BOOK II.] History of Nature. 1 05 



that its Proportion was Nothing in Comparison of the uni- 

 versal Rotundity of the Whole. But to me this was an 

 uncertain Guess of his, since I am not ignorant that certain 

 Tops of the Alps, for a long Tract, arise not under fifty Miles 

 in Height. 



But this is it that the common People resist the most, if 

 they should be forced to believe that the Form of Water also 

 gathereth itself round at the Top. And yet there is Nothing 

 in the Nature of Things more evident to the Sight ; for the 

 Drops every where, not only as they hang, appear like little 

 round Balls ; but also if they light upon Dust, or rest upon 

 the Down of Leaves, we see them keep a perfect Roundness. 

 Also in Cups that are filled brimful, the middle Part in the 

 Top swelleth most. Which Things, considering the Thinness 

 of the Fluid, and its Softness settling upon itself, are sooner 

 found out by Reason than the Eye. And this is more won- 

 derful, that when Cups are filled to the full, if a very little 

 more Liquor be added, the overplus will run over all about : 

 but it falleth out the contrary, if you put in any solid 

 Weights, even if it were to the Weight of Twenty Denarii. 

 The Reason is, that Things received within, lift up the Li- 

 quor aloft to the Top, but poured upon the Tumour that 

 beareth aloft above the Edges, it must needs glide off. The 

 same is the Reason why the Land cannot be seen by them 

 that stand on the Deck of a Ship, but very plainly at the 

 same time from the Top of the Masts. Also as a Ship goeth 

 off from the Land, if any Thing that shineth be fastened on 

 the Top of the Mast, it seemeth to go down into the Sea by 

 little and little, until at last it is hidden entirely. Last of 

 all, the very Ocean, which we confess to be the utmost Bound 

 environing the whole Globe : by what other Figure could it 

 hold together, since there is no Bank beyond it to keep it 

 in? And this also cometh to be a Wonder how it happeneth, 

 although the Sea grow to be round, that the utmost Edge 

 thereof falleth not down ? Against which, if that the Seas 

 were plain, and of the Form they seem to be, the Greek 

 Philosophers, to their own great Joy and Glory, prove by 

 geometrical Demonstration, that it cannot possibly be that 

 the Water should fall. For seeing that Waters run naturally 



