the Scripture especially in the 8 of the Prouerbs and the 103 Psalme where God is said to haue set a bound vpon the seas which they should not passe But this reason seemes not warrantable That the great Creator of all things should in the first institution of Nature impose a perpetuall violence vpon Nature Moreouer all miracles are temporary and not perpetuall for then were it ordinary and so scarce a miracle others vpon lesse ground haue imagined that there are certaine Northerne starres in Vrsa maior and Draco of so great vertue that they can draw the Ocean from this habitable part of the earth toward the North and so constraine the waters that they cannot ouerwhelme the earth but this opinion is ridiculous and deserues no solide refutation being a meere coniecture without ground or probability others vpon the like reason haue dreamed that there is more Water then Earth in the Globe and that the water by his extraordinary masse occupying the center of the world turnes the earth on one side making it to swimme as a ship vpon the sea But this assertion wee haue refuted in our first Chapter of the first booke All these Authors suppose that the earth is vncouered toward the North-Pole but ouerflowne with waters towards the South which the experience of Nauigatours at this day hath sufficiently disanulled Others againe affirming out of a Peripateticall dreame that the water is ten times greater then the earth suppose the earth to bee like a sponge to drinke vp the water to proue which assertion they produce an experiment that the earth being digged any thing deepe in most places there will appeare water whence they collect that the water is mixt with the whole earth and receiued into it'â— concauities But howsoeuer wee may graunt that there are many and vast concauities in the Earth capable of Waters yet it is impossible that the Water should bee ten times as great as the Earth for by this reason although all the Terrestriall Globe were Water it could not bee but that a greater portion of Water then that in the Earth should arise aboue the Earth because according to their owne Supposition 9 partes should bee aboue the Earth Neither can Aristotles words bee well wrested to this interpretation For as much as hee vnderstood this ten-fold proportion of the Water to the Earth not of the spaces which they replenished measured by their Circles and Diameters but of the proportion they beare one to the other in their transmutation as that one measure of Earth turned into Water should bee as much as 10. All these opinions seeming so absurd it seemeth more probable to imagine that either the Waters are condensated and thickned which were in the beginning created thinne whence will follow that they should occupy a lesse place and by consequence leaue the dry-land in many places habitable or which is more probable that God in the first Creation made certaine hollow concauities and channels in the Earth which was before plaine and vniforme into which the waters were receiued and bounded in so much that they could not flow abroad This seemes enough to satisfy the search of such as are not too curious to search into his secrets whose power and omnipotence transcends the capacity of the wisest In this diuision of a place into Water and Land wee will first treat of the Sea and the accidents belonging thereunto Not that the water is worthier or greater then the Earth The contrary whereof wee haue proued heretofore but because the consideration of it is more simple as that wherein fewer matters are to bee handled then in the land For Riuers and Lakes although consisting of this watery element wee thought fit to handle apart as adiuncts belonging to the land 4 In the Sea are considered two things 1 The Adiuncts 2 The Diuision The Accidents of the sea whereof we are to treat are either Internall or Eâ—ternall 5 The Internall are such as are inbâ—ed in the Sea These againe are either Absolute or Relatiue 6 The Absolute are such as agree to the Sea without any comparison with the land such are either Figure Quality or Motion 7 The figure is the conformity of the externall superficies of the Sea whereof obserue this Theoremâ— 1 Although the whole body of the water be Sphericall yet it is probable that the parts of it incline to a Conicall figure That the whole Water according to it's outward superficies iâ— Sphericall and round is sufficiently demonstrated before in the first booke But notwithstanding this roundnesse of the whole the parts of it may for ought I see admit of a Conicall figure for as much as this hath little or no proportion to the vast Spheracity of the Water no more then little hils to the greatnesse of the Earth For the prosecution of which point I will first shew the reason of this my coniecture grounded on experience and afterwards out of the ground and demonstration of the principles of Mathematicall Philosophie endeauour to make it more manifest First therefore by a Conicall line wee vnderstand a crooked line which differs from a Periphery or circle in as much as it keeps not alwayes an equall distance from the center but is higher in the midst then on either side Now if the parts of the water standing still were in their higher superficies exactly sphericall they should by the same grounds bee concentricall or haue the same center with the whole Earth But that it hath not the same center will appeare by little dropps of Water falling on the ground which incline as wee see to a round figure yet were it more then ridiculous to say that this round conuexity of a droppe could bee concentricall with the whole Earth sith in so great a masse it is hardly sensible But here our ordinary Philosophers are ready to answer that this conformity of the water dropps in a round figure is rather Violent then Naturall because the Water being by nature moist is ready to fly and auoid the touch or drouth or any dry thing And because the Water thus auoiding the drouth cannot of necessity but some way touch it it is imagined to conforme it selfe to that figure whereit it may least of all touch This is the round or Sphericall figure wherein any body contained cannot touch a plaine otherwise then in one onely point But against this coniecture of moisture flying drouth strong enough is the experiment of Scaliger in his 105 exercitation that quick-siluer a moist substance being cast either into Water or Iron-Oare will gather it selfe to a round body notwithstanding it is manifest that quick-siluer naturally neither auoides the touch of Water or Iron for as much as the one is very mâ—â—st the other of great affinity as our Chimicks teach with quick-siluer the parent of all Mettals Moreouer it is manifest that this conformity to roundnesse is in dropps of raine falling to the Earth through the Aire yet will not our
of the superficies of the Water compared to the superficies the Earth vncouered which should be higher in place of which shall be this Theoreme 1 The superficies of the Sea is some-where higher then the superficies of the Earth some-where lower There hath beene a great dispute among Phylosophers concerning the poâ—ition of the Sea in respect of the Land whether it bee higher or lower some haue beene of an opinion that the Water is higher which opinion was defended by Tully in his Booke De Natura Deorum where hee saith that the Sea being placed aboue the Earth yet couering the place of the Earth is congregated and collected neither redounding nor flowing abroad which afterwards seemes to be seconded by diuers learned Diuines who reducing most things to the supernaturall and first cause diuers times neglected and ouer-slipt the second Hence Saint Basil in his 4 Homily on the Hexameron lest the water saith hee should ouerflow and sâ—red it selfe out of the place it hath occupied it is commanded to gather it selfe together otherwise what should hinder the Red Sea to ouerâ—flow all Egypt being lower then it â—elfe vnlesse it were manicled with the Creatours power as it were with setters to which also afterwards seeme to subscribe Aquinâ—â— Dionisius and Catharinus with diuers other Diuines who held that the first discouery of the Earth and the gathering together of the Waters in the first Creation was made not by any mutation in the Earth but by a violent accuâ—ulation of the Waters being as it were restrained and bridled supernaturally that they could not transcend certain limits and bounds To confirme this opinion some reasons are alleaged by moderne Philosophers first because it is the ordeâ— of all the Elements amongst themselues that the Earth as the heauiest should take the lower place and the water should ascend aboue Secondly because Marriners comming from the maine Ocean to the Land seeme to see the land farre lower then the Water Thirdly they alleage thaâ— place of Iâ—b wheâ—e God himselfâ— professeth that he hath bounded the Waterâ— in these words Hitherto shalâ— thou come and no farther here shall thy proud waues be stayed But this opinion seemeth very improbable that God in the first institution of Nature should impose a perpâ—tuall violence vpon Nature sith wâ—â—ee the Creator in other maâ—ters to vse Nature as his ordinary â—eruant and to administer the Regiment of things by â—econd causes Neither were the authority of these Diuines so great in thâ—se Cosmoâ—râ—phicall conceipts to ouersway these of the same profession who could more exactly iudge of these matters Neither are these reasons of so greaâ— validity as to enforce assent For first whereas St Basill seemes to wonder why the Red Sea should not ouerâ—lowe all Aegypt if it were not supernâ—turally bounded he takes that as granted which is the question in controversie that the Water is higher for which he can produce no other reason thâ—n the Testimony of the sense but this is very weak forasmuch as in such matters the sense is oftentimes deceiued as stands well with the grounds of the perspectiues for as weare there taught two Parallels will in the end seeme to concurre so far as the sight can iudge Now the Spheare of the Heauens and the Sphericall segment of the Waters being parallell the one to the other will necessarily seeme to concurre to the end whence it must needs come to passe that that part of the Sea must seeme â—o lift it selfe higher â—nd contrarywise the Heâ—uens will seeme somewhat lower then indeed they are and this I take to be the true cause why the Sea being seene a great way off may appeare raised aboue the land whereon we stand Another reason may bee giuen from the perpetuall Refraction of the vsuall Lines comming from the Sea to our sight For the Aire neere the Sea being alwayes intermixed with thicke watrish vapours rising vp the Seâ— must of necessity be presented in a thicker Medium by a refracted sight whence coÌ„sequently it must seeme greater higher then indeed it is for as the Opticks teach all things seeme greater higher in a thicker Medium To the other three Reasons brought to coÌ„firme this assertion it is no hard thing to answer To the first which would out of the order of the Elements inforce that the Water is higher â—hen the Earth I answer as before that if we intirely consider these Elements amongâ—t themselues we must giue the hight to the Water for as much as the greatest part of the Eâ—rth lies â—rowned for that aboue beaâ—es no sensible proportion in respect of the parts of the Earth vncouered But here we compare not the 2 Elements intirely betwixt themselues but the superficies of the Water with the parts of the Earth vncouered habitable which superficies of the earth notwithstanding this reason may bee higher then the Water Secondly where they produce the testimony of the sight for my own part I can warrant no such experience hauing neuer launced far into the deep yet if any such experiment be auouched it may easily bee answered out of opticall Principles that comming out of the maine Ocean towards the land by reason of the sphericall conueâ—ity of the water interposed betweene our sight and the lower part of the land those land parcels must needs seeme lesse as hauing some parts shadowed from our fight whence it must consequently appeare lower as couched almost vnder water From the 3d reason grounded on Scripture whereon our diuines seeme most to depend nothing else is concluded but that Almighty God hath set certaine bounds limits which the Waters should not passe These bounds limits I take not to be supernatural as if the water restrained by such a power should containe it selfe within its own circuit But naturall as clifâ—s â—ils within which the waters seems intrenced This opinion therefore being disliked others haue laboured to defend an opposite position that the water is lower then the Earth altogether which opinion beares more constancy with the doctrine of Arist. most of our modern Philosophers The reason wheron this assertion is grounded be chiefly these 1 If the sea were higher then the Earth what should hinder the water of it froÌ„ flowing â—broad ouerwhelming the Earth sith all men will confesse that the water is by nature disposed to moue downwards to the lower place If they haue recourse to supernatural â—ouÌ„ds besides that we haue spoken coÌ„cerning the interpretatioÌ„â— of such places of Scripture as seeme to fauour this opinioÌ„ we â—nswere as before that it is very improbable that God in the first creation should impose such a perpetuall violence secondly we read that in the vniuersalâ— deluge wherein all the world was drowned God brake open the springs of the deep opened the Cataracts of heauen to powre down raine continually many daies together vpon the Earth Of which there had beene no necessity at all had the sea beene heaâ—ed vp in such
but also themselues practised such commerce as well for the benefit of their Common-wealth as the increase of their particular estate Two memorable examples we haue in Henry the third King of England and Laurence de Medices Duke of Florence whereof the former gaue many and large priuiledges to all the Hance Townes in his Kingdomes which were in Number about 27 The other himselfe for his owne priuate commodity exercised the Trade of Merchandize yet was this man most ingenious and a great louer of learned Men. CHAP. IX Of Pedography Riuers Lakes and Fountaines in the Earth 1 WE haue formerly treated of Hydrographie or the description of the Water now are we by Gods assistance to proceede on to Pedographie which is a description of the Firme Earth or Dry-Land 2 The Land is a space contained in the superficies of Earth distinguished from the Water The Earth in this place is not taken as in the former part of Geographie for the whole Terrestriall Spheare composed of Earth and Water Neither yet as it is vsually taken in Naturall Philosophy for an Absolute Elementary body whose causes and affections are to bee searched out but Topographically for a place or habitable space on the dry-land This dry-land distinguished from the Water by its Firmenesse and Constancy being noâ— subiect as the Water to motion and inconstancy was therefore if we belieue the Poet called Vestâ— according to that verse Stat viterra suâ vi stando Vesta vocatur Neither wants this fable of Vesta a sufficient morall First because Vesta was faigned to bee a keeper and protectour of their houses which may very well agree to the Earth which not only sustaines and beares vp all buildings and houses but also affords all commodities and fruits wherewith housholds are maintained Secondly Vesta was fained to be the Goddesse to whom the first fruits were offered in sacrifice which may well square with the nature of the Earth from which all fruits are originally deriued and therefore as it were of due ought all first fruits to bee consecrated to her altar Two other Parallels betwixt the Goddesse Vesta are added by Natalis Comes First because Plutarch sheweth in his Symposiacks that the Tables of the Ancients dedicated to Vesta were made round in forme and fashion of the Earth Secondly because the seat of Vesta was imagined to bee in the liquid Aire immoueable and not subiect to motion which well agrees with the common conceiued opinion of the Earth But these two rather expresse the nature of the whole Terrestriall Spheare then of the land diuided from the Waters This description of the dry-land separated from the Waters we haue termed Pedographieâ— because the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commonly deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foote signifies as much as a firme place whereon men may haue sure footing to which is consonant the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seemes most probably deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies as much as Terere to weare out or waste because the Earth is dayly troden and worne with our feet The proprieties of the Earth appertaining to a Cosmographer are many and various wherefore to auoid confusion wee haue diuided them into these heads 3 The Adiuncts of a Place in the Land are either Naturall or Ciuill The Naturall are such as are in bred in the Earth 4 The Naturall may bee againe diuided into Perpetuall or Casuall Perpetuall are such as alwayes or most ordinarily continue the same 5 The Perpetuall proprieties are againe twofold either Absolute or Comparatiue The Absolute I call such as agree to the Land without any respect to the Sea 6 Of the former sort are such as belong to the Figurature of the Soile wherin three things are most remarkeable 1 Riuers Fountaines and Lakes 2 Mountaines Valleyes and plaines 3 Woods and Champian Countreyes 7 A Riuer is a perpetuall course of water from a certaine head or fountaine running from an higher to a lower place on the earth Riuers are by some Geographers more curiously distinguished into 2 sorts whereof the first are setled or stayed Riuers which slide away with a more equall and vniforme course The later are called Torrents or stickle waters which are carried with a far greater violence In a Riuer three things are chiefly remarkeable First the Fountaine or Spring secondly Whirle-pooles Thirdly the Mouth of it The spring is the place where at first the water sensibly breakes out of the Earth As Nilus in Africke is thought to haue his first head at the mountaines of the Moone A Whirlepoole is a place in a Riuer where the water falling into a Deep trench is whirled teurned round The Mouth is the place where any Riuer finds a passage our either into the sea or into another greater Riuer which in latine is tearmed ostium or a gate Whence they call Septem ostia Nili which are seuen mouths by which it fals into the Mediterranean This gaue the name to many Citties and Townes in England as Plimmouth Darâ—mouth Portsmouth Axmouth with many others Now for as much as all water is by nature heauy and therefore couets the lowest place The course of all Riuers must needes bee from a higher to a lower place whence we may guesse the hight of lands For it is necessary that for euery mile wherein the water glides forward on the earth there be made an allowance of 2 foote at least in the decliuity of the ground For although water will slide away at any inequality yet could not the water bee wholesome and retaine any reasonable swiftnesse of motion without this allowance Hence we may probably find out the huge hight of the Alpes about all the places in Europe because out of them spring foure great Riuers which runne foure wayes whereof the two greatest are the Danow which receiues into it 60 Nauigable riuers and so disburthens it selfe into the Euxine Sea far remote and the Rhene Of Lakes and Riuers many memorable matters may be spoken all which we will reduce to these heads 1 Their Generation and first originall 2 Their Appearance 3 Their Place in the earth 4 Their Vertues and effects all which we will comprehend in these Theoremes following 1 All Riuers haue their first originall from the sea the mother of Riuers The originall of fountaines and Riuers on the earth is a matter of great difficulty and for ought I know not yet found out of our greatest Philosophers yet being willing to goe as farre as I can I will glaunce at probabilities and first set downe other mens opinions Some haue beene of opinion that in the bowels of the earth are hid certaine vast concauities and cauernes which receiuing into them a great quantity of raine-Water haue giuen originall to Lakes and Fountaines Hence they giue the reason why these fountaines are perpetuall Because the raine-water receiued into these cauernes being extraordinary great is sufficient to nourish such springs of water vntill the
as often it doth to be set on fire for hauing water neare it it may soone be quenched whereas many little springs cannot afford so much water as would suffice for such a purpose Lastly amongst other reasons wee cannot forget the pleasantnes of faire riuers which are no small ornaments to a City and delights to the eye of the Inhabitants 8 Thus much for riuers A Lake is a collection of perpetuall waters nourished with fresh springs and hauing of it selfe no passage forth In this definition of a Lake wee haue comprized these three things First that it is a collection of constant and perpetuall waters Secondly that it is continually fed cherished with fresh springs rising vp from the bottome Thirdly that it finds no passage forth into the sea or otherwise By the two first it is distinguished from a great Pond or standing poole called in Latin Stagnum For asmuch as a standing poole being commonly â—ed with raine water and hauing no springs from the Earth whereby it may bee long nourished is often times by the heat of the sunne exhausting it out by vapours either extraordinarily diminished or altogether dried vp Whereas in a Lake by reason of fresh springs the Water is perpetuall and remaineth sweet and holsome except by some other accidents it change it's disposition For the latter clause that a lake finds no passage forth it may bee two waies vnderstood either of a visible or apparant passage outwardly through the superficies of the Earth to the sea or of a secret and subterranean passage vnder ground The former may againe be vnderstood of a passage forth immediatly by it selfe or mediatly by some riuer whereas wee haue said that it finds no entrance into the sea we ought to vnderstand it that immediately it is not to be accompted a continuate part conioyned with the sea neuerthelesse it may be disburthened into the sea by some riuers running out of it as some would haue the great riuer Tanais not to haue his head or fountaine in the Riphaean mountains as the ancients haue taught but in a certaine Lake not faâ—re from the city Tulla so Volga Edill draw their originall from a lake not farre from Moscow with many others of like nature What to thinke of the subterranean intercourse betwixt Lakes and the sea wee will shew in this Theoreme 1 It is probable that most Lakes haue some secret intercourse with the sea vnder ground For the confirmation of this point there want not reasons The first reason may be drawne from the quantity of Water in most Lakes which is found without any great sensible difference to remaine the same without any diminution or encrease whereas if the water bound in with these limits should haue no passage out any way it should encrease to such greatnes that it would easily ouerwhelme the bankes To giue a few instances we find that diuerse very vast riuers exhaust themselues into the Caspian Lake as Volga and Edill which receiuing into them many notable riuers are at last themselues swallowed vp in the said lake In like manner the Lake of Palestine called the dead sea is known to receiue into it besides diuerse lesser riuers the great and famous riuer Iordan Heere would I demaund whether these great riuers perpetually casting themselues into a Lake giue an encrease to the former quantity or not if they should augment the water they would by consequence alter the bounds But this is contradicted by experience If the quantity of the water suffers no encrease it must needs follow then that the water should some other way be diminished as it is heere encreased This must either be by the sunne drawing vp some parts of it by vapours or by some cauerns of the Earth drinking vp some parts of it Or lastly by a subterranean passage into the sea Concerning the former it cannot bee denied but much Water is drawne vp into vapours by the heat of the sun yet that these vapours counteruaile the water perpetually brought in is in my conceit very improbable for against this quantity of water extracted out this way of evaporation I will oppose these three things which shal perswade a reasonable man that the water receiued in shall farre surpasse the vapours exhaled from it First that the vapours are stirred vp in the day time when the sunne is lifted aboue the Horizon at such a height that his heat is somewhat strengthned wheras all these watry currents neuer intermitting their vsuall course neuer cease to runne by day or night wherein is seen a double aduantage of the riuers in respect of the watry exhalation Secondly of these watry vapours so drawne out a great part must at diuerse times returne back or at least so much otherwise by rayny showres dropped downe into this Lake Thirdly these watry parts thus rarified and attenuated in vapour should putting this supposition in equality diffuse themselues abroad in such extraordinary manner that all the Regions round about should in all likely-hood suffer a great inconueniency of foggy exhalations On the other side it is very vnlikely that it should bee receiued into empty caverns of the Earth without passage into the sea or some great riuer disburthening it selfe thereunto For I would demaund whether these cauerns were euer filled with water or not if they haue been filled how could they receiue more water sith the filling of any place supposeth it to be first empty That they were neuer yet filled with Water is farre more vnreasonable that any man should imagine any cauerne of the Earth to bee so vast with so great currents of Water perpetually running in almost six thousand yeares should not replenish especially considering the bowells of the Earth not farre from the vpper face to be every where spread with Water round which might also helpe to this purpose Wherefore it cannot well bee imagined but that euery such great lake hath some vent or passage vnto the sea either by some secret subterranean channell or at least by some great riuer issuing out of it and so running into the Ocean Another reason may be taken from the currents of some seas which are by good reason ascribed to this cause For it is obserued by skilfull Nauigatours that the Water is carried by a very stiffe course from Propontis and the black sea into the Aegaean and from thence into the Mediterranean The originall of which current mâ—y with good coniecture be found out in the Caspian which by some secret passage vnder ground disburthening it selfe into the black sea causeth it to enforce his owne waters farther of for the receit of the other Thirdly that these subterranean passages are not vnlikely may be confirmed by many riuers which are swallowed vp some wholly some for â—ome place only of the Earth whereof we haue spoken before Also it may seeme likely by the Water spread round about the Earth which through the bowells of it find a passage from the sea bearing as
