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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05102	The third volume of the French academie contayning a notable description of the whole world, and of all the principall parts and contents thereof: as namely, of angels both good and euill: of the celestiall spheres, their order and number: of the fixed stars and planets; their light, motion, and influence: of the fower elements, and all things in them, or of them consisting: and first of firie, airie, and watrie meteors or impressions of comets, thunders, lightnings, raines, snow, haile, rainebowes, windes, dewes, frosts, earthquakes, &c. ingendered aboue, in, and vnder the middle or cloudie region of the aire. And likewise of fowles, fishes, beasts, serpents, trees with their fruits and gum; shrubs, herbes, spices, drugs, minerals, precious stones, and other particulars most worthie of all men to be knowen and considered. Written in French by that famous and learned gentleman Peter de la Primaudaye Esquier, Lord of the same place, and of Barree: and Englished by R. Dolman.; Academie françoise. Part 3. English	La Primaudaye, Pierre de, b. ca. 1545.; Dolman, R. (Richard)	1601 (1601)	STC 15240; ESTC S108305	398,876	456

distributeth the raine and heauenly waters by an admirable prouidence who also keepeth them hidden when he pleaseth in such sort that there is no cloud seene in the aire and sometimes for so long space that the earth becommeth drie and as it were burnt vp with the beames of the Sunne for want of moisture from heauen 1. King 17. 18. as it was in the dayes of Elias And then he executed the sentence wherwith he threatned the transgressors of his law when he denounced to them by Moses Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. that he would make the heauen as brasse and the earth as iron that is to say that there should come no more raine from heauen then if it were of brasse whereupon doth also follow that the earth not being moistned with water from heauen should become barren bearing no more fruit then if it were of iron For as it is written The earth which drinketh in raine that commeth oft vpon it Heb. 6. and bringeth forth herbes meete for them by whom it is dressed receiueth blessing of God But that which beareth thornes and briers is reprooued and is neere vnto cursing whose end is to be Burned And therefore likewise the Prophet saith in the Psalmes Psal 107. that God turneth the flouds into deserts and springs of water into drynes and the fruitfull ground into saltnes which is as much as if he should say that he maketh it altogether barren as if one had sowed salt there Adding also afterwards that it is for the wickednes of those that dwel therein that contrariwise he turneth the deserts into pooles of water and the drie-land into water-springs making it an habitation for such as were famished who there sow the fields and plant vines which bring forth yeerly fruit For this cause the Lord being angrie with his people saith by Isay Isay 5. I will commaund the cloudes that they shall distill no raine vpon my vine-yard Meaning by this kinde of speech his people whom he hath elected And surely the holy spirit would giue vs to vnderstand this one thing more in this text that as the earth waxeth barren if it be not watred by raine from heauen so men cannot performe any thing if God powre not downe his grace vpon them as he causeth the raine-waters to showre downe vpon the earth Wherefore as it is vnfruitfull not being watred from heauen euen so is mankinde when God withdraweth his blessing For we are all cursed by nature as the earth is as we euen now heard the Apostle giue euidence When therefore it pleaseth the creator he commandeth the cloudes to distribute their waters to the end that the earth may be moistned watred to make it fertile And therfore the kingly Prophet saith againe Thou visitest the earth and watrest it Psal 65. Of the fertility caused by raine thou makest it verie rich the riuer of God is full of water thou preparest the corne for so thou appointest it Thou watrest abundantly the furrowes thereof thou causest the raine to descend into the valleies thereof thou makest it soft with showres and blessest the bud thereof Thou crownest the yeere with thy goodnes and thy steps drop fatnes Meaning by the steps or paths and walkes of the Lord the cloudes for that the Scripture proposeth him vnto vs walking vpon them and by fatnes he vnderstandeth the raine which droppeth vpon the earth as it doth also serue therefore And in another Psalme he againe recordeth The Lord watreth the mountaines from his loftie chambers which is as much to say as God causeth it to raine vpon the mountaines to make them fruitfull And therefore he further addeth That the earth is filled with the fruit of his workes Wherein the Prophet doth also expound his owne meaning saying before that the Al-mightie laide the planchers of his high chambers amongst the waters and after that he hath generally entreated of the fertilitie which God bestoweth vpon the earth by meanes of the raine he doth declare it more particularly Psal 104. saying He causeth grasse to grow for the cattell and herbe for the vse of man that he may bring foorth bread out of the earth and wind that maketh glad the heart of man and oyle that maketh the face to shine and bread that strengthneth mans heart The high trees are satisfied euen the Cedars of Libanon which he hath planted That the birds may make their nests there the Storke dwelleth in the firre-trees Where we cleerely behold how God sendeth his blessing vpon the earth by meanes of the raine to the ende that it may bring foorth fruits not onely for the nourishment of men but also for the commoditie of beasts Which may serue vs for a certaine testimonie of his prouidence towards mankinde Testimony of the prouidence of God towards men For if he hath care of the bruit beasts which he hath created for men there is no doubt but he hath much more care of them whom he hath created after his owne image and semblance and aboue all of his children and elect And for this cause also the Psalmist signifieth how that God hath not onely beene carefull to prouide for their necessities as for the necessities of other creatures but it hath also pleased him to bestowe vpon them pleasures and honest comforts conuenient both for his Maiestie as also for the nature of man when hee saith that GOD hath giuen wine to man to make him merrie and oyle to make his face shine For although he alreadie had the waters for drinke and which might suffice him to staunch his thirst and for his necessarie beuerage it hath neuerthelesse pleased him through his great liberalitie to bestow wine vpon him also which is a much more delicious drinke and which doth so comfort him that it bringeth ioy pleasure to him And for oyle it doth not onely serue in meates and medicinall ointments but also to make compositions and sweete sauours to beawtifie and refresh mans countenance Which specialities the prophet would not omit because that in his daies oyle was in great vse to make such precious ointments as the auncients vsed to annoint themselues withall as is now adaies done with oyle of Spike and other such odoriferous oyles and sweete water 2. King 4. And if God hath at some times multiplied by the hands of his faithfull ministers the poore widowes oyle as his worde teacheth vs he causeth it to abound much more euerie day when he maketh it encrease in the lands which he hath destinated to that purpose conuerting the water which runneth vpon the oliue trees into oyle yea and that water which droppeth vpon the earth into corne and bread which he dayly doth much more abundantly multiply then in times past hee did the poore widowes meale by Elias 1. King 17. Matth. 14. 15. yea then Iesus Christ did multiply the loaues in the wildernes And therefore if we shall consider how the Al-mightie

the acts and power of this Empire But howsoeuer it be wee haue in the doctrine of the spheres most excellent principles and grounds which prepare men to the knowledge of nature and the author thereof yea which aduance them if they can apply this studie to his proper ende in the vnderstanding of the secrets wisdome and prouidence of God so far as the mind of man can pierce thereinto Let vs then companions direct our sight straight towards the place which wee must apprehend to be blessed to wit towards heauen and let vs especially regard God in his workes as the onely limit whereto we shall and must once attaine ACHITOB. The orderly motions of the heauens the goodly workemanship of so many starry pauilions disposed one aboue the other without any inter-annoiāce in their course the accord agreement power vertue and beautie of the elements the situation stabilitie and largenes of the earth in midst of the waters which continually threaten it and yet drowne it not and so many diuers natures and creatures which are which liue which haue sense and vnderstanding in this whole great Vniuers and serue each one in his place all these things I say are like so many interpreters to teach vs God as their onely efficient cause and to manifest him vnto vs in them and by them as their finall cause Therefore pursuing our first intent sufficiently declared in the beginning of our Academick discourse and according to the processe of the talke by vs obserued in our description of the naturall history of the Microcosme or little world let vs here make companions as it were another history of the Macrocosme or great world first entreating of the creation of the world then of the diuision of the same afterwards of the orders of the spheres of their substance natures and motions of the influences and effects of their planets consequently of the elements and lastly of euery essence and creature therein contained not by a particular description of their kindes which would amount to a work almost infinite but onely of the principall of each sort and so much as wee shall hold sufficient to induce euery one of vs and of those which will deigne to heare vs to consider and highly to praise the wisedome of the father and moderator of all these things in the creation conduction gouernance and end of them and by the vnion of their parts with the whole and among themselues we haue enough to refer the euent of our purpose to their beginning and principall scope which is to know God and his prouidence to the end to glorifie him Declare then vnto vs ASER that which you haue learned of the creation of heauen and earth THE FIRST DAIES WORKE OF THE THIRD TOME OF THE FRENCH Academie Of Heauen and Earth Of the creation of Heauen and Earth Chapter 1. ASER. IF all men guided by reason as Plato very wel said haue a custome to inuocate on God in the beginning of their worke In Tim. whether it be great or little how much more conuenient is it that desiring to dispute of the Vniuers if wee retaine any iudgement at all we should call God to our aide It is very difficult to speake as is requisite of the celestiall bodies and of so many diuers motions as they haue and yet not one hinder another but it is a much more high and intricate matter to finde out the workman and father of all this great world And when we shall haue found him it is altogether impossible vulgarly to expresse the cause reason of his works For though as it is the glorie and infinite wisedome of God shineth in this admirable construction of heauen and earth yet our capacitie is too too smal to comprise so great profound effects so much it wanteth that the toong may bee able to make a full and entire declaration thereof And we cannot hold disputation or argument vpon that which doth not offer it selfe vnto our sense and proper reason as is the creation of the world For therein haue we that woonderfull Architect whom Hermes called the great infinite sphere intellectual whose center is all that which is throughout the world created who performing his worke and giuing motion to all the celestiall bodies doth himselfe continue stable Now that which mouing is not it selfe moued surpasseth al discourses speculations humane and philosophicall and appertaineth to a diuine knowledge the which we ought to impetrate through praiers by reuelation of the holy Spirit euen in such sort as all things naturall are inuented and comprehended by reason demonstration and all morall are obtained by arte and vse Praier to God Then of the soueraigne and true God with his eternal Word and holy Spirit which three are one essence one God in Trinitie of persons Exod. 3. whose name is I will be that I will be or I am that I am Almightie Eternall Creator and gouernor of euery soule and bodie in contemplation of whom consisteth the onely good the true felicitie and blessednes of man whom he himselfe hath created to attaine thereunto a liuing creature reasonable by the gift of vnderstanding and free-will Who being iust permitteth not his creature made according to his owne image to remaine vnpunished hauing sinned and being merciful hath not left him without grace who hath giuen both to the good and euill an essence with the stones a life vegetatiue and full of seede with the plants a life sensuall with the beasts and a life intellectuall with the Angels from whom proceedeth all gouernance all goodlines and all order by whom all that is naturall euen from the highest of heauen to the center of the earth doth subsist of whom are the seedes of formes the formes of seedes the mouings of seedes and of formes who being good hath not left regardlesse not onely the sphericall and elementarie world or else the Angels and man but euen the entrailes of the most small and contemptible amongst creatures neither the lightest feather of the birds nor the least flower of the herbe nor leafe of the tree engrauing in each of all these things the workes of his omnipotencie certaine signes of his glorie and maiestie by the couenant and accord of euery of their parts and as it were by I wot not what manner of peace Of him I say father and moderator of all that which is which liueth which hath sense and vnderstandeth let vs request Companions that with the light of his wisedome he will illuminate our vnderstandings and by his holy spirit direct and gouerne our words meetely to discourse of according as mans power is able the works of his al-mighty hand in heauen and in earth according as our intent is The beginning of euerie thing whatsoeuer is of such waight and importance that on the knowledge of the same dependeth all the science thereof for it is impossible that a man can be skilfull in any thing if he be ignorant

