A Goodly Gallery, Book 4
❧The fourth booke of watry impressions.
THose be watry impressions, that consist moste of water. In ye treaty of thē, are wont to be handled, these impressiōs, namely cloudes, rayne, dew, hore frost, hayle, snowe, springes, ryuers and the great sea it selfe.
¶ Of cloudes.
A Cloude is a vapor colde and moyste,Cloudes. drawen out of the earth, or waters by the heate of the sunne, into the mydle region of the ayre, where by colde it is so knit together, that it hangeth vntill either ye waight or some resolution cause it to fall downe.
The place wherein the cloudes doe hange is sayde to be in the midle region of the ayre, because men sée it is necessary that there shoulde be a colde whiche should make those vapors so grosse, and thycke, whiche for the most part are drawen so thinne, from the earth, that they ar inuisible, as the aier is. And although they are knowen oftentime as Aristotle wytnesseth,Arist. to be in the lowest region of the ayre, neare to the earth, in so muche that sometymes, they fall downe to the earth, with great noyse, to ye great feare of men and no lesse losse and daunger. Yet may it be reasonably thought, that these cloudes were generated in ye midle region of the ayre, farre distant from the earth, whiche by their heuines doe by litle and litle sinke downe, lower into ye lowest region, and sometymes also fall downe to the earth.
The commen opinion is,the height of the cloudes. that they goe not hygher then nyne myle, whiche because it leaneth to no reason is vncertayne.
Albertus Magnus, Albert Magnus.whose reason also is to be doubted of, affirmeth, that the cloudes doe scarse exceade thrée myle in heyght, when they are hyghest.
And some let not to saye, that oftentymes they ascend not past the halfe of one myle, in heyght.
Agayne other pretending to find out the truth by Geometical demonstrations, make it aboue fiftie myle to the place where the generation of cloudes is
Howe these men take the distaunce from the earth, it is vncertain. whether that they assigne ye least distance, meane it from the hyghest part of the earth, as are hyll toppes, or from the commen playne. Againe, whether they yt assigne the hyghest distaunce to be from the lowest vallyes, of the earth, or from the hylle toppes.
The reason before shewed, moueth me to thynke that the moste vsuall & cō men generation, I meane the condensation or making thick of these thinne vapors, into cloudes is in the midle region of the ayer. But for the distaunce of the cloudes, whē thei be generated I thinke they be somtime nine mile, somtime in. myle, somtime halfe a myle, & somtyme lesse then a quarter of a myle from the earth.
¶ Of Mystes.
THere be two kyndes of mistes,Mystes. ye one ascending, the other descending.
That whiche ascendeth, goeth vp out of the water, or ye earth as smoke, but doth not cōmenly spred ouer all other parts, it is séen in ryuers and moyst places.
The other mist, that goeth down toward the earth, is when any vapor is lifted vp into the ayre, by the heate of the sunne, which not being strong enough to drawe it so high, that the colde maye knitte it: suffereth it after it is a lytle made thicke, to fall downe agayne, so it filleth al the ayre with the grosse vapors, & is called mistes, being vsually a signe of fayre weather.
Of empty cloudes.
THere be certen cloudes, yt ar empty,Empty cloudes. & send no raine, they come of ij. sortes.
For one sorte are the remnantes of a cloude, that hath rayned, whiche can not be cōuerted into water, for ther dryenes. Another sort is of them, that are drawen vp, of wett and drye places, and be rather Exhalations then vapors, that is they be daie, whot, & light, so that it wer harde for them to be turned into rayne. They looke whyte lyke flocks of woile, when ye lyght striketh into thē. Ther be also empty clouds, when ye wyndes haus dispersed abrode, any cloud, they ar scatered ouer al the skie, but these cloudes, though for a time they be emptye, yet because they consist of such a substaunce as is watrye, they may be and are often tymes, gathered together and geue plē tifull rayne.
