Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	air_n	body_n	element_n	5,315	5	9.9100	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28489	The theatre of the world in the which is discoursed at large the many miseries and frailties incident to mankinde in this mortall life : with a discourse of the excellency and dignity of mankinde, all illustrated and adorned with choice stories taken out of both Christian and heathen authors ... / being a work of that famous French writer, Peter Bovistau Launay, in three distinct books ; formerly translated into Spanish by Baltazar Peres del Castillo ; and now into English by Francis Farrer ...; Theatrum mundi. English	Boaistuau, Pierre, d. 1566.; Farrer, Francis.	1663 (1663)	Wing B3366; ESTC R14872	135,755	330

man is not able to resist the fire what will you say of that which Alexander and above fifty other Historians relate happened in their times in Secilia that there was a man called commonly by all the Fish Colax For from his youth he was accustomed to swim in the Sea he proceeded so far therein that the greatest part of his time he lived in the water turned into the nature of a Fish or creature of that Element he would stay five or six houres under water after that whole dayes and by degrees he brought himself to stay eight dayes without comming forth so at last he accustomed himself to live under water the most part of his life which was above eighty years many times he appeared when he came into any ships way at Sea he would go aboard eat and drank what the Marriners gave him sometime he came to land into his own Countrey where he stayed but little because great pains of stomack possessed him if be stayed out of the water The which also Pontano affirms for a truth What more wisdome or divine ingenuity can possesse man to peirce the foure Elements familiarly to make use of them and serve himself of them as of other Creatures except he should soare in the ayre and through it to passe both Soule and Body to Heaven Nay there hath not wanted some who have attempted it For Leonardo Vincio invented the art of Flying and exceeded therein to the admiration of all I need not mention here of a multitude of Vaulters and Juglers who with so much dexterity and boldnesse doe act their parts that especially those which to this day vault upon Cables c. do often cause Kings Princes and Commons to retire themselves from Balcones and Windows and avoid the sight of so desperate horrible fearfull and supernatural actions insomuch that the Actor often remains alone because the people cannot endure to behold the desperate and unfortunate condition to which they exposed themselves For which cause that great Phylosopher Mercurius Trismagistus endeavouring to extol the subtilty of mans ingenuity yet admiring at the divine agility and quicknesse with which it acts declares to his Son these following words What thinkest thou at this or what treasure thinkest thou Hast thou shut up within the members of thy body Command thy soule that it cross the main Ocian and thou shalt perceive how soon it will passe overs nay in a manner before thou canst imagine without changing its place of abode Command it to ascend to Heaven and there thou shalt apprehend it to be in a moment and that without any wings for it hath none yet there is nothing that doth disturbe or impede its flight no not the wide and large tenebrosity of the Ayre can hinder its carreare the burning heat of the Sun the swift motions of the starry heavens and Planets it penetrates all even to the most pure celestial and excellent species of them If thou findest not contentment in this if thou wilt not abide amongst the sphears and heavenly bodies search out and understand what vastnesse there is beyond those heavens we see sure thou mayest easily doe it consider then what the agility of thy soule is hold thy self immortal and believe that thou art able to understand all the Arts and Sciences of the world ascend above the highest Elements descend to the deepest Gulfs think upon and call to minde what passages thou hast met with and what thou hast acted search out the effects of Fire Water Ayre of the drouth and moysture that goes through all parts of the World fix thy self in Heaven on Earth in the Sea in the Ayre and dwell if thou pleasest without the body Sure then by this we may collect that the nature of man is a strange and miraculous thing for although it hath one part of its being mortal decaying and perishable the other and more noble is Immortal derives its original from heaven very well remembers its splendid Country the glorious gifts and graces which it hath received from its Creator and so despiseth all terrenal enjoyments but fighs and grones for those of heaven with an earnest desire to purchase those felicities which it left there for certainly in it self it knows that its Principal Parents Friends and Aliance are there and that naturally is the country where first it received its being The which if it could clearly see with its eye of reason which is a power of the soul that never can or doth part from it more then the light from the Sun and from hence sweetly enjoy without this clod of earth or spoyle of worms Oh what wonderfull things would it act