A 
D 
* 
f 
Ry eos 
of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. - 407°" 
Troezen.” As forthe nitrous,brackifh,and * falt waters, found among thedefarts 5 firch astra: ” Sa. Al- 
vaile through thofe parts toward the red fea, havea devife to make thetn {weet and potable (or 77" 
within two houres,by putting parched Barley meale into them; and asthey drinke the water, fo d,which be 
when they havedone,they feed upon the faid Barly groats,as a good and holefome grucll. Thofe ie a 
{pring watersare principally condemned which gather much mud and fettle'groffe in the bot- eff:minacthofe 
tome :thofe alfowhich caufe them to have an ill colour whowfe to drinke thereof.It skilleth alfo who ae 
very much to marke if a water ftaine any veflels with akind of greene ruitsifitbee long before, fy ores be 
ewill be fodden therein ; if being poured upon the ground, it bee norquickly fucked in and impertinentto 
drunke up; and laftly, if it furre thofe veflels wich a thickecruft wherein it uleth to be boiled : for be ee 
all thefe be fignesof bad water.Over and befides,ic isa faulein water,not onely to ftinke,but alf0 of the foun- 
to have any {macke or taft at all,yea,though the fame bee pleafantand {weetynough, andencli- re paper . 
ning much tothe rellice of milke,as many times itdooth in diverfe places Ia ‘one word,'would jeer. 
youknowa good and holefome water indeed ?Chufe that which in all feat, tefembleth the air 
asneare as is poflible.At Cabura in Mefopotamia there is a fountain of water,which hath a fweet 
and redolent fmell: fetting it afide,I know not any one of thar qualitie in the whole world again: 
But hereto there belongs atale, namely, That this Spring was priviledged with this extraordina- 
riegift ,becaufe queene /n0(forfooth){ometimes bathed & wafhed het felfe therein. For other- 
wife,good and holefome water ought to have neither taft nor odour atall.Some there bee who — 
judge of theirholefomenefle by the ballance, and they keepe a weighing and poifing*of waters 
one again{t another: But for all their curiofitie,they mifle of theit purpofe in the end: for fildom 
or never can they find one water lighter than another. Yee,this devife is betterand more certain, 
namély,to take two waters that be of equall meafure and weight ? for looke whether of them hea- 
teth arid cooleth fooner, the fame is alwaiesthe better. Arid for to make triall hereof, lade up 
foe feething water in a paile’or {uch likeveffell, and fet the fame downe upon the ground our 
of your hand,to eafe your arme of holding it hanging long in the aire;aind if it bee good water, 
they fay it will immediatly of {calding hot become warme onely and no more. Well what waters 
then, according to their fundrie kinds in generalitie,fhall wetake by all likelyhood to bee beft? If 
we goe bythe inhabitants of cities and greattownes,furely ,well-water or pit water(I{ce)is {imply 
the holefomeft:But then fuch wels or pits muft bee much frequented that by the continual agi- 
tation and often drawing therof,the water may be more purified and the terrene fub{tance paffe 
away the better by that meanes,And thusmach may fufficefor the goodnes of water, tefpective- 
Jy to the health of mans bodie. lob isu 33 | 
¢ © Burif wee haveregardtothecoldnefleofwatér, neceffaric it is that the well fhould ftand in 
fomecooleand fhadowie place notexpofed to the Sunne,and nathelefie open to the broad aire, 
that it may have the full viewand fight(as itwere)of the skie.And above all this,one thing would 
bee obferved and fecne unto,that the fource which feedeth it, {pring and boile up dire@lly from 
the bottome, and not iffue foorth of the fides :which alfo isa maine point that concereth the 
perpetuitie thereof,and whereby we may'colleé that it will hold ftill, and bee never drawne drie. 
And this isto be underftood of water cold in the owne nature.For to make itfeeme a&tually cold 
tothe hand,is a thing that may be done byart,if either it bee forced to mount aloft, or fall from 
onhigh,by which motionand reverberation it gathereth flare of aire. Andverely, the experi- 
ment hereofis feene in fwimming.for let aman hold his wind in, hee fhall feele the warér colder 
by that meanes. Nero the Emperour deviled to boile water,-and when it was taken froin the fire 
fo putit intoa glaffe bottle, and foto feritin the fnowa cooling ; andverely, the water became 
thereby exceeding coldto pleafe and contenthistaft, andyérdid not participat the grofienefle 
of thef{now,nor drawany evill qualitie out of it. Certesjall'men aré of one opinion, That any 
water which hath been once fodden, is fatte better than that'which iis fillvaw?likeas, that'after ic 
hath beenmade hote,itwill become much’colder than itwasbefore; which Laffure you, came 
firfkfroma moft wittie and fubtile invention.And therefore, if wee muft needs occupie naughtie 
water,the onlyremedie that we have to alrer the badneffe thereof, is to {eeth it well,untill the one 
halfe be confumed.Now if aman defirero-knowthevertue and commoditie of cold water:Firft, 
it ordinarily ftauncheth any flux of bloud;if-it be caft upon the place. Alfo if one be notable to 
endure the heat in a baine or hote houfe,the beft way to avoid this inconvenience,is to hold in 
his mouth cold water al] the while . Moreover, many aman hath found by avery familiar expe- 
ts rience, 
