their populous growth had required larger bounds The passage from Asia into America without doubt had been performed either by sea or land By Sea it was improbable they should aduenture in that infancy of the World when the Art of Nauigation was in her swathing bands and neither the Chart or Compasse as yet inuented If by land they made their passage it was doubtlesse through the North of Asia supposing America with Asia to bee one Continent But this people comming out of a pleasant and temperate Countrey would without question first attempt the places of the like quality as most pleasing their eye and fitting their disposition before they would inforce their passage to the Icy and frozen Climates of the North which can only bee beholding to necessity for habitation Hence without doubt it came to passe that those Nations wandring farre from their first fountaine and leauing no sufficient monument to instruct their posterity in their first originall came short of the other as well in reuealed as acquired knowledge in reuealed knowledge either sought in Holy Scriptures or Traditions they could not but come short as being most distant from the first head and fountaine where it was to be found in greatest perfection In Acquired knowledge gotten by industry and experience they could not come so farre as the other because all such knowledge hauing its beginning from obseruation and its growth with age could not bee brought to that perfection amongst them who came more lately to bee a people and scarce euer endowed with any settled gouernment but whatsoeuer the causes may bee thought of this diuersity betwixt the people of the Westerne and Easterne Hemispheare certaine I am that the effect it selfe is most apparant Of the happy endowments of Europe Asia and a good part of Africke both in Arts liberall and mechanicall state policy magnificence and Religion we haue often spoken and neede make no repetition To this if we compare America being as it were the only portion of this Hemispheare we shall amongst them find few or no Arts either inuented or taught the vse of letters scarce euer knowne state and magnificence little regarded and the Light of Christian Religion scarce euer seene or at least through the dimme clouds of Roman superstition Hee that would know more in this matter let him read Peter Martyr Cortesius Acosta and others of the naturall disposition of the people of America 10 The Inhabitants of such Hemispheares are againe subdiuided into the Easterne and Westerne the Westerne in the Easterne Hemispheare are they who liue neerer the Canaries the Easterne are such as are situate towards the Moluccoes to which those other in the Westerne Hemispeare are correspondent 1 The Westerne people haue been obserued to be more happy and able in martiall discipline the Easterne in witty contemplation and speculatiue Sciences There is no small affinity as wee haue before touched betwixt the West and the North as betwixt the East and the South as well in the temperament of the Aire as the disposition of the Inhabitants which cognation will appeare more fully by the proofe and demonstration of this Theoreme Of the strength and valour of the Westerne people many records giue euidence we read of innumerable Colonies of the Celtes a people situate on the West of France sent into Italy Grece Asia But the Italians durst neuer inuade France till such time as their Empire was at the hight vnder Caesar taking also aduantage of the home-bred enmities of the Inhabitants among themselues whence Tully the Orator tooke occasion to praise Caesar for subduing those Nations and reducing them to the Romans obedience whose strength the Roman Empire could hardly sustaine The Italians haue oftentimes molested the Graecians yet from them suffered little or small inconuenience so the Graecians hauing with their Armes cut out a large way through Asia scarce euer dared to come into Italy but once vnder the conduct of Pyrrhus who being almost defeated of his Armie was inforced to saue himselfe by â—light In like sort Xerxes who brought men enough into Greece to drye vp the Riuers was notwithstanding defeated by a few Graecians to his great dishonour Wherefore Cato had good reason to obiect to Muraena and Caesar to Pompey that their wars waged against the people of Asia in respect of others were as it were rather against Women then Men. This without doubt gaue Alexander his greatest happines and victory that he turned his Armes against the Easterne people which were either altogether barbarous wanting martiall discipline or all ouer delicate not able to resist such hardnes whereas if he had opposed the Westerne people by the censure of Liuy hee had at least failed of those many Conquests if not purchased â— fatall ouerthrow The obseruation perhaps of which couâ—â—gious valour in the Westerne people was the cause why the Turkes heretofore were wont to chuse their Ianisaries and chiefe men of warre out of the Europaeans accompting them more strong and able then the Asiaticks being of temper more soft and delicate To this accords Iulian in his booke against the Christians the Celtes saith he are Bold Aduenturous