how rare and strange would its designes be but this lump of clay the body weighs it down and hinders which Mercurius calls a Tyranical Prison of the soul for that ever impeds when this would set forth its divine Essence but when it goes forth of this body by contemplation and meditation and freeth it self from the weighty burthen thereof subjecting the vitious appetites of it it no sooner remaines at liberty but receives the Noble influences of Heaven and being purified and cleansed from the filthinesse of these earthly members goes skipping in the Aire from Element to Element holds communication and converse with the Angels and can Penetrate even to the Throne of the most high God Whence being inflamed with a divine fury or Zeal acts here below strange and wonderfull things as Moses relates of himself that after he had parted from men to converse with God and stayed some few dayes his face was so bright and shining that the Children of Israel could not behold him St. Paul was caught up into the third heaven Socrates often being elevated in serious contemplation would earnestly behold the Sun for the space of an houre without motion so that he seemed rather dead then a live Alexander the great being once in exceeding danger of his life surrounded with enemies his Army almost lost and discomfited he fell into such a furious passionate rage that he sweat throughout his whole body drops of blood which appeared to his adversaries as flames of fire that issued from his face and eyes at the which being frighted they began one by one to fly and left him alone without any hurt By which we may clearly discern the power and command that the soul hath over the body's Sepulcher in the which it lyes buried in this life and how many times it freeth it self from the chaines with which it is bound and in spight of the body goes to visite her antient habitation which is heaven leaving in a manner for that time the body as dead the which St. Augustine very well asserts in a Preist of Calamensa that always when he would wrap himself up in contemplation he did it with so much gust delight and so profound a forgetfulnesse of things here below that he remained stretched out upon the ground without any sense

detestable iniquities Is there any thing more usefull and necessary then water in this life for neither men nor beast can passe without it to wave a large discoursing what an Ornament it is to the beautifying the Globe of the Earth and how that it is the most ancient and powerfull Element of all the Four as Isidore and Pliny writs it will undermine and pull down great Hills and Rocks it is predominant in the Earth it quencheth the fire and being exhaled and converted into vapours it pearceth into the Region of the Aire above where it ingenders and multiplieth that it may distill and come down again and causeth the Earth to produce all things yet many times the Earth hath been for mans sake punished with it and often hath tasted the rigour of this Element especially when that great quantity of waters drowned all the earth that there fell from the poares veines of the Heavens such streames for forty dayes which by their inundations prevailed 15. Cubits above the highest Mountaine and destroyed all Creatures except what was preserved in the Arke with good Noah How often hath Egypt been drowned by the inundation of the River Nilus How many thousand men have been devoured and destroyed in the waters How many have been buryed in the Bowels of fishes what greater testimony of the fury of this Element can be desired then that particuler deluge of Greece when the water devoured the Mayor part of Ibesalie in so much that they expected a second general destruction of Mankind according to the threatning rage fury and malice of it what a torment scourge and damage did the Romans find in the year 1530. by reason of the supernaturall overflowing of the River Tiber that covered the highest Towers c. of the City beside the losses of the Bridges Gold Silver Wheat Barly Moveables Furniture rich Hangings of Silke Gold and Silver which it carryed a way and Oyles spoyled and many other things with which were valued at above three Millions and there were drowned above three thousand Persons little and great men and women all destroyed in this imindation and by the force and fury of the waters as all modern Writers do affirme Garpa Contar in his Book of the four Elements writes that Valencia a City of Spain was at the point to be overwhelmed with all the Citizens thereof it 's not many years since and if it had not been succoured by extraordinary meanes and diligence it had been utterly destroyed by the fury of the swelling waters and if we should particularize and cast into reckoning the great losses and damages by extraordinanary Flouds Raines Hailes and Snowes in five or six thousand yeares which is the Worlds age it were never to make an end what thing is there in nature more admirable then Fire by vertue and operation of which all our stately Bankets Feasts and ordinary food is prepared and made savory to our Palats it preserves the life of many Creatures by meanes thereof all mettals are Colinated and made plyable for mans use it overcomes and softens stones c. with which we build