Plinies Naturall Hiftoric. 



^ mch anhtigedcalelikcwire of earthly vapours, it doch participate confufedly of both. From 

 hence proceed clouds, thunders^ and thofe terrible Jightenings ; From hence come haile^ 

 froftsjfhourcs of rainCjAormes and whirlev?inds : from hence arile the mod calamities of mor- 

 tall men^and the continual warre that Nature maketh with her owne felfe.For thcfe grolTe exha« 

 lations as they mount upward to the heaven, are beaten backe and driven downcward by the vi- 

 olence of the ftarrcs :and the fame againe when they hft,draw up to them thofe marters, which 

 of their owne accord afcend not.For thus we feCjthat ilioures of raine doefall/oggie mifts and 

 light clouds arife/ivers ace dried up, haileftormescomedowncamainejthe funne beames doe 

 fcprch and buriie the ground, yea, and drive it every where to the middle centre : bat the fame 

 againe unbroken,and not loofing their force, rebound backe and take up with them wha tfoevcr 



Ji they have drunke up and drawne. Vapours fall from aloft, and the fame returne againe on high.- 

 winds blow forcibly ,and come emptic,but backe they goc with a bootie, andcarrie awsyevcry 

 thing before them. So many living creatures take their wind and draw breath from above ; but 

 the fame labourcth contrariwife, and the earth infufeth into the aire a fpirit and breath, as if it 

 wcrecleanc void and emptie. Thus whiles Nature goeth too and fro,as forced by fomc engine, 

 by the fwiftnelTe of the heaven,the fire of difcord is kindled and groweth hot. Neither may ihec 

 abide by it,and ftand to the fight,but being continually carried away^fhe rollcrh up and downes 

 ind as about the earth fhee fpteadeth and pitcheth her tents,as it were, with an unmeafurable 

 globe of the heaven ,fo ever and anon of the clouds rtieframech another skie . And this is that 

 fegion where the winds raigne. And therefore their kingdome principally is there to bee feene^ 



Q where they execute their forcesjand are the caufe well neerc of all other troublcsin the aire.Foc 

 thunderbolts and flafhing lightenings mofl men attribute to their violence. Nay, more than 

 that,therefore it is fuppofed that otherwhiles it raineth ftones, becaufe they were taken up fir ft 

 by the wind.-fo as we may coriclude,that they caufe many like impreffionsin the aire . V\ herfore 

 many matters beiidcs,are to be treated of together. 



C B A p. X X X I X. ^ of or dinar ie and fet fafins. 



T is manifef^,that of times and (eafons,as alfo of other things,fbme caufcsbcc 

 certaine; others, cafuall and by chauncc: or,fuch as yet the reaibn thereof is 

 unknowne.For who need to doubt,thac Summers and Wint€rs,and thofe al- 

 ternative feafons which wee obferve by yearely courie, are occaiioned by the 

 motion of the Planets. As therefore the Sunnes nature is underftoodby tem- 

 pering and ordering the yearc : fo the ref^ of the llarres and planers alfo, have 

 every one their proper and peculiar power, and the fame effeduall to fhew and peiforme theic 

 owne nature. Some are fruitfull to bring forth moiflure,that is turned into liquid raine : others 

 to yceld an humour either congealed into frofls,or gathered and thickened into fnow,or els fro- 

 zen and hardened into haile: fomeaffourd winds -.others warmth :fome bote and fcorching va- 

 pours : fome,dewes : and others,cold.Neiiher yet ought thcfe flarres to be elleemed fo little as 

 they fhew in fightjfeeing that none of themisleffethantheMoone: asmayappcaieby the rea- 

 fon oftheir exceeding heigth.Well then,evcry one in their owne motion jCxercife their fevcrall 

 E natures : which appeareth manifeflly by Saturne efpecially, who fetteth open the gates for raine 

 and fhoures to pafTe. And not onely the feven wandering ftarres bee of this power,but many of 

 them alfo that are fixed in the firmament: fo often as they beeeitherdriven by the accefle and 

 approch of thofe Planets,or pricked and provoked by the cafiing and influence oftheir beams 5 

 like as we find it happeneth in the feven ftarres called SmiU, which the Grecians of raine name 

 Z/7^^fx,becaufethey ever bring foule weather. Howbeit fbme,of their owne nature,and at cer- 

 taine fet times doe caufe raine; as the rifing of the Kids. As for ^r^urm^hc never lightly agpea- 

 Kih without fome tempefluous and flormie haile. 



Chap. XL. -^Tbepomrof theVog^am, 



f \ ^^(^t|SPHo knoweth not,that when the Dog flarre arifeth,the heat of the Sunne is fierie 

 ^e^^^^ and burning ? the effeds of which f\arre are felt exceeding much upon the earth* 

 ^^xiy^ The feas at his rifing do rage and take on,the wines in fellars are troublcd,pooles 

 alfo and ftanding waters doe flirre and move. A wild beaf^ there is in ^gypt jcal- 

 ^ W!{yi^ led Orix ^vihich the ^Egyptians fay, doth ftand fuU againfl the Dog flarre whcn it 



