Hiflorieofthehdiet. lib.** lop 



neighbour countries. You may continually fee vppon 

 the toppes of thefe mountaines,fhow,haile and frozen 

 waters* and the coid fo bitter, as the graffe is all withe- 

 red, fo as the men and beafts which paffe that way, arc 

 benummed with colde. This, as I have faide, is in the 

 burning Zone : and it happens moft commonly when 

 they have thefunne forzenith.lt is therefore moft cer- 

 taine and conformable vnto reafon , that the nioun- 

 taines are colder than the valleis and plaines , for that 

 they participate more of the middle region of the aire, 

 which is very colde. The caufe why the middle region 

 of the ayre is more colde, hath bin mewed before : for 

 that the region of the aire next to the fiery exhalation, 

 the which (according to Anftotk) is vpon the fpheare 

 oftheaire, repells and thruftcsbacke all the colde., the 

 which retires it felfe in to themiddle region oftheaire, 

 by Antifdriftafis, as the Philofophers fpeake. Now ifa- 

 ny one ihould queftion with me in this manner ; If it be 

 fo that the ayre is hot and moift, as Ariftoth holdcs,and 

 as we commonly fay, whence then proceeds the cold 

 which is congealed in the middle region of the ayre, 

 feeing it cannot come from the fierie fpheare ? For if it 

 come from the water, or the earth, by this reafon the 

 lower region of the aire fliould be colder than the mid 

 dle. 



Toanfwer truely what I thinke, I will confeffe, that 

 this Argument and Obie&ion is fo difficult, as I am al- 

 moft ready to follow the opinion of fuch as reproove 

 the qualities, agreementsanddilagreements which A- 

 riftotle gives vnto the Elements, fay ing they are but i- 

 maginations, who for this occafion hold the aire to be 

 colde by nature . And to this end they vfe many ar 

 guments andreafons , whereof we will propound one 



very 



