THE Abyssinian Philosophy CONFUTED: OR, TELLVRIS THEORIA Neither Sacred, nor agreeable to Reason. Being, for the most part, a Translation of Petrus Ramazzini, Of the Wonderful Springs of Modena. Illustrated with many Curious Remarks and Experiments by the Author and Translator. To which is added, A New Hypothesis deduced from Scripture, and the Observation of Nature. With an Addition of some Miscellany Experiments.
BY ROBERT St. CLAIR, M. D.
LONDON, Printed for the Author, and Sold by W. Newton, over against St. Bartholomew-Close-Gate, in Little-Britain, 1697.
To the Truly HONOURABLE Sophronius Philalethes.
THIS Treatise of the Wonderful Springs of Modena, publisht in Latin by Bernard Rammazzini Physician of that Town, & Translated by me, tho [...] it has upon view had the approbation of the most Knowing Mr. beside the most Eminent Physicians of the Colledge, and others, as the most admirable piece of Natural History that hath yet seen Day in our English World▪ for therein are at once discovered the changes that Nature hath [Page] not made but in some thousand of years; yet I thought it not adviseable for me to expose this stranger, how ingenious, soever to the publick view, and consequently censure, without providing him a friend before-hand; especially seeing he is to appear against an Author, whose Reputation for Learning, and this his Hypothesis is so far establisht, that he has already brought it to many Impressions. Among all that I have the honour to be acquainted with, worthy Sir, I thought I could not address my s [...]lf, to a fitter Patron than your self. Whether the Dignity of the Subject, or the Modesty and Ingenuity with which the Author sets it out, be considered, this Treatise will merit your Approbation. Suffer therefore, worthy Sir, amidst the Croud of your other more Important Affairs, this Curious Searcher of Nature, and Stranger, under your Patrociny, to do that service to the Lovers of Knowledge, that Sir Matthew Hales makes the Clock-Maker to do to the Philosophers; for he supposes that in a Country abounding with several Sects of Philosophers, yet unacquainted [Page] [...]i [...]ll then, with the noble Invention of Watches and Clocks, a curiously contriv'd Clock were exp [...]s'd to publick view, yet so that they should have no access so look into the inside of it, The Epicureans would likely attribute it to the fortuitous concourse of Atoms, the P [...]rpate [...]ick to the contemperation of the Four Elements and the Cartesian to his three Principles, every one according to the Fancies he was prepossest with, but the Clock-Maker, whom he supposes behind the Curtain to hear all they say, steps out, and by opening the Clock, shews how wide they a [...] all of the Truth, by letting them see the Spring, and the contrivance of the Wheels, on which the Motion of his Engine depends, and that it was he who made it. In the same Manner, Nature her self, by the Pen of this Observing Italian, seems modestly to give a check to the presumption of her pretended Interpreters, who will pass a Iudgment on her most hidden Works, where they never could pretend to make the least observation, on which to found their Iudgment. The respect the Author shews to Scripture Authority, is the rather remarkable in [Page] him, that he is a Roman Catholick, who by us are charged with the contrary Vice, which makes the fault of the Theorist, a professed Protestant, more black, that is so bold in contradicting it, and making it speak untruth to accommodate it self to the capacity of the Vulgar, which tho' some P [...]ous Divines have allowed in passages of Scripture, where the Phaenomena of Nature are spoken of by the by, (which yet I prove to be a mistake in the Confutation of the Theory) yet to make the whole first chapter of Genesis, wherein the Spirit of God does è composito, give an account of the Creation false, is a piece of Presumption few have been guilty of besides our Theorist.
As for the Confutation of the Theory, tho' the performance may be short of what the Subject requir'd, yet I hope the design will please you, which is to vindicate the truth of the Scriptures, for which I know you have a great veneration, from the false glosses and perversions of some that seem to have studied Divinity, for nothing else but to ridicule it, which they do the more remarkably, that almost in the same breath they pretend a great respect [Page] to it, in which I endeavour to prove, that the passages the Theorist cavils at, are to be understood to speak according to the Truth of the thing, and not according to the false Opinion of the Ignorant vulgar. If in this my small endeavour, I may find your Patrocin, I shall not care for the displeasure of these men of Ephesus, whose made it is to make Shrines to this their Diana of Hypothetical Philosophy, I mean who in their Closets make Systems of the World, prescribe Laws to Nature, without ever consulting her by Observation and Experience, who (to use the Noble Lord Verulams words) like the Spider, with great labour, spin a curious Cob-web out of their Brains, that is good fo [...] nothing but to be swept down, which tho' it has a great shew of reason, in effect, has no better right to that venerable Title, than the Fancies of those who are said to make Wind-mills in their Head. I have given the whole Book the Title of The Abyssinian Philosophy confuted, because as the Preface is a confutation of the Theory, so if you read Rammazzini from page 88, at the end, to page 102. you will find that the Theory is much the [Page] same with the Abyssinian Philosophy, if not taken from it, which being evident to be a mere fiction, is ground enough for the Title, and Confuta [...]n enough tho' I should say no more. I shall not farther incroach upon your time, but here make an end, after I have subcribed my self,
TO THE READER.
WHen this Book came first to my hand, by the favour of a Friend, who about a year and a half a go, brought it from Italy, after once reading I was so taken with the principal matter of Fact therein contained, and the [...]genious things with which the Author Illustrates it, that I would not part with it till I could send it abroad in an English Dress, as being better than any other Argument, to shew the vanity of these Mens Labours, that would describe to us a World of their own Fancying instead of one of God's Making, who when they have set it out to the best advantage, can discover to us at the best, but a bare conjecture, which leaves the Mind uncertain, instead of satisfying it with solid Reason, and is unprofitable either as to Life or Religion; yet if that were the worst of it, might be born with as other luxuriances [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] of Humane Wit, that oftenspends it self on superfluities, when it is not sufficient for things of real use. ‘Hoc habet ingenium humanum ut cum ad solida, Non sufficit in superracua se effundat. Verulum.’ But when they come to overturn the Scripture, to establish their own Prophane Fancies, as our Theorist has done, in favour of a Spurious Brat, of which he will needs be counted the Father; in this I think every one according to his ability ought to oppose it. Yet what satisfactory account can we expect from such, of the Old World, and its great Change, so remote from us, that can give us so little account of the Present World, and the things in it, which yet would be by far more useful to us.
The Theorist has indeed set out this Fiction of his, with all the advantages of a smooth stile, which I believe hath procur'd it so good a reception with the generality, who are more taken with fine Words, than plain, tho' solid [Page] Reasons; but if we may judge of the Buyers Inclination by the tendency of the Book, I am yet willing to have the Charity for the Theorist, that 'twas not the design of the Author; they are the same Persons, who pretend they will not believe many things in Scripture, because they cannot see a Reason for them, and yet they do greedily entertain this Theory, and the Fictions of Des Cartes, which differ little from the Abyssinian Fiction or Hypothesis, as will appear to any that compares both, with what is in this Book translated from the Italian, only they have new vamp'd it, and set it out in another Dress to make it pass for their own. But after I had taken a nearer view of the Author's Opinion, and what he advances in favour of it, I found it so full of contradictions to Scripture and Reason, yet join'd with a very high conceit of his own Fancies, (a fault I find very common among the Abyssinian Philosophers) that I had once thought of not meddling with it, as an endless labour, upon which account also, I have not meddled with a Book Printed at Oxford, Anno [Page] De Antris Laethiferis, especially seeing the Learned and Pious Mr. Warren has already done it so fully, that he has left little to be added to it; but considering that the bigness of his Book might obstruct the attaining of the end for which he design'd it, viz. to undeceive the generality of Readers, who being the least considering, perhaps have not allowed themselves Time to read so large a Treatise, or at least so attentively as it deserves; upon this consideration, (I say) I resum'd my former thoughts, with design to be as brief as possible, yet without omitting any thing material in the Theory that deserv'd an Answer. The Author begins Tell. Theor. ch. IV. The Form of the Antediluvian Earth, was different from the present Form of it, which that he might not seem to dictate with an [...] he promises to prove first from Scripture, secondly by Reasons, both a Priori & Posteriori.
Now that we may see if the performance answer to so great undertakings, we shall first examine his main Arguments from Scripture, and especially that of St. Peter, 11. ch. 3. 5, 6. ver. For [Page] this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the Heavens were of Old, and the Earth standing out of the Water and in the Water. v. 6. Whereby the World that then was, being over flowed with Water, perished. Vpon this Rock (says the Theorist, prophanely alluding to our Saviours words to St. Peter) do we chiefly build the Theory as to Scripture Authority; and we always thought this an unmoveable foundation, Which yet we shall find upon a due search, to be unstable as Water, and therefore cannot hold.
The words of the Text the Theory explains thus, The Apostle manifestly distinguishes between the Old World and the New, and especially because of the different natural states, or their different shapes and qualities of Mat [...]er. Secondly, He intimates that the [...]orm of the Antediluvian World was [...]he cause of the Deluge. Thirdly, He says expresly, the World perisht in [...]he Deluge.
The Authour himself [...]ays, That the Sacred [...]riters, Theor. l. 1. p. 114. when they treat [...]f Natural things, do not [Page] thereby intend to instruct us in Natural Philosophy, but to infuse into our Minds Holy Affections, and a Veneration of the God of Israel, whom they Preach. May we not thence infer, that to have prosecuted this noble design, would have been fitter for a Divine, than thus to abuse the Scriptures to another end, than that for which they were Written, when he founds a point of Philosophy upon this Text; and farther, that seeing what he founds upon it, was contrary to the common opinion of the times that the Apostle wrote in, the Theorist has mist the meaning of the Text. For whom among the Writers of the Apostles time, or before, can he produce that was of the opinion, that the Earth did encompass the Waters, as an Egg-shell does the White and Yolk; surely, seeing he seems so conversant in Antiquities, he might have thought it his interest to find at least one passage among them, to favour this Paradox of this, that it might not be reproach'd with being the Opinion of one Dr. only.
And further we may infer, that as the Pen-Men of the Scripture, did not [Page] write to teach us Philosophy, so neither does the Apostle here reprove Men for Ignorance in a point of Philophy, (especially Abyssinian) but for Atheistical Principles, as first in denying God's Providence, v. 3. There shall come in the last day Scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying where is the promise of his coming, for since the Fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation. Where the Apostle reproves Scoffers, who imagin'd that things went on by chance, and continued so in this first state from the Creation, without God's Direction, which he carries yet higher, that they disown the Power of God in the Creation, For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God, &c. and as the charging of Men with wilful ignorance in a point of Philosophy, that there was no possibility of knowing, before this new found Philosophy, would have been very unjust, so it would have been a Coque à lasne, to have thus past from his subject and design of reproving Atheists, to reprove ignorance in a point of natural Philosophy, and that without giving any notice [Page] of it before hand, and such a reproof would have been no more suitableto the scope of the Apostle, than to have reproved them for ignorance of such a place as America, which was discovered but of late.
But farther, this Text which the Abyssinian makes his unmoveable foundation, if the scope be seriously considered, gives a strong foundation of an Argument against him. The Apostle (as we have already proved) reproves those who are willingly ignorant of the Power of God, and who either denied it altogether, as the Epicureans did, who were a famous Sect at that time, and who disputed with St. Paul at Athens, Acts 17. 18. Or else such as pretended to give an account of the first Formation of all things, without taking notice of the Power of God in it, which was or among the Greek Philosophers in those times; now this is the fault the Theois guilty of in the account Creation, all the Six days Works are in Scripture said to be performed by the Word or Power of God, but in the Theory all is said to be carried on by the Laws of Gravitation, without [Page] any mention made of the Power of God, which is the very thing that is [...]ere condemned by the Apostle, and [...]herefore what the Theory thinks [...]o make most for it, militates most against it. This Charge is justify'd from the Theories own words, Tell. The. ch. 6. I have followed the most common Laws of Gravitation and Levity, and by their guidance alone, we have seen the Promogenial Mass after one or two alterations, and an unconstant shape, to have come into that stable form of the Earth built upon the Waters, that was to continue for some Ages. Seeing therefore the Theorist has willingly left out any mention of the Power of God in his whole Theory, contrary to the Tenour of the Scriptures, which ascribes all the Works both of Creation and Providence, to the Wisdom and Power of God, he may be said to be willingly ignorant of both, and to have written rather like a Disciple of Orpheus, than a Disciple of Moses.
And yet his Laws of Gravitation, if rightly considered, will not answer the Phaenomena of the Creation, for the World was then but a making, and [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] might be then compar'd to the Materials of a Clock, before an Ingenious Artisicer, which could never point out the Hours and Strike, imitate the motions of the Sun and Moon, as some are made to do, till the Artificer had first made the several Wheels, &c. in due proportion, and fitted them together, and last of all put a Spring or Motion to them, which I judge to have been compleated about that time, when he said all was very good, which Motion has been continued ever since, except when he hath been pleased by his Finger, to put a stop to some of the Wheels, as he did when the Sun and Moon stood still, or to make them run backward, as he did when the Shadow went back on the Dial of Ahaz, or to accelerate their Motions more than ordinary, among which may be reckon'd this of the Deluge, of which, and the Creation, 'tis as easie for the Theorist to give an account, as if he had been one God Almighty's Counsel at that time. One might think that the sense of our natural blindness, even in things that most concern our selves, and that we have daily in our hands, might give [Page] a check to this presumption, but vain Man would be wise.
Beside this Achillean Argument and Foundation of the Theory, from which [...]he Author hopes never to be beat, he has others, which at the first view, [...]nd as he is pleas'd to explain them, [...]eem to favour his Cause very much, yet after examination, will be found to make no more for him than the former. One is taken from Psal. 24. 2. For he hath founded it upon the Sea, and establisht it upon the Floods, or upon the Rivers. What could one think of, more favourable for the Theory than this? But if we compare this with other places of Scripture, it will not be found to make for his purpose; for example, Psal. 2. ver. 3. And he shall be like a Tree planted upon the Rivers; no body I believe, will make a Philo [...]ophical Argument of this, to prove that Trees in David's time were planted upon the surface of Rivers, but contenting himself with the scope of the Psalmist, which is to hold forth by this Simile, the flourishing condition of the Righteous, will never once call it in question, if Trees did grow on [Page] the surface of Rivers, and take it for granted, that by upon, the Psalmist meant upon the Banks of Rivers, in which sense we say, Lands lye upon such Seas as they are adjacent to, and Houses or Cities, seated upon the Banks of Rivers, to stand upon the Rivers: For the word [...] in the original, imports this, and in this sense may be explain'd, Prov. 6. 27. When he set a compass upon the Face of the deep, of which the Theorist says, If I rightly understand the matter, this is the place of the Earth firmly encompassing the Abyss, and what else can be understood by this Girth, [...] with which God is said to have encompass'd the Abyss, what is there in the present form of the Earth that can answer it, or to the Bounds or Globe which he hath put about the Sea. Yes the Theorist might have found another meaning in, Iob 38. Who hath shut up the Sea with doors, &c. ver. 11. And set Bars and Doors, and said, hitherto shalt thou come, and no farther, and here shall the pride of thy Waves be stay'd; these Bars or Bounds are by all judged to be the Sea shore, by which God [Page] hath limited the Sea, that it shall no more return to overflow the Earth as it did before, as in Psal. 104, 9. Thou hast set bounds that they pass not over, that they turn not again to cover the Earth. And in the common way of speaking among our Hydrographers, this Bounds is called a Girth, so they call the Coast round about England, the Girth of England. Since the Theorist contrary to his own position, will adduce Scripture to prove his Philosophical Paradoxes, by the same liberty we from ver. 5. of this Psalm, Who hath laid the Foundation of the Earth, that it should not be removed for ever. Infer that the Theorists Foundation is none of God's making, since it is suppos'd by him to have been removed, by falling under the Abyss, whereas before it was above it. And may not we infer from God's challenge to Iob, ch. 38. ver. 4. Where wast thou when I laid the Foundation of the Earth? Declare if thou hast understanding, v. 6. Whereupon are the Foundations thereof fastened? (the very thing the Theorist pretends to tell) and to which Iob (whom without disparagement to the Theorist, we may imagine [Page] both a better Man and a Philosopher than he) answers, chap. 42. ver. 3. Therefore have I utter'd that I understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not; may not we (I say) infer, that the Theorist is very presumptuous in thus taking up the Argument against God Almighty? And may not we without breach of respect say, Theorice quid animum minorem aeternis consilijs Fatigas?
This is the Philosophy the Apostle Paul bids us beware of, Col. 2. 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceits, which will be very clear if we consider, that the Hypothetical was at that time the Philosophy in vogue among the Grecians, to whom being puft up with a conceit of their own Knowledge, the Gospel appeared Foolishness; surely, the Apostle does not hereby condemn him that studies to know the nature of things, with their causes, &c. ‘Vt varios usus meditando extunderet artes.’ Which is Natural Philosophy; for Solomon [Page] the wisest of Kings, is in the Scripture commended for this, or him that studies the nature of, and way to manage his own Spirit, and its Thoughts, &c. which is Metaphysicks and Moral Philosophy, both in their places very subservient to Religion; but he condemns the Abyssinian Philosophy, or the imposing of Poetical Fictions instead of solid Truth, on the understandings of People.
Now that we have view'd the Theorist's strongest holds, and I hope beat him out of them, I think it will not be worth while to seek him out any where else, as to his pretences to Sacred Authority; we come next to view his Philosophical holds, I hope though it be War time, we may view them without danger from Canons or Grenades, or at the worst they will be but Paper ones, and will do no great hurt; and this comes in course, for after the Author has made the best he can of this place in St, Peter he distrusts the strength of his own Argument, for in the beginning he confesses, Tell. Th. l. 1. c. 5. that the meaning of these words seems not to be so express [Page] and open, that the form of the Anted [...]luvian Earth may be thence concluded; & therefore he has recourse to his Abyssinian Philosophy a very good second, as we shall find: Dignum patellâ operculum.
He supposes the Chaos to have been made up of Particles, Tell. Th. c. 5. p. 35, 36, 37. different as to shape, bulk, weight, &c. and that the grossest solid Particles by their weight falling downward, suddenly toward the Center, formed the Kernel of his Primogenial Earth, and that immediately there followed a new division of the remaining part into two, and no more, viz. Fluid and Volatile, or Air and Water, of which the thinnest and lightest part keeping uppermost, made the Air, and the grosser the Water, out of which were separated the Oily parts, which being lighter floated above it; and last of all he supposes another purgation of the Air, from its Earthy Particles, which falling upon the Oily Particles, were by their viscidity entangled, and thus hindred from descending into the Abyss, and these Earthy Particles he supposes by the heat of the Sun, to have been burnt [Page] [...]nto a hard crust, which made the Shell of the Primogenial Earth.
This is the substance of the Hypothesis, from which as a Corollary, tho' not heeded by the Theorist, we may infer, a new sett of Principles, viz. Oil and Earth, unknown to the Learned World before this Abyssinian Philosophy. Now may Paracelsus keep to himself his three Principles Salt, Sulphur and Mercury, Aristotle his four Elements, Des Cartes his three Principles of Materia subtilis, globuli secundi elementi, & materia tertii elementi, and the most experienc'd Van Helmont, his Axiom Of Water and Seminal Principles all things are made; tho' experience taught him, and others since him, that not only Oil, but also Salt, Earth, &c. are made of Water, which is known à posteriori, or by the effect, or experiment (the Foundation of all the Knowledge we have of Nature.) But as for the Antediluvian World, since it doth not so much concern us now, I shall leave the consideration of its Principles to the Abyssinian Philosophers, who demonstrate all things à priori.
[Page] And yet in these separations, the Theorist is not so Philosophical as he pretends to be, for his division of the Chaos, into Fluid and Volatile, Water and Air, this is purely Abyssinian or Fictitious, the Air being own'd by all Philosophers Eluid as well as Water, nay rather more.
But the Fifth and Last Separation of the Earth from the Air, is contradictory to common sense, as well as his own Laws of Gravitation; for how could it come to pass that there remain'd so much Earth in the Air (which is 1000 times lighter than Water) after the four Separations mention'd, as to be sufficient to make up the crust of the Antediluvian Earth? Why was it not carried down toward the Center, as fast as the Water, or at least the Oil? The simile of Snow and Hail falling down from the Air, will not answer the case in hand, for they rise into the middle Region of the Air in form of a Vapour much rarify'd, by which [...] refaction the Surface of every particle of Water, being made larger, the body becomes lighter than so much Air, and so ascends till it come to the [Page] middle Region, where by its cold, 'tis condens'd, and so falls down in Rain, Hail or Snow, according to the different degrees of cold; that I may not seem to say this gratis, I shall illustrate [...]t with an experiment, that will quadrate better with what I have said, than the Theorist's Simile; let us suppose a small Carps Bladder, with the Air squeezed out, and the Mouth close tyed, to be thrown into a wide mouth'd Glass full of Water, it will sink to the bottom, but if the Vessel and all be put into the Pneumatick Engine or Air-Pump, and a Receiver fitted to it, upon exhausting the Air from the Receiver, that little which remains inclosed in the Bladder, will expand i [...] self very much, and so both togethe [...] will make an aggregate, lighter than Water, upon whic [...] it will rise to the top, because it has more Surface expos'd to its Pressure, than it had before. Now if the Theorist can prove that his Earthy Particles were thus capable of expansion and dilation, this Assertion of his, tho' but the Opinion of one Dr. shall have place among the probable ones, otherwise we will take it [Page] for no other than Abyssinian, or Fictitious. But suppose it to be true, we have no reason to think Fabulous or Strange Pliny's and Livy's Stories of Showers of Flesh, Stones, &c. seeing the whole Earth, the Mother of All did this Shower down out of the Air. And since our Author is Arbitrary in supposing, I think he might as well have suppos'd the Abyss to have been shut up in a Bag of Raw Hides, which would have supported the Earth from falling into his Abyss, till by being bak'd into a hard crust, it had been able to support it self; and this will better fit his Interpretation of Ps. 33. 7. where the Sea is by him said, to be gathered as in a Bag, for the hard crust of the Earth might be better compar'd to a Bottle than to a Bag. I would not have the Theorist think I put a jest upon him, in mentioning this of the Raw Hides, because notable Feats, past belief, in the laying of Foundations have been perform'd by this means, a memorable instance of which is to be seen to this day in the English Church at Vtrecht, where is a great Massy Pillar that was thus founded; the account I [Page] had of it when I was at Vtrecht was this, when the Bishop of Vtrecht was building the Church, as they digg'd to lay the Foundation of this Pillar, they came to a Quick-Sand that swallowed up every thing that was put upon it, so that the raising of it was look'd upon as unpracticable, till the Bishop proposing a great reward to any that could bring the Foundation to bear, a Friezlander found out the way, and being overjoyed at the discovery, he told it to his Wife, which his Son hearing, told it to his Play-fellows in the Street, by this means it came to the Bishop's Ears, so that when the Ingineer came to demand his Reward, he refus'd to pay him, saying, he knew it already, which so incens'd the cruel Friezelander, that he kill'd his Child and Wife for divulging his Secret, and the Bishop for defrauding him of his Reward; in memory of this there is a Picture of an Ox upon the Pillar, with this Inscription,
[Page] Upon a Pillar at the end of the Church, are twenty or thirty Hexameter Verses, giving an account of the whole Story. The Theorist needs not object, that the heat of the Sun, which is suppos'd to bake the Earth into a hard crust, might burn the Hides, for the Water in the Abyss will secure him from this fear, a confirmation of which may be seen in Buchanan's History, where he gives an account of a way practis'd in these times for boiling of Meat in raw Hides, by which they became hard like Iron, and were not burnt. But if we admit that the after-birth of the Earthy Particles, did (in the order suppos'd by the Theorist) fall upon the Oil, and there were by the heat of the Sun, bak'd into a hard crust, how will this agree with the Scripture? Gen. 1. 9 Let the Dry Land appear, and it was so; ver. 10. And God called the Dry Land Earth, &c. How was the Earth hardened by the heat of the Sun that was not yet made? For the Earth was made on the third, and the Sun on the fourth, ver. 16. God made two great Lights, the greater [...] Rule the Day, and the lesser to Rule [Page] the Night. But suppose the Sun could do this under the Line, how came it to be so soon bak'd under the Poles, (where according to the Theory's supposition of the Poles, of the Ecliptick and Aequator coinciding) the Sun could never rise above the Horizon? Seeing now tho' the Sun shines half a year to these places, the Air is always very cold, and the Earth covered with Snow.