in the principles and first causes of the subiect which he desireth to know contrariwise hauing well knowne them the vnderstanding of the effects which thereupon ensue of the vertues and qualities which thereby redound of the actions which therof proceed of the degrees which therein are established of the bounds and limits whereto these first causes tend to obtaine their perfection declareth it selfe as of it owne accord without great difficultie and much paine This was the cause why many sages in old time despising the care of temporall affaires addicted themselues altogether to search out the cause of all nature so that the most excellent of them would boldly discourse of the originall and making of the world But the saying of Plato remaining euer true that it is as hard to finde out the maker and father of this All as to speake properly of him being found out it so falleth out that the most part of them who haue entreated of so loftie a matter haue erred straying by diuers by-waies yea euen all those whom the Son of Iustice hath not fully illuminated with his supreme brightnes Thereupon it proceeded that the philosophers haue beene diuided into diuers and contrarie opinions about this question whether the world hath beene from euerlasting or whether it hath beene of late whether of necessitie or else by the free will and motion of God Aristotle with all the troupe of those Diuers opinions of the Philosophers in th●● argument of the being of the world who beleeue nothing but that which they can inuent and comprise by naturall reasons and syllogismes taken from sensible things which guide them to a certaine demonstration not being able thereby to vnderstand how and wherefore heauen earth haue beene created affirme that they were neuer made but that they haue beene from eternitie But Plato followed of a great number of the most cleere-sighted wisemen hath confessed the generation of the world which he teacheth to be ordered and disposed by compleat and perfect numbers vnder the vaile of which the obscure notes of hidden sense it seemeth that he would hide the close mysteries of the creation of the vniuers to those which were not yet instructed in such secrets which onely may be comprehended by a pure and celestiall cogitation diuinely infused For let vs know that there is no certaintie at all of this doctrine except for those to whom the minde by a special and supernaturall grace is sharp being fashioned and formed by meditation of the immutable substance of God himselfe and by a secret operation of the holy Ghost to beleeue that it is the Eternall who by his word hath made all nature For so the Soueraigne Creator talketh with man and establisheth a certaine testimonie of his truth in the heart of him when he hath made him proper and meet to heare him with the best and most excellent part of his vnderstanding in regard whereof he is said to be made according to his owne image But although these things may be knowne being nor far remote from our interiour How the creation of the world may be belieued or exteriour senses yea so that they may be called present and whereof no doubt is to bee made especially being supported by authoritie of good witnesses yet those things which surpasse the ordinarie puissance of the minde because by our owne iudgement we cannot credit them must be considered and beleeued according to that couenant of verities which they announce vnto vs who haue known thē by our vnderstanding peaceful and duely purged so that we may adde faith to such holy personages as God hath made capable of his light and which instruct vs not in the things which they haue imagined but in such as they haue heard receiued from diuine oracles It is then of their authoritie that he must make a buckler whosoeuer will meetly debate of God and of his workes and of his prouidence in the gouernance of them And when the wings of Nature faile vs in so loftie a contemplation we must take to vs those of diuine grace and when the naturall light fadeth and is readie to die to require an infused and supernaturall illumination The world is greatest of all things visible and God of all things inuisible That the world is we perceiue but that God is we beleeue Now that he hath made the world we can better beleeue of no bodie then of God himselfe But where haue we heard that In his word whereto we must giue credit concerning those things whereof it is expedient that we should not be ignorant and which we of our selues are not able to vnderstand Now he hath spoken first by his prophets then by himselfe in the person of our Redeemer and lastly by the Apostles and disciples We heare him speaking aloude where Moses the father of diuines Genes 1. and master of Philosophers saith In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth The prophet was not there present but the wisedome of God by which al things were made and which by an incomprehensible vertue conueieth it selfe into holy minds and doth direct them and declare all his works without any noyse at all by his spirit which can doe all beholdeth all encourageth all and passeth through all purified spirits of vnderstanding and abideth in his elect And the blessed Angels who alwaies behold the face of their father speake to them also and announce the secrets of the eternal Maiestie to all them I say in such sort as it pleaseth the Omnipotent to make them worthie One of these was Moses who teacheth vs that God almightie made this great Vniuers A witnesse so excellent and worthy that by him we must belieue in God whom we perceiue as it were through the same wisedome and spirit which reuealed vnto him the creation of the world who prophecied almost two thousand yeeres before of the high-mysteries of Christian faith confirming also his whole doctrine by miracles prodigies oracles and prophecies wherewith all his writings abound And therefore hauing confidence in his testimonie we call God Creator of all things thereby inferring that he is author principall and first cause of all essences which cause by manner of speech ought to be full of all things if this Maxime of the Peripatetickes be true That none can giue away of that which he hath not And therefore the Poet the honor of our age very learnedly saith Ere time forme substance place to be themselues attained Du Bartas in the 1. of his weekes All God in all things was and God in all remained For there is nothing produced by nature or formed by arte but first it hath abiding in that which performeth it So euerie creature is engendred by vertue of that seede wherein it was at first by power included so each worke liueth in the minde of the workeman before he puts it in practise So had the worlde perfect being in the thought of God before it was

by reason the minde may alwaies moderate and correct And taking occasion vpon this matter let vs come to the true Astronomie and Astrologie of Christians which is to contemplate the glorie and greatnes of God by the worke of the heauens as ACHITOB finishing this daies worke you may relate to vs. Of the true Astronomie which the heauens teach vs and especially the sunne in his admirable effects Chap. 32. ACHBTOB IT is not without cause that the prophet saith The heauens declare the glorie of God Psal 19. and the earth sheweth the worke of his hands For thereby he euidently teacheth that the worke of the spheres and their well ordred motion doe demonstrate as with the finger euen to our eies the great and admirable prouidence of God their creator euen as if the heauens should speake to euery one In an other place it is written Eccle. 43. This high ornament this cleere firmament the beautie of the heauen so glorious to behold is a thing full of hough then that the heauens haue neither voice nor speech like men yet when the workmanship of them and the goodly images pourtraied and placed in them do present themselues vnto vs it is as much as if God spake to vs. For sight belongeth to the eies as hearing doth to the eares and that which offereth it selfe to those The heauens are visible words which preach vnto vs God is as the sound is to these Wherefore in very deede we may call not onely the heauens sunne moone and starres but all other creatures also visible words which speake to the eies as those which are in sound and voice doe speake to the eares If likewise we can very well vnderstand dumbe folkes by the signes which they make vs say that they speake by signes why then should we not harken to the language of God speaking by the heauens and by the signes which he hath placed in them For may we not truly say that they speake vnto vs by signes And if we call bookes dumbe teachers bicause they teach by the meanes of writing which they lay before our eies what fairer booke may wee see written in a fairer letter and of more neate impression and printed with goodlier characters then this great booke of the whole vniuers and chiefly of the heauens Againe if it be needefull for vs to seeke out images to represent God that so he might become visible to vs where may we finde them fairer and more liuely and which speake vnto vs a language most easie to be vnderstood if we be not altogether deafe Wherefore it is not without good cause that when God willing to make his greatnes his magnificence and prouidence known to his people saith by Esay Lift vp your eies on high Isay 40. be hold who hath created these things which is he that bringeth out their armies by number and calleth them all by their names By the greatnes of his power and mighty strength nothing faileth This is it in all these considerations that Dauid in the place before alledged after he hath acknowledged that there is no language nor speech where the voice of the heauens is not heard doth further adde that their line is gone foorth through all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world meaning by this line the magnificent frame and excellent workmanship of them For all is so well made and composed therein by the workmaster that it seemeth to haue been all drawne out by line rule and compasse And when he speaketh of their words he vnderstandeth the marke and impression which is in them by which they preach vnto vs in stead of words And for this cause also he saith before that one day vttereth speech vnto another day and one night teacheth knowledge vnto another night which is as much as if he should say that one day teacheth and preacheth another and the night doth the same bicause that from day to day and from night to night God manifesteth his power and glorie And let vs note Of the excellency of the sunne and true testimonie of the prouidence of God that the prophet proposing vnto vs the heauens thus in generall as true preachers of his diuine prouidence maketh principall and expresse mention of the Sunne bicause it is the most goodly creature the most agreeable most profitable and necessarie for men and for all the rest of the works of God For this cause also euery one giueth more heed vnto it then to all the other celestiall bodies For it is by the course and meanes of the Sunne that we haue ordinarily daies and nights and that they be sometimes longer sometimes shorter and another time equall as hath been already told vs and also that we haue the distinction of yeeres and of the diuers seasons of them as of the spring time summer autumne and winter and of the time fit to sowe plant till the earth and to gather the fruites thereof and generally to performe all other workes necessarie for the life of man And then may very well bee considered the course and compasse of this goodly light which is from the one end of heauen to the other end and how there is nothing that is hid from the heate thereof Shall we let passe in silence the gallant course which euery day it maketh compassing the whole world in the space of fower and twenty howers without being any whit wearie For from the hower that God hath created it it hath neuer desisted from worke day nor night and hath neuer failed one iot neither shal cease so long as the world shal endure And therefore it is also said in Ecclesiasticus The sunne also a maruellous instrument Eccles 43. when it appeereth declareth at his going out the worke of the most high And presently after Great is the Lord that made it by whose commandement it doth runne hastily Then speaking in generall of all the planets and starres It is a campe saith he pitched on high shining in the firmament of heauen the beautie of the heauens are the glorious starres and the ornament that shineth in the high places of the Lord. By the commandement of the holy one they continue in their order and faile not in their watch And who is it except the blinde that beholdeth not this goodly sunne to passe out of his pauilion like a magnificent king that marcheth foorth of his palace Who seeth not the faire countenance that he sheweth to all being as the eie and mirrour of the whole world Who vieweth not his trim locks and the golden haires and yellow beard of his raies by which he spreadeth his light and heate vpon all creatures In such sort that as none can auoide his heate so none can flie from his light For as it is written By the word of the Lord are his works Eccles 42. Eccles 43. The sunne that shineth looketh vpon all things and all the works thereof are full of the