Of the collours of cloudes,The collour of cloudes. we hauehave spoken in the second booke of fyry Meteors, where those collours and the causes of them, are described, whiche séeme to be fyerye, or may be thought to be inflamations or burninges, as be redde fyry and yealowysh.
But besyde those, there be whyte, black, blewe, and greane.
Whyte cloudes be thynne, and not very watery, so that the lyght receiued in them, maketh thē to appeare whyte.
Black cloudes be ful of thick, grosse, and earthely matter, that maketh them looke so darke.
Blew cloudes be ful of thick, grosse, and earthly as the blacke, so the light receiued in them, maketh them to séeme blewe.
Grene cloudes are altogether watry, resolued into water, whiche receyuing into them the lyght, appear grene as water doth in a great vessell, or in the sea and ryuers.
¶ Of Rayne.
AFter the generatiō of cloudes is wel knowen, it shall not be hard to learn,Rayne. from whence the rayne commeth.
For after the matter of the cloud being drawen vp, and by cold made thick, (as is sayde before) heate followynge, which is moste commenlye of the Southerne wynde, or any other wynde of hotte temper, doth resolue it againe into water, so it falleth in droppes, to geue encrease of fruit to the earth, and moue men to geue thankes to God.
There be small showers, of small droppes, and there be great stormes of great droppes.
The showers with small drops, proceade either of the small heat, that resolueth the cloudes, or els of the great distaunce of the cloudes from the earth.
The streames with great droppes, contrariwyse, doe come of greate heate, resoluing or melting the cloude, or els of smal distaunce from the earth. Wherof we sée an experiment when water is powred forth, from an highe place, the droppes are smalle, but if it be not from height, it wyll either hauehave no droppes or very great.
The cause why rayne falleth in roū droppes, is both, for that ye partes desire the same forme that the whole hathe, whiche is round▪ & also that so it is best preserued against all cōtrary qualities, like as we sée water, powred vponupon drye or greasy thinges to gather it selfe into roundels, to auoyde the contrarietie of heate and dryenes.
It is not to be ommitted, that raine water although a great part of it be drawen out of the sea, yet moste commenly it is sweet and not salt.why rain water is not salt.
The cause is, because it is drawne vp in suche small vapors, and that salt part is consumed by the heat of the sunne.
The rayn water doubtles, doth more encrease and cherishe thinges growyng on the earth, thē any other water wher with they may be watered, because the rain water, reteineth much of the sunns heate in it, that is no smal comfort to all growyng plantes. The water that commeth from heauen, in rayne wyll sooner come to putrefaction, or stinking, then any other, because it hath béen made very subtile by heate, and also for that it is mixed with so many earthly & corruptible substaunces.
Rayne water that falleth in the sommer, by Auicens iudgemēt,Auicen. is more holsome then other water, because it is not so colde and moist as other waters be, but whotter and lighter.
Somtime ther is salt rain,Salt raine whē som Exhalatiō which is whot & drie, is cōmixd we the vapor wherof the raine cōsisteth.
Sometime it is bitter,Bitter raine. when summe burnt earthly moisture is mixed with it. This rayne is both vnholsom & also vnfruictful. In these coūtries, ther is great store & plenty of rayn, because the sunne is of such tēperat heat, yt it gathereth many vapors, & by immoderat heat doth not consume them. But in ye East partes, in some whot cōtries, it neuer or seldom is séen to rain, as in Egipt & Siria, but insteade of rain Egipt hath ye ryuer Nilus, The riuer Nilus.whose ouerflowings, doth maruelously fatten ye earth. In Syria & other like coū tries, they hauehave more plentifull dewe, then we hauehave, which doth likewyse make their earth exceading fruictfull.
Seneca testifieth,Seneca. that ye rayn soketh no deper into the earth thē tenn foot depe.
¶ Of the signes of Rayne.
FIrst if the skie be redd in the morning, it is a token of rayne,Signes of rayne. because these vapors which cause the rednes, wylbe shortly resolued into rayne.