Stately Palaces and Houses yet for all these and many other benefits which every hour we receive thereby how many famous Cities do we see destroyed made desolate and consumed to ashes by the furious rage of fire the most ancient testimony that can be produced to this effect is the holy writ which avers how that God Rained Fire and Brimstone from Heaven upon the Cityes of Sodome and Gomorrah The final destruction of the whole Earth we read and do believe shall be by fire and that the fury of this Element shall be the principal executioner of the Eternal Justice of God so the Prophets do declare and the Apostles affirme unto us if I would write and set down here in order the great number of famous Cityes which have been ruinated and destroyed throughout the World by reason of cruel Warres fire and sword as well in our dayes as in former time it would be an exceeding Tragick Story those that are curious and desirous to read and understand such things let them read the twelfe Book of Strabo also Rufino in the Apendix of Eusebus and the Triparty History of Amiano Marcelino and they shall find examples how there hath issued Fire Brimstone and Flames out of the tops of Mountaines the Bowells of the earth have consumed great Cityes with all their people In time of Lucius Marcius and Sextus Julius Consalls there brake forth so great a fire from a Cave betwixt two Mountaines that it burnt up and destroyed many Towns and Villages also with its fury it scortched and choaked the greatest part of the inhabitants thereof I could spend much time to relate the Storyes of very many famous Persons which have felt the fury and been suddenly destroyed by Rayes Thunders and Lightnings as Zoroastes King of the Backtrians Captain in the War of Thebes Ajax after the destruction of Troy the Emperour Anastasius in the 27. year of his Raigne with many other Emperours and Kings and Captains who dyed being smitten and consumed to ashes by the rage and fury of fi●y flashing lightning The Aire is a thing so necessary for the conservation of life that there is no Creature can live a moment without it yet often it hapneth to be so pernicious and cruel an enimy to Mankind when it corrupts and taints so that the greatest part of the Pestilences and raging sickness which I have spoken of have proceeded from the putrifaction and corruption of the Aire The Earth which is more affable and kind then all the rest the general Mother of us all for being born it nurses maintains sustaines us and at last receives and wraps us in her Bosome againe as if she were carefull to provide us a bed wherein to repose and take our last sleep in till God shall be pleased to call and set us before his Divine Majesty in that great day of his Judgement yet it is continually producing venomous poysons and unwholsome fruits by means of which our lives are many times cut short and brought to untimely ends how often hath it hapned by Earthquakes many Town● Villages and strong Fortifications have been overthrown how often hath she opened her mouth and swallowed up Cities Townes Men and whole heards of Catle so that no appearance or hardly memory hath remained of them but as the Spainyard saith aqui fue Troyo here was a famous City once now Corn fields in the dayes of Mithridates there was an Earthquake so stronge and furious that besides the sinking downfall of many Cities and Townes there were stifled overwhelmed and destroied above a hundred thousand Persons In the Reign of Constantine Son of the Emperor or Constantine the great there were in Asia sunk and swallowed up into the most hidden Bowells of the Earth so many Townes that the Historians could hardly give account of their number in the dayes of Isocrates and

him his hand and helpes him out of the mire washeth and purifieth him and makes him Heire of his kingdome as if he were a lawfull Heire Subjected to his command and Dominion all things under heaven makes choyce of him for his continual habitation on earth reveales to him the great secrets of his Divine Counsell in fine he gives him to understand that he created all things for his use and for his respect he had given being to all Creatures At consideration of which the Royall Prophet David being astonished cryed out Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the s 〈…〉 f man that thou dost so much value esteem or regard him the wise Antients admired much when they considered the greatnesse and beauty of this world and certainly not without good reason being as it is of the first and greatest works that God made they could not finde out or understand how it continued so long after one manner without decaying loosing its vigour or changing that great and concordant order which there is in it they exceedingly wondered at the plentifull vertue and fertility of the earth how it never growes weary but is continually engendring and producing trees plants corne grasse and innumerable swarmes of vermine and how it doth not corrupt and rott with that continual encrease of such a diversity of things in its bowels the Springs and Fountaines never grow weary but are continually flowing forth and gushing out by the same passage they began at and from the same place where they were appointed at their creation