meaning is not in this Treatise to handle the nature and propieties of these two Elements Water Earth farther then may seeme necessary for the Geographicall constitution of the Terrestriall Spheare leauing the rest to the Naturall Philosopher because it is supposed that few men vndertake the study of this Science without some insight in the other And to speake truth this begins where the Naturall Philosopher ends Yet because some light in each learning is necessarily required â—nd all men are not willing to seeke farther into the grounds of Naturall Philosophie it will not seeme altogether impertinent to lay the foundation farther off that the building thereon erected may stand surer and stronger Wherefore taking some beginning from the matter of the Earthly Globe wee haue distinguished it into Earth and Water as those parts whereof the whole Globe is not essentially compounded as one intire body in it selfe but rather coâ—ceruated and compacted together each part retaining its owne nature and proprieties without any proper mixture To expresse more fully the constitution of this Spheare we are here to distinguish betwixt the first and second matter The first matter was that vniuersall chaos or masse out of which all bodies both Celestiall and Elementary were made and formed as wee read in the first of Genesis Which whether it be the same with Aristotle's Materia prima as some haue imagined I leaue to others to dispute The second matter of the Globe is either Proper or Accidentall The proper we call that whereof the Globe of the Earth most properly consists such as are the two Elements of Earth and Water The Accidentall matter is vnderstood of all other bodies contained in the superficies of the said Spheare as Stones Mettals Minerals and such like materials made of a Terrestriall substance and engendred in the wombe of the Earth Concerning the Earth and Water which we make the most proper and essentiall parts of the Spheare we will set downe these two Theoremes 1 In the Terrestriall Spheare is more Earth then Water The Theoreme may bee proued by sundry reasons drawne from Nature and Experience Whereof the first may bee taken from the depth of the waters compared with the whole thicknes of the Earth For the ordinary depth of the Sea is seldome found to be aboue 2 or 3 miles and in few places 10 furlongs which make a mile and a quarter And albeit some late Writers haue imagined the obseruation to be vnderstood only of straight and narrow Seas and not of the maine Ocean yet granting it to amount 〈◊〉 10 20 or 30 miles it cannot reach to so great a quantity as to come neere the greatnes of the Earth For the whole circle of the Terrestriall Spheare being 21600 English miles allowing 60 English miles to a degree of a greater circle wee shall find the Diameter to bee about 7200 miles Whose semi-diameter measuring the distance betweene the center and the superficies of the Earth will be 3600 miles And if any man suppose some of the quantity to be abated because of the Sphericall swelling of the Water aboue the Earth whose Circle must be greater than that of the Earth We answer first that this may challenge some abatement but not come neere any equality of the Water with the Earth Secondly it is to bee imagined that the surface of the Sea howsoeuer as it is painted in Globes and Charts it seeme for a great part empty and vnfurnished of Ilands yet this for the greatest part seeme rather to bee ascribed to mans ignorance and want of true discouery because many quillets and parcels of land lye yet vnknowne to our Christian World and therefore omitted and not figured in ouâ— ordinary Mappes So wee find a great quantity of Earth which lay hid and vnknowne without discouery in the dayeâ— of Ptolomy which caused him to contract curtaile the Earth in his Geographicall descriptions Which defect hath been since that time supplyed by the industrious trauailes and Nauigations of later time such as were of Portugals English and Hollanders especially of Columbus the Italian who as one wittily alluding to his name like Noah's Doue plucking an oliue branch from this Land gaue testimony of a portion of Land as yet vnknowne and left naked vnto discouery And no question can be made but a great quantity of land not yet detected by our European Nauigators awaites the industry of this age To which alludes the Poët in these Verses Venient annis secula seris Quibus Oceanus vincula rerum Laxet ingens pateat tellus Typhiâ—que nouos detegat orbes Nec sit terris vltima Thule In after-yeeres shall Ages come When th'Oecean shall vnloose the bands Of things and shew vast ample lands New Worlds by Sea-men shall be found Nor Thule be the vtmost bound Another reason to proue the Earth to be greater in quantity may bee drawne from the mixture of Earth and Water for if these two Elements should meet in the same quantity challenge an equality questionlesse the whole Earth would proue ouer-moist â—lymie and vnapt for habitation Which any man may easily obserue by his owne experience For let a portion of Earth another of Water be mixt together in the same quantity the whole masse will seeme no other than a heap of mire or slime without any solid or consisting substance Moreouer the Water being no other than a thin and fluid body hardly containing it selfe within its own bounds or limits as Aristotle teacheth vs must needs require a hard and solid body whereon to support it selfe which body must of necessity bee greater in quantity 2 The Earth and Water together make one Spheare It may bee probably collected from sundry places of holy Scripture that in the first Creation the surface of the Earth being round and vniforme was ouerwhelmed and compassed round with Waters as yet vnfurnished of liuing Creatures Secondly it appeares that Almighty GOD afterwards made a separation betwixt the Waters and Dry-Land This separation aâ— farre as reason may bee admitted as Iudge seemes to bee effected one of these two wayes Either by giuing super-naturall bounds and limits vnto the Waters not suffering them to inuade the Dry-land or els by altering the superficies of the Earth casting it into inequall parts so that some-where some parts of it being taken away empty channels or concauities might be left to receiue the Waters other-where by heaping vp the parts so taken away whence were caused Mountaines and eminent places on the earth The former of these wayes seemes altogether improbable forasmuch as it is very vnlikely to imagine that God in the first institution of Nature should impose a perpetuall violence vpon Nature as hereafter in place more conuenient shall bee demonstrated Wherefore taking the later as more consonant to reason we shall find that the Water the Earth separated and diuided make not two separate and distinct 〈◊〉 Globes but one and the same Spheare forasmuch as
grant a naturall motion and so consequently yeeld to our assertion A third reason may here bee drawne from the condensation of the Aire It is a receiued opinion amongst most Philosophers that the thinne and subtile parts of the Aire will naturally mount vpward but the thicker and condensated parts pitch and settle themselues downeward Which obseruation if it bee true will yeeld vs this conclusion That the Aire is by nature heauy and therefore moueth downeward toward the center of the Sphericall Globe of the Earth Which I will demonstrate out of these Principles 1 That that body which by addition of parts or condensation is made more heauy or ponderous must needs haue some weight in it selfe This may easily appeare because the mixture of lightnesse with heauinesse will not intend and encrease the ponderosity but slacke and diminish it For the chiefest thing which remits or diminisheth any quality is the mixture of his contrary as wee see the quality of cold to be abated and weakened if it entertaine any mixture of heat 2 The thickning or condensation of any body is made by addition and coaction of more parts into the same space or compasse As if the Aire or any such like body were thickned it would confine it selfe to a more narrow roome then before and so consequenly the narrow roome would containe more parts then before Out of which wee conclude that forasmuch as many parts pressed together in the same space make the whole masse more ponderous these parts so pressed together must needes haue some waight in themselues Which may further be illustrated because the intention of the quality commonly followes the condensation of the subiect Which may easily appeare in red-hot-iron which burnes and scorcheth more than flame or coales because euery part hath more degrees or heat Now where more parts are closely pressed together the heat must needs bee more feruent I haue dwelt longer on this subiect because I would not seeme to broach a new opinion without sufficient reason To conclude all and come as neere the receiued opinion as I can I will say that the Aire may bee considered two wayes first absolutely in it selfe secondly in comparison of heauier bodies to wit the Earth and Water In the first sense I grant no absolute lightnesse in the Aire because out of his naturall inclination it tends as neere as it can to the center as all other lower bodies But if we consider it comparatiuely in respect of other heauier bodies we may call it light that is lesse heauy or ponderous So that by lightnesse we vnderstand no absolute lightnesse but a priuation The summe of all wee haue hitherto proued is this That all terrene bodies as Earth Water Aire and other mixt bodies which concurre to the composition of the Earthly Spheare as neere as they can settle and conforme themselues to the center of the Earth which site or position of them to the center is their true and naturall place wherein they seeke their preseruation 2 Of two heauy Bodies striuing for the same place that alwaies preuaileth which is heauiest 3 Hence it comes to passe that the Earth enioyes the lowest place the next the Water and the last the Aire The increment or increase of any effect must necessarily arise from the greater vigour or efficacy of the efficient cause as both Reason and Philosophie well teach Now as wee haue shewed all heauy bodyes naturally do descend downeward out of a naturall inclination they haue to attaine the center but where there is a greater weight or constipation of ponderous parts in the same masse there must needs proceede a greater inclination Supposing then the Earth Water and Aire being three waighty bodies to incline and dispose themselues to their vttermost force to inclose and engirt the center of the Terrestriall Spheare it must needes bee that the Earth beeing the most compact and ponderous must obtaine the preheminence next to which succeedes the Water then the Aire being of all other the least ponderous Yet wee deny not but the Water and Aire being setled in this wise are in their naturall places which to vnderstand wee must repeate what we said before that Nature hath a twofold intention the one primary the other secondary Indeed if we consider Natures primary or speciall inclination in the bodies themselues we shall finde them as wee said immediatly directed to the center as neere as might bee but the secondary intent of Nature was that the bodies should so settle and conforme themselues as that each of them should obtaine a place according to his degree of massinesse and waight Out of this may bee answered a certaine obiection which some haue produced to proue the Aire to bee absolutely light in his owne nature Experience teacheth vs say these men that a bladder blowne vp with winde or an empty barrell being by force kept vnder water the force and obstacle omitted will suddenly ascend to the top and that a man ready to sinke in the Water will not so easily sinke downe while hee can hold his breath all which effects they ascribe to no other cause than to inclination of the Aire to moue vpwards from the center But indeed this motion howbeit agreeable to the vniuersall nature and consistency of the Spheare is notwithstanding in respect of the Aire it selfe vnnaturall and violent because this ascent of it is not caused by the forme of the Aire but the interposition of a heauier body striuing for the same place and so reuerberating it backe from the place whereunto it tended For here is to bee imagined that the bladder or empty barrell drowned in the water claimes and inioyes for the time that place or distance which otherwise so much water should occupie to wit so many inches of feete from one side to the other No maruell then that obstacles remoued the Water being most ponderous and waighty receiues his owne right and as it were shoulders out the Aire and violently driues it off to his owne habitation Whence many haue imagined that this motion is proper and naturall to the Aire when of it selfe it is meerely violent and enforced by the interiection of another body more waighty and ponderous than it selfe 7 this conformity of the Terrestriall parts two things are to bee obserued 1 The center it selfe 2 The parts which conforme themselues vnto it The Center is an imaginary point in the midst of the Terrestriall Globe to which all the parts are conformed The Fathers of the Mathematicall Sciences haue laboured to deriue all their doctrine from a point as the first and most simple principle whereon all the rest depend Not that they imagine a point to bee any positiue entity in it selfe but because it is the first bound of magnitude whence all terminated quantities take their originall The first princâ—â—le wee may call it not of naturall constitution because a thousand points collected could not be so compounded as out of it should arise the least
the Persians was there obserued an Ecclipse at the fifth houre of the night which selfe-same Ecclipse was seene in Carthage at the second which to any man appeares plainly in this figure here inserted In like manner an Ecclipse of the Sunne at Campania which was obserued betwixt 8 and 9. was as Pliny reports seene in Armenia betwixt 10 and 11 of the clocke Whence may be gathered that this difference of appearance arose from the roundnesse of the Earth interposing it selfe betwixt these two places Another reason to proue the Spericall figure of the Earth is drawne from the Ecclipse of the Moone wherein the obscured point is described by a Sphericall figure which must needs argue that the body which causeth the shadow is also round For as the Optickes teach vs the shadow is wont to follow and imitate the opacous body whence it proceedes and all men confesse that the Ecclipse of the Moone is made by the interposition of the Spheare of the Earth betwixt the Sun Moone intercepting the beames of the Sun which should illustrate lighten the Moone The third reason may be taken from the absurdities which would follow should we admit any other figure besides For granting it to be plaine as some of the Platonists haue imagined it would necessarily follow in reason 1 That the Eleuation of the Pole would bee the same in all the parts of the Earth 2 That there Would bee the same face and appearance of the Heauens in all places 3 That the Sunne and Moone with other starres would in all places arise alike at the same houres 4 That all Ecclipses would appeare to all places at the same houres 5 That the same quantity of dayes nights would bee at all places 6 That the shadowes would bee euery where alike and one Region would not bee hotter or colder then another all which would plainly stand opposite to reason and experience As many or more would proue the absurdities of those that ascribe to the Earth any other figure then Sphericall Which I willingly passe ouer as not willing to fight with shadowes and faigne an opposition where I scarce finde an aduersary These reasons are sufficient to proue that the whole masse of the Earth is Sphericall Diuers other popular arguments may be drawne from the finall cause to countenance this Assertion For no other figure can bee assigned to the Earth which can more vphold the order of Nature or speake the wisdome of the Omnipotent Creator 1 Because such a Figure would best beseeme the Earth the seate and dwelling-place of all liuing Creatures which is most capable because otherwise the God of Nature would seeme to doe something in vaine and without cause Forasmuch as the same capacity might bee confined within stricter bounds Now it is apparant to all Mathematicians that amongst all those figures which they call Isoperâ—â—etrall a Circle is the most capable and amongst the rest those which approâ—ch neerest vnto a circle And as wee esteeme of a circle described in a plaine surfâ—ce so must we iudge in solides of a Spheare Which profitable Geometry of Nature wee shall finde instilled into most liuing Creatures who by a certaine Naturall Instinct without the vse of Reason make their Nests and resting-places of a Sphericall Figure as most conuenient and of greatest capacity as experience shewes vs in the Nests of Birds and Bee-Hiues wherein the cells are fashioned round Sphericall 2 We shall find the holy Scriptures consonant to this opinion in diuers places but that it might seeme impiety to vse those sacred helpes in a matter out of controuersie and needing no such Demonstration 2 The rugged and vnequall parts of the Earth hinder not the Sphericall roundnesse of it It is thought by ignorant people that the Earth is not round because of the rugged and vneuen parts of the superficies of it For some-where it swells with great and high mountaines rocks and hills Other-where it seemes indented and as it were trenched into valleyes concauities all which seeme to detract from a true Sphericall superficies because in such a one euery line drawne from the Center to it should bee equall one to the other Indeed that the Globe of the Earth is not Absolutely and Geometrically round as an Artificiall Spheare is confessed by Eratosthenes cited by Strabo in his 1 booke of Geographie whence Pliny in his â— booke cap. 21. saith that the Earth Water make one Globe not so absolutely round as the Heauens but much different 〈◊〉 also Strabo confirmes This proposition depending on these 3 reasons which follow will shew that this Inequality how great soeuer it seeme to the sight is altogether insensible and bearing no proportion with the huge vastnesse of the whole Earth The first is taken from the perpendicular hight of the greatest and highest mountaine which is seldome or neuer found to exceed 10 miles although few Mathematicians will grant so much whereas the whole Diameter of the Earth containes no lesse thâ—n 7200 English miles so that these hils compared to the thicknes of the Earth are but â—s 10 to 7200 which indeed hath no sensible proportion The second is taken from the Ecclipse of the Moone which being caused by the shadow of the interposed Earth is described by a Sphericall figure without any vnequall or rugged parts which no doubt would appeare if these parts challenge any due proportion or sensible quantity in respect of the whole Earth Thirdly some haue illustrated this by a round bowle or ball whose externall surface although vnequall and indented here there with scotches other-where swelling with knobs will notwithstanding being interposed betwixt the Sun-beame and a wall or such place giue a round or Sphericall shadow in the same wall or plaine in regard of the little quantity of these small parts in respect of the whole Body In like sort must wee imagine the mountaines and vnequall parts in the face of the Earth to bee no otherwise then as so many warts or pimples in the face of man which cannot alter his duâ— proportion or symmetry of the parts 3 The Water concurring with the Earth in the Globe is also Sphericall It is a proposition agreed on by Archimedes and almost all the ancient Mathematicians of any note that the superficies of the Water or any other liquor standing and subsisting quietly of it seâ—fe is Sphericall whose center will bee the same with the center of the whole Earth which we are here to handle because it appertaines to the making vp of the Terrestriall Globe although wee shall haue occasion hereafter to speake specially concerning the Water in Hydrographie in the second part of this Treatise The reasons to confirme this assertion beside those that in generall proue the Sphericity of the Terrene globe are diuers 1 It is obserue that Passengers in a Ship lanching out into the deepe from some Hauen will first perceiue the Towers Buildings Castles Promontories and Trees standing
on the land in their perfect figure and greatnesse sayling farther off they will obserue them on the lower part little little diminished vntill such time as the tops only of the houses and trees will bee visible In like sort they which tarry on the Land will first espye the top and masâ— of a Ship approaching which sight will bee perfected more and more as the Ship drawes toward the land and at last all parts of it will shew themselues which accident can bee cast vpon no other cause then the Sphericall roundnesse and swelling of the water which if the distance be great interposeth it selfe betweene the station on the Land and the Ship wherein Passengers are conueyed which experiment is expressed in this Diagramme here annexed Certaine Platonicks of which the chiefest is Patricius a late Writer would ascribe this experiment to the impediment of the sight caused partly by the distance wich cannot perfectly represent the obiect partly by the interposed vapours arising in the Sea partly by the quiuering light which is spread by the refraction of the Sun-beames in the water I deny not but these causes may somewhat hinder and cause that the true and perfect species of a body cannot alwayes visit the sight Yet will it bee euident that this is not all but that the Sphericall roundnesse of the water will proue a greater impediment where the distance is any thing greater But for one of Patricius his shifts concerning vapour arising out of the Sea to which Clauius seemes also to consent in his Commentary vpon Iohannes de Sacrobosco it makes more for our assertion then his For that which is seene in a thicke medium according to the doctrine of the Opticks seemes greater in quantity and by consequence neerer and so higher then would otherwise appeare as wee see by experience that the Sunne sometimes is seene of vs before it ascend aboue the Horizon because of a refraction of it's beames in a thicke matter Wherefore it were rather to be imagined that a tower seene at Sea or a ship from the land through these thicke and grosse vapours should appeare higher and seeme neerer then if it met not with such vapours Secondly what is vrged concerning the trembling light caused by a refraction of the Sun-beames in the water is of no force For although such a light might cause an impediment or hinderance to the sight yet would not this decrement or hinderance bee by degrees and in such proportion as we find it to be correspondent to wit to the distance interposed And much wonder it is that Patricius as my learned Friend Mr R. Hues obserues being as it seemes very well read in the stories of Spanish nauigations should not bee conuinced out of the Navigation of Magellane who taking his iourney toward the Southwest parts passed by the Magellane straights now called by his name and so returned by the Cape of Good Hope into Spaine to which wee way adde the voiages of Drake Candish and many others The second reason is vrged by Aristotle in his 2d booke de coelo and hath its ground in Archimedes lib. 1. de Aqua-vectis which is formed in this sort The nature of the water is to affect and flow to the lower place whence it must necessarily bee inferred that it must bee round for otherwise it should not alwayes obtaine the lower place The reason of the consequence shall bee expressed in this figure for if we ascribe to the water a plaine superficies let it for example bee ADB and from the center of the earth C let there be described a circle to wit EGF then let there be drawne CD a perpendicular line to AB and let AC and BC be ioyned together Now because the right line CD is lesse then CA or CB as will appeare euidently by sense it will be plaine that the point D will be in a lower place then the point A or B because D is neerer to the Center for as much as DC is but a part of a beame of the circle whereas AC and CB euidently exceed that quantity or proportion Another reason there is commonly drawne from the roundnes of drops cast on the sand as also from water in pots whose superficies seemes to swell aboue the brimmes but this reason as we shall proue in place conuenient is rather against this assertion then for it because indeed wee affirme the water to be round but so as it claimes the same Center with the Center of the Terrene Globe and therefore cannot be sensible in so little a portion as a drop or pot of water This proposition being sufficiently proued by these two reasons it is needfull in the second place that wee answer certaine obiections cast in by the said Patricius against our assertion Euery surface of the water quoth Patricius is either only plaine or only round or both plaine and round or neither plaine nor round First that it is not both plaine and round seemes very euident for so it should admit of contrariety Neither can one part be plaine and another round because the water is an vniforme and homogeneall body not consisting of such vnequall parts that it should neither bee plaine nor round seemes more impossible because fâ—w or none haue dreamt of any other figure Lastly that it is not round only hee labours to confirme by sundry reasons and experiments First he testifies of himselfe that sayling in the Sea he plainely â—aw in the morning before Sun-rising the Mountaines of Corsica which afterward assoone as the Sunne was risen vanished out of his sight Whence he concludes that this proceeds not from the roundnesse of the Earth but from some other cause But this argumeÌ„t to iudicious men will seeme very weake 1 Because it depends altogether on the authority and credit of Patricius whose assertion I take to bee no better then another mans deniall 2ly were this argument euery where sound yet would it proue no other thing but that this effect were not to be imputed to the Sphericall swelling of the Earth Whence cannot bee drawne any generall conclusion that the Earth or Water is not Sphericall Wee deny not in the meane time that other causes sometimes concurre which may hinder or take away the sight of obiects from those who saile on the Sea The second experiment Patricius describes in this manner At a certaine Towne called Comaâ—lum saith hee there is a very great poole through which poole or lake some 3 yeares agoe it was my chance to bee carried in a boat The bottome of the water almost all the way in all the iourney appeared to bee lesse then 2 foot in depth from the top The way increasing at first the lower parts and foundations of houses then the tops and princely pinnacles began to vanish from our sight at last hauing scarce passed 6000 paces a Tower 72 foot high began to appeare as it were cut off by the middle and from the middle part vpward appeared visible
but after 10000 paces it was taken out of sight I would here aske the Geographers quoth Patricius whether in so short a distance wherein the bottome for the whole space surpassed not two foot in depth the water could ascend to 72 foot Had it beene my chance to haue gone with Patricius ouer the lake I might perhaps by obseruation of this experiment haue giuen a more probable coniecture of the cause Neuerthelesse being vnacquainted aswell with the place as the truth of his obseruation I may perhaps guesse somewhat at his errour First then whereas hee auerres that passing along for the space of a 1000 paces a Tower of 72 foot high seemed cut off by the midst which at 10000 vanished out of sight I confesse that in so short a space the swelling of the water inter-posed could not be so great as to hinder the sight and bee the cause of this effect wherefore some other Accidentall cause must bee sought out For the finding out of which to come as neere as I can I would make inquiry whether this passage of the Boat was directly forward from the Tower on the Water no land inter-posed or Indirectly side-wise in such sort as the shoare might be placed betwixt their sight and the Tower mentioned The former no wayes can be imagined foras much as it not only contradicts the grounds of our receiued Philosophie but also of Patricius himselfe for giuing the Earth a plaine surface or Angular or any other forme it were impossible that in so short a distance such an effect should happen out of the figurature of the water If the passage were oblique or indirect in such wise as the shoare might any way inter-pose it selfe betwixt the Boat and the Tower it were easie to imagine how such an experiment should happen for the land by which the Boat might bee carried might haue an ascent by such Degrees as the Tower at 1000 paces might bee for the halfe of it obscured and at last bee altogether taken out of sight This reason then of Patricius seemes rather to bee ascribed to the Land then the Water The third reason of Patricius is drawne from the Homogeneity of the Water If the water saith hee haue a round superficies the parts of it would challenge the like figure because in homogeneall bodies the same reason is to bee giuen of the whole and of the parts But the parts of the water are not Sphericall as may bee proued by diuers instances 1 Because water in the mouth of a pot seemes not to haue any such Sphericall roundnesse for although at the brinke it seeme to bee restrained aboue the pot yet no such swelling appeares in the middle 2ly That riuers are kept in by their bankes which otherwise would flow abroad 3ly That riuers when by the melting of snow they swell so great as they can hardly bee contayned within their bankes doe not seeme higher in the middle then in other places 4ly If any man from one side of the riuer to the other leuels at any marke he may surely hit it which hee should not doe if there were any Sphericall swelling in the midst which might hinder the sight 5ly and lastly it seemes so vnlikely that the water should rise in the midst that it is more probable it should be more hollow in that we plainly obserue that all filth and rubbish carried from the bankes into the riuer is wont to settle and swimme in the midst Notwithstanding all these argumēts of Patricius our ground is yet vnshaken 1 Concerning small drops and water in the mouth of pots it is found to be round and Sphericall though not exactly the reason wherof wee shall declare hereafter This roundnesse I confesse serues not any way to the confirmation of this assertion because the Sphericity and roundnes which wee auerre to be in Water hath for its center the center of the whole Earth and therefore in so small an arch or section as the bredth of a pot or a drop of water cannot possibly haue any sensible appearance or existence And we must needs confesse that this experiment was very fondly vrged to this purpose by some of our Geographers and such as stands not with any demonstration Which granted sufficiently answers all the reasons last vrged by Patricius except the last For as much as he requires in the Water a sensible appearance of this roundnesse in euery riuer or little parcell of water which cannot bee admitted Touching the last thing which hee vrgeth that all the rubbish and filthy matter is from the bankes carryed into the middle whence he would inferre the middle to be hollow and lowest we can answer diuers wayes 1 That this experiment is not alwayes certaine because euery man may oftentimes see the contrary to wit that such filthy rubbish rather vseth to cleaue to the banks of the riuer then to float into the midst 2ly That if any such thing happen it is because of the torrents which run violently from the banks into the midst carrying with it such things as are light the steepnesse of the place being greater the current wider or swifter But nothing here can bee concluded to proue the water according to his naturall force to be either plaine or hollow in the midst which this Aduersary vndertooke to demonstrate CHAP. III. Of the Partiall magneticall affections in the Spheare of the Earth 1 HItherto haue we discoursed of such affections of the Terrestriall Spheare as are Elementary and knowne heretofore to ancient Philosophers It followes in the next place that we treat of Magneticall affections to wit such as follow the magneticall nature of the Earth Of the vertue and propriety of the Load-stone many haue written but few sought out the true nature The inuention of it is attributed to a certaine heards-man who hauing his shooes shod with iron and an iron-pike in his hand resting himselfe on a quarry of Load-stone could hardly remoue himselfe frō thence But this seemes rather a pleasant Poeticall inuention then a true History hauing no good Author to auouch it But to let passe the first Inuention being a matter rather indebted to chance then industrie no small difficulties haue discouered themselues in the inuention and finding out of the causes of Magneticall properties Somewhat I cōfesse hath been written of such magneticall affections as haue been most knowne such as is the vertue Attractiue by which it drawes to it selfe iron or steele as also the vertue Directiue by which a needle touched with the Magnet directs and conformes it selfe North and South The rest of Magneticall proprieties I find in ancient Writers as little knowne as their causes if any matter herein were broached it was merely coniecturall and depending on no certain demōstration neither had we any certaine or satisfactory knowledge of this thing vntill such time as it pleased God to raise vp one of our Countrymen D. Gilbert who to his euerlasting praise hath troden out a new path to