the care which it taketh to hatch and nourish hir chickens yea though they be not of hir owne kinde And it is a pretie pastime to make an hen hatch ducke-egges For at first when they open the shell she knoweth them not and neuertheles hauing beene a little accustomed to them she doth nourish them as carefully as if they were naturally her owne And when these yoong duckes according to their kinde cast themselues into the water it is a woonder to see the mourning of the hen fearing least ill should betide them Of the pigeon The pigeon likewise is an house-bird much to be considered of and bringeth no lesse profit and commoditie then pullen doe It is very chaste by nature and neuer changeth mate neither cocke nor hen and yet the cocks are very rude towards the hens beating them with their bils and chiding them with a kinde of grumbling in their throat as if they were iealous But afterwards as if they repented themselues they make much of them and bill togither running round about them and specially when their time of treading is come Both cocke and hen take great paines to hatch their yoong ones insomuch that when the hens are idle and tarie not in the nest the cockes will correct and beate them with their beakes But they doe likewise aide them as well helping them to make their nests as to serue them while they hatch yea and the cocke doth sometimes hatch in the day-time It is their propertie to bill togither before they tread And they lay ordinarily two egges out of which issue both cocke and hen that is the cocke first and the hen the morrow after They hatch commonly eighteene or twentie daies and breede after fiue times treading And one shall sometimes finde egges with little pigeons in them and shall see in one nest some yoong ones but newly out of the shell and some that are ready to flie They may lay egges eight or ten times a yeere but the ordinarie vse is to take out fower good layings They are of sundrie colours of feathers but the ashcoloured or the browne or the blacke are best the rough footed and tufted are most barren and domesticall so are the blacke and white checkered but those that seeme guilded about the necke and that haue the eie and foote redde are the freest and fruitfullest the white are good to hatch and most in danger of the kite and birds of pray the yealow and red are very barren They haue all this maruailous qualitie to giue their young ones at first some corne of salt grauell so to prouoke their appetite and season them to eat when time shall bee Now mee thinketh wee haue staied long enough in this matter sith we will not heere describe a naturall historie of creatures and sith that which wee haue discoursed concerning fowles hath beene onely for that wee will not depriue the aire of the naturall creatures thereof as wee will endeuour to do the like in the behalfe of the earth and water whereof the sequele of our speech requireth vs to entreat to accomplish our discourse concerning the elements First then let vs speake of the earth and of the firmenes figure and quantitie thereof And it is your turne ARAM to discourse thereupon Of the earth and of the scituation immobility figure and quality thereof Chapter 55. ARAM. AS wee haue heretofore heard that vnder the name of heauen is comprised commonly both the supreme and middle region of the aire and all things also which are conioined vnto them and depending vpon their effects namely of the two higher elements the fire the aire so by the name of earth wee do often vnderstand not onely the lowest element of all which is as the foot of all this mundane frame but also the sea which is next to it and the lakes ponds fountaines riuers and other waters and all that is contained in them and in the earth and which receiueth life and nourishment whether they be men beasts of all kindes plants trees hearbs fruits mettals mines minerals stones and generally all other things produced here below for the vse of all other creatures Pursuing then the order of our discourse wee will first intreate of that which concernes in generall the terrestriall globe and afterwards will meditate of the most rare beawties which enrich the partes thereof to the end to represent vnto our selues more and more the greatnes and glorie of the creator of all these things as we haue already well begun in the matters by vs hitherto intreated of Scituation of the earth Now it is certaine that by reason of the waight and heauines of the earth it is necessarily situated in the midst of the world as the center thereof being the lowest place and the farthest remote from the circumference of the whole And from which the earth cannot be parted for otherwise it should mount aloft contrarie to the naturall inclination thereof as likewise it cannot be mooued by the first and vniuersall motion of all the spheres by reason of the foresaid heauines thereof and subtilitie of the other elements which are about it and againe bicause it is of insensible quantitie in respect of the whole world as being the point and center thereof being also vnmooueable to the end that the motion of the heauens might thereby bee discerned and that which dependeth thereupon Immobility of the earth And as the seate of the elementarie fire doth not extend beyond the fire and as that of the water is in the place of water and that of the aire where the aire should be so the earth can retaine no place but in it selfe bicause that the other elements cannot suffer it to rest vpon them Which causeth that it remaineth hanged amongst them not being able to fall nor decline more towards one place then another Wherfore also it is made habitable in euery part except it be by accident The earth habitable throughout so that men are therefore Antipodes one to another that is going feete against feete hauing neuertheles all of them their heads towards heauen and meeting each of them in the midst of the earth Now that it is iustly situate in the midst of the vniuers one may see by experience of the daies and nights which are equall throughout the whole earth so often as the sunne is in the midst of heauen betwixt the poles of the worlde as also by the augmentations and diminutions of the same daies and nights regularly proportioned one to another as we haue demōstrated in our precedent discourses vpon the celestiall spheres and likewise by the eclipses of the moone by the inclination of shadowes which at noontide are one proportionable to another as well on the meridionall as on the septentrionall part That the earth is round Moreouer there is no doubt but the earth togither with the whole element of water which is spread abroad and dispersed in diuers armes and portions

which they haue appointed to gold and siluer there would be almost no difference of the one from the other I say moreouer that if they had but equall regard to the vtilitie and nature of things according to the profit which they receiue thereby and the need which they haue therof they should more esteeme of iron brasse and copper then of gold and siluer considering that by iron the earth which nourisheth vs is plowed and arts and occupations mantained and that by it we defend our selues from the furie of beasts and enemies and of tinne and copper we make the most principall vtensils and tooles in our houses to boyle our victuals in and for other infinite vses In all these things then wee acknowledge the folly and want of iudgement in men who gouerne themselues more by opinion then by reason We may say as much concerning precious stones Of the vse and abuse of precious stones which they haue esteemed at a more high price then gold and siluer For how many crownes doe they oftentimes giue for one pearle or for a diamond or for some other stone If the fancie take them and that they doe but onely like some small precious stone then doe they spare gold and siluer no more then if they were dust and clay then that which they so much delight in and for to obtaine which they direct and gouerne their whole course of life yea and put it into all confusion is nothing with them in respect of a small iewell And what profit can redound vnto them by all this Nothing else but a vaine persuasion that induceth them to obtaine a stone of such and such woorth as it pleaseth them to esteeme it at If they would thinke as much of a flint a flint would no lesse content them If it be for the beautie and colour that they so account of this merchandize is there any thing fairer cleerer or cleaner then glasse nay then chrystall likewise the marble alablaster iasper and such like matters do they giue much place in beautie or hardnes to the most excellent precious stones If for their vertues and properties in phisicke they are so much respected why then they should buy nothing more deere not esteem of any thing more then of herbs and plants I speake not this to despise or condemne the vse of precious stones no more then of gold and siluer For God did not create them but for the seruice of man and that he might please himselfe with them as with all his other creatures Exod. 25.26.27.28 For it was his will that his temple and the vessels therein the garments of the high priest and the seruice by him ordayned in the church of Israël should be adorned and enriched with gold siluer and with precious stones Againe Dauid and Salomon and the other kings of Israel were neuer reprehended nor condemned because they did abound in such riches We doe not then condemne the vse but the abuse For God requireth that his creatures may be vsed according to his ordinance and so moderated that there be no excesse whereby he may be dishonored offended or our neighbour endomaged But it is an hard matter to heape vp great store of gold and siluer and to dispend so much vpon precious stones and other the pomps of the world but that great wrong must needs bee done to many persons or at least wise that the deeds of charitie for which we were borne must needs waxe verie slacke Loethen that which I haue thought worthy to instruct our selues in vpon our discourse this day concerning the richesse hiddē within the earth And sith that we haue in the twelue daies of our meeting entreated of the principall parts of all this visible world and of the creatures contained therein let vs now to conclude our discourse draw all these parts into one bodie to the ende that we may shew in this masse of the Vniuers and propose as it were before our eies the image of the greatnes puissance and maiestie of God by the which men may in contemplation consideration of his works learne to feare honor and put their whole trust and confidence in him as they ought which ACHITOB let vs heare you discourse vpon Of the doctrine and profit which euerie one must and may reape out of the totall workes of God in heauen and in earth to acknowledge and glorifie him Chap. 100. ACHITOB. IF we doe well consider vpon those goodly matters which wee haue heretofore entreated of touching the creation of the world and adorning thereof in euery part wee shall without doubtfeele our selues as it were lifted vp vpon an high scaffold where wee may behold and contemplate God our creator in the excellent workes of his hands and in the maruailous effects of his prouidence in such sort as if all this visible vniuers were a shop wherein wee doe see him worke before our eies or else as if hee were seated in a stately roiall palace wherein we behold him reigne vpon his celestiall throne ouer euery liuing soule or as in a goodly temple wherein the glory of his Maiestie shineth on euery side yea in euery creature which is therein as an image or mirrour to shew and manifest the creator and moderator of all things And indeede without this contemplation and knowledge for which we are borne and endued with reason let vs not thinke but that brute beasts haue more whereof to brag in regard of the world and of the beawtie and commoditie thereof and that they receiue more rest pleasure and profite thereby then men For they content themselues with that which they haue and care not for that which they cannot attaine vnto enioying all that which is needfull for them and that with pleasure and without excesse superfluitie or any hurt But men are to the contrary neuer content with their condition aspire euermore to that which they enioy not and which they might well let passe haue many times neede of that which is necessarie for them and receiue no pleasure but that which is mixed with some greefe and bitternes neither yet can they content themselues but that they must run into excesse to their great detriment This is that which hath enflamed vs with desire in the progresse of our worke to discourse vpon heauen and earth And hauing brought our intention to a desired end wee will here represent for the last point of our speech as wee did in the beginning thereof all the parts of the world in one bodie to declare in this great bodie of all the Vniuers and to propose as it were before our eies the image of the greatnes of the power and of the maiestie of God and of his infinitenes to the end that wee may all learne by the contemplation and consideration of this image to honour him and to put all our trust and confidence in him as wee ought to doe For this is the true doctrine and the great profite that

