Of OXFO%T>^S H1\E. 19 



out of the way : but it being not fo much my bufinefs to find the 

 reafons of phenomena? as to give the Reader fuch hints as may 

 lead his greater fagacity tb do it ; I forbear faying more, & manum 

 de tabula, only advertifing him, that what has been faid of the 

 Ifis may be indifferently applyed to the reft of the greater Rivers, 

 of which neither have I any thing more to add, but an unufual 

 accident that happened to the CherveelU An. 1 66*, which without 

 one drop of rain, or any other vifible caufe here, but from great 

 and fudden fhowers that fell in Northampton-fbire, fwelled to that 

 vaft height, that in two hours time, not only the Medows Were 

 o're-flown, Magdalen College cellar drowned, and their raifed 

 Water-walks covered ; but the River Ifis driven back as far as Ivy- 

 Hincksey, atleaft a mile from the confluence of the two Eivers. 



17. But amongft the many frmWerR i7;ulets, perchance it may 

 not be unworthy notice. (1 .) That the two confiderable Rivers 

 of Stour and Oufe, though but fmall here and running but little way 

 in it, yet rife in this County ; the one at Swalcliff, which goes in- 

 to the Severn Sea in the weft ; and the other at Fritwell, whence 

 it runs into the Sea between Lincoln-fiireznd Norfolk'm the eaft of 

 England. And (2.) that the Fountain-heads of the River Rea 

 lye for the moftpartin a plain Country, having little more to feed 

 them, than juft a declivity to facilitate their paffage ; which feems 

 to argue, that all running waters owe not their continuance to 

 rain and dews, colle&ed as they fay, on thefpungy tops of hills, 

 and fent forth again fomwhere in the declivity. And fo do's a 

 a fmall Spring at Cleydon, that rifes in the ftreet on the fouth fide 

 of the Town, which continues running all the year, but nioft 

 plentifully like the Scatebra of Pliny p , in the dryeft weather : 

 to which add a Well at Ewelme, alfo fouth of the Church, whofe 

 Springs run loweft in the Winter feafon, and advance in the 

 Summer remarkably higher ; as 1 am credibly informed from 

 Lambourn in Berk-fine, all the Springs in that Town moft con- 

 ftantly do. But I decline all engagement in this great Contro- 

 verfie concerning the origin of Springs, till my Travels have 

 fupplyed me with more, and more certain evidences, as well for 

 the one as other part of the queiiion. 



1 8. That Land-firings, and fuch as run but once perhaps in 

 many years, have their rife and continuance from plentiful (hoW- 



t Nat. Hifi- lib. 2. cap. 103. 



ers, 