retaine in it selfe the vertue of the Load-stone yet by reason of the liquefaction is altogether languishing and as it were buried but vpon touch of a Load-stone is stirred vp to his former vigour for the magnet insinuats his Incorporeall influence into the iron and so rectifies and animates that force which was almost dead 2 The magneticall Coiton is strongest of all in the Poles This may easily bee demonstrated by an experiment for if the iron needle which is proposed to bee Attracted and the Poles and Center be placed in the same right line then this Coition will be to a perpendicular as in A and B to wit the Poles in the Diagramme but in the middle space they will obliquely respect and point and by how much farther off from the Pole it is by so much is this vertue weaker but in the Equator it selfe it becomes meerely parallell without any inclination at all To know in what proportion this force is increased or weakened we must put another ground That the force of this coition is increased proportionally as the chords of a circle for by how much the least chorde in a circle differs from the Diameter so much the forces Attractiue differ from themselues For sith the Attraction is a Coition of one body with another and magneticall bodies are carried by a conuertible nature it comes to passe that a line drawne from one Pole to another in the diameter directly meetes with the body but in other places lesse so that the lesse it is conuerted to the body the lesse and weaker will bee the coition 3 So much bee spoken of the magneticall Coition It followes that wee speake of Magneticall Direction which is a naturall conuersion and conformity of the magneticall bodies to the Poles of the Earth It is manifest that a magneticall body so seated that it can moue without any impediment will turne it selfe in such wise that the one Pole of it will respect the North Pole of the Earth the other the South which motion wee call Direction This we may plainely see in a Marriners compasse whose Lilly alwayes respects the North point If a compasse bee wanting the same may bee shewed in a little corken-boate which being put in the water with a load-stone in it will so turne and conuert it selfe that the Poles of the Load-stone will at length point out the Poles of the Terrestriall Globe The manner how shall be disclosed in these Theoremes 1 The South part of the Load-stone turnes to the North and the North part to the South To confirme this assertion some haue produced this experiment Let there bee cut out of a rocke of Load-stone a Magnet of reasonable quantity Let the two poles both North and South bee marked out in the Load-stone the manner of which wee shall perhaps teach hereafter then let it be put in a corken little boat on the water so that it may freely float hither thither It will be euident that that part which in the rocke or Mine pointed Northward will respect the South and contrarywise the South part will respect the North as wee may see in this figure Let the Magnet as it is continuated with the Mine or Globe of the Earth be AB so that A shall be in the North pole B the South-Pole Let this Load-stone be cut out of this rocke or Mine placed on the water in a little timber boat which shall be CD we shall find that this little dish or boat will turne it selfe so long vntill the Northpart A be turned to the Southpart B and on the other part the Southpart B be conuerted to the Northpart A and this coÌ„formity would the whole rock of Load-stone claime if it were diuided and separated from the Globe of the Earth The reason why the magnet in the boat on the water turneth windeth and seateth it selfe to a contrary motion to that it primarily receiued whiles it was ioyned to the bowels of the Earth and vnited to the body of the great Magnet is because euery part of a Load-stone being separated from the whole whereof it is a part becomes of it selfe a perfect compleat magneticall body as we may say a little Earth hauing all the properties of the great Globe as Poles Meridians Aequators c. And therefore according to the nature of magneticall vnion spoken of in our next Theoreme will in no wise endure to settle it selfe as it did before but deemes it a thing more naturall and of more perfection to turne his aspect a contrary way to that which he inioyed at his first constitution Here may we note a great errour of Gemma Frisius who in his corollary vpon the 15 Chap. of his Cosmographicall Comment on P. Appian affirmes that the Needle magnetically effected would on this side the Aequator respect the North-pole but being past the Line would straight-way turne about and point to the Southpole An errour as Mr Hues saith vnworthy so great a Mathematician But Gemma Frisius in some â—ort may be excused for as much as the grounds of magneticall Philosophy were in his time either not discouered or most vnperfectly knowne and the vncertaine relations of Nauigators were reputed the best Arguments and how easie a matter it is for a Trauailer in this sort to deceiue a Scholler who out of his reading and experience can shew nothing to the contrary let euery man iudge 2 This contrary motion here spoken of is the iust confluxe and conformity of such bodies to magneticall vnion This is demonstrated by Gilbert in this manner Let the whole magneticall body be CD then C will turne to the North of the Earth B and D vnto the South part A. Let this magnet bee cut in twaine by the middle line or Aequator and the point E will tend to A and the part F will direct it selfe to B for as in the whole so in the parts diuided nature desires the vnion of these bodies The end E willingly accords with F but E will not willingly ioyne it selfe with D nor F with C for then it would haue C against its nature to moue toward A the South or D in B which is the South Separate the stone in the place of diuision and turne C to D and they will conueniently agree and accord For D will turne it selfe to the South as before and C to the North and E and F ioynt parts in the minerall or rocke will now bee most sundred For these magneticall parts concurre and meet together not by any affinity of matter but receiue all their motion and inclination from the forme so that the limits whether ioynt or diuided are directed magnetically to the Poles of the Earth in the same manner as in the diuided body 3 If any part Southward of the magneticall body bee torne away or diminished so much shall bee also diminished of the North-part and contrariwise if any part bee taken away in the North-part so much shall the vertue of the
92 3 It is probable that the sea is carried some-where from East to West and some-where from North to South contrariwise 98 4 Of the violent motion of the sea caused by windes 101 5 To some certaine places at certaine times belong certaine winds 102 6 The violence of the winds makes the sea sometimes in some places transcend his ordinary bounds 103 CHAP. VII Of the Depth Situation and Termination of the sea 1 The ordinary depth of the sea is commonly answerable to the ordinary height of the maine land aboue the water and the Whirlepooles extraordinary depths answer to the height of the mountaines aboue the ordinary height of the Earth 104 2 The superficies of the sea is some-where higher then the superficies of the Earth some-where lower 109 3 The sea in respect of the Earth is higher in one place then another 111 4 The Water is so diuided from the dry-land that the quantity of water is greater in the Southerne Hemispheare of land in the Northerne 115 5 The whole Globe of the Earth is enuironed round with sea betwixt East and West 116 6 It is probable that the Earth is enuirnoed round with water from North to South Of the North-west passage 117 CHAP. VIII OfSea Trafficke and Merchandice 1 Nauigation first taught by Almighty God was afterwards seconded by the industrie of famous men in all ages 132 2 Nauigation is very necessary as well for the increase of knowledge as riches 135 CHAP. IX Of Pedography Riuers Lakes and Fountaines in the Earth 1 All Riuers haue their originall from the sea the mother of riuers 142 2 All Riuers and Fountaines were not from the beginning 155 3 Many riuers are for a great space of land swallowed vp of the Earth whereof some after a certaine distance rise againe 156 4 Riuers for the most part rise out of great mountaines and at last by diuerse or one Inlet are disburthened into the sea 157 5 Diuerse Fountaines are endowed with diuerse admirable vertues and operations 159 6 Places neere great Riuers and Lakes are most commodious for Habitation 162 7 Of Lakes and their causes 162 8 It is probable that some Lakes haue some secret intercourse with the sea vnder ground 163 CHAP. X. Of Mountaines Vallyes plaine-Regions woody and champion Countreyes 1 Mountaines Vallyes and Plaines were created in the beginning and few made by the violence of the Deluge 165 2 The perpendicular height of the highest mountaines seldome exceeds 10 furlongs 169 3 The ordinary height of the land aboue the sea in diuerse places is more then the hight of the highest mountaines aboue the ordinary face of the Earth 171 4 Mountaines Countreyes are commonly colder then plaine 172 5 Mountaines since the beginning of the world haue still decreased in their quantity and so will vnto the end 174 6 Of Woods and their nature 178 7 Woods are not so frequent or great as in ancient times 179 8 Places moderately situate towards the North or South-pole abound more in woods then neere the Equatour 180 CHAP. XI Of Ilands and Continents 1 It is probable that Ilands were not from the first beginning but were afterwards made by violence of the water 184 2 Peninsula's by violence of the sea fretting through the Istmus haue oftentimes turned into Ilands and contrariwise Peninsalas by diminution of the sea made of Ilands 189 CHAP. XII Of Inundations and Earth-quakes 1 No vniuersall Inundation of the Earth can be naturall the other may depend from naturall causes 193 2 Particular alterations haue happened to the bonds of Countries by particular Inundations 195 3 Certaine Regions by reason of great Riuers are subiect to certaine anniuersary Inundations 197 4 Regions extreame cold or extreame hot are not so subiect to Earth-quakes as places of a middle temper 201 5 Hollow and spongie places are more subiect to Earthquakes then solide and compacted Soiles 202 6 Ilands are more often troubled with earth-quakes then the continent 203 CHAP. XIII Of the Originall of Inhabitants 1 All Nations had their first originall from one stocke whence afterwards they became diuided 206 2 The first inhabitants of the Earth were planted in Paradise and thence translated to the places adioyning 208 3 The first plantation of Inhabitants immediately after the Deluge beganne in the East 213 CHAP. XIV Of the disposition of Inhabitants in respect of the site 1 The people of the Northerne Hemispheare as well in Riches and Magnificence as valour science and ciuill gouernment far surpasse the people of the south Hemispheare 221 2 The extreame Inhabitants toward the pole are in complexion hot and moist Those towards the Equatour cold and drye those of the middle partaking of a middle temper 226 3 The extreame Inhabitants towards the poles are naturally enclined to Mechanicall works and martiall endeuours the extreame towards the Equatour to workes of Religion and Contemplation The middle to lawes and ciuility 232 4 The people of the extreame Regions towards the poles in Martiall prowesse haue commonly proued stronger then those neerer the Equatour but the middle people more prouident then either in the establishment and preseruation of commonwealths 236 5 The extreame Regions in Manners Actions and Customes are cleane opposite the one to the other The middle partake a mixture of both 239 6 The people of the Easterne Hemispheare in science Religion Ciuility and Magnificence and almost in euery thing els are farre superiour to the Inhabitants of the Westerne 250 7 The Westerne people haue beene obserued to be more happy and able in Martiall discipline the Easterne in witty contemplation and contemplatiue sciences 252 8 The Easterne part of the Westerne Hemispheare was peopled before the Westerne 255 CHAP. XV. Of the Diuersity of dispositions in regard of the Soile 1 Mountaine-people are for the most part more stout warlike and generous then those of plaine Countries yet lesse tractable to gouernment 256 2 Windy Regions produce men of wild and instable dispositions But quiet Regions more constant and curteous 273 CHAP. XVI Of the dispositions of Inhabitants according to their originall and education 1 Colonies translated from one Region into another farre remote retaine a long time their first disposition though by little little they decline and suffer alteration 278 2 The mixture of Colonies begets the same Nation a greater disparity and variety of the Nations amongst themselues 278 3 Education hath a great force in the alteration of Naturall dispositions yet so as by accident remitted they soone returne to their proper Temper  4 By Discipline Nations become more Wise and Politicke in the preseruation of states yet lesse stout and couragious 283 The Analysis of the second Booke Generall which of a place generally taken without any speciall diuision handles the Adiuncts and proprieties these agree to a place in respect of the Earth it selfe which are Internall or Externall Common or Magneticall whereof Chapter 2. Heauens which are Generall or Speciall Chapt. 3.
instruments or Tables and reducing them accordingly to your chart which wee suppose before marked out according to seuerall degrees As for example if wee would set downe in our chart the Metropolis of France which is Paris hauing recourse to my Table I finde it to haue in Longitude 23 degrees in Latitude 48 degrees Here to finde out the said longitude you must extend a threed from the 23 degrees of the Parallell AB to the like degree in the Parallell CD then holding it fast you must crosse that threed with another extended from the Meridian AC to the Meridian AD in the points of 28 degrees The point wherin these two threeds shall cut and crosse one the other you may take for the true place of Paris and marke it out in your chart In like sort you may proceede with all other places But if you were to describe a riuer in your chart it will not bee sufficient to take the Longitude and Latitude of the beginning or fountaine but of the end middle turnings and angles Townes or Cities by which it passeth Bridges and other occurrent circumstances In like sort may you set downe Woods Forrests Mountaines Lakes and other places whatsoeuer 4 Thus much for the Essentiall part of the particular Chart The Accidentall part wee call the Scales of Miles which teacheth how many miles are contained betwixt any two places in the Chart wherein we are to know two things 1 The Fabricke 2 The Vse 1 The Fabricke of the Scale depeâ—ds from the certaine knowledge of the Distance of any two places in the Chart. The practise is very easie and taught in these three Rules 1 You must search out the distance betwixt any two places whatsoeuer which are contained in the Region described in your Chart which you may doe either experimentally by your owne knowledge or some certaine relation of Trauailers 2 Then must you draw three Parallell lines containing two spaces one larger the other lesser in some voide space of your Chart. 3 You must diuide the said Scale into so many Miles as the said voide space will giue you leaue according to the known distance first found out As for example the distance betwixt Paris and Roane is knowne to be 30 French leagues which containes 60 of our Miles allowing for euery such league 2 Miles Wherefore your Parallell lines being first drawne as you see in the former Chart diuide your Scale into 30 parts accordingly and in the larger space place your Numbers as 10.20.30 and so forth so farre as your space will conueniently extend 2 The Distance of any two places set downe in the Chart being taken and applyed to the scale will shew how many miles it containes As for example I would willingly know how many English Miles are contained betwixt Paris and Orleans in my Chart of France Here I take with my compasse the distance betwixt the said Cities in the Chart and applying that to the Scale I find it to containe 50 miles which is the true measure CHAP. V. Of Hydrography 1 HItherto haue we treated of the Generall Adiuncts and Proprieties of places in the Terrestriall Spheare we are in the next place to handle the Distinction 2 A place is generally distinguished into Water and Land The Description of the former is termed Hydrographie The other for distinction we call Pedography 3 Hydrographie is a Description of the Water with the Accidents thereunto belonging The Water wee consider not here meerely Physically as it is an Element whereof mixt bodies are compounded but Topographically as it beares a part in the Terrestriall Globe yet are wee not so curious to exclude such Physicall problemes and considerations as are most subiect to sense which a Topographer cannot well neglect being the markes and characters designing out speciall places To finde out the originall of the Water wee must first take as granted that Almighty God as wee reade in the first of Genesis in the beginning made a separation betwixt the waters aboue the Firmament and the waters vnder the Firmament whereof the former is termed in the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much to say as expansum a thing stretched out or extended By these waters aboue the Firmament whether wee ought to vnderstand the cloudie vapours in the middle Region of the Aire or the pure fluid and liquid body whereof the Firmament consists I leaue it to learned diuines and criticke expositours to dispute although the propriety of the phrase if it bee well rendred will seeme to fauour this opinion rather then the other for as much as the Aire can no way bee said to bee aboue the Firmament except the Hebrew terme miscarry in the Translation For the solidity of the Celestiall Orbs which Aristotle labours to confirme is found long since to thwart the obseruations of Astronomers although it may thus bee retained as vsefull suppositions to settle Imagination But to let this passe and come to the waters vnder the Firmament vnderstood by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies as much as a collection of waters wee shall find them to haue taken their originall from the separation of the waters substance from the Dry-land caused by God in the first Creation testified by Moses in 1 Gen which once granted as no Christian can deny easily rebates the edge of the opinion of some auncient Philosophers who contended out of the nature of Drouth and Moisture to deriue the beginning of this separation The drynesse of the Earth say they working by little and little diminisheth or at least resisteth the waters so that they should not altogether ouerwhelme the Land But this reason is altogether deficient in Nature Because Drouth and Moisture are no such qualities to haue such an operation and if any such there were betwixt Drouth and Moisture the Drouth as wee see by experience would rather draw moisture vnto it then any way expell it or driue it away whence it is most euident that it was effected by no other meanes then the immediate worke and prouidence of God for the preseruation of liuing creatures for before God said Let the waters bee gathered into one place the Water was said to couer the whole face of the Earth but afterwards at Gods appointment the water went backe and shewed the dry-land But by what meanes God separated the one from the other it is much controuersed amongst Diuines and Philosophers Many were of opinion that the Earth was suffered to stand intire without alteration and that the waters were eleuated aboue it so that if they were suffered to flow abroad they might againe couer the face of the Earth as in the beginning But why the Waters should bee thus restrained is not agreed among them for some thought that this was done by the miraculous power of God which restraines the flowing abroad of the Water beyond ordinary bounds of which opinion is St Ierome who grounded his opinion as it seemes on the authority of
wherein euery Body seekes it's owne safety the other Generall wherein all Bodies concurre to the preseruation of the whole The former proceeds from the speciall Forme and Nature of euery Body which is performed by the vnion of all his parts to it selfe this vnion is greatest of all in a Sphericall figure wherein all the extreme parts are equally distant from the Center admitting no Equality of dimension The Generall depends from the Resultancy and Harmony of all the parts whereby is caused an vnion of all the parts with the whole to whose preseruation they are secondarily directed whence ariseth a double figurature of the water the one of a Spheare excentricall with the Earth the other also of a Spheare but concentricke with the Earth whereof this Conicall figure is compounded Why this figure should be more sensible in a small drop or quantity then in the Ocean may bee declared from the same ground well vnderstood because the conuexity of the lesser Spheare excentricke with the Earth is more and the greater is lesse for by how much the lesser is the Spheare the greater will be the conuexity and by how much greater the Spheare the lesser will the bee conuexity or crookednesse Wherefore this crookednesse being in a small measure of water very sensible in a maine Ocean will by sense be hardly distinguished from a right line 8 Of the Figure of the Water wee haue spoken Wee must now speake of the Quality which is two-fold Saltnesse and Thicknesse 1 The Water of the Sea is salt not by Nature but by Accident That the Sea is of a saltish Quality no man hath euer doubted at least in most parts But whether this saltish Quality essentially agrees to the center of the Sea as therein created or else Accidentally brought in I finde no small difference among Philosophers Those which defend the saltishnesse to bee Accidentall are diuided into diuers sorts for some of the old Philosophers imagined that the Earth chased and Heat with the Sunne continually sweats out water whence is made the Sea and therefore should haue a saltish taste because all sweat is of this Quality But this opinion I take to bee no other then a pleasant Allegory of the old Greeke writers who wrote their Philosophy in verse and therefore vsed such allusions as wee shall perhaps find in many other matters poëtically deuised of them yet refuted of Aristotle in good earnest others haue more probably coniectur'd that this saltishnesse was first deriued from the Earth through whose parts the Water being strained is apt to receiue this Quality being primarily in the Earth it selfe as wee see water being wrung through ashes to grow salt but this opinion seemeth of no great soundnesse because the first Riuers and Lakes being drawne out of the Earth altogether and in regard of their small quantity more apt to yeeld and receiue this tincture are notwithstanding deuoide of all such Quality Besides this wee rather find the contrary by experiment That Sea-Water strained through clay will turne fresh as likewise powdred flesh being layed to soake â—n salt water will soone turne sweet The former is verified by Baptista Porta of the other euery kitchin-maide on the Sea-side will informe vs. The third opinion is of Aristotle who referres the saltish quality of the Sea-water to the Sunne as the chiefe cause drawing and lifting vp out of the Sea store of exhalations which afterwards mixt with vapours fall downe againe by drops for the Sunne drawes vp the thinner and fresher parts of the water leauing the thicker and lower water to suffer adustion of the Sunne-beames and so consequently to become salt so that the matter of this saltishnesse in the Sea is by an exhalation the Sunne drawing vp to the middle Region of the Aire the fresher parts where thickned they descend in raine leauing the residue of the Sea salt The forme is the straining and concoction which is made by the Sun for the saltishnes is said to arise out of the commixtion of Terrestriall drynesse concurring with moisture ioin'd with adustion of Heat so that two things are chiefly concurring to the Generation of saltishnesse to wit Drouth and Adustion This seemes to bee prooued by instance of Fresh-waters in the kitchin which turne salt being much boyled because the thinner and sweeter vapours of it are drawne vp and dissipated leauing that behind which is thicker and saltish The same would some haue in the Sea seethed as it were and burnt with the Heate which we experimentally find in hot water on the fire But this is excepted against by some because wee find by experience that many salt wells and fountaines arise in diuers places of the Earth which are ingendred in the bowels of the Earth farre remote and separate from this extreame heate and adustion of the Sunne-beames But to this wee may easily answer that such salt springs are either by some violence enforced from the sea by certaine secret cauernes and hollow places of the Earth or else that they receiue their tincture of saltnesse from some salt minerals of the Earth through which they passe Wherefore this opinion of Aristotle I see not yet sufficiently refuted The other opinion concerning this quality of such which would haue it essentiall to the sea water and inbred in the first creation is grounded on two small causes First they say that the sea is salt for the preseruation of the Fishes who would otherwise rot because experience shewes that Fish will soone putrifie without salt but this is thwarted by three reasons First because if fish were in this sort salted in the sea Water the cooke might saue himselfe a labour in salting them againe in his kitchin Also Fishes caught in the sea are oftentimes preserued longer and sweeter lesse needing salt then those which are found in fresh Ponds and Riuers Secondly if this reason should hold currant why should not the Fishes also rot and putâ—ify in fresh Water Thirdly why should fishes couet the fresh Water as wee see by experience in many fishes if in it they should suffer putrefaction which is a great enemy to nature Aboue all what need wee feare this putrefaction of fishes while they are endowed with a liuing soule which is a greater preseruatiue then all the salt in the world or why should wee not doubt the same calamity in all liuing creatures in the land which are as subiect to rottenesse in the Aire as the other on the land The second cause say they Why the sea should bee created salt is Because the sea it selfe should not putrify for as much as wee find by experience that salt is the only thing to resist Putrefaction But here wee may demaund why these Authors should feare Putrefaction in the vast body of the sea rather then in other Waters and Riuers which are neither salt nor come neere the greatnesse of the Ocean whereas Aristotle affirmes in the fift chapter of the 4 booke of his Meteors that if
