Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	cold_a	heat_n	hot_a	2,925	5	7.7399	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40528	Meteors, or, A plain description of all kind of meteors as well fiery and ayrie, as watry and earthy, briefly manifesting the causes of all blazing-stars, shooting stars, flames in the aire, thunder, lightning, earthquakes, rain, dew, snow, clouds, sprigs, stones, and metalls / by W.F.	Fulke, William, 1538-1589.; F. W. Observations on Dr. F. his booke of meteors.	1655 (1655)	Wing F2260A; ESTC R28245	64,212	186

In Arabia as Plinius writeth is a very precious kinde of Dew that is called Ladanum which falling upon the herb Cusus and mixed with the juice of that herb which Goats do eate is gathered off Goats hairs and kept for a treasure There is another kinde of sweet Dew that falieth in England called the Meldews which is as sweet as honey being of such substance as honey is it is drawn out of sweet herbs and flowers There is also a bitter kinde of Dew that falleth upon herbs and lieth on them like branne or meal namely because it is of an Earthly Exhalation and so remaineth when the moisture is drawn away This Dew killeth herbs The common Dew drunk of Cattle doth rott them because the matter is full of viscosity bringing them to a fluxion There be Three things that hinder Dew from falling that is great heat great cold and wind for Dew falleth in the most temperate calme time Of Hoare-Frost HOare frost or white frost is nothing else but dew congealed by overmuch cold The South and East wind do cause dew but the North and Northern winds do freeze the Vapors and so it becommeth hoar frost which if that excessive cold had not beene should have turned into dew The dew and the hoare frost agree in three things namely in matter in quality of time and place of the generation In matter they agree for they are both generated of a subtill and thin Vapor and also small in quantity In quality of time they consent for both are made in a quiet and calm time for if there were great wind it would drive away the matter and so could there be no generation Thirdly they are both generated in the lowest Region of the Air for as Aristotle affirmeth upon the high hills there is neither dew nor hoar frost They differ also in three things For the hoare frost is congealed before it be turned into water so is not the dew Secondly The dew is generated in temperate weather the white frost in cold weather Last of all hot Winds as the South and East do cause dew but cold winds as the North and West do cause hoare frost Hoare frost doth often stinke because of the stinking matter whereof it consisteth which is drawn out of lakes and other muddy and stinking places Of Hayle HAyle is a hote Vapor in the middle Region of the Air by the cold of that Region made thick into a cloud which falling down to the sudden cold of the lowest Region is congealed into Ice There be so many kinds of Haile as there be of raine The fashion of haile is sometime round which is a token that it was generated in the middle region of the Air or very near it for falling from high the corners are worn away When the Haile stones are square or three-cornered the haile was generated neere the earth Oftentimes there is heard a great sound in the Cloud as it were of Thunder before haile or of an Army fighting c. The cause is That Vapors of contrary qualities being inclosed in the Cloud do strive to break out and make a noyse even as cold water doth being put into a seething pot In Spring and Harvest-time is often haile seldome in Summer and Winter In winter there want hot Vapors in Summer the lowest region is too hot to congeale the raine falling down In Spring and Autumne there want neither hot Vapors to resist the cold nor sufficient cold to harden the drops of that hot shower of raine The haile stones are sometimes greater and sometimes lesser greater with greater cold and lesser with lesser cold There is seldom haile in the night for want of hot vapors to be drawn up Sometime haile and rain fall together when the latter end of the cloud for want of cold in the lowest region is not congealed Haile-stones are not so cleare as Ice because they are made of grosse and earthy vapours Ice is congealed of clear water Haile is sooner resolved into water then Snow because it is of a more sudden and swift generation Of Snow SNow is a cold congealed by great cold before it be perfectly resolved from vapours into water Snow is white not of the proper colour but by receiving the light into it and so many small parts as in fome or the white of an egge beaten Snow is often upon high hills lyeth long there because their tops are cold as they be neer to the middle Region of the Air for oftentimes it raineth in the valley when it showeth on the Hills Snow melting on the high Hills and after frozen again becommeth 〈◊〉 hard that it is a stone and is called Christall Other