If a darke cloude be at the sunne rysing, in whiche the sunne soone after is hidde, it wyll desolue it, and rayn wyll followe. If then appeare a cloude and after vapors are séen to ascend vp to it, that betokeneth rayne.
If the sunne or Moone loke pale, loke for rayne.
If the sunne in the East, séem greater then commonly he appeareth, it is a signe of many vapors whiche will bryng rayne.
If the sunne be séen very earlye, or fewe starres appeare in the nyght, it be tokeneth rayne.
The often chaunging of the wynds, also sheweth tempest.
The moste suer and certaine signe of rayne, is the southerne wynde, whiche with his warmenes, alwayes resolueth the cloudes, into rayne.
When there is no dewe at such tymes as by nature of the tyme, ther shold be, rayne followeth, for the mater of the dewe, is turned into the matter of watrie cloudes.
If in the West about the sunne setting, there apeare a black cloude, it wyl rayne that nyghte, because that cloude shall wante heate, to disperse it.
When muche dust is raysed vp, and when the woddes make a great noyse, some tempest is towards.
Hard stoones wylbe moist and sweat against rayne, lamps, and candles, by sparcling, frogges crying, trées breaking, leaues falling, and dust clottering forewarne vsus of a tempest.
Flees, flyes and gnats, byght sore toward a tēpest, kyne féed greadely, birds séeke their vitels more besilie, for in the grosse ayer disposed to rayne, their stomack is whoter and they more hongry. But these kynde of signes perteine not so properly to Meteorologie, as to maryners and husbādrie, which hauehave a great many more then these. And Virgil in his first booke of Georgikes, hath a great nomber for them, that lyst to learne. Wherfore let these hetherto suffice.
¶ Of monstruous or prodigious rayne.
HEtherto we hauehave made mentiō only of naturall rayne,Of monstruous rayne. & that which is cō mon whiche no man doth marueile at. But ther is somtime such rain, that worthely may be wondred at, as when it raineth, wormes, frogs, fishes, blood, milke flesh, stones, wheat, iron, wol, brick and quicksiluer. For histories make mentiō, that at diuerse times, it hath rained such thinges, whose naturall cause for the moste parte, we will goe about to expresse, notwithstandinge accomptinge them amonge suche wonders, as God sendeth to be considered, for such endes, as we hauehave before declared. Wormes & frogges may thus be generated,Wormes & froggs when fat Exhalations ar drawen vp into ye ayre by a temperature of whott & moist, such vermyn may be generated in the ayr, as they are on the earth, without copulatiō of male & female. Or els that with the Exhalations & vapors, their séede & egges are drawen vp, which being in ye clouds brought to form, fal down amōg ye rain.
Likewyse the spawne of fishes,Fishes. being drawne vp maketh fishes to rayn out of the cloudes.Mylke. The vehement heate of the sunne, in sommer and specially in whot contries, draweth mylke out of the pappes of beastes & cattel, whiche being caried vp in vapors and resolued again into mylke, falleth downe lyke rayn.
After the same maner the sunne also from places where bloud hath ben spilt, draweth vp great quantitie of bloud,Blood. & so it rayneth bloud.
It raineth flesh,Fleshe. when great quantitie of bloud being drawen vp, it is clottered together and séemeth to be flesh. Auicen sayeth that a whole calfe fel out of the aire,Auicen. and some wold make it seme credible, that of vapors and Exhalations with the power of the heauenly bodies, concurring, a calfe, myght be made in the cloudes. But I had rather thynke, that this calfe was takē vp in som storm of whrlewynd, and so let fall again, thē agrée to so monstruous a generation.
It is a great deale more reasonable, that stones of earthly matter gathered in cloudes,Stones. shoulde be generated as we hauehave said befor of ye thōderbolt. Yet som men thinke, ye wynd in caues of ye earth, breakīg vpward violētly, carieth before it, earth & stones into ye ayre, which can long abide, but fall downe and are compted amōg prodigius rayne. Exhalations that be earthy and drawne out of claye, hauehave muche grosse substaunce in them,Brycke. which gathered together, & by gret heat burned in the clouds, make brick, which is no great meruayle.