greatnes and huge extension seene by euery eie But for the fire we onely see the increase the power and simple matter thereof and his force or fountaine is esteemed to be in the concauitie of the moone aboue the aire Of such as say that there is no fire vnder the sphere of the moone Yet some among the naturall Philosophers affirme and maintaine that there is no fire vnder the orbe of the moone neither will acknowledge any other elementary fire but the fires of the celestial bodies and the heate of them which they communicate to all the rest of the creatures And therefore they assigne to these fires all the space which is from the moone to the highest heauen Saying moreouer that sith the heauen is a thing most pure it is not conuenient to place a thing most burning vnder that which is exempt from all qualitie For nature doth alwaies ioine extremities with things of meane qualitie as is found betwixt the flesh and the bones where she hath placed a filme or thinne skinne and betweene the bones and the ligatures she hath put the gristles so betwixt the scull and the braine because it is softer then flesh nature hath placed two filmes the hardest whereof is neerest to the bone of the head Thereupon then they conclude that the aire is much fitter then the fire to bee next the heauens and serue as a meane to ioine them with the earth and water And against it they argue that swiftnes of motion is the cause or argument of the heate and that there is no other fire others againe auouch that this cannot be For say they although that solide substances may by motion be heated as stones lead and liuing creatures yet those which disperse or scatter themselues abroad become thereby so much the colder by how much they are more lightly mooued witnes the aire and the water For all strong and swift windes are cold and riuers that haue a quick course are very cold Againe those that denie the elementarie fire Reasons of such as deny the fire to enuiron the aire do bring this argument to wit that the comets and flames which oftentimes do appeere in the heauens do cause in the aire verie great and as it were intollerable heates Therefore they demand what might happen if the vniuersall world especially the elementarie were enuironed by fire who could hinder but that that fire would inflame the aire and after it all other things sith the heate of the celestiall bodies would thereto giue aide They adde how Auerrois doth esteeme that all brightnes is hot and that the aire is such and that euery moist qualitie doth least of all other resist heate How then say they shall the aire resist the fire which is the most vehement and most sharpe of all elements It is true that this Arabicke author hath said that sometimes the fire is not actually hot but what then shall be his possibilitie We say that some medicines are hot by possibilitie because that being taken they heat woondrously But by what creatures shall the fire be deuoured to the end to reduce it to the qualitie of medicines Moreouer if the fire be not hot then is not the water cold which should be to confound al reason and the very order of the world Againe they demand what it is that letteth the fire that it shineth not and that it is not seene in the elementarie region Againe if fire be in the aire why then the higher we mount doe we finde the aire more cold and why do snowes more abound on the mountaine tops then in the lowest places yea vnder the torrid zone Which neuerthelesse might not seeme strange if one should consider how snowe falleth in winter onely and very colde haile in midst of summer the cause whereof we shall heereafter discouer But say they if one should obiect that the highest places are farthest remote from the reuerberation of the sunne this may be an argument of lesse heate but not of coldnes In fine they adde that if heate were in the highest of the aire in an elementary body it should principally there rest for to cause the generation of things Now for this reason it cannot be there considering that the celestiall heat is it that doth engender as al Philosophers maintaine Thereupon they conclude that this imagination of fire aboue the aire is vaine It seemeth also that be a thing neuer so light as is the fire yet can it not mount so exceeding high and to say that it was caried aloft onely coniecturing so and that the place thereof must be there such Rhetoricall arguments are not woorth rehearsing in serious matters Answere to many reasons which are alledged to prooue foure elements There are some also which to the reasons by vs before touched in the beginning of this speech do replie that it seemeth they do not conclude that there be fower simple bodies but rather the contrarie For for the first betwixt two extremes one meane not two is cōmonly assigned which being considered in regard of the elements there shoulde onely be three in number And for this vulgar opinion that in all compound bodies there are esteemed to bee fower elements the heat which is in mixt and compound substances cannot consist of elementarie fire For if the fire shoulde remaine in them it should much more rest in the herbe called Euphorbium and in Pepper which are of an extreme hot and drie nature and therefore one might more commodiously get fire out of them then out of most colde stones which yet wee finde to bee cleane contrarie Moreouer the distillations wherein many straine themselues to search the fower elements doe demonstrate but three substances onely to wit water for water oile insteed of aire and the earth which is in the bottome Now if that any do say that the reddest part of the oyle doth represent the fire because it is verie sharpe and verie subtile we will answere that such piercing sharpnes of sauour proceedeth from the vehement vertue of the fire which operateth in the distillation Which likewise doth manifestly appeere in the oyle extracted from mettals euerie part whereof is of a verie sharpe sauour Wherefore if euerie thing of such a qualitie representeth the fire it must follow of necessity that in euerie such essence no portion of aire may subsist But all the world doth alleage that there may fower humours be perceiued to remaine in the bodies of all liuing creatures And yet what auaileth that to prooue so many elements Nay what if I should say with Thrusianus expounder of Galen vpon the art of Phisicke that there are but three humors only But leaue we this disputation and let vs speake of a more strong and forcible argument taken from the combinations and coniunctions of the elementarie qualities which are in number fower as we haue heard in our precedent discourse They alone then and apart doe not constitute an element for they cannot