But let us suppose the Earth to have been thus hardened by the heat of the Sun and Winds, then it must be granted, that it hardened sooner under the Line, than towards the Poles, and that before the crust was hard enough to support it self from falling into the Abyss, it had acquired some considerable weight, by reason of which pressing on the Surface of the Abyss, it would, according to the nature of all Fluids, give way, and rise towards the Poles; where by reason of the greater rawness of the Crust, the Water would meet with less resistance, and so break the continuity of the Egg-shell; for I do not see by any thing the Theorist advances, how the Water which in the [Page] natural Ballance alters its place with the 1/200000 of its weight, more on one side than on another, should in this case hold firm, except by the above mentioned supposition of the raw Hides. Methinks I see the Oil'd Cake or Crust, thus falling in at the sides, and rising towards the Poles, and so the whole Fabrick of the Egg-shell spoil'd: and therefore Gentlemen I will by your leave take the liberty to entertain you with another Hypothesis, while the Theorist is making a surer and better foundation than Water for his Primogenial Earth, or Egg-shell, but first crave leave to make an end of this search. The Theorist does not tell in what proportion the Earth was mixt with the Oil, for Nature does all her Work in proportion; this the Apothecaries know in making their Plaisters, ☞ where according to the Rule of Art, there is of Oil and Wax each an ounce, and of Powders half an ounce, for a soft Plaister; and for the hardest Plaister there is one ounce of Oil, two ounces of Wax, and Powders six drachms, which being cold makes a Mass hard, almost like a Stone; [Page] but this, seeing it melts again with the heat, will not answer the end; the good Women know a certain proportion of Butter and Flower, which, tho' I am ignorant of, yet seeing it bakes into a very hard substance, might do here, were it not very brittle. The Theorist may think this a ridiculous comparison, yet this I may be bold to say, and can make out if needful, that a good Woman that makes Butter'd Cakes to sell them again, does more service to the Publick, than the Doctor has done by his Theory. But he does very well to decline this, as being a thing impracticable, except he had been then on God Almighty's Council, or dispens'd out the Ingredients; for if he had been then present, and but a bare Spectator, he could have done no more than now, i. e. to make a Conjecture good for nothing.
But farther, the Oil must have been of some depth, to incorporate so great a quantity of Earth; now the Theory does not tell where so great a quantity of Earth did stop in the Oil, whether near the surface, in the middle, or near the bottom, if they settled to the [Page]confines of the Oil and Water, the heat of the Sun, even under the Torrid Zone could not reach so far as to bake it into a hard Crust, except he be suppos'd to have been far more vigorous in his Actions, in his own, and the World's Infancy, than he is how in his old declining Age; for at Sea, within the Tropicks, we do not find now, that the Sun-beams penetrate much below the surface of the Water, this is known by the experience of the Seamen, when (under the Line) they let down their Plumets; for after they have been some time under Water 200 fathom deep, they bring them up so cold, that one cannot long hold his hand upon them, which observation the Mariners have improved to the cooling of their Liquors, better than we do here with Ice and Snow. It will be most convenient therefore, in my judgment, to suppose this forming of the Crust, on or near the surface of the Oil; but by this means 'tis very likely there would be a great quantity of Oil under that never incorporated with the Earth, or was never bak'd, so that when the Egg-shell broke, the Sea [Page] would be covered with it, like so much fat Broth, which, there being no more Earth to Rain out of the Air to incorporate with it, must have continued so to this day, except consum'd with the superfluous Waters after the Deluge. Yet further the Egg-shell or Crust was made before the Fishes and Fowls were produc'd out of the Water, which was on the Fifth day, Gen. 1. 20. And God said, let the Waters bring forth abundantly, the living Creature that hath life, and the Fowls, &c. ver. 23. And the Evening and the Morning were the fifth Day. Now how can this be consistent with a Crust of the Earth encompassing the Abyss, in which there must be no opening or hiatus? Or else how could the Crust when it was first forming, be kept from falling in? In which case this Abyss must be a very improper place for Fishes to live in, far more for their encreasing and multiplying; for 'tis observ'd now in Fish-Ponds, if the Water be quite Frozen, that the Fish dye for want of Air, and therefore in Holland where they have a great many Fish Ponds about their Houses, and great Frosts, they break the Ice [Page] from time to time, lest their Fish should dye for want of Air.
'Tis remarkable that the Plants were produc'd the same day with the Earth, before the Sun and Moon, but the living Creatures, viz. the Fishes and Fowls were not made till after the fourth day, in which the Luminaries were made, that they might have the benefit of the Sun and Moon to direct them by their Light, in their removing to and fro to seek their Food; but the Plants which receive their Nourishment standing still in the Ground, had not so great need of that Light, and therefore were made before.
From this we may infer, that the order kept in this short History; is not only to comply with the weak capacities of the Ignorant People, but to tell the Matter of Fact, and that there is no less reason for the Order of all the other parts of the History, tho' the Theorist has the confidence to ridicule it, as being fitted only to the capacities of Ignorant Slaves, newly come out of Aegypt.
But supposing Fishes might live there for 1600 years as the Faetus does in the [Page] Mothers Womb, shut up in darkness, from the Air, and the Prolifick heat of the Sun; how can our Theorist give an account of the production of Fowls out of the Water, that is consistent with the Scripture, for the Earth was made the third day, and firm enough to produce Plants, how, or at what [...]ent got the Fowls out into the open Air? Suppose they could make their way through the Egg-shell, in places nearer the Poles, where 'twas still but like Mudd; or was our Oil'd Cake not strong enough by this time to keep the Birds from flying out? if not, surely they would be so daub'd with Oil or Earth, that they would never be able to raise themselves out of the Mudd, or when raised, to fly.
But again, if the Fishes were thus inclos'd within the Crust, how could the Blessing of God upon Man take place? Ver. 28. viz. That he should have Dominion over the Fishes of the Sea, seeing for 16 hundred years they were so far remov'd from his Habitation, likely some hundreds of miles, the whole Crust of the Earth being interpos'd between him and them. [...] [...]
[Page] and expand it self with heat, which would be derogatory from the subtlety of the Cartesian Aether, upon which he and Seignor Spoletti the Venetian Ambassadour's Physician, were pleas'd to honour me with a visit at my Chamber; the Experiment was this, I had a Glass Pipe, such as they make the Baroscopes of, blown into the shape of a round ball at the end, that was Hermetically seal'd and bended into a Syphon, whose legs were parallel; but distant from another three inches, so that the leg on which the Ball stood, was nine inches long, but the other two feet long; the shorter Leg, and the intermedial Pipe I fill'd quite with Water, to the lower end of the great Leg, so that there was no Air left in the space, then I put into it some filings of Steel, about a drachm and an half, and after the filings were laid along in the intermedial Pipe, I put to it Oil of Vitriol 30 or 40 drops, which mixing with the Water (for otherwise strong Oil of Vitriol does not work upon the filings) did immediately corrode the Iron, and sent up to the Ball so great a quantity of this generated Air as to fill it, and [Page] half the shorter Leg in a very little space, in which it was remarkable, that applying my warm hand to the Ball, it did expand it self in an instant, so much as to drive out the Water at the longer Pipe, but on with-drawing my hand, it contracted it self into half the Ball, where it has stood ever since December last year, now it's November; another thing very remarkable in this is, a considerable heat that is to be observ'd ever since, on the top of the Ball, such as is observed in the great end of fresh Eggs, and this tho' the Water, the other half, be very cold, and at the same time some of the Vapours got out into the open Air. At the first it had a saltish taste on the top of the Ball, which I could not observe in the Summer, but now in November I observe it very remarkable with the heat, and so it appeared to a young Gentleman that was with me at that time.
Before I come to apply this to the subject in hand, it will be necessary to remark from Scripture, Gen. 7. 11. that there were then and still are, great Cavities in the Bowels of the Earth, [Page] full of Water, to which agree the Testimonies of the Authors mentioned in Ramazzini. These Cavities, seeing the Scripture says nothing to the contrary, we may suppose to have been made from the beginning, not as Deformities, Ram. p. 58, 76. but for noble and excellen [...] uses, and that by taking off the upper Crust from some parts of the Earth, and laying it on others, the everlasting Mountains, and a Bed for the Ocean were fram'd at the same time, and thus a passage was open'd for the Waters, that before encompass'd the Earth, to run into these Cavities: 'tis not material for our purpose, whether this was all done in one day, as the Theory objects, or whether the Water could run so fast away from the Inland places, as to leave them quite bare, it is enough, if in that day the dry land did appear, as doubtless a great part of it did. The Theorist thinks this a very laborious Work: as if it were a hard thing for the Author of Nature (who tells his Servants, that if they had Faith but as a grain of [Page] Mustard-Seed, they might remove Mountains into the Sea) to remove the Mountains out of the Sea.
2. That this Abyss did communicate with the Ocean, which is a consequence of the first, and supported by the Testimonies of Ram. p. 125, 158.
3. That in these Cavities might be generated Minerals and Metals, Ram. p. 32. and that by the colluctation of several contrary Salts in the Abyss, might be generated an Air and sometimes so suddenly as to make Explosions; of which, and the first Supposition, Earthquakes, and the rocking of the Earth seem to be a pregnant instance, Vid. Brit. Bac. P. 73. Where 'tis related that the Earth rose nine foot high, and was thrown some distance off, which sure was from an Exhalation or Wind pented in, and suddenly expanded.
5. We may allow also that there were Mountains in the beginning, which seems to be plain by Psal. 90. 2. in which the formation of the Earth, and the Mountains are mention'd as coaeval, and therefore are called everlasting Mountains, Gen. 49. 26. This [Page] may be by good consequence also inferr'd from the second chapter of Gen. wherein 'tis said, there were Rivers, one of which, viz. Euphrates is to this day known by the name that it had then: from whence we may safely conclude, that the same Rivers had the same Mountains, from which they descended, that they have now. Now if we suppose, that at the time of the Deluge there happen'd such a conflict of contrary Salts, Acid and Alcali, as we have now mention'd in the Bowels of the Earth, there would be an Air generated, which in many places being penned up, might cause Earthquakes, and at the same time some of this Exhalation might escape into the open Air, from which might proceed the great Rains of forty days continuance, accompanied likely with great Thunder, Lightning, &c. to strike the greater terror into the Wicked, that in their fright they might not find the way to the Ark they had formerly so much despis'd, and that if they had thought of such things, they might be hindred by the great Rains; by the Air inclos'd in the [...]owels of the Earth [Page] we may (as it happens in our Experiment) imagine, that the Water of the Abyss was dislodg'd, and so came out to overflow the Earth: (by which we may interpret the opening of the great depths) and this at the passages by which the Abyss and Ocean did communicate, which so swell'd by degrees, till the top of the highest Mountains were covered; Further we may infer, that the Antediluvian Air being infected with the Mineral Seams, and in a great measure compos'd of them, might occasion that shortning of Man's Life, which happen'd quickly after the Deluge; which tho' it did not so visibly affect the stronger Constitutions of Noah and his Sons, might lay such a foundation of infirmities in their Posterity, as might in Moses days shorten their Life to 70 or 80 years. We may suppose likewise that (as in our Experiment) when the heat of the Effervescence was over, the Water fell in the greater Pipe, and rose in the shorter, so when this Ebullition was over in the Bowels of the Earth, the Waters returned by degrees into the Bowels of the Earth, and so the Ocean into the [Page] bounds set to it by God, as in Psal. 104. 6. Thou coverest it with the deep as with a garment: The Waters stood above the Mountains. ver. 7. At thy rebuke they fled, at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away, ver. 8. They go up by the Mountains, they go down by the Valleys, unto the place which thou hast founded for them, ver. 9. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over, that they turn not again to cover the Earth.
One might represent the whole of this to the Eye thus, let there be a round Ball to represent the Earth, (with a hole at the end, standing for the North Pole, at a, which Kircher supposes the Ocean to circulate thro' the Earth) of glass f f f, full of risings to represent the Mountains b b b, let the Ball be fill'd with Water, and at the hole insert a Pipe g g g, which cement to the Neck, throw in by this Pipe some filings of Steel, after which some Oil of Vitriol, and keep the Ball inclining, so that the steams arising may not get out at the hole, but being pented in may drive out the Water at the Pipe, which if the Ball were the Center of the Earth, would over flow [Page] all the surface of the Glass, and cover the Mountains of it, but this being wanted, we may imagine another glass c c c divided in two as you see, so that they may be cemented together when the other glass ball is inclos'd, all the Water that runs out at the mouth of g g g, will over-flow the Hills b b b, &c.
This is the substance of what I have to say of my Hypothesis, which if furnish'd with a good Library, with large Indexes, it were easie to make swell into a Volume big enough to deserve the title of a Theory; among which I might perhaps find, even in the Relicts of the Fidler Orpheus himself, so much esteemed by our Theorist, or at least among the other PLACITA PHILOSOPHORVM, enough to favour it.
And with this I leave the Theory at present, hastning to make an end.
Of Perpetual Lamps.
THere has been much written of Perpetual Lamps, said to be found in Burying places of the old Romans▪ which at first seems past all belief; for how can it be that a Lamp should have fuel for some hundreds of years, to maintain it in life? And if it had fuel how could it in those close Vaults escape being suffocated in its own smoke? I believe that the appearing of some light by the Work-mens Tools, hitting against some hard Stone or Brick in the dark, and so striking fire, might give rise to the first report, which Fame; that never loses by going, has increas'd almost to a Miracle. For they say of them, that upon the Air's coming to them, they, contrary to all other fires, do presently die. Or they might have met with such an▪ Observation as a noble Lord told me he had communicated to him when at Rome, by a Gentleman of that place who made it; and it was this, that searching Roma Subterranea for Antiquities, he came to a Brickwall, [Page] which ordering to be digg'd thro', he found to be the Wall of a Vault, or Burying-place, in which before the Light was brought in, he observ'd something like a Candle burning, which he lost sight of as soon as the Candle was brought in: and therefore removing it again, and directing himself by his Hand kept between the Light and his Eye, he found it, and by the description I had of it from that noble person, it was of the nature of Mr. Boyl's Glacial Noctiluca, for it was solid, and in a fortnights time did run per deliquium. But whatever be of truth in it, the Ingenious have made many Conjectures about the salving of this wonderful Phaenomenon. Des Cartes has attempted it by applying his Principles to it, but seeing they are Abyssinian, i. e. precarious, and the explication hardly intelligible, we pass it in silence. Athanasius Kircher, [...] has given us his conjecture, which seeing it depends upon a Mechanical Principle, is by far more intelligible than any we can expect out of the Mint of a mere Abyssinian. He supposes that these Lamps are seated upon [Page] the opening of a Vein of Petrol [...]um▪ running under ground, of which Italy and other hot Countries afford many▪ and the Wick to be made of Linu [...] Asbeston which never wastes in the fire; so that Nature constantly furnishing fresh fuel, and the Wick never [...]alling, the flame may continue forever. But how plausible so ever this Conjecture be▪ it will be of small use, because it cannot be had every where. Therefore the Ingenious Dr. Hooke has contriv'd, and imparted to the World several pre [...]y ways, which are found to answer very well; for by the poysing of his Lamp▪ he orders it so, that the Oil may always be kept to the same height, upon the Wick, and consequently the flame, and that therefore the Wyck can never waste, because always in the flame, for it wastes not tho' in the midst of the flame, till it be expos'd to the open Air; of which one may see more at large in his Treatise of Lamps: but with submission I am of opinion, that the weight of the Oil when the Lamp is full, will make the Lamp move heavily, and also make it wear out quickly. I have therefore a good while ago, [Page] thought these inconveniencies might be prevented by some Hydrostatical contrivance, seeing the main thing sought for here, is to keep the flame at the same height on the Wyck; my way is this, let a Vessel a a a, be shap'd after the fashion here mark'd, an inch or more deep, and as broad as you may think fitting for the quantity of Oil you are to burn, let also a Pipe b b b, coming from the bottom almost as high as the Cistern, be filled first with Water c c c, so high as to cover the hole of the Pipe at the bottom, that the Oil d d d poured in afterwards may not get out at the Pipe b b b, and so be lost; let the Vessel being almost brimsul, have a cover'd pierc'd with as many holes as 'tis design'd to have Wycks, be fitted to the mouth of the Vessel, when the Wycks are lighted, if Water falls in by drops at the Pipe, it will keep the Oil always to the same heighth, or very near (the weight of Water to that of Oil, being as 20 8/11 to 19) which in the depth of an inch or two, will make no great difference of height in the Oil, if the Water runs faster than the Oil wastes; it will [Page] only run over at the top of the Pipe, what does not run over coming under the Oil, will keep it to the same height, this it will do perpetually without any fear of rub or let, the cover will keep the Soot of the Lamp from falling in [...] the Oil, and keep it from thickening with it, The main use of such a contrivance is, where there is occasion for long digestions with a gentle heat.
Some Thoughts about the way of making Oil of Sulphur Per Campanam.
SUlphur at all times has been counted a wonderful product of Nature, and therefore by the Greeks is called [...]. Several attempts have been hitherto made by Chymists to analyse it, which they have hitherto done but in part (that I know of;) yet by this they have discovered it to be a Mineral Oil, coagulated by a mineral Acid, and also the same is made evident, by the composition of it; for if you mix Oil of Sulphur with Oil of Turpentine, they will coagulate into a gummy substance which being sublim'd, give true Brimstone. The main experiment insisted [Page] on is the making of Oil of Sulphur P. C. Only two or three ounces of Genuine Oil, can be had this way out of a pound, and all the [...] seems lost, which I believe mostly to proceed from a defect in the way of making it. It is about fifteen years ago since first reading Le [...] Preparation of Ol. Sulph. P. C. I thought it might be improved to the catching of all, or most of that which flies away thus. Suppose a [...]at glass Cup, b b b, to have two or more Pipes coming in at the bottom, and rising pretty high in the glass a a a, suppose likewise another shap [...]d like a Matrass, fitted to the mouth of b b b, with a Ring at the bottom c c c, to keep it from falling into the Cup, and that the same Matrass is wide enough at top to admit of a crooked Pipe e e e, to come into it, and to be luted to it, to which must be fastened Adapters, with some Water in them, that the Acid Spirit passing, may find in the way wherewith to embody it self: now if Brimstone be put into a Cup, and so put into the Glass below, with the cautions usual in that case, and so kindled, and the Matrass fitted to it, the Air coming in by the Pipes will keep the flame in life, and carry up the lighter fumes by the neck, into the Adapters f f f, which with the Water may condense into an Acid Spirit. This Experiment might be varied, by inserting the Neck into the Wall of a very large Room, made tight for the purpose, as they do for Flower of Br [...]mstone, to see what dry Flowers it gives, and of what nature they are.
Of Phosphorus.
I Have seen in the Parisian Memoirs, lent me by the curious Dr. Sloane, an Experiment said to be made by one Mr. Homburg, about producing Phosphorus out of Quick- [...]me and [...] Armoniack; 'tis that which I casual [...]y lighted on, when living with the honourable and never to be forgotten Mr. Boyle; for after I had by the force of the fire melted these two together into an Opack Glass, and the pieces of it were still hot in my hand (during which time they are very hard) I had the curiosity to see what the pieces which were very hot would do, if strock against one another in the dark, and was su [...] priz'd to see it not only strike fire, but also to retain a glimmering light in the places where the pieces hit one another, which I judge to proceed only from the Sea salt of the Sal-Armoniack remaining with the Quick-lime, p [...]t in a violent motion by the collision, and perhaps deserves no more the name of a Phosphorus, than the Sea Water that shines in the dark night, or refin'd Sugar, when 'tis scrap'd; a proof of which seems to be the dark spots that appear in the shining parts, which is in all probability from the greater quantity of the Quick-lime in the mixture, for of two [...] there is but [...] [...] IV. of the Glass, so that only [...] IV. of the Sal-Armoniack may be concluded to be there.
This when cold; runs p. d. which it continues for a long time; and when set to evaporate, does retain its fluidity while upon fire a long [Page] time, but when removed, in an instant it coagulates into a hard Mass, which upon the least heat melts again, and therefore by Mr. Boyle was called the fusible Salt. I will not say that Mr. Hemburg had that from Mr. Boyle, or any of his friends; for why might not he [...]all on it by chance, as well as we, tho' this account was Printed two years after the honourable Mr. [...] death? But to pass this, this Liquor is very remarkable for dissolving sublimate corrosive, in the cold of which it dissolves its own weight. [...] makes a Spirit of this Solution thus, [...] of this Liquor, p. 111. dissolve in it sublim. [...] p. 1. imbibe the Solution with brown Paper, and Destill, it comes over in form of a brownish colour'd Spirit, smelling like Musk (says my Anthor) some of the Mercury is reviv'd in the Receiver: three drops of this Liquor taken in a convenient vehicle, do greatly purifie the Blood, as he says; as for the smell, 'tis so far from having the smell of Musk, that rather it stinks of an Empyreuma; and as for its use in Physick, 'tis so far from having the promis'd Effects, that I have known it given from three to sixty drops, without any visible effect, and also that a Woman, to whom an hundred drops were given in a Venerial Distemper, had such pricking pains all over the body following, as could hardly be removed again: yet this, with all its Mistakes, has a famous Plagiary in Town, copied out in a Book called the Lond. Dispens. this man it seems has no regard to what he Writes, so he make a bulky Book, I could instance many cases in which this Rhapsodist has thus without any judgment play'd the Plagiary, [Page] if time would permit; it were to be wished that a severe Censure were put upon such, who for a little Lucre; will thus set out a Wild-fire to lead People into dangerous Mistakes, instead of setting up Beacons for them, by which they may be guided in so important a business as the practice of Physick, at least an Index Expur gatorus, made by an impartial and judicious Pen, might remedy the ill Effects of such Books, and prevent the multiplying of them for the time to come.