He that hath séen an egges shell full of dewe, drawen vp by the sunne into the ayre,Wheate. in a May morninge, wyll not thynke it incredible, that wheat & other grayne, should be drawen vp in muche whotter countries then ours is, muche rather the meale or flower whiche is lighter.
A certayne mossynes, lyke woll, as is vponupon quinses,Wolle. wyllowes, and other yonge fruictes and trees, is drawen vp of the sunne, among the vapors and Exhalations, which being clottered together, falleth downe lyke lockes of wolle.
Quicksiluer all men knowe,Quicksyluer. with small heate wylbe resolued into moste thinne vapors. Whereof when quantitie is drawent vp, it falleth down agayne. As it is redde, that once at Rome, it rayned quicksyluer, wherewith the brasen mony being rubbed, it looked like siluer.
Titus Liuius, maketh mention, that it rayned chalke,Chalke. T. Liuius whereof the cause can not be hydde to them, that reade howe stoone and brick come into the ayre.
Iron hath also rayned out of ye clouds, and sundry tymes, as histories wytnesse.Iron. Whereof this hath ben the cause. The generall matter of all metalles, with is quicksiluer, and brymstone, which the speciall matter of mixtion, that maketh irone, weare all drawen vp together, & there concocted into the metall, so came the straunge rayne of iron.
Auicen sayeth,Auicen. he sawe a piece of irō that fel out of the cloudes, that weighed about an hundred pound weyght, wher of very good swerdes were afterwardes made.
¶ Of Dewe.
DEwe is that vapore, Dewe.whiche in spring and Autumne, is drawen vp by the sunne in the daye tyme, whiche because it is not caried into the midle region of the ayre, abidyng in the lower region, by colde of the nyghte, is condensede into water, and falleth downe in verye smalle droppes.
There is cōmen dewe & swete dew. One kynde of the sweet dewes, is called Manna, Manna.being whyghte lyke sugar, whiche is made of thicke and clammye vapors, whiche maketh it so to fall thicke and whyte. It falleth onelyonly in the East partes. As for that Manna which God rained to the Israelites was altogether miraculous. In Arabia (as Plinius wryteth) is a very pretious kynde of dewe,Plinius. Arabia yt is called Ladanum, Ladanū.whiche falling vponupon the herbe Cusus, Cusus.& mixed with the iuyse of that hearbe which goates do eate, is gathered of goates heares and kept for a great treasure. Ther is another kind of swete dewes, that falleth in England called the meldewes, which is as sweet as hony being of such substance as hony is, drawē out of sweet herbes & flowers.
There is also a bitter kynde of dewe that falleth vponupon herbes,bitterdew and lieth on them lyke brann or meale, namelye because it is of an earthly Exhalation, & so remayneth, when the moyster is drawē away: this dewe kylleth herbes.
The commē dewe, dronke of cattel, toth, rotte them because the matter is ful of viscositie, bringing thē to a fluxiō.
Ther be thre thinges, ye hinder dew from falling, that is great heate, great colde, and wynde. For dewe falleth in the most temperat calme tyme.
¶ Of hore froste.
HOare frost or whight frost, is nothīg els but dewe congeled by ouermuche colde.Hoar frost The South and East wynd, doth cause dew, but the North and Northern wyndes, doe fryese the vapors, and so it becommeth hoare froste, whiche if that excessiue colde had not béén, should hauehave turned into dewe.
The dewe and the hoare frost, agrée in thre thinges, namely in matter, in qualitie of time, and place of their generation. In matter they agrée, for they are both generated of a subtile & thinne vapor, also small in quantitie.
In qualitie of tyme they consent, for both are made in a quiet & calme tyme, for if there were great wynde, it would dryue away the matter, and so cold ther be no generation.
