Sanguine of love-sports and all joviall things The Melancholicke on death dangers solitudes c. where the flegmaticke dreameth of Waters Seas drowning and the rest These dreames which proceed from our Naturall or predominant affections are either of love jealousie feare avarice envy c. by the first we may Presage and judge of the sickenesses which may ensue upon the superaboundance of such and such humors because they being the effects of the redundancy of these humors have a connexion in Nature with them as all other effects have in their causes By the latter dreams we may presage and judge of the affections and passions of the mind and so consequently of the vices consisting in their extreames So the avaricious dreameth of gold the lover of his Mistris the Iealous of his corrivall c. and if not ever yet for the most part this happeneth true or at least in part Accidentall dreames are caused either by dyet by feare or joy conceaved in the day time or the propense desire to have such or such a thing to come to passe and the like Thus oft times a vicious soule will figure to it selfe in dreames the terrors that it feareth As Apollodorus who dreaming that the Scythians were fleaing off his skinne thought that his owne heart murmured this unto him Wretched man that thou art I am the occasion of all these thy evills which thou endurest Divine dreames are those whereby it pleaseth God to give either a warning or insight of things to come such the Lord sent on Abraham the fifteenth of Genesis and on Ioseph in the first of Saint Mathew that too of Pharaoh Genesis forty one Of Pharaohs Butler and Baker Genesis forty of Nebuchadnezzar c. Diabolicall dreames cannot fore-shew any thing unto any man they may give a shaddow or representation of things past unto us but not otherwise Then seeing there is little connexion of things past and to come therefore can there be no foresight by them for although the Divell knoweth many things and at some times even speaketh the truth of things to come thereby to inveigle our credulity when in effect he only lyeth to deceave us yet unto them we ought to give no regard or faith Now how Naturall or accidentall dreames can portend or foreshew future things it is doubted indeed Cardan setteth downe the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how but not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why any wayes cleerely enough to my understanding For the dreames that GOD sendeth upon a man I understand to be mysticall and portending somthing touching his service Our spirits it cannot well bee for when we are awake we cannot foreshew any thing to come at least without praemeditation not by any Philosophicall ground whatsoever Neither can they be moved by the divel for he is a deceaver and all his workes impostures It must be then some other spirit that infuseth these accidentall dreames whereof we will instance examples heereafter to my mind it must be rather some peculiar extraordinary inspiration in the dreamer for the time than Anima Mundi or spiritus universitatis although many learned men ascrybe such dreames to it particularly An example of this kind I read in Herodian where it is reported that the Emperor Severus dreamed he saw Pertinax mounted upon his richly Caparassoned Horse and receaved as Emperor by the Pretorian Souldiers but that the Horse straight wayes flung Pertinax off his backe and came stooping to Severus who reaching the Horse by the mayne forthwith mounted him and was by the same Souldiers receaved and admitted Emperor which indeed came so to passe Section 5. The Emperor Severus his dreame of Pertinax which he caused to be molded in Brasse An admirable dreame of the Emperor Henry the fifth Cicero's of Octavianus That beasts dreame but hard labouring men seldome and the reason thereof c. WHereon hee caused the whole drift as it happened to be cast in brasse of which at length in Sabellicus Aenead 7. lib. 5. To which I may subjoyne that dreame of the Emperor Henry the fifth who being grievously pained with the stone dreamt that Saint Barnabas had cut him and gave him the stone in his hand which when he awaked to his great Ioy he found to be true if we may be beleeve Cuspinian Likewise that Dreame of Cicero may bee ranked amongst these He dreamt that there appeared a Boy before him who once should be Emperor and Master over Rome the next day after his accustomed manner passing through the publicke market place and espying Octavianus Augustus a little boy playing the part of a Commander over the rest of his companions he called to minde the feature and stature of the boy who the night before had appeared to him in his sleepe and finding that in every lineament he assimilated Octavianus took him by the hand brought him before all the people that were there assembled presented him and told them that one day that boy should command over them which thereafter came to passe Now dreaming is not proper to men only when they sleep but to beasts also for War Horses accustomed to allarmes and skirmishes are observed to start as afrighted and sometime to neigh Spaniels Hounds and other hunting Doggs are knowne with their voyces to hunt in their sleepe Iam Iamque teneri Credit extento stringit vestigia Rostro But sleeping men doe not at all times dreame wearyed and labour-toyled bodyes doe never finde them Dulce sopor fessis in gramine Againe Sopor virorum dulcis agrestium Because nature hath enough to doe to disburden and disgest the drowsinesse wherewith their