the Greeks and Romans both warlike and ciuill the Egyptians more industrious and subtile although weake and tender The Syriâ—ns with great alaâ—rity conforme themselues to discipline And a little after hath these words What shall I declare saith hee how coueâ—ous of liberty and impatient of seruitude the Germans are how quiet and tractable the Syrians Persians Parthians and all the Nations situate towards the East and South parts of the World Tacitus reports that the Barauians lying on the West of Germany of all the Germans are the strongest and most valiant which Plutarch also confirmes in the life of Marius that the most warlike people of all France are these which are most Westerne The like opinion had Caesar of the Westerne Nations of all the people of Europe saith hee the Westerne people of the Brittaines and Spaniards are the strongest Now as the Westerne people iustly challenge to themselues this prerogatiue of strength and valour so must they yeeld to the Easterne that of Religion and contemplation To let passe the Indians which a long time gone were enriched with knowledge if we belieue ancient writers who can deny the Hebrewes Chaldaeans Syrians Aegyptians Arabians and others of the East their iust trophies of learning and contemplation which they haue erected to after ages From these fountaines haue the Greekes and Latins deriued those large streames wherewith they haue as it were watred all Europe It is written That there came wise men from the East to worship Christ which must needes bee vnderstood of Chaldaea or the places neere adioyning where the Magi or Wisemen were had in great reputation If any obiect the decay both of Learning and Religion at this day in the easterne parts of the world Wee answer that this in most parts is meerely Accidentall caused by the hostile inuasion
broken and cut off After which Spaine and Italy found a meanes to free themselues from their bondage Likewise the Colonyes of the Celtes and Romans endeauoured alwaies to settle themselues in the middle Regions and neuer ventured as farre as Scythia Northward or Southward as farre as Aethiopia Whence the middle charged with intermixture of both extreames begat a great diuersity For we find by experience that out of the mixture of diuerse kinds diuerse Formes and Natures are ingendred As of the Mule Leopard Crocuta Lycisca and Camelopardus which being mixt Creatures are vnlike their Sires So may we iudge of the various mixture of diuerse kinds of men A Mastiffe or Lycisca little differs from a Wolfe because he was conceiued of a Wolfe and a Dogge So that a Wolfe is as Varro noteth nothing else then a wilde Dogge But on the other side a Mule from an Asse and a Horse As a Camelopardus from a Panthor and a Camell differ very much so that if people very neere in Nature be linckt together they produce an of-spring very like themselues But if two very vnlike in nature as an Ethiopian and a Scythian should match together they must needs bring forth a birth very vnlike to themselues like a Personated man brought vpon the stage by Ptolomaeus Philedephus who as Athenaeus writes was of two colours on one side white on the other blacke 2 The second point whereby the disposition of people is varied is Education Education is the exercise of many people in religions or morall discipline Amongst all externall causes of the change of dispositions there is none greater then Education For as a good nature is oftentimes corrupted with euill conuersation so an ill disposition with good institution hath in some sort been corrected The chiefe obiects of discipline are Religion and Morality Whereof we giue the chiefest prerogatiue to Religion as that which more immediatly bindeth the consciences of men euen against nature In the second place Ciuility whose end is worldly happinesse How far each of these preuaile shall bee shewed in these Theoremes 1 Education hath great force in the alteration of naturall dispositions yet so as by accident remitted they soone returne to their former temper The force of institution hath been so great that by some it hath been thought to equall if not surmount Nature whence they haue tearmed it a second nature For as wee see all sortes of Plantes and Hearbs by good husbandry to grow better but left to themselues to grow wilde and barren So shall wee find it if not much more in mankind which though neuer so Sauage and Barbarous haue by discipline been corrected and reformed and though neuer so Polite and ciuill neglecting discipline haue degenerated and growne barbarous For if the externall lineaments of the body may bee by art as it were wrought into another mould much more may wee ascribe this to the habits and operations of the mind being of a more agill nature and apter to receiue impression The ancients amongst the French as Bodin testifies deemed a long visage the most handsome Whence the Midwiues endeuoured to frame most faces to this fashion as may bee seene in most ancient statues and images In India as wee also reade a great nose and a broad face was most admitted which caused their Midwiues to effect it as neere as they could in their tender infants In like manner it