5po Of SlPRINGS and Chap. p. 



to refrcfli the Roots of ev'n the creeping 

 Herb. 



AriJlotJe (in his Treatife Be Meteoribus^ 

 lib. r, cap. 13.) fuppofes that there was the 

 fame Original of Rivers within the Earth, as 

 there was of the Watry Meteors in the Air 

 above the Earth. For if this Air (fays he) 

 coming near to the Nature of a Vapour, is 

 by Cold turned into Water 5 then the Air, 

 which is in the Caverns of the Earth, may 

 be, by the fame Caufe, condens'd into Water 

 alfo. According to which Grounds, he 

 makes That the Original of Fountains and 

 Rivers, namely, that they are engendred in 

 the hollow Concavities of the Earth, and 

 derive both their Birth and continual Sufte- 

 nance from the Air, which piercing the open 

 Chinks and Chafma's of the Earth, and con- 

 geal'd by the Cold of thofe Places, di/ToIveth 

 into Water, (as we fee Air in Winter Nights 

 to be melted into pearly De\Y,) and being 

 grown into fome Quantity, it will either 

 iind a Way or make a Way to vent its Su- 

 perfluity. 



And for the continual Succefiion and Run- 

 ning of Rivers (fays Arifiotle) it is by a per- 

 petual Succeflion of new Air. But to this 

 Opinion 'tis not eafy to aflent 5 for although 

 the Air may be thus converted into Water, 

 yet the fole Matter of Rivers cannot come 

 from hence ; 'tis poflible it may be a helping, 

 but not a prime Caufe : For fince the Air is 

 a thin fubtle Body, there is necelTarily requi- 

 red 



