468 | The three and thirtieth Booke 
when the worke is brought+o an end within the ground, and that they have undermined & hal-; G 
lowed the hils as farre as they thinke good, downe they goe with theirarch:worke abovefaid, 
which they builded asthey went: Theybegin firft at thofe props which are fartheft off, cutting’ 
the heads of the ftancheons ftill as they returne backward to the entrance of the worké. Which’ 
done, the fentinell onely,who of purpofe keepeth good watchwithout upon the top of the fame 
mountaine that is thus undermined, perceives the earth when it beginneth ical and cleave, 
menacing by thattoken aruine thereof anone, VWhereupon prefently hee giveth a figne either, 
by aloud crie or fome great knocke, thatthe pioners underneath may have watning thereby to. 
getthem {peedily outof the mines,and runneth himfelfe apace downe from the hill as faftas ‘his: 
“legs will give him leave. Then all at once onafuddaine the mountaine cleavethin funder;& ma- 
king a long chinke,falleth downe with fuch a noife andcracke,asisbeyondtheconceitofmans H 
underftanding,with fo mightie a puffe anid blaft of wind befides, as it is incredible. VVherat chele 
miners and pioners are nothing troubled, but asif they had. done fome doughtie deed, and 'at- 
cheeved a noble vitorie,they ftand with joy tobeholdtheruine of Natures workes, which»they 
have thus forced. And when they have all done,yetare they notfure of gold: neither knew they 
all che whiles that they laboured & undermined,that there was any at all within the hill: The hope 
(only)tharthey conceived of the thing which fo greatly they defired, was'afuflicient motive:to 
induce them to enterprife,and endure fo great dangers, yea andto goe through withall and fee 
an end. And yet! cannot well fay that here is all: for there is another labourbehind as painefull 
every way as the other,aud withall of greater coft andcharges than the reft, namely,to wafhthe 
breach of this mountaine(that is thus cloven, tent,and laid open)with a currant:Forwhich pur- 
pofe they are driven many times to fecke for watera hundred myles off, from the crefts of fome 
other hils,and to bring the fame in acontinued channel] and ftreame allthe way along unto it. 
¥or rather Cor- ‘Thefe riverets cr furrows thus deviled and conveighed,the Latinsexprefie by the name of *Cor- 
ee rugi:awordas I take it derived 4 Corrivando, i.of drawingmany {prings and tils together into 
one head and channell.And herein confifteth a new peece of worke as labourious as any that be- 
longeth to mines, For the levell of the ground muft bee fo takenaforehand,that the water may 
have the due defcent and currant when itistorun: and therefore it ought to bee drawne ftom 
the fources {pringing out of the higheft mountaines : in which conveiance, regard would bee 
hadas wellof the vallies as the:rifing of the ground betweene, whicl:requireth otherwhiles 
that che water beecommanded by canels and pipes to a{cend, thatthe cariagetheteof beenot K 
interrupted, but one peece of the worke anfwereto.another. Otherwhiles it falleth out, that they 
oe srabun» fellowes whiles they bealoft,*fearch with their hands and pluckeforth the.earthbeforethem,to L 
tur ad omen, 
—Motrather and brittle, whichdefeét of the earth they call *Vrium: for theavoiding whereof thefountainers 
Arewm,Grec. feare neither rockes nor {tones to make paflage for their pipes or trunkesaforefaid., Now,when 
Gpayar. 
but the water gufheth foorth amaine with fuchaforce, andicarieth fo violenta ftreamethere- M 
poolesabove,and.thelmines al{o,Thefe trenches the Greckestearme Agogejasaman sree cs | 
sv premade ta.) | GBe Conduits, 
2 