annus aetati notam imprimit wherefore the 7. 14. 21. 28. 35. 42. 49. 56. and 63. the great Climactericke yeare are counted dangerous for all Firmian adviseth all to take great heede to themselves in these yeares Octavianus Caesar having passed this date writ to his Nephew Caius to congratulate with him that he had yet seven yeares more to live There are seven Liberall Sciences Grammar Dialect Rhetorick Musick Arithmetick Geometrie and Astronomie Gram. loquitur Dia. vera docet Rhet. verba colorat Mus. canit Ar. numerat Geo. ponderat As. colit astra Seven Roman Kings Romulus Numa Pompilius Tullus Hostilius Ancus Martins Tarquinius Priscus Servius Tullius Tarquinius Superbus Rome was built upon seven Hills Palatinus Capitolinus Quiritalis Caelius Escalinus Aventinus and Viminalis There were seven wise men of Greece Solon Thales Chilo Pittacus Cleobulus Bias and Periander There were seven kinde of Crownes amongst the Romans 1 The Triumphall first made of Lawrell there after of Gold given to their Emperours by the Senate in honour of their Triumphs 2 Obsidionall given by Souldiers to their Emperours for delivering them from a Siege and it was made of grasse gathered from about the trenches of that Siege 3 The Civicall Crowne which was bestowed on any Souldier that had releeved a captived Citizen 4 A Murall Crowne which was given to any man that first entered a Towne or had scaled the Walls of it 5 Castrensis a Crown given to the first enterer into the Enemies Campe or Trenches 6 The Navall Crowne bestowed on him that first had boorded an Enemies Vessell 7 Was called Ovalis or a Crowne of rejoycing made of Myrtle which was put on the heads of their Emperours in â—vatione as they said or in signe of rejoycing at his admittance to that dignity SECT 11. Of the Worlds Continuance and Ending THat subtle and excellent Philosopher Leo Hebreus expatiating in the meditation of this Number of seven admiring and speaking of the worlds rest saith That after six thousand yeares are expired in the seventh thousand this elementary world shall rest which God thereafter will renew seven times betwixt every seven thousand giving one thousand yeares rest after all which saith hee this elementary world the Earth and all beneath the Moone the Celestiall world also shall take an end which Proclus also the Academick secondeth when hee saith that the life of this world is septenary its parts proportion and circles are septenary and with them many other Philosophers have dived too deepe into these mysteries yet I cannot passe by Charon who in his History bringeth in Elias the Iew not the Thesbite affirming that the world shall last but six thousand yeares viz. two thousand before the Flood 2000 from it to the comming of the Messias and from that two thousand more to the Consummation of all things which in all amounteth to 6000. Wherto S. Augustine in his first Booke on Genesis ad Manichaos some way enclineth yet Hesychius ingeniously confesseth his ignorance of it since neither to the Sonne of man as he was man nor to the Angels that knowledge was revealed Origen adheareth to Leo Hehraeus opinion of 7000. yeares continuance in his Homily Quòd Mundus cum tempore caeperit in this third Booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and goeth further saying that after this world is ended another shall begin and that before this world there was another which hee would strive to approve with Authorities out of holy Scripture which doeth savour a little too much of presumption for in all the Scripture there is no expresse mention to bee found either of the one or other But wee are commanded not to pry too farre in these and the like mysteries which concerne not our salvation and which God hath kept onely to himselfe Mitte arcana Dei coelumque inquirere quid sit Yet indeede this Father in his Homily de fine vel consummatione ingeniously confesseth that he only handled those matters by way of reasoning than any wayes to conclude an infallibility of them for in the end he acknowledgeth that hee wrote them in great feare and suspensive trembling OF PRODIGIES AND MIRACLES Which are true which false SECT 1. The definition of Miracles with their distinction