matter of Snow because they are common with Rain are needlesse to be spoken of To be short feet is generated even as Snow but of lesse cold or else beginneth to melt in the falling Snow causeth things growing to be fruitfull and encrease because the cold driveth heat unto the roots and so cherisheth the plants Of Springs and Rivers THe generation of Springs is in the bowels of the Earth and therefore something must be said of the body of the earth The earth though it be solid and massie yet hath it many hollow gutters and veines in which is alwaies aire to avoid emptinesse for the ignorant in Phylosophie must be admonished that all things are full nothing is empty for nature abhorreth emptinesse so that where nothing else is there is Air and Vapors which by cold as it hath often been said will be resolved into drops as we see experience in marble Pillars and such like hard stones toward raine This Air and Vapors therefore being turned into drops of water these drops sweat out of the earth and find some issue at the length where many being gathered together make great abundance of water which is called a Fountaine or Spring The cause why such Springs do run continually is because that Air can never want in those veines which by cold will alwaies be turned into water so that as fast as the water runneth forth so fast is aire againe received into the place whereby it commeth to passe that so many Springs are perpetuall and never dryed but if any be dryed up it is in a hot Summer and such Springs also they be whose generation is not deep in the earth and therefore the Vapors may be made dry and the earth warm so the Spring may fail There be foure kinds of springs fountaines brookes Rivers and lakes Of Fouutaines FOuntaines be small springs which serve for wels and conduits when there is but one place where the Water is generated and that is not very abundant either because it is of small compasse or small veines and not many Of Brookes BRookes boornes or fordes be small streames of Water that run in a channell like a river They are caused when either the spring occupieth a great compasse

a certain watry thing and yet is not water so Exhalation hath a certain earthly nature in it but yet it is not earth For the better understanding of Vapors understand that they be as it were fumes or smokes warme and moist which will easily bee resolved into water much like to the breath that proceedeth out of a mans mouth or out of a pot of water standing on the fire These vapours are drawn up from the waters and watery places by the heat of the Sun even unto the middle region of the aire and there after divers manner of meeting with coldnesse many kind of moist Meteors are generated as sometimes clouds and raine sometime snow and hail and that such Vapours are so drawn up by the Sunne it is plaine by experience for if there be a plash of water on a smooth and hard stone standing in the heat of the Sun it will soon be drie which is none otherwise but that the Sun draweth up the water in thinne Vapors for no man is so fond to say that it can sink into stone or mettal and it is as great folly to think it is consumed to nothing for it is a general rule That that which is once a thing cannot by changing become nothing wherefore it followeth that the water on the stone as also on the earth is for the most part drawn up when the stone or earth is dryed Exhalations are as smokes that be hot and dry which because they be thinne and lighter then Vapors passe the lowest and middle Region of the aire and are carryed up even to the highest Region where for the excessive heat by neerness of the fire they are kindled and cause many kind of impressions They are also sometimes viscose that is to say clammy by reason whereof they cleaving together and not being dispersed are after divers sorts set on fire and appear sometimes like Dragons sometimes like Goats sometimes like candles sometimes like spears By that which is spoken of Vapours and Exhalations it is evident that out of the fire and aire no matter whereof Meteors should consist can be drawn because of their subtilty and thinnesse For all Exhalation is by making a grosser body more thinne but the fire we mean the elemental fire and not the fire of the Kitchin chimney is so subtil and thinne that it cannot be made thinner likewise the aire is so thinne that if it be made thinner it is changed into fire and as the fire if it were made thicker would become aire so the aire being made grosser would be turned into water Wherefore to conclude this part the great quantity of matter that causeth these Meteors is taken out of the earth and the water As for the aire and the fire they are mixed with this matte● as with all other things but not so abundantly that they may be said th● material cause of any Meteor thoug● without them none can be generated The efficient cause of all Meteors is tha● caus which maketh them even as