the Sea were dâ—uided into many parts it would more easily dissolue and putrify The grounds of this opinion being ouerthrowne there want not reasons to contradict First sayes one if the Sea were not created salt then was there some time wherein it was fresh To this I answer two wayes First that it might bee created fresh yet being apt from the heat of the Sunne to receiue saltnesse it might almost at the first receiue it Secondly if I should grant that it was a long time before it embraced this quality I know neither History to confute mee or reason to conuince mee Secondly it is vrged from the Nature of liuing creatures in the Sea that they cannot well liue in fresh waters and therefore it seemes originally salt and not by Accident But this is of no great force First because experience shewes that many kind of fishes liue in both and many rather couet and desire the fresh Water then the Sea Secondly it is not improbable that as the Sea by little and little and by degrees turned from freshnesse to saltnesse the temper and disposition of the fishes was in like manner changed and altered Whence it may come to passe that fishes since bred and nourished in fresh Waters cannot so well endure the salt Moreouer who knowes whether all these seuerall kinds of fishes now found in the Sea were from the beginning since wee see by experience that sundry kinds of liuing creatures dayly arise out of putrefaction on the land which may with like probability or more bee admitted in the Sea There are yet behind other reasons of one Patricius a Platonist who would oppose Aristotle in good earnest Aristotle saith hee speaking of the saltnesse of the Sea Water shewed not the cause For I would aske why that parcell of water from whence the thinner parts are extracted should remaine salt was it so from the beginning or afterwards imprest was it Inbred or Accidentall If hee would haue it an inbred quality from the beginning hee vainly goes about to seeke out the cause If the saltnesse bee aduentitious the cause is to bee giuen but the cause giuen by him is not true for as much as it rather takes away the saltnesse But to these obiections of Patricius spunne out in many words wee may answer two wayes either that the saltnesse is meerely aduentitious bred by an exhalation drawne vp by the Sunne and so distilling downe againe or else because this answere seemes not wholely to satisfy For as much as rainy Water is seldome salt and if it were could hardly flow in so great quantity to feed the saltnesse of the Sea I will answer secondly that the saltnesse is radically or originally in the matter of the Water yet so as it cannot bee drawne out and sensibly bee perceiued in the mixture of many sweet humours ioyned with it without a separation first made by the heat of the Sunne of the thinner parts from the thicker So that the Sunne is a disponent though not a productiue cause of this saltnesse in the Sea 2 Seas absolutely salt are neuer frozen This may seeme a Paradoxe to some men in regard that amongst our Geographers wee haue so often mention made of Mare Congelatum taking it's name from the Ice wherewith it is shut vp from passage as also for that in the voyages of Frobisher Dauis Hudson and other later Nauigatours which haue beene imployed in the search of the Northwest passage wee find such strange relations not onely of Seas closed vp with Ice and hindring their passage towards the North but also of Rocks and Ilands of Ice of an incredible greatnesse The truth of these Relations I no way disapproue but rather out of these testimonies approue our former assertion that Seas which are wholly Salt are neuer found to freeze For first whereas it is called Mare Congelatum it may beare the nâ—me well enough from the multitude of Ice floating on the water or collected into a Rocke or Iland This Ice as it will easily appeare is not produced out of the substance of the Salt water of the maine Ocean but rather carryed into the Sea by great riuers of fresh water running into the Ocean For the riuers are not alwayes frozen but sometimes by a remission of the cold are thawed and the peeces broken a sunder and floating into the Sea in it oft times meet in great heapes which may bee proued 1 In that these great râ—cks of Ice melting with the heate of the Sunne haue dissolued into fountaines of fresh water gushing downe in great abundance wherewith sometimes in case of necessity they haue fraughted their shippes as wee haue testified by the fore-named Nauigatours 2 Because some part of the maine Sea situate perhaps more Northerne and in a colder Climate suffers not this accident whereas places neere the shore farther South are almost alwayes frozen The reason whereof is because the Sea neere the shore is commonly mixed with fresh waters conueyed in either by great Riuers or infinite secret passages vnder ground which wee see not The reason why that salt waters exclude this propriety incident or the fresh I take to bee the Hot-spirits hid in the salt humor which are more feruent and operatiue then those of the fresh water 9 So much for the saltnesse The next is the Thicknesse whereof we will set downe this short Theoreme 1 The Water of the Sea is thicker then other Water This Proposition hath it's light from the former because thicknesse of Water is a companion of the saltnesse as depending from the same cause to wit the exhalation and extraction of the thinner parts of the Water There are many small causes giuen by Patricius of this thicknesse of the Sea-Water Fâ—â—st because the parts of it should more strongly hold together and not couer and ouerflow the firme land But this seemes to bee grounded on an errour that the Water should be aboue the Land and that it should containe it selfe within it's owne bounds and limits which opinion we haue elsewhere reiected The second cause of the thicknesse of the Sea is that it might bee more apt to beare and carry ships and other great weights for the vse of man Thirdly the Water being thicke may more easily bee conuerted into salt out of which many saltish minerals in the Earth are ingendred Other causes are giuen by this Author but lesse forceable which we will omit as referring them to the Philosopher whose proper taske it is to seek them out CHAP. VI. Of the Motions of the Sea 1 THe Motion of the Sea whereof we are in this Chapter to treate is either Naturall or Violent The Naturall I call that which is partly incident to the Naturall Disposition of the Sea 2 This againe is two-fold either Generall or Speciall Generall is that which agrees generally to all or at least to most parts of the Sea such as is the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea Wee must here obserue that the Water
hath a two-fold Motion The first is common to all heauy Bodyes as well as the Earth in which is an inclination to come as neere as they can to the Center of the Earth whereof wee haue spoken in our former booke The second is that which more properly agrees to the Sea which is againe twofold either the Naturall or the Violent The Naturall howsoeuer requiâ—ing perhaps the concurrence of some externall cause is notwithstanding so called for as much as it chiefly seemes to proceede from the Disposition of the Sea-water The Violent is caused meerely by the violence of the winds mouing the Ocean The Naturall motion we haue againe diuided into generall or speciall because the Affluxe and Refluxe of the Sea whereof we are to treat is generall throughout the whole Ocean some petty creekes perchance excepted whereas the Currents which is the second kinde of motion are more speciall as agreeing not to all or most parts as it seemes but to some one or other speciall place as we shall shew 1 The Sea twice euery day ebbes and flowes The flowing and ebbing of the Sea howsoeuer it cannot be precisely obserued in all Seas yet because few places of the maine Ocean are exempted from it deserues the first chiefest consideration That such a motion there is experience shewes but the searching out of the cause is for ought I can obserue one of the greatest difficulties in all Naturall Philosophie in so much as Aristotle one of the acutest Philosophers is reported to haue stood amazed at the flowing and ebbing of Euripus and despairing of finding out the cause at length enforced to cast himselfe into the Riuer which had before confounded him Wherefore it may seeme sufficient for mee to trace their steps who haue waded far into the search of this cause hauing very little hope to goe further The first opinion was of the Stoickes who supposed the whole World to bee a great liuing creature composed of diuerse Elements which inioyes both breath and life This liuing creature they imagine to haue his nostrils placed in the maine Ocean where by drawing in and sending foorth breath the ebbing and flowing of the Sea is caused but this seemeth rather to bee a Poeticall fiction or Allegory then any conceit of a Philosopher Apollonius Tianaeus was of an opinion that certaine Spirits eithervnder or aboue the Water breathed into it this motion Timaeus taught the cause of this moisture to be the riuer breaking into the Ocean by the great mountaines Plato thought that it was made by the swallowing vp of the Sea into a gulfe or hole which being againe cast out was the cause of that motion in the Sea Seleuous the Mathematician which affirmed that the Earth was carried round with a perpetuall motion thought that the Moone was turned round with a motion contrary to the motion of the Eâ—rth and from this to proceed that motion of ebbing and flowing of the Sea whereof wee now treat What Aristotles opinion was concerning this matter is an vncertaine coniecture forasmuch as litle or nothing can bee gathered touching this point in controuersie out of any booke which is certainly knowne to be Aristotles for the tract of the propriety of Elements where the cause of this motion is ascribed to the Moone is iudged to be none of Aristotles but of some later Authour Yet Plutarch imposeth on Aristotle this opinion that this motion of the Sea should come from the Sun because by it are raised vp many windy exhalations which should cause the Sea to swell blowing into the great Atlantick Ocean But thisopinion is charged by Paâ—ricius of a threefold errour 1. That it should proceed from the Sun 2 From the wind 3 That it is only in the Atlantick Sea He saw saith Patricius that in the Atlantick which he could not in the Aegean Sea at home and neere Athens For 1 No wind blowes so regularly that for one six houres it should blow forward the other six houres backward for the wind oftentimes blowes many daies the same way without ceasing yet is their not one only flowing or one ebbing in the Sea 2. The Sunne stirres vp sometimes windes and sometimes stirres them not vp But of a perpetuall effect which is daily why would this Philosopher giue a cause meerely violent and not quotidian which notwithstanding would haue nothing violent to be perpetuall If the Sea bee somewhere moued naturally by other motions as the Euripus which is said to be his death wherefore will he deny this motion to be Naturall seeking out an externall cause of this effect But all this while our Platonick Philosopher seems to fight with shadowes for what iudicious man can imagine so iudicious and wise a Philosopher as Aristotle should so grossely ouershoot himselâ— to father this opinion I should much rather beleiue that no such opinion is to be found in Aristotle at least that it is indirectly related which I the rather beleiue because one Caesalpinus a late Writer aswell opposite to Aristotle as the other hath related Aristotles opinion otherwise to wit that the ebbing and flowing of the Sea is deriued from a double cause whereof the one is the multitude of Riuers bringing in a great force of waters into it whence it comes to passe that it flowes only towards one paâ—t which is the lower as it happens to the Mediterranean For the Egaean and Ponticke Sea with Maeotis flow into the Tyrrhene and not on the opposite side The other cause hee makes to bee the libration of the whole Sea for it is often turn'd from one side to the other which in so great a vastnes seemes but little but in straights narrow places much more So that Aristotle saith Caesalpinus would haue that to agree to the Sea which vsually happens to a paire of ballance which hauing receiued the beginning once of their motion are inclined sometimes this way sometimes that way by reason of the equality of the weight for if the weight of one should ouercome thewhole would incline thatway and would not riâ—e vpon the other side But against this opinion imposed on Aristotle Caesalpinus not without good reason excepts that the Superficies of the Water being Equidistant from the Center as is supposed by Geographers no reason may bee giuen why it should incline more to one side then another hauing once obtained his true place sith according to Aristotles owne grounds no violence câ—n be perpetâ—all To which I may adde another answer that no satisfactory reason can be alleadged why it should alwayes obserue so true and iust periods of time in its motion sith all Riuers are sometimes encreased and other times diminished according to the season of the yeere and variety of the weather wherefore the said Authour which impugnes this opinion hath framed another conceit grounded on the circular motion of the Earth which he explaineth in this sort It agrees â—o reason saith he that the Water should not altogether follow the motion
of the Earth but should in part bee driuen backe and in part flow besides for since it is of a moist nature while the Earth is carried from the Aire about it the Water iâ— somewhat left behind as wee may see in a small vessell which is moâ—e laâ—ge then deep for if it be moued forward the Water will leape back to the opposite part will oftentimes poize it selfe hither thither seeking an aequilibration when therefore the Earth is a litle caried forward the water as it were left behind being out of his Aequilibrium or aquall poize it will runne to the other part but beyond the true poize forthe violence of the motion oppressed into it in the beginning from thence for the same cause it will tend againe to the opposite part doing this oftentimes seeking an equall weight wherein it may rest so that if the Earth should at any times rest from her naturall motion the Water would also leaue off the Libration to and fro But because the circumvolution of the Earth is imagined to be perpetuall the libration of the sea is also per petuall so farre forth then that this motion is of the continent or Earth it is onely accidentall in the Water neither besides his proper nature neither according to nature But so farre forth as the Water is in some sort moued in the Earth it may be said to be according to nature for it alwaies seekes the lower place because it cannot aequally follow the motion of the Earth Hence they giue the reason why this motion is not perceiued in Lakes and Riuers as well as in the maine Ocean for sith the motion of the Earth is not very sensible it cannot be perceiued but in a great masse of waters The reasons to confirme this opinion besides the refutation of other opinions are chiefly these two If the Water by it selfe should be mou'd without the motion of the Earth it must needs be moued either according to or against his nature But neither of them can be graunted First if according to Nature there would not be one only motion of one body according to nature but many which is denyed by Arâ—stotle If besides or against Nature some violent motion would bee perpetuall which also seemes absurd wherefore it must needs follow that the sea should moue accidentally For sith the Water is conteined outwardly of the Aire internally of the Earth And that part of the Aire which toucheth the Water is of Aristotle called Stagnans or standing still not flowing as that which is aboue the Earth but is onely troubled variously with windes This libration or motion of the Water cannot bee caused by the wind or Aire wherefore it must proceed from the motion of the Earth The second reason may be drawne from the quantity of tides in diuers places of the Earth for it is â—ound by experience that the Water swels higher greater in the maine Ocean then in other lesser Seas For it is obserued that about great Brittaine it mounts sometimes aboue 80 cubits also it oftner ebbes and flowes in lesser currents because the spaces of this libration are shorter and straâ—ghter or because besides the motion of ebbing and flowing which the Mediterranean seas partake from the Ocean at Hercules Pillars they haue a proper libration in their owne channels whence it comes to passe that in some narrow seas as in the Euripus besides Euboia the sea seauen times a day ebbs and flowes whereof there can no sufficient reason be giuen from the motion of the Moone or other cause whereto other Philosophers ascribe this effect This opinion of Caesalpinus seemes to carry great likelyhood of reason and congruity with experience yet because it is grounded on the circular motion of the Earth which seemes a paradox to most men I dare not warrant it otherwise then probable neither can it well stand with the grounds of our Magneticall Philosophers because they affirme the whole spheare of the Earth and Water together with the Aire to moue round with one Vniforme revolution in such sort as one should not moue to the opposite part or stay behind the other as they would haue it here to doe There is yet another opinion more commonly defended in the schooles of naturall Philosopherâ— that this motion of the sea is to bee ascribed to the Moone as the principall cause others againe as they admit the Moone to haue her operation in this effect ioyne other causes to it and indeed this seemes more probable for there want not arguments in Patricius and other later writers to shew that the Moone cannot be the sole cause of this motion First because this motion is not obserued in all seas Lakes and Riuers wheâ—eupon neuerthelesse the Moone hath the like dominion But experience shewes the contrary for besides fresh Riuers it is manifest by obseruation of trauailers that this ebbing and flowing is not to be found in the Hircâ—â— Mantian and Dead sea also in Maotis Palus in the Pontick Propontiâ—ke Ligurian and Narbon streytes neither in the Tyrrhene sea Moreouer it is not obserued in a great part of the Red sea Neither can the Narrownesse of the channell excuse it because these seas are great and also for the most part within the Tropicke of Cancer and therefore exposed sometimes to the perpendicular beames of the Moone Secondly If the Moone should by her owne â—orce excite and moue these waterâ— then would it moue those seas which it doth moue Altogether and not only in parts The contrary whereof we may find First in the Red Sea which in the beginning and end Ebbes and flowes but in the middle not at all moreouer the Mediterranean sea ebbes flowes as one sea on all the coasts of Africa wherein it is in a sort diuided and yet those seas with which it is ioyned as the Tyrrhene Ligurian and Gallican Seas feele not any such motion Thirdly it is obiected that if the Moone were the only cause of this Flâ—x and Reflux of the sea then those seas which are said in whole to moue should aequally flow in hight but this is contradicted by experience because some flow higher and some lower As for example The Adriatick sea in the inmost creeke neere Venice swels neere foure foote in hight but the rest of it not aboue two â—oote which increase is likewise obserued in the Aegean Cretian Ionian and Cyprian Seas also the Syrian and Aegyptian euen to Portus Ferinae But from mons pulcher to the Herculean streytes it increaseth aboue two foot in length But without these straights the same Ocean by the coasts of Portugall and Biscay and France the Sea riseth vsually to 15 foot in hight and neere the coasts of Belgia and Brittaine 18 foot At the confines of Bristoll to 60 and thence to the borders of S. Michael to 60 But at the coasts of Aethiopia neere the Atlantick shores it riseth not higher then in the Adriatick Sea But neere the Ilands
of Madera the Canaries and S. Thomas it surpasseth not the hight of Venice But in America on the hithermost coast from Florida Sinus Mexicanus the coasts of Brasile and Pariâ— more then three thousand leagues euen to the Magellane straights it increaseth almost to two Palmes bredth but farther South to Panama and all those Southerne shores the ebbing and flowing is of an excessiue hight as may appeare by the coasts of Cambaia India and Taprobana Thirdly if the Moone by a naturall vertue should moue the Waters of the Sea then would it moue the Ocean and the Mediterranean Seas in the course of windes with the same Fluxe and Refluxe in the same windes But this thwarts experience which is thus proued The Mediterranean Sea when as it flowes in the Adriaticke Ionian and Sycilian Seas the Water flowes towards the Land when the Moone is as the Marriners speake in Sirocco and in Maestro but ebbes or flowes backe from the Land when it is in Graeco atque Garbinio And contrariwise the Ocean swells when the Moone is in Graece and Garbinio but asswageth it selfe againe when it is carried in Sirocco and Maestro Fourthly if the ebbing and flowing of the Sea should follow the Moone then all places in the same distance should ebbe flow alike at like houres But the contrary is proued by an experiment of Patricius who reports that at the same houre places distant 20 degrees haue bin seen to ebbe or flow alike and the places betwixt also to vary and obserue no iust proportion Fourthly if these Surges should be stirred vp by the Moone then the same superficies of the Water the same houre should bee carried by the Moone but this iâ— contrary to the obseruations of Marriners who haue obserued that on the Norman coasts and that of Picardy to Callice the Tide happeneth the ninth houre from Midnight but ten miles from the shore not a full houre but at the twenty and sixt mile from the middle of the channell and vnder the same Meridian at 22 houres Fiftly if the ebbing and flowing should proceed from the Moone then should the Water at the same houres increase and decrease but this is opposite to obseruation for at Venice the Sea is knowne to flow sometimes for seuen sometimes for eight but ebbes in fewer houres But about the mouth of the Riuer Senega in the Atlanticke it is comming in foâ—re houres but goes not backe vnder eight so about Goâ—umniae Ostia the Tide is comming in seuen houres but goes backe in fiue Sixtly if the Waters flow by the Moone then should they bee drawne and carried by the light of the Moone because all action is by a touching and the Moone toucheth the Water by her light but it is found by experience that at midnight when the Moone is most distant in her light our seas doe no lesse ebbe and flow then when it is present so the Seas neere the Antipodes doe ebbe flow when the Moone is present with vs. 7ly if the Moone were the onely ancient cause of this motion then the same light being present the same ageÌ„â— mouing the same effect should necessarily follow But we find that it produceth two contrary one to the other because in her ascent to the Meridian it is supposed to lift vp the water but a little declining from the MeridiaÌ„ it is thought to depresse asswage the waters 8ly if this effâ—ct were ascribed to the light of the Moone then wheÌ„ the Moone shines not there should be no such motion because contrary causes produce contrary effects But wee obserue the same ebbing flowing in the coÌ„iunâ—tion or New Moon wheÌ„ she hath no light as in the full Moone when with full face she beholds the Sea for in both these times we haue highest â—ides These many more argumeÌ„ts are vrged by Patricius to shew that the Moone cannot be the cause of this motioÌ„ in the Sea of the other opinioÌ„ that this effect is ascribed to the Sun amongst others I find the chiefe patron to be Tâ—â—esius who taught that the Sea was moued in this wise because it would auoide the operation of the Sun fearing lest it should bee too much dissolued into vapours and so perish But this opinion seemeth far more weake then the former For first I would aske concerning this motion wherein it is thought to auoide the Sunnes heat whether it be voluntary or necessary It caÌ„not be Voluntary oâ— a free action because the Sea is no liuing creature to which only such a motion is incident If it be necessary then it is Naturall or Violent It cannot bee Naturall because according to Aristotle one Body can haue but one naturall motion but the Water being a simple Body hath another motion to fall downewards towards the Center wherefore it cannot also admit of this It cannot be violent first because no violent thing can be perpetuall Secondly no cause can be thoughâ— vpon Externall which should cause this violent motion and if any such cause there be found then is not this of Telesius the first and principall cause sith it is referred to a farther cause Thirdly no cause can here be shewne according to this opininion why all other waters as fresh Riuers should not likewise striue to â—ide themselues from the face of the Sun Fourthly hee should giue a reason why in the Belgicke and Armoricke shores which are far more distant from the Sun the same motion is no lesse eminent then in Taprobana which is subiect to the Torride Zone and why in the Iland of S. Thomas which is immediatly vnder the Equatour there is not a greater working of the Water then at Venice Fifthly that which Telesius brings to confirme his opinion is no lesse warrantable then the maine point in controuersie In the Summer saith he the floâ—ds are lesser because the Sun raiseth vp thinner vapourâ— which are eâ—sily dissolued But in the Winter they are lesse because the Sunne is of least force and so raiseth vp fewer vapoâ—rs to worke vpon the Sea But both these matters are proued â—alse by experience first because in the Summer wee haue as great a working of the water as at other times In the Winter also as great or greater Secondly saith the said Author in the full Moone the motion is greater because the much light arising from the Moone drawes vp many vapours 〈◊〉 the New Moone because the Aire being refrigerated the internall Heat of the sea collecting it selfe is made stronger with more vapours In the quarters of the Moone because there is not much light caâ—t from the Moone and the Heat of the sea is not so much collected by the externall cold of the Aire To all these matters wee may easily answer First how can the Moone bestow any light on our seas when shee is with the Antipodes Secondly where he saith that the internall Heat is gathered together and made stronger by externall cold 1 First I aske how the sea can send
forth these vapours if the vapours kept vnder doe raise the sea vp or if the Sea swell with these vapours in her wombe how can she let them out 2 How will he proue the Sea naturally to be hot sith it is one of the cold Elements Thirdly where he saith that the light of the Moone is but in halfe imparted to the Sea why should not the Sea proportionally in halfe be stirred vp wherfore Patricius and Casman finding neither the Sunne nor the Moone of it selfe to be a sole or sufficient cause of this motion hauing ioyned them both together in this causality and added besides other particular causes first say they there are two kind of causes concurring to that effect either Vniuersall and externall or Particular internall and next causes The Vniuersall causes are two to wit the Sunne and the Moone The Sunne saith he with the heat of his beames and light doth conserue viuificate and stirre vp to action the Internall and originall heat in all things here below This Heat being stirred vp and viuificated all things are made fit for motion and being so accommodated are stirred vp to motion as if from an Internall life they should be promoted to an Externall for as in the primâ—ry life of things the motion and action is shewn in the Essence in the secondary the action and motion outwardly in respect of other things so the first and originall heat of the Sea cherished stirred vp by the external heat of the Sun driues the Ocean and moues it to action The Moone also cherisheth preserueth viuificates nourisheth and stirres vp to motion all these earthly humours and moistures and as she dayly by houres beholds the Sun as her darling and by him is as it were big-bellied with liuely seedes so she beholdes her loue the Ocean dayes and nights and fills the Ocean with these seeds which she receiues from the Sunne But this cannot be performed without her motion without the diffusion of her light without the effusion of her influeÌ„ce seeds wherefore it cannot otherwise bee but all our humours and moistures should be made fruitfull conceiue life bring forth beare fruit and be stirred vp to life and motion by the motion of the Moone through the Aspect of the Moone with the Sun with the Earth with the Ocean wherfore all lower moistures are subiect to the power of the Moone Notwithstanding all are not aequally vnder her dominioÌ„ sith all are not of the same substance of the same Rarity or density or of the same Heat reasons all â—aged from the Caspian Sea may be ascribed to the thicknesse of the water not suffering any thing to sinke into it So that for the crassitude of it it must needs be heauier then other Water and so more vnapt for motion Thirdly it is recorded by some that in the inmost creeke of the Red sea there is a motion and so in the mouth of it by reason of the Ocean but in the middle no such matter is to be obserued which strange effect some ascribe to the Thinnesse of the Water one of the causeâ— aboue named begetting fewer and weaker Vapours and Spirits which either streightway breath out or are too weake to raise vp the Water This thinnesse is confirmed to be in that midle part of the Red sea not onely out of the authority of Iohn Barro out of the experiments of Iohn de Castro which found this Water to be cleare and liker to Christall then that of other parts but also by the cleare perspicuity of it For in almost all the sea may the bottome plainly be seene Fourthly we reade the like of the Baltick sea that it neuer ebbes or flowes which Bartholomew Kackerman that countri-man ascribeâ— 1. To the Narrownesse of the channell 2. To the depth of it 3. To the northerne situation which cause I thinke hee might well haue spared considering that more Northerne seas then that both ebbe and flowe Fiftly it is reported of Maotis Pontus and Proppotis that they flowe from the one to the other but neuer ebbe For Maotis flowes into the Pontick sea as from the Higher place into the lower and the Pontick into the Propontick Aegean for the same cause but returne not back againe But besides this cause of this declinity of the ground it standes with reason that the Water should be fresher then that in other places of the sea For first all of them receiue into them many and great Riuers of fresh Water for Maotis Palus besides other partakes of Tanais Into Pontus fall according to Arcanus report about 52 fresh Riuers whereof the chiefe are Ister Hispanis Boristhenes Tanais Phasis all great currents SecoÌ„dly the forenamed fishes which delight in fresh springs are here also found in abundance Besides this freshnesse if wee beleeue ancient writers as Pliny and others it is a sea of extraordinary depth so that for this cause some part of it was called Negrepont or the blacke-sea Which blacknesse was by some thought to arise from the depth of it wherein in many places they could sound no bottome Sixtly it is â—estified of the Tyrrhene Ligurian and Narbon seas that they suffer not this motion The cause of which is onely ascribed to the extreame depth for few or no Riuers are disburthened into it except Rhodanus We are in the next place to shew why this working of the sea is more in one place then in another The reasons whereof although many be thought on are chiefly reduced either to the excâ—sse of saltnesse in the water or the narrownesse of the channell into which from an open place the sea is to be disburthened or the shallownesse of the shore All which either concurring together or taken by themselues apart may cause the sea to swell more in one place theÌ„ another which may as the former bee proued by diuerse Instances Foure Seas are more particularly noted to flow and swell higher then other The first is that compasseth about Europe from Hercules pillars which according to diuerse shores takes diuerse names as the Portugall Cantabrian Gallican Belgicke and British Seas And in the New World or America the Southerne Sea shall be the second The third is that of Cambaia and India The fourth is that which compasseth about Taprobana for the three last the causes fore-specified seeme manifestly to concurre for Taprobana is reported by Pliny to haue a shore not aboue sixe paces deepe and the Sea to be greene and ouergrowne with weeds in so much that the tops of the weedes fret their ships and later Writers report that the Land is knowne to augment the confines by reason of the shallownesse of the Water so as wee haue shewed that some Seas neither ebbe nor flow by reason of the depth of the channell so on the other side must it follow that other Seas ebbe and flow more by reason of the shortnesse and shallownesse of the shores for of contrary câ—uses proceede ordinarily contrary effects Moreouer it