In what time they were requisite in what not c. SAint Augustine that famous and reverend Father of the Church in his 6. Booke de utilitate credendi ad Honoratium defineth Miracles to bee things beyond the expectation and power of the beholder Whereof there are two kindes True and False The false are such Miracles as are not in effect the thing they seeme to be or if they be they are not of any power that excelleth nature but meerely of and by the power of nature though obscured and hid which the bad spirits as well as the good can performe True Miracles are done by the power of God beyond all faculty of created nature partly to draw the beholder to a due and true admiration of him in them and partly to confirme their saith such as these were the bringing back of the shadow ten Degrees in the Diall of Ahaz for Ezechias A Virgin to conceive with childe and yet remaine a Virgin To draw water out of a hard Rock To make the Sea to part in twaine the Sunne to stand still to turne water into wine to cause Manna fall from heaven and many of the like kinde comprehended in holy Scripture which indeede were miraculous things of themselves if we consider the nature of their doing where on the other side false Miracles may in a manner be thought miraculous but not so much for the nature of their doing as for the manner how they are done Neque enim saith one constant miracula magnitudine operum so these Miracles are not so much to be measured by the greatnesse of the worke as by the way of doing of them and such as these bad spirits cannot bring to passe because how wonderfull soever their miracles appeare to be yet they doe no wayes exceede the reach of Nature Itaut mirabi lia quanquam sint non proinde sint Miracula Neither is it to be denied but that God serveth himselfe with and permitteth the false Miracle-workers intending thereby rather to trie the faiths of the beholders of them than any way to allow or confirme their doings as Deut. cap. 13. vers 3. may be seene Now where it is said before that true Miracles are for the confirming as false ones are for trying of our faiths this must be understood to be when the workers of them doe teach withall so sound doctrine that his Miracles may bee judged by it not it by them Hereby I intend not to enforce a necessity of miracles perpetually for confirming our faith for though during the Churches infancie they served some way towards the establishing and confirming of the weake and wavering faiths of the hearers yet now they are not so requisite
as Suarez noteth writing upon this place in his Index locupletissimus in Phisicam lib. 12. cap. 7. yea he seemeth to have beene ravished with the sweetnesse of this heavenly contemplation It is no wonder that Davâ—d in the 104 Psalme vers 34. said My meditation of him that is of God shall be sweete aud â— wâ—ll bee glad in the Lord. For if Aristotle found such sweetnesse in the contemplation of God as hee is Pater mund or Pater entium what sweetnesse yea what heavenly what ravishing joy may a man living within the Church have in the contemplation of God as he is Pater Ecclesiae and Pater misericordiarum 2 Cor. 1. 3. SECT 7. The secoâ—d Respect for the dignity That the consideration of the soule of man belongeth to the Metaphysicks with severall Reasons for the proofe thereof THere are some who thinke that not onely the contemplation of God and of the Angels doe belong unto the Metaphysicks but also the contemplation De anima humana seu rationali and that because it is a spirituall or immateriall substance Suarez in the first Tome of his Metaphysicks Disput. 1. Sect. 2. Parag. 18. most justly condemneth this opinion and that 1. because consideratio totius consideratio partium ejus ad unam eandem scientiam pertinet Now the consideration of man himselfe belongeth not to Metaphysick but to Physick and therefore the consideration of the soule of man which is a part of man belongeth also to Physick or naturall Philosophy 2. Albeit the soule of man be an immateriall substance in it selfe and although in the reall beeing of it it hath not a necessary dependencie from bodily matter yet God hath appointed that the ordinary and naturall existence or beeing of it as also the operation of it should be in materia corporea It is farre more probable that which is affirmed by Ruvins and Conimbricenses in the Frontispiece of their Treaties de anima separata à corpore and in their first questio prooemialis before their disputes de anima that the consideration of the beeing and operation of the soule in statu separationis à corpore after death untill the day of the generall resurrection doth belong not to Physick but in some respects to Theologie and in other respects to Metaphysick For the handling of these questions An status separationis à corpore sit animae rationali naturalis an anima à corpore separata