the Carpenter is the efficient cause of an house This cause is either first or second The first and efficient cause is God the worker of all wonders according to that testimonie of the Psalmist which saith Fire haile snow ice wind and storme doe his will and commandment he sendeth snow like wooll c. Almightie God therefore being the first principall and universall cause efficient of all natural works and effects is also the first cause of these effects whose profit is great and operation marvellous The second cause efficient is double either remote that is to say farre off or next of all The farther cause of them as of all other naturall effects is the same the Sun with the other Planets and Stars and the very heaven it self in which they are moved But chiefly the Sunne by whose heat all or at least wise the most part of the vapors and Exhalations are drawn up The next cause efficient as the first qualities are heat and cold which cause divers effects in Vapors Exhalations But to return to the heat of the Sun which is a very neere cause it is for this purpose two wayes considered One way as it is meane and temperate Otherwise as it is vehement and burning The meane is by which he draweth vapors out of the water and exhalations out of the earth and not onely draweth them out but also lifteth them up very high from the earth into the aire where they are turned into divers kinds of Meteors The burning heat of the Sunne is by which he burneth dissipateth and consumeth the vapors and exhalations before he draweth them up so that of them no Meteors can be generated These two heats proceed from the Sun either in respect of the place or the time but most properly according to the casting of his beames either directly or undirectly In place where the Sunnes beames strike directly against the earth and the water the heat is so great that it burneth up the Exhalations and Vapours so that there are no fiery Meteors much lesse watery as it is in the South parts of the world under and neere to the Equinoctiall line But in places where the beames are cast indirectly and obliquely and that where they are not too nigh to the direct beams nor too far off from them there is a moderate heat drawing out great abundance of matter so that in those Countries many Meteors of many sorts are generated as in the far North parts are few but watry impressions Also in Autumn and Spring are oftner Meteors seene then in Summer and Winter except it be in such places where the Summer and Winter are of the temper of the Spring and Autumne Let this be sufficient for the Efficient causes of impressions as well first and principall as second and particular Concerning the formal and finall cause we have little to say because the one is so secret that it is known of no man the other so evident that it is plaine to all men The essentiall Form of all substances Gods wisedome comprehendeth the universall chiefe and last End of all things is the glory of God Middle Ends if they may be so called of these impressions are manifold profits to Gods creatures to make the earth fruitfull to purge the aire to set forth his power to threaten his vengeance to punish the world to move to repentance all which are referred to one end of Gods eternall glory ever to be prased Amen Of the places in which they are generated THe places in which Meteors are caused be either the aire or the earth in the air be generated rain hail snow dew blazing stars thunder lightning c. In the earth be welles springs earthquakes metals minerals c. made and as it were in their mothers belly begotten and fashioned But for the better understanding hereof such as have not tasted the principles of Philosophy must consider that there be foure

is a Well that maketh men dull-witted that drink thereof There is another that causeth men to abhor lust Lechnus a Spring of Arcadia is good against abortions In Sicilia are two Springs of which one maketh a woman fruitful and the other barren In Sardinia be hot Wells that heale sore eyes In an Isle of Pontus the River Astares overfloweth the fields in which whatsoever sheep be fed doe alwaies give black milke In Aethiopia is a Lake whose water is like oyle Also many Springs of Oyl have broken forth of the Earth which commeth of the viscosity or fatnesse of the same earth The Lake Clitory in Italy maketh men that drink of it to abhor wine The Lake Pentasium as Solinus saith is deadly to Serpents and wholsome to men Seneca writeth of certain Lakes that will bear men which cannot swim And that in Syria is a Lake in which bricks do swim and no heavy thing will sinke It is said that the River Rhene in Germany will drown bastard Children that be cast in it but drive aland them that be lawfully begotten The River in Hypanis in Sythia every day brings forth little bladders out of which flyes do come that die that same night Matrona the River of Germany as the common people saie never