Thyrdly they are both generated in the lowest region of the ayre, for (as Aristotle affirmeth) vpō high hilles,Arist. ther is neither dewe nor hoare frost.
They differ also in thre things. For the hoare froste is congeled before it be turned into water, so is not the dewe.
Secondly, the dewe is generated in temperate weather, the whight froast in colde weather.
Last of all, whote wyndes, as the South and East do cause dewe, but cold wyndes as the Northe and Weast doe cause hoare froast.
Hoare froast doth often stynke, because of the stinking matter whereof it consisteth, which is drawen out of lakes and other muddy and stinking places.
¶ Of Hayle.
HAyle is a hotte vapor in the mydle region of the ayre,Hayle. by the cold of that region, made thicke into a cloude whiche falling downe to the soden colde of the lowest region is congeled into Ise.
There be so many kyndes of hayle, as ther be of rayn. The fashion of hayl, is sometyme round, whiche is a token yt it was generated in the mydle region of the ayre, or very neare it, for falling frō hygh, the corners are worne away.
When the hayle stones are square, or thre cornered, the hayle was generated neare the earth.
Often times, there is harde a great sounde in the cloudes, as it were of thō der, before hayle, or as it were of an army fighting &c. the cause is, that vapors of contrarie qualities, beinge inclosed in the cloude, doe striue to breake out, & make a noyse euen as colde water doth put into a seathing pot.
In spryng and haruest tyme, is often hayle, seldome in sommer and wynter. In wynter there wanteth whot vapors, in sommer, the lowest regiō is to whot, to congele the rayne falling downe. In spring and Autumne, there wanteth neither whot vapors, to resist the colde, nor sufficient colde to harden the droppes of that whot shower of rayne.
The haylestones are somtimes greater, and sometimes lesser: greater with greater colde, and lesser with lesser cold.
There is seldome haile in the night, for want of whot vapors to be drawē vp.
Sometime hayle & rayne, falleth together, when the latter end of the cloud for want of colde in the lowest region, is not congeled.
Hayle stones ar not so cleare, as Ise, because they are made of grosse & earthy vapors, ise is congeled of cleare water.
Hayle is sooner resolued into water, then snowe, because it is of a more sodē and swyft generation.
¶ Of Snowe.
SNowe is a cloude congeled by greate colde,Snowe. before it be perfectlye resolued from vapors into water.
Snowe is whyght, not of the proper colour, but by receiuing the lyghte into it, in so many small partes as in some, or the whyghte of an egge beaten.
Snowe is often vponupon highe hilles, & lieth long there, because their toppes ar colde as they be neare to the mydle region of the ayre. For oftentimes it rayneth in the vallye when it snoweth on the hylles.
Snowe melting on the high hilles, and after frosen agayne, becommeth so hard that it is a stone, & is called Christal. Originall of CristallOther matters of snowe because they ar cōmen with raine, are nedeles to be spoken of. To be shorte, sléet is generated euen as snow, but of lesse colde, or els beginneth to melte in the falling.
Snowe causeth thinges growing to be fruitfull, and encrease, because the cold dryueth heate vntounto the rootes, and so cherysheth the plantes.
¶ Of Springes and Riuers.
THe generation of springes is in the bowels of the earth,Springes. & therfore something must be sayde of the bodye of the earth. The earth though it be solide and massy, yet hath it many hollow gutturs and vaynes, in whiche is alwayes ayer to auoyde emptines. For the ignoraunt in Philosophie must be admonished, yt all thinges are full, nothing is emptye,Nothing is empty. for nature abhorreth emptines, so that where nothing els is, there is ayre and vapors, whiche by colde as it hath often ben sayde, wylbe resolued into droppes, as we sée experience in marble pillers & suche lyke harde stoones, towards raine. This aier and vapors therfore being turned into droppes of water, these dropps sweet out of the earth, and fynde some issue at the length, where many beyng gathered together make great aboundaunce of water, which is called a fountayne or sprynge. The cause why suche sprynges doe runne continually, is because that aire can neuer wante in those vaines, which by colde will alwayes be turned into water, so that as fast as the water runneth forthe, so faste is ayer agayne receyued into the place, whereby it commeth to passe, yt so many springes are perpetuall, and neuer dried. But if any be dried vp, it is in a whot sommer, and such springs also they be, whose generation is not depe in the earth, & therfore the vapors may be made drye & the earth warme, so the spryng may fayle.
