Plinies Naturall Hiftorfeo 



OF the like nature is Naphtha: for fo is it ealled about Babylonia^ and in theAufiacenes 

 countrey in Parthia^and it runneth in manner of liquid Bitumen. Great aflSnitie there is 

 bctweene the fire and it , for fire is readie to leape unto it immediately ^ if it bee any thing 

 ncereit. I hus (they fay) ^f^/^^i burnt her husbands concubine, byreafonthat herguirlandan- 

 nointed therewith^was caught by thcfire^ after fliee approched neerc tothe altatSjWuhpurpols 

 lo facrifice* 



Chap, cvti 

 ^ of places continudly harn'mgi 



Bytamongflthcwonderfullmountaines^ the hill^tna burneih alwaiesin the nights rand 

 for fo long continuance of time yeeldethfufficient matter to maintainethofe fires: in win- 

 ter it is full of Snow5& covercth the afhes caft up^with frofts. Neither in it alone doth Na- 

 ture tyrranizc and (hew her crueltiejthreatning as (hee doth a generall confuming of the whole 

 earth by fire . For in Phofelis the hill Chimasra likewife burnethj and that with a continuall firg 

 both night and ATi^iCtef as of Gnidos writeth jThat the fire therof is enflamed and (et a burning 

 Q with waterjbut quenched with earth. In the fame Lycia the mountaines Heph^ltij, being once 

 ^- touched and kindled with a flaming torchjdofo burne outjthat the very ftones of the rivers^yea 

 and the fand in waters^are on fire withall; and the fame fire is maintained with rainc.They report 

 alfo,that if a man make a furrow with a ftatfe that is let on fiie by theni^ there follow gutters as it 

 iveceoffire.IatheBa6lrianscouatrey,thetopof thehili Cophantus burneth every night . A- 

 mongll the Medians alfo.and the C^ftian nationjthe fame mountains burneth: but principally 

 in the very confines of Perfis. At Sufis verily, in a place called the White Tower, out of fifteene 

 chimnies or tunnels the fire ifllicthjand the grsateft of them , even in the day time carriedi fire. 

 There is a plaine about Babyloniajin manner of a fiPn-poole, which for the quantitie of an acre 

 of ground^burneth likewife. In like fort neere the mountaine Hefperius in ^thyopia^ihe fields 

 D inthenighttimedoeglitterandiliinelikcftarres.Thelikeistobeeicene in iheteriitorie of the 

 Megapolitanes,although the field there within-forth beepleafantjand not burning the boughes 

 and leaves of the thicke grove above it. And neere unto a warnie Springjthc hollow burning fur- 

 nace called Crater Nymph£si5alwaies portendeth fomc fearful misfortunes to the ApolIoniateSj 

 the neighbours thereby^ as Tk^/^zjw/'/iJ^ hath reported. Icencreafethwithfhowcrsof rainejand 

 cafteth out Bitumen to be compared with that fountain or water of Styx that is not to be tailed, 

 otherwile weaker than all Bitumen befides. But who would mcrvell at thele things > in the mids; 

 of the fea,Hiera one of the ^Etolian Iflands neere to Italie^burned together with the lea for cer- 

 taine daies togetherjduring the time of the allies warre, untill a folemne embalfage of the Senac 

 made expiation therefore.But that which burneth with the greatell fire of ail othcr^is a certains 

 E