ERRATA.
PAGE 44. in the Margin, Tab. 11. f. p. 69. in the Margin, Tab. 11. f. 2. p. 70. l. 14. r. The Water overflowing and falling. ibid. l. 23. or being, r. are. p. 81. l. 18. by hidden passages, and the Sand it self.
THE Abyssinian Philosophy CONFUTED: OR, TELLVRIS THEORIA Neither Sacred, nor agreeable to Reason. Being, for the most part, a Translation of Petrus Ramazzini, Of the Wonderful Springs of Modena. Illustrated with many Curious Remarks and Experiments by the Author and Translator. To which is added, A New Hypothesis deduced from Scripture, and the Observation of Nature. With an Addition of some Miscellany Experiments.
By ROBERT St. CLAIR, M. D.
LONDON, Printed for the Author, and Sold by W. Newton, over against St. Bartholomew-Close-Gate, in Little-Britain, 1697.
THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE.
IF the Searchers after Nature, of which this Age has not a few, whose study is spent about things of greater Concern, and therefore are deservedly admired; if, I say, these found it as easie to search into the inner parts of the Earth, as 'tis to the Anatomists to take an exact View of the Bowels of a Man, and other Living Creatures, the one needed not envy the other; and we should have as full a Knowledge of the Earth, as we have now of Living Animals, by the Industry of Anatomists. We know now, yea to our own no small Satisfaction, [Page] with our Eyes we see, how the Blood circulates, what is the Motion of the Chyle, the Lympha; and other Fluids; so that now to use Hippocrates his own Words, The Fountains of Humane Nature, and the Rivers with which the Body is watered, seem to be open'd. But as for the Earth, out of whose Treasures we draw our Nourishment, we can observe nothing but its outward side, and therefore we are ignorant of the more beautiful things that are hid; and, which is to be grieved for, there is no way by which they may be known. For although the Miners have gone down into the Bowels of the Earth many Fathoms, yet they have never gone much deeper than half a Mile, which by Agricola is said to be the greatest Depth of the Mines. But what is that to the Depth of the Earth, whose Seme. diameter is said to be 3600 Mile. Wherefore, to tell the Truth, we [Page] know the Body of the Earth only superficially, and not within: Yet 'tis lawful to judge, that 'tis neither a sluggish nor unshapely Body, nor yet that all its Dignity is plac'd in its outward Surface, as in Statues, but that its more beautiful Parts are inward; yea, we must think that 'tis so shap'd and figur'd by the Great Creator, as to contain a Specimen of the Vital O Economy, and that the wonderful Functions thereof are perform'd in its Bowels, by a Law no less certain than unknown to us, especially the Circular Motion of the Waters; of which, though they cannot be demonstrated to the Senses, yet by what appears outwardly, 'tis evident that the matter is so; neither has the Wit of Men stopt, till they had by all Art searcht into the State and Condition of the Subterraneous Regions, as far as could be. But seeing there is no other way by which we enter into the Earth, but by such Apertures, [Page] as either Nature has made of her own accord, or by Mines and Wells, which the Covetousness of Men has digged for Metals, or Necessity has put them on, for finding Veins of Waters; and seeing that in this City there is a frequent digging of Wells to a notable Depth, (as much as can be in a very plain place, and remote from Mountains) from which a wonderful Spring of Water rises; I thought good therefore to examine these Secrets of Nature, and to communicate to the Professors of Natural Knowledge, what I have observed of them, and my Thoughts threupon, seeing none has Written of these things expresly. I am not ignorant that some idle Men will speak ill of me, and others will not be wanting who will accuse me, as having spent may time about a thing of no moment: But that does little disquiet me, seeing I have the Examples of the most Learned, who have [Page] been taken up with the most minute things, of whom Virgil says, ‘In tenui labor, at tenuis non gloria—’
But I can Answer such Men with the Words of Seneca treating of Natural Philosophy, You will say, what Profit is there in these things? No greater can be; To know Nature. Neither has the treating of this Subject any thing more beautiful, seeing it contains many things that may be useful, than that its Greatness takes up a Man; nor is it followed for Profit, but for its Wonderfulness.
Of the Wonderful Source of the SPRINGS of Modena.
CHAP. 1.
The Structure of these Fountains is described, and the most curious things which appear in the Digging of the Wells, and when the Water springs up, are remarked.
WE may be bold to say that Modena, a most ancient City, which Tully has of old Dignified with the Title of the most Noble Colony of the Romans, has been well situated by its first Founders: For seeing it stands in a great Plain, ten Miles [Page 2] distant from the Foot of the Rising Hills, it has such a Situation, that, with the wholsom Temper of the Air, and a fruitful Soil, it has a great abundance of most pure Water, which neither can cease through length of Time, nor be ever vitiated or diverted by the Craft of Enemies: For this City has under its very Foundations a great Repository of Waters, or whatever else it may [...] be called, out of which it draws an inexhaustible Stock of Waters; and, which is very rare, is got at a very small Charge; seeing for the getting of this Treasure (for VVater, according to the Testimony of Pindarus, is the best of all things) there is no need of great stir, in digging through Mountains, or keeping a great many VVorkmen, as is usual elsewhere, and such as Rome formerly had divided, as Frontinus says, into Searchers, VVater-Fil [...] ers, [Page]
[Page] [Page 3] VVater-Bayliffs, Conveyors, Distributers, and many other VVorkmen.
But that I may not keep the Reader longer in Suspence, you must know for a certain Truth, which many Thousands of Experiments have already confirmed, That in any place within, or without the City, for some Miles round, one may open a Spring which shall constantly send forth most pure Water.
And seeing every Citizen may take out of this great Stock, as much VVater for his private Uses as he pleases, without fear of wronging the Publick, or being Fin'd for it: Therefore when any will have a Spring in his own House, he calls some VVorkmen, and having agreed for the Price, which for the most part does not exceed the Sum of Forty Crowns, he shews them the place which he thinks most fit, and they without [Page 4] further consideration dig a Well in a place mark'd out for them; and when they have come to the depth of about 63 Foot, they pierce the bottom with a great Auger, which when it has been driven down 5 Foot deep, immediately the VVater gushes out with so great Force, throwing up Stones and Sand, that almost in a Moment all the VVell is filled to the top, and the VVater flows out thence constantly.
Moreover, that which in digging these Wells gives the greatest Trouble to the VVorkmen, is, the great abundance of VVaters flowing from the sides, by which they are sometimes much troubled, till they come to the depth of 28 Foot, where first the Potters Clay begins to appear: And therefore to keep off these VVaters which are none of the cleanest, when they first break Earth, they make a VVell pretty large, drawing out the VVaters [Page 5] that flow together on every side, till they come to the Bed of Clay; then they build upon it, as on a solid Foudation, a VVall round about of Lime and wellburnt Bricks, made for the purpose, that so the VVell may be narrower; and they carefully plaster the outer Surface of it with Clay, well wrought, pressing it with their Feet; and thus they continue to do till they come to the Surface of the Earth: For by this means they hinder the Influx of VVaters from the sides, which being done, as if all were safe, and there were no more fear of the VVater coming from the sides, they carry on their digging to the lowermost place so successfully, that from the appearing of the Clay, they observe no more water to drop; yea, which is wonderful, they are forc'd sometimes to moisten [Page 6] the Earth with VVater, that it may be more easily digged.
'Tis also no small Disadvantage to the Diggers, before they come to the beginning of the Chalky or Clayie Ground, that the soft Earth falls in upon them by the Force of the Side-VVaters; which Impediment is not overcome but with great Labour: But when at length they come to the Bed of Clay, and from thence to the greatest Depth [...] there is nothing to hinder them form getting by the usual boring the usual Eruption of VVater. For no Case is remembred in any place whatsoever within the City, or without the City, for some Miles, in which upon opening a Hole, and giving Vent to the inclosed VVaters, they did not immediately spring up on high. For the Diggers do with as great Assurance and Confidence fasten down their Augers in the bottom [Page 7] of the VVells, as one being to draw VVine, would pierce a Hogshead when 'tis full. I was often present when this Phlebotomy, if I may so call it, was practis'd; and I always observed the VVater to break out almost with the same Force, which at the first is muddy and full of Sand, but the next Day it appears clear enough. But when the VVater has broke out, and the Borer is pulled out, sitting on the Arms of the Auger, immediately two or three VVorkmen that are about the Mouth of the VVell draw out the VVater with all possible Diligence; for seeing at that time the Force of the VVater drives out much Sand and Gravel, they say that by this means the Course of the VVater is promoted, and the VVells are made to send forth VVater more plentifully; neither can the Stuff settling to the bottom stop [Page 8] the Hole. The Diggers of the VVells say, That some new-made Fountains have thrown up sometimes so much VVater with the Gravel and Sand, that the Ground giving way on every side, and threatning the Ruine of the adjacent Buildings, they have been forc'd to fill up the Fountain again with Earth and hewn Stones. But the Pebble Stones, which are thrown up by the force of the VVater, differ not much from those which are seen in the adjacent Rivers; neither are they small, but some of them weigh 3 or 4 Ounces: Some of these are adorn'd with Veins of Gold, and pretty hard; others are harder, and like the Rudiments of Pebble Stones. In some places where the Situation of the City is lower, the VVater arises above the Plain, from whence it runs easily down, but in higher places it stops below [Page 9] the Surface of the Plain; so that 'tis necessary to make Conduits under Ground, thro' which it falls into the publick Canals, which afterwards meet into one Canal that is Navigable, and by which they Sail conveniently enough even to Venice. For this Canal falls into the Scultenna, and the Scultenna into the Po.
The Number of these Fountains is very great, so that now almost every House has one; and their Numbers being increas'd, the old Fountains become fewer, as may be seen in the most Illustrious Family of the Sadalets, now belonging to the Castelvitrys, where the Pipes that now send forth no more VVater, are higher than those that at present do. These Fountains also are in the Gardens about the Town, and in the adjacent Villages, some of which rise above the Surface of the Earth. [Page 10] Moreover, the Diggers of the VVells say, that they have on Trial found them seven Miles from the City, beyond Scultenna: For having made an hole with an Auger, they say the VVater did boil up freely enough, throwing up Sand and Gravel. VVherefore the Limits of this hidden Spring are not known enough; yet 'tis reasonable to think, that it is extended farther from East to VVest, than from North to South, seeing in this Tract they are not found extended above four Miles.
This is remarkable, that when the Hole is bor'd, and the VVater begins to break out, the next Fountains cease from running for some time; yet after a little time they run again. I have been told by a Person of Credit, that when a VVell was bor'd in the Cloysters of the Nuns of St. Francis des Sales, [Page 11] he saw in another VVell near it the VVater sunk in a moment, which afterward ascended, till both the VVells being in an Equilibrium, the VVater settled in the same Horizontal Surface. I have often observed this Decrease, but not with so great Swiftness, in which the VVater did not sink so deep on a sudden, but rather by degrees; and raising a few Bubbles, I observed it to decrease; but when the new Well was filled, it [...]ose again to its former height.
Having often understood by the Diggers of the Wells, that they heard a great noise of the water running under the bottom of the Wells, and that when it first begins to be heard they take it as a sign, that 'tis time to Bore. To be assur'd of this, I went down into the bottom of a Well in the beginning of February, holding a lighted Candle in my Hand, the [Page 12] Well being built in a place of no great light; having staid there a little, I perceived a manifest Murmur and Noise, yet not such as I expected. Then I stampt on the Ground with all my force, upon which the Ground made a hideous Noise, so that I thought I had to do with Hell, and therefore quickly gave notice to those that were above, to pull me up with all possible speed, remembring that once the force of the Water throwing up the Earth prevented the boring. But though I did not stay long there, seeing nothing beside occurred to be observed but the oise of the Water, yet I felt so great a Heat there, that I did run down in Sweat; and it was no small Pleasure to me to observe, when I was drawn up from that Thermometer, in so small an Interval of time, so many gradual Changes of Heat and Cold. At [Page 13] another time I try'd what was the temper of these Wells, in their greatest Depth, by letting down a Thermometer in the midst of Winter, and I found that it differ'd little from the Heat of the Dog-days in our Climate. The Diggers perceive no less Cold in the Summer-time in these Wells, and upon that account they refuse to undertake such a work in the middle of Summer; seeing, beside the great Cold which oppresses them, such a difficulty of breathing also seises them, that they are almost suffocated; a great quantity of Smoke rises likewise at the same time, so as to put out the Candles, which never happens in the Winter, for then they breath easily enough, and the Candle stands unmoved. The Diggers complain much of a bad Smell, when they dig in the Wells in a hot Season; especially when they light on Stumps of [Page 14] Trees: For the rotten wood sends forth a most vile stink, which in the Winter-time they do not experience, though at that time they perceive a great Heat in these Wells.
But seldom are these Wells digged, in which they do not meet with several sorts of Trees, as Oaks, Walnut-trees, Elm, Ash, some of which stand upright, and some lie along. But it appears not by any Mark, that they have been cut by Men's Hands; and therefore we must think that these Woods were only the Habitations of wild Beasts in former times. These Trees when they are cut by the Diggers are soft enough, but when they are exposed to the Air, they grow hard like Coral.
When they were making such a Well as this in the middle of April, I observed the rising of such a smoaky Exhalation, that the Digger [Page 15] could scarcely be observ'd in the bottom; who also said he was very cold; and that he could hardly breath; and at the same time was troubled with a Cough: But when the Air on a sudden was changed to Cold, immediately the said Exhalation evanisht, and the Digger could breath freely enough; and he said, he felt a moderate Heat. Being to try what Temper these Wells were of in the Months next to the Summer, I went down into a Well which a French Jeweller was digging in his House about the end of May, before it was bor'd, and I found such degrees of Cold, as are observ'd in this Climate about the beginning of Winter. During the time that I staid there my Chest and my Breast was so straitned, that my Heart did pant very much. I did not perceive a great noise of Waters in this as in others, yet the Ground being [Page 16] beat, did give a frightful Sound as before.
While I was writing this, I thought fit to try the Temper of the Subterraneous Air in a Well that was then digging, by letting down into it at the same time a Thermometer and Barometer to several Depths, and marking the difference that is between the open Air, and that which is in the Wells when they are a digging▪ and especially in the Summer Months, in which the Workmen seldom undertake such a business, by reason of the Inconveniences afore-mentioned. Wherefore I have set down the following Table, that it may be better known what is the difference between the Subterraneous and the Open Air; which would be also very convenient and curious, if try'd in the VVinter time: But I do not doubt but the quite contrary things happen then [Page 17] which I will try with the first opportunity.
| The 12 day of June. | The 23 day of June. | The 27 day of June. | The 1 day of July. |
| The height of the Liquor in the Thermometer without the Well, G. 80. | The height of the Liquor in the Thermometer without the Well, G. 77. | The height of the Liquor in the Thermometer, G. 74. | The height of the Liquor in the Thermometer without the Well, G. 78. |
| In the Well to the depth of 18 Feet, G. 64. | In the Well to the depth of 30 Feet, G. 51. | In the Well to the depth of 45 Feet, G. 44. | In the greatest depth of the Well, G. 40. |
| The height of the Mercury in the Barometer, G. 80. | The height of the Mercury in the Barometer, without the Well, G. 80. | The height of the Mercury in the Barometer, without the Well, G. 78. | The height of the Mercury in the Barometer, without the Well, G. 79. |
| In the Well to the depth of depth of 15 Feet, G. 82. | In the Well to the depth of 30 Feet, G. 84. | In the Well to the depth of 45 Feet, G. 85. | In the greatest depth of the Well, G. 86. |
[Page 18]'Tis also fit to be known, that no Force of Man is able to drain such Wells dry: For if the Water should be drawn incessantly with great Buckets, it were very much if the Water should be depress'd 6 or 8 Feet; the more the Water is drawn out, these Fountains run more briskly: So that [...] it happen at any time, that any of these flow something flowly they draw out the Water as fast as they can; and by this kind of Remedy (even as in Men's Bodies the Blood is taken away, that it may move more quick through its Passages) the Load being as 'twere taken off, they easily drive away the Sickness of these Fountains which is their flowness of Motion For the same end, they also either make a new Hole, or open the old one with an Instrument made of many wooden Cylinders, which they let down into the Wells with [Page 19] great Auger fastned in the end of it.
But these Fountains are subject to no other Fault; they maintain the same Purity of their Waters uncorrupted; and as in moist Seasons they feel no Increase, so in the greatest Droughts (such as we observ'd in these last Years, in which the whole Region on this and the other side of the Po did exceedingly want Water) they suffe no Decrease. Moreover, these Waters are very warm in Winter, so that they send forth a Smoak; but in Summer they are very cold. Some Days after the Eruption is made, when the Water has setled, they usually cover the Well with a Marble Stone, and as it were seal it, and afterwards convey the Water by Earthen Pipes from the same into Vessels of Marble, or of Stone, from which afterwards the Water is, by other Conduits, continually [...]
[Page 26] Bed of Clay is about 11 Feet, and sometimes 'tis full of Cockle-shells; it ends therefore about the depth of 39 Feet; after that there appears another Bed of marshy Earth, about 2 Foot thick, compos'd of Rushes, Leaves of Plants, and Branches. This marshy Bed being taken away by the Diggers, another Bed of Clay of the same thickness with the former, presents it self, which terminates in the depth of about 52 Foot; which being digg'd up, another Bed of marshy ground, not unlike the former, is seen; which being removed, another Bed of Clayie Ground of the same nature with the former two, but not so thick, appears; which lies upon another Bed of marshy Earth, which at last terminates on that last Plain, in which the Auger is fix'd, which is soft, and sandy, and mixt with much Gravel, and [Page 27] sometimes full of Sea-Products. These several Beds, with their Intervals, are observ'd in all the Wells, as well within the Walls of the City, as in the Suburbs, in a constant Order.
Seeing in digging they often fall on Stocks of Trees, as I have frequently observed, which gives great trouble in the boring, to the Undertakers, 'tis a manifest Proof that this Ground was once expos'd to the Air; but I could never observe those Stocks of Trees in the Beds of Chalk, but in the marshy ones only, or in that space which lies between the Foundation and the beginning of the Clay. There have been also found in the greatest Depths of these Wells great Bones, Coals, Flints, and pieces of Iron. I do willingly pass by many things here, which the common People report, of extraneous things cast up by the Violence of [Page 28] the Waters at their first breaking forth, as Leaves of Oaks, Chesnut, Millet, Bean-husks, and many other things; contenting my self with telling those things only of which I have been an Eye-witness, or have heard from Persons worthy of Credit. These are the things which belong to the History of the Wells of Modena, and which I have observ'd as I had occasion.
CHAP. II.
That these are not Standing, but Running Waters; upon this occasion some things are brought in from the Hydrostaticks.
SEing the Nature and Original of this hidden Source deserves to be as much enquir'd into, as that of the Nile did formerly, let us pass through these Subterraneous VVaters with the Sails of our Reason, seeing we cannot do it otherwise. First, we may freely affirm, That these Waters are not standing, as they are when shut up in a Hogshead, but are in con [...]inual motion, and that pretty quick: For the Noise of that wa [...]er which is heard before the Per [...]oration in the bottom of the Wells [...]oes make it manifest enough. [Page 30] Neither can any object, that even stagnant VVaters are subject to great Commotions, as is known of the Vulsinian Lake, Thrasumenus and Benacus, of which the chief of the poets says,
For that is not constant; yea, these Lakes for the most part are very still: But the Noise of the VVater before the Terebration is constantly heard, which I always perceiv'd distinctly as oft as I descended into these Wells; and to this agree the Undertakers of these Wells who by the noise of the VVater guess that they have done with digging. But seeing the VVate rises so suddenly to the height [...] [Page 31] 68 Feet, casting forth Sand and Stones with force, 'tis most certain that these Subterraneous VVaters descend from a high place, and are continually prest on by others that follow. Neither do I think that such a sudden rising of the VVater can be attributed to the weight of the superincumbent Earth, which drives the VVater upward by its Pressure. I know indeed, that VVater may be elevated above its Surface, when 'tis driven up by some force lying upon it; as Scaliger, writing against Cardan, demonstrates, by the Example of a Cylindrical Vessel with Pipes on both sides, and a Plug fitted exactly to its Capacity; into which, being full of VVater, if you force down the Plug, it will raise the VVater in the Pipes, above the Surface of the VVater that is in the Vessel. But if, by the weight of the incumbent Earth, these VVaters [Page 32] were elevated, the Earth so superincumbent would be broke off from the rest, which is altogether improbable, there appearing no Marks of it. Beside, by what way could it come to pass, that these Waters should be so excellent, as to surpass all others, if they were without Motion, and kept as it were captive? For every body knows, that standing Waters do no less differ from those that are moved, than dead Bodies differ from live ones, seeing we commonly call such as run, Living Waters. These Waters therefore do move, and stand not still here, but run down constantly either to the Sea, or are swallowed up in some Gulph.
But whilst I conclude these VVaters to be running, an Objection of no small Value does occur, and 'tis this: If the VVaters run away so violently, there seems to be no [Page 33] Reason why these Wells being digged, they should rise upwards. But it may be demonstrated by a Physical Experiment, that the Water cannot ascend in such as case. For let there be a Vessel full of Water, Fig. 1. at whose side near the bottom, a Pipe is inserted at right Angles pierc't with many Holes, EFG; and in the lower part let it have a Slit, HI. If now you give the Water free vent to run out, not only it will not ascend at the Holes, but neither will it descend at the Slit, but will all run out at the wide Mouth of the Pipe; and it will be pleasant to see the Water hang out at the Slit, and not fall, (till at the latter end) the Vessel being almost empty, the Water will no more run out at the wide Mouth, but will all run down through the Slit.
If therefore this Experiment hold, the supposed running of the Waters [Page 34] to places farther off, and their manifest ascent into these Wells at the same time, seem not to agree with the Laws of Hydrostaticks: For if they flow freely, and without stopping, without doubt they cannot rise on high; which is confirmed by what the most Learned, Scaliger says in his Exercitations, Exer. 100. who, enquiring whether VVaters may run under other waters, says, That near the River O [...]tus there is a Well on a high Hill, and that at the bottom a Stream runs swiftly and with great Noise.