stands with experience that in any Water or Sea where the flood is stopped and hindred by quicke-sands it returnes with greater force as it were enraged and swelâ— so much the higher which is the cause why in the coasts of Cambaia it is liâ—ted vp so high because the shores are so shallow and so short and exposed to impediments that in the ebbâ— the Sea â—â—ns backe many miles leaues the sandâ— vncouered Whence it must needs returne with greater violence This also is found in the Indian Sea and neere Panama in the Southerne Sea where the Sea ruÌ„ning back for two leagues certaine Ilands and Lands are left naked so that in these three Seas here named the Sea seemes to enlarge its limits in bredth more then in other places to which we may ascribe this effect For the Seas about Europe wee may pronounce also that for the most part they haue short shallow shores as may easily appeare in the confines of Belgia But it may be obiected of the English shores that they swell very high albeit the depth of the Water in the middle is found to be 144 foot Here must we haue recourse to the other cause the flowing of a large wide sea into a narrow channell for the large torrents of water running swiftly into a narrow channell being hindred on both sides by the shores from spreading it selfe in bredth is enforced to swell in hight so that the effect is rather to be ascribed to the violence of a greâ—t current enbosoming it selfe into a streite channell which may more euidently shew it selfe in 3 instances For in the streite chanels of Zeland and Holland it is lifted vp about three foote At Bristoll in England by reason of a greater force of Waters running from the Sea into a more narrow channell and seconded by the maine Ocean at the backe it swels to the hight of 60 foote In the Armorean seas where larger seas are emptied into more narrow streites then the former it increaseth to 90 foote Out of which experiments may wee plainely collect that to the increase of the motiâ—n of the sea besides the saltnesse of the Water two other causes are concurring to wit the shallownesse of the shore and the streitnesse of the channell wherein a great and large sea is to bee exâ—â—erated This may lastly bee farther illustrated from the disparity of these seas with others for in the Adriaticke Egaan Ionian and almost all the African seaâ— the sea seldome swels to so great a measure whereof the cause is as well the depth of the seas as the equality of thâ— shores for as the depth is a cause that sometimes it flowes not at all and the inequality and shortnesse of the shore that it flowes high so a meane hight of the Waters from the bottome and a more equall figuration of the coasts may bee a cause of an indifferent working of the Water Hitherto wee haue shewed the variety of motion in the sea in regard of the diuersity of places wee are next to speake something concerning the variation of it in regard of the times which though it properly appertaine not to Geography yet am I loath to leaue it out because the discourse is pleasant Concerning which point the Marriners make six degrees of change in the tides according to the times First diurnall whereof wee speake in this discourse The second Hebdomedary or weekely which Possidonius called monethly or weekely because it is distinguished by seuerall weekes of a moneth but tarries not till the end of the moneth For it is found by experience of Nauigatours that a day before the coniunction of the Moone with the Sunne and the day of coniunction and a day afterwards the seas in the maine Ocean haue their greatest flowes and ebbes being lifted higher and laid lower downe and then the tides are most swift The fourth day from the coniunction the tide is lesse and lesse swift The fift yet lesse then then the former and the sixt day lesse then the fift But in the seuenth day which is a day before the quarter and in the eight following wherein it is halfe-faced and in the ninth which is a day after the quarter the sea is as it were dead not much stirring neither much ebbing or much flowing which was as it seemes only obserued by Pliny in the Euboian Euripus but whether it so happen else-where I leaue to men experienced in these matters This motion as it doth encrease according to the age of the Moone So it is said proportionally to decrease againe The third motion is monethly which seemes in the time of the coÌ„iunction wherein the sea-tides are highest and swiftest The fourth is called motus semestris or six-monthly happening at the times of the Equinoctiall differing one from the other like monethes The fift is called Trimestris because it happeneth onely in three moneths distance The last is Annuall which Patricius witnesseth that himselfe saw in Liburnia in the moneth of Ianuary These motions I carelesly passe ouer because the distinction seemes to me full of vncertainty and sâ—arce warranted and such experiments as are brought for the proofe of it concerne rather particular places then the generall nature of the sea 3 Hitherto of the generall motion of the sea The Speciall is that which is obserued in some speciall places 1 It is probable that the sea is carried somewhere from East to West and somewhere from North to South and contrariwise It hath beene a receiued opinion amongst Philosophers of this later age that the sea by the rapture of the heauens should be moued round as it were in a diurnall course which they haue lâ—boured to proue by diuers experiments First because it is obserued by Marriners that a ship can well saile from Spaine into America with an indifferent winde in 30 dayes when she can hardly returne vnder three moneths which they ascribe to the circular motion of the sea For a ship going from East to West sailes with the Water but from West to East against the streame so that the one must needes bee swifter and the other slower Their second experiment to confirme this point is of a ship sayling from Spaine to Holland which may as they say swifter returne backe then goe thither To this motion of the Water from East to West Iulius Scaliger hath added another which he would haue to be from North to South from Terra Laboratoris Southward But Patricius not denying these motions would haue many more in diuerse seas not admitting any vniuersall circular motion enforced by the heauens but various motions diuersly disposed in diuers seas for which hee giues many instances some whereof wee will here relate First going about to disproue Scaligers opinion and experience hee brings the experiment of the Portugall Nauigatours who testifie that they came from Mosambicke of the side on Madagascar into Malebar in 28 sometimes in 30 other times in 35 dayes which is farre from the accompt of
Scaliger who would not haue a ship to passe it under three moneths out of which he laboured to proue this motion of the sea because the shippe was longer a going then returning The second experiment hee takes from the obseruation of one Iohn Eupolius who willing to passe from the port of S. Blasiâ—â— which is beyond the Cape of good hope in Africke to Melinde towards the Indies could not goe forward by reason that the currents as they call them droue them backe from Melinde to Pate a towne by this side of the Indyes whence hee would conclude that the Water should in this place rather runne from West to East towards the Indies The third experiment is drawne from the testimony of Thomas Lope who when he was to passe from the Cape of good hope towards the Indies testifies that the current of the Water was so violent that it oftentimes leapt into the forepart of the shippe The fourth is from the testimony of Iohannes Guietanus who putting forth from Tidor came into Spaine before the sixteenth moneth This iourney from Tidor to the Cape of good hope containes 55 leagues which makes 1650 miles from this to the Iland of S. Helena by the relation of another pilot are 1400 miles from whence to the Equinoctiall circle are 1600 miles from hence to Spaine by the computation of degrees are not aboue 1520 miles of all which the summe is 7114. Now if wee take out of sixteene moneths 49 dayes wherein the ship against Cape of good hope was carried hither and thither which the marriners call Voltegiairâ— and 70 other dayes wherein it stood still in the coasts of Guinea in Melacia there will remaine a whole yeere spent in this iourney which dayes if we diuide by those 7114 miles there will be allotted to euery day no more then 19 miles which euidently shewes that this iourney was most short in respect of the swiftnesse of the Nauigations For if the Ocean should driue his currents to St Hâ—lâ—na euen to the west they had ended their iourney in a farre lesser time because those currents as they say carry the ship But this iourney was accomplished very slowly wherefore the currents were not carried from East to West aâ— Sâ—aliger relates Likewise from sundry other experiments hee goes about to proue that it constantly cannot bee obserued to flow from North to South as the said Scaliger affirmes but that it is various according to diuers places Neuerthelesse that the Sea should haue a perpetuall current from the Poles towards the Equatouâ— seemes to stand as well with Reason as Experience For all men must needs confesse that the motion of the Heauens vnder the Equatour must bee much swifter then neerer the Poles because the circles of it are greater neere the Equatour Now by how much swifter the motion of the Heauen is by so much more is the Rarefaction of the Aire or other Elementary bodies right vnder it whether it be Aire as it is most probable or Fire as Peripatetickâ— imagine But howsoeuer we determine that controuersie it must needs be that the Aire must suffer Rarefaction answerable to the swiftnesse of the motion if not immediatly by the swift motion of the Heauens yet by a consequent by the greater feruour of the Fire which vnder the Equatour must needs be greater and of more force then about the Poles whence the parts of the Aire vnder it must partake more degrees of Heat and by necessary consequence suffer a greater Attenuation 2 The Sun-beames being darted perpendicularly cannot choose but attenuate and rarifie the Aire more vnder the Line then in places more declining to the Poles This ground thus laide these two consectaries will follow 1 That the Aire thus attenuated must needes take vp a largeâ— place then it before possessed which cannot be but by inlarging it selfe towards either Pole either North or South whence the parts of the Aire in those places must bee more thickned and condensated 2 That these parts of the Aire carried towards the Poles and meeting with the cold Regions of the North and South must by condensation turne into water and so fall downe in Raine or Snowes whence the Water encreasing neere the Poles perpetually must haue a perpetuall current towards the Equatour where they are againe exhausted in vapours by the Heat of the Sunne in such sort that as well the parts of the Sea betwixt themselues as the waters in regard of the Aire may proportionally maintaine themselues by the mutuall transmutation To this reason some haue added another that the Sunne soiourning in the Southerne Signes is neerer to the Earth then when hee is in the North by the whole Latitude of his excentrice and therefore of greater force to draw the water toward the South But whether this Reason be of any great force I will not spent time to dispute let euery man vse his own iudgment It seemes to me a coniecture not improbable that these currents may bee also varied according to diuers reasons of the yeere as also according to diuers channels by diuers crossings and doublings of the Tides as wee find in diuers places but I will not be too bold in this opinion because I loue not to walke without a guide in these vncertainties 4 Of the Naturall motion of the Sea we haue spoken It remaines we speake somewhat of the Violent The Violent motion is that which is stirred vp by windes The consideration of windes is either absolute or respectiue Absolute I call that wherein the Naturall effects and properties of the winds are handled which properties belong to the naturall Philosopher they being according to Aristotle a Naturall body vnperfectly mixt The Respeâ—tiue consideration is that wherein the windes are considered in respect to the â—errestriall Globe This Respect againe twofold either in regard of the whole Spheare of the Earth whereof they designe out the points of the Horizon by certaine lines called Rhumbas or else in respect of the Sea to which they giue a motion The former respect we haue handled in our first booke of Geography The later is more proper to this place howsoeuer the wind is an exhalation common as well to the Earth as to the Sea affecting both with some alteration yet because it more neerely affecteth the Sea as his proper Prouince and Dominion and hath for the most part beene most obserued of Sea men and Marriners Wee thought fit to treat of it in this place Of windes some are vncertaine and various which in all places interchangeably supply their turnes keeping no certainty or regularity in times or places others are called set or standing windes because they are obserued to blow at certaine time and places of both which as much as concernes our purpose we shall speake in these two Theoremeâ— 1 To some certaine places at certaine times belong certaine windes These windes are by some called Anniuersary because they blow at a certaine season euery yeere of these there
are many kindes mentioned by Nauigatours The first and chiefest is that which they call the Etesian winde which is obserued to blow euery yeere from the Northeast about the rising of Dog-starre and oftentimes continues about 40 dayes This wind driues the Seas from Pontus into the Egean Sea euen so farre as Egypt In the second place may wee range such windes as are called Chelidonian because they arise at the first comming of the Swallowes It blowes sometimes from the Direct-west so that of some it is taken to be the same Sometimes from the North-west so that with others it is accounted among the North windes These Chelidonian winds driuing from the North or North-west still fill all the Mediterranean euen to the coasts of Syria and Palestine and continue in the summer time for many dayes together In the third place may we accompt that winde which Columbus perceiued on the coast of Portugall comming ouer the Atlanticke Ocean which at some times of the yeere was carried higher at other times cleauing as it were to the bosome of the Sea whence hee probably coniectured that it was deriued from some moist land whereon hee aduentured on the first search of America and layed the first worke of that discouery Fourthly to these windes may be reduced those yeerely flowings of the Persian and Indian Seas which the Portugall marriners call Motions The Persian Sea suffers such a kind of motion euery yeere while the Sunne runnes through the Southerne degrees and when he arriues at the end of Sagittarius it is shaken with an extraordinary great tempest On the contrary side the Indian Sea while the Persian is moued is obserued to rest without any great motion and when the Persian is still it suffers great motion especially when the Sunne first enters into Cancer This last motion seemes to be not only deriued from the Prouinciall windes but some other concurrent causes whether these winds are the cause of the currents before spoken of is a very disputable point which I leaue to others to search out Of euery set winde blowing a part of the yeere on the coast of America Acosta treats at large to which hee ascribes the currents forespoken of in this chapter 2 The violence of windes makes the Sea sometimes in some places transcend his ordinary bounds How far the Sea by violence of windes hath trespassed on the land many haue learned to their great losse and calamity It is obserued sometimes in the Venetian shores that the Sea driuen with winds swels so high that ouerflowing all the banks and channels the Inhabitants are enforced to row in boates from house to house Their cesternes are infected with Salt-water and their precious waters in vaults and cellars spoyled The like hath heretofore beene found if we will credit Histories in the Belgicke Sea on which the Northwest windes blow with such vehemency and so long that it brake downe the ordinary banks and in Zeland and Holland swallowed vp many townes with infinite multitudes of people Which seemes to be warranted by a report I haue heard of many trauaylers that in a calme tide the topps of towres and steeples haue beene seene aboue the water Besides these instances we may adde the testimony of Strabo and Aristotle in his booke de munda with diuers other relations of strange inundations whereof wee shall haue more occasion to speake hereafter CHAP. VII Of the Depth Situatio and Termination of the Sea 1 THe Absolute proprieties of the Sea being hitherto passed ouer we will consider next the comparatiue which agree to the Sea no otherwise then in respect or comparison with the Earth which are chiefly threâ— 1 Depth 2 Situation 3 Termination 2 The Depth or Profundity is the distance betwixt the Bottome and the Superficies of the Water To find out the Absolute depth of the Sea is a matter of the greatest difficulty and by many thought impossible in respect as well of the immensity of it in many places where no line could as of the various places too many to bee serched out by mans industry yet where absolute science failes there probable coniecture takes place and is best accepted which wee will venture to propose in this oâ—r Theoreme 1 The ordinary depth of the Sea is commonly answerable to the ordinary hight of the maine land aboue the water and the whirle-pooles and extraordinary depths answer to the hight of the mountaines aboue the ordinary hight of the Earth It hath been a common receiued opinion among ancient Cosmographers that the depth of the Sea being measured by a line and plummet seldome exceeds two or three miles except in some few places neere Sueuian shores and some places about Pontus obserued by Pliny But as Breedwood a worthy late writer obserues this position is not to be vnderstood generally but only of the depth of the Streits or Narrow Seas which were perhaps onely searched by then ancients who dwelt far from the maine Ocean But another accompt is necessarily to be giuen of the maine Ocean This being a matter of great vncertainty wee will follow the conceit of the forenamed Author It hath been shewed in the former Chapter that the most probable opinion concerning the manner of the first separation of the dry land from the waâ—ers would haue the Earth by the Creation to be cut into diuers sluces channels apt to receiue Water Now these materiall pâ—rts of the Earth being taken out to giue way to hollownesse were not vtterly annihilated but by an almighty hand in some other places making by their addition the superficies of the Earth in such places higher then before whence by reason it seemes to bee collecâ—ed that the ordinary Eminency of the hight of the Earth at oâ—e the Waters should bee answerable to the ordinâ—ry depth of the Sea And if Hills and Mountaines be compared wee may sâ—t them against the Deepes and extraordinary While-pooles and Gulâ—es And so betwixt the Sea and Land and the parts of the one and the other we may settle a kind of agreement and proportion In a matter of so great vncertainty no man will eâ—pect an euident domonstraâ—ion 3 The Site is the position of the Sea in respect oâ— the Earth Concerning the site of the Sea in respect of the Earth wee must consider the Water and Earth two wayes First Absolutely as they are Elements and solide Bodyes Secondly in respeâ—t of the superfâ—â—ies of either if we consider the whole solide Body of the Water as that of the Earth we must confesse without all doubt that the Water hath the higher place being lighter then the Earth of which situation wee haue spoken in the first booke for although some parts of the Earth are thought by most as we shall proue to be aboue some parts of the Water yet is this of no sensible proportion in respect of that vast Masse of Earth couched vnder the Waters betwixt them and the Center of the World But the question is here
sort as they imagine For the only withdrawing of that hand and letting goe of that bridle which gaue the water that restraint would haue beene â—ufficient to haue ouerwhelmed the whole Earth The second reason is taken from Ilands in the sea which are nothing else but parts of the land raised vp aboue the water Thirdly we find by experience that a ship carried with the like wind is driuen so swiftly from the port into the open sea as from the sea into the port which could not be done if the sea were higher then the land for it must needs be that a ship if it were to be carried to a higher place should be moued slower then if it came from an higher to a lower Fourthly all Riuers runne into the sea from the inner parts of the land which is a most euident signe that the land is higher then the sea for it is agreeable to the nature of the water to flow alwaies to the lower place whence we gather that the sea shore to which the Water is brought froÌ„ the land must needs be lower otherwise the water in ruÌ„ning thither should not descend but ascend This opinion I hold farr more probable as being backt by reason and the Authority of our best Philosophers yet not altogether exactly true as we shall shew hereafter But Bartholomew KeckermaÌ„ in a late German writer holding these 2 former opposite opinioÌ„s as it were in one equall Ballance labours a reconciliation In a diuerse respect saith he it is true that the sea is higher and that it is lower then the Earth It is higher in respect of the shores and borders to which it so comes that sensibly it swells to a Globe or a circumference and so at length in the middle raiseth vp it selfe and obtaines a greater hight then in those parts where in the middle of the sea it declines towards the shore Of which parts the hight sufferâ— such a decrease that by how much neerer the shore they shall approach by so much the lower they are in respect of the shore in somuch that touching the shore it selfe it is much lower then the Earth For this opinion our Author pretends a demonstration which hee grounds on the 4 chapter of Aristotle de Caelo in his second booke where hee puts downe these two positions which he calls Hypotheses or suppositions First that the Water no lesse concurrs to the making of a Globe or circle then the Earth for it so descends naturally that it doth sensibly gather it selfe together and makes a swelling as wee see in small dropps cast on the ground Secondly the Water makes a circle which hath the same center with the center of the Earth Out of these grounds would our Keckerman conclude the water in some places to bee higher in other places to bee lower then the Earth And hence proceeds he to giue an answer to their reasons who haue affirmed the Earth to bee higher then the sea What to thinke of the proposition or conclusion we will shew hereafter but in the meane space I hold this conclusion not rightly inferred out of these premises For first whereas he sayth that the water by nature is apt to gaher it selfe round into an orbe or spheare I would demaund whether such a roud body hath the same center with the world or a diuerse center he cannot say that it hath a diuerse center from the center of the Earth First because as we haue demonstrated in our first part the Earth and the Water haue but one center and that the Water is concentricall with the Earth Secondly from the second proposition or ground of his out of Aristotle if he meanes such a sphaericity as hath the same center with the center of the Earth I answer first that he contradicts himselfe because he giues an instance in small dropps cast on the ground whose quantity being so small and conuexity sensible can in no mans iudgment be concentrick to the Earth Secondly out of this ground that the Spheare of the water is concentrick to the Earth hee confutes himselfe for according to the principles of Geometry in a Spheare or circle all the lines drawne from the center to the circumference must be equall Then must all places in the circumference or superficies of a sphericall body be of equall hight from the center and by consequence the sea being such a Sphericall body cannot haue that inequality which Keckerman imagines it to haue wherefore some other demonstation must be sought for this conclusion I will goe no further then that I haue spoken in the former chapter concerning the figure of the Water Where I haue probably shewed it to be conicall and out of this may be easily gathered how it may be higher then the land in some places as of the middle of greater seas where the head of the Cone is lifted higher in other lower as in the narrow streits where the increase of the eminencie is also lesse The grounds and principles of which we haue laied before 1 The sea in respect of the Earth is higher in one place then another Besides the naturall conformity of the Water to a conicall figure as we haue fore-shewed whence one part of the superficies must be graunted to be higher then another wee must needs in the sea acknowledge other accidentall causes which produce an inequality in the parts of the sea The chiefest whereoâ— are the Equality of inclination in all parts of the water to motion And the inequality of the channells and shores whence it commeth to passe that the Water of the sea being euery whereof it selfe equally inclined to motion is notwithstanding vnequally receiued into channels so that in some place hauing as it were a large dominion to inuade as in the maine Ocean it falls lower and euener In some other places as streites or narrow seas the water hauing a large entrance from the Ocean but litle or no passage through it must needes swell higher and so one place by accident becomes higher or lower then another Which farther to confirme diuerse instances may be alleaged out of moderne and ancient obseruations For diuerse histories giue testimony that sundry Kings of Aegipt by cutting the Isthmus or narrow neck of land lying betwixt the red sea the Mediterranean laboured to make Africk an Iland open passage from one sea to the other but afterwards they were perswaded to desisâ— from their enterprise Some say because they saw the red sea to bee higher then many parts of Aegipt and hereupon feared a generall inundation of all Aegipt if the pâ—ssage were broken open Others haue deliuered that they feared that if the passage from one vnto another were broke open and the red sea hauing a vent that way the red sea would become so shallow that men might wade ouer it and so insteed of making Africk an Iland it would haue been more ioyned to the Continent then before Both opinions consent in this that the waters
of the red sea were by the perpeÌ„dicular found higher then in the Mediterranean Moreouer it is obserued that the sea on the west part of America commonly called Mare Del Zur is much higher then the Atlantick Sea which bordereth on the Easterne part of it which gaue way to the coniecture of some that the Isthmus betwixt Panama and Nombre Dâ— Dios had been long since cut through to haue made a passage into the Pacifick Sea without sailing so â—arre about by the straits of Magellane had not many inconueniences been feared out of the inequality in the hight of the water The like inequality is obserued by Verstegan in the sea betwixt England and France For according to his coniecture France and England being one Continent heretofore and ioyned by a narrow neck of land betwixt Douer and Callais the water on one side was higher then on the other which he probably collects out of the sundry flats and shallowes at this day appearing on the East side as well on the coasts of England as of Flanders especially between Douer and Callis called by some our Ladies Sands about three English miles in length Out of which and sundry other probabilities he labours to proue that all the Low-countries were heretofore enueloped with the sea till such time as the narrow land being either by Nature or Art cut through and the Water allowed a free passage it became dry land but this point wee shall discusse hereafter in place conuenient 4 In the next place we are to consider the termination of the sea The termination is the bounding of the sea within certain limitâ— 5 The Limit is the margent or border of land wherein any sea is circumscribed The sea is bounded by the land as the land by the sea In respect of which termination some seas are called Maine seas others narrow The maine seas are foure to wiâ— the Atlantick which taketh it's name from the mountaine Atlas by which on the west side it passeth and diuides Europe and Africk from America 2 The Aethiopian sea running on the west side of Aethiopia 3 The Indian Sea hauing the East Indies on the North 4 Mare Del Zur or the South sea situate on the South side of America Which foure in respect of other may be called Maine Oceans The lesser seaâ— are either called Creekes or streits A Creeke is a place where the water as it were embosomes it selfe into the land hauing an â—ntrance large from the Ocean and most commonly streytned inwardly but no passage through A Creeke againe may bee diuided into the greater or lesser Vnder the former in a large sense may we comprehend the whole Mediterranâ—an sea for as much as the â—ea from the Mainâ— Atlantick Ocean by an inlet is ingulfed into it but findes no passage out any other way howsoeuer it invades a large territorie The lesser Creekes are againe distinguished into the Easterne and Westerne The chiefe Creekes found out towards the East are sixe in number 1. Sinus magnus which lies betwixt Mangus and India extra Gangem teaching as farre as the region of Chalâ—iâ— 2. Sinus Gangâ—ticus which is comprehended betwixt Aurea Chersonesus and India intra Gangem 3 Sinus Canthi commonly called Canthi-colpus 4. Sinus Persicus bordering on Persia and called by Plutarch the Babilonian Sea 5. Sinus Arabicus which is commonly called the Red Sâ—a 6. Sinus Barbaricus which by Pliny is termed Sinus Trâ—gloditicus at this day Golpho de Melinde The Creekes lying Westwardly are chiefly these First Sinus Sarmaticus lying towards the North betweene Denmarke and Normay which is diuided into Sinus Sinnicus and Bodiâ—us which is called commonly the Baltick Sea 2 Sinus Granuicus diuiding the Muscouites from the Câ—relij Northward it is commonly called the White Sea 3 Sinus Mexicanus bordering on the city of Mexico in America amongst these some would number Mare Pacificum or Mare Dâ—l Zur but this we thought fitter to call a maine Sea then a creeke being extraordinarily large in quantity A Strait is a narrow Sea between two LaÌ„ds of such Straits these were ancieÌ„tly knowne to wit 1 Fretum Graditanum or the Straits of Gibraltar of 7 Miles distance diuiding Spaine from Barbary 2 Fretum Magellanniâ—uÌ„ found out by Magellane which diuides Aâ—erica Pâ—ruana from the Southerne land 3 Fretum Anian situate betwixt the westerne shores of America the Easterne borders of Tartary Besides these there haue bin discouered 3 more to wit 1 Pretum Dauis found out by captaine Dauis in the yeare 1586 which lyes toward Groenland â— Fretum Nâ—souicum or Way gate neare Noua Zembla discouered by the HollaÌ„ders in the yeare 1614. 3 Fretum de Mayre found out by William Schouteâ— a Bauarian taking his name from Isaaâ— le Mâ—yre by whose aduice and perswasion he vndertook hiâ— voyage But some of these lattâ—â— streits here mentioned for ought I knowe may bâ—tter bee reckoned amongst Creekes forasmuch as they haue not as yet found any passage through though with great losse and danger they haue often attempted the Discouery Concerning the bounding of the Sea with the land we will insert thâ—se Theoremes 1 The Water is so diuided from the dry land that the quantity of Water is greater in the South Hemispheare of Land in the Northerne That most part of the dry land is situate towards the North will easily appeare by instance For toward the North are placed the great Continents of Europe Asia almost all Africa and the greatest part of America But in the South Hemispheare we find only a little part of Africa America besides the South Continent which we cannot imagine to be so great in quantity as it is painted in our ordinary Mappes forasmuch as all placeâ— at the first discouery are commonly described greater then they are The reason I take to bee this that the first draught is alwaies confused and vnperfect wherin a region discouers it selfe vnto vs vnder a more simple figure neglecting curiosities but after a longer and more exact search of any Region will be found in many places ingulfed with diuers Bayes and variously indented in such sort as the bound Line compassing it round making an inordinate figure and lesse regular cannot contain so much land as first it might seeme to promise Moreouer we may further obserue that those places which in the first discouery haue been taken for the maine Continent or at least for some greater part of Land haue afterward vpon more curious examination been found clouen into many lesser Ilands As in America Cuba in the time of Columbus and California of late thought to be a part of the Continent and so described almost in all our Mapps yet since by a Spanish Chart taken by the Hollanders discouered to be an Iland The like instance we haue in Terra del Fuogâ— which since the time Magellan was held a part of the South Continent till Schouten by sayling round about it fouÌ„d it diuided froÌ„ the main lâ—nd by Frâ—â—um de Mayre