passeth day but he taketh some prey Of the Sea THe Sea in this treatise hath place as a mixed substance for else the element of Waters being simple were not here to be spoken of The Sea is the naturall place of the Waters into which all Rivers and other Waters are received at the length And here it is to be understood that the very proper and naturall place of the water were to cover all the Earth for so be the elements placed the Earth lowest and round about the Earth the Water about the Water the Air and about the Ayr the fire But God the most mighty and wise creator of all things that the Earth might in some parts be inhabited of men and beasts commanded the Waters to be gathered into one place that the dry land might appeare and called the dry land Earth and the gathering of Waters he called Seas In the Sea are these two things to be considered the saltnesse and the ebbing and flowing Of the saltnesse of the Sea THe saltnesse of the Sea according to Aristotles mind is caused by the Sun that draweth from it all thin and sweet Vapors to make raine leaving the rest as the setling or bottome which is salt But men of our time peradventure more truely doe not take this for the only and sufficent cause to make so great a quantity of water salt but say that the Sea by Gods wisdom is gathered into such valleyes of the Earth as were otherwise barren and unfruitfull such Earths are salt the Sea Water then mixed with that Earth must needs be Salt else Rivers by Aristotles mind should be salt as well as the Sea The Reader may choose which opinion is most probable Of the ebbing and flowing THe ebbing and flowing of the Sea as Aristotle sermeth to teach is by reason of Exhalations that be under the Water which driveth it to and fro according to contrary bounds and limits as upward and downeward wide and narrow deepe and shallow This opinion of Aristotle also as more subtil then true experience teacheth men to mislike and to ascribe the cause of ebbing and flowing to the course of the Moone which ruleth over moysture as the Sunne doth over heat for from the new Moone to the full all humors do encrease and from the full to the new Moone decrease againe Also the very true time of the ebbing and flowing may be known by the course of the Moone with whom as the Lady of moysture we will close up the fourth book of m●yst and watery impressions The fifth Book Of earthly Meteors or bodies perfect●y mixed THis last Treatise containeth such bodies whose chiefe matter is the earth and are called perfectly mixed because they are not easily resolved into the chief matter whereof they are generated These are divided into four Kinds The first be divers sorts of Earth The second be Liquors concrete The third be Metalls and Metallikes The fourth be Stones This division is not altogether perfect both for that there be many of these Minerals which partake of two kinds and also for that the names of these kinds may be said of others Yet minding as plainly as can be to declare the things themselves the controversie and cavillation of names shall not greatly trouble us especially seeing we pretend not to teach Philosophers but such as need a ruder and plainer instruction They may therefore be content with this division which shall not serve them to dispute of these matters but to understand the truth of these things that they desire Of these foure therefore we will speak orderly and generally not minding to treat of every particular kind for that were infinite but to open such universall causes as they which have wit may learn if they list to apply unto all particulars Of Earths THe Earth is an element one of the four cold and dry most gross and solid most heavy and weighty the lowest of all other in place When I say an Element I meane a simple body uncompounded This Earth is no Meteor but as it was shewed in the water to the end there should be generation of things There is no Element that we have which is pure and simple but all are mixed and compound Our fire is grosse and compound so is our aire our water and our earth but the earth notably and above the rest is mixed For the pure and naturall Earth is dry and cold but we see much to be moist and much to be hot The natural earth is black of colour but we see many Earths white many yellow and many red So that first the greatest part of the Earth is mixed with water that maketh it to cleave together with aire and some fire which make an oylie fat or clammy earth as is clay made c. Another great part is dried not into the naturall drinesse of the first quality but as a thing once mixed and after dryed either by cold as sand gravell c. or else by heat as chalke oaker c. And yet somewhat more plainly and particularly to discourse upon these causes admitting the natural colour of the Earth to be black of the water to be blue of the aire to be white and of the fire to be ruddy it followeth that upon the mixtion of these colours or chiefe domination of them all things have their colour The grosse substance of the Earth therefore being diversly mixed with other Elements and those mixtures again being eftsoones altered by divers and sometime contrary qualities hath brought forth so many kinds of earth as clay marble chalke sand