habeat naturalem appetitum redeundi ad corpus an anima separata specie ab Angelis differat quas facultates seu potentias quas species intelligibiles quos habitus quem modum cognoscendi habeat anima separata à corpore the handling I say of these questions doth belong properly to Metaphysick neverthelesse these same Authors whom I have now cited as also Suarez in the place already spoken of affirme that the Tractatus de anima separata may most commodiously be added to the Bookes de anima not as a proper part of the Science de anima but as an Appendiâ— to it SECT 8. The third Respect for the Vsefulnesse Of the great use Metaphysick is towards the furthering of all Divines in Controversies and other things A Conclusion THirdly and lastly this Science exceedeth all the rest indignity in respect of the great use it hath in all other Sciences and Arts especially in Theology it selfe I neede not to insist in the confirmation of this for it is very well known that by the grounds of Metaphysick wee may demonstrate against Atheists that there is a God against Pagans that this God is one against Cerdon Marcion and the Manichaean Hereticks that there are not duo principia but unum summum primum principium against the Stoickes that there is not such a fatall necessity in all events as they dreamed of against that damnable and detestable Heretick Conradus Vorstius that Deus est infinitus immensus indivisibilis simplex totus in qualibet re in qua est aeternus quoad substantiam suam quoad ejus decret a immutabilis omnium accidentium expers for that wretched and madde Doctor denied all these things In many other Questions and Controversies which the Church hath against Hereticks ancient and moderne there is great use of Metaphysick But I feare to weary the Reader with these Generalls For I intend hereafter God willing to put forth a small Treatise of Metaphysicks wherein you shall finde that noble Science more perspicuously delineated FINIS The praise of Philosophy Effects of Philosophy Vses and ends of Philosophy Of Logick Of Metaphysicks Of Mathematicks The Authors Apologie Questions concerning the World The way how these questions are propounded Diverse opinions of the heavens substance What is the true matter substance of the firmament The earth rolled about with the heavens What is the substance of the stars What maketh them so cleare The Sun placed amiddest the Planets why What light the Moone thineth with what signifieth the black spots in the face of the Moone The Moones power over sublunarie bodies Reasons that there is not an lement of fire Comparison of a Mirrour to variety Why Commets are seene and not the Element of fire Knowledge of Meteors fit for men of spirit The remotest cause of Meteors The neerest cause Their remotest matter Matter and cause of the moist Meteors Difference betwixt fumes and vapours Great differences of the Meteors What are our S. Anthonies fires The earth and waters not seâ—cred like the other elements but linked together Quest. Why the waters are not about the earth Quest. Quest. Why lakes and running flouds are not salt Why some fountaines savour of brasse or salt c. Quest. Of the Seas ebbing and flowing Why the Mediterranean West-Indian Seas have no flux or reflux Of Magellanes Strait what maketh so violent a tyde there Why the Mare Del Zur hath flux and not the neighbouring Sea Why Lakes Rivers ebbe not nor flow not Why the Sea wâ—xes never more nor lesse for all the waters runne to and from it Quest. If the Seas be fresh some fathomes below he superfice The probability that certaine Seas may be fresh low Quest. Reason for the burning hiâ—ls which are in divers Countries The true cause of earth-quakes The comparison of the earth and mans a body Reasons why there is no time The Reasons confuted What things are said to be in Time Aristotles opinion that Time is the ruine of things how to be expounded Quest. Of the wittinesse of Dogs â—nd Horses Of the love of a Dog to his Master Discourse of a Dogs memory Distinction between things done by reason and a naturall inclination That certaine plants herbs vvill grow hiâ—dlier together than others The true cause how the hard Adamant is dissolved in a dish of Goats bloud What maketh the Loadstone draw Iron What maketh the Needle in a Sea compasse turne ever to the North. Reasons prâ— and contra