euery part from the highest heauen to the lowest center of this terrestriall masse Looke then AMANA what birds you hold most woorthie to haue place in your discourse Of the Estridge of the Peacocke of the Cocke and of other foules Chap. 54. AMANA AS we haue heeretofore heard of a birde that neuer abideth vpon the earth so contrariwise the Estridge doth alwaies staie vpon the earth Of the Estridge neuer mounting aloft to take the aire This is as bigge a birde as any other is common in Africa in Aethiopia It hath a long necke like a camell the beake eies and head like to a goose but that they are much greater their wings taile haue feathers of diuers colours skie-coloured white red blacke and greene and there is no birde which hath such faire plumes of which those fethers are made wherewith men of warre adorne their helmets The Estridges passe horses in swiftnes being herein aided with the wings which Nature hath bestowed vpon them although they fly not at al neither rise from the ground but run with their wings spread They haue clouen feete like an hart with which men say they vse to take vp and cast stones at those which chase them when they flie It is also said that they swallow and digest iron which commeth to passe through the vehement heat and thicknes of their belly Some also haue reported that the Estridge hatcheth her egges with her eies but the truth is that she onely watcheth them because that her yoong ones are brought foorth by the heat of the sunne The manner of taking this birde is verie easie for when he is wearie of running he is of so foolish a nature that he thinketh himselfe closely hidden when he is onely in the shade of some tree or shrub so that it is then easie to approch him so neere as the pursuer will desire Of the peacock But let vs speake of the birde which for the beautie and sense which it hath doth merit the chiefe degree amongst the greater sort of birdes to wit the Peacocke For when he knowes that men esteeme him then turneth he round to shew his colours shining like pretious stones and sets them directly against the sun to giue them a better lustre And he assayeth also to doe so with his taile spreading it round and shewing those colours which seeme fairest in the shade drawing all the eies thereof abroad as if he knew best how to make himselfe most noted Also when he hath lost his taile as he doth euery yeere at the fal of the leafe he hideth himself as if he mourned til the next spring when his taile groweth againe It is maruellous that this part of the peacocke is so filled with eies being so long thick of feathers of sundrie colors so splendāt yet neither the colour of white nor of black this being of it selfe sad and that obscuring all colours are found in the taile of this birde Which bird liueth ordinarily fiue and twentie yeeres and at three yeeres he beginneth to shoote the sundrie colours which he hath in his feathers and knoweth his beautie and seemeth to reioyce that men do maruell at his taile when they see it and therefore he will hold it vp be he neuer so wearie Of the Cock. Next to the proude nature of the peacocke that loftie birde seemeth to resemble a Sentinell which Nature hath appointed to interrupt mens sleepe and call them to worke that is the Cocke For wheresoeuer he is he will be master and commaund all the rest of the foules And if there bee two togither then must this rule remaine to the strongest and he must get it by those weapons which Nature hath placed in his legs wherein they put such trust that the issue of their combate doth oftentimes fall out with the death of the one or other And he which remaineth victor makes signe of his conquest by his crowing sounding himselfe his owne tantaraes and the vanquished runnes and hides himselfe This loftie bird marcheth proudly holding vp his neck stiffe and his combe aloft except he be not well And there is no birde which doth oftner cast his eie towards heauen then this for he alwaies beholdeth it holding his taile vp and yet crooked like a sickle so that arming himselfe after this manner he puts the Lion in feare which is the stoutest of all beasts Moreouer the cocke by a secret instinct of nature knoweth the course of the stars and diuideth the day by his crowing from three howers to three howers They roust at sunne set and neuer let the sunne rise without aduertising men for with their crowing which is accompanied with beating of their wings they giue notice of the day And their voice is heard very farre off yea in the night time a mile or more The Romanes honored so much the maiestie of this bird that they iudged of the good or euill lucke of their Augurations by the countenance which he shewed being either pleasant or not at such time as he fed Hens are of the kinde of domesticall birds Of hens renowmed aboue all for the delicatenes of their flesh and goodnes of their egges beeing much better then all other and which are most vsed in meates and medicines They lay at all times except the two first moneths of winter when they commonly rest themselues So is it the first and last bird that layeth and is so fruitfull that there are some will lay sixtie egges together without missing one day Whereupon wee will note that in all yolkes of egges there is a little drop of bloud in the middest which is holden to be the heart of the bird because this member is esteemed to bee first formed in all liuing creatures And indeed this little drop tasteth very salt and stirreth in the egge And for that which particularly concerneth the chicken it is certaine that the bodie thereof is made of the white of the egge for being formed it is nourished by the yolke And so long as it is in the shell it hath the head bigger then all the bodie and the eies which are shut bigger then the head And when it beginneth to growe the white of the egge retireth to the midst and the yolke disperseth it selfe round about And if at the twentith day one take the egge they may heare the chicken peepe within For from that time forward it beginneth to waxe feathered and to get strength and staieth not long in consuming the whole yolke but presently beginneth to open the shell And it is to be noted that as well this as all other foules come out of their shels with their feete forwardes contrarie to other liuing creatures Moreouer the hen is knowne to be good when hir crest is straight and sometimes double and hir feathers blacke and in some places red as also when the clawes of her foote are faire But aboue all there is nothing more woorthie of great admiration then

about it is of a round and circular figure in all parts for as for the mountaines valleies they are insensible in regard of the whole globe of earth The roundnes whereof doth euidently declare it selfe by the shadow thereof which sheweth it selfe in the eclipses of the moone to be round for it could not seeme so if the earth were not also of the same forme Moreouer the diuers and certaine supputation that Astronomers calculate concerning the times of the eclipses of the moone according as the places are more orientall or more occidentall doth manifestly conclude the same round forme so also doth the natural inclination of all the parts of the earth and of the water who stil tend downe declining to a lower place and this common descent of euerie part causeth this round figure The earth is of insensible quantitie Consequently it is to be noted that this earthly frame although it be in it selfe of maruellous greatnes yet is it of verie little and insensible quantitie in regard and comparison not onely of all the firmament but also of the sphere of the sunne the same earth being but as a point in the middest of the whole world which is apparantly demonstrated by the foresaid equalities of the daies and nights and by the obseruations of the courses of the celestiall bodies and chiefly of the sunne taken here below by instruments fit for such effects in such maner as if one were in the center of the world For in a little space that one may passe here vpon the earth proceeding from one place to another the view and disposition of heauen doth change and varie notably And in an open plaine place wherein one may stand vpon the earth or be in the sea they may alwaies discouer the one halfe of heauen All which things declare as we haue said that the earth and the water make a round globe which is but as a point and center in regard of the vniuersall world So much for the situation immobilitie figure That the earth onely meriteth the title of a mother and quantitie of the earth which onely aboue all other elements hath merited the title of a mother by reason of the great good which it affoordeth to all breathing liuing creatures For this gentle mother receiueth vs when we are borne shee nourisheth vs being borne she maintaineth and sustaineth vs being nourished and finally when the other elements refuse and leaue vs she receiueth vs into her bosome and couereth vs hauing as it were a perpetuall care of vs. Moreouer she riseth not vp against man as other creatures doe For the water conuerts it selfe into raine snowe and haile it swelleth in surges and waues and ouerfloweth all with flouds the aire thickeneth and ladeth it selfe with cloudes out of which proceede stormes and tempests and the fire is often cause of strange calamities vpon earth But this gentle and debonaire mother maketh hir selfe as a slaue to serue for all the commodities of man For how many things doe we cause hir to beare by force and how many things doth she bestowe of hir owne goodwill What odours and perfumes what sauours what iuices what and how many sorts of colours With what exchaunge and interest doth shee restore that which is lent hir How many sundry things doth shee nourish for man What quantitie of pretious mettals doth shee conceiue and keepe in hir entrailes for his vse Of two kindes of earth And therefore it seemeth that the earth subsisteth not of one onely kinde and indeede Aristotle diuideth it into two the one fossible which may bee digged and the other transmutable which may change qualitie For the fossible earth it doth alwaies remaine the same and is very earth but the transmutable remaineth not the same in kinde and in view for it conuerteth it selfe into mettall or into iuice or into some other matter But before wee doe proceede vnto the consideration of so many admirable effectes produced by the earth wee may now here beholde that we haue summarily set downe particulars enough wherin we may learne to acknowledge the infinite power wisedome and bountie of God the creator Testimonies of the power of God Isay 6. and how according to the testimonie of the angels all the earth is full of his glorie For first of all is not this a great woonder that the earth which is so huge a masse and the heauiest element of all the rest should be hanged in the aire in the midst of the world being so counterpoised that it sustaineth as one may say all the other elements and that it is inuironed by them and by all the other spheres and celestiall bodies it remaining firme for euer not moouing from the place thereof For where are the columnes and the pillers which beare and sustaine it and vpon what foundation are they founded And therefore it is not without cause ●ob 38. that the Lord saith to Iob minding to cause him to acknowledge his power maiestie where wast thou when I laide the foundations of the earth declare if thou hast vnderstanding who hath laide the measure thereof if thou knowest Or who hath stretched the line ouer it to wit to signe and marke out the foundations thereof whereupon are the foundations thereof set Or who hath laid the corner stone thereof And afterwards he addeth It is turned as clay to fashion Wherein it seemeth that he had reference to that that he created the earth as all this great visible world in round forme because it is the most capable of all formes that may be Behold then the testimonie that God himselfe deliuereth to Iob his seruant of the admirable creation of the earth Psal 104. And to the same purpose the kingly prophet saith that God did forme the earth vpon the bases therof that is to say vpon firme foundations so that it shall neuer mooue But what may we say then to the motions and tremblings of the earth which haue euer been knowne and are ordinarily seene This might seeme repugnant to that which Dauid here speaketh and to that which we haue deliuered concerning the immobilitie and firmenes of the earth And therefore mine aduise is that pursuing this discourse we should consider the causes of such tremblings to the end that we may know how that the earth faileth not to remaine euer firme though such shakings happen in some parts thereof which ACHITOB let vs heare of you Of earth-quakes Chap. 56. ACHITOB. FOrasmuch as the earth is not onely heauie by nature but euen the heauiest of all elements and is heaped vp and compacted togither in the midst of the great vniuersall world as the point and center thereof it therefore followeth that it is immooueable and without any naturall motion For if it had any as the other elements haue it is certaine that it must be downwards But bicause that God hath placed the earth in the midst of all his works towards which all heauy