hath been the endeauour and ambition of most teachers and informers of youth to frame the wits of their nouices to such disciplines and perfections as in the same country found most honor best acceptance Hence it came to passe that custome preuailing beyond nature many nations situate in a ruder climate wanting that benefit of the Heauens which others plentifully inioye haue surpassed them in Artes Sciences and many other Endowments of the minde In so triuiall a matter wee will not roue farre for example It is recorded by the ancients as well of the Germans as of our owne nation that they liued almost in the condition of wilde beasts in Woods and Desarts feeding like swine on hearbs and rootes without law or discipline In so much as their Bardes or learned men as they deemed them wanting the vse of letters challenged their chiefect perfection in the composure of certaine rimes of triuiall subiects to please the people Their houses were caues their pallaces brackes and thickots their tables rockes as one saith of them Antra lares dumeta thoros caenacula rupes They were as Iustine speakes of the infancy of the world rather carefull to keepe their owne then ambitious to conquer others and more studious to preserue life then seeke honour Their onely law was nature or some few customes preserued by tradition not writing Little differing from the present Americans not yet reduced to civility But time and discipline preuailing against barbarisme they are God be praised reduced to such a height of civility that they may as it were reade other mens wantes in their owne perfections and measure other mens losse by their owne gaines Insomuch as they seeme to haue robbed the Asiaticks of humanitie the Romans of militarie Discipline the Hebrewes of Religion the Grecians of Philosophie the Aegiptians of Geometry the Phoenicians of Arithmetick the Chaldaeans of Astrologie and almost all the world of curious Workmanship This their excellency hath bin so fortunate as to set them in the enuy of other nations who notwithstanding haue beene faine to borrow of their store The Italians are censured by Machiauell the Florentine for sending for Germans to measure their land chalenging to themselues the prerogatiue of wit aboue other nations Likewise Pope Leo dispatched his Embassador into Germany for Mathematicians to rectifie the calender as sometimes Caesar into Aegipt This force of discipline how great soeuer being for a time neglected nature is notwithstanding found to returne to her owne corruption A prime example of it we haue in the Romans and Italians heeretofore for Artes and Military discipline carrying away the palme from the whole world But now degenerated so much as it may seeme the image of basenesse submitting their neckes to the pride of an insulting Prelate farre more abiect then the losse of their libertie vnder Caesar or the Gothish vsurpation of Alaricus The like effect of this neglect of discipline may we find in the Hebrewes Chaldaeans Phaenicians Aegiptians Graecians and Indians who were sometimes admired for learning and Eloquence and set in the highest top of perfection Wherefore Aristotle had good reason in his first booke de Coelo to affirme that Artes and Sciences with all nations had beene subiect to ebbes and flowes sometimes flourishing in great perfection and sometimes languishing and contemned And to this and no other cause can we ascribe the present Ignorance and Barbarisme of the Americans Their descent being from Noah and his posterity they could not at first but haue some forme of discipline which afterwards being by long processe of
experimentally according to Miles Furlongs or such like measures How many Authors of great name and estimation haue differed amongst themselues euery man may enforme himselfe out of this Table here inserted These differences wee finde diuersly related but of all others which Authors haue set forth  Authors Furlongs Miles  Strabo and Hipparchus 252000 31500  Eratosthenes 250000 31250 The circuit of the whole earth containes according to Possidonius the ancieÌ„t Arabians 240000 30000 Ptolomie 180000 22500  The later Arabians 204000 25500  Italians and Germans 172800 21600 I preferre the iudgements of Mr Robert Hues For as much as it is not grounded on common tradition but industriously by himselfe deriued out of the Ancients by diligent search and examination as by one whose iudgement being armed as well with skill in the language as the knowledge of antiquity scornes to be iniured by translation What should bee the cause of these differences is a matter which hath staggered curious searchers into Antiquities more then the former Euery opinion being supported with the names and authorities of such renowned Authors might challenge a pitch aboue the measure of my Decision only I may not bee thought ouer presumptuous to coniecture where I cannot define especially hauing so good a guide as my forenamed Author to tread out the way before mee Wherefore supposing as a ground these Authors so much differing about the measure of the earth to haue beene in some sort led by reason The differences must needs arise out of one of these causes either