a garland of divers colours that is seen about the Sunne the Moon or any other Star especially about Jupiter or Venus for their great brightnesse It is called of the Greeks a compassed plat of the Latines a Crown or Garland The matter wherein it is made is a cloud of equall thickness or thinnesse comming directly under the body of the Sunne the Moone or other Starres into which the light of the heavenly body is received so appeareth round because the Starre is round as a stone cast into the water maketh many round circels dilating in breadth untill the violence of the moving is ended so is it in the aire the light beames peircing it cause broad circles to be dilated which appeare white purple black red green blew and other colours according to the disposition of the clouds matter The cause of such colours is shewed before in the peculiar treaty of colours This circle is oftner seene about the Moone then about the Sunne because the heate of the Sunne draweth the vapors too high where it cannot be made Also because the night is a more quiet time then the day from wind it is more often in the night then in the day Seldome about other Starres because their light beames are too weake often to pierce a cloud yet oftner about smal stars then the Sunne because the light of the Sunne pierceth the cloud more forcibly than that this Halon can many times be cause Otherwhiles it is seen about a candle which must be in a very thicke and grosse aire of such proportionate thickness that it may receive the light as the cloud doth from the starres as in the smoaky places or hot houses This kinde of circle is sometimes like a Rainebow saving that it is a whole circle unlesse the starre under which it is caused be not all risen or else the cloud in which it is seen be not all come under the Star or after it hath come under some part therof be dissolved from the rest These Circles be sings of tempests and windes as witnesse both Virgil and Aratus The Wind shal blow from that quarter where the Circle first beginneth to break The cause whereof is this that the Circle is broken by the Winde that is above which is not yet come down towards us but by this effect above we may gather both that it will come and also from what quarter A great Circle about the Moon betokeneth great cold and frost to follow after But if it vanish away and be dissolved altogether it is a signe of faire weather If it be broken in many parts it signifieth tempest If it wax altogether thicker and darker it is a forewarning of raine One alone after Ptolomee pure and white vanishing away by little and little is a token of faire weather Two or three at once portendeth tempest if they be ●uddy they shew wind to come and toward snow they seem as it were broken and rocky Being darke or dimme they signifie all these foresaid events with more force and abundance it is oftner caused in Autumne and Spring then in Winter or Summer the cause is the temperatenesse of the time The cause why it appeareth sometime greater and sometime lesser is in the quality of the matter which as it is grosse or thinne will more or lesse be dilated and stretched abroad also as some will have it of the weakenesse of mans sight Of which Aristotle bringeth an example in one Antipho which did alwayes see his owne image before him in the ayre as in a glasse which he affirmeth to have been for the weaknesse of his sight-beames that could not peirce the aire so that they were reflected again to himself And thus much for Halon and the causes signes or toke●s of it Of the Rainebow THe Rainebow is the apparition of certaine colours in a cloud opposite against the Sunne in fashion of half a Circle Possidonius said it was the Sunnes looking glasse wherein his image was represented and that the blue colour was the proper colour of the cloud red of the Sunne all the other colours of commixtion It differeth manifoldly from Halon for the Raynebow is alwayes opposite against the Sunne but Halon is directly under it They differ not onely in place but also in fashion the Raynebow is but halfe a Circle the Halon is a whole Circle Likewise they vary in colour for the Raynebow is more dimme and of purple colour the Halon whiter and brighter Also in continance for the Rainbow may continue longer then Halon The image of the Rainebow may be seen on a wall the Sunne striking thorow a fix poynted stone called Iris or any other Christall of the same fashon also thorow some glasse window Halon is seen about Candles in smokie places as are baths and kitchings The manner of the generation of the Rainebow is such There is opposite against the Sunne