1 12 History of Nature. [BooK II . 



other, by .Reason of the burning Heat of the Planet. Thus 

 the Heaven hath taken from the Earth three Parts : and 

 what the Ocean hath plucked from it besides, is uncertain. 

 And even that one Portion remaining unto us, I know not 

 whether it be not even in greater Danger. For the same 

 Ocean entering (as we will shew) into many Creeks, keepeth 

 a Roaring against the other Seas within the Earth, and 

 so near cometh unto them, that the Arabian Gulf is not from 

 the Egyptian Sea above 115 Miles: the Caspian likewise 

 from the Pontic no more than 375. And the same floweth 

 between, and entereth into so many Arms, as thereby it 

 divideth Africa, Europe, and Asia asunder. What a Quan- 

 tity of the Land it taketh up may be reckoned at this Day 

 by the Measure of so many Rivers and Marshes. Add 

 thereto the Lakes and Pools : and take also from the Earth 

 the high Mountains, bearing their Heads aloft into the Sky, 

 so as hardly the Eye can reach their Heights; with the 

 Woods and steep Descents of the Valleys, the Wildernesses, 

 and Wilds left desert for a thousand Causes. These, so many 

 Pieces of the Earth, or rather as most have written, this little 

 Point of the World (for surely the Earth is nothing else in 

 Comparison of the whole) is the only Matter and Seat of our 

 Glory : here we seek for Honours, here we exercise our 

 Dominion : here we covet Wealth : here all Mankind is set 

 upon Turbulence : here we raise Wars even between Citizens 

 of the same Country : and with mutual Murders we make 

 more Room in the Earth^ And to let pass the public Fury 

 of Nations abroad, this is it wherein we drive out our Neigh- 

 bours on our Borders, and by Stealth dig Turf from our 

 Neighbour's Soil to put it unto our own : and when a Man 

 hath extended his Lands, and gotten Countries to himself far 

 and near, what a goodly deal of the Earth doth he enjoy ! 

 but if he extends his Bounds to the full of his Covetous- 

 ness, what Portion thereof shall he hold when at last he is 

 dead? 