¶There be foure kyndes of spryngs, fountains, brookes, ryuers, & lakes.
¶ Of Fountaines.
FOuntaines be small springes,Foūtains. which serue for wells and conductes, when there is but one place, where the water is generated, and that is not very abundaunt, ether because it is of small compasse, or small vaynes and not many.
¶ Of Brookes.
BRookes,Brookes. boornes, or fordes, be small streames of water, that ronne in a chā nell, lyke a ryuer. They are caused whē either the spryng occupieth a great compasse, or els two or thre small sprynges meate together in one channell.
¶ Of Ryuers.
Ryuers.Ryuers are caused by the meatynge together, not only of many springs, but also of many broocks & fordes, which being receiued in diuerse places, as they passe ar at the lēgth, caried into ye broad sea, for the moste part. Howbeit some riuers are swallowed vp into the earth, which perchaunce runne into the sea by some secret and vnknowen channels, some ryuers there be, that hide their heddes vnderunder the earth, and in another place, farre of breake out againe. They wryte also, that some ryuers being swallowed vp of the earth, in one Ilande do runne vnderunder the bottome of the earth & sea, and breake forth in another Ilonde. There be also many great ryuers yt run vnderunder the earth in great caues which neuer breake foorth. Aristotle sheweth of pondes & lakes,Arist. that be vnderunder the earth. And Seneca speaketh of a pond that was founde by suche as digged in the earth,Seneca. with fishes in it, & they that did eate of them died. As éeles ye be founde in darke places, as wells that hauehave béen dammed vp &c. are poyson.
¶ Of Lakes.
LAkes ar made by the meting together of many ryuers,Lakes. brookes & springs into one deepe valley. Whereof some are so great, that they hauehave the name of seas, as ye great lake called Hircane, or Caspiā sea. These lakes sometymes vnlade thē selues into the sea, by small riuers, somtymes by passages vnderunder the earth.
The cause of the swiftnes of ryuers, is double, for they are swyfte either for the great aboundaunce of waters, or els because they runne downe from an hylly place, as the ryuer Rhene falleth downe from the toppe of wonderfull hyghe hylles.
¶ Of whote bathes.
SOme waters that are generated and flowe out of vaynes of brymstone,Whote bathes. are sensybly warme, and some very whott, because they runne out of whot places. These waters being also drying by nature, are wholsome for many infyrmities, specially breakyng forth of scabbs. &c. Suche are the bathes in the Weste countrye, and S. Ann. of Buckstones well in the North part of England and many other els where.
¶ Of the diuerse tastes that are perceiued in wells.
FOr a generall reason, the waters receyue their tast of that kynde of earth,Tastes of waters. through whiche they runne as through a strainer. Some salt, that runn through salt vaynes of the earth, som swéet, that be well strayned, or runne through such myneralls as be of swéet taste.
Some bytter, yt flowe out of such earth, as is bitter by addustion or otherwyse.
Some sower or sharpe lyke vineger, which runne through vaynes of allum, coporous, or suche mineralls. Aristotle wryteth of a well in Scicilia, aristotle.whose water the inhabitauntes vsed for vyneger.Well waeter vsed for vineger. In Bohemia neare to the citie called Bilen, Bohemia.is a wel that the people vse to drinke of in the mornyng, in steade of burnt wyne. And in dyuerse places of Germany, be sprynges, ye tast of such sharpnes.