the errour or negligence of the obseruers in trusting too much to others relations without any farther search or else the defect in the Mathematicall grounds out of which they deriued their demonstration or the diuersity of measures vsed in this worke or finally from the misapplication of these measures to the distances whence may arise some errour out of the experimentall measuring of places in the earth In the first place it may perhaps be doubted whether Aristotle defining the measure of the Earth to bee 400000 furlongs were not deceaued by relations for as much as hee auoucheth it from the Mathematicians of his times whose authority and credit for ought wee know deserues as well to bee forgotten as their names But this answer might seeme too sharp in the other for as much as wee find them registred for Masters in their science and such as could not easily bee cosened by others impostures Neither can wee imagine the second to bee any cause of their errour for the same reason because the wayes these Mathematicians vsed in finding out the circuit of the earth are by writers of good credit commended to posterity as warrantably grounded on certaine demonstrations being no other then what wee haue shewed before which admit of no Parallogisme In the third place wee ought to examin whether the diuersity of opinion concerning this matter proceeded from diuersity of the measures which were vsed in this worke Nonnius and Pâ—â—ceruâ— would needs perswade that the Furlongs whereby they measured the earth were not the same Maurolycus and Xilander talke of diuerse kindes of paces Maurolycus labours to reconcile both but without effect First whereas they would haue diuerse kâ—nde of paces it cannot be denied but in the meane time we cannot learne that the Grecians euer measured their Furlongs by Paces but either by Feet or Faddomes A Faddome which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the measure of the extension of the hands together with the breast betwixt containing six feet which is a kinde of measuring well knowne vnto our Mariners in sounding the depth of the Sea This measure notwithstanding is by many translated a Pace by what reason let any man iudge Xilander in translating Strabo renders it an Ell Secondly for a Furlong it containes according to Herodoiuâ— an ancient Grecian writer 600 Feet which is also testified by Suidas being much later A Furlong containes 100 Faddomes euery Faddome foure Cubits A Cubit according to Heron a Foot and halfe or 24 Digits Now for the variety of Furlongs it is true that Censorinus makes three kindes For either it is called the Italian consisting of 625 Feet which is of most regard in measuring the Earth or the Olympian of 600 Feet or the Pythian containing 1000 Feet But to let passe this latter we shall finde by serious consideration that the Italian and Olympian Furlongs differ only in name and are indeed the same For the Italian containing 625 Roman Feet according to Pliny in his second booke is â—quall to the Olympian hauing 600 Grecian Feet For a Foot with the Grecians exceeds the Roman Foot by a twenty fourth part as much as is the difference betwixt 600 and 625. Hence wee see how little certainty can bee expected of such as goe about to reconcile these opinions out of the various vse and acception of the measures The most probable assertion then is that the errour was grounded on this that the distances of places mentioned by the foresaid Authors were not by themselues exactly measured but taken vp vpon trust on the relation of trauellers wherein they might easily bee mistaken For instance wee will take Eratosthenes and Possidonius as of greatest credit who are notwithstanding taxed for many errours in their experimentall obseruations whereas it is cleere that Ptolomy grounded his opinion on the distances of the places exactly measured as is witnessed by his designation of the Latitude of the earth so farre as it was discouered and knowne Eratosthenes for mistaking in the measure of distances is much taxed by Hyparchus as we find in Strabo For betwixt Alexandria and Carthage hee reckons aboue 13 thousand furlongs whereas by a more diligent enquiry there are found to bee but 9 thousand Likewise Possidoniuâ— is knowne to bee mistaken in that hee made the Distance betwixt Rhodes and Alexandria to bee 5000 Furlongs whereas out of the relation of Marriners some haue made it 4000 some 5000 as it is witnessed by Eratosthenes in Strabo who notwithstanding sayes that hee found by Instruments that it was not aboue 3750 and Strabo wouâ—d haue it somewhat lesse as 2640. Maurolycus going about to defend Possidonius against Ptolomy brings nothing but friuoâ—ous reasons vnworthy so good an author Out of all which hath beene spoken our former Corollary will bee manifest that the diuersity of opinions concerning the circumference of the Earth arose from the experimentall mistake in the distances of places where they trusted to other mens relations rather then their owne knowledge 6 The Diameter is a right line passing by the Center of the Earth from one side to the other and measuring the thicknesse of it the inuention of which depends on these Rules 1 As 22 is to 7 so is the circumference of a circle to the Diameter wherefore the circumference of the Earth multiplied by 7 and diuided by 22 will produce the Diameter The exact proportion betwixt the Circumferences of a
