' The fecond Booke of 



poore wretch^pcftiferous and hurtfull crcaturcs,when the vitall breath of the aire was too blame G 

 to give them hfc, Ihcc could not othcrwifcchufe but receive them jaftcr they were fowne in her , 

 and being once engendrcd and bred^keepe and maintaine them. But in that they prooved after- 

 wards bad and venomous^, thefault was to bee laid upon the parents that engendred them, and 

 not to bee imputed unto her . For, fhee entertaineth no more a venemons ferpent after it hath 

 ftung a man: nayjmore than that^fliec requireth puni(liment/or them that are flow and negli- 

 gent of themfclvcs to feeke it.Shee it is that bringeth forth medicinable hearbes,and evermore 

 is in travaile to be delivered of fbme thing or other,good for man. Over andbefides5itmaybee 

 thouglit and beleeved,thatfor vcry pittie of us fhe ordained and appointed forae poifons, that 

 when wee were wearie of our life, curfed famine (moft adverfe and crofTe of all other to the me- 

 rits of thecarth)fliould notconfume and waft us with languifhingand pining confumption^and H 

 fo procure our death: that high and fteepe rocks fhould not dalb and crufli our bodies in pee- 

 ccs5nor the overthwart and prepofterous punifhment by the halter, wreath our neckes, and flop 

 that vitall brcath,which we feeke to let out and be rid of: laft of all3that we might not workc our 

 ovVncdeatfa in the deepefca,and beingdrowned,feed fifhesjand be buried in their bellies, ne yet 

 the edge and point of the fword cut and pierce our bodie, and fo put us to dolorous paine. So 

 that it is no doubt,but in a pittifull regard and compaiTion of us, fhe hath engendred that poy- 

 fon^by one gentle draught whereof,going moft eafily downe, wee might forgoc our Iifc,and die 

 without any hurt and skin broken of our bodie, yea, and diminifh no one drop of bloud with- 

 out greevous paine,! fay,and like onely to them who be athirft : that being in that manner dead^ 

 neither foule of the aire,nor wild beaft prey upon or touch our bodies,but that he fhould be rc- I 

 ftrved for the earthjwho perifhed by himfelfe and for himfelfe:and,to confefTc and fay the troth, 

 the earth hath bred the remedie of all miferiesjhowfoever we have made it a venomc and poifon 

 to our life. For after the like fort we employ yron and fteele,which wee cannot poftibly bee with- 

 out. And yet we fliould not doe well and juftly to complaine,in cafe fhe had brought it forth for 

 to doe hutt and mifcheefe . Now fiirely to this onely part of Nature and the world, wee are un- 

 thankfull,as though fhee ferved not mans turne for ail dainties, not for contumelie and reproch 

 to bee mifufed. Caft fhee is into the fea, or els to let in peeres and frithes, caien away with water. 

 With yron tooles,with wood,fire,ftone,burdens of corn tormented (he is every houre; and all 

 this much more to content out pleafures and wanton delights than to fervc us with naturall food 

 and neceflarie nourifhment. And yet, thefe mifuages which fhee abideth above, and in her out- K 

 ward skin,raayfecme in fome fort tolierable. But weejnotfatisfiedtherewithjpeirce deeper and 

 enter into her very bowels, wee fearch into the vaincs of gold and filver, wee mine and digfor 

 \ copper and lead raettals. And for to feeke out gemmes and fomclittle ftones,wc ft^e pits decp./*'*'^^ 

 within the ground-Thus wee plucke the very heart-ftrings out of her,and all to wcafe on our fin- 

 ger one gemmc or pretious ftone,to fulfill our pleafure and defire. How many hands are worne 

 with digging and delving,that one joint of our finger might fhinc againe. Surely , if there were 

 any devils or infernal fpirits beneaib,erc this time verily thefe mines(for to feed covetoufiies and 

 roiot)would have brought them up above ground.MarvaiIe we then,if fhe hath brought forth 

 fbmethingshu'rtfullandnoirome?Butfavagebeafts(Iwell thinkc)wardandfave herjtheykeep 

 facrilegious hands from doing her injurie. Nay y wis it is nothing fo. Dig wee not amongft dra- 

 gons and ferpents ? and together with veinesof gold, handle we not the roots of poifoned and 

 venomous hearbes ? Howbeit, this goddeife wee find the better appaied and lefle difcontcnted 

 for all this mifufage,for that the end and iflue of all this wealth,tendeth towickedneffe, to mur- 

 der and warres,and her whome wee drench with our bloud^ wee cover alfo with unburied bones. 

 Which nevertheleftc^as if fhee did rcproove and reproch usforthis rage and fiirie of ours, fhee 

 her felfc covereth in the end, and hideth clofe even the wicked parts of mortall men . Among 

 ot;her imputations of an unthankful! mind, I may well count this alfo. That wee bee ignorant of 

 her nature. 



Chap. lXiii i. }-^0f the f^rmeef the earth, |^ 



] He firft and principall thing that ofFcreth it felfe to bee confidered ,is her figure,in which 

 g j by a generall confent we doe all agree.For ftirely wee fpeake and fay nothing more com- 

 ^ monly,than the round ball of the earth 5 and confefTe that it is a globe encloied within 

 twopoIcs*But yet the forme is not of a perfect and abfolute roundlc^^conftdcring fo gteat hcigth 



of 



