22 The Complete Angler 



Egyptians, who was called the friend of God, and 

 knew the mind of tjjie Almighty, names this element 

 the first in the creation : this is the element upon 

 which the Spirit of God did first move, and is the 

 chief ingredient in the creation : many philosophers 

 have made it to comprehend all the other elements, 

 and most allow it the chiefest in the mixtion of all 

 living creatures. 



There be that profess to believe that all bodies 

 are made of water, and may be reduced back again 

 to water only ; they endeavour to demonstrate it 

 thus: 



Take a willow, or any like speedy growing plant, 

 newly rooted in a box or barrel full of earth, weigh 

 them all together exactly when the tree begins to 

 grow, and then weigh all together after the tree is 

 increased from its first rooting, to weigh a hundred 

 pound weight more than when it was first rooted and 

 weighed ; and you shall find this augment of the tree 

 to be without the diminution of one drachm weight 

 of the earth. Hence they infer this increase of wood 

 to be from water of rain, or from dew, arid not to be 

 from any other element ; and they affirm, they can 

 reduce this wood back again to water; and they 

 affirm also, the same may be done in any animal 

 or vegetable. And this I take to be a fair testi- 

 mony of the excellency of my element of water. 



The water is more productive than the earth. 

 Nay, the earth hath no fruitfulness without showers 

 or dews ; for all the herbs, and flowers, and fruit, 

 are produced and thrive by the water ; and the very 

 minerals are fed by streams that run under ground, 

 whose natural course carries them to the tops of 

 many high mountains, as we see by several springs 

 breaking forth on the tops of the highest hills ; and 

 this is also witnessed by the daily trial and testi- 

 mony of several miners. 