and Compasse durst not aduenture into the Ocean so farre out of sight of land But to giue the opposite part all reasonable aduantage admit the Straites diuiding Asia and America were very narrow and within kenne was it likely that from hence thâ—y could by shipps transport so many kndes of creatures Could we beleeue any man to be so mad as to carry ouer with him Lions Beares Tigers Foxes and other innumerable sorts of rauenous and vnprofitable beasts as pernicious to mankind as other creatures seruing for his vse If any were found so foolish or malicious yet were it very vnlikely hee should transporte so many kinds This argument seemes no more to concerne America then most Ilands of the World wherein we find diuers creatures not only seruing for the vse of man but many vnprofitable hatefull to the Inhabitants The meanes of this transportation is very difficult to finde St Augustine with some other Diuines haue bin driuen to a supernaturall cause as if Almighty God should performe this matter by the ministry of Angels which answer we dare not vtterly reiect being supported by the authority of so great a Pillar of the church yet I cannot so easily imagine that God who vsed naturall meanes for the preseruation of all liuing creatures in the Arke should haue recourse to a supernaturall power in the propagation of these creatures on the face of the Earth wherefore to me the reason would seeme better answered out of our ground which we shall proue hereafter That Ilands were not from the first Creation but afterward broken from the maine Continent by the violence of the Water Hence it might come to passe that such beasts as were in the parts of the Earth so broken off haue since there continued by continuall propagation vntill this day I meane of ravenous and hurtfull beasts because of the others lesse doubt can be made but that they might be convayed from one Country into another by shipping to serue the necessity of mankind Here we see that no argument as yet hath bin vrged so strong against the North-passage but may with reasonable probability be answered It remaines in the second place that we descend somewhat to particulars to inquire whether this be to be effected either towards the North-east or the North-west The North-east passage hath heretofore bin attempted by many of our English Nauigatours but with vnhappy successe yet were not these voyages altogether fruitlesse forasmuch as by this meanes a way was found out to Russia whence began the first trade betweene ours and the Russian Merchants But that litle hope can hence arise sundry reasons may be alleaged the chiefe whereof are these 1 The dangerous rending of the Scythick Cape set by Ortelius vnder 80 degrees Northward together with the perillous sailing in those Northerne Seas alwayes pestred with Ice and Snow seconded by diuerse Bayes or shelues mists fogges long and darksome nights most aduerse to any happy Nauigation 2 The obseruation of the Water which is more shallow towards the East which giues small hope of a through passage because all Seas are fed with waters and for the most part are obserued to be more shallow towards the shore then in the middle But where in sailing forward any Sea is found to decrease in depth it is a likely argument that it is rather a Creeke Bay or Riuer then a Straite Notwithstanding these reasons some haue heretofore gone about to proue a passage by the North-east to Cathay of which opinion was Antony Ienkinson whose reasons be well answered by Sr Humphrey Gilbert which I briefly touch adding some things of mine own as I find occasion The first reason was drawne from a Relation of Tartarian who reported that in hunting the Morse he sailed very far towards the South-east wherein he found no end which might giue a likely coniecture that it was a passage throughout But to this we may easily answere that the Tartarians are a barbarous Nation altogether ignorant of Nauigation which neither know the vse of the Charte Compasse or Celestiall Obseruations therefore in a wide Sea know not how to distinguish the North-east from the South-east Besides the curious search of this long passage must depend on better Discoueries then a poore Fisher-man who seldome dares aduenture himselfe out of sight of land besides the Fisher-man iudging by sight could not see about a kenne at sea which will proue nothing in regard of so long a distance The second Reason vrged by Mr Ienkinson was this that there was an Vnicorne's horne found vpon the coasts of Tartaria which could not come saith he by any other meanes then with the tide in some streight in the North-east in the frozen Sea there being no Vnicorne in all Asia sauing in Iâ—dia and Cataia To this reason I may answer with Sr Humphrey Gilbert many waies 1 We may well doubt whether Tartarians knowe a true Vnicornes horne or no 2 It is credible that it could bee driuen so farre by the Tide being of such a Nature that it cannot swimme 3 The Tides running to and fro would haue driuen it as farre backe with the Ebbe as it brought it forward with the Floud 4 the Horne which was cast on this coast might be the Horne of an Asinus Indicuâ— which hath but one Horne like an Vnicorne in his fore-head whereof there is great plenty in all the North parts as in Lappia Norvegia Finmarke as Zeigler testifies in his History of Scandia 5 Lastly there is a fish which hath a Horne in his â—ore-head câ—lled the Sea Vnicorne whereof Martin Frobisher foâ—nd one on the coast of Newfound-land and gaue it to Queene Elizabeth which was said to be put into her wardrope But whether it be the same which is at this day to be seene at Winsor Castle I cannot tell The third and strongest reason which was vrged for the North-east passage was this That there was a continuall current through the Frozen Sea of such swiftnesse that if any thing were throwne into the water it would presently be caried out of sight To this we may easily answer that this strong current is not maintained by any Tide coÌ„ming from another Sea but by diuerse great Riuers falling into this streight In like sort we find a strong current from Maeotis Palus by Pontus Euxinus Sinus Bosphorus and along all the coast of Greci as Contarenus and diuerse other affirme out of their own experience and yet the Sea lyeth not open to any other Sea but is maintained by Tanais and diuerse other riuers so in this North-east part may this current of water be maintained by the Riuers Duâ—â—a Ob and many others which continually fall into it Hitherto haue we treated of other passages either effected or attempted to Cathay and the East Indies The last and most desired and sought in our time is that by the North West This way hath bin often attempted as by Cabot Dauis Frobisher Hudson Sr Thomas Button and
next winter whence comes a new supply of more raine These Riuers say they in the summer decrease and sometime are dry because of the defect of wâ—ter when the place is not great enough to receiue sufficient water for the whole yeere This opinion seemeth grounded on these reasons First because wee find by experience that Riuers and fountâ—ines are greater and larger in Summer then in Winter Secondly because where there is lesse Raine fewer or no Riuers are seene As in the Desarts of Ethiopia and Africke few or no Riuers are found But in Germany France Brittany and Italy many Riuers shew themselues because they abound in the moisture of the Aire and much fall of Raine Thirdly amongst vs wee see by experience in a hot and dry Summer they are much decreased from their ordinary greatnesse or altogether dryed vp which is a great probability that their originall is from raine This opinion if it bee onely vnderstood of some Riuers may be probable because some currents out of doubt take their originall from great showers or snowes as at the foot of the Alpes and other such places where the snow daily melts and feeds them but if it be generally vnderstood of all Riuers it is manifestly false as may appeare by these reasons First because the Earth no where drinkes vp the raine farther then ten foot deep in the soile for the higher superficies of the earth is either dry and so easily drinkes vp and consumes the Water within that space or else being already moist it receiues it not at all but expells it by Riuers and channells Secondly some mountaines not couered with earth but consisting of hard rocke notwithstanding send forth great store of springs and fountaines which water could not bee receiued in through a hard rocky substance Thirdly because in very dry places certaine pits being digged downe into the ground 2 hundred or three hundred foot deep will discouer many great streames of Water which could not be from the receite of Raine Fourthly it cannot be imagined that so much raine could in a winter fall into one place besides that which the drouth of the earth consumes to nourish so mighty and great Riuers in the Earth as are Riuers running in a perpetuall course Fiftly all Riuers almost take their originall from some mountaines or other as Danubius from the Alpes and Nilus from the mountaines of the Moone in Africke Which places being extraordinary high are more vnapt to receiue water then lower places of the earth To the reasons that they alleadge for their opinions it is not hard to answer That riuers should be greater in winter thâ— in the summer the cause may be better giuen Because more moisture of the Aire falls into the brinke from externall Râ—ine or snow in winter then in summer and the ground being moister is able to drinke lesse then at other times which is also the reason why in hotter and dry Countreyes there is not such plenty of Riuers for we deny not but fountaines may sometimes be increased and sometimes diminished by addition of raine-water but that any such vast conâ—auity should be vnder ground as the receptacle of so much raine and should nourish so many and so great currents The second opinion is of those who thinke that the originall of all riuers and fountaines is from the Sea Which conceit hath beene strongly fortified by many Fathers of the Church and graue Diuines of later time which opinion is chiefly grounded vpon these reasons First because it seemes a most incredible matter that so much vaporous matter should be engendred vnder the earth to feed such a perpetuall course of water Secondly if all Riuers should not be deriued from the sea no reason could bee giuen why so many riuers dayly emptying themselues into the sea the sea should not encrease but continue in the same quantity Thirdly to this purpose they vrge the place of Eccles. 1. All riuers runne into the sea and yet the sea is not full To the place whence they came they returne that they may flow againe But this opinion seemes to bee shaken with a great difficulty For it is a hard matter to conceiue how the water of the sea being by nature heauy lower then the superficies of the earth as we haue demonstrated should ascend into high mountaines out of which we find springs of water oftentimes to arise for either it must ascend Naturally or by Violence not naturally for the foresaid cause because it is a heauy body If violently they must assigne some externall Agent which enforceth it to this violence This difficulty diuerse Authors haue laboured diuerse waies to salue Some amongst whom the chiefe was Theoderet haue fled to a supernaturall cause in Gods providence as though the water in it's own nature heauy should be notwithstanding enforced to the topps of the mountaines But this opinion seemes very improbable because although we cannot deny Gods miraculous and extraordinary working in some things yet all men haue supposed this to be confin'd within the bounds of nature And very strange it were to imagine that almighty God in the first institution of nature should impose a perpetuall violence vpon nature Others as Basill haue thought that the sea-water was driuen vpwards towards the tops of mountaines by reason of certaine spâ—rits enclosed in it Mare as he saith fluitans permeans per cuniculos fistularet angustos â—ox vbi obliquis aut certe recta in sublime surrectis excursibus se occupatum deprehenderit ab agitante compulsum spiritu superficie terrâ— vi disrupta erumpit atque for as emicat The same opinion almost in euery respect is ascribed to Plato in Phedone and Pliny 2 booke .65 chap. Quo inquit spiritu actu terrâ— pondere expressa siphonum modo eâ—â—cat tantâ—que a periculo decidendi abest vt in summa quoque et â—â—tissima exiliat Qua ratione manifestum est quare tot fâ—uâ—inum quotidiâ—nâ— accessu maria non crescant But this exposition will hardly satisfy him who desires to search farther then obscurity of words For first by admitting spirits as mouers of the waters they seeme to fall into a Platonick opinion before examined of vs concerning the heat of the sea-water Secondly I would demaund whether such spirits in the water to which they ascribe this motion be Naturall Agents or Supernaturall or Violent They cannot be naturall Agents For asmuch as they are supposed to driue and enforce the water against his owne nature For by nature as all men know it is apt to descend whereas here it is supposed to ascend by reason of such spirits They cannot bee violent agents because they bee perpetuall whereas no violent thing can be perpetuall Thomas Aquinas being desirous to shew how much fountaines could ascend out of the sea-water varies in opinion from the former and imagines that the fountaines and Riuer-water is drawne vpwards through the force of Celestiall bodies for the common good
to wit that it might water aswell the mettalls in the bowells of the earth as giue moisture and nourishment to Plants and liuing creatures dwelling thereon And this motion saith he although it be against the particular nature of the water is not altogether violent because elementary bodyes are bound by a certaine law to obey and subiect themselues to the heauenly so that motions impressed by them are not enforced on them by violence For albeit in some sort it thwart the phisicall disposition yet haue all creatures an obâ—dientiall aptnesse as they terme it to submit themselues to the superiour But this opinion of Thomas Aquinas in my conceit seemes lesse sound then the former For first Thomas had no need at all of these shifts holding some of his other grounds For in another place comparing the hight of the sâ—a and land one with the other he firmely maintaines that the sea is aboue the land and that it is bounded and restrayned from ouerflowing the dry land by the immediate power of the Creator If this be graunted what need there any ascent or drawing vp of the water by any externall power of the heauenly bodyes sith the remitting of this restraint of waterâ— in some places were sufficient to cause such springs and riuers in the earth Secondly his opinion cannot stand without manifest contradiction of himselfe for how can the water being of his owne nature heauy be drawne vpward without violence and thwarting of nature And whereas he alleadges for himselfe an obedientiall aptnesse in the elementary bodies to obey the superiour he shall find very little helpe to maintaine his part For this obedientiall inclination must be either according to the nature of the water or opposite vnto it or at least the one must be sudordinate vnto the other That it is according to the nature of the water he himselfe disclaimes and experience refutes because it naturally descends not ascends if it be opposite as indeed it must needes be he contradicts himselfe If the Physicall and obedientiall inclination be subordinate the one to the other I vrge that subordinate causes can produce no other then subordinate effects for asmuch as the causes and the effects are measured and proportioned the one by the other But wee plainly see that the motions of ascent or descent are diametrally opposed and contrary the one to the other so that they cannot otherwise proceed then from opposite and contrary causes Secondly this obedientiall aptnesse is commonly vnderstood of a creature in respect of his Creator in whose hand it is as to create all things of nothing so to reduce all things againe into nothing But this although it be aboue nature yet no way contradicts nature and easier it is to be imagined that the Creator should annihilate any Creature then letting it remaine in his own Nature giue it a motion against nature Moreouer 〈◊〉 we duly coÌ„sider nature in her course we shall find that the lower elementall Bodies onely concurre to the conseruation of the whole and of one another by following their own priuate inclination for the whole is nothing else then an orderly concent and harmony of all the parts from whose mutuall cooperation it receiues his perfection so that where any part failes in his owne office the whole must needs sustain dammage Thirdly it will hardly be resolued by any of this opinion by what meanes or instruments the heauenly or superiour Bodies can haue such an operatiue power ouer the water as to lift it vpward from his owne Center for neither can this thing be performed by motion hight or any InflueÌ„ce which are the three meanes of operation of celestiall Bodies on elementary I will not stand to proue every particular in this matter But onely would haue my aduersary to answere and giue an instance and speciality Another opinion there is of Aristotle followed by all Peripaâ—eticks who in his first booke of Meteors and 13 Chapter goes about to proue and maintaine that all Springs and Wells in the land are produced and generated in the bowells of the Earth by any vapours resolued into water which opinion he labours â—o strengthen in this manner It is certain saith he that the Earth hath within it much aire because Nature will no-where admit a vacuity But the Earth hath not onely many open but a great many secret holes and conâ—auities which cannot otherwise be filled then with aire Moreouer a great part of the Earth and other vapours therein contained and stirred vp by the force of the Starres are conuerted into Aire and that aswell the Aire included in the bowells of the Earth as vapours there also bred are perpetually conuerted into water This reason may seeme to perswade because it followes of necessity that the coldnesse of the Earth expelling their heat they should harden condensate be disposed at last to the generation of water whence also the cause 〈◊〉 giuen of the generation of water in the middle Region of the Aire although it be not alwaies thence bred aswell for other causes as for that the Aire by the heat of the Sunne is sometimes too hot and the vapours are too much attenuated and ratified so that the matter of Raine cannot be alwaies supplyed This would Aristotle haue to bee the originall of all Springs and Fountaines So that the water should first distill as it were drop by drop out of this vapourous matter and this moist matter so collected and drawne together should afterwardâ— breake forth out of the ground and so cause such fountaines Some reasons are also produced to proue this assertion for say the Authors of this opinion If the Springs and Riuerâ— should proceed from any other cause then they should take their beginning from Raine-water which is before refuted or from the Sea by certain secreâ— passages which opinion seemes too weake to endure examination First this seemes an argument that the Sea-water is commonly Salt but the water of Springs and Riuers is for the most sweet and fresh and therefore such Springs are not deriued from the Sea Secondly because we neuer find the Sea to be emptied which must needes be if it should giue beginnings to all such currents of water in the Earth Thirdly we haue already shewed that the superficies of the Earth is higher then the Water so that it cannot be conceiued how riuers should be deriued from the Sea To this opinion howsoeuer seeming probable and supported with the name and authority of so great a Philosopher I dare not wholly assent forasmuch as it thwarts the Testimony of holy Scripture and cannot otherwise stand with reason because it cannot well be imagined how so many vapours and so continually should be ingendred in the bowels of the earth to nourish so many and so great currents as we see springing out of the Earth for a very great quantity or portion of Aire being condensated and made Water will become but as a little drop The Aire according
to Aristotles grounds being by a Tenne-fold proportion thinner then the Water Moreouer the Aire in these places seated in the superficies of the Earth and higher then other places and by consequent neerer the Sun should rather be rarified and thickned because heat is the greatest cause of rarefaction as we shall shew hereafter for the reasons alleaged for these opinions they are drawne only from the weaknes of their assertion which hold that Fountaines are deriued either from Raine water or from the Sea both which wee haue examined briefly and whereof wee shall speake hereafter The Schoole of Conimbra not vtterly reiecting all the former opinions haue vndertakeÌ„ to forgoe an opinion as it were partaking of all pretending to say something more when indeed they produce nothing besides the former Their assertion they haue set downe in eight propositions which I will faithfully set downe and then censure The first is that in subterranean places vnder the superficies of the earth is hid a great quantity of water distinguished into Riuers Ponds and Lakes This they proue from the daily experiment of such as diggs diuerse wells and deâ—pe trenches in the Earth Who many times vnder the Earth find not only many riuers and ponds but many times happen vpon so great abundance of Water that they can neither find the bottome or bounds thereof To this they add an experiment of Philip and Macedon recorded by Asclepiadorâ—â— who caused many men expert in digging of mettalls to be let downe into an old and forsaken mine to search out the veines of mettalls to see whether the couetousnesse of antiquity had left any thing to posterity These men vsing great lights are said to haue found nothing there but great and vast riuers and great receptacles of waters This they also labour to confirme by many and suddaine eruptions and breaking out of waters out of the earth whereof we shall haue occasion to speake more hereafter This first position howsoeuer in it selfe true enough seemes litle to the purpose but we will proceed to the second which is this That when God in the third day of the Creation seperated the waters into one place and hid it in the cauerns and secret receptacles of the earth at the same time dispersed into diuerse parts of the earth a great quantity of water by diuerse occult passages and channels whence comes that great masse of waters vnder the earth which is before mentioned This they seeme to perswade by reason for say they as the wise Architect of all for mans sake and the rest of liuing creatures for the vse of man hath discouered the dry land by restrayning all the waters into one place so it was most necessary that he should inwardly water the earth by which stones mettalls mineralls other such things in the bowells of the Earth should in time grow and increase Also that some water should from hence breake vp out of the Earth for diuerse causes hereafter specified Finally as Philo-Iudaeus affirmes for the continuation of the parts of the earth which otherwise might by drouth be seperated and diuided The third proposition grounded on the two former is this That many riuers and fountaines in diuerse places by Gods decree arise out of the earth by quantities of waters hid in the cauernes of the earth which they proue by reasons drawne from the vtility of such fountaines and riuers springing out of the earth Fourthly they defend that all fountaines and currents were not so made and appointed in the first Creation because Histories experience teach vs that many haue broken out of the ground afterwards whereof we shall haue occasion to speake hereafter Fiâ—tly they affirme that if the opinion of Aristotle be vnderstood of all fountaines and flouds it cannot be approued for asmuch as it seemes sufficiently declared in the third opinion how such riuers might be generated without such vapours as also because many arguments and places of holy Scriptures seeme to proue the contrary As also the foure Riuers of Paradice created in the beginning of the world cannot bee guessed to draw their originall from such vapours as Aristotle imagines to which accord many ancient Fathers vpon these places recited in that opinion whereas all riuers are thought to fetch their originall from the sea Sixtly for the credit of their master Aristotle they are constrained to auerre that although his opinion cannot be verified of all riuers and fountaines of the earth yet if it be restrayned to some such perpetuall currents it may haue probability For asmuch aswe are to beleeue that many such large cauerns and holes are hid vnder the earth in which no small quantity of vapours may be ingeÌ„dred This probability is greater in those riuers which are lesser in quantity then the greater for the reasons before shewed Seuenthly they affirme that it is absolutely to be beleeued that not only great riuers and currents are deriued from subterranean waters which haue originall from the sea but also lesse fountaines and springs for the most part challenge the same beginning whence they labour to proue by this reason that in very few places of the earth there is found so perpetuall and apt disposition of vapours vnder the ground as to nourish so many and so great currents of water Eightly say they it cannot be denied but that Waters aswell proceeding from raine as that which is generated of vapours in the cauerns of the earth sometimes may flow into fountaines and riuers What concernes Torrents bred of raine they haue recourse to the reasons of the first opinion for others they make it also probable because we see by experience that Vapours and Aire compassed about with earth are by reason of the cold enuironing it turned into water This is indeed the opinion of those subtill Iesuits of Conimbra wherein although they giue a flourish as if they would defend their master Aristotle on whom they comment yet meane they nothing lesse but indeed warily sticke to the other of the Diuines and ancient Fathers of the Church touching the deriuation of all 〈◊〉 from the sea Which opinion howsoeuer in it selfe most probable they know not how to manage and defend against opposition For whereas they suppose that in the first sepâ—â—tion of the sea from the dry-land a great quantity of water was dispersed into diuerse hollow places cauerns of the earth from whence Riuers are deriued and made they haue not in any probable manner expressed how this water should perpetually flow and feed so many great currents For first I would aske of these learned fathers whether the water inclosed in the bowells of the earth whence these springs are fed be higher or lower then the fountaines arising out of them If it be higher whether the Riuers are continually nourished on the old store or a new supply be daily made That so great riuers should bee maintained so many thousand yeares out of the old prouision is most improbable because the