Altho' all this seems to be true and obvious to the Senses, yet the further Progress of these waters may in our case consist with the rising in these Wells▪ which may be demonstrated in the same First Figure. For if you put your Finger to the Mouth of the Pipe D, yet so as not to stop it altogether, the [Page 35] Water will leap out on high at the same time, by the holes E, F, G, and flow down by the Slit H, and withal at the Mouth of the Pipe, the one Action not hindring the other; and so according as there is more or less of the Orifice of the Pipe stopt with your Finger, more or less Water will be raised by the said Holes; but it will never be rais'd to that height it would be, if the Mouth were quite stopt. It does not therefore disagree with the Laws of Hydrostaticks, if these Subterraneous Waters are running and go further, that at the fame time they should be raised to the height of 68 Feet in the Wells, yet so as not to exceed the height of the Cistern from whence they come, because the Passage at which they flow out is not large enough.
'Tis convenient that some Account be given of these Phaenomena, observ'd hither to by none that [Page 36] I know, seeing there is no part of Philosophy more curious, yet less cultivated, than Hydrostaticks. First therefore, 'tis no wonder that the Water (while it has a free Course and Passage through the wide Mouth of the Pipe) does not run also at the Holes; yea, of necessity it must be so: For the Water has a free Descent, neither does it meet with any Obstacle to make it rise, as it does in Pipes bended upwards; so neither will it descend by the Cleft, because of the Pressure and the Force it has acquir'd in descending, like a solid Body, which suffer it not to turn from its Course; in the same manner as Bodies thrown, are carricd in a Horizontal Line for some space, while the Force continues.
But the Reason why the Orifice of the Pipe being straightned, the Water presently leaps on high, and runs down through the Slit, in my [Page 37] Opinion is this: That when the lower parts of the Water are pressed by the upper (as the most famous Mr. Boyle has made evident in his Hydrostatical Paradoxes) and are urged with Violence to run out, the Passage being straitned, by applying the Finger to the Mouth of the Pipe; some of the Water when it cannot overcome the Obstacle, seeks a Passage to it self where it can: From whence it comes to pass, that the less the Water runs out at the Mouth of the Pipe, with the greater Force it runs out at these Holes. But when the Pressure is abated, and the Vessel is almost empty, none runs out at the Mouth of the Pipe, but what remains, runs slowly through the Slit, being the shorter way.
From hence it appears, that the direct Pressure must be estimated by the weight of the Pillar of Water, [Page 38] whose Base is equal to the Horizontal Surface it rests on, and its Height equal to the perpendicular Depth of the Water. For Example: In a Vessel constituted in a Horizontal Plain, any part of the bottom that can be assigned may be a Base to a Pillar of water of the same Height with the whole water in the Vessel. And in the foregoing Figure, when it flows freely through the Pipe C D, 'tis prest by a Pillar of water, which has the same Base with the Orifice of the Pipe CD; which Pillar of water forces it self by a lateral Pressure into the Pipe, and so to run out; by the force of which Pressure it comes to pass, that all the water in the Vessel runs out by this Imaginary Pillar. Many things are said of this Pressure of the water by Hydrostatical VVriters, to wit, that the under parts are prest by the upper, and the [Page 39] upper parts are prest by those that are under. Moreover, they are prest side ways by one another; which Diversity of Pressures they endeavour to prove by several Experiments; and in effect, every one may experience this lateral pressure in himself, when he is in the watery up to the Neck; for he will feel a pressure on every side, and some difficulty of Breathing, which yet is not to be thought to proceed only from the lateral pressure of the water, but another Cause: For when the Expansion of the Chest is necessary to Respiration, 'tis not so easily perform'd in the water Element, as in the Air, by reason of its Grossness: For as Fishes need a greater force for swimming, than Birds for flying, De motu Anim. P. 1. prop. 215. as Borellus demonstrates, by reason of the grosser Body of the water, which must be moved out [Page 40] of its place, and circulate into that left by the Fish: So a Man sunk in the Water up to the Neck, needs a greater force for opening his Chest, than if he were in the Air. And from hence it is, that Inspiration in the Water is more difficult than Expiration. This happens only because the pressure is unequal; for the pressure of the Pillar of Air and Water on the Chest without, exceeds the pressure of the Pillar within the Chest, that is only of Air, so much as the weight of the Pillar of Water which covers the Chest, exceeds the weight or pressure of the Pillar of Air within the Lungs, and of the same height with the Water about the Chest; for Fluids press only according to the perpendicular heights, and not the grosness of their Pillars, as is plain in Syphons, in whose Legs, tho' of different thickness, the Liquor rises but to the same Horizonal Height.
[Page 41] Likewise all do agree, that not only the bottom, but also the sides of the Vessel are prest; which pressure some say is considerable, but others not. Tho. Cornelius thinks it to be equal to the perpendicular Pressure: For supposing the Water to press by inclin'd Lines, and that a Body sliding down by inclin'd Lines, acquires as great a Velocity as if it fell down by a Perpendicular, equal to the height of the Plain, he thinks the lateral Pressure to be equal to the Perpendicular. On the other Hand, Becher, in his Physica Subterranea, says, That the Water presses directly on the bottom, but far less on the sides; which Conjecture he grounds on this, That the little Ramparts of Earth sustain the Pressure of the Ocean it self, that it overflows not the adjacent Fields; yea, he endeavours to make it out by a [Page 42] Mechanical Experiment, that the Pressure of the Water is only upward and downward.
If Mr. Becher had considered that Hydrostatical Axiom, viz. That Fluids press only according to their perpendicular Altitudes, he would not have been frighted by the Extent of the great Sea at Amsterdam, from owning so evident an Hydrostatical Truth as this is, That the Lateral Pressure of Fluids is equal to the Perpendicular: For suppose the Banks there to be Three Fathom, or Eightteen Feet, above the Harlem Meer, and the adjacent Lands, which they defend from the Inundation of the Sea, and that the weight of every Cubical Foot of Water is 76 lb. 9 ℥ ½, and 48 gr. this multiplied by 18 f. the Perpendicular Height will amount to 1381 ½ lb, ℥ 1. g. 384. which is the Weight or Lateral Pressure that lies on a Square Foot at [Page 43] the bottom, which a Rampart of Earth, made strong for the purpose, and 100 Foot thick, may be well allowed able to support. 'Tis true, this Computation is made for fresh Water; but the addition of Salt in the Sea-water, which is about 1 lb of Salt to 41 lb of Water, will not so much alter the Reckning.
For my part, as I do not believe the lateral pressure of the VVater to be equal to the perpendicular, so I do not think it despicable; for it may be shown, that the lateral pressure is less than the perpendicular, by taking notice of this only, That there is a greater Endeavour of the VVater to descend by a perpendicular Line than an inclin'd one: But suppose that some parts in the sides of the Vessel suffer a pressure, equal to the perpendicular pressure, as are these which be at the bottom, and in which those inclin'd ones would [Page 44] end, which have the same Depth with the whole VVater; yet in other parts the lateral pressure cannot be admitted so great.
The Author here seems like one groping in the dark for the Truth, and yet when he has got it between his Hands he lets it slip: For he supposes, that the Pressure by inclin'd Lines is, at the bottom, equal to the Pressure by Perpendicular Lines; yet he will not own the same in the intermedial parts. Indeed the Pressure by Inclin'd Lines in the intermedial Parts is not equal to that Perpendicular Pressure which is at the bottom; but 'tis equal to that perpendicular Pressure which is on the same Horizontal Surface, which may be made evident thus: Take a Glass Tube, such as they use for Baroscopes, but open at both ends, a b; stop the upper end a with your Finger, and so immerse it into the Vessel [Page 45] e f g h, filled with Water to m l, inclining, till it come to the Horizontal Surface i k, and then take your Finger off, the Water will rise by the Pressure at the Orifice b, till it has come to the Surface m l, which is the same height it would have come to if the Pipe had been Perpendicular, as in c d. Farther, Suppose a Pipe bended in the end at the right Angles p q, immersed to the same Surface i k, as before; upon taking away your Finger form p, it will rise up as high as before, to the Surface m l: Now 'tis evident to any that considers the Figure of the Pipe, that the Pressure at q is Lateral, and as forcible as if it were Perpendicular: This may be made more pleasant to the Eye by putting Oil into the Pipe, as the Honourable Mr. Boyle shews in his Paradoxa Hydrostatica, Paradox. 7.
[Page 46] And yet 'tis not to be thought so little of as Becherus says: for seeing the sides of Vessel are no small hindrance to the Fluid that it descends not, the Force which the Fluid exerces on the sides cannot be small.
Seeing then, as was before said, the parts of a Fluid are crowded on one another, as if they were in a Press, 'tis not without Reason that Moderns from this do fetch a Solution of that old, yet difficult, Problem, which has wearied subtile VVits, VVhy a Diver, in the bottom of the Sea, is not opprest by the incumbent VVater. They commonly say that it happens, Because the Diver is lifted up by the water under him, and on the sides the parts of his Body are prest with the same force; neither can they be driven inward, seeing all is full; so that there is no fear of the Luxation of a Member, or painful [Page 47] Compression. Yet the most ingenious Mr. Boyle thinks the Difficulty is not answered enough; for though by reason of the equal Pressure of the Ambient Fluid, there follows no Luxation, yet there appears no Reason why there is no Pain felt by the compression of the Parts one against another. VVherefore the same Author recurs to the strong Texture of the Animal, which can resist the Pressure.
It might be solv'd thus. There is an Air lodged in the Pores of all Animal Iuices, which two together keep distended and full the Fibres, which are tubulous, as Sir Edmund King has very ingeniously discovered long ago; and it is by the Pressure of the Ambient Fluid (which is equal on every side) that this Air being forc'd into less Compass, the sides of the Fibres come closer together, which causes no more pain to the Fibres, than the Bladder, (which yet is a very [Page 48] sensible part) suffers upon its being contracted, when the Urine is expelled.
If it were not Rashness to think any thing can be added to the Reasons of so many most famous Men, I would say, that seeing the Body of a Living Man is specifically lighter than VVater, tho' not much; and therefore being more prest by the Collateral VVater, according to the Principle of Archimedes, the Syphon in which the Diver is that is less prest ought to be lifted up, and therefore he ought to feel no Pressure. But because the Diver under water may be diversly considered, either as he descends by a perpendicular Line, or ascends by it, or is moved by inclining Lines, or as being fastned to the bottom, and sticking on a Rock, he remains immovable; in any of these cases he cannot be subject to a dolorous Pressure. I have learned [Page 49] from a skilful Diver, that when a Swimmer will descend perpendicularly, and go to the bottom in a straight Posture, he drives the water upward with his Hands as with Oars; and when he will rise again, driving the water with his hands towards the bottom, he returns the same way. From whence it comes to pass, that such as are unskilful in Swimming, when they strike the water contrary ways, are stifled. It is worth the while to enquire into the Reason of these Effects, having never seen them in any Author, tho' there were need of a Delian Swimmer here, as they say.
I think then, that when a Swimmer drives the superincumbent water with his hand upward, he therefore descends; because such a Syphon being so smitten is less prest, and therefore is lifted up, the other being deprest in which the [Page 50] Swimmer is; just as in a Scale suspended, and put in an Aequilibrium, if one of the Scales be hit below, that will be lifted up, and the other of necessity will descend. Therefore the Body of the Swimmer being put in the Pillar that is more prest, will of necessity descend; but when at the same time he does this with both hands, he makes his Descent more easie.
But when he will rise perpendicularly, and in a straight Posture from the bottom, by striking the water with his hands toward the bottom, he makes that Syphon more prest; and therefore the Swimmer being plac'd in the other, must of necessity ascend: Just as when the Scale is put in an Aequilibrium, if I hit the Scale in the hollow part, that will be deprest, and the other lifted up. The same Reason holds, when he ascends or descends by Lines inclin'd [Page 51] to the Horizon. Therefore whether he ascend or descend, or whatever way he move, he ought to be under no dolorous Pressure, how deep soever the Water be. For seeing, according to the most ingenious Borellus, Bodies do not appear heavy but when they are in rest; a [...] appears in an Example given by him of two Sacks of Wool, one of which being put on the other, does not exerce its weight, or press it, but when 'tis resting, and not when it descends.
Therefore the Swimmer descending in the Water perpendicularly, ought not to suffer any Pressure in the VVater descending with the same Swiftness. But when he is carry'd up by the same way, seeing by his Body he thrusts upward the VVater lying upon him, which he does not by his own Strength, but by the help of the [Page 52] Collateral Syphon, and therefore needs no help of his Muscles to overcome the Resistance of the superincumbent VVater; neither ought he to have the sense of a dolorous Pressure, to which the Circulation of the Ambient Fluid coming in behind, does not a little contribute, by not suffering any part of the Body to be mov'd out of its place. Upon the same Account he ought not to feel any dolorous Pressure, if he ascend or descend by inclin'd Lines, or stick without Motion to the bottom: For the other Collateral Syphon being more prest, does always exerce its Force, and the subjacent VVater lifts up the Diver, that is specifically lighter than its self upward.
The Author here supposes the Body to be specifically lighter than Water, which I judge to proceed from the Air inclosed in the Chest; for [Page 53] when that is out, the Body sinks by its own weight; and this gave perhaps the first rise to Anatomists to discover whether a Child was Still-born, or not; for if its Lungs do swim in the Water, 'twas not Still born, but has breathed the Air; but if they sink, then they conclude the Child to have been Still-born. As for the Divers rising or falling by the Motion of his Hands, 'tis the same Case as in an Oar, when the Blade of it moves with greater force than the Water, it makes resistance to the Oar, which therefore not advancing, the Boat of necessity must: So when a Man presses the Water quickly downward, it makes resistance to his Hands; and therefore the Water not giving way fast enough, the Body must be thrust upward; just as in the Air, if a Man between two Chairs did forcibly thrust them down with his two Hands, he must be lifted up, because they do not give way. The Author says, the [Page 54] Pressure is not felt when the Diver is ascending or descending, because the Water being in motion, does not press upon the Body: But it might be made manifest that it does; and Experience makes it beyond Contradiction, that they feel no Pressure when the Water is at rest; and the Divers do own, that they feel a Pressure rather in the going down in the Diving-Bell, than afterward; as the Honourable Mr. Boyle told me be had communicated to him by the Laird of Melgum, who practis'd this way of Diving, in these Words; The Compression of the Air being such, as going down did hurt me; but below, and staying there, was as familiar to me as that above.
CHAP. III.
That these Fountains cannot be derived from a Subterraneous River.
SEing then that it is clear enough from what was said before, that the flowing of these VVaters toward the Sea, may consist with their rising here, and in any place, it seems to follow, that there is a great subterraneous River under it, from which these Fountains do spring: And truly this is the common Opinion among us, which yet I cannot assent to. I am not ignorant, that there are some Rivers that hide their Head under Ground, and after some time do rise again. Some again there are that never rise above Ground, as it happens in the Veins of the Body; [Page 56] some do appear in the Surface, and some do never. Of this Seneca speaks very well. Nature governs the Earth as it does our Bodies, in which are Veins and Arteries; and Nature hath so formed it like our Bodies, that our Ancestors have call'd them Veins. Pliny says, That the Nile is often swallowed up in Gulphs, and after a long time is spew'd up again. They report the same of Niger, a River of Aethiopia, which rising out of the same Lake that the Nile does, and running towards the VVest, when it meets with a Chain of Mountains, it finds hidden ways; and appearing again on the other side of the Mountains, discharges it self into the Atlantick Ocean. In like manner, Tigris in Mesopotamia being stopt by the Mountain Cancasus, hides it self under Ground, and is lost in a great Cave; but afterward [Page 57] breaking out near to Babylon, is mixt with Euphrates. To say nothing of Alphaeus, a River in Achaia, whom the Poets feign to pass a great way not only under Ground, but also under the Sea it self, and to rise again in the Fountain called Arethusa: This is known by the Offals of the Sacrifice, which being thrown down the River, were, every fifth Summer, at the time of the Olympiack Games, cast up by this Fountain. And also the Seas themselves are thought to communicate by occult Passages, as the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, and the Caspian with the Euxine, as the most Learned Kircher makes out by good Conjectures.
Father Avril a Iesuit, in his Travels into Tartary, says, that 'tis more probable that it discharges its self into the Persian Gulph, of which this is his main Proof; That they who [Page 58] inhabit about the Persian Gulph, do every Year at the end of Autumn observe a vast quantity of Willow-Leaves: Now, in regard this sort of Tree is altogether unknown in the Southerin part of Persia, which borders upon that Sea; and for that quite the contrary, the Northern part, which is bounded by the Sea of Kilan, or the Caspian-Sea, has all the Sea-Coasts of it shaded with these Trees; we may assure our selves with Probability enough, that these Leaves are not carried from one end of the Empire to the other, but only by the Water that rowls them along thro' the Caverns of the Earth. So far Father Avril.
Who further, for establishing a Circulation of VVaters from Pole to Pole, describes a great VVhirlpool under the North Pole, of which also Olaus Magnus and Helmont have written, by [Page 59] which a great quantity of VVaters is absonb'd, which falling into the Bowels of the Earth, is return'd by the South Pole.
Some say that this changes its Course once in half a year, going in at the South Pole, and coming out again at the North.
Tho' all this be true, supposing also that within the Bowels of this Earth there is exercised something like an Animal O Economy; and that one may, not without Reason, imagine divers Ebbings and Flowings of VVaters, seeing, as Seneca says, the whole Earth is not folid, but hollow in a great many parts; yet I cannot allow as some do, that this is a great broad River, from which these Fountains break forth. This Opinion of a great River has so firmly possest the Minds of all Men, that if a little Earth quake happen, the Inhabitants are in great Foar lest the [Page 60] Town, which otherwise is greatly shaken with Earthquakes, should be swallow'd in a moment of time; imagining it to be plac't on the arch'd Roof of a great River.
I confess the Conjectures are not slight, on which may be grounded the Opinion of such a Subterraneous River, which gives Water to these Fountains; especially the Noise of the VVaters in the bottom of the Well before the Perforation, and the assurance Men have, that in every place where a Well is digg'd, Water will boil up, casting up Sand, Pebbles, and many other things; which seem to evidence its being some great River, or at least some great Receptacle. But one Reason, to wit, the super-exceeding Greatness of this imaginary River, which must be admitted of Necessity, is of so great weight, that it overturns all Conjectures that would seem to [Page 61] confirm the Opinion of so great a River running under this Ground. For Europe has no River so big as this subterraneous River must be, to which neither the Po, nor the Rhine, nor the Danube, are to be compared. 'Tis known well enough by what we have before said, and all the Inhabitants are convinced, that not only within the Compass of the City, which is a Mile in Diameter, in any place, may be made a Fountain, which will constantly send forth Water; but also without the Town for some Miles, without having any regard to the Situation, such Fountains may be made, but especially by the Aemilian way; as also beyond the River Scultenna a great plenty of these Springs and Fountains is observ'd. Therefore the breadth of this subterraneous River (unless its Course were along this way, in which case it would [Page 62] be extended 4 Miles) should be extended 6 or 7 Miles.
But who can believe that under this Plain, on which this City is plac'd, a River of so great Extent should continually flow, with so great a weight lying upon it! I will not deny, that from South to North the Source is not so much extended, seeing these Fountains are not observ'd above 4 Miles; which, whether it be for want of Experience, or that this is truly its Bounds, I dare not affirm. But if we will suppose a subterraneous River, which hath a Channel of 4 Miles, every one I think will doubt it: Nor will he so easily give Credit to this Opinion, especially seeing this Arch that must keep up so great a VVeight 68 Feet deep, is not of Flint or Pumice-stone, but altogether made up of Earth gathered by degrees. Truly, if this Prodigy of Nature [Page 63] were situated in a Mountainous Region, I should not be much against admitting the greatest Subterraneous width. For if we take notice of the Caves and Subterraneous Recesses which are fam'd in Geographers, we shall find them to be made amongst the Rocky and steep Caverns of the Earth, seeing Rocks and Stones are the Bones and Strength of it. From whence Ovid says,
VVe find the Corycaean Cave in Cilicia (of which Pliny, Solinus, and others write, that being a very [Page 64] large Promontory with a wide Mouth, and full of Woods within; 'twas 52 Miles broad, so as to be very light, and both a Cave and a Port) to have been plac'd in the Mountain Corycus. The River Tigris, which we have often mention'd, hides its Head, and as often rises again, but only when he sees himself stopt with a Chain of Mountains. For disdaining that any stop should be put to his Swiftness, from which he takes his name, he finds himself a way by the wide Bowels of the Mountains, and runs hid, till being swell'd with the accession of VVaters, he runs out into the open Plain. The River Timavus, famous enough among the old Poets (about whose true place, whether 'twas near Padoua, or Tergeste in Istria, there were so many Contentions among the Learned of the last Age, as may be seen in Leander▪ Albertus, Bernardinus [Page 65] Scardeomus, Iohannes Candidus) though he seem to draw all his Water from [...]ine Fountians, as Breasts sticking out in the Mountain Timavus▪ yet he borrows them from another place, viz. a Subterraneous River, discharging it self by the Cavernous VVindings of the Mountains, into the Sea; for which he is so proud as to be called, the Father and Fountain of the Sea.
Seeing we have made mention of Timavus, and wonderful things are told of him by VVriters, viz. That he Ebbs and Flows according to the Motion of the Sea; and that he increases so much, as to overflow the adjacent Country; but in the ebbing of the Sea he runs gently enough, and carries with himself the Sweetness of his VVaters even to the Ocean, without mixture. [Page 66]
As the chief of the Poets did formerly say of Alphaeus: Therefore I am willing to [...] the Contemplation of so curious things.
The most Learned Kircher does very well explain the Cause of this prodigious Increase, and how the River keeps its VVaters free from Saltness, even to its Mouth. For he says, That a great abundance of VVater is cast out from the Bowels of a Mountain near a Village called St. Cantians, about 14 Miles distance from the Nine Fountains of Timavus, and that there 'tis swallowed up by a manifest Gulph, nor does it appear more: He thinks therefore, that the VVater [Page 67] being swallow'd up by hidden Channels, runs into the Sea; and that therefore in the flowing of the Sea; the Salt VVater drives back the Fresh that meets it with great Violence, as being of less Force; and so this Subterraneous River is stopt in its Course, which not finding room to which it may retire, breaks violently out at the foremention'd Fountains in the Mountain Timavus, communicating with the same Subterraneous River.
[Page 68] By this means 'tis not hard to understand, how according to the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea, there appears so proportionate a Vicissitude of Ebbing and Flowing in Timavus. and yet the Waters remain fresh: For the Sea does not beat back the Waters of Timavus, nor stop his Course in the Surface, but meeting the Subterraneous River swallowed up in the foresaid Valley, forces it to flow back, and throw out its Waters by these Nine Mouths; and from hence is the prodigious Increase of the River Timavus. But when the Sea ebbs, and gives leave to that Subterraneous River to run, Timavus also at the same time, when that great Regurgitation of the Water ceases, runs quietly enough, and with all his Sweetness, into the Adriatick.