hath a two-fold Motion The first is common to all heauy Bodyes as well as the Earth in which is an inclination to come as neere as they can to the Center of the Earth whereof wee haue spoken in our former booke The second is that which more properly agrees to the Sea which is againe twofold either the Naturall or the Violent The Naturall howsoeuer requiâ—ing perhaps the concurrence of some externall cause is notwithstanding so called for as much as it chiefly seemes to proceede from the Disposition of the Sea-water The Violent is caused meerely by the violence of the winds mouing the Ocean The Naturall motion we haue againe diuided into generall or speciall because the Affluxe and Refluxe of the Sea whereof we are to treat is generall throughout the whole Ocean some petty creekes perchance excepted whereas the Currents which is the second kinde of motion are more speciall as agreeing not to all or most parts as it seemes but to some one or other speciall place as we shall shew 1 The Sea twice euery day ebbes and flowes The flowing and ebbing of the Sea howsoeuer it cannot be precisely obserued in all Seas yet because few places of the maine Ocean are exempted from it deserues the first chiefest consideration That such a motion there is experience shewes but the searching out of the cause is for ought I can obserue one of the greatest difficulties in all Naturall Philosophie in so much as Aristotle one of the acutest Philosophers is reported to haue stood amazed at the flowing and ebbing of Euripus and despairing of finding out the cause at length enforced to cast himselfe into the Riuer which had before confounded him Wherefore it may seeme sufficient for mee to trace their steps who haue waded far into the search of this cause hauing very little hope to goe further The first opinion was of the Stoickes who supposed the whole World to bee a great liuing creature composed of diuerse Elements which inioyes both breath and life This liuing creature they imagine to haue his nostrils placed in the maine Ocean where by drawing in and sending foorth breath the ebbing and flowing of the Sea is caused but this seemeth rather to bee a Poeticall fiction or Allegory then any conceit of a Philosopher Apollonius Tianaeus was of an opinion that certaine Spirits eithervnder or aboue the Water breathed into it this motion Timaeus taught the cause of this moisture to be the riuer breaking into the Ocean by the great mountaines Plato thought that it was made by the swallowing vp of the Sea into a gulfe or hole which being againe cast out was the cause of that motion in the Sea Seleuous the Mathematician which affirmed that the Earth was carried round with a perpetuall motion thought that the Moone was turned round with a motion contrary to the motion of the Eâ—rth and from this to proceed that motion of ebbing and flowing of the Sea whereof wee now treat What Aristotles opinion was concerning this matter is an vncertaine coniecture forasmuch as litle or nothing can bee gathered touching this point in controuersie out of any booke which is certainly knowne to be Aristotles for the tract of the propriety of Elements where the cause of this motion is ascribed to the Moone is iudged to be none of Aristotles but of some later Authour Yet Plutarch imposeth on Aristotle this opinion that this motion of the Sea should come from the Sun because by it are raised vp many windy exhalations which should cause the Sea to swell blowing into the great Atlantick Ocean But thisopinion is charged by Paâ—ricius of a threefold errour 1. That it should proceed from the Sun 2 From the wind 3 That it is only in the Atlantick Sea He saw saith Patricius that in the Atlantick which he could not in the Aegean Sea at home and neere Athens For 1 No wind blowes so regularly that for one six houres it should blow forward the other six houres backward for the wind oftentimes blowes many daies the same way without ceasing yet is their not one only flowing or one ebbing in the Sea 2. The Sunne stirres vp sometimes windes and sometimes stirres them not vp But of a perpetuall effect which is daily why would this Philosopher giue a cause meerely violent and not quotidian which notwithstanding would haue nothing violent to be perpetuall If the Sea bee somewhere moued naturally by other motions as the Euripus which is said to be his death wherefore will he deny this motion to be Naturall seeking out an externall cause of this effect But all this while our Platonick Philosopher seems to fight with shadowes for what iudicious man can imagine so iudicious and wise a Philosopher as Aristotle should so grossely ouershoot himselâ— to father this opinion I should much rather beleiue that no such opinion is to be found in Aristotle at least that it is indirectly related which I the rather beleiue because one Caesalpinus a late Writer aswell opposite to Aristotle as the other hath related Aristotles opinion