Some hauehave the taste of wyne, as in Paphlagonia, Paphlagonia.is a well that maketh men dronke whiche drynke thereof: whiche is because that water receyueth the fumosite of brymstone, & other mineralls through which it runneth, and so filleth the brayne as wyne doth.
¶ A recitall of such ryuers and springes, as hauehave maruelous effectes wherof no naturall cause can be assigned by most mē, although some reason in a fewe may be founde.
CLitumnus which maketh oxē, ye drinke of it whyght,maruelus water. Clitūnus. it is a ryuer or spring in Italie. Propert. lib. 3.Propertiꝰ. This may be ye qualitie of the water very flegmatike. In Boetia is a ryuer called Melas, Boetia.Melas.yt maketh shepe blacke if they drinke thereof.
Seneca speaketh of a ryuer yt maketh redde heares.Seneca. These two with the fyrst, may hauehave some reason, that the qualitie of the water may alter complexion, and so the collor of heares may be changed, as we sée in certaine diseases.
In Libia is a spring,Libia. that at the sunne rysing and setting, is warme, at midday colde, and at midnight very whott: this may be, by the same reason that wel water is colder in sommer thē it is in wynter. Seneca wryteth,Seneca. that there be ryuers, whose waters are poyson, this maye be naturally, the water running through poysonous minerals, taking much fume of them. Other wells that make wodde and all thing els that be cast into them stones, such welles be in Englande the cause is great colde.
Another well, maketh men madd yt drinke thereof. This also may hauehave as good reason as that whiche maketh mē dronke. As also that well which maketh men forgetful by obstruction of ye brain.
The same Seneca speaketh of a water that being dronke, prouoketh vntounto lust and lechery. And why may not that qualitie be in a water, which is mixed with diuerse mineralls, and kindes of earth, which is in herbes, rootes, fruict. liquors. S. Augustin speaketh of a well in Egipt, S. Augustine.in which burning torches are quenched, and being before quenched, are lighted. Among the Garamantes is a well so colde in the daye,Garamā tes. that no man can abyde to drynke of it, in the nyght so whott, that none can abyde to fele it.
It is incredible, that is wrytten of a well in Scicilia, Scicilia.whereof if theues did drinke they were made blynde.
In Idumea was a well,Idumea. that one quarter of a yeare was troubled and moddy, the next quarter bloody, the third gréen, and the fourth, cleare.
Seneca wryteth of another well that was six houres full and runninge ouer,Seneca. and six houres decresing and emptie, per chaunse, because it ebbed and flowed, with the sea, or some great ryuer that was neare it.
In the hill Anthracius, Anthracius.is sayde to be a well, whiche when it is full, signifieth a fruictefull yeare, when it is scarce and emptye, a barren and deare yeare. The sufficiens of moysture, maketh fertilitie, as the wante causeth the contrary.
Men saye there is a Ryuer in Hungarye,Hūgaria in whiche Iron is turned into coper. Whiche may well be, seyng inke in whiche is but small coperus, and artificially myxed, of Iron, dothe conterfeyte coper in collour. In this streame maye be muche coperus, and that is naturally myxed.
Both Seneca and Theophrastus, Seneca Theophrasius.wytnesse, ye waters there be, whiche within a certayne space being dronke of shéepe, as (Seneca sayeth) of byrdes (as Theophrastus will hauehave it) changeth their collours frō black to whyte, & frō white to black.
Vitruuius wryteth,Vitruuiꝰ that in Arcadia, Arcadiais a water called Nonacrinis whiche no vessell of syluer,Nonacrinus. brasse, or Irō, can hold, but it breaketh in pieces, and nothynge but a mules hoofe, wyll holde it and conteyne it.
In Illyria, Illyria.garmētes yt are holdē ouer amost cold well, ar kindled & set on fyre.
In the Ile of Andros, where the tē ple of Bacchus stoode,andros Bacchus. is a well that the fift day of Ianuary flowed wyne.
Isidore sayeth,Isidorus. there is a well in Italy, that healeth the woundes of yt eyes.