[Page 69] Neither Kircher nor Falloppius, determine what Sea they suppose to flow into these Cavities; for the Mediterranean does not rise high enough to answer the case, seeing it flows but a Foot at the most, which is in the Adriatick; if they meant the Atlantick, which in some places is observ'd to rise 9 Fathom, in many to 2 1/2, to 3 or 5; yet perhaps that will not answer the case neither; for it has a great way to come, before it can come to reach the place; and when it has swelled to the height there, considering the Nine Mouths of Timavus are in a Mountanous Countrey, which may be justly supposed elevated far above the Sea when at the highest, this Solution of the Phenomen will not hold. It seems to me more rational to explain it thus: I suppose the Water comes from St. Cantians, to run under Ground in a Canale [...], which it fills quite (so that there is [Page 70] no passage for the Air that way) till it come to the Basin a b c, which it fills so, as to overflow into the Sea below, and that this Basin is not much lower than the Mouth of Timavus; for thus the Ascent of the Water into these Nine Mouths will be more easily procured. I suppose likewise, that this Basin a b c has another Passage g h▪ by which the outer Air communicates with the Water in this Basin, and by which the Water in the Flux of the Sea runs out at h; then the Water that overflow [...] and fall into the Sea when it is at the Ebb, because the Air gets out at the Holes below near the Surface; when the Surface of the Sea k k k is elevated by the Waters flowing into this lower Basin through Subterraneous Passages, and the Holes near its Surface (by which the Air got out before) being now stopt, the Air is crowded between the Surface k k k below, and [Page 71] that in the Basin, and thus▪ acquires a greater Elasticity than the Air that presses the Surface within the Pipe g h; and therefore, according to the Laws of Hydrostatisks, the Water in that Pipe must ascend: Now if the Sea flow two Eathom below, it may raise the Waters in the Pipes g h near as much, so that it may run out at h. I think, the flowing of Springs and Lakes, such as the Ingenious Mr. VValker told me is reported to be found in Cornwall on the top of a Hill, and in other places, may be explained very well after this manner.
Our Countrey-man Falloppius gives a Reason of this surprizing Phaenomenon of Nature, not much differing from this, whose words I thought fit to add here: But you must note, that although the River th [...]n abo [...]nd with Water, yet that Water is fresh, as [...]tis also when it [Page 72] decreases; for 'tis always fresh; but from whence does that come? You must understand, that in the Country of Carni there is a Castle called St. Cantians, from whence rises a great quantity of Water, which when it has scarcely appear'd, is swallow'd up by the Earth, and appears no more. Now the Village of St. Cantians is 14 Miles distant from the River Timavus.
I believe therefore that the Water flowing from the Mountain in abundance, is the Cause of the Increase of Timavus; for I think that this Water flows plentifully by these Subterraneous Passages, which meeteth with other secret Passages, by which the Sea runs into the Mountain next to the River; and that so there is a Congress made, and dashing of the Sea Water against the other, which runs down from the Mountain farther off; and seeing the flowing of the Sea is more forcible than the fresh [Page 73] Water, (for the Salt Water is more gross than the fresh) it happens that the fresh Water flowing from the high Mountains, yields to the other when it meets with it; from whence it comes, that when in cannot run to the Sea, it recoils up to the top of the Mountain; and from hence 'tis, that all the Mountain abounds with Water, and the Timavus increases and decreases.
Such Phaenomena of Nature sporting it self, may be more easily observ'd in the Mountainous Countries than elsewhere, seeing the Mountains, because of their solid Texture, have empty Spaces and Kettles, which serve not only for Cisterns of Water, but also for Receptacles of Fire, as in Sicily; which therefore Aristotle calls, full of Caverns. So Virgil, describing Aristaeus going down into the secret places of Paeneus, a River in Thessaly, running between Olympus [Page 74] and Ossa, wrote these Verses.
In English thus:
There are many of these Subterraneous Rivers in this and other Countries: There is one very remarkable [Page 75] at Bourdeaux in France, which runs under the Church of St. Sorine; and it seems under or near a Pillar of that Church, in which there is made a hole large enough to put in ones Head, which has another, hole at the bottom going down thro the Pillar to the River, to which if you apply your Ear, you may hear the noise of the Water falling down, even at the time when the Organs (which make a great Noise) are playing: There is upon the Right Hand a broad pair of Stairs, with a great Arched Gate, that take down to this Subterraneous River, from which they force Water into a Marble Cistern that stands in the Church-yard covered with another great Stone, yet open on the sides, at which the ignorant People take up Water; believing, by the Insinuation of the Crafty Priests, that 'tis by the Gift of St. Sorin an Excellent Collyrium for sore [...] Eyes This Water as they force into the [Page 76] Cistern by the Pipes laid under ground on the Waxing of the Moon, so they let it gradually out by other Pipes on the Wane of the Moon; which makes the People think that it depends on the Course of the Moon. Populus vult decipi.
Let us hear Seneca, speaking to the purpose; There are also under the Earth less known Laws of Nature, but as sure; believe the same to be below, that is above: There are also great Caves, there are great Vaults and wide Places formed by the Mountains hanging over them. Then although we must confess, that in some places Rivers of great bigness flow under the Earth, we must not therefore believe that in this great Plain on this side the Po, there is so great a subterraneous Cavity, and that Fields of so great a largeness could stand without Ruine for so long time. I must [Page 77] add moreover, that the Depth of this River, in respect to its Breadth, ought not to be small, because Nature builds all her Caves and Subterraneous Passages Archwise; which all must have a Depth proportionable to the Breadth, otherwise they lose their Force; and commonly they are of a Circular Figure, or coming near to it, i. e. As deep as they are broad, which in this case must be at least 4 Mile. ☜ But this Cavity is of no Depth almost, yea, but a few Feet, viz. As much as the Auger had made in boring: For passing an Iron Rod throw the Hole, the bottom is presently found, as I have often try'd with others that have been with me.
Moreover, seeing the Diggers in the very Terebration, often fall on Stocks of Trees, as my self have often observed; we must confess therefore, that these Trees have [Page 78] been before in open Air: And seeing in the bottoms of these Wells are often found Bones, Coals, and Pieces of Iron, we are likewise forc'd to believe, that People have formerly liv'd on that Ground; or we must think, that this great River at that time had a Cover of 6 or 8 Foot, and that this our Plain did afterwards grow higher, by the daily Descent of Waters from the Apennine, and the paring off of the upper Ground. But the above mention'd Difficulties do still occur.
But let us suppose this great River runs this way, and that hitherto he has suffer'd a Bridge; from whence, I pray, comes so great a plenty of Water to fill this great Cavity, which we must always suppose to be full, to make the Water rise up in the Wells? Seeing to sustain the Royal Dignity of the Po, scarcely so many Rivers [Page 79] running into it from the Apennine and the Alps are sufficient? And on the other hand, we may affirm that the Po comes far short of this Subterraneous River. Lastly, If this River must be 4 Miles broad, I do not see why in all the Extent of this Source, the Depth of the Wells is always found the same; for the Wells which are digg'd near the sides of this great Arch, would be deeper than those elsewhere: But there is almost no difference in the Depth of these Wells. We cannot therefore give way to the Vulgar Opinion of this Subterraneous River, notwithstanding the Conjectures mentioned, which we shall shortly Answer. And far less must we believe, that there are many Subterraneous Streams flowing from the same Cistern, and distinguish'd by Intervals, which give Water continually to these Fountains. For how [Page 80] can it be, seeing there are so many thousands of Fountains, and continually such Wells are made both in the City and Suburbs, that the Undertakers never fell upon such Interstices in the boring? As I have often told; and which one can never admire enough, there is no need of any Caution here; no need of Diligence in choosing a place, seeing any place markt out either in the City or without, for many Miles, is fit for the Building of these Wells; and all the Difficulty in digging these Wells, is in keeping out the Side-waters, which sometimes flow in in great quantity, so that they need a Wall of Bricks to keep it out: But when the VVorkmen have come to this last Bottom, then as having got their wish, they begin their Perforation with as great Assurance of getting VVater by their Auger, as if they had Moses his [Page 81] Rod. Neither is the Opinion of some to be entertain'd, who think that the subterraneous Spaces from which these VVaters flow, were formerly the Channels of Scultenna and Gabellus, between which two Rivers Modena is now plac'd; which Rivers, as they imagine, after they had descended from the Apennine, did join their Waters in this place; and therefore, through length of Time, the Mountains decreasing and the Fields rising, the Water rises to this height in these Wells when they are digg'd; or in a hole made with Sand wet with Water, which is supply'd from these Rivers by hidden Passages; And the Sand it self, that they may give Credit to so plausible a Thought, they give an Example; for they say, That near a Stream, a Hole being made in the Sand, tho' dry on the Surface, the VVater appears; which also by the Observation [Page 82] of Pliny the younger, is known to be done in the Seashore. For after this Author, with his accustomed Elegancy in a Letter to Plin. Gallus, described the Pleasantness of his Countrey-Village by the Sea-side, in the end of his Epistle he makes this Relation, as worthy to be taken notice of: It has Wells, or rather Fountains; for the Nature of all that Shore is wonderful; in whatever place you move the Ground, you meet with Water; and that so fresh, as not to have the least saltness from the Vicinity of the Sea. By these words the most Learned Man seems to give some Specimen of our Fountains, seeing there also, in whatever place the Ground is digg'd, there is Moisture: Yet 'tis gather'd, by the same Pliny's words, that the VVaters of these VVells did not spring up. I believe the same will happen in any Sea-Coast, [Page 83] except some Bed of Clay intervene, for the VVaters do easily follow the Sand: Therefore 'tis no wonder, that in any place of Pliny's Countrey-House the VVater appears fresh, being strain'd through the Sand from the nearest Sea, and so depriv'd of its Saltness. But 'tis no way probable, that the Case is so in our Ground: For tho' I do not deny that these Rivers did formerly run in deeper Channels, yet that that they give VVater to this Spring, I can no ways be induc'd to believe. ☜ For these Springs are perpetual, neither do they know any Increase or Decrease; when yet these Rivers, not only in Summer, but also sometimes in VVinter, have their Sands dry, as we have seen of late Years, by reason of the hot Season; seeing all the VVells except these, tho' digg'd deep, gave no VVater in the Neighbouring Countreys, to the great [Page 84] loss both of Men and Cattel. But the flowing of a most pure VVater from these Fountains is so uniform and constant, that 'tis improbable they should depend on the unconstant and unequal state and course of these Rivers; for the VVater decreasing in the deeper Veins, the Pressure would also decrease, and so these Fountains would be diminished. Moreover, seeing the Countrey of Rhegium, Parma, and all on this side the Po, is plac'd in the same Plain; and many Rivers descending from the Apennine, glide over these Countries. I do not see, why they do not enjoy the same Prerogative when VVells are digg'd deep in them. But no where that I know of are such Fountains observ'd, so everlasting, and subject to no Alteration. Therefore we may lawfully judge the Cistern that furnishes VVater at the same rate to [Page 85] this Source, to be perpetual, never failing, and not temporary.
CHAP. IV.
Of the Ancient State and Form of the Countrey on this, and the other side of the River Po.
THerefore having discuss'd the Opinions which take most among our Countrymen, of the Nature of this hidden Source, it may be thought fit that I should now tell my own: But before I do that, I think it worth while to enquire, and as far as Conjecture will allow to discover, what was in those times the outward Face of this Countrey which we inhabit; seeing by the digging of these VVells in the Land of Modena, 'tis known enough, that the Situation of this Countrey, which is called [Page 86] Gallia Cispadana, and Transpadana, was very low and deprest in old times, in comparison of what 'tis now. Plato, when he brings in Critias speaking, writes, that there are two things which bring great and sudden Changes in the Earth, and totally abolish the Monuments of the most ancient Countreys. The VVorld felt the first Calamity in the Universal Deluge, the other being reserved against the Day of Judgment, and the Destruction of wicked M [...]n, as Peter says, Ep. 2. when a New Heaven, and a New Earth shall appear. 'Tis most certain, that the Face of the whole Earth was most notably changed, in that Universal Drowning and Overturning of all things. But some think that such a Change follow'd, that the state of the VVorld before the Flood was quite different from what 'twas afterwards, which yet [Page 87] I cannot assent to. There is lately come from England a Book, whose Title is, The Sacred Theory of the Earth, by Thomas B [...]net. This Learned Man endeavours to demonstrate, that the Earth before the Deluge in its first Original, had another Form than now it appears to have; so that there were neither Seas nor Isles, nor Mountains nor Valleys, nor Rivers any where, but the whole Body of the VVaters lodg'd in the Caverns of the Earth. Now he feign'd such a Face of the Earth, to the end that it may be perceiv'd without the Creation of new VVaters, from what Store-house a quantity of VVater may be drawn sufficient to cover the Face of the Earth, tho' it had Mountains, which we must imagine to have been higher by far than the present ones: So that, according to his Reasoning, neither Rains, how great soever, [Page 88] nor Theo [...] Rabbah of Moses, viz. Abyss of VVaters hid in the Caverns of the Earth, could be sufficient for that Universal Deluge. But he thinks that the Mountains, Valleys, Seas, Isles and Rocks, might have appeared in that great cleaving of the whole Body of the Earth, pieces of it being broke off here and there, and swallow'd up in the great Gulph; while those, which stood in their former state, made a shew of Isles, Mountains, and Rocks; but these which were wholly covered by the VVaters, had the Name of Sea and Lakes; and so the Earth appeared after the Deluge all broken, torn, and of a quite different Aspect.
This Fancy, however it may be taken for new, yet certainly is not the Fiction of our Times, but more ancient by far. Franciscus Patritius, a Man famous enough for Learning, in a certain Book of his, [Page 89] Of the Rhetorick of the Ancients, written in Italian, and Printed at Venice by Franciscus Senensis, Anno 1562. The first Dialogue has a pleasant Story, which he says Iulius Strozza had from Count Balthazzar Castillon, and he had from a certain Abyssine Philosopher in Spain. This wise Abyssinian did say, That in the most ancient Annals of Aethiopia, there is a History of the Destruction of Mankind, and the breaking of the Earth: That in the beginning of the World the Earth was far bigger than now 'tis, and nearer to Heaven, perfectly round, without Mountains and Valleys, yet all Cavernous within like a Spunge, and that Men dwelling in it, and enjoying a most pure Aether, did lead a pleasant Life; and that the Earth brought forth excellent Corn and Fruits without Labour. But when, after a long Flux of Ages, Men [Page 90] were puft up with Pride, and so fell from their first Goodness, the Gods in Anger did shake the Earth, so that a great part of it fell within its own Caverns; and by this means the Water, that before was shut up in dark Holes, was violently squeez'd out, and so Fountains, Lakes, Rivers, and the Sea it self, took its Original: But that Portion of the Earth, which did not fall into these Caverns, but stood higher than the rest, made the Mountains: That the Isles and Rocks in the midst of the Sea, are nothing but Segments of the Earth remaining after the sudden fall of its Mass. I am willing, for the satisfaction of the Curious, to give the Author's own words, as more tending to our purpose.
In the first Ages, said the Reverend Old Man, after the last Renovation of the VVorld, the [Page 91] Earth we dwell on was not of that Form, nor so little as 'tis at present, but far greater, and of a perfect roundness; because then it did take up as much place, as it now takes up with the whole VVater and Air together: So that between it and Heaven there was not any thing interpos'd, but a most pure Fire, which is called Aether, being of a most pure and vital Heat. The Earth then was of so large an Extent, and so near to Heaven. But within, and in the Surface, 'twas very Cavernous, within which were scattered the Elements of Air and VVater; and towards the Center was scattered a Fire, to warm the places remotest from Heaven, and therefore obscure and cold. Because the other Caverns nearer the Surface of the Earth were illuminated from Heaven by the Openings above, and by its [Page 92] VVarmth filled with Life; and all these Caverns were inhabited by Men, and other Animals, for the use of which the VVater and Air were scattered over the Caverns. The Earth then was like a Spunge, and Men dwelt within it; their Life was very happy, and without any Evil, because there was not among Men either War or Sedition. Nor did they live inclos'd in Cities, as they do now, for fear of wild Beasts and other Men; but they liv'd promiscuously, and the Earth produc'd its Fruits for their Necessity, without any Labour of theirs. Further, the Mildness of the Air and Aether were so great, that the Seasons did not vary as they do now: And knowing then the Truth and the Vertues of all things, they found they were good; they knew also the Vertues of the Stars, their Senses being [Page 93] nourished in a most pure Aether, from whence they had the Knowledge of things Celestial and Elemental. 'Tis come to our Knowledge, that in the most ancient Annals of Aethiopia, among many others, were found Aegypt, Aethiopia, Persia, Assyria, and Thracia. Now hearken, O Count, says the Aethiopian, attentively, what occasioned the Fall of the Earth, and the Ruine of Mankind. The Men of Assyria knowing all things, and by means of their VVisdom doing VVonders, were well pleased with it; from this Self conceit grew in them a great Love of themselves; by which the Flower of their VVisdom being darkned by degrees, they waxed proud, and began to think themselves Gods, and to compare themselves to Saturn, that then had the Government of the VVorld; who, [Page 94] as he is slow to Anger, and ripe in Counsel, was not at all moved at the first: But when their Pride increas'd, he in Anger depriv'd them of the Influxes of his Mind; from which Privation there grew in them Ignorance, from which flow Pride and Insolence; and they began to seek how to get up into Heaven, and dethrone him: which when Saturn saw, being in his great VVisdom unwilling to defile his Hands with Humane Blood, of himself resigned the Government, and gave it into the Hand of Iupiter his Son; who, after he had taken on him the Government of the VVorld, being born to Action, made a League with his Brother Pluto, who Reign'd in the Roots of the VVorld toward the Center: The one began to shake it terribly below, and the other to thunder upon it from above, with [Page 95] which terrible shaking and thundering, the Earth open'd in many places, and broke, so that it fell into its own Caverns, which by that were raised and filled up. From whence it came to pass, that it both became less, and infinitely further off from Heaven, and was buryed in its self, with all the things contained in it. And the Elements which stood highest, were, by its weight and restriction, squeez'd out, the lighter and purer did fly higher, and drew nigher to Heaven; but of them which were shut up in the Ruins, and were before lodg'd in the Caverns, part remain'd below, and part chang'd their place. And it came to pass, that where the great Bulk of Earth fell, and could not be swallowed up of the Caverns, it remained on high, and afterwards being prest hard together by its [Page 96] own weight, and condens'd by the Cold, because of its distance from Heaven, became Mountains and Rocks; and where in the fall great pieces of thick Earth were swallowed up, the VVaters were by this discovered, from whence came Seas and Lakes, Rivers and Fountains, great and little Isles, and Rocks scattered up and down the wide Sea. The Gold, the Silver, and other Metals, which in the beginning had been most fair and precious Trees, were covered in the Ruins. But there are some Remains of the Seeds shak'd off at that time, which now are digg'd with so great Labour, being neither so pure, nor of great Vertue, as formerly: And the Diamonds, Carbuncles, Rubies, Emeralds and Chrysoliths, Saphires, Topazes, and other Jewels, which be now found, are the thickning of the Rocks of [Page 97] the first Age; and they are, in memory of these first times, to this day had in great Esteem, admir'd and reverenced as the most ancient things. The Porphyres, the Alabasters, Serpentines, and other fair Marbles of different Colours, are no other than some Particles of the Virgin Earth, which was nearest to Heaven, and in the Fall were thickned, and united, either by their own Weight, or some other, or by Cold: From whence 'tis, that by the Searchers after Metals and Marble, there have been found many both Sea and Land Animals, turn'd into Stone and Volatils; yea, many times Mens Bodies that have been all taken hence, inclos'd in their first shape in most solid Stone, without any opening. And from hence 'tis, that there are seen so many thousands of Fishes, Oysters, and [Page 98] Cockles congealed, and Figure of divers Animals; which some through ignorance of things pa [...] admir'd so much. These terrible things did at that time hap [...]pen on the Earth; but the Animals and Men that were foun [...] Dwellers in the Caves, remain' [...] all bury'd by the Earth falling o [...] them; and an infinite numbe [...] of those who dwelt in the oute [...] parts, by the terrible shaking be [...] neath, and the frightful Nois [...] above, died of Fear; and amon [...] the others, all the Assyrians. I [...] the other Countries few remained alive, and these also conti [...]nued, either by the Fall, or thro [...] Fear, many Days in a Transe [...] and without Pulse. But afte [...] they were recover'd, they con [...]tinued astonisht and full of grea [...] Fear, that shortned their ow [...] Life, which at the first was ve [...]ry long, and their Childrens [Page 99] There was also among Men a Stupidity, which made them ignorant of all things, and was the Effect of the first Astonishment after the Fall of their first Fathers; and yet if they seem'd to know any thing, they saw it through a thick Cloud. Moreover, since the Fall, if a Man had the Truth revealed to him by chance, Fear made him keep it secret; for in all remain'd a Memory, the Knowledge of Truth being the occasion of their Parents Pride, and that of their Ruine. For if any had the Boldness to discover it, he darkned it a thousand ways, for fear of being reproved, and severely punisht by another. For this Reason the Sciences have been taught in dark Sayings, in Fables, in Figures and Numbers, in Sacred Rites, and in a thousand other hidden ways. And from thence [Page 100] 'tis belike, that Princes and others, who would be powerful in the Earth, have chosen to follow the Opinion of the common People, and have persecuted with all Rigour those that would tell the Truth. Fear therefore having possessed all Men, by which they were disperst, such as remain'd began to join themselves together, and to beget Children, to help them and defend them; they encompast themselves with Fences and Ditches, in which time they reverenc'd and perform'd Obedience to the Aged. After this as the number of their Posterity increas'd, and the Ties of Affinity decreas'd, they divided their Goods that were hitherto common, and so parted Friendship. After which all things went into Confusion, every one robbing, cheating, and killing another, and inventing new Tricks to defraud [Page 101] his Neighbour: From this, as Boldness grew in those that were of fiercer Spirits, and more ingenious to hurt, others became more fearful; which Fear sharpned their Wit, so that consulting together, they found out the Name of Peace and Justice. Afterward they contrived a long Chain of Words, with which tying Justice and Peace by the Feet, by the Arms, by the Middle, and by the Neck, in a thousand ways, they thought to keep her, that she should not depart from their State, committing the keeping of these Chains, which they call'd Laws, into the Hands of wary Men, and of their own Temper, which they called Judges and Magistrates.
By these Artifices did the timorous secure their Lives and Goods from the Injuries of the more powerful; till at length [Page 102] one that was bolder than the rest, associating himself with the fearful and weak, became their Patron. These also were thrust from their place. After this rate have the Societies of Men been managed hitherto, and so they are at present, and will be for the time to come. When the timorous join'd themselves together, there arose Counsellors; and when they were called into Judgment, there arose Judges. This now, Noble Sir, is the great History which the wise Abyssinian told the Count, worthy to be had in great Veneration, and highly to be esteem'd.