these waters seeme to haue their Springing out of certaine fountaines which many affirme to be made of the aire yet the verie truth is that their chiefe source is out of the sea which as it is named in Iob is as the wombe out of which all waters both celestiall and terrestriall haue their first originall and do engender repaire themselues continually by the meanes that we haue alreadie heard Why the water is mixed with the earth Now according to the opinion of the Philosophers all reason teacheth vs that this ordinance in nature concerning the distribution of the waters throughout the earth hath beene made of necessitie for the mutuall maintenance of these two elements for so much as the Earth being naturally drie cannot subsist without moisture and contrariwise the flowing water could not haue ought to stay vpon without being propped vp by the earth Wherfore it was necessarie that the earth should giue it place and that it should open all her vaines and conduicts that the water might passe through the same both within vpon it yea and to pierce euen to the highest mountaine tops in which place being pressed with the waight of the earth and also in some place mooued by the aire which driueth it one shall see it issue out in great vehemencie euen as if it were squirted out Whosoeuer then will consider of the whole circuit of the earth shall learne that the moitie of the roundnes thereof is enuironed by the sea which floweth round about it causing the waues thereof to goe and come continually sometimes aloft and sometimes verie low like as if this terrene globe were a bowle cast into the water one part whereof should lye discouered out of it That the water is round and the other couered within it Which water the Philosophers hold to be entirely round hauing the open heauen in euerie part ouer it And this is confirmed by those drops of water which fall vpon the ground or vpon leaues of trees and of herbs which are round If also one fill a vessell top-brim-full of water they may euidently behold that the water riseth and swelleth in the middest making a kinde of round forme In truth by reason that the water is subtile and soft these things are far better comprehended by arguments and concluding reasons wherewith the bookes of the learned are replenished then by the view of the eie Notwithstanding this is verie admirable that if one put neuer so little water into a vessell alreadie brimme-full the vppermost part thereof will shedde ouer and yet if one cast into the same so top-full vessell some heauy thing yea to the waight of twenty pence the water will not spill therefore but will swell onely till such time as it stand much aboue the brimme of the vessell by the rising thereof Moreouer the roundenesse of the water which causeth this doth also make that those which are in the top of a ship do sooner discouer land then those which are in the foredeck or in the sterne thereof so likewise if any shining thing bee fastned to the top of the mast at parting from the port it seemeth that the vessell still goeth downewards till at length the sight of hir will be cleane lost Moreouer how should it bee possible that the ocean sea which enuironeth the earth as being the mother-sea and the receptacle of all the rest doth not run abroad considering there is no banck to with-hold it if it were not of round forme Wherein this is to bee noted that the water of the sea doth in no sort ouerpasse the limits thereof nor doth euer runne but toward the place of the naturall scituation thereof Why the water doth retaine it selfe in it selfe without running abroade Of which the Greeke Philosophers haue rendred an especiall reason by Geometricall propositions and conclusions making demonstration that this water cannot run otherwise what roome or scope soeuer it haue For they say that considering the nature of water is to fall alwaies downeward and that also the sea stretcheth it selfe out so far as it can neuerthelesse according as the declining of the sea can suffer as euery one may see with his eie and by how much the lower it is by so much the more it doth approch to the center of the earth whereupon ensueth that all lynes drawne from that center to the waters neerest to it are shorter then those lines which are drawne from the vppermost waters to the extremity of the sea so that by that meanes the water of the sea doth alwaies decline towards the center from whence it can in no sort fall but doth there retaine it selfe Surely if wee doe neerely consider this maruellous worke of God the sea and waters we shall therein finde goodly mirrors wherein to contemplate his maiestie and greatnes Good christian instructions taken from the waters Io● 38. According as he saith to his seruant Iob Who hath shut vp the sea with doores when it issued and came foorth as out of the wombe When I made the cloudes as a couering thereof and darknes as the swadling bands thereof When I established my commandement vpon it and set barres and doores And said Hitherto shalt thou come but no farther and here shalt thou stay thy proud waues The like is also taught by the Psalmist saying Psas 33. Hee gathereth the waters of the sea together as vpon an heape and layeth vppe the depths in his treasures Which is as much as if hee should say GOD holdeth backe the waters as with a bridle that they may not ouerrunne and couer the earth Wherein we are moreouer to note that the holy Ghost speaketh concerning the sea in this fore-alledged text of Iob and in many other places of scripture as if it had some sense and vnderstanding and that God had caused it to heare his voice and had commanded it as he commandeth men to obey his ordinance although it be a senselesse creature and without life but this is to the end that we may better learne to acknowledge the power prouidence of God ouer all his works For the sea is not onely deafe and depriued of all sense and much more without vnderstanding but also exceeding furious and outragious being mooued by force of windes and tempests in such sort that it often seemeth as if it would ouerrun and swallow vp all the earth with the waues thereof and would rise with the flouds thereof and mount vp to heauen For one may behold how at one time the waues will swell and rise vp like high mountaines and suddenly after wil tumble couch downe like vallies as if the sea would cleaue and diuide it selfe and so discouer the deepe bottome thereof Psal 107. And therefore the kingly prophet hauing diuinely described all things togither with the power that the soueraigne creator hath to raise and to appease such tempests hee exhorteth all men to acknowledge this infinite power of the

Eternall and those great works and woonders which he declareth in the sea and to haue recourse for their deliuerance out of all dangers to the creator and true Lord of the waters and of the windes and of all nature But yet wee must heere consider the obedience that the sea sheweth euen in the greatest furies therof to the commandement which God hath deliuered to it from the first creation thereof For although it be often mooued as we said yet doth it containe it selfe shut vp within the boundes which were appointed vnto it by the ordinance of God as if it were afraide to run out and durst not passe farther as hauing heard and vnderstood that which the creator thereof had commanded and had engrauen it in memorie for euer And therefore we may see that after it hath swollen risen aloft in waues and that it hath menaced the earth as if it would ouerflowe it and couer it againe with the deepe as at the beginning it is neuerthles arrested and beaten backe to returne into the proper gulfes thereof which are assigned for it to lodge in euen by a very little sand onely For what is the sea shore but sand onely which is a kinde of loose earth like the dust and is easily driuen with the winde And yet the word of God which hath giuen commandement to the sea which is so horrible and fearefull a creature being mooued is of such power that this small sand is sufficient to make it keepe within the confines and limits thereof and to breake the furious waues thereof as if he who hath established this ordinance in nature stood in presence vpon the shore side to command it to doe so and that for feare and reuerence of him it returned to hide it selfe in the deepe How much more then should his word and voice mooue the harts of men breaking cleauing and pearsing them thorough if they were not harder then stones and rocks and more senselesse then the waters For this cause the Lord saith by Esaie Isay 66. And to whome shall I haue respect but to him that is afflicted and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words And Ieremie shewing to the people of Israel the malice and rebellion which was in them Ierem. 5. against the Lord their God doth giue them the sea for a patterne and referreth them to learne to obey their creator after the example thereof Let vs learne then that the sea and other waters do not ouer-passe their bounds and limits but when it pleaseth God that they should ouerflow to chastice men by deluges and flouds as it oftentimes commeth to passe through his iust iudgement But it shal bee your office ACHITOB to speake of this point discoursing vpon the ebbing and flowing of the sea whereupon me thinkes the order of our speech doth require that wee should entreat Of the flowing and ebbing of the sea and of the power that the moone hath ouer it and ouer all other inferior bodies Chap. 58. AMANA IF wee do not refer all things to the heauenly disposition of him who hath framed and compassed all with his hand and doth gouerne all by his prudence and sustaineth all with his power it will be very difficult yea impossible for vs to declare the causes and reasons of his works in an humane discourse which are of such authority that they may put a good spirit out of all scruple and doubt Yea euen in the subiect which wee intend now to entreat of to wit the flowing and ebbing of the sea The searching out of which secret did so trouble a certaine great Philosopher some say Aristotle that beeing vpon the shore of Euboea now called Negropont onely to search out and to behold the naturall cause thereof and not beeing able to enforme himselfe sufficiently therein it did so vex him that chafing at nature himselfe and against the water he cast himselfe into the sea saying to it sith I cannot comprehend thee yet shalt thou haue the honor to comprehend mee and keepe mee within thy gulfs and indeed he was heere swallowed by the deepe And certes this ordinary ebbing and flowing of the ocean according to which it goeth commeth spreadeth it selfe abroade and then doth euery day retire without euer fayling in the order thereof must needes be a most wonderfull thing And that which is most admirable therein is that the flowing and ebbing thereof doe follow the course of the moone Of the ebbing and flowing of the sea To which planet likewise is attributed with most apparant reason the cause of this flowing and ebbing she beeing as the regent of the seas and waters by the appointment of the soueraigne creator as is seene by experience and by the agreeablenes of nature which they haue togither For wee must note that as the moone encreaseth or waineth so is it with the state of the flowing of the sea And therefore although that it happen diuersly yet the principall cause of the motion thereof resideth in his planet For betweene the two times that she riseth which is in fower and twenty howers wherein she compasseth the whole earth the sea doth twise flow doth as oftētimes ebbe And when the moone beginneth to mount in the east then doth the floud rise and the sea swell till such time as this planet doth attaine to our right meridian which is in the mid-heauen and that it begin to decline towardes the west at which time the water ebbeth Yet neuertheles all those six howers wherein the moone maketh hir course towards the line of mid-night opposite to our noone-line the floud returneth and increaseth till after it hath passed that line and then it doth ebbe againe till such time as the said regent thereof the moone returne againe aboue our horizon It is most certaine that the floud doth neuer returne iust at that very hower and instant wherein it flowed the day before But this doth proceede likewise from the course of the moone which seruing for these base and inferiour things and not rising euery day at one selfesame instant she doth draw the course of the sea with hir in such sort that the tide is more late and of shorter continuance at one time then at another and yet doth not the distance of time betweene the tides change one whit for it endureth six howers in ebbe and so long time in flowing But here we meane not all manner of howers as our common howers are according to the different situation of places but we meane equall and equinoctial howers by consideration whereof the ebbing and flowing of the sea will be found alwaies of like time as is abouesaide Moreouer from seuen daies to seuen daies the flowing is found different by the same power of the moone for it is but very small the first quarter thereof and till it be halfe round In the second quarter it alwaies encreaseth till full-moone at which time the sea is at hir greatest height From thence