In the Ile of Chios, Chios.is a well that maketh men dulwitted, that drinke therof.
There is another that causeth men to abhorre lust.
Lechnus a spryng of Arcadia, Lechnus.is good against abortions.
In Scicilia are two spryngs of which one maketh a woman fruictfull,Scicilia. and the other barren.
In Sardania, Sardinia.be whote welles that heale sore eyes.
In an Ile of Pontus, Pontus.the ryuer Astares, astares.ouerfloweth the fieldes in whiche the shéepe that be fedde, doth geue black mylke.
In Aethiopia, aetiopia.is a lake, whose water is lyke oyle.
Also manye sprynges of oyle hauehave brooken foorth of the earth, which cōmeth of the viscositie or fatnes of ye same earth.
The lake Clitorie, Clitorius.in Italye, maketh men that drynke of it to abhorre wyne.
The lake Pentasium (as Solinus saith) is deadly to serpentes & wholsom to mē.Pentasiū. Solinus.
Seneca wryteth of certeyn lakes that wyll beare men which can not swymm. And that in Siria, Syria.is a lake in whiche brickes do swymme, and no heuy thing wyll sinke.
It is said, that the ryuer Rhene in Germany wyll drowne basterd childrē that be cast in it,Rhenus. but dryue alonde them that be lawfully begotten.
The ryuer Hypanis in Schithia, Hypanis Schithia.eueryday bryngeth foorth litle bladders, out of whiche flyes do come that die the same nyght.
Matrona the ryuer of Germany,Matrona. as ye common people saith, neuer passeth day but he taketh some praye.
¶ Of the Sea.
THe sea in this treatise,The sea. hath place as a mixed substaunce, for els the elemēt of waters being simple, were not here to be spoken of.
The sea is the naturall place of the waters,The naturall place of the water. into which all ryuers and other waters, are receiued, at the length.
And here it is to be vnderstanded, yt the very proper & naturall place of the water, were to couer al the earth, for so be the elementes placed. The earth lowest, & roūd about the earth, the water, about the water the ayre, and about the ayre the fyre. But God the most mighty and wyse creator of all thinges,Gen. 1. that the earth might in som partes be inhabited of men and beastes, cōmaunded the waters to be gathered into one place, that the drie londe might appeare, and called the drie land earth, and the gathering of waters he called seas.
In the sea are these two thinges to be considered, the saltnes, & the ebbinge and flowyng.
¶ Of the saltnes.
THe saltnes of the sea, accordinge to Aristotles mynde is caused by ye sunn,Arist. that draweth from it all thinne & swete vapors, to make rayne leauing the reste as the setling or bottom, whiche is salt. But men of oure tyme, peraduenture more truely, do not take this for the only and sufficient cause, to mak so great a quantitie of water salt, but say, that the sea by Gods wysdome is gathered into such valleys of the earth, as were other wyse barren & vnfruictful, such carthes are salte, the sea water then mixed with that earth, must néedes be salt, els ryuers by Aristotles mynde, should be salt as well as the sea. The Reader maye chuse whiche opinion is most probable.
¶ Of the ebbing and flowyng.
THe ebbing and flowing of the sea, as Aristole semeth to teach,Ebbinge and flowing. aristotl…s. is by reason of Exhalations, that be vnderunder the water, whiche dryue it to and fro, according to contrary boundes, and limites, as vpwarde and downwarde, of wyde and narrowe, déepe and shallowe. This opinion of Aristotle also, as more subtile thē true, experiēce teacheth men to mislike & to ascribe the cause of ebbing & flowyng to the course of the moone, which ruleth ouer moysture, as the sunne doth ouerheate, for frō the new Moone to the full, all humors do encrease, and from the ful to the newe moone, decrease agayne. Also the very true tyme of the ebbing and flowyng may be knowen, by the course of the Moone. with whome as the ladye of moysture, we will close vp the fourth booke of moiste and watry impressiōs.