a thick watery cloud which is already resolved into dewy drops of raine is for a grosse similitude is seene on the potlid when the Water in the Vessell hath sodden or is very hot the lid will be all full of small drops of water which come from the water in the Vessell first by heat resolved into smoake after when it cannot goe at large it is resolved again Wherefore upon such a cloud the Sunne beams striking as upon a smooth glasse do expresse the image of the Sun unperfectly for the great distance Or else the Sunne beames striking into a hollow cloud where they are refracted or broken and so come to the eyes of him that beholdeth the Rainbow The similitude thereof is seen when men sayle or row in Boats the Sunne shineth upon the water which casteth on the vessels side the colours and image of the Rainbow Lifewise water in an urinall holden against the Sunne receiveth the light and sheweth colours on the wall There be two kinds of Rainbows one of the Sun another of the Moon the one by day the other by night the Rainebow of the Sun often but of the Moon very seldome in so much that it can be but twice in fifty yeeres and that when the Moon is in the East or West full in perfect opposition It hath not been many times seene since the writing of Histories yet sometimes and for the rarenesse is taken for a great wonder Yet is it in colour nothing so beautiful as the sunnes but for the most part white as milke other diversities of colours are scant perceived When it appeareth it is said to signifie tempest The time of the Rainbow is often after the point of Autumne both for the placing of the Sunne in competent lownesse and also for abundance of matter seldom or never is the Rainebow see about the midst of Summer There may be many Rainebows at one time yet commonly but one principall of which the rest are

gathereth many Vapors and by immoderate heat doth not consume them But in the East parts in some ho● Countrys it never or seldom is seen to rayne as in Egypt and Syria but in stead of rayne Egypt hath the River Nilus whose overflowings doe marvilously fatten the Earth In Syria and other like Countries they have more plentifull dew then we have which doth likewise make their Earth exceeding fruitful Seneca testifieth that the Rain soaketh no deeper into the Earth then ten Foot deep Of the Signes of Rain FIrst If the Skie be red in the morning it is a token of Rain because those Vapors which cause the Redness will be shortly resolved into Rain If a darke cloud be at the Sun rising in which the Sunne soon after is hid it will dessolve it and rayne will follow If then appeare a cloud and after Vapors are seen to ascend up to it that betokeneth rayne If the Sunne or Moone looke pale looke for rayne If the Sunne in the East seem greater then commonly he appeareth it is a signe of many Vapours which will bring rayne If the Sunne be seen very earely or few Stars appeare in the night it betokeneth rayne The often changing of the Winds also sheweth tempest The most sure and certaine signe of raine is the Southerne wind which with his warmenesse alwayes resolveth the clouds into raine When there is no dew at such times as by nature of the time there should be raine followeth for the matter of the dew is turned into the matter of watry Clouds If in the West about the Sunne setting there appeare a black cloud it will rayn that night becaus that cloud shall want heat to disperse it When much dust is raised up and when the woods make a great noyse some tempest is towards Hard stones will be moyst and sweate against rayne lamps and candles by sparkling frogs crying Trees breaking leaves falling and dust clottering forewarne us of tempest Fleas flyes and gnats bite sore toward a tempest Kin● feed greedily birds seeke their victuals more busily for in the grosse Ayre disposed to rayn their stomacks are hotter and they more hungry But these kind of signes pertaine not so properly to Meteorologie as to Mariners and Husbandry which have a great many more then these And Virgil in the first booke of Georgikes hath a great number for them that list to learn Wherefore let these hitherto suffice Of monstrous or prodigious rayne HItherto we have made mention onely of naturall rayne and that which is common which no man doth marvell at But there is some time such rayne that worthily may be wondred at as when it raineth wormes frogges fishes blood milke flesh stones wheat iron wooll bricke and quicksilver For historic maketh mention that at divers times it hath rayned such things whose naturall caus for the most part we will goe about to expresse notwithstanding accounting them among such wonders as God sendeth to be considered for such ends as we have before declared Wormes and Frogges may thus be generated The fat Exhalations are drawn up into the Ayr by a temperature of hot and moyst such vermine may be generated in the Air as they are one the Earth without copulation