not attribute either to the prudence and wisedome of any one or yet to the force and power or to the weapons or armies of men the changes which we daily see in the state of the most mighty but to the onely ordinance and disposition of God by which such alterations come to passe according as the soueraigne iudge knoweth to bee expedient and iust for the chastisement and punishing of men by one another or else to shew himselfe benigne and fauorable towards them For which cause the scripture saith that the Lord vsing as his instrument Senacherib the tyrant of Assyria to chastise many people and nations Isay 10. he calleth him the rodde and scourge of his wrath and doth greatly reprehend him by Isay for that he attributed to himselfe the glory of those victories which he had giuen him not bicause of his vertues considering he was a fierce and cruell king but bicause God woulde vse him against those who deserued to be chastised by the hands of such a tyrant and murtherer If then we consider as behooueth vs vpon that which we haue here summarily touched we shall finde therein excellent doctrine for all kings princes and people and for all men as well in generall as in particular to the end to induce them That euery one must containe himselfe within the limits of his habitation that they may containe themselues within the inclosure of those confines wherein God hath placed them For as he is cursed in the lawe which passeth the bounds of his neighbors possession so must we not doubt but that they are subiect to the same curse who cannot containe themselues within the bounds of those countries Deut. 27. in which God hath confined them bestowing vpon them power signories and habitation therein For from whence proceede the greatest dissensions and cruellest wars but from the ambition and auarice of men which will one vsurpe aboue another that which appertaineth not vnto them and by such meanes doe out-passe their limits whereas if euery one would content himselfe with that part and portion of land which the creator thereof hath bestowed vpon him who doubteth but that men should liue in much more peace As then God through his prouidence would constraine them by necessitie and neede which they haue one of another to trafficke and communicate togither in libertie and mutuall securitie by that meanes to receiue out of one countrie into another those things which faile therein and abound elsewhere and for the causes by vs heretofore deliuered so it hath pleased him to set mightie and strong bounds and limits against their ambition and auarice especially of kings princes and great men For we see how he hath diuided and separated one countrie from another and the diuers regions and kingdomes of the earth not onely by meanes of seas lakes and great riuers but also by craggie high and vnpassable mountaines which as the kingly prophet witnesseth he hath established by his power Psal 65. that by this meanes men might be cōfined within the bounds of the habitation assigned by the Eternall to euery people in such sort as he hath inclosed the waters within their places to the course which he hath ordained them Against the ambition and auarice of men hauing bounded them with hils and rocks And yet there are no boundes so difficult to passe which may bridle and restraine the ambition and insatiable desire of men within any limits but that they will passe ouer the deepest the longest the amplest and broadest waters and the highest and steepest mountaines in the world so that there are no places so inaccessible through which they will not cut a passage one to ouer-run another by great outrage and violence Wherein surely they euidently declare that they are much more furious then the sea how outragious and rough soeuer it bee seeing they can in no wise containe themselues within their limits as the waters doe which also maketh them more vnreasonable then brute beasts For although there be many vnruly and furious horses in one stable yet each of them will commonly bee staied with an halter made but of a little coard or leather and will be kept by a little bar of wood from striking running ouer one another so that one onely stable will serue them all But men doe to the contrarie shew themselues to be such furious and contentious beastes that the whole world cannot suffice them For there is neither riuer sea lake nor mountaine which can be a barre sufficient to withhold them from forcing and rauaging one another destroying themselues by horrible massacres and cruell warres Which no doubt commeth vnto them especially through want of acknowledging and considering vpon the prouidence of God by which he hath appointed bounds to their habitation ambition and auarice as we haue said and for that they will not containe themselues within them obeying the ordinance of their creator But we haue said ynough concerning this subiect Let vs now discourse vpon those commodities which come to men and to all creatures by the course of the waters thorough the earth Which AMANA shall be the substance of your speech Of the commodities which are incident to men and to all creatures by the course of the waters through the earth Chap. 62. AMANA IF men doe but slenderly acknowledge the prouidence of God in the limits of their habitation which hee hath appointed as well by meanes of mountaines as by waters as we haue heard in the precedent speech they doe also make but small stay in the consideration of those great commodities which he giueth and sendeth continually to them by means of them of al the earth For as he watereth this fruitfull mother by dew raine from heauen as hath beene heretofore expressed so doth he moisten it by meanes of fountaines floods and riuers which doe run through it Whereupon we must note that the life of all corporall creatures doth principally consist in heate and that this heate cannot be preserued and maintained without moisture whereby it is nourished euen as the flame of the snuffe or match of a candle or lampe is nourished and maintained by the fat and humor which is therein Therefore as God hath placed the sunne in heauen like a great fountaine of heate and a great furnace of fire for to be distributed and disposed into all partes of the world so hath hee established the sea here belowe in the earth as a great and perpetuall fountaine conuenient for the nourishment and conseruation of this heate which is communicated to the earth and to all the creatures that are therein And therefore also this sea spreadeth it selfe into diuers places by the meanes which haue beene declared so that the courses of the waters in the earth are like the vaines in a mans bodie Goodly similitudes of the course of the waters and of the vaines which are in the body For euen as the soueraigne Creator hath placed

c. 21. Plinie describeth the Vnicorne to haue a bodie altogether like an horse an head like an hart feete of an Elephant and the taile of a bore bearing an horne in the midst of his front of two cubits in length and he saith that these beasts are nourished in the lande of the Orsians in India Lewes de Barthema in his nauigations into Arabia affirmeth that he did at Meca see two Vnicornes and saith that the bodie and colour of this beast is like an horse of a darke gray hauing feet clouen before and hoofed like a goat And that these two beasts had been giuen to the Soldan of Meca for a verie rich and precious present by a king of Aethiopia to the ende to haue peace with him Lib. 1. de obseruat c. 14. Belon hath obserued out of the testimonies of diuers authors that there are two sorts of beasts who beare one horne onely one of which is the Asse of India which hath not clouen feete and the other is the Orix being a kinde of goate that hath clouen feete And he maketh mention of manie Vnicornes hornes esteemed to be of verie great price especially of two which are in the treasurie of Saint Marks at Venice each of them being of a cubit and halfe long the greatest ende whereof exceedeth not aboue three inches ouer He speaketh also of that which our king hath which is at Saint Denis being seuen foote long and waigheth thirteene pounds and fower ounces in fashiō like a taper being broad at the lower end about a plame and three fingers and so groweth lesse and lesse towards the ende and hath a pit in the great ende aboue a foot deepe which is the place wherein the bone is fastned that holds it firme to the head of the beast that beareth it But this author doth mocke at the folly of those who many times doe buie pieces of bone which are cut of the teeth of the Rohart of the hornes and ribs of many other beasts for true Vnicornes horne paying sometimes for one of these little pieces three hundred ducats so much is Vnicornes horne esteemed being most excellent for many vses in phisicke Theuet also flouteth at these abuses Lib. 5. de co●mog and at many fables inuented vpon this matter alleaging that he had seene an horne taken from a beast of a cleane contrarie shape to that which the Vnicorne is described to be of whereto the same vertue was neuerthelesse attributed And that the countrey of the Sauages breedeth a beast called Pyrassouppi as big as the foale of a Mule hauing almost such an head as rough as a Beare and clouen footed like an Hart which beareth two long straight hornes that do come neere to Vnicornes horne and wherewith the Sauages cure themselues when they be bitten and wounded by venemous beasts and fishes But now chaunge we our talke and ACHITOB let vs heare you speake againe concerning some of the most rare and worthie beasts of the Earth Of the Hiena or Ciuet-cat of the Muske-cat of the Beuer and of the Otter Chap. 88. ACHITOB IF in all our discourses we haue any woorthy matter wherein to admire the workes of God in the nature which he hath ordained vnto them wee shall finde no lesse in the consideration of these whereof I purpose now to speake the odour of whom is very sweete And amongst the rest the Ciuet cat called by ancients the Hiena is woorthie of great maruell For from her commeth an excrement so odoriferous that assoone as it is smelt doth pierce through all the senses and spirits and serueth to compose verie excellent perfumes Of the Hiena This beast is fashioned like a Bedouant but of bigger bodie hauing blacke haires about her necke along the ridge of her backe which she setteth vpright being angrie She is mouthed like a cat and hath fierie and redde eies with two blacke spots vnder them and round eares like vnto those of a Badger Besides she hath white haire full of blacke spots vpon her bodie with a long taile blacke aboue but hauing some white spots vnderneath The ancients haue spoken of this beast as of a wilde cat Lib. 9. and Iohn Leo in his description of Africke doth name her so saying that she is common in the woods of Aethiopia where the people do catch her with her yoong whom they nourish in cages with milke and porridge made of branne and flesh and that they receiue ciuet from her twise or thrise a day which is the sweate of this beast for they beate her with a little sticke making her leape vp and downe about the cage till such time as she doth sweate which they take off from vnder her thighes ● Lib. obseru ● 20. and taile and that is it which is called ciuet Belon reporteth to haue seene one in Alexandria so tame that playing with men she would bite their noses eares and lips without doing them any harme and that she was alwaies nourished with womens milke Mathiolus likewise saith that he hath seene manie Ciuet cats at Venice which had bin brought out of Syria and attributeth certaine properties to their excrements for which cause they haue beene more sought after now then in the daies of our fathers so that they are nourished at this day euen in France Lib. 1. de Dici c. 20. De. subt lib. 10. Cardanus also maketh mention of a beast called Zibetum which is found in Spaine that is like to a cat and carieth a bladder in her members the seede whereof is receiued into a spoone being of so excellent an odour that three drops thereof surmounteth the waight of three pounds of anie odoriferous tree But the Musk-cat doth yet surpasse all other odour Of the Musk-catte and meriteth all maruell in the nature thereof For it is a beast like vnto a goate in forme and haire but that she is of a more blewish colour and hath but one horne and is bigger of bodie There are many in Africa but chiefly in Tumbasco and Sini When this beast is in rutte with the heate and rage that he then endureth his nauell swelleth and filleth it selfe with a certaine bloud in manner of an impostume which at length through much wallowing and rubbing against trees he maketh to breake out of which runneth this bloud being halfe corrupted which in tract of time becommeth very odoriferous And the people of the country do gather it amongst stones or vpon the stocks of trees as the best muske that is bicause it is full ripe after that it hath rested some certaine time out of the bodie of the beast which engendreth it and that it hath beene perfectly concocted by the sunne which the other muske cannot be that is taken out of the liuing beast after that it is catched in chase And therefore this most precious muske is shut vp and reserued in boxes and in the bladders of such of these beasts as haue at any time beene taken