Helmont seems to have entertain'd an Opinion about the Face of the Earth before the Deluge, not unlike to this; his Words are these: From whence I conceive the Earth to have been in one piece, and [Page 103] undivided; for asmuch as 'twas be-water'd with one Fountain; and lastly, to have had no Isles, but the whole Globe was Sea on one side, and Earth on the other. This was the Face of the World before the Deluge, after which the Earth did open into several shapes, and out of the Abyss of these Chinks did the Waters break out.
But let us leave the Opinion, no less disagreeing with the Interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures, than with Nature it self. Scaliger speaking of the Asserters of that Opinion, about the Generation of the Mountains, says, That they piously dote, who have told, that the Earth was pulled out of, and sav'd from the Deluge. Yet 'tis certain, that the Earth in that Universal Deluge did not suffer an ordinary Change, so that the Fortune of things being changed, Thetis and [Page 104] Vesta chang'd their places; from whence Ovid says,
In English thus:
I believe it has not happened otherwise to this Countrey of ours: For I conceive, that in the first beginning of the World, all this Plain, than which Italy has not a [Page 105] greater, and which the Po does now divide into Gallia Cispadana, and Transpadana, was once a Sea, and a part of the Adriatick. So in the Universal Deluge, the Mountains being par'd off, and bar'd, so that they lookt like Bodies extenuated by a Disease, as Plato wrote of the Atlantick Island; we have reason to think that this Bay of the Sea was filled with Sand, and so became a Valley; and afterwards, in process of time, by continual Descent of Waters from the Apennine, and the Alps, and other particular Deluges, (such as was that which happen'd Anno 590. in Gallia Cisalpina, than which 'tis thought there has not been a greater since the Days of Noah, as Pa [...] [...]vin [...]us says in his Fifth Book of the Antiquities of Verona) this Ground did grow up by degrees, and by many Lays or Beds, to the height we do now see it of. Both [Page 106] Ancient and Modern Writers judge the same of the most famous and greatest Plains in the Earth, as in Egypt, &c. which Aristottle says formerly was a part of the Sea; and Herodot calls it, the Gift of the Nile (seeing the Etymology of Nile is derived from Limus, Slime) which he likewise says of the Countreys about Ilium, Teuthrania, and Ephesus, to wit, that they were sometime a part of the Sea: Yea, the same Herodot hath left it in Writing, that if the Nile turn'd its Course into the Arabick Gulph, it would at length cover it all with Slime. Lib. 4. Polybius says, that the Lake Maeotis and the Euxine Sea are constantly fill'd with plenty of Sand, which great Rivers do continually bring into it, and that the time would be when they should be made even with the Continent; taking an Argument from the Taste of the [Page 107] Water, viz. That as Maeotis is sweeter than the Pontick, so the Pontick is sweeter than the Euxine. Modern Writers think no less of the great and plain Countreys, among whom is the most Learned Kircher, who in his Mundus Subterraneus, says, from the Arabick Antiquities, and other Observations, That the great Plain, which lies between the Arabick and Persian Gulph, before the common Deluge, was covered with Sea-waters. And he also thinks, That the Sandy Desarts of Tartary were formerly the place of Waters, and all one with the Caspian Sea, and afterwards in length of time to have been rais'd to a greater height, and turned into great Fields. Neither need we to go so far off for Examples. We understand by History, that Ravenna, as well as Venice, was plac'd in the Sea; but seeing now 'tis 5 Miles from the [Page 108] Sea, no body knows how much Land has accrew'd to it by the retiring of the Sea; a Prodigy truly worthy of Wonder, that where Ships did sail before, now there are Groves of Pine-trees. Upon the same account may we call the Land of Ferrara, the Gift of Eridanus, by reason of the slimy Water which this Royal River did by many Mouths discharge into the Adriatick for some Ages; by which it came to pass, that a Colony of Fishes was by a true Metamorphosis chang'd into an Habitation of Men; for which Ovid says,
[Page 109] Tho' I dare not absolutely say, that all the Countrey which lies between the Apennine and the Alps, was a Sea formerly; yet by what is observ'd in the digging of the Wells, Oyster-shells, and other Sea Products being found in their greatest Depth, it may be not without Ground conjectured, that the Adriatick did at least come thus far, or that the Bays communicating with the Sea, did stagnate here.
Yet 'tis without doubt from the Writings of the Ancients, that between the [...] Aemilian Way (in the middle of which is seated Modena) and the Po, there was a Lake reaching from the Adriatick even to Placentia, which, from the Neighbourhood of the Po, they called Padusa, into which many Rivers descending from the Apennine, discharg'd a great quantity of [Page 110] Waters. Virgil makes mention of this Lake in these Verses:
But Iohn Baptista Aleottus, in his most Learned Book against Caesar Mengolus of Ravenna, shews, by strong Reasons and Authorities, that no River from Splacentia to the Coast of the Adriatick Sea, did come into the Channel of the Po, but that they all discharged themselves into this Padusa; for which he brings the Authority of Strabo, who writes, That this Lake was a great Hindrance to Hannibal, when he would have pass'd [Page 111] his Army into Etruria; which Lake being not long after, by the Diligence of M. Scaurus the Surveyor, dried up, was turned into most fruitful Fields, many Rivers being brought within their own Banks to enter into the Po, as Tarus, Parma, Entia, Gabellus, Scultenna, the Rheine, and other Rivers of no small Note. Upon this account we may reasonably think, that the Po was not so famous of old, nor had the Name of Royal, till by the Accession of so many Rivers he had enlarg'd his Power. And therefore Herodot, a most ancient Writer, deny'd that there was any River found, called Eridanus; which was no small matter of admiration to Pliny, that when Herodot wrote his History at Thurium in Italy, he knew no River by the Name of Eridanus. But seeing Herodot, as Pliny relates, made his History 310 Years after the [Page 112] founding of Rome, we may thence conjecture, That the Po did at that time run with less Glory, and in a straiter Channel; or that the Historian spoke of another River.
There is distinct enough mention made of this Lake in the forecited Iohan. de Argenta, and especially in Leander Albertus in his Description of Italy, who measures the Length of this Lake from Lamon by Ravenna, even to Scultenna, and tells all the Rivers which within this space descended from the Mountains into this Lake, and there ended their Course; and that Hercules, the first Duke of Ferrara, suffered the Bononians to bring the Rheine within his Banks, that so he might enter into the Po; by which it came to pass, that many Valleys of Ferrara, and also Bononia, were turned into most fruitful Lands. But when afterward the Rheine had broke over [Page 113] his Banks in the time of Hercules the Second, when the Fields were again turn'd into Water, and many Contentions arose among the Bononians and Ferrarians; at length the same Prince granted, that the Rheine might be again brought into the Po.
Therefore we must observe, that the Situation of this Countrey, in which Modena is now plac'd, was very low, seeing this Countrey border'd upon Padusa, into which so many Rivers did run; of the lowness of which Rushes, Coals, Bones, Stocks of Trees, found in the Depths of 63 Feet, are most sure Proofs; all which make it evident, that this Ground was sometime exposed to the Air, and that it had no other Aspect than now the Valleys of Como have.
Therefore 'tis not without cause, that Cluverius, in his Description [Page 114] of Italy, thinks a certain place o [...] Pliny deserves amendment. For Pliny, when he had described certain Islands floating in several places, like the Cyclades, as in the Caecuban Lands, the Reatine, the Lake of Vadimon, writes, that the same is observ'd in the Land of Modena. But Cluverius for Matiensis plac'd Mutinensis; forasmuch as one may see such floating Islands made of Slime and Reeds in the Valleys of Como. Yet 'tis out of all question, that the Situation of this Town, together with the adjacent Lands, in the space of 1800 Years, has grown 14 Foot; for in this Depth Causways of Flint, and Shops of Artificers are found by digging, which certainly then was the Plain of the Town, when the Colony of the Romans was brought hither: Further, when I was writing this, there was found a Piece of Adrian the Emperours Coin, of [Page 115] Corinthian Brass, in the Depth of 18 Feet.
History testifies, that Mantuae at that time was not far from the Marshes; for Appianus Alexandrinus tells us, that Marcus Antonius and Pansa, in the Siege of Mutina, did fight amongst the Fenns, and in Grounds overgrown with Reeds; and afterwards near Mutina, in a little Isle of the River Labinius, (when at that time the Land of Modena was extended so far) the Triumviri met, and establisht that horrible Banishment of their Countrymen; when yet in this our Age there are no Vestigies either of Fenns or Islands, only most pleasant Fields are to be seen. So that with the Prince of Poets we may cry out,
Yet this growing up of the Ground, which is observ'd by the great Depth of these Wells, (I do not speak of the deeper parts, whether Humane Industry cannot reach) was but slowly made, and by Slices, as it were, through length of time, as the several Lays of Earth do witness, which are observed in all Wells constantly in an equal Order and Distances when they are digged; so that this growing up of the Ground so well distinguish'd, and so remarkable in the digging of all Wells, ought to be thought rather the Product of so many Ages, than the tumultuary and confus'd Work of the common Deluge.
This doubtless then was the Face of the Countrey on this and the other [Page 117] side of the Po, which being formerly covered with Waters, and not habitable, now is remarkable for its Largeness, and the Fertility of its Fields, and has in it many Towns and Cities: For if we turn over old Authors, we shall find no mention made of Towns or Cities below Brixillus and Cremona, near the Po, even to the Adriatick; but as many as were, and yet are in the Region on this side the Po, were built either near the Roots of the Apennine, or not far from them, as Bononia, Modena, Regium, Parma, &c. But we may infer, both from what was said before, and also from the little that this Sandy Bed, through which these Subterraneous Waters do run, wants of being in the same Level with the Sea, that the Sea did cover this Countrey in the beginning of the World. For if, according to the Observation of Aleottus de Argenta, [Page 118] a most diligent Hydrographer, whom we before cited, the Rheine, from the Foot of the Hills near Bononia to the Po, into which it does now no more run, has a Declivity of 123 Feet, 7 Inches; and the Po from thence to the Sea has a Descent of 15 Foot 7 Inches; and therefore the whole Declivity of the Rheine, and perpendicular Height to the Sea-shore, will be 139 Foot, omitting the smaller measures, the Plain out of which these Fountains spring, and that Mutina stands on (which is distant about 10 Mile from the Roots of the Mountains) will differ no more than 20 or 40 Foot from the Level of the Sea, as one may conjecture, seeing I have not leisure to examine these matters exactly, nor is it any great matter: But if we might dig further down, other Beds would doubtless appear, till we meet at last with the Plain, [Page 119] which was formerly the bottom of the Sea. But 'tis better to search into other things, and to get out of these profound Abysses, if we can go no further.
CHAP. V.
What is the Nature and Condition of this hidden Spring.
AS in the Works of Art, 'tis not so safe from the Similitude of Effects which fall under our Eye, nor without fear of a Mistake, to infer the same Artifice of Mechanical Parts; as may be seen by the Example of two VVatches, which tho' they have the same outward Form, and exactly perform the same Operations as to time, yet may have the inward Structure quite different; so 'tis less safe to make the same Judgments of the curious VVorks of Nature, and to determine what Instruments it uses, and what is its ways of working: VVherefore 'tis much, as Aristotle says, [Page 121] if things obscure and hid to our Senses be explained by Possibilities. Seeing I am come so far, that I must at length tell what I think of the Nature of this admirable Spring, I believe I have done the part of a good Guesser, if by sounding this Ford, I can tell things probable and agreeable to the Laws of Nature, instead of things certain.
VVe may therefore conjecture, that the Sea in this our Countrey had secret Commerce with the Appennine, to which it was adjacent in the beginning of the World, and that it still has; and that it laid a Foundation by several subterraneous Passages in its Bowels for several Storehouses of Waters, of which this may be believed to be one, from whence these Fountains derive their Original, and that the Water is expanded over all this Vein of Sand, in which such a [Page 122] Spring is discovered: But when the Stop is taken away, and the Flood-gates are opened, it rises on high as in Aqueducts. And this Thought of mine, as it does not contradict Nature, so it shuns those Difficulties, which the foremention'd Opinion of an Immense Space, through which a subterraneous River flows, does incur. That a great abundance of VVaters may secretly flow a long way, through Sand, is neither against Reason nor Experience, seeing 'tis the Property of Sand easily to drink up VVater, and therefore has the Name of Sinking Sand. Pliny and Solinus say, Lib. 5. Hist. Nat. c. 9. c. 35. that the Nile, the greatest of Rivers, being swallowed up in the Sands, runs hid a great way, tho' nothing of that is known in our Times. Lib. 3 Quaest. Nat. c. 28. Seneca also testifies, that some Rivers [Page 123] fall into Caves, some are by degrees consumed, and never appear again. The most Learned Kircher says, that in Westphalia, near the Village Altembechem, there is a certain sandy Plain, in which every Day the Water breaks out with great Violence, so as to overflow the whole Countrey, and afterwards sinking into the Sand, disappears, the Surface of the Sand remaining dry. The River Guadiana in Spain, as some relate who have observ'd it, when it has come to a certain Plain, is gradually swallowed up, and without noise of the Earth; which is a most certain Proof, that this River does not fall into a Gulph, but runs away by these Beds of Sand. In like manner I do believe, that the VVater descends by secret Passages from a Cistern in the Roots of the adjacent Mountains, that communicates with the Sea, till it [Page 124] come into this deep sandy Plain, mixt with much Gravel; so that there is no need to conceive any Plain of great width and depth, by which these subterraneous waters may constantly run down, but a few intersperst spaces may suffice, because of the Mixture of Sand and Gravel.
Helmont says, that Sand is Original Earth, and the Seat of the VVaters, but that the rest of the Earth is the Fruit of this Original Earth, and that not without Reason, seeing the reducing of this Sand into VVater is more difficult than of any other Body. This same Author makes this Sand the last Bounds of digging, beyond which to proceed were lost Labour, because of the continual Conflux of Sand and VVater. But he thinks that this Sand is extended from the Shell of the Earth to the Center, and abundance of Water lodges [Page 125] in it; so that the Water which is kept in it is a thousand times bigger than what is in the whole Ocean. All Seas, Rivers and Fountains, even in the top of the Mountains, owe their Original to this invisible Ocean, so that the Water does every where follow the vital Sand. Telesus seems to have been of the same Judgment, who said, the bottom of the Sea was a Fountain of that Interiour Ocean, which agrees with that Opinion of Plato concerning the Gulph, from whose Bosom all Waters go out, and into which they all fall back again.
Whatever be of Truth in this Opinion, of an Invisible Ocean lurking in the Sand, which Helmont conceiv'd ingeniously, and upon probable enough Arguments; yet I think none will deny, but Water may run a long way through Beds of Sand; and when some Passage [Page 126] is open, may be rais'd again, especially if it be urg'd by Water descending from a higher Ground. And I think that 'tis probable the matter is so in our Fountains, to wit, the Water flows out of some Cistern plac'd in the neighbouring Mountains, by subterraneous Passages, where the Earth is firm and hard; but when it has come into the Plain, it expatiates far over the Sand, and in the way is lifted up to this height when a Hole is made with an Auger, according to the Laws of Hydrostaticks.
And I think this is a more expeditious and easie way of explicating the Nature of this never-enough-admired Spring, than to imagine a great Vault, (of which there are no Marks) and a Town with a whole Countrey hanging over it.
To give some Specimen how [...]his flowing of the Water may [Page 127] be according to my Explication: Suppose, as in Fig. 2. that there is a Cistern in the Bowels of the Apennine, drawing Water from the Sea, and that the Water is carry'd by subterraneous Pipes from the same Cistern, and spread over this deep and sandy Plain A B C, mixt with much Gravel; which sandy Plain being brought into much lesser Bounds, the Water is forc'd to run down by a more narrow space than it had in the beginning, and to follow its Course till it come into the Sea, or some great Gulph. Therefore Wells EFGH being digg'd, without any Choice in all the Tract lying upon this Spring, and a Hole being made by the Auger, the Water of necessity must be lifted up on high, being forc't by another, which descending from a higher Ground, presses on that which goes before, and drives it up. By this means these Waters [Page 128] receive a plentiful Supply from their Father Apennine, as does the Well of Waters which flows from Lebanon, of which there is mention in the Sacred History.
But 'tis, Cant. 4. by far, more probable, that the Water is sent from the Sea into such a Cistern, than from Showers, or melted Snows, seeing Rain and Snow-waters run away for the most part by Rivers above Ground; neither can they enter into the ground so deep; as Seneca also testifies, L. 3. Quae. Nat. c. 7. That there is no Rain so great, which wets the ground above Ten Foot: For as he says, when the Earth is glutted, if any more fall, it shuts it out. And truly, how could it come to pass, that they should flow at the same rate as well in moist as in dry Seasons, if the Rain-Water came hither, and they did not rather get [Page 129] their VVaters from the Sea, which being strained through the Sand, and deprived of all Salt, they return to the Sea again with Interest. Truly, I could never yet understand, how that secret Cistern, from which VVaters are sent to these Fountains, should not be unconstant, if they received Moisture for a time from the Rains and Snows; and sometimes increase, sometimes decrease; and therefore, according to the Increase and Decrease of the Pressure, some Alteration should appear in these Fountains.
But the Beds of Clay, which divide the impure from the most pure VVaters, as most strong Fences, do hinder the Rain VVaters from being mix'd with these subterraneous VVaters. And Plato thought, De Leg. Dial. 8. that a clayie Ground was the last Bounds of digging in the search [Page 130] of VVell-waters, obliging every one to dig to the Chalk; and if there was no VVater found in that Depth, he suffer'd as much to be taken from the Neighbours as they had need of, to which Pliny subscribes, saying, That when Potters Clay appears, there is no more hopes of getting Water, nor need Men dig longer; which yet agrees not with what is observed here.
As I have deduc'd the Original of this VVater from the Sea, so I do not deny, that many Fountains owe their Originals to Rains and melted Snow; yet with this difference, that the Fountains which have their Spring from the Sea by hidden Passages continue perpetual, but those which rise from Showers and temporary Springs at some time of the year, are diminished, and quite dry up; as happens in great Droughts; such as Baccius mentions to have [Page 131] been Anno 1556. in which not only all the Fountains, but also great Rivers dried up. The Countrey on this and the other side of the Po did experience such a Season almost for two Years together, viz. in 1687. and 88 in which time the Lands were unpleasant because of the Drought, and VVells were digg'd in other places, but to no purpose; yet little alteration was to be observed in these our Fountains, nor yet in the moistest Season of all; which made the Year 1690. fatal for Dearness of Provision, and Epidemick Diseases; so that these our Fountains seem to be of the same nature with that Fountain in Tyanus, consecrated to Iupiter, of which Philostratus says, That it suffer'd neither Increase nor Decrease; and therefore by the Natives is called Vnquenchable. Or like the VVell of Aesculapius, which as Aelius Aristides, a most famous [Page 132] Orator, relates, was a VVell of Pergamus a City of Asia, of such a nature, that it was always full to the brim; and how much soever was drawn from it, it never decreas'd.
Neither have we Reason only to think, that many Fountains take their Original from the Sea, but also many Lakes communicate with it. The Lake of the Vulsinians, whose Depth is not yet found out, for discovering of which I have seen between Narthana and Bisentina Ropes let down for some Hundreds of Fathoms, but in vain. This Lake, I say, both Summer and VVinter, discharges it self by the River Martha perpetnally into the Tyrrhenian Sea, neither does it receive any Rivers, and the Mountains which encompass it are never white with Snow. Beside, in the same Lake, when the Air was very calm, and the surface of the VVater was smooth, I observed [Page 133] often intestine Motions like Currents in the Ocean, which was known by the Fishermens Nets, which being sunk under Water, were snatcht violently from their hands; an evident Proof of some hidden Commerce with the Sea. Iulius Obsequens, in his Book of Prodigies, relates, That the Lake Albinus, in the Consulate of Valerius and M. Valerius, was suddenly raised up, when no Rain fell from Heaven, neither could there be known any Cause of so sudden a swelling. I cannot be ignorant that the Original of Fountains and Rivers from the Sea is called in question. Gaspar Bartholinus, who follows the glorious Footsteps of his Ancestors, Printed a Treatise at Hafnia, wherein he endeavours to prove that Opinion to be absurd, which deduces the Original of Fountains and Rivers from the Sea; so that all Fountains, as well [Page 134] temporary as perpetual, according to him, owe their Original to Rain. Suppose, as he ingeniously endeavours to prove, that for maintaining the Perpetuity of the Fountains in a dry Season, a Collection of the Water of the precedent Rains in some Receptacle within the Cavity of the Mountains is sufficient. But truly, I cannot see how in some Fountains their Regularity and equal flowing can hold out for so long a time, as is observ'd in ours for so many Ages; seeing in whatever Season, either dry or moist, there appears no sign of Increase or Decrease.
But Scaliger answers to those things which use to be objected against the Opinion of the Original of the Fountains and Rivers from the Sea, in opposition to Cardan, saying, There is no reason why the Sea-water, before it come to the Mountains, does not break [Page 135] out every where, in these words: But, O Cardan, he whom in the 2d of Genesis, the Divine Man says to have finisht all things, was so good an Architect, so wise a Water-Bailif, that Julius Frontinus is nothing to him: He therefore did so skilfully join the Pipes of his Aqueducts, and fit them for bearing the Burthen, as to free you from this fear. But truly, this Difficulty which is objected about the sufficient strength of the subterraneous Passages, gives no less trouble (excepting the greater distance) to the Asserters of the other Opinion, who attribute the Original of Fountains and Rivers to Rains.
But how Water is furnisht to the Fountains from the Sea, which being heavy of its own nature, must flow back into the Sea from whence it came, making as it were a Circle, is not agreed upon among those, who admit the Original [Page 136] of Fountains to be from the Sea, as may be seen in Gaspar Schottus, who rehearses many Opinions of the Ancients and Moderns, and examines them. So true is it what Aristotle says, That 'twas an old Doubt, why seeing so great a quantity of Water runs to the Sea, it does not thereupon become bigger. Some think that the Sea-water ascends above its own Original by the attractive force of the Earth, some by shaking and the Sea-tide, some by force of the inclosed Spirit, which drives up the Water to the top of the highest Mountains; others do attribute it to the Pressure of the Air, which by perpetually breaking down the Surface, lifts the VVater up on high; some recur to the Divine Providence: There are others who say, That the Sea-water flows with a natural Motion, whether from the bottom of the [Page 137] Sea, or the sides, to the Springs of Fountains plac'd in the most high Mountains, because the Sea is higher than the Earth, as the same Schottus thinks. But I like better the Opinion of Des Cartes, of which was also our Countreyman Falloppius, who thinks that the Sea-water, by reason of the subterraneous Heat, is raised in form of a Vapor to the highest Mountains; and there, by reason of the ambient Rocks condens'd into Water, as is usual in Chymical Distillations, so that the Mountains are like Heads of the Alembicks, by the Cold of which the exalted Vapors are condensed into Water, which afterwards breaks out into Springs. Iulius Caesar Recupitus tells, in his History of the burning of Vesuvius, that at the same time it did send forth two Streams, one of Fire towards the shoar, another of Water on the [Page 138] other side that looks to the Plain of Nola, the Fire not only keeping time with the Waters, but also producing them: For 'tis to be thought that by force of the violent Heat diffus'd over the Mountains, so great a quantity of Waters was exhaled from some Cistern that held the Sea-water, that it was sufficient for making a Torrent.