of male and female Or else that with the Exhalations and Vapors their Seed and Egges are drawn up which being in the clouds brought to form fall down among the rain Likewise the spawn of fishes being drawn up maketh fishes to rain out of the clouds The vehement heat of the Sunne in Summer and specially in hot Countries draweth milke out of the Paps of Beasts and Cattel which being carryed up in Vapors and dissolved againe into milke falleth downe like rain After the same manner the Sun also from places where blood hath been spilt draweth up great quantity of blood and so it raineth blood It raineth flesh when great quantity of blood being drawn up it is clotted together and seemeth to be flesh Avicen saith That a whole Calfe fell out of the Air and some would make it seem credible that of Vapors and Exhalations with the power of heavenly bodies concurring a Calfe might be made in the Clouds But I had rather thinke that this Calfe was taken up in some storme of Whirlwinde and so let fall again then agree to so monstrous a generation It is a great deale more reasonable that stones of earthly matter gathered in clouds should be generated as we said before of the Tunder-bolt Yet some men think that wind in Caves of the Earth breaking upward violently carryeth before it earth and stones into the aire which cannot long abide but fall down and are counted among prodigious raine Exhalations that be earthly and drawn out of clay have much grosse substance in them which gathered together and by great heat burned in the clouds make brick which is no great marvell He that hath seen an Eggs-shel full of dew drawn up by the Sun into the Air in a May morning will not think it incredible that Wheat and other Graine should be drawne up in much hotter Countries then ours is much rather the Meale or Flower which is lighter A certaine mostinesse like Wooll as is upon Quinces Willowes and other young Fruits and Trees is drawne up of the Sunne among the Vapors and Exhalations which being clottered together falleth downe like locks of Wooll Quicksilver all men know with small heat will be resolved into most thin Vapors whereof when quantity is drawne up it falleth downe againe As it is read that once at Rome it rained Quicksilver wherewith the Brazen Money being rubbed it looked like silver Titus Livius maketh mention that it rained chalk whereof the cause cannot be hid to them that read how stone and brick come in the Air. Iron hath also rained out of the clouds and sundry times as Histories witness whereof this hath been the cause The general matter of all mettals which is quicksilver and brimstone with the special matter of mixtion that maketh Iron were all drawu together and there concocted into the mettal so came the strange Rain of Iron Avicen saith he saw a piece of Iron that fell out of the clouds that weighed about an hundred pound weight whereof very good swords were afterwards made Of Dew DEw is that Vapour which in Spring and Autumn is drawn up by the Sun in the daytime which because it is not carried into the middle region of the Air abiding in the lower region by cold of the night is condensed into water and falleth down in very smal drops There is common Dew and sweet Dew One kinde of sweet Dew is called Manna being white like Sugar which is made of thick and clammy Vapors which maketh it so to fall thick and white It falleth only in the East parts As for that Manna which God rained to the Israelites it was altogether miraculous

or else two or three small springs meet together in one channell Of Rivers RIvers are caused by the meeting together not only of many springs but also of many brookes and fords which being received in divers places as they passe are at the length caried into the broad Sea for the most part Howbeit some Rivers as swallowed up into the Earth which perchance run into the Sea by some secret and unknowne channels some Rivers there be that hide their heads under the Earth and in another place far off breake out againe They Write also that some Rivers being swallowed up of the Earth in one Island do run under the bottome of the Earth and Sea and breake forth in another Island There be also many great Rivers that run under the Earth in great Caves which never breake forth Aristotle sheweth of ponds and lakes that be under the Earth And Seneca speaketh of a pond that was found by such as digged in the Earth with fishes in it and they that did eat of them dyed As Eeles that be found in darke places as Wells that have beene dammed up c. are poyson Of Lakes LAkes are made by the meeting together of many Rivers Brooks and Springs into one deep valley whereof some are so great that they have the name of the Seas as the Lake called Hircane or Caspian Sea These Lakes sometimes unlade themselves into the Sea by small Rivers sometimes by passages under the Earth The cause of the swiftnesse of Rivers is double for they are swift either