Tlie fccond Booke of 



Chap. lii. , G 



^ of ohfmiiitions as touching Lightning, 



ijHe aiincientTufcanes by their learning doe hold^that there be nine gods^that 

 fend forth Lightnings^ and thofe of eleven forts : for lafiter (fay they) cafteth 

 three at once. The Romanes haiie obferued tvvo cf them^ and no more 5 attri- 

 buting thofe in the day time to Inpticr : and them in the night, to Summanm 

 or Pluto, And the{e verily be morerarCj for the caiife afore-named snamely, 

 the coldnefle of the aire above. In Hetniria, they fuppofe that lightnings 

 breakc alio out of the earthjwhich they call Infera^i. Infernall ^and fuch be made in mid-winter. 

 And thefe they take to be terrene and earthly,, and of allmoft mifchieuousandexectablemci- j| 

 ther be thofe generall and vniuerfall lightnings^nor proceeding from the ftarresjbutfrom a vg- 

 lie neare and more troubled caufc. And this is an evidentargumentfor diftindion^ that all fuch 

 as fall from the upper skieabouc, ftrike aflant and fide- wife : but thofe which they call earthly, 

 finite ftraight and dire£lly.But thcreafon why thefc are thought to iffue forth of the earth is 

 this^becaufethey fall from out of a mattcrnearer to the earthy for as much as they leaue no 

 markes of a ftroke behind ; which are occafioned by force notfrom beneath, but comming full 

 againft. Such as haue fearched more fubtillicinto thefe mattersjare of opinion^that thefe light- 

 iiings come from the VhuttSiturne^iVo. as the burning lightning from CHars : Attd with fiich 

 lightning was Volfinij(amofl:wealthie cittieof the Tufcanes) burnt full and whole toafhes. 

 Moreouetjthe Tufcanes call thofe lightnings Familiar, which prefage the fortune of ibme race^ f 

 and are lignificant during their whole life: and fuch are they that come firft to any man^ after he 

 is newly cntred into his owne patrimonie or f amilic. Howbeit^their judgement is^that thele pri- 

 uate lightnings are not of importance and fore-tokfening above ten yeeres ; unlefle they happen 

 either upon the day of firft marriage, or of wedding. Asforpublickc lightningSj they be not of 

 force above 3 o yeeres, except they chaunce at the. very time that townes or colonies be erected 

 and planted. 



C H A p. L 1 1 1. of ratfing or calling OHt Lightnings bj conmration, 



IjTappeareth vpon record in Chronicles, that by certaine facrificcs and prayers, 

 |Lightnings may be either compelled or eafily entreated to fall upon the earth.There K 

 Jgoeth a report of old in Hetr uria,that fuch a lightning was procured by exorcifms 

 •land conjurations, when thqreentred into thecittie Volfinij (after all the territory 

 about it wasdeftroyed) a monfter, which they mmcd Folta, Alfo, that another was railed and 

 conjured by Porfenna their King. Moreouer, Z, Pife (a writer of good credit)reporteth in his firfl 

 booke of Annales, that Numa before him pradifcd the fame teat many a time and often : and 

 when T;////^///(j/?///7^j would haue imitated him and done the like (for that he obferued not all 

 the ceremonies accordingly) was himfelfe ftruckeand killed with lightning. And for this pur- 

 pofe,facred groues we haue and altars, yea and certaine iacrifices due thereto. And among the 

 Inciters furnamed Statcres^T on.inteSymd Feretri/j we haue heard that one alfo was called :El/cm, 

 Sundry and diuers are mens opinions as touching this point, and euery man according to his L 

 owne liking and fanfie of his mind . To beleeue that Nature may be forced and commaunded,is 

 a very audacious and bold opinion : but it is as blockifh on the other fide and fenfelefTcjto make 

 her benefits of no power and effed^confidering that in the interpretation of Lightning, men 

 haue thus farre forth proceeded in skill and knowledge,as to foretell when they will come at a fee 

 and prefcript day: and whether they willfordoeand frulfrate the daungers pronounced, or ra- 

 ther open other def^inics, which lie hidden: and an infinite fort of publicke and privat experi- 

 ments of both kinds are to be found. And therefore (fince it hath fopleafed Nature) let fome 

 men be refolved herein, and others doubtfuU: fomc may allow thereof, and others condemne 

 the fame. As for us, we will not omit the ref^ which in thefe matters are worth remembrance. 



C H A p, 1 1 1 1 1, ^ General! rules of Lightning, 



Hat the Lightning is feene before the thunderclap is heard, although they come indeed 

 joyntly bothtogither,it is certainly knowne. And no marveile,for the eye is quicker to 

 fee lightjthan the eare to heare a found. And yet Nature doth fo order the number and 



meafure^ 



M 