mountaines out of which such springs arise cannot be capable of so great a concauity neither can it otherwise be imagined but that many great riuers since the beginning had either bin absolutely dried vp or at least diminished in their quantity their Cisterns being daily more and more emptied out into their channells If they graunt that of this water a fresh supply be made it must be either from the sea or from vapours in the earth It cannot bee from the sea because as wee haue proued before the sea is lower then the fountaines where springs breake out of the Earth forasmuch as we see them runne to the sea from their fountaines as from a higher to a lower place That this supply of water in the depth of the earth should bee made by vapours it is also improbable in their opinion who cannot imagine so many ingendred in one place as to feed so great currents as also because many riuers were apparant in the first creation as the foure great currents of Paradice This obiection hath so farre driuen the Iesuits to their shifts as that they haue bin enforced to haue recourse to the opinion of Thomas Aquinas who dreames that the waters are enforced vpwardâ— by the influence of the heauens which they a litle before â—ast by and we haue before sufficiently refuted And whereas in the subsequent clause they labour to salue this place of Ecclesiastes That all Riuers come from the sea and returne thither againe They are constrained to leaue their old grounds and â—unne backe to Aristotle who holds that all riuers had their originall from vapours drawne vp by the sunne whereof the sea is the chiefe mother It will bee expected at least that we should disclose our owne opinion hauing censured the former which we will briefly doe as neere as probability can lead vs submitting also to those which are more iudicious First therefore we will suppose as probable that the earth is in a manner compassed round about with water for howsoeuer the places more eminent and separated for our habitation be dry land yet not farre vnder the superficies of the earth whereon we tread is the earth sprinkled round with water for which we may draw an argument aswell froÌ„ the Porous and spongy nature of the Earth which is apt to drinke in the water of the sea in the same hight because it is the nature of the water to diffuse it selfe abroad as also from experience of Minors and such as digg deepe into the earth who in most parts find water 2ly this water so enuironing the earth were it left to it's own naturall situation without an externall Agent would lift his superficies no higher then the superficies of the sea because being as one with the sea it will challenge the same Sphericall superficies Now to know how the water thus naturally settled is notwihtstanding lifted vp higher to become the source of Springs we must vnderstand that it comes to passe not onely by the heat of the sunne and starres piercing farte vnder the superficies of the earth according to the circle we haue allotted to the water But also to subterranean fires hid in the bowells of the earth in many places which are caused by sulphurous matter set on fire by the sunne or some other accident whether this sulphurous matter be pure Brimstone or Bitumen or a mine of sea-coale as some haue thought of our Baâ—hâ—s in England I will not curiously here dispute being of it selfe too large a subiect for me in this place to handle This heat may be conceiued to concur to the production of fountaines 2 manner of waies First by drawing vp diuerse moist vapours which by reason of the thicknesse and solidity of the earth being not presently euaporated out of the superficies of the earth are enforced to disperse themselues through diuerse crooked passages where condensated by cold distilling againe into drops of water they breake out through some places of the earth and so become a fountaine A second way which may also seeme probable is that the Heat peircing the Subterranean Water though not able to dissolue much of it into vapours for the solidity of the earth may notwithstanding through his heat Rarifie and attenuate these waters These waters then rarified must needs seeke a greater place wherein they may be contained sith Rarefaction is nothing else but the extension of a body to a greater place then before it occupied Hence is the Water enforced to enlarge his limits This enlargement or the place cannot be downeward towards the Center because all that place was supposed to be filled vp as farre as the Earth could drinke it Wherefore it must needs extend it's limits sidewise or vpwards By the former of which it may find a passage to breake forth on the superficies of the ground By the latter it may be lifted high enough to runne from the side of a higher mountaine towards the Sea-shore If any man should aske why this Rarefaction swelling of the Water is not so sensible in the open Ocean I answere that the sea is also much rarified lifted vp by reason of the sunnes heate which whether it be the cause of ebbing and flowing of the sea in part we haue before disputed Secondly that the sea-water should not rise so high as other water vnder the ground these reasons may be giuen First that the Ocean hath a larger channell to runne abroad on either side and so this swelling must of necessity become more insensible whereas the Waters in cauerns concauities of the Earth being oftentimes straightly bounded on either side by the narrownesse of the channell must of necessity take vp the more in hight and eminency 2 the Sunne heauenly bodies and subterranean fires worke more strongly and effectually on the open nakednes of the sea then on the waters hid vnder the ground which are more shrowded from such an extreame heat Whence it comes to passe that many parts of the sea are dissolued into vapours and so consumed and dispelled by the same Whereas this heat in the Subterranean waters being more moderatly impressed doeth not dissolue into vapours and consume so great a quantity of water but being of a middle temper rather rarifies it to the vse forenamed This seemes the more probable because spring water rising commonly in the sides of mountaines is for the most part thinner then the Sea-water as experience dayly warrants Thirdly the subterranean vapours are sooner dissolued into dropps of water by reason of the cold they must necessarily meete within their passage through the Earth whereas the other from the Sea meet with no such encounter till they arriue at the Middle-Region of the Aire whence they returne againe in showres of Raine 2 All riuers and Fountaines were not from the beginning For the confirmation of this assertion many histories may be produced It is reported that in Caria neere about the city Lorus there arose out of the Earth
suddenly a great floud of Water bringing out with it a great quantity of creatures and fishes of which being fatted vnder the Earth whosoeuer chanced to eat dyed presently The like is reported that at the time of the Mithridatick warre at a certaine city of Phrygia named Apamea there sprang vp out of the ground many new Lakes Fountaines Brookes and that one riuer sprang vp very salt which brought vp with it a great quantity of Oisters and other Sea-fishes although the city Apamea bee very farre off from the Sea This is reported by Nicolaus Damascene Also Cardinall Contarenus testifies in the second booke of Elements that in a cleare day being in Valentia in Spaine there happened a very great inundation of water breaking out of the Earth which being carried towards the City had well neere turned it into the Sea had not the gates bin shut and dammes well ordered Why this sudden change should sometimes happen many reasons may be produced The first reason may be because of some sudaine ruine or falling downe of some parts of the Earth whereby the courses of the riuers being one way stopped must needs seeke out a passage some other way This sometimes happens in great Earth-quakes as we may reade in Theophrastus that in the mountaine Coricus after an Earth-quake many new springs and fountaines discouered themselues Another reason not much vnlike the former is giuen from the Hardnes of the Earth which oftentimes stopping and hindering the naturall course of the water enforceth it to seek a new passage Hence the foresaid Theophrastus was induced to belieue that in a City of Crete the fountaines were stopped vp because the Inhabitants betoke themselues to another place so that the soile was not so much shooke and moued as before A third reason may be the wasting or cutting downe of great woods on the Earth for it is the nature of the Trees and plants to suck to themselues the Moisture of the ground into one place But these trees cut downe or remoued the waters course must needes be altered 3 Many Riuers are for a great space of land swallowed vp of the Earth whereof some after a certaine distance rise againe This is confirmed by many Historicall instances as of the riuer Timanus in the prouince of Aquilia of Erasenus in Argolica Padus in the Alpes more remarkeable is that of the river Guadiaua in Spaine which runneth vnder the ground for the space of 13 leagues and neere to a towne called Villa Horta breakes vp againe the like is recorded of Eurotaâ— in Arcadia which is said to breake forth of the ground in the Prouince of Lacedamon So Cadmus Asia is swallowed vp in a hole of the ground not farre from Laodicea So Piraâ—â—s in Catonia Licus in Libanon Orontes in Syria Other riuers are thought to haue found a secret passage vnder the sea from one Region to another As a riuer hauing his fountaine in the mountaine Meiaâ—es which being conuayed in a blind Channell vnder the middle of the sea comes forth againe at the port of Pâ—normus so others report of Alpheus which being drowned vnderground nere the Peloponnesian shore takes a large iourny vnder the Sea till it arriue at Syracuse where it ends in Arethuse which brings forth they say such things as are cast into Alpheus which is much like that which is spoken of the Well of Aesculapius in Athens wherein if any thing were cast they were rendred againe in Phalericus But this last I rather hold as a poeticall fiction then a true History Some riuers there are which are not wholly drowned in the earth but for some part aâ— a part of the Rhâ—nâ— which is hid about foure thousand paces from the city Cauba and shewes it selfe again before it come to Bonna in like manner a part of Danuâ—ius which hides it selfe about Greina a Towne of Panonia superiâ—r some riuers there are againe which are not drunke vp immediatly of the earth but of certaine great Lakes into which they fall as Iordan of the Lake Asphaltites some lakes againe hauing swallowed vp riuers as it were vomit them forth againe as Rubresius casts out Araâ—e in the Prouince of Narbon and so Lemanus the riuer Rhodanus in the same Prouince also in Italy Lorus cast out Abdua Eupilus Lambre Fucinus Marcia 4 Riuers for the most part rise out of great Mountaines and at last by diuerse or one Inlet are disburthened into the sea The first part of this proposition is manifest enough out of diuerse instances of the greatest riuers in the world for all Geographers will giue you to vnderstand that the riuer Indus in Iâ—dia is deriued from the mountaine Caâ—casus Tanais from the Riphaean mountaines in Sarmaâ—ia Araxis from Panardes in Armenia Po from the Vesusian Hills in Liguria Danubius from Arnobia in Germany Exesus in Norico from the mountaines Elachia Isara from the ridge of the Alpes toward France and Durias toward Italy from thence So from the Herminian mountâ—ines in Portugall are deriued three great Riuers So Nilus in Africk from the mountaines of the Moone These riuers thus rising are of diuerse kinds for some haue visible apparant springs and fountaines others are deriued from Lakes out of which they runne As Alba in Prusia out of Elbinga Medoarus Oxus out of two lakes of the same names neere the Alpes Rindacus from Artinia a poole besides Melitopolis The reason why riuers should be ingendred in mountaines and such high places may be giuen because they are made as we shewed before by the heat of the sunne starres and subterranean fires rarifying and attenuating the Waters And this operation of the sunne in higher places must needes be more effectuall then in lower Now for the second part it is plaine to proue that all riuers runne into the sea either making a passage from their fountaines on the land toward the sea shore as Nilus and Danubius with other riuers or by disburthening themselues into greater riuers wherein they are conuaied into the sea as the 60 great Nauigable riuers which empty themselues into Danubius or at least are swallowed vp of the Earth and so reduced againe to their first mother which we may imagin of the riuers forespoken of drunk vp of the Earth Although all riuers as we shewed fall into the sea yet not all in one the selfesame fashion if we respect their passage on the laÌ„d For some are caried into the sea by one oâ—tiuÌ„ or mouth whereof we haue two notable examples the first of a great riuer in Brasill called Rio de La Plate which is caried into the sea by a mouth of 40 leagues with such violence that the Marriners may â—hence draw fresh water before they come within sight of land The other not much vnlike is that which runnes by the kingdome of Congo Angolo which is six and thirty thousand paces broad where it enters into the sea and is caried with such a force that it seuers the
waues keeps his owne channell and renders the shipp-men fresh water betwixt the sea waters for the distance of eight huÌ„dred thousand paces Other great riuers are disburthened into the sea by diuers Ostia or Inletts as Rhene into the Germane Ocean by three Danubius into the Pontick sea by 6 Indus into the Iudâ—an sea by 7 Nilus into the Mediterranean by 7 great and famous passages Volga into the Caspian lake by 72 gates These are the most remarkeable others we shall supply in our historicall part 5 Diuerse fountaines are endowed with diuerse admirable vertues and operations There is nothing wherein Nature delighteth more in miraculous variety then in fountaines and springs of the earth Of these admirable workes of nature being infinite in these springs I will touch some Which the better to effect I will reduce all to these heads 1 Their qualities and operations 2 their motioÌ„s For the former we will produce some sew instaÌ„ces It is reported that neere the Garamantes there is a fountaine so cold in the dayes that no man can drinke thereof so hot in the nights that no man can abide to touch it There is another in India wherein a candle will burne There is also another called heretofore the well of Iupiter Hammon which in the morning is luke-warme at noone colâ— in the euening Hot at midnight boiling hot From whence againe it begins to asswage till the morning and so as it were by turne it growes hot and cold a matter of great admiration Some fountaines in Liguria Paphlagonia being drunke will make the head giddy as if he had drunke wine Another fountaine in Aranea a part of Arcadia being drunke will so affect the tast that who drinke it shall neuer afterward endure the tast of wine which was very like the fountain Clitorius whereof Ouid in his Metamorphosis the last booke sings in this manner Clitorio quiounque sitim de fonte leuâ—â—is Vina fugit gaudetque meris abstemius vndis The ancients haue also recorded that in Boeotia neere the riuer Orchomenon are two fountaines whereof the one gets memory the other causeth obliâ—ioâ— There is in the Iland Cea a fountaine making the senses dull another in Aethiopia whereon the Water drunken will make a man mad Some water absolutely kils him which drinkes as the riuer Styx in Arcadia being a venemous fretting poison and therefore by the poets fained to be one of the riuers in Hell Diuers other riuers are profitable to cure diuers diseases of the body whereof I need not bring any instances because such new-found wells are sometimes discouered â—â—ongst vs here at home There are 2 riuers in Bâ—eotia of admirable vertue whereof the former if a sheep drinke of it he will become yellow but if a sheep of a dunne or yellow colour drinke of the other he wil become white Riuers which make sheep white coloured besides are Neleus in Euboea Aliacâ—â—on in Macedonia Crathris in Thurijs so Cerius in Euboea Auxius in Macedonia Peneas in Thessaly will make them blacke 〈◊〉 will cause whitenesse in oxen So the riuer Astaces in Pontiâ—â— waters the land whereby mares haue their milke blacke Amongst the regions of the Troglodites there is a well which thrice a day will become sweet and bitter and againe returne to his former sweetnesse and so often againe in the night This may suffice to shew the variety of operations in these wells in respect of other creatures No lesse admirable variety is discouered in obseruing of their diuerse motions For some riuers ouerflowe their bankes at some certaine times of the yeare 〈◊〉 Nilus in Egypt Euphrates in Mesopotania Indâ—â— in Indiâ— some fountaines are carried with such violence that they cast vp stones as Mâ—rsia in Phrygia and expell any weight as a certaine one in Arabia whereof the like was recorded to be in Portugall some will swallow vp any thing â—â—â—owne into them as one in Portugall if we beleeue Pliny some others although they are cold will seeth and seeme to boilâ— aâ— the water oâ— the fire yet neuer cast out their water beyond their bâ—nkâ—â— but straight-way swallow it vp againe as Acidula in Albâ—gâ—â—â— and â—nother fountaine in Cappidociâ— named Tiaâ—â— some there are which sometimes rise and swell and other times fall againe of their owne accord as Crater of 〈◊〉 and a fountaine in Italy called Phâ—iana some wells imitate the â—bbing and flowing of the sea in all encreases and dimiâ—utions as one in Caleâ— and the other neare Burdeaux in France some are contrariwise affected to the ebbing flowing of the sea flowing when the sea â—bbs and â—bbing when the sea flowes as certaine Pits in Spaine some encrease and diminish without any consent or agreement with the motion of the sea as a Well in Tenodus an Iland neere Troy In Cantabria are three fountaines distant 8 foot the one from the other and falling into one Channell in a vast riuer which euery day are dry twelue times and sometimes twenty times others of their own accord purge cleanse themselues casting out wood clay durt and other matters wherewith they are defiled as a Well in the Chersonesus of Rhodes These and many more remarkeable instances haue our naturall Historians gathered together whereof though some perhaps may bee thought to be forged of Poets for pleasure or mistaken for want of good discouery and obseruation yet must wee not wrong Antiquity so much as to reiect all hauing in this subiect enough to wonder at in ourowne Country 6 Places neare great Riuers and Lakes are most commodious for habitation It hath bin the custome of all times and nations almost in the world to choose out for a choice place for building of cities their habitation neere some great Lake Riuer or Arme of the Sea which sprang from the common obseruation of Men who found such places to be more conuenient This conueniency is shewed many wayes first because by meanes of such water they haue quick passage and trafficke with other Nations being able with more ease both to receiue to send forth wares and merchandize Whence we see that such cities as are seated vpon the water are commonly of all other the richest whereof we may giue an instance almost in euery countrey as of Seuill and Lisbone in Spaine Portugall of all the Cities almost of the Low-countries of Paris in France whence no doubt grew that English Prouerbe That the Sea is a good neighbour which may aswell be vnderstood of any nauigable Riuer Secondly such a site is most conuenient for the purging away of all filth and excrements which could not with the like conueniency bee so soone transported by land whence many men haue laboured to transport riuers far remote vnto Cities Thirdly because such riuers and waâ—ry lakes yeeld store of fish whereby the Inhabitants may be nourished and other creatures the better preserued Fourthly no small commodity would accrow to a Cyty by water neare adioyning If it should chance
it seemes the same leuell This may for ought wee know be the originall of all Lakes and this also may bee a way or meanes whereby they empty and disburthen themselues being ouercharged with too much Water CHAP. X. Of Mountaines Valleyes Plaine Regions Woods and Champian Countryes 1 THe second variation in the figurature of the Earth is expressed in Mountaines Valleyes and Plaine Countreyes A Mountaine is a quantity of Earth heaped aboue the ordinary height of the land A Valley is the depth of the Earth between two Mountaines A plain is a space of Earth where there is found no notable rising or falling of the ground The distinction of the Earth according to it's externall figurature into Mountaines Valleyes and Plaines is very naturall because euery space or parcell of land in respect of the places neere or about it must either rise higher or fall lower or at least must beare an equality where the former is admitted there must needs be Mountaines swelling higher then the ordinary leuell of the Earth where the second is found the ground is indented with Valleyes and concauities where the third is to be seene there must be Plaines Here is to be noted that howsoeuer Plaines absolutely considered haue a sphericall surface for the most part especially if the Plaines be large because they concurre as circular segments to make vp the Spheare of the Earth yet they may be called Plaines because they so appeare to our sense which in so short a distance cannot perceiue the Sphericall figurature of the Earth Some Gramarians here curiously distinguish betweene mons or a Mountaine and Collis or a Hillock which is a little hill also betwixt Vallis which they would haue to be a low parcell of ground betwixt two mountaines and Conuallis which is a lower space only bounded on one part by a mountaine which Varro would haue to bee deriued from Cauata vallis but these Grammatical scruples are of small vse to such as spend themselues on greater matters because the ordinary vsual manner of speech euen amongst the vulgar will shut out all mistakes in this kind what deserues the study of â— Topographer concerning this shall be expressed in these Theoremes 1 Mountaines Valleyes and Plaines were created in the Earth from the beginning and few made by the violence of the Deluge It hath bin the opinion of some aswell Diuines as Philosophers that the violence of the Deluge hath extraordinarily altered defaced the Earth being the chiefe cause of Mountaines Valleyes therein but this opinion is contradicted by many reasons first out of the Text it selfe of Genesis where it is said that the water of the flood ouer-flowed by 15 Cubits the highest Mountaines to which may be added the Testimony of Damascenus who reports that in the time of the Deluge many resorted to a high mountaine of Armenia called Baris where they saued themselues which last clause although it expresly contradicts the holy Scriptures which speake but of Eight Persons that were saued yet it is a sufficient testimony to proue that such Mountaines were before the Flood and therefore not made by it Secondly had there followed so great an alteration of the Earth to cause mountaines as some imagine then should not the same places after the flood retain their names bounds and descriptions which they did before the flood the contrary whereof we find in that Moses writing of Paradice other places about 850 yeares after the flood was most exact in setting down the Names Limits and whole description of them as though they had remained to be seene in his dayes Thirdly had the violence of the waters beene so great as to raise vp mountaines in the Earth it would without doubt haue bin forceable enough to haue turned Riuers and haue changed them from one place to another cast downe and demolished the greatest Cities and buildings throwne downe and ouer-whelmed all plants and vegetalls on the Earth and as it were haue buried from all succeeding time the memories of the former ages so that little or nothing should appeare but this may bee proued otherwiâ—e by sundry Instances First that the Riuers haue still remained the same may appeare out of the place alleaged of Genesis where Moses speaking of the site of Paradice sets downe all the riuers of it exactly especially Tigris Euphrates out of the which we may easily gather in what longitude and latitude it stood had any thing bin altered in the course of the riuers it is likely Moses would haue specified it in this Historie that after ages looking for these places might not mistake or suspect the truth of his Relations Secondly that it hath not extinguished all Buildings and ancient monuments of the fathers before the flood may probably be coniectured by the testimony of Iosephus a writer of good credit who affirmeth that he saw one of the pillars erected by Seth the second from Adam which pillars were set vp aboue 1426 yeares before the flood accompting Seth to bee a hundred yeares old at the erection of them and Iosephus himselfe to haue liued some 40 or 50 yeares after Christ Now although we are not bound to credit all thar he relates yet may we trust him concerning such matters as happened in his time and that this pillar was set vp by Seth was neuer yet called in question but warranted by antiquity the like is recorded by Berosus of the Citty of Enoch that it was not demolished by the flood but remained many yeares after the ruines whereof as Annius in his commentary reports were to be seene in his time who liued in the time of Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile It is also reported by Pomponius Mela that the Citty of Ioppa was built before the flood of which Cepha was King whose name with his brother Phineus together with the grounds and principles of their religion were found grauen vpon Altars of stone All which are sufficient to proue the violence of the Waters not to haue bin so great to demolish all mountaines and monuments Moreouer it may be plainly proued out of the text that the Waters suffered the plants and trees of the Earth to grow and remaine as they did before because it is said that when Noah the second time sent out the Doue she returned with an oliue branch in her mouth which no doubt she had plucked from the trees after the trees were vncouered for otherwise she might the first time haue found it floating on the Waters a manifest proof that the trees were not torne vp by the roots or turned topsy turuy but remained fixed in the Earth as they did before Fourthly had the water suffered this extreame violent motion as whereby it might make many mountaines I aske whence this motion should come it could not bee from the naturall motion of the water which is to moue downward for what descent of waters can bee in a Sphericall round body where no part is higher or lower That
of Riuers for it is manifest that all Riuers are higher at the Spring or fountaine then at the place where they disburtheÌ„ themselues into the sea Now although water is apt to slide away at any Inequality yet it is most probable that in greater riuers especially where the waters fall oftentimes with violence as at the Cataracts of Nile much inequality must bee granted in the Declivity of the ground supposing yet the water for euery mile to gaine two foot in the Declivity of the ground we shal find the hight very neere to equalize the hight of the highest mountaines although 2 foot in a mile is farre lesse then can be imagined in so great a Riuer The Riuer which I take for an example shall be Nilus which we shall obserue to runne about 50 Degrees from South to North which resolued into miles will make 3000 accompting for euery mile 2 foot we shall haue 6000 foot which will be neare these 10 furlongs being a mile and 5 parts then allowing for these mighty Cataracts where the water falls with so great a violence we must reckon a number of feet far greater then this measure for euery mile must the hight of land aboue the sea be much more then of the mountaines 4 Mountainous Regions are commonly colder then other plaine countries This proposition is not absolutely to bee vnderstood without a limitation for some plaine Countries neere the Articke Pole may be colder then some hilly Regions neere the Aequatour in regard of other concurrent causes but here we speake as the Logicians vse caeteris paribus comparing two places either together like or not much different or at least in our vnderstanding abstracting them from the mixture of all other considerations that this Theoreme is worthy credite diuerse reasons stand in readines to iustifie the first may bee drawne from the cause of heat in Inferiour Bodies which is the reflexion of the Sunne beames Now that this reflexion is of more strength and validity in plaine then in hilly and mountanous Countries is euident first because as the Optickes teach the rayes are more ioyned and combined in a plaine then in a conuex superficies for howsoeuer the whole Earth be of it selfe Sphericall yet the conuexity being not sensible by reason of the vastnes of the Circle whereby the conuexity is made lesse it may optically be called a plaine superficies Secondly it is taught in the Optickes that a reflexion is of more validity in an equall then in an vneuen and ragged superficies such as is found in Mountaines and vneuen places A second reason why mountanous Regions should exceed others in cold may be the vicinity of them to the middle Region of the Aire for of all the Regions if we beleiue Aristotle the middle is the coldest as being more seperate from the Sunne the fountaine of heat and the higher Region farther off from the reflexion of the Sunne-beames then the lower Now sith the parts of the Earth are affected with the quality of the Aire it must needs stand with reason that the more it shall approach to the middle Region the more it must partake of its quality Thirdly that this is consonant to obseruation reasons are vrged by experience of all Trauailers who report the topps of Mountaines euen in the midst of Summer to be couered ouer with snow although situaâ—e vnder or neare the Aequinoctiall Circle Of this nature are the Alpes in Italy the Mountaines of the Moone in Africke Andâ— in Peru and Tenariffe in the Canaries That snow should be an effect of cold I need nor labour to confirme A fourth reason may bee drawne from other effects of cold or heat for it is daily proued by experience that such diseases as chiefly follow heat especially the Pestilence in Aegypt and such plaine Countries are wonderfull prevalent whereas hilly and rockic Countries by the benefit of Nature stand in little feare of such Inconueniences Lastly no greater argument can be drawne then from the disposition of such men as inhabite such hilly Regions who haue all the Symptomes of externall cold and internall heat Insomuch as â—odin seemes to make a Harmony and â—oâ—cent betwixt the Northerne man and the Mountanist 〈…〉 Southerne man such as inhabite plaine countries ascribing to the former externall cold and internall heate to the latter externall heate and internall cold How farre this comparison will hold we shall haue more occasion to discusse here after when we come to the consideration of the Inhabitants â— Mountaines since the beginning of the world haue still decreased in their quantity and so will continually decrease vntill the end This obseruation Blaucanus I know not how truly ascribes to his owne Inuention but to what Author soeuer we owe it we must needs acknowledge a pleasant speculation grounded on good reason This Theoreme to demonstrate the better we will first lay these grounds oftentimes before-mentioned First as appeares by testimony of holy Scripture the figure of the Earth was in the beginning more perfectly Sphericall ouer-whelmed euery-where with Waters 2ly That a seperation was made by translocation of the parts of the Earth in such manner as some places admitting of concauities became the receptacle of the waters other places wheron these parts of the Earth were heaped together were made mountanous 3. Hence will follow that the Earth thus swelling vp in high mountaines is out of his naturall site and position therefore according to the law of nature will endeuour by litle and litle to returne to her former state and condition Now that the Earth hath sensibly suffered such a change since the beginning it is easie to shew out of experiments the causes we shall find to be the water aswell of the Rain as Riuers which we shall demonstrate by these Reasons 1 We see Riuers by litle and litle continually to fret and eat out the feet of mountaines wheÌ„ce the parts thus fretted through by coÌ„tinuall falling downe weare out the mountaines and fill vp the lower places in the valleyes making the one to encrease as the other to decrease the whole Earth to approach nearer to a Sphericall figure then before which seemes to be warranted by a place in Iob 14 where he saith to God The mountaine falling commeth to â—ought the rocke is remoued out of his place The waters weare the stones thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth From these Riuers in the valleyes continually eating through the parts of the Earth as the feete of mountaines are caused those slow but great Ruines called Labinae a lambendo by which sometimes whole Townes and Villages haue bin cast into the next great Riuer 2 To proue that Raine water challengeth a part in this diminution of mountains we may shew by the like experieÌ„ce we see plainly that Raine-water daily washes downe from the Toppes of mountaines some parts of the Earth whence it comes to passe that the highest mountaines