otherwise to wit that the ebbing and flowing of the Sea is deriued from a double cause whereof the one is the multitude of Riuers bringing in a great force of waters into it whence it comes to passe that it flowes only towards one paâ—t which is the lower as it happens to the Mediterranean For the Egaean and Ponticke Sea with Maeotis flow into the Tyrrhene and not on the opposite side The other cause hee makes to bee the libration of the whole Sea for it is often turn'd from one side to the other which in so great a vastnes seemes but little but in straights narrow places much more So that Aristotle saith Caesalpinus would haue that to agree to the Sea which vsually happens to a paire of ballance which hauing receiued the beginning once of their motion are inclined sometimes this way sometimes that way by reason of the equality of the weight for if the weight of one should ouercome thewhole would incline thatway and would not riâ—e vpon the other side But against this opinion imposed on Aristotle Caesalpinus not without good reason excepts that the Superficies of the Water being Equidistant from the Center as is supposed by Geographers no reason may bee giuen why it should incline more to one side then another hauing once obtained his true place sith according to Aristotles owne grounds no violence câ—n be perpetâ—all To which I may adde another answer that no satisfactory reason can be alleadged why it should alwayes obserue so true and iust periods of time in its motion sith all Riuers are sometimes encreased and other times diminished according to the season of the yeere and variety of the weather wherefore the said Authour which impugnes this opinion hath framed another conceit grounded on the circular motion of the Earth which he explaineth in this sort It agrees â—o reason saith he that the Water should not altogether follow the motion
as often it doth to be set on fire for hauing water neare it it may soone be quenched whereas many little springs cannot afford so much water as would suffice for such a purpose Lastly amongst other reasons wee cannot forget the pleasantnes of faire riuers which are no small ornaments to a City and delights to the eye of the Inhabitants 8 Thus much for riuers A Lake is a collection of perpetuall waters nourished with fresh springs and hauing of it selfe no passage forth In this definition of a Lake wee haue comprized these three things First that it is a collection of constant and perpetuall waters Secondly that it is continually fed cherished with fresh springs rising vp from the bottome Thirdly that it finds no passage forth into the sea or otherwise By the two first it is distinguished from a great Pond or standing poole called in Latin Stagnum For asmuch as a standing poole being commonly â—ed with raine water and hauing no springs from the Earth whereby it may bee long nourished is often times by the heat of the sunne exhausting it out by vapours either extraordinarily diminished or altogether dried vp Whereas in a Lake by reason of fresh springs the Water is perpetuall and remaineth sweet and holsome except by some other accidents it change it's disposition For the latter clause that a lake finds no passage forth it may bee two waies vnderstood either of a visible or apparant passage outwardly through the superficies of the Earth to the sea or of a secret and subterranean passage vnder ground The former may againe be vnderstood of a passage forth immediatly by it selfe or mediatly by some riuer whereas wee haue said that it finds no entrance into the sea we ought to vnderstand it that immediately it is not to be accompted a continuate part conioyned with the sea neuerthelesse it may be disburthened into the sea by some riuers running out of it as some would haue the great riuer Tanais not to haue his head or fountaine in the Riphaean mountains as the ancients haue taught but in a certaine Lake not faâ—re from the city Tulla so Volga Edill draw their originall from a lake not farre from Moscow with many others of like nature What to thinke of the subterranean intercourse betwixt Lakes and the sea wee will shew in this Theoreme 1 It is probable that most Lakes haue some secret intercourse with the sea vnder ground For the confirmation of this point there want not reasons The first reason may be drawne from the quantity of Water in most Lakes which is found without any great sensible difference to remaine the same without any diminution or encrease whereas if the water bound in with these limits should haue no passage out any way it should encrease to such greatnes that it would easily ouerwhelme the bankes To giue a few instances we find that diuerse very vast riuers exhaust themselues into the Caspian Lake as Volga and Edill which receiuing into them many notable riuers are at last themselues swallowed vp in the said lake In like manner the Lake of Palestine called the dead sea is known to receiue into it besides diuerse lesser riuers the great and famous riuer Iordan Heere would I demaund whether these great riuers perpetually casting themselues into a Lake giue an encrease to the former quantity or not if they should augment the