terminate with a subject If there be multiplicity of formes in one selfe same matter If formes of matters be extracted out of the potentialitie of the matter If Angels be species or individualls Curiosity in Logick to know what sort of relation betweene the creature and the Creator What Heaven the Prophet Enoch was wrapt unto What and where Abrahams bosome If beasts herbs plants will bee renewed with man after the resurrection If there be degrees of glory in heaven What language in heaven Curiosity in Physicke to know whether there be more worlds then one If there was one before this The Starres and heavenly lights force not our inclinations The inclination of Parentâ— more mooveth children naturally then the Starres doe The number and greatnesse of certain Stars in the via lactea Diversities of opinions Via Lactea differently given up The enquiry of the secrets of nature convenient food for a curious Spirit Eudoxus craved to be neere the Sunne although it should be with the hazard of his life as that hee might knowe it Because curiosity to know is a plague therefore our faith is settled upon things incredible to human reason The Gods of the Ancients were pourtraited with their fingers upon their mouthes and why As in Divine mysteries we should not be too curious So should we not in any worldly businesse As we should not bâ— over-curious â—o should we not be lâ—sse curious with the Stoicks referring all to destiny As the most curious craftsman is not ever either the wisest or the Wealthiest So the most curious heads are not they to whom God manifests his seâ—rets God as hee is above Nature so worketh he beyond Nature some times Great and sublime spirits stumble more vilely then the meaneâ— sort Dion Areopagita's observation of the Ecclipse at our Saviours suffering Opinions of the needle in the compasse Of Nilus her sourse and inundation Mens dispositions Burning hills and Mountaines Columbus first intention and motive to his voyage Columbus his reason His voyage His policy The cause of dearth since Columbus voyage Columbus's worth depraved His vindication Columbus denomination of Americus conferred on Vespucius Here againe vindicated Another aspersion on him Livias curiosity The understanding and reason in man is as the Sunne in the firmament Will as the Moone which should have no light cut from her Sun reason What happines is according to Aristotle By our understanding we know God by our will we love him What and wherein consisteth the old Philosophicall felicity so much spoken of being that whereof we now treate That our feliciâ—â— cannot consist in the actions of our will It would seem that our happinesse did not coâ—sist in the actions of our reason and understanding but in these of our will Reasons in favours of Will The actions of the will the object of it seemes to bee more noble then these of the intellect Will and understanding how coincident This question of felicity consisting in will and understanding is coincident with that Theologicall question of Faith good workes The end of all Sciences is to know which the Philosopher saith is good of it selfe The properties of our Soveraigne happinesse The greatest property of our feliâ—iâ—y is as to crave nothing more so not to feare the losse of that which wee have Wealth and honour cannot be our happinesse The different opinions of the Philosophers upon this purpose Happinesse wherein it did consist according to Socra The Epicureans and Stoicks their opinions The latter Philosophers have refuted al others establishing their owne Finally what our true felicity is and wherein it doth consist By this soveraine felicity a man liveth in tranquility and dieth in peace A Simile Difference betwixt Platonick and Christians Multiplicity of Gods amongst the heathen The Trinity shadowed by Plato Plato his reasons why the world liveth His opinion of God Some of the Hebrews of the same mind Platos opinion of propagation and continuance of all things Platos termes not far different from Moses words Comparison of the old Roman Philosophers with the Roman Church now The Hierarchie of blessed Spirits Sleepe mainteiner of all living creatures Perseus dyed for want of sleepe Causes of sleep Secondary Thirois murther Alexander the great his sleep Augustus his Alexanders great fortune Catoes sleepe His death A digression against selfe murder In his booke de Senectute Division of dreames Natural which Accidentall Divine Diabolicall Severus dream of Pertinax Severus causeth to be cast the manner of his dreame in brasse Henry the 5 th his admirable dreame Cicero's dream of Octavianus Antiquity superstitious in the observance of numbers The use of number Three Heavens Three Hells Heathnick superstitions Poeticall fictions Theologicall and Morall Vertues Of Sinne. How our appetites are bridled Christian duties How wee offend God an how to appease him Christs humiliation and exalation How to know God David Salomon Mans Enemies Love Of Feare Degrees of government About dyeâ—â— What Creatures God ordained for mans use Physicians Lawyers Iudges Division of Lawes Chirurgian Oratour Civilian Poets Physicall observations Customes amongst the Persians The seven ages of mans life attributed to the seven Planets Seven Wonders Two kindes of Miracles False Miracles which True Miracles Difference betwixt true and false Miracles Why God permitteth false