Perhaps it might be as convenientby deduc'd from the Rarefaction of the Air inclos'd within the Bowels of the Mountains, pressing down the Surface of the Water, and so forcing it out another way.
Neither do the Beds of Stone and Chalk, which Bartholine objects, withstand the lifting of the Vapors upward: For supposing the Mountains are, as all confess them to be, cavernous within, such Beds as these might afford this use, to stop the Vapors lifted [Page 139] upward by force of the Heat, and let them fall down by various Chinks as Veins, to which these Beds, especially such as are gravelly and stony, are passable; from whence the Fountains arise, which are called Mouths of the Veins. Therefore 'tis a more ready way, and more agreeable to the Laws of Nature, to draw the Original of Fountains, which are perpetual, and subject to no Alteration from the Sea, by the continual Ascent of Vapors in the great Receptacles of Nature. And 'tis reasonable to think it so in our Case, both from the old state of the Countrey on this side the Po, and also the perpetual Fires that the Neighbouring Mountains maintain, which at their wide Mouths sometimes throw up much Fire and Ashes, with Stones, with so great a Noise and Crashing, that it is heard sometimes 12 Miles off; which [Page 140] truly is not new, seeing Pliny mentions this, who writes, That in the Land of Modena the Fire comes out on set Days; and tells it as a Prodigy, that two Mountains met together, Smoke and Fire coming out; and that in the Day time a great multitude of Roman Horsemen and Travellers were looking on. But that is especially seen in Mount Gibbius, where there are many Fountains, from which Petroleum flows.
An Account of some very remarkable ones I had from my Brother who saw them, and was confirmed to me by Seignior Spoletti, Physician to the late Ambassadors from Venice, and Professor of Physick at Padoua, when he was at my Chamber. They be seen on a side of one of the Apennine Mountains, half way betwixt Bologna and Florence, near a place called Petra Mala, about [Page 141] Five Miles from Fierenzola; 'tis in a spot of Ground of three or four Yards Diameter, which incessantly sends up a Flame rising very high, with no Noise, Smoak, or Smell, but gives a very great Heat, and has been observed to be thus in all times, except of great Rains which put it out for a while; but when that is over, it burns with greater violence than before; the Sand about it when turn'd up sends forth a Flame, but within 3 or 4 Yards round about it there are Corn Fields. The People that live near to it, believe that there is a deep Hole there; but he found it to be firm Ground. There are 3 or 4 more of those near, but they do not burn so vehement by as this.
When I was thinking on a more exact History of these Fountains of Petroleum, than is in Writers. I understood by Letters from Malliabecchius, [Page 142] (to whom, as Prince of the Learned) whatever happens new in Learning is presently brought) that the most Learned D. Olinger, the Kings Professor at Copenhagen, had lately Published a Book, which he found among some Manuscripts, under the Name of Franciscus Areostus, of the Oil of Mount Zibinius, or the Petroleum of Modena, which Book that most Renowned Author Dedicated to the same Malliabecehius, with a Preface to the Reader: A great Reproach of our floth, who stay till some rise from the remotest Countreys to illustrate our Matters by our own Writings.
Though I derive the Original of our Fountains from the Sea first, then from some Cistern of VVater plac'd in our Mountains, into which the Vapors, sent up by the inclos'd Heat, are returned in form of VVaters. I would not [Page 143] thence infer, that this Cistern is plac'd in the tops of the Apennine Mountains, but I believe rather that 'tis plac'd in the Foot of the Mountain, than in the top; for though, as I show'd before, 'tis not always, necessary, that the VVaters, though inclos'd within Pipes, should reach to the height of their Cistern, which happens as often as their Passage being stratinted, they have not free Liberty to flow out, as in Fig. 1. But if we should place this Cistern in the tops of the Apennine Mountains, probably the VVaters might rise higher in them, when yet they do not rise to the surface of the Ground. But I cannot certainly conjecture in what part, whether near the foot of the Mountain, or in their inner parts, this Cistern of VVaters is plac'd by the Divine Architect. I have [Page 144] spar'd no Labour nor Experiences to find out the Head of this Spring, and therefore I diligently viewed not only the Plain towards the Mountains, but the Mountains themselves, and could find no Marks of it. I observ'd indeed some small Lakes, but such as dry up in the Summer, and so become Pasture for Cattel; of the number of which is the Lake Paulinus, 25 Miles distant from this. I thought best therefore to fetch the Original of these Waters from another source, viz. From some secret Cistern of water plac'd in the inner parts of the Apennine Mountains. And it is certain, that the inner parts of the Mountains are cavernous, and that there are in them Cisterns of water, from whence Fountains and Rivers draw their Original. Lucan feign'd to himself a great Cistern of water in the heart of the Apennine, from [Page 145] which all the Rivers of Italy did flow, that run into both the Seas. I am willing to bring in here his Verses, seeing to reason in so abstruse matters with the Philosophers, or to conjecture with the Poets, is the same thing.
But seeing 'tis known enough by what we have related in the History of these Fountains, that this Spring is not so old as the world, seeing the last Plain in which the Auger was fastned was formerly in the open Air, as the Trees in it make evident. If in the beginning of the World these Waters [Page 147] had flown as they do now, the force of the water would easily have thrown off that weight, as it happens sometime when the boring is delay'd. Then one will say, When, and how had this admirable Source its Original? To this I may answer, That there are no Monuments of this, nor can it be absolutely known when these waters began to flow; yet 'tis certain, that this Accumulation of the Ground hath not happen'd but after great Land-Floods, they leaving a great deal of Mud here; otherwise, as I was saying, the force of the water would have thrown off the weight. Therefore I am inclin'd to believe, that after the Plain was thus rais'd, some new ways were open'd by a great Earthquake, so that the waters might flow from the Cistern placed in the adjacent Mountains, which receives them by a continal [Page 148] evaporation from the Sea, and so might flow from that sandy Ground, and so to have kept their Course for many Ages, before the wit of Man reach'd hither, and open'd the Veins of the Earth with the Auger as with a Launce. And 'tis known by many Observations, that some Fountains die by Earthquakes, and some rise; as Ovid says, Lib. 15. Met.
In English thus:
CHAP. VI.
The Progress and End of these Waters is enquired into, and a Reason is given of those things which are observ'd in the digging of the Wells.
'TIS worth the Enquiry, What is the Progress of these our waters that flow under ground, and whether they go? But here I stick, and there is no place but for Conjecture. I have often enquir'd of the Undertakers, Whether they felt the Auger to be carried by Violence to any side; but I could understand nothing certain of them. But seeing the length of this Source is far greater than its breadth, I think it more agreeable to truth, that these waters flow from East to VVest, according [Page 150] to the lenghth of the Aemilian way, which Tract of Ground is six Mile long, and but four broad, as far as I have had occasion to observe; but when it has pass'd the way, we may judge that either 'tis sunk into these Wells of the Earth, or by secret turnings and windings falls into the Sea, according to the Laws by which the water circulates in the Body of the Earth, which we read described by Ecclesiastes in these words, All Rivers enter into the Sea, yet it does not overflow; the Rivers return to the place from whence they came, thither they return again. And the Heathen Poets, as Lucretius, in these Verses, Lib. 1.
But also is proved by the most grave and modern VVriters, with many Reasons, as Arias Montanus, Varenius, Vossius, Becher, and many others, whom the most famous Lanzon, Physician of Ferrara, cites in his Animadversions, full of variety. It may be doubted, and that not without reason, whether the course of these waters must be for ever. And truly, seeing from the times of the Roman Commonwealth, even to this Age, there hath been so great an accumulation of the Earth, as well in the City as in the adjacent Lands, and in the Channels of Rivers, there is no place left of doubting, but the course of these Fountains will at [Page 152] length cease, the Causes continuing the same, to wit, while the next Rivers take away with them the spoil of the Mountains, and therewith cover the Plains that lie under. Therefore, as these Fountains for a far better use did rise many Feet above the Surface of the Earth, but now rarely reaches its Surface; so we must think, that the time will come in which these waters must stand in their VVells, having no descent by which to run down: And these Changes, which succeed in great length of time, and without a VVitness, if we consider the present state of things, hardly deserve Credit; yet the thing it self speaks that they have truly happened, and will still follow: But because (to use Aristotile's words) the things are done in great length of time in respect of our Life, they are hid from us, and the ruine of all Nations [Page 153] does happen before the change of these things, is told from the beginning to the end.
But this is the common Fate of Cities that are plac'd in the Plains, that after many Ages they are almost half buried; or, (as the Egyptian Priest in Plato says of the Cities of Greece) are carried by the force of the Rivers into the Sea; though on the other hand, Towns which are plac'd on the tops of the mountains, their Foundations being par'd, do tell the Injuries of Time: A sure Proof, that there is nothing constant and firm in this world, but that we must look for the City that is on high, and is to continue for ever.
But why these Fountains, seeing they are supposed to take their Original from the Sea, have no ebbing or flowing, as some Fountains, of which Writers take notice; as is that which Pliny the [Page 154] Younger mentions in the Land of Como, which ebbs and flows three times in a Day. I think this to happen, because water is furnisht to these Fountains from the Sea, by the Ascent of Vapors; which evaporation, though it be not always equal, because of the subterraneous Fires sometimes weaker, sometimes stronger, yet 'tis enough if it be such as is sufficient to keep the Cistern full always to the same height, on which depends the Equality of Flux of these our Fountains for so many Ages, whatever come of the water that sometimes overflows, and is dispersed another way. But why some Fountains at certain times flow, and at other times ebb, many Causes are brought, of which (I mean those which draw their Source from the Sea) the Cause is the ebbing and flowing of the Sea, by force of which it comes to pass, [Page 155] that as the Sea ebbs and flows, these Fountains are sometimes observed full, and sometimes empty.
We said, that in the Wintertime a great Heat was perceiv'd in these Fountains, and in the Summer time a great Cold; as appears also by the The [...] mometer let down to several Depths, and the Table before marked shews: Which Observations seem not a little to favour the Defenders of an Antiperistasis; and so much the rather, that these Observations were not made in a Mountanous, but in a Champion Countrey. For I do not think it safe to try it in Mines, and the Caverns of the Mountains▪ because of the Metallick Exhalations, and divers Salts and kinds of Marcasites, with which they are pregnant; for when such Substances are sprinkled with Water, they grow hot like Quick lime, and raise divers Exhalations, which [Page 156] the Mineral Waters do testifie that break out hot; to which you may add, there are many Store houses of Fire, which may not a little alter the subterraneous Region, which happens not in great Plains, as is the Countrey on this and the other side of the Po.
Indeed, the most Learn'd Mr. Boyle has gathered many things of the Temper of the Air under Ground; all which yet he says he had from such as made Observations on many Mines; where he also relates, that in the same places, and at the same times of the Year, there is found a different temper of the subterraneous Regions, because of the different Nature of Salts. And he says, That from some Mines are felt hot Effluvia in the Summer-time. And 'tis observed, that not only out of the Caverns of the Mountains, hot Exhalations breath in the Summertime, [Page 157] but also frequently a most cold Air. In Etruria, near the Lake of the Vulsinenses, near the Town Martha, is a little Cave at the foot of a most high Mountain, which is not above 6 or 8 Feet deep; but in the side of the Cave at a little Chink the Wind blows so cold that it may be compar'd to the Coldness of the North Winds. The Fathers of the Order of the Mimims of St. Francis de Paula, who have a Church with a Monastery near it, use this Cave as a Vault for their Wine; and in the Summer-time draw their Wine from thence as cold, as if it had been in Snow; yea, if they keep their Summer Fruits there sometime, they draw them out sprinkled with a cold Dew, as I have observed, during my stay with them, in the Dog days.
But in the great Plains where all the Earth is solid, and does not [Page 158] keep so many kinds of Salts or Fires inclos'd, if we might go down deeper by digging, a greater Certitude might be had of this subterraneous Temperature. But in these VVells of ours I perceived this Reciprocation of Heat and Cold sensible enough, as often as I descended into them at different times; but that there might happen no Deception by the Senses being preposses'd with Heat or Cold, I observed it manifestly by a Thermometer exactly sealed. But whatever is the nature of Cold or Heat, (for 'tis not proper in this place to enquire whether they are bare Qualities or Corpuscles causing such a Sensation in us.) Antiperastis, as I think, ought not to be banish'd out of the Schools; for it may be explained right enough both ways. Whether therefore, according to the Diversity of Climates and Countreys, there be a [Page] different Temper of the Air under Ground, yet 'tis certain that the Thermometer being let down, does speak with distinct Notes, that there is at least in the first Region of the Earth, (whatever be of the deeper and Central parts of the Earth) this Reciprocation of Heat and Cold, according to the different Changes of the Year; and always in a quality opposite to that which the external Air, in which we live, hath: So that here may be used that Sentence of the Noble Hippocrates, Lux orco tenebrae Iovi; Lux Iovi tenebrae orco.
But before we come out of these VVells, it will be fit to give the Reasons of some Phaenomena that are observ'd in the digging of them. It was said before, that there is a great Rest in the Air in the VVinter-time, so that the Candles continue burning; there is no smoaky Exhalation, and they easily [Page 160] draw their Breath; but in the Summer-time there is raised a thick Cloud, the Lights are put out, and the Diggers are almost kill'd. But from whence this? VVhen rather in the Winter-time, because of the Heat, more intense at that time, and equal to the Summers Heat, it might seem consonant to Reason, that in a moist place a smoaky Exhalation should be rais'd, which should trouble the Air, and put out the Lights; but in the Summer, by reason of the Cold which lodges in these VVells, not much unlike the Cold in the VVinter, it would seem reasonable that the Air should be more pure, nor so intangled with gross Vapours, as to be unfit for Respiration! VVhether 'tis that the Heat, which in the VVinter-time is in these Wells by reason of an Antiperistasis, being greater, hath force to dissipate these Vapors; [Page 161] but in the Summer-time, by reason of the Cold, they cannot be dissolved! Or rather, that the Exhalations in the Winter, that are raised by the Heat in these VVells, are lighter than the external and thicker Air, and so do ascend more easily, but in the Summer are heavier than the external Air; and therefore stagnating there, cause a difficulty of breathing, and put out the Lights when kindled. But here I cannot but wonder, why in the Mines, though of great depth, as are those in Hungary, the Miners continue any time of the Year with their Candles lighted, and that in any season; nor do they feel so great an Inconvenience in breathing: But in our Wells that are in the open Air, and communicate with the open Air, not by turnings, but in a streight Line, the VVorkmen in the Summertime are almost suffocated, and their Lights put out; so that in the [Page 162] Dog-Days there is no hiring of them to work. Perhaps this falls out, because the Mines in the Mountains and dry places have not so gross an Air, but such as is sufficient for Respiration; but these being digg'd in a Champion Countrey, and moist Ground, send forth Streams more plentifully; so the Air being filled with them is unfit for Respiration. I deny not but in the Mines the Miners are sometimes troubled with shortness of Breath, partly by reason of their own Breaths, and partly because of the Metallick Exhalations; yea, are sometimes killed; so that to prevent the Danger of being stifled, they use Air-Pumps, for taking up the fowl Air, and letting in fresh; a Description of which you may see in Agricola. Lib. 7. De re Metallica. Beside, they dig a Pit some distance from the Mine, tending downwards, from which a [Page 163] Mine is extended to the place where the Diggers work, which serves for a Wind Pipe; and by bringing in fresh Air, and driving the old to the Mouth of the Pit, does much refresh the VVorkmen, and frees them from the danger of being stifled; but that is only done in the deeper Mines, as Agricola and Mr. Boyle relate. The Lights therefore are put out in the Summer-time in these VVells, and the Diggers are seiz'd with a great Difficulty of breathing, because the Air in it is fill'd with gross Vapours; which thick and ponderous Vapors cannot ascend in the hotter and lighter Air, but are to lodge there by reason of their weight. But the Vital Light requires of necessity a thinness, and empty spaces in the Air, in which it may lay down its Fulginous Effluvia, and needs fresh Air for its Food, otherwise it quickly dies.
[Page 164] It was observed before, in rehearsing the curious things that occur in the digging of these VVells, that there are three Beds of Clay two of 11 Foot, another below it of less thickness, with marshy Beds between them of two Feet thick. I have often times studied to find out the Generation of these-Beds, examining with my self how they are distinguish'd in this Order of time thro' the whole Tract. I know there have been amongst our Countreymen some who think, that these Beds of Clay are the Product of the Universal Deluge. But this Author, whose Name I now pass in silence, lest I should seem to contend with the Ghosts, (for he died this year) tho' he was born in this Countrey, yet having liv'd always abroad, was surely never present at the digging of those Wells, but hath had from others all that he says [Page 165] of them: For if he had seen the Structure of these Fountains, he would never have written, that the Clay in these VVells was 24 Feet deep, and the marshy Ground as thick: For there are three Beds of Clay, two of 11 Foot apiece, and one less, with their Beds of marshy Ground between of two Foot a piece. Therefore this Conjecture for the Truth of the Universal Deluge, taken from the thickness of the Clay, is of no weight.
I am perswaded therefore, that after the Universal Deluge, whose Vestigies are perhaps deeper, these Beds of Clay were produc'd by three particular Floods, yet great and most ancient; so that from one Flood to another much time interceded, in which the stagnation of the Water, and the Ground putrifying together with the leaves and roots of Reeds, gave Original [Page 166] to these intermedial marshy Beds.
I can easily believe, that this Bulk of Clay was made of the Earth drawn down from the Mountains, by the hasty Descent of the Waters into these Valleys; seeing for gathering of Clay for the Potters, 'tis usual with us to convey the VVater into Pits made by art, out of the Rivers Scultenna and Gabellus, by which means the Water being exhaled by the Heat of the Summer, there settles much Clay in them, which the Potters afterwards use for making their Vessels. And Pliny testifies, That the Potters Art excelled in this City of old, because of the Excellency of the Clay, and its toughness, saying, That Modena was famous in Italy for Potters Work; when at that time, as he says, Luxury had come to that height, that Potters Work cost more than Porcelline.
[Page 167] And we have reason to think, that this diversity of Beds, which is seen in great Plains, has been made by several inundations and accumulations of the Ground: But from whence that diversity of Beds comes, which is also found in the Mountains, is not so easie to determine. Agricola says, there were sixteen Beds of different Colours in the Mines of the Mountain Melibochus, and of different heights; but if one could dig deeper, doubtless a great many others would appear. If we would stick to the Opinion of our Faloppius, 'twill not be a hard matter to understand the Generation of these Beds, and their Diversity in the Mountains [...] for he thinks, that the Mountains were made by a dry Exhalation shut up in the Bowels of the Earth, which he gathers from their Pyramidical Figure; yea, he thinks they are nourished by such an Exhalation, [Page 168] and grow by peacemeal; from whence it comes to pass, that, as in Sublimation of Antimony, Flowers of different sorts are gathered according to the diversity of the Pots, so he thinks the same to happen in the Caverns of the Mountains, according to the different Generation of Metals and Fossils. But when in the Creation, Mountains were built by the great Artificer, 'tis fit to own they were made in their whole Perfection (as being the first Former of all things) and with so many Beds for various uses.
Bartholine, in the Discourse before cited, shews ingeniously the use which these Beds give, especially those of Clay, for the generation of Fountains, whether they be made of Rains, as the temporary ones; or of Sea-water, as the perpetual or regular ones: For these Beds are of special use for the [Page 169] Collection of Waters into one Receptacle, and likewise for their running a long way, otherwise they should be lost; neither would there be any Reason, why they should break forth in one place more than another; which use, without doubt, these Beds of Clay perform in these Fountains; for while these Waters run through the sandy Plain, 'tis reasonable to think, that there is another Bed of Clay lying under; so that being shut up above and below, they follow their course as it were thro' a Pipe, except when they break out into the Air, a way being open'd to them by these Wells.
Therefore supposing the hidden Expansion of these Waters over the Sandy and Gravelly Plain, 'tis no wonder if a Noise be perceiv'd in the bottom of these Wells, while the Water runs through the Gravel, (which Gravel 'tis more [Page 170] probable to be there made of the Sand, than to fall from the Mountains, (seeing a great part of it is so soft, that by the only rubbing of your Fingers it is broke) and if the Water be rais'd in all the Wells to the same height, seeing there is the same Cause which drives it on high, to wit, the pressure of the Water descending from an higher place, and from the same Receptacle. And lastly, If they be equally pure and wholsom, seeing they are of the same Disposition. For the same Reason the same Waters are the more lively, the more is drawn from them, and their slowness is corrected when it happens; because by the Sand thrown up, and sinking to the bottom, the hole made with the Auger is sometimes stopt; a sure Proof that these VVaters run through a sandy Plain, but not at all through an immense wide [Page 171] Space; which may be further known by the depression and failing of the Ground, that is observed sometimes to happen when too much Water and Sand has run out.
CHAP. VII.
The Proportious inquir'd into, that the Elevation of Water in a streight Pipe, inserted into a Horizontal one, has to the height of its Cistern.
THE Nature of Fluid Bodies is so abstruse and intricate, that it could never be enough explained by the most solid Wits. Among the Ancients Archimedes has left us a few Theorems, but of great moment, in a Book which he has written, De Insidentibus Humido, Of things that Float; which Book, that I may use Tully's own words of Crantor's Books, In Lucul. Is not great, but golden. Among the Moderns, the Honourable Mr. Boyle, Galilaeus, Sterinus, Borellus; and lastly, D. Guilielminus, [Page 173] a Noble Mathematician of Bononia, have chiefly cultivated this most noble part of Philosophy; who though they all, by many Observations and Hydrostatical Experiments have dived far into the wonderful Properties of Fluids, yet have left room for a further Enquiry: For if in any case Seneca's words are of value, 'tis in this the greatest and most intricate of all, in which even when much is done, the Age following will find something more to do.
Seeing then, according to our Hypothesis, the Waters of this hidden Source are movable and running, and withal ascend on high; because, as was said before, the Passage by which they go out, and fall into a Gulph, is straitned; and seeing the Ascent into these Wells is constant and perpetual, nor can be done without some proportion to the height [Page 174] of their Cistern; because this Cistern is supposed by us to be in the Foot of the nearest Apennine Mountains, and higher by far than the Elevation of these Waters from the bottom of the Wells to the top; therefore I thought it would not be unprosftable nor unpleasant, if I endeavoured to shadow out, if not exactly to describe, such a Proportion. Suppose then there be a Vessel ABC full of Water, to which a Pipe DE is fastned in a Horizontal Line, and whose Orifice is half shut, so that the water does not flow with a full Stream: Let there be likewise in the middle of the Pipe D F another glass Pipe HI inserted perpendicularly; therefore granting a free Passage to the water, I say, that the water will be lifted in the middle Pipe HI to such a height, that if the height of the water contain'd in the Vessel be of eight parts, the [Page 175] elevation of the water in the streight Pipe HI shall be of six parts; and such a Proportion will answer to any Division of the Mouth of the Pipe D F.
