The J\atural and Morall 



clles thereof? Some have held opinion,that thefe Vdr 

 cans confunie the inner fubftance they have of Nature; 

 and for this reafori they beleeve, that naturally they fhal 

 end , whenas they have confumed the fuell (as a man 

 may fay) that is within them . According to which o* 

 pinion we fee at this day,fbme mountaines and rockes,, 

 from whence they drawe a: burnt ftone which is light, 

 but very hard , and is excellent to builde with, as that 

 which is carried to Mexico. And in effedfc thereare fomc 

 fhewes of that which hath beene fpoken, that theft 

 tnoun&ines or rockes hadde fomctimes a naturall fire,. 

 which hath died after the matter was confumed- and 

 fo thefe ftones have reniay ned burnt and pierced with 

 the fire as we fee . For my part, I will not contradidt it, 

 that in thofc places there hath not bin fire fometimes, 

 ovyolcans. But there is feme ditficul tie to be beleeve it 

 ftiould be fo in all Folcans, confidering the matter they 

 caft out is almoft infinite; and that being gathered to- 

 geth^r , it could not be contained in the fame conca- 

 vitie from whence it goes . Moreover , there are fbrne 



Voices y that in hundreds^yea thoufands of yeeres are 

 alwaies of one fafhion, cafiingout continuaHy/mokc, 

 fire, and allies. P/w/>the Hifloriographer of naturall 

 things (as the other Piwie his nephew reports) fearch- 

 ing out the fecrct how this fliould pafle : and approch- 

 ing too neere th'exhalation of fire cfone of thefe Vol- 

 r^^,died; and thinking by his diligence to find an end 

 thereof, had an errd of his life. For my parte, vpon this 

 confideration I think,that as ther ai^e places in th'earth, 

 whofe vertue is to dmw vaporous matter , and to con 

 vert it into water,which be the fountaines that alvvayes 

 runne, and have alvvayes matter to make them runne, 

 for that they drawe vnto them the fubftance of water. 



In 



