144 History of Nature. [BooK II. 



burning Cavity, called Crater Nymphsei, always portendeth 

 some fearful Misfortunes to the Apolloniates, the Neigh- 

 bours thereby, as Theopompus hath reported. It increaseth 

 with Showers of Rain, and casteth out Bitumen, to be com- 

 pared with that Fountain or Water of Styx that is not to be 

 tasted ; otherwise weaker than all Bitumen besides. But 

 who would wonder at these Things ? In the Midst of the 

 Sea, Hiera, one of the ^Etolian Islands near to Italy, burned 

 together with the Sea for certain Days together, during 

 the Time of the social War, until a Legation of the Senate 

 made Expiation. But that which burneth with the greatest 

 Fire is a Hill of the Ethiopians called Theonochema ; 

 which sendeth out the fiercest Flames in the hottest Sun- 

 shine. In so many Places with so many Fires doth Nature 



burn the Earth. 



i 



CHAPTER CVII. 

 Wonders of Fires by themselves. 



MOREOVER, since the Nature of this Element of Fire 

 alone is to be so fruitful, that it produceth itself, and groweth 

 from the least Sparks, what may be thought will be the 

 End of so many funeral Fires of the Earth 1 ? What a Nature 

 is that which feedeth the most greedy Voracity in the whole 

 World without Loss of itself? Add thereto the infinite Num- 

 ber of Stars, the immense Sun ; moreover, the Fires in Men's 

 Bodies, and those that are inbred in Stones ; the Attrition, 

 also, of certain Woods one against another ; yea, and those 

 within Clouds, the Original of Lightnings. Surely it ex- 

 ceedeth all Miracles that any one Day should pass in which 

 all Things are not set on Fire, when the concave Mirrors 

 also, set opposite to the Sunbeams, set Things a-burning 

 sooner than any other Fire. What should I speak of innu- 



1 This natural, but awful, inquiry, is best answered in the words of the 

 apostle Peter, 2nd Epist. iii. 7 : " But the heavens and the earth which 

 are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the 

 day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." Wern. Club. 