For if the Orifice of the Pipe D F be wholly shut, so that no water runs down, none is ignorant that the water in the Pipe HI of its own nature must place its self in the same Horizontal Line with the water contain'd in the Vessel, to which effect two things doubtless concur with equal force, to wit, the pressure of the water contain'd in the Vessel, and the resistance of the Obstacle that wholly obstructs the Hole in the Pipe, which stop is eqvivalent to a Power pressing with equal force against the water stagnating in the Vessel; if then the elevation of the water in such a case is a produce arising from two Causes equally working, to wit, the pressure of the water, and [Page 176] the resistance of the stop, it will follow, that when the Orifice of the same Pipe D F shall only be stopt in part, the ascent of the water in the intermedial Pipe H I, whatever it be, will be a Product of the same Pressure, as in the first Case, and the virtual Pressure of the Stop, but working unequally; from hence it comes to pass, that when the Pressure of the superincumbent water in the Vessel that presses it to flow out, is in the same degree and energy as before; and on the other hand, the force of the Stop is removed, the water cannot be lifted up so high in the Pipe erected perpendicularly, as to reach the height of the water contain'd in the Vessel, but must of necessity be under it; so that if the height of the water were in supposition eight Foot, and operated with such a Pressure as were equal to that height, but the [Page 177] Stop should not act but half, i. e. as four; these two working together, and making the ascent of the water, there cannot but happen an Effect, which is between these two Agents, as 6 is between 8 and 4, i. e. in an Arithmetical Proportion; and therefore in the supposed Case the Water will be only raised in the streight Pipe H I to 6 parts, which Elevation is half the Aggregate of the height of the water contain'd in the Vessel, and the power of the Stop.
This was my Reasoning before I try'd whether the thing agreed to it; which I did, by inserting a wooden and square Pipe into the side of the Vessel, as in Fig. 3. and fitting a glass Pipe divided into 8 parts, and erected perpendicularly to the same Pipe; then putting a stop to the Pipe, which might only obstruct the half of it, I let the water run out, and observed that [Page 178] the water did rise in the glass Pipe in the same proportion, to wit, as 6 to 8: Yet I must confess, that the ascent of the water did not so exactly answer to the greater or lesser Obstacles put to the hole of the Pipe, because perhaps of the difficulty of fitting divers Doors to the Orifice, and because of the Undulation of the water produc'd in the Glass Pipe from the Impetus, where 'tis observed to go out. Having therefore communicated these my Observations to the most famous Bocchabadatus, Mathematician to the Great Duke, and my intimate Friend from our Childhood, (for I always thought it the part of an ingenuous Man, that I may use Pliny's words, to confess by whom I have profited) he prompted me with a Method by which I might obtain my Desire. When therefore he thought that the diversity of Stops might be supplied, [Page 179] if to the hole of the Pipe, from whence the water should come out, another streight Pipe of the same bigness were set, but with a proportion to the height of the Cistern. I made Trial, and the thing succeeded according to my desire.
So in Fig. 4. supposing the Altitude of the Water in the Vessel to be of 8 parts, and the Pipe MN to be only of 4 parts, by which means 'tis equivalent to an Obstacle that takes up half the breadth of the Aperture, letting the water run out, and the Vessel always remaining full, the water in the Pipe HG appear'd suspended in E, to wit, in the height of 6 parts, which is half the Sum of 8 and 4, the height of the Water and the resistence of the Obex. In like manner in Fig. 5. when the Pipe is of the height of 6 parts, the water in the Glass Pipe E F was seen [Page 180] to rise to S, to wit, to 7 parts The same was observed (as in Fig. 6.) when the Pipe E H pouring forth the water, was of [...] parts, i. e. equivalent to an Obstacle stopping the fourth part of the Orifice; for in the Glass Pipe the water stood in T, i. e. in part 5. and that as exactly as Physical Experiments will admit, as every one may easily try. I do not doubt but the same will happen in any other case; therefore Reason and Experience do sufficiently prove, that the Water is raised in a middle Arithmetical Proportion between the force of the Obstacle, and the height of the water in the Cistern.
While on this occasion I diverted my self in making various Hydrostatical Experiments in the Dog-days, I happened to make a very curious Observation, to wit. That though the height of the water be [Page 181] the same in the Vessel, and the same Horizontal Pipe be inserted into it; yet in the perpendicular Pipes, according to the difference of their Situation, there is a notable difference of the altitude of the water in one and the other, as in Fig. 7. Let the Vessel A B C D be full of Water, the Pipe D H be inserted into it, and shut in the Extremity, and let F G H I be the Glass Pipes erected perpendicularly, but M the Pipe pouring out water. Therefore in the Pipe F G, according to what was said before, the water will rise to O, i. e. to parts 5. for the height of the Pipe M pouring out the water is suppos'd 2. and the height of the water contain'd in the Vessel is as 8. But if the Pipe F G be transferred to H I (the Orifice where it was fastned being stopt) the water will be raised higher, i. e. to N, to almost 7 degrees; which would [Page 182] likewise happen, if at the same time two Glass Pipes F G H I stood upright, and the Pipe M should pour out water, the Vessel being always full; for this different height of waters is perceiv'd well enough in every case. One may try the same, not only when the Pipe that pour'd out the water is longer or shorter, but also when many Pipes of different lengths, and with proportion to the height of the water contain'd in the Vessel, send forth water at the same time, and many Glass Pipes are interjected, seeing many cases may be fain'd according to every ones Fancy. But seeing there is no small Undulation in the Glass Pipes, because the water running out at M, falls back upon its self; this Inconveniency will in some measure be shunned, if the Pipe F H be something bended, that so both the Glass Pipes, and the Pipes [Page 183] sending forth the water be inclin'd to one side; for in this case there will happen less Undulation, and the different heights of the water may be more easily viewed.
The Reason of this Phaenomenon I judge to be, that the Impetus of the Water running from the Cistern out at M, withdraws some of the water from the Pipe F G, so that it cannot rise so high; and the same Impetus coming to H I, finding now no Vent, makes it rise higher, even to N.
This new Observation I communicated to the same Boccabadatus, who, as he did not a little wonder at the novelty of the thing, so being a most ingenious and exact Searcher into natural things, he did not cease to enquire into the Cause of it; yea, afterwards he told me he had the Demonstration of it, which he said he would insert into his Work which he is [Page 184] to publish, about Mechanick Force. I thought fit to propose this Phaenomenon to the Lovers of Hydrostaticks, thinking it worthy of the consideration of the more acute VVits, to the end it may be discovered from whence this Diversity of Pressures proceeds.
CHAP. VIII.
About the Goodness and Excellency of the Wells of Modena.
THerefore having sail'd over these Subterraneous Waters, according to the best of my Understanding, as far as I could in a dark Navigation, in which neither the Stars nor the Needle did guide me, it remains that
But that I may not pass over with a dry Foot the nature of these Fountains, so far as they are useful to Men; and lest, as the Custom is of those that are thirsty, I drink quietly. I shall touch only at some things relating to this Subject, [Page 186] though it seem to be beyond my purpose. 'Tis an old Dispute, what in the Class of Simple Waters is most wholsom? seeing some prefer Rain-waters, others prefer Fountain-waters; in some places River-waters are most preferred, in others Well-waters. Hippocrates seem'd to prefer Rain-waters to all others▪ for these he called the sweetest▪ the thinnest, and the clearest of all; seeing what is thinnest and lightest of the water is exalted and drawn up by the Sun: Yet 'tis certain Hippocrates spoke of Rain waters in the Summer-time, which they call Horaiae, i. e. Early, seeing among waters that want Art, he commends these, which in the Summer time▪ fall down from the Sky when it thunders; but these that fall in Storms he pronounces bad. Celsus, Galen, Avicenna, Paulus, and others, following Hippocrates, judge the same.
[Page 187] On the other hand, Pliny does greatly discommend Rain-waters; yea, he is so angry, that he thinks the O pinion which commends them, to endanger Men's Lives; neither does he think it an Argument of Levity that they have been raised to Heaven, seeing Stones also have been rais'd to Heaven; and further, VVaters, when they fall from the Clouds, may be infected by the Exhalations of the Earth, so that Fountain-water to him seems preferable to them, when Plenty of them may be had.
But if the thing be duly considered, there will be no place left to dispute; for all Rain-waters, as also Fountain-waters being not of the same Goodness, seeing every Countrey has not the same Atmosphere, nor the same Ground thro' which the water passes, seeing also; according to Theophrastus, such as [Page 188] the Earth is, such is the Water) it often happens, as Co [...]taeus adverts, that in some places for the Purity of the Air, the Rain-waters are better, but in other places the Fountain or River-waters are the best; as the water of the River Nile, whose much wish'd-for Inundation keeps all Egypt every Year solicitous. But 'tis no wonder that the water of the Nile excels in Goodness all others, seeing running a long way over a Countrey burnt with the heat of the Sun, 'tis concocted, and is tossed by sudden Falls from the highest Mountains, and attenuated. Hence Athenaeus testifies, That when Philadelphus King of Egypt betroth'd his Daughter Berenice to Antiochus King of Assyria, he willed her to take with her the Water of the Nile.
Yet when other things do not agree, it seems the Fountain-waters [Page 189] ought to be preferred to Rain-waters, and all others; for Rain-waters are drawn from all sorts of Filth, Dung and Dead Bodies themselves; and though Hippocrates judged them best, yet he adds, That they have need of being boil'd and strain'd. Wherefore 'tis not without Reason, that some do disprove making of Syrup of Poppeys with Rain-water; and they think that Hippocrates spoke according to Reason, and not Experience. So among the Moderns, the most experienc'd Etmuller says, That Rain-water kept always something Earthy behind it, though distilled a hundred times.
But so will any Water do as well as Rain water.
But Well-waters, seeing they have no Motion but when they are stirred, and in the bottom have much Slime, and Rain-waters being gathered of Snow and Rains, [Page 190] and running over divers kinds o [...] Earths, and are therefore by Hippocrates call'd disagreeing, cannot have that Purity and Simplicity which the Fountain-waters have, which are concocted by the Heat pent up in the Bowels of the Earth, and are strain'd through the same Earth.
Therefore our most pure Fountain-waters, as they have the first place in the Rank of plain waters, so they yield to none of the most famous Fountains of our Times; for as much as the Marks, by which the most sincere Waters, and fittest for Humane Use, are commended, do appear in these in a most eminent manner. The chief Quality that is wanted in water, and which contains the rest, by way of Excellency, is, that it partake most of the nature of the Air. So Pliny hath written, That wholsom water ought to be most like to the [Page 191] Air. On which Account Cassiodorus commended the Virgin Water, so famous then at Rome, that running most purely it resambled the Air. For water ought to be pure, like the Air, light and clear, free of smell and taste, thin, and susceptible of Heat and Cold. But the waters of these Fountains are such; for they are clear like the Air, free of smell and taste, do most quickly receive any other quality, and being weigh'd are lighter than any others.
Though Physicians do not seem to value much the Argument taken from the Lightness; and the Divine Master calls these light, 5 Aph. 26. which are soon hot and soon cold. And Pliny writes, Lib. 31. N. 11. c. 3. That 'tis in vain to examine by the Balance the goodness of the Waters; seeing it seldom happens that one is lighter than the other; [Page 192] which Brasavolus try'd in several kinds of Waters, before Hercules the Second Duke of Ferrara: Yet seeing there are not wanting more subtile ways of knowing even the least difference of weight in waters, according to the Doctrine of Archimedes, Levity is not altogether to be neglected, for Levity signifies the absence of the Terrestrial parts, One may rather say Saline. and is a sure Proof of greater simplicity. Truly 'tis without doubt, that if there were two Vessels of the same capacity, and full of the same water, and in one of these, divers kinds of Salts were dissolved in a certain quantity, though the water did not grow in bulk, yet the one will be of greater weight than the other, and will be filled with strange qualities; wherefore Gravity and▪ Levity are not to be slighted. I will not deny, that some waters naturally [Page 193] light, are worse than others that are heavier, because of the evil qualities of the Soil through which they pass. Athenaeus says, That the waters of Amphiaraus and E [...]treria being compar'd together, do not differ in weight, yet the one is wholsom and the other not. So Tit [...]aresius, a River of which Homer speaks, running into Penaeus, is not mixt with it, but swims over it like Oil: Yet Pliny says, his waters are deadly. And he says, That Penaeus refuses to suffer his silver-colour'd waters to be mix'd with the others deadly waters. If we infuse a whole Glass of Antimony in water, otherwise light, no weight will be added to it to judge of; but none is ignorant what Disorders it raises in the Body.
And it is necessary to confess these things to be true of the lightness of the water considered alone, [Page 194] but if with other marks of goodness there be lightness join'd, it will be no small accession to its goodness. In Thal. Herodotus describes a Fountain of Aethiopia, the water of which he says was of such lightness, that nothing could swim in it, no, not a Stick, nor what was lighter than a Stick; and such as used those waters were called Macrobii, i. e. Long-liv'd. Gelen himself commends the lightness of the water for a probable conjecture of its goodness. De Bonit. aq. c. 1. But if the lightness be alone, says he, 'twill not be a sufficient mark of good water: which one may also say of all the other Signs, seeing none of it self, and separately is a sufficient Mark of its goodness.
But a surer Mark of the goodness of water is, if it be not heavy in the Bowels; for this is truly [Page 195] the lightest, and this kind of lightness is more to be esteemed than that which may be try'd with the Scale. For we must not presently, because 'tis [...] i. e. Deprived of all quality, so as to be pure, clear, void of smell and taste, give Sentence, and pronounce it innocent; but we must bring another Proof, viz. How they affect the Bowels; for it may be that it has all external Marks of Goodness, yet has a more secret Noxiousness, which cannot be found out by the external Sense. This therefore will be the true and safer judgment of waters, which is brought from Experience it self: And truly that water is to be thought light by the Effect, which makes not the Bowels feel any weight in passing; for which kind of lightness the waters of Modena are very commendable, as not weighting the Stomach when one [Page 196] drinks a full Draught of them, but easily pass through the whole Body, and are voided by Sweat and Urine.
But above all these, Hippocrates chiefly commends these Fountains, whose waters come forth of deep Springs, which are cold in Summer, and warm in Winter; but all these things are observed in these Fountains, seeing they rise 68 Foot high; and in Summer are very cold, but in Winter are warm, yea, exhale some small Vapors. Neither must we refer the Heat which is found in these waters in the Winter-time to metallick Exhalations, or a mixture of Salts with an acid Mineral, seeing that is perceiv'd only in the Winter-time by an Antiperistasis.
All know that there are as many differences of Waters as of Places; for Fountain and Well-waters do easily drink up the different [Page 197] qualities of the Ground, through which they pass, which are innumerable; yet those waters are thought more wholsom, that run through thick Sand and Gravel, because they carry nothing from such a matter upward, which cannot be said of that which runs through Clay and soft Sand. But the waters of these Fountains flow a long way through Sand, which is called Male, a Proof of which is a great abundance of Dross, Sand, and Gravel, which these Fountains use to throw up at their first coming forth.
Moreover, these waters, according to my Observation, and of many others, continue without Corruption for a long time. For it is found by Experiment in long Navigations, that the water of Neuceria did stink, but ours continued pure. I am not ignorant, 'tis a Question among Physicians [Page 198] no less curious than worthy to be known, Whether the sudden Corruption of the water be a mark of its Goodness or Badness? Perhaps Hippocrates himself gave cause of doubting, who, after he had commended Rain water, says, They soon putrifie, except they be boil'd and strained again. Galen, Paulus, Avicenna, and some of the Ancients; amongst the Moderns, Ioubertus, Salius, Augenius, Bruvierinus, and many others, take the waters readiness to putrifie for a sign of goodness, providing other Notes agree. For the chief Property of water is, say they, that they be quickly altered by any external Cause; and from thence they think its inclinableness to Putrefaction to arise: But these which continue long free of Corruption, say they, partake of an aluminous nature: Such are the waters of Tyber, which are kept in [Page 199] Earthen Vessels for Months and Years, under Ground, without Corruption. On the other hand, there are some who think an inclinableness to Putrefaction among the faults of water; among whom is Costaeus, who says, That it is a mark of the best water, that they do not so easily corrupt: And is deservedly oppos'd to Avicenna, who thought that Rain-waters were soon corrupted, because they were thinner: For rather from thinness of the Substance one might argue, that their Substances are less subject to Corruption, as is known of distilled waters, and Spirits of VVine, which truly is thinner than VVine, and not only does not putrifie it self, but also preserves other Bodies free from Corruption.
Seeing then Experience it self makes it plain, that those which are most simple do less putrifie, [Page 200] but those which have a greater Heterogenity, because of the Disagreement of the Internal Parts, and a continual Fermentation, are more easily corrupted. Therefore I am easily induc'd to believe, that the Curruption of the water is rather to be attributed to its Pravity, than Goodness. But the Reason why the Rain waters sooner putrifie, may be this, that when by the Heat of the Sun the water is rais'd from the Earth, all sorts of Filth are raised with it, and a great quantity of Volatile Salts is mixed with it: which made Becher say, That all Rain-waters being putrified and distilled, did give an ardent Spirit.
But if promptitude to Putrefaction were a Sign of Goodness, why may we not say the same of Eatables, which naturally do soon putrifie; such as are Fleshes, Fishes, VVorts, early Ripe Fruits, and [Page 201] the like, viz. That these Aliments are better than those which do not so soon putrifie, seeing they are sooner alter'd by the concocting Faculty. Weaker Foods have a shorter Life. Hippocrates, as Valesius interprets, says, they make Men's Lives shorter; and such as cat these Meats are infirm and weak, and cannot live so long. So Bread of Wheat well fermented, and well bak'd, gives a most excellent Nourishment, and long Life, to sound Bodies; and Bread of all Food does least putrefie. Upon which account 'tis, that Levinus Lemnius commendeth it. For (says he) Bread long kept does indeed grow mouldy, and grows dry, but does not putrefie. Therefore 'tis not a little to the Praise of our Fountains, that they do not corrupt; so that having other Marks of Goodness, they are to be reckon'd the best of Waters.
[Page 202] 'Tis an old Commendation of Waters, if Pulse be quickly boil'd in them, as Pliny, Athenaeus, Vitruvius, Galeus, Paulus; and among the Modern Physicians, Langius, Costaeus, Bruvierinus, and others, do testifie. But 'tis known, that this also is common to unwholsom Waters; for the difficulty of boiling some Pulse is not always by the Fault of the Waters, but very often of the Grains themselves, as they have grown in this or the other Ground, as Theophrastus testifies, when he said, That there are many places which always bring forth Pulse that are easily boil'd, others there are which bring forth Grains hard to be boil'd Yea, Plutarch says, That of two Furrows join'd together, one brings forth a hard Crop, the other not. The Women themselves know that well enough, who if they have Pulse that are not easily boil'd, use to [Page 203] macerate them a Night in water with a Sack full of Ashes, by which means the close Texture of the Grain is open'd by the force of the Salt in the Ashes. And I think none will look upon the water, so made lixivial, as simple; or will commend it for daily drinking in whole Bodies. Yet I cannot deny, that salt and crude waters, very far distant from the best, may be for some sickly Natures; or in a neutral state of Health, instead of Medicine, which Hippocrates hath taught expresly in these words: But whatever are salt and crude, are not fit for all to drink of; yet there are some Natures to whom such Waters are convenient to be drunk.
Whatever were hard to be boiled, the Greek call'd Ateramnia, transferring likewise the same word to a stubborn and inflexible Mind. So Grains hard to be boil'd [Page 204] were call'd [...], such as are those which Theophrastus says, grow in a thick tough Earth, and as it were clayie; as at Philippi, when the Pulse which Egypt bears, both by reason of the nitrous Soil, and the Heat, are easily boil'd. Likewise water, in which Grains were hardly boil'd, was called [...], which word Hippocrates us'd to signifie the crudity of water in many occasions, of which Erotianus hath in his Onomasticon made a Collection. Therefore, as the Difficulty of the Pulses being boil'd is not always the Fault of the waters, so their being easily boil'd is not a Mark of their Goodness; which sometimes is proper to the Seeds, sometimes to the VVaters; yea, more effectual in some waters that are not of the best; seeing in nitrous and lixivious water Pulse, Roots, and Worts are sooner boil'd. Upon this account in [Page 205] Rain-waters, as being full of Saline Particles, all kind of Grains are sooner boil'd than in Fountain-water, which is more pure and defecated. Upon this account Horatius Augenius, preferring Rain-water to others for making of Ptisan, when he had taken notice that Barley did sooner boil in this, than in Spring-water, of his own accord confesses, That the Rain-VVaters are not sincere; which made him go into this Opinion as a Paradox, That the purer the water is, and less mixt, the less 'tis fit for the use of Life. But in our Fountain-waters, Pulse of all sorts is easily enough boil'd, and any other kind of Aliments, which, as I dare not discommend in them, so I think is no way to be taken for a Mark of the best.
But certainly that is a greater Criterion for judging of the Goodness of plain VVaters, which, as [Page 206] Vitruvius says, is taken from the Habit of Men's Bodies that live about those waters; to wit, if they be robust, clear Complexions, sound, and not blear-ey'd. Now 'tis known enough, that both Citizens, and such as live in the Suburbs here, are of a good Habit of Body, and subject to none of these Distempers; and the good Health which those of Modena enjoy beyond other Towns on this side the Po, is not so much to be ascribed to the wholsomness of the Air, as to the goodness of the Waters; as in Egypt, where their long Life, according to Alpinus, is attributed to the water of the Nile. Seeing therefore in the most strict Censure, the waters of these Fountains are not only innocent, but wholsom, truly this City has nothing in which it may envy any other as to this point; yea, seeing its waters are carried to the neighbouring [Page 207] places in the Summer-time, the Nucerian water is now out of use, to the great benefit of the sick. So in the Summer-time they run to these Fountains in all kinds of Fevers, (for the use of water, that I may not say the abuse, is grown so frequent, that it seems the only Febrifuge) and chiefly to the Fountain which is called Abyssus, as to the VVell of Esculapius, of which we spoke before. VVherefore I need not fear to make use of what Claudian says of Aponus, That they are at least amongst our Countrey-folks.
[Page 208]And so much may suffice concerning the Nature and Properties of the VVells of Modena; and if I have said something like probable, 'tis well; but if not, then both for the Dignity and the Difficulty of the matter, Volutatum est dolium in Cranio.