grounds yet these few instances drawne from the particular disposition of the Earth it selfe cannot much impeach our proposition which takes notice only of the situation of the Earth in respect of the cardinall points of North and South compared with the Heauens CHAP. XI 1 HItherto haue we treated of the Absolute adiuncts of the land we are now to speak of the Relatiue which imply a respect of the Land to the Sea 2 From this Termination of the land with the sea there ariseth a twofold distinction The first is of the land into Continent and Ilands 3 A Continent is a great quantity of land consisting of many Kingdomes and Regions not diuided by Water the one from the other An Iland is a parcell of land compassed round with the sea An Iland is called in Latin Insula quasi in salo because it stands in the Sea some would haue it in English termed an Iland as it were Eye of the land But this deriuation seemes affected and not naturall it might seeme more naturally to be deriued from the French L'Isle But wee will not dispute of the name It is enough to vnderstand that an Iland is a portion of the habitable Earth euery where enuironed with the sea orat least with some great Riuer but this last sense seemes more improper then the other yet oftentimes vsed as Meroe in Africa an Iland of Nilus and the Iland of Eely in England To this is opposed the Continent as that land which being not diuided and separated by the sea containes in it many Empires and Kingdomes as Europe Asia Africke America all which as farre as wee can yet gather are vnited and ioyned together in one continuate land Strabo affirmes out of this in his 1 Boooke and first Chapter of Geographie that the whole Earth is one Iland sith all these knowne parts of the Earth are compassed about with the sea on euery side But this opinion cannot stand with reason or moderne obseruation First because this acception is too large for as much as an Iland is properly taken for a smaller part diuided from the rest of the land and opposed to the Continent whereas if this sense were admitted the distinction of land into Continent and Iland would haue no place or at least the same in a diuerse respect might bee called a Continent and an Iland But it is plaine that Ilands were alwayes opposed to the continent to which although separate by Water they were supposed to belong as to Europe Asia Africke America or Magellanica or some other as Geographers haue reduced them Secondly because it was a bold coniecture to thinke the whole world to consist only of those parts found out in Strabos time For besides the two parts of America since that time discouered by Columbus another great portion is since that time found out in the South by the coniecture of Ferdinando de Quir comming neere the quantity of Europe Asia and Africa Which howsoeuer it be round enuironed with sea and thâ—refore might seeme an Iland yet in respect of the greatnes of it and the many regions and kingdomes it containes it may well bee reputed a continent To which many lesser Ilands belong 1 It is probable that Ilands were not from the first creation but were made afterwards either by the vniuersall deluge or some other violence of the Water It hath been the opinion of diuerse learned men that Ilands werâ— not onely before the Flood but from the first creation of the world because they seeme no lesse to make for the ornament of the Earth then diuers Lakes and Riuers dispersed on the Land But this argument seemes very weake first because a greater ornament seemes to consist in vniformity then confusion besides the ornament must not bee measured by our phantasie but Gods Almighty pleasure and will expressed in his owne workmanship and that hee created Ilands in the beginning is the thing in question That Ilands were not from the Creation many probable reasons are alleaged First â—rom the words in the 1 of Genesis Dixit verò Deus congregentur aequae quae sub coelo sunt in locum vnum appareat arida factum est ita vocauit Deus aridam terram congregationesque Aquarum appellauit maria By which may be collected that the waters were gathered together in their own place by themselues and therefore had no such intercourse betwixt Land and Land as now they haue admitting Ilands wherefore it is more probable that such Ilands as now appeare were either caused by that Vniuersall Deluge of Noah or by some other Accidents for it is most certaine that the Sea on the Land some-where gaines and other-where in recompence of it it looseth againe as may appeare by the 14 of Genesis where it is said of the comming together of certaine Kings Hi omnes conuenâ—runt in vallem Syluestrem quae nunc est mare salis out of which it is euident that that parcell of ground which was a woody place in the time of Abraham was before the time of Moses become the Salt Sea Many examples of the like are giuen vs by Pliny in his Naturall History which we shall haue occasion to vrge hereafter And therefore it is no hard thing to belieue that since the first beginning of the world all Ilands might bee produced in this sort Another argument by which they would â—stablish this opinion is that wee see almost all Ilands of the Earth not onely inhabited of mankind but also furnished with diuerse kindes of Beasts some tame some wilde some wholesome some venomous some vsefull some altogether vnprofitable Now it seemes very vnlikely that men bâ—ing in elder times and now also in most places of the Earth altogether vnskilfull in the Art of Nauigation should venture so farre on the maine Ocean to people Countreyes so far distant sith at this day wherein Nauigation is arriued at a great perfection hauing the helps both of the Chart and Compasse altogether vnknowne vnto the ancients wee see most Nations very scrupulous in searching out farre remote Countreyes But admit this were ouercome by mans Industrie which no doubt is much increased by Necessity yet cannot it bee very probable that so many sundry kindes of beasts should in this sort bee transported for howsoeuer wee coniecture concerning such beasts as necessarily serue for mans sustenance yet seemes it hard to thinke that man should bee so improuident and enuious to the place of his own Habitation as to transport rauenous venomous vnwholesome and vnprofitable creatures for by no other meâ—nes but by transportation can such beasts bee imagined to bee brought into Ilands For the first originall of all creatures in the Creation was in or neere Paradice which wee shall proue to haue been â—n the Continent of Asia the second Seminary was in the Arke which by the testimony of the Scriptures was first disburthened in the same Continent How from hence they should spread themselues into Ilands is the
Albertus Magnus who in his Commentaries vpon the great Coniunctions of Albumazar obserued that before Noahs flood chanced a coniunction of Iupiter and Saturne in the last degree of Cancer against the constellation since termed Argo's ship out of which he would needs collect that the floud of Noah might haue beene fore-showne because Cancer is a watry signe and the house of the Moone being mistrisse of the Sea and all moist bodyes according to Astrologie which opinion was afterwards confirmed by Petrus de Alliaco who affirmes in his Comment vpon Genesis that although Noah did well know this flood by diuine Reuelation yet this coniunction being so notable hee could not bee ignorant of the causes thereof for those were not only signes but also apparant causes by vertue receiued from the first cause which is God himselfe Further to confirme this assertion hee would haue Moses by the cataracts of Heauen to haue meant the the great watry coniunction of the Planets A reason wherof hee seemes to alleage because it is likely that God would shew some signe in the Heauens by which all men might be warned to forsake their wicked courses But notwithstanding this curious opinion I rather cleaue to those which thinke this Deluge to be meerely Supernaturall which I am induced to belieue for diuers causes vrged by worthy writers First because this is set downe in Holy Scripture for a chiefe token or marke of Noahs extraordinary faith dependance vpon Gods promises which had been much diminished and of small moment had it any way been grounded on the fore-sight of second causes For this was no more then might haue beene discouered to the rest of the wicked worldlings who no doubt would in some sort haue prouided for their safety had they receiued any firme perswasion of this dreadfull Deluge To which others adde a second reason that second causes of themselues without any change or alteration are not able to produce such an admirable effect as the drowning of the whole World for it is not conuenient say they that God the Author of Nature should so dispose and direct the second causes that they might of themselues bee able to inuert the order of the Vniuerse and ouer-whelme the whole Earth which hee gaue man for his habitation But this reason is thought very weake for as much as it seemeth to imply a new creation The conceit of a new Creation is pronounced by a learned Countreyman of ours both vnlearned and foolish for whereas it is written saith hee that the fountaines of the deepe were broken open it cannot otherwise be vnderstood then that the waters forsooke the very bowels of the Earth and all whatsoeuer therein was dispersed made an eruption through the face of the Earth Now if wee compare the height of the waters in this deluge aboue the highest mountaines being onely 15 cubits with the depth of the semi-diameter of the Earth to the Center we shall not find it impossible answering reason with reason that all these waters dispersed vnder the Earth should so far extend as to drowne the whole Earth for the semi-diameter of the Earth as Astronomers teach is not aboue 35 â— miles wherein the waters contained and dispersed may bee sufficient for the hight of the greatest mountaines which neuer attaine 30 miles vpright whereas this distance of 30 miles is found in the depth of the Earth 116 times Secondly the extension of the Ayre being exceeding great it might please God to condensate and thicken a great part thereof which might concurre to this Inundation We willingly assent to the worthy Authour that this Inundation might bee performed without any new creation Notwithstanding we cannot hence collect that it was Naturall But to compose the difference the better and to shew how far Nature had a hand in this admirable effect we will thus distinguish that an effect may be called Naturall two manner of wayes First in regard of the causes themselues Secondly in respect of the Direction and Application of the causes If we consider the meere secondary and instrumentall causes wee might call this effect Naturall because it was partly performed by their helpe and concurrence But if we consider the mutuall application and coniunction of these second causes together with the first cause which extraordinarily set them a worke we must needs acknowledge it to be supernaturall For other particular Inundations in particular Regions we may more safely terme them Naturall as directed and stirred vp by second causes working no otherwise then according to their owne naturall disposition Two causes concurring together are here most notable whereof the first is the great coniunction of watry Planets working on the water their proper subiect the other the weaknes of the bounds and banks restraining the water which by processe of time weare out and suffer breaches both these causes sometimes concurring together cause an Inundation which assertion wee may lawfully accept but with this caution that Almighty God working by second causes neuerthelesse directs them oftentimes to supernaturall and extraordinary ends 2 Particular alterations haue happened to Bounds of Regions by Particular Inundations Howsoeuer some inundation haue not continued long but after a small time leâ—t the Earth to her owne possession yet others haue been of such violence as they haue beene found to haue fretted away or added and so altered the bounds and limits of places which besides diuerse examples produced by vs in our former chapter Aristotle seemes to acknowledge in the 1 booke ofhis Meteors the 14 Chapter where he saith that by such Accidents sometimes the Continent and firme land is turned into the Sea and other-where the Sea hath resigned places to the Land for sith the agitation or mouing of the water depends ordinarily vpon the vertue of Heauenly bodyes if it should happen that those Starres should meet in coniunction which are most forceable and effectuall for stirring vp of Tempests and Flouds the Sea is knowne to rage beyond measure either leauing her ancient bounds or else vsurping new By this meanes as we haue shewed in the former Chapter some Ilands haue been ioyned to the Land and some Peninsula's separated from the Land and made Ilands somewhere the Sea hath beene obserued for a great space to leaue the Land naked as Verstegan coniectures of the most part of Belgia which hee sayes was in ancient time couered with water which besides many other arguments hee labours to proue out of the multitude of fish-shells and fish-bones found euery-where farre vnder ground about Holland and the coasts thereabouts which being digged vp in such abundance and from such depthes could not saith hee proceed from any other cause then the Sea which couered the whole Countrey and strewed it with fishes Lastly that the Sea might seeme as well to get as lose shee hath shewed her power in taking away and swallowing vp some Regions and Cities which before were extant Such fortune had Pyrrha and Antisâ—a about Meotis
Helicâ— and Bura before mentioned in the Corinthian straites some haue beene of opinion that the whole Mediterranean within Hercules pillars was in time past habitable land till it gaue way to the violency of the Seas inuasion But in this I credit nothing without farther ground The like vncertainties are also related of the Atlantick Ilands greater then all Africa swallowed vp of the Ocean which Columbus was said in a sort to haue discouered in the Sea finding a great shallow fraught with weedes where he supposed this great Iland to haue stood But I rather beleeue that this Atlanticke Iland spoken of by Plato was either a Poeticall fiction as Moores Vtopia with vs or at least the Continent of America perhaps in those dayes obscurely discouered but the discouery lost againe to after ages 3 Certaine Regions by reason of great Riuers are subiect to certaine Anniuersary Inundations which commonly happen betwixt the Tropicks in the Summer without the Tropicks in the Winter The former clause is proued by experience almost in all great Riuers in the world which at some times of the yeere swell higher ouerflowing their bankes and drowning a part of the land about them But this happens not alike in all places for in Riuers included within the Tropicks as Nilus Niger in Africa and Oregliana in America with others there-about this Anniuersary Inundation is in the SuÌ„mer else-where it is commonly in the Winter For the former these causes may be assigned 1 The melting of the snow on the tops of the great mouÌ„taines in those parts which is greatest of all when the Sun is neerest or verticall vnto them which we are to accompt their Summer 2 The daily raines showres such Regions are subiect vnto These showres are much more frequent greater when the Sun is neerest their verticall point or in it The reason whereof we haue formerly shewed to bee this That the Sun daily in those parts drawes vp more vapours then he can dissipate consume Whence meeting with the cold of the middle Region of the Aire they are condensated into drops so turned into raine For the later case in riuers situat without the Tropicks coÌ„monly happens the contrary to wit that such Inundations happen rather in the winter then in the Summer whereof these reasons may bee rendred 1 Because Raine and showres whereof such ouer-flowing are ingendred in those parts are more frequent in winter then in the Summer 2 whereas neere the Equatour the snow is known to melt with the Sunne from the tops of high Mountaines in other parts it seldome or neuer melts at all as may bee thought vnder the Pole or thereabouts or else if it melt it happens as in the temperat Zones we see it doth oftner by raine then the heat of the Sunne 4 Next are we to speake of Earthquakes An Earthquake is a sensible motion and shaking of the parts of the Earth Amongst other remarkeable affections of a place which are not so ordinary an Earthquake hath no small consideration being oftentimes a meanes which God vseth to shew some great and extraordinary iudgement But not to spend more on this subiect then may seeme meete for Geography wee will shew the causes and kindes of it by which we may the sooner come to learne what Regions and places of the Earth are most subiect to this affection which is necessary of a Cosmographer to bee knowne Concerning the cauâ—es of it much dispute hath been among Philosophers some haue ridiculously affirmed that the Earth is a liuing creature and suppose with no lesse if not greater abâ—urdity that the Earth being in good temper doth rest settle quietly according to her naturall disposition From which temper if she be any way remoued as if she were sicke or pain'd in some part she shakes and shiuers The relation of this opinion is a sufficient confutation Thales Milesius would haue the Earth as a shippe to swimme on the Waters which being sometimes as a vessell by tempests turned on one side too much it takes a great quantity of water which is the cause of Earthquakes But this opinion is a poeticall fiction Little more probable is the opinion of Democritus that the Earth drinking in raine water more then her cauernes can well containe the water reuerberated backe is cause of such a motion But who can imagine that drops of raine falling into the Earth can bee reuerberated backe with such violence to cause such an extraordinary motion of the Earth Anaximenes Milesius was of opinion that the Earth her selfe was cause of her own motion for the parts of it being taken out as it were and broken fall downe sometimes into a great depth causing the vpper face of it to shake and tremble to which opinion also Seneca seemes to subscribe in the sixt booke of his naturall questions the 10 chapter To which also accords the Philosophicall Poet Lucretius in these words Terra superna tremit magnis concussa ruinis Subter vbi ingentes speluncas subruit aetas Quippe cadunt toti montes magnoque repentè Concussu laâ—è dispergunt inde Tremores Et meritò quoniam plaustris concussu tremiscunt Tecta viam propter non magno pondere tota The vpper Earth seaz'd with great ruines shakes When surrowed age her vast ribbes ouertakes For mountaines great fall downe and with the blow The Tremblings are dispersed to and fro Not without reason when a small-siz'd waine Makes houses neere the way to shake amaine This last opinion seemes to carry more shew ofprobability then the former neither can any man deny that sometimes the Earth in some parts may shake by the breaking downe of some subterranean parts whose suddain and violent motion may cause the rest being continuate to entertaine the like conuulsion But yet more generall seemes the opinion of Aristotle who would haue Earthquakes to proceed from a spirit or vapour included in the bowells of the Earth as he testifies in the 2 of his Meteors the 7 chapter For this vapour finding no way to passe out is enforced to returne backe and batred any passage out seekes euery corner and while it labours to breake open some place for going forth it makes a tumultuous motion which is the Earth-quake Now least it should seeme improbable that so great a masse of Earth should bee moued and shaken by so thinne and rarefied a body as is a fume or vapour Aristotle in the same place shewes the admirable force of Winds as well vpon the Aire as on the bodies of liuing creatures In the Aire because experience shewes that being stirred vp by a Windy vapour it sometimes is knowne to moue rockes from one place to another to plucke vp trees and shrubbs by the rootes and sometimes to throw downe the strongest and most stately buildings In mans body because by the stirring vp and agitation of the spirits which are the Instruments of vitall and animall functions sometimes one sicke man can doe that which cannot
bee performed by many stronger and abler men as it hath beene tried sometimes that a Franticke man hath broken very strong chaines wherwith he hath been bound which many other men could not doe Neither on the other side can it seeme strange that many and great exhalations vapours and spirits should be ingendred vnder the Earth For as much as the Earth is heaâ—ed many wayes Many wayes may bee specified whence such fumes should arise as first from the Sunne and Starres Secondly from the subterranean fires hid in the bowels of the Earth Thirdly in the winter-time by an Antiperistasis the heat collecting it selfe downeward to the inner parts of the Earth which was before in the outward parts of it The argument by which Aristotle would confirme this opinion is drawne as well from the time as from the places wherein Earthquakes vsually happen from the time because then most Earthquakes are obserued to bee when most exhalations are inclosed in the bowels of the Earth to wit in the Spring-time and the Autumne From the places because for the most part spongie and hollow Regions which may drinke in a greater quantity of exhalations are commonly most subiect vnto it for although many exhalations are dayly inclosed in the wombe of the Earth yet Earthquakes fall but seldome because the matter is seldome so strong and violent as to shake the Earth Wherefore some Philosophers haue expressed three principall wayes which make this Earth-quake first when a great quantity of exhalations is suddenly ingendred which for the greatnesse of it cannot be contained in so little a space for then being almost choked it seekes a way to fly forth Secondly when the Earth is condensated by cold and driues the exhalation from one place to another which flying hither and thither shakes and strikes the Earth Thirdly when the exhalation the cold compassing it round by an Antiperistasis begets heat within it and so is rarified for so being vnable any longer to confine it selfe to its former place it breakes forth and so shakes the Earth We must here note by the way that not onely exhalations are cause of the distemperature in the Earth but also subterranean fires and windes all which by some are iudged to bee of equall force in this action for the diuision of Earthquakes so farre forth as it concernes the difference of places we must vnderstand that it may be either Vniuersall or particular An Vniuersall Earth-quake is that which shakes all the whole Earth in euery part at least in the vpper face whereof I suppose no naturall cause can be giuen but the immediate and miraculous power of God such an Earth-quake happened at the time of our Sauiours Passion whereof Dydimus a graue and ancient Writer left record But that which is said to haue happened in the time of Valentinian mentioned by Orosius in his 7 booke of Histories 32 Chapter is thought by graue Authours to be no vniuersall Earth-quake howsoeuer for the large extent of it it was thought to be generall A particular Earth-quake is that which is bounded in some one or more particular places which for the causes before-alleaged cannot be so far extended because the cauernes and conuexities of the Earth where such vapours and exhalations are contained cannot bee ordinarily so great as to extend to many Kingdomes and Regions 1 Regions extreame cold or extreame hot are not so subiect to Earth-quakes as places of a Middle temper The reason is because in places extreame cold exhalations are not so soone ingendred and in so great a quantity as in other parts on the other side in places which are extreame hot the exhalations which are bred are soone consumed with excesse of heat both which may be confirmed by Instances It is obserued that in the cold Northerne parts as Olaus Magnus writes in his 10 booke and 13 Chapter Earthquakes are very seldome or neuer so it is obserued by Pliny in his 2 booke and 18 Chapter and Albertus Magnus in his 3 booke of Mâ—teours tract 2 That places which are very hot as Egypt are seldome troubled with this shaking of the Earth whereas places betwixt both which are seated in a more temperat climate find it not so strange 1 Hollow and spongie places are more subiect to Earth-quakes then solide and compacted soyles We must here vnderstand that hollow places are either such as lye open to the Aire or are hollow onely vnder and close vpward The former sort are not at all subiect to the molestation of Earth-quakes because the exhalations fly out without impediment but the latter being more apt to ingender and retaine such matter must of necessity bee more troubled This is most plainely obserued in Phrygia Italia Caria Lydia wherein such motions are more frequent To confirme this a little farther wee obserue that hilly and mountainous places suffer this violence oftner then other parts because there most commonly cauernes and concaâ—ities are more frequent then in plaine countreyes But here by the way may bee obiected that sandy and slimy countryes are many times more free from Earth-quakes then other places an instance whereof was giuen before in Aegypt wherein neuer any Earth-quake as most Authours affirme or at least but one as Seneca hath beene obserued The reason may bee giuen that sandy places without any strife suffer the exhalatioÌ„s to disperse themselues that slimy places want sufficient receptacles to entertayne them 3 Ilands are more often troubled with Earth-quakes then the Continent This haue they found to be true in many Ilands of the Mediterranean Sea and others also chiefly in Cyprus Sicylia Euboea Tyrus Angria Lippora and the Molucco Ilands betwixt the East and West-Indies The cause some would haue to bee the Antiperistasis or circumstancy of the waters which is apt to engender greater store of exhalations in the Earth But neuerthelesse that Ilands are more subiect to Earth-quakes then Continents I dare affirme no otherwise then probable because some places in the Continent seeme very much affected especially in Europe aboue other places Constantinople and Basilaea if we credite authors which haue written of this matter in Asia China and other Regions adioyning thereunto CHAP. XIII 1 THe Naturall affections of the Land haue hitherto beene declared Wee are in the next place to treate of the Ciuill Those wee terme Ciuill which concerne the Inhabitants 2 An Inhabitant is a man dwelling in a certaine place The name of an Inhabitant as we haue before noted may be taken either generally for any liuing creature residing in a certaine place in which sense Brute beasts may be called Inhabitants which signification is only metaphoricall or else for a Reasonable liuing creature whose abode is setled in any place or Region in which sense we here take it The consideration of the Inhabitants we haue reserued for this last Treatise following as well the methode of the first creation as of Moses in the narration For God proceeding in the first Creation according to the