water they would by consequence alter the bounds But this is contradicted by experience If the quantity of the water suffers no encrease it must needs follow then that the water should some other way be diminished as it is heere encreased This must either be by the sunne drawing vp some parts of it by vapours or by some cauerns of the Earth drinking vp some parts of it Or lastly by a subterranean passage into the sea Concerning the former it cannot bee denied but much Water is drawne vp into vapours by the heat of the sun yet that these vapours counteruaile the water perpetually brought in is in my conceit very improbable for against this quantity of water extracted out this way of evaporation I will oppose these three things which shal perswade a reasonable man that the water receiued in shall farre surpasse the vapours exhaled from it First that the vapours are stirred vp in the day time when the sunne is lifted aboue the Horizon at such a height that his heat is somewhat strengthned wheras all these watry currents neuer intermitting their vsuall course neuer cease to runne by day or night wherein is seen a double aduantage of the riuers in respect of the watry exhalation Secondly of these watry vapours so drawne out a great part must at diuerse times returne back or at least so much otherwise by rayny showres dropped downe into this Lake Thirdly these watry parts thus rarified and attenuated in vapour should putting this supposition in equality diffuse themselues abroad in such extraordinary manner that all the Regions round about should in all likely-hood suffer a great inconueniency of foggy exhalations On the other side it is very vnlikely that it should bee receiued into empty caverns of the Earth without passage into the sea or some great riuer disburthening it selfe thereunto For I would demaund whether these cauerns were euer filled with water or not if they haue been filled how could they receiue more water sith the filling of any place supposeth it to be first empty That they were neuer yet filled with Water is farre more vnreasonable that any man should imagine any cauerne of the Earth to bee so vast with so great currents of Water perpetually running in almost six thousand yeares should not replenish especially considering the bowells of the Earth not farre from the vpper face to be every where spread with Water round which might also helpe to this purpose Wherefore it cannot well bee imagined but that euery such great lake hath some vent or passage vnto the sea either by some secret subterranean channell or at least by some great riuer issuing out of it and so running into the Ocean Another reason may be taken from the currents of some seas which are by good reason ascribed to this cause For it is obserued by skilfull Nauigatours that the Water is carried by a very stiffe course from Propontis and the black sea into the Aegaean and from thence into the Mediterranean The originall of which current mâ—y with good coniecture be found out in the Caspian which by some secret passage vnder ground disburthening it selfe into the black sea causeth it to enforce his owne waters farther of for the receit of the other Thirdly that these subterranean passages are not vnlikely may be confirmed by many riuers which are swallowed vp some wholly some for â—ome place only of the Earth whereof we haue spoken before Also it may seeme likely by the Water spread round about the Earth which through the bowells of it find a passage from the sea bearing as
there was any wind to driue and enrage the Waters is very vnlikely because it is said that God caused a wind to passe vpon the Earth and the Waters ceased so that there was no wind till the Waters sanke Lastly wee may argue from a finall cause that this inequality in the superficies of the Earth was before the flood because it is certaine that all things were in as good or better estate then now with vs and that the Earth was adorned with all varieties of creatures as well for profit as delectation Now it is found by experience that all commodities agree not to all places but some are found in the mountaines at all sorts of mettalls mineralls Plants Vegetalls for the most part prosper best in the vallies and plaines Also that the mountaines serue for a shelter to guard the vallies from the rigor of cold and wind both for the better conueniencie of mans life and encrease of fruits for the vse of man Whence we may conclude that it is farre more probable that the great Mountaines were so created in the beginning and not made by the flood yet can wee not deny but that some small Hillockes might be made by the flood and afterward by the industrie of man which haue raised great fortresses and bulworks which afterward decaied were made great heaps of Earth as we see many in this land but this is of small note not worthy consideration in comparison of the great mountaines of the Earth whereof we especially treat 2 The perpendicular height of the highest mountaines seldome exceeds 10 furlong This proposition depends on the authority of Eratosthenes a famous Mathematician who being employed by his King found out by Dioptrick Instruments