102 History of Nature. [BooK II. 



that he should be reserved for the Earth, who perished by 

 himself and for himself: and, to confess the Truth, the Earth 

 had bred the Remedy of all Miseries, however we have 

 made it a Poison to our Life. For in the same Manner we 

 also employ Iron, which we cannot possibly be without. And 

 yet we should not do justly to complain, if she had brought 

 it forth to do hurt. Surely to this only Part of Nature we 

 are unthankful, as though she served not Man's Turn for all 

 Dainties ; not for Reproach to be misused. She is thrown 

 into the Sea, or to let in Arms of the Sea, eaten away with 

 Water. With Iron Tools, with Wood, Fire, Stone, Burthens 

 of Corn, she is tormented every Hour : and all this much 

 more for our Pleasures than to serve us with Food and 

 Necessaries. And yet these Misusages which she abideth 

 above, and in her outward Skin, may seem in some Sort 

 tolerable. But we pierce into her very Bowels in search of 

 Veins of Gold and Silver, Copper and Lead. And to seek 

 out Gems and some little Stones, we sink Pits deep in the 

 Ground. Thus we pluck the very Bowels from her to wear 

 on our Finger one Gem to fulfil our Pleasure, How many 

 Hands are worn with digging, that one Joint of our Finger 

 may shine ! Surely, if there were any infernal Spirits be- 

 neath, ere this Time these Mines (to feed Covetousness and 

 Luxury) would have brought them above Ground. Do we 

 wonder, then, if she hath brought forth some Things hurt- 

 ful ? But savage Beasts (I think) preserve her ; they keep 

 sacrilegious Hands from doing her Injury. Dig we not 

 amongst Dragons and Serpents ? and, together with Veins of 

 Gold, handle we not the Roots of poisonous Herbs ? Never- 

 theless, this Goddess we find the more appeased for all this 

 Misusage, because the End of all this Wealth tendeth to 

 Wickedness, to Murders, and Wars, and her whom we 

 drench with our Blood, we cover also with unburied Bones. 

 Which, nevertheless, as if she did reproach us for this Fury, 

 she herself covereth in the End, and hideth even the Wick- 

 edness of Mortals. Among other Imputations of an un- 

 thankful Mind, I may allege this also, that we be ignorant 

 of her Nature. 