miracles When miracles were most necessary The piety of the ancient Romans after any remakeble Prodigies Christians blamed A River raâ— blood The institution of the Novâ—ndiâ—lia sacra The heavens burned Three Moones A childe of a moneth old spake Men seene in the skie Two moones at once A greene Palme tree tooke fire of it selfe Rivers runne blood An Oxe spake It rained stones Ensignes sweat blood 〈…〉 The â—arth rend asunder A Statue wept The Capitoll destroyed by fire from heaven Images in Temples sweat blood Instruments heard to play where none were An Oxe spake A Comet like a sword hang over Ierusalem An Oxe calâ—ed Formidable Thunders Earth-quakes The deboarding of Tyber ominous to Rome A blazing starre The sea cast out monsters It rained blood three dayes A huge stone fell from heaven A great piece of Ice fell in Rome Conclusion 〈…〉 His meeting with an Herâ—â—te His proficiencie in the Art of Chimestrie His Present to the Senate Restored to favour He is suspected of Treachery Hee flyes to Bavaria He is hanged on a gilded Gybbetâ— The plenty of gold which the West Indians have The true matter of gold Ripleus c. 3. P. 74. Iodoc. Grenerus p. 36. â—los Flor. p. 35. 37. Thom. Aquin ad fratrem c. 1. Tauladan p. 28. Rosarum p. 18. Libaniuâ— Mullerus Aquinase 3. Daustricus p. 16. Monachus p. 16. Benedictus p. 5â— 57 58. c. Moâ—iennes two principless Solut. coagulat Moriennes Theob Arnaldus 〈◊〉 p. 61 62. Exercet 3. in tu bam Arnald in specie Scala philosoph p. 103 Mulletus de lap philosoph Rosarium p. 189. Libanius Arnaldus Iullius p. 116. Arnaldus Mullerus Miracula chymica Libanius Isaacus Lullius Calid c. 6. Rolinus p. 283. Dastinâ—s p. 30. Mullerus Libanius Scotus p. 61. â—â—1 Agurâ—lls Three speciall points wherewith the ancient Philosophers was most perplexed The opinions of the old Philosophers concerning the nature of the Gods The philosophers not only admitted their Gods aâ— inventers of good but fomenters of evill also The Philosophicall errour concerning the discent and progenie of their Gods The errours touching the descent of their soules Divers opinions of the philosophers concerning the substance of their soules The different opinion concerning the event of soules after their separation from their bodies Their reasons why there were moâ— worlds than one Opinions concerning the Eternitie of the World The Gymnosophists answere concerning the Eternitie The Philosophicall differences concerning the beginning of the World The fond conceites of those who imagined all things to be by the encounter of Atoms A theological observation upon the premisses Our Christian beleefe touching the Worlds beginning and ending Three wayes of knowing God A briefe description of the World The division of the heavens and Coelestiall Spheares The Plannets and their retrodations in their proper spheares Cause of the Moones change Different motions of the Starres What the great Platonick Starre was The Waters and Earth make but one Globe Why the Seas debarr'd from overflowing the Earth Division of the Earth Of America What maketh all things so deare now Of our old known world the third part is not Christian and that as yet different amongst it selfe Division of Asia The West and East parts Turkish professors divided amongst themselves A litle description of America and the New-found-lands What time of the yeare the world was created When probably it may be thought to take an end Copernick his opinion that the Earth did move rejected Why the change of Triplicities cannot be a ground for change of States The starrie firmament devided in so many Asterismes Bodin his triplicitâ—ie is not such The changing of triplicities notable to change the nature of things and Why Diversities of peoples natures conformeable to the positure of the heavenly Plannets The naturall disposition of the Plannets argueth the Inclination of people over which they are planted If people be changed from that which they were wont to be Why and How If some Countries be barren others plentifull Why and How Man compared to the World Qualities of the Northern and Easterne people The three faculties of the Soule Conclusion Metaphysick first called Sapientia 2 Phylosophia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 Prima Philosophia 4 Philosophia Theologica 5 Metaphysica and why Whereof it treateth Two causes why Metaphysick is added to the other Sciences The first The second cause Metaphysick excelleth other Sciences A supposition resolved First Reason Second Reason Third Reason That Metaphysick is free from all subjection to other Sciences Reason Why the Science of Metaphysick is most honourable Comparison Christian Philosophers Aristotle Fonseca Suarez That the consideration of mans soule and not himselfe belongeth to Metaphysick Ruvins his opinion The benefit of the knowleâ—ge of the Metaphysickâ— Controversies