AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1592. 



Island, Gronland, of the miracles ot water, and aire, 

 this master of fi-agments hath gathered together into 

 his looking glasse : whereby, although he hath made 

 his owne followers woonder, and the common people 

 to be astonished, yet hath he ministred unto us nothing 

 but occasion of laughter. 



But let us heare Frisius. The flame ot Mount 

 Hecla (sayth he) will not burne towe (which is most 

 apt matter for the wieke of a candle) neither is it 

 quenched with water. But I say that this strange 

 opinion may be confirmed by many reasons borrowed 



[I. 559.] out of your schoole of Philosophy. For the naturall 

 Philosophers doe teach, That it is common to all for- 

 cible flames to be quenched with dry things, and 

 nourished with moiste : whereupon even blacksmithes, 

 by sprinckling on of water, use to quicken and strengthen 

 their Are. For (say they) when Are is more vehement, 

 it is stirred up by colde, and nourished by moisture, 

 both which qualities doe concurre in water. Item, water 

 is wont to kindle skorching fires : because the moisture 

 it selfe, which ariseth, doth prove more fattie and grosse, 

 neither is it consumed by the smoke enclosing it, but 

 the fire it selfe feedeth upon the whole substance thereof, 

 whereby being made purer, and gathering round together, 

 it becommeth then more vehement by reason of colde. 

 And therefore also wild-fires cannot be quenched with 

 water. Item, There be places abounding with brim- 

 stone and pitch, which burne of their owne accord, the 

 flame wherof cannot be quenched with water. The graund 

 Philosopher also hath affirmed, that fire is nourished 

 by water. Arist. 3. de anim. And Plinie, in the second 

 booke of his naturall historie cap. 110. And Strabo 

 in his 7. booke. In Nympheum there proceedeth a 

 flame out of a rocke, which is kindled with water. The 

 same author sayth : The ashe continually flourisheth, 

 covering a burning fountaine. And moreover that there 

 are sudden fires at some times, even upon waters, as 

 namely that the lake of Thrasumenus in the field of 



112 



