SEA SICKNESS. 129 



take it for the pangs of death, seeing how it afflicts and LlB - m - 

 torments while it doth last, by the casting of the stomacke, 

 paine of the head, and other troublesome accidents. But 

 in trueth this sicknes, so common and ordinarie, happens 

 unto men by the change of the aire and sea. For although 

 it be true that the motion of the shippe helpes much, in 

 that it moves more or less, and likewise the infections and 

 ill savours of things in the shippe ; yet the proper and 

 nnturall cause is the aire and the vapors of the sea, the 

 which doth so weaken and trouble the body and the sto 

 macke, which are not accustomed therevnto, that they are 

 wonderfully moved and changed ; for the aire is the ele 

 ment by which wee live and breathe, drawing it into our 

 entrailes, the which we bathe therewithal!. And therefore 

 there is nothing that so suddenly and with so great force 

 doth alter vs, as the change of the aire we breathe, as we see 

 in those which die of the plague. It is proved by many 

 experiences, that the aire of the sea is the chiefe cause of 

 this strange indisposition ; the one is, that when there 

 blowes from the sea a strong breath, we see them at the 

 land as it were sea-sicke, as I rayselfe have often found. 

 Another is, the farther we go into the sea, and retyre from 

 land, the more we are touched and dazeled with this sick 

 nes. Another is, that coasting along any Hand, and after 

 lanching into the maine, we shall there finde the aire more 

 strong. Yet will I not deny, but the motion and agitation 

 may cause this sicknes, seeing that we see some are taken 

 therewith passing rivers in barkes : others in like sort 

 going in coches and caresses, according to the divers com 

 plexions of the stornacke ; as contrariwise, there are some, 

 how boistrous and troublesome soever the sea be, doe never 

 feele it. Wherefore it is a matter certaine and tried that 

 the aire of the sea doth commonly cause this effect in such 

 as newly go to sea. I thought good to speake this, to 

 shew a strange effect, which happens in some partes of the 



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