things tende and descende it cannot descende lower then it is by the nature thereof And therefore bicause it is solide and thicke and not liquide and fluent as the water and the aire it cannot glide as they doe nor remooue out of one place into another if it be not by some violence elsewhere mooued and made to stirre and tremble somewhere as it hath happened through diuers and maruellous earthquakes of which histories and the holy scripture it selfe doe giue euidence We must note then that there are diuers sortes of motions by which the earth is so shaken that it lifteth and casteth some parts sometimes vpwardes sometimes downewards Of diuers sorts of earthquakes And it is long of such motions and tremblings that there haue such masses and heapes beene cast out of it that great isles haue beene newly made as Geographers doe witnesse namely the isle of Rhodes and of Selos It sometimes also happeneth that the motions of the earth bee such that it openeth like a great gulph whereinto some parts thereof are cleane swallowed vp and deuoured togither with the countries and townes scituate therein so that there hath beene no marke left of them no more then as if they had neuer beene And it hath often hapned in such cases that some mountaines haue fallen one against another bicause the earth which was betwixt them hath sunck and beene swallowed cleane vp And then one might say that the prouerb is not euer true which saith that two mountaines neuer meet There is yet another kinde of motion wherein the earth mooueth and shaketh sometimes one way sometimes another way and tottereth like a ship that floateth on the water Which kinde of trembling is most dangerous as also when all the motion runneth one way Then is there yet another motion which philosophers properly call trembling to wit when two motions are opposite one to another as if two rammes should rush one against another And this is least daungerous of all although indeede they bee all very fearefull yet the feare is much greater when the tremblings continue with horrible and fearefull sounds like the bellowing of buls and as if the earth and all nature quaked and groaned beeing sore pressed and forced as is oftentimes seene ● the causes of earthquakes Now for the causes of all these kindes of earthquakes I may well say that there is no point in all naturall philosophie wherein the professors of this science finde themselues more intricately intangled nor wherein they more differ in opinions then in this For the Chaldeans and Astronomers referre the causes of motions and earthquakes to the heauen to the starres and to the planets and many philosophers assigne it to the water And yet those which are of this opinion differ amongst themselues For some suppose that the earth floateth vpon the water like a ship bicause it is enuironed with water according to the naturall order of the disposition of the elements whereby it is diuersly mooued Others doe attribute the cause of earthquakes to those waters onely which are inclosed within the vaines and caues of the earth Some also to the fire and some to the windes shut vp within it and some to the heate chased by the colde which striueth against it and causeth it to search an issue out For as the water vndermineth the earth and those places through which it doth passe euen so may the fire doe and if either of them be so inclosed that they cannot finde an easie issue they striue then to doe it by force and violence So doe the windes and the heate chased by the cold So then if the earth be vndermined it is no maruell if the vpper part sinke and fall downe being swallowed vp as into a gulfe considering that the earth bicause of the heauines thereof tendeth alwaies downward towardes the center thereof which is the midst of it and of all the worlde And if the waters or the fire or the windes inclosed and shut vp in the earth or the contrarie qualities which contend one with another cannot finde a passage or issue their power is so great that they constraine the earth which resisteth them and by forcing it make it to cleaue and open and to remooue and to shake in those places wherein it is forced Concerning all which things one may make a neere coniecture Of the force and violence in artillerie by the force and violence which is seene in ordinance and artillerie For euery one beholdeth what force there is by meanes of fire and of the matter inclosed within to wit powder and of the contrarie qualities wherof it is compounded and of the winde that therein is ingendred not onely to driue out with maruellous violence all the charge that therein is but also many times to burst the peece it selfe if there be any resistance to hinder it that it discharge not quickly or if it be not well made and very strong and well proportioned to the charge We behold also what a winde there issueth out and what noise it maketh and how the noise makes the earth to sound and tremble and oftentimes it happeneth that this onely winde killeth those that stand neere the cannons mouth such is the violence thereof although they be not touched at all with the bullet that it shooteth But wee beholde more cleerely in mines which are made vnder ground the violence of this powder when it is therein inclosed with the fire which is set thereto by traines For there is neither towne nor castle be they neuer so well founded nor any fortresse which is not onely shaken but ouerturned also like as by an horrible earth-quake Wherein we may note how that it hath not beene sufficient for men to counterfeit thunders and lightnings in artillerie but they haue also inuented the meanes to represent the motions and shakings of the earth in such manner as we haue signified There are some philosophers also Earthquakes compared to agues who haue taught that the same reason is in earthquakes as there is in the shaking of mens bodies and that they are like feuers and maladies of the earth which come vnto it through diuers causes saue that they hold not all the bodie thereof as they doe in men but onely some partes of it For they argue that the water is in the earth as the blood which hath his course through the vaines of mans bodie and the winde is as the vitall spirits which passe through the arteries thereof And as there happen diuers stoppings in the bodie which hinder the blood and vitall spirits that they cannot keepe their right course and ordinarie passage whereupon their order is troubled and the bodie pained in such sort that grones ensue and difficultie of breathing shakings and such like accidents So is it with the bodie of the earth when any thing happens to it contrarie to the naturall disposition thereof by the meanes which we haue already heard whether by water by fire

by winde and such like Whereto we will adde also this opinion of those who attribute the cause of such motions and tremblings either to the drinesse of the earth which is the occasion that it cleaueth and chappeth and by this meanes giues open way to the aire and to the windes which penetrate thereinto or else bicause of the older age thereof to which they esteeme all creatures subiect whereupon it happeneth to it as to old buildings which being ruinous and almost rotten doe fall downe in some places of themselues These are the diuers opinions of men vpon this matter wherin if we desire to take a very short and sure way to attaine to the true cause wee must referre it to the wrath and iudgements of God bicause that what causes soeuer the learned can inuent the Eternall sheweth himselfe very powerful The true cause of earthquakes and the profit that wee may reape thereby and to be feared therein considering that he hath disposed all of them and that they all depend vpon him alone And surely this is a worke of the omnipotent woorthie to be woondred at and which may well cause men to mooue and tremble before his maiestie For if he shewe himselfe terrible and fearefull by deluges of water by haile thunder lightning stormes and tempests he doth no lesse by the motions and shakings of the earth which are in regarde thereof as thunders are in the aire For seeing that the earth is as the foot of the world and that it is assigned to men for their habitation whither is it that they may haue recourse if it quake vnder them and faile to sustaine them Whither shall they retire if she will allow them no more dwelling in hir but will spue them out as the scripture saith For if it be hard for them to flie before fire Leuit. 19. and before water and to finde harbour against windes thunders and tempests whither shall they flie if the earth will not receiue nor beare them And what dread may inuade them when sometimes it quaketh in such sort that it openeth and is swallowed vp as into a bottomlesse pitte as it came to passe when it swallowed Corah Dathan and Abiram and their families Nom. 16. Who will not bee astonished when it riseth vp ouerturning all euen the highest mountaines and hardest rockes and mooueth it selfe in such sort that it maketh houses and buildings dance like rammes and sheepe that would one butte at another wherewith many are vtterly destroied Examples of meruailous earth quakes as it happened in the yeere 1531. in the realme of Portugall which was so shaken by an earth-quake that at Lisbone the chiefe citie thereof there were ouerthrown almost twelue hundred houses besides a great number of others which were greatly spoiled This horrible earthquake continued the space of eight daies and gaue verie furious assaults fiue or sixe times a day And in the time of the Emperour Tiberius twelue cities in Asia were quite ruinated in one night by an earth-quake And Iosephus recordeth that by another Lib. 1 de bello Iud. thirtie thousand Iewes died So Iustine recounteth that by another earth-quake many cities were destroyed an hundred and seuentie thousand persons perished in the raigne of Tigranes in Armenia What causes then soeuer there may be in nature of so many terrible euents yet we must alwaies haue recourse to the Author and Gouernour thereof without whom it can performe nothing and he it is Psal 135. that bringeth earth-quakes out of his treasures as he doth the winds either by his commaundement without a meanes or by his ministers ordayned thereto or else by some power infused into things the which may according to his good pleasure display it selfe in effect to denounce his iudgments on men For he it is of whom the prophet speaketh The earth trembled and shaked and the foundations of the mountaines were mooued and quaked 2. Sam. 22. Psal 18. and the foundations of heauen were bowed and trembled because he was angrie Wherefore wee may verie well conclude Isay 66. Matth. 5. Acts. 7. that as God declareth his magnificence and woonderfull glorie in heauen which is assigned to bee his seat as his word teacheth vs and as we haue heretofore amply discoursed so likewise he doth manifest it no lesse in the earth which is his footstoole when he causeth it to shake and remooue as if being supprised with some great strong feuer it shooke trembled before him Iob. 9. And therefore Iob also saith The Eternall is wise in heart and mightie in strength who hath beene fierce against him and hath prospered He remooueth mountaines and they feele not when he ouerthroweth them in his wrath He remooueth the earth out of her place that the pillers thereof do shake Iob. 26. the pillers of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe But now let vs note that all that which we haue here deliuered disprooueth not the earth to remaine alwaies firme immooueable in it selfe in so much as it mooueth not out of the place which was appointed to it by God neither doth it swerue neuer so little considering that the moouings and tremblings are not vniuersall but particular onely in some places in such sort that the foundations thereof are not any whit altered And if we consider well of these things the Earth will serue no lesse for a preacher vnto vs then the aire and the fire yea then all heauen to denounce vnto vs the soueraigne maiestie of the Almightie ruling aboue all his workes as I hope to morrow we may haue goodly testimonies entreating of the water which is dispersed throughout the earth and afterwards speaking of the excellent commodities and pretious riches that these two elements doe yeeld to men into which matter you ASER shall enter with your dicourse The end of the seuenth day THE EIGHT DAIES WORKE Of the sea and of the waters and of the diuision and distribution of them throughout the earth Chap. 57. ASER. THE holy Scripture doth certifie vs how that in the beginning the earth was couered ouer with water and that it appeered not in any sort but onely vnder the forme of a great deepe till such time as God commaunded the waters to retire into the channels and places which hee had prepared for their aboade So that then the earth was discouered euen so much therof as was needfull for the habitation and nourishment of men and beasts But this soueraigne creator of the Vniuers would not haue the waters to be gathered all into one place and not to haue their course through the earth but prouiding for euerie commoditie for his creatures he ordained that out of the great Ocean sea which is as the great bodie of the waters there should issue diuers armes and members by meanes whereof we haue the Mediterran seas out of which againe proceed many other waters as lakes flouds riuers and brookes For although that all