the height of the highest mountaines not to exceed the quantity aboue specified Cleomedes extends this a little farther and would haue some mountaines to attaine the height of 15 furlongs of which height he would haue an high rock in Bactriana called by Strabo 11 libro Sisimitrae Petra But yet if we credit Pliny on Dicaearchâ—â— who measured the Mountain Pelion accoÌ„pted the highest he found it not to exceed 1250 paces which make 10 furlongs and Solinus relates the mountaines of Thessaly to be higher then else-where are to bee found But this opinion howsoeuer supported by the authority of the ancient and famous Mathematicians hath been called in question as well by moderne as ancient writers Many matters are miraculously or rather fabulously spoken of the Mountaine Athos in Macedonia of Cassius in Syria and another of the same name in Arabia of the mountaine Caucasus and others which Histories notwithstanding are related by no meaner Authors then Aristotle Mela Pliny and Solinus yet it is not hard to imagine that these Authors might bee deceiued in those times either trusting to other mens relations or wanting Mathematicall instruments to search these matters Of the Mountaine Athos it is much wondred at that it should cast a shadow from Macedonia into the market-place of Myrhina a towne of the Iland Lemnos distant from Athos 86 miles But this as our learned Countriman Mr Hues well obserues can bee no great argument of such a miraculous height because the mountaine Athos situate East from Lemnos as may be gathered from Ptolomies Table may without any great wonder cast a very long shadow the Sunne either rising or setting Other matters are related of this mountaine Athos more strange then the former to wit that it should in hight transcend the Region of the raine and wind which they would striue to confirme out of an old tradition that the ashes heaped together on certaine Altars built on the top thereof were nener blowne away but remained in the same manner as they were left to which may be added out of Strabo that they who inhabit the top of this mountaine can see the Sunne 3 houres before those who inhabit neere the sea The like is reported by Aristotle of the Mountaine Caucasus that for the extreame height the top of it enioyes the Sun-beames a third part of the night Litle lesse is spoken by Pliny and Solinus of the mountaine Cassius in Syria and by Pomponius Mela of the mountaine Cassius in Arabia But how fabulous and incredulous these things are Petrus Nonius and other Mathematicians haue sufficiently demonstrated out of the grounds of Geometry more absurd by farre seemes that which Eustathius reports of Hercules pillars celebrated by Dionysius Perieges for their admirable height whereas they are found not to exceed 100 ells making one furlong a height according to Strabo not exceeding the Aegyptian Pyramides and comming short of certaine Indian trees neare the Riuer Hyarotes whose Meridian shadowes reach 5 furlongs These errours in the ancient might seeme veniall had they not bin seconded by latter writers Of the Mountaine Tenariffe in the Canaries Scaliger is bold to report out of other mens relations that it riseth in height aboue 15 leagues which make 60 miles but Petricius more bold then he would haue it 70 miles Litle lesse is spoken of Pico amongst the Azoris Inâ—ulâ— and the Mountaine Andi in Peru But to confute these relatioÌ„s we will vse this argument It is reported by the Spanish writers which haue spoken of this place that the topps of these Mountaines scarce any one or two moneths in the yeare are free from snow Now that snow should bee ingendred aboue 60 or 70 miles aboue the ordinary plaine of the Winter or Earth is against the iudgmeÌ„t of our best Astronomers because as they haue obserued out of Eratosthenes measure the highest vapors seldome reach so farre as 48 miles in height euery way from the Earth This argument may as well serue to confute these ancient opinions before mentioned had they not been so fabulous as scarce to deserue any solide confutation 3 The ordinary height of the Land aboue the Sea in diuerse places is more then the hight of the highest Mountaines aboue the ordinary face of the Earth We haue probably shewed out of former grounds that as the ordinary height of the Earth is answerable to the ordinary depth of the Sea so the hilles and mountaines in proportion answere to the whirle-pooles and extraordinary Gulphes of the Sea but it is to be imagined that the depth of the Sea in the maine Ocean is farre more below the superficies of the Earth then those other whirle-pooles and Holes extend themselues below that depth But to proue this by a more sensible argument we will compare the one with the other so farre forth as Mathematicians by experience haue guessed for it is found by Mathematick Instruments as wee haue proued in the precedent Theoreme that the highest Mountaines seldome or neuer mount vpward aboue ten furlongs which is an English mile and a quarter but the hight of the Land in some places where appeare no such hills is obserued to be much more to proue which assertion we can haue no fitter argument then the fresh Springs