for the great abundance of waters or else because they 〈◊〉 down from an hilly place as the River Rhene falleth down from the top of wonderful high hills Of hot Bathes SOme waters that are generated and flow out of veines of Brimstone are sensibly warm and some very hot because they run out of hot places These waters being also drying by nature are wholesome for many infirmities specially breaking forth of scabs c. Such are the Baths in the West Country and S. Anne of Buck-stones well in the North part of England and many other elsewhere Of the divers tastes that are perceived in Wells FOr a generall reason the waters receive their taste of that kinde of earth thorow which they run as thorow a strayner Some salt that run thorow salt veines of the earth some sweet that be well strained or run thorow such mineralls as be of sweet taste some bitter that flow out of such earth as is bitter by adustion or otherwise Some sowre or sharpe like vineger which run thorow veines of Allome coperas or such minerals Aristotle writeh of a Well in Sicilia whose water the Inhabitants used for Vineger In Bohemia neare to the City called Bilen is a Well that the people used to drink of in the morning in stead of bunrt wine And in divers places of Germany be Springs that taste of such sharpeness Some have the taste of Wine as in Paphlagonia is a Well that maketh men drunk which drink thereof which is because that water receiveth the ●●●osity of Brimstone and other Minerals thorow which it runneth and so filleth the brain as wine doth A recitall of such Rivers and Springs as have marvellous effects whereof no naturall cause can be assigned by most men although some reason in a few may be found CLitumnus which maketh Oxen that drink of it white is a River or Spring in Italy Propert lib. 3. This may be the quality of the water very flegmatick In Boetia is a River called Melas that maketh sheep black if they drink thereof Seneca speaketh of a River that maketh red hairs These two with the first may have some reason that the quality of the reason may alter complexion and so the colour of hairs may be changed as we see in certain diseases In Lybia is a Spring that at the Sun rising and setting is warme at mid-day cold and at mid-night very hot This may be by the same reason that wel-water is colder in Summer then it is in Winter Seneca writeth that there be Rivers whose waters are poyson this may be naturally the water running thorow poysonous Mineralls taking much fume of them Other Wells that make wood and all things else that can be cast into them stones such wells be in England the cause is great cold Another Well maketh men mad that drinke thereof This also may have as good reason as that which maketh men drinke As also that Well which maketh men forgetfull by obstruction of the brain The same Seneca speaketh of a Water that being drunke provoketh unto lust and lechery And why may not that quality be in a Water which is mixed with divers Mineralls and kinds of earth which is in herbs roots fruits and liquors S. Augustine speaketh of a Well in Egypt in which burning Torches are quenched and being before quenched are lighted Among the Garamants is a Well so cold in the day that no man can abide to drink of it in the night so hot that none can abide to feel it It is incredible that is written of a Well in Sicilia whereof if Thieves did drink they were made blind In Idumea was a Well that one quarter of a year was troubled and muddy the next quarter bloody the third green and the fourth cleer Seneca writeth of another Well that was six hours full and running over and six hours decreasing and empty perchance because it ebbed and flowed with the Sea or some great River that was neer it In the Hill Anthracius is said to be a Well which when it is full signifieth a fruitfull Year when it is scarce and empty a barren and dear Year The sufficiency of moisture maketh fertility as the want causeth the contrary Men say there is a River in Hungary in which Iron is turned into Copper which may well be seeing Inke in which is but smal Coperas and artificially mixed of Iron doth counterfeit Copper in colour In this stream may be much Copperas and that is naturally mixed Both Seneca and Theophrastus witness that waters there be which within a certain space being drunk of sheep as Seneca saith or of birds as Theophrastus will have it changeth their colours from black to white and from white to black Vitruvius writeth that in Arcadia is a Water called Nonacrinis which no Vessel of Silver Brasse or Iron can hold but it breaketh in peices and nothing but a Mules hoof will hold it and contain it In Illyria Garments that are holden over a most cold Well are kindled and set on fire In the Isle of Andros where the Temple of Bacchus stood is a Well that the fifth day of January flowed wine Isidore saith there is a Well in Italy that healeth the wounds of the eyes In the Isle of Chios