they marvelled and that justly how the Sea receving into it such aboundance of waters from so many such principall and large Rivers as there are in the earth yet seldome or never overflowes its shores or passeth the limmits which the Creator thereof bounded it with They also admired how the Sun appearing so small should be farr greater then all the Earth These and the like considerations caused wonder in them and made them set a high esteem on ●hese sublunary things and not without just cause but with what greater esteem and admiration think you if they but looked thereinto did they love reverence and respect the cause for whose use so many excellent things were created and made the which God was pleased to exalt and put in so high degree that he made him Lord of all his Works Emperour King and Captain of all his visible Creatures for well may he be compared to them considering the favours that Almighty God bestows upon man allowing him in stead of souldiers and Yeo-men of the Guard which Kings take with them for their defence and safety a guard of Angels to accompany Councel and Defend him from all assaults visible and invisible and temptations of the world the flesh and the Devill Furthermore endowing him with that Divine care and excellent knowledge of all things present a perfect memory of what 's past and a strange providential and evident understanding by conjecture of things to come what shall we say of his care and incredible knowledge of all the Vertues Properties and Natures of Trees Herbs Stones and Animals of his understanding and knowledge which is good or bad which is vicious which is vertuous What is honest and what is dishonest yet not contenting himself with the knowledge of the essential of all the Creatures and things in the world he soares with a lively quick agility of wit more divine then humane to heaven and with most acute reasons treats disputes and holds arguments of the things thereof as if he had consulted them with his Creator yet secretly covertly and inwardly in heart confessing that man is the likenesse and image of God or at leastwise a book full of divine emblems who living here below elevates himself with a strong and nimble activity through the ayre descends by the subtilty of his ingenuity to the profundity of the Sea so that the depth of the one nor the height of the other but are as plain to his contemplation as the earth he lives in the greatest obscurity and grosenesse of the aire he peirceth at his pleasure the thicknesse and firmnesse of the earth cannot defend but he will take what he pleaseth out of the deepest concavityes thereof no whirle-poole or gulf of water affright or hinder his passage over it even when and how by his ingenuity he pleaseth for which cause that excellent Poet Homer called men Alphestas that is to say discoverers for man onely being borne strives to attain to the knowledg and understanding of the original cause growth virtues of all things with this insatiable desire of knowledg and extream diligence that men use to that effect were found out invented in less then a thousand years the greatest part of the Machanick Arts and diversity of Sciences which are used in the world as Marcos Varron and others do affirme some wise writers called man Phos which signifieth light and knowledg from that ardent desire that he hath to see and understand all things the which caused very many Phylosophers to err and that onely by this naturall inclination that is in man to know they believed that the excellency and principal being of our soules was the light of understanding there is nothing that man more abhors then the darknesse of ignorance and folly nor any thing that encourages his endeavours and labours more then desire of knowledg from whence is gathered that man is of a divine and heavenly spirit who knows the vertues of the Stars the influences of the Planets and the qualities forces and vertues of the foure Elements in fine all Creatures both Celestial and terestrial assist serve man at the which some of the wise men of Aegypt being with admiration astonished they declared man though audatiously expressed to be God upon earth a divine and heavenly creature a messenger of the gods lord of all eternall things a companion of the gods and the wonder of nature but what adds more Glory Majesty to him is that many times God by his hands brings wonderfull things to passe as hath been seen strange things done by many which man could not do without Gods Divine assistance as we read in Antient Histories Clasomeno and Aristeo did both the which often fell into Trances and Extacies and being in these fits their spirits departed and went to diverse places and being returned to their first senses they related strange and incredible things that they had seen in the Countries where they had been all which appeared to be truths afterwards by others relations one Cornelius a Priest of the gods in Padua living in the dayes of Caesar and Pompey he was put in to such an extasie with the profound meditation of the cruel battel that betwixt these two the Father and the Son in Law was in hand to be given he though farr distant the same day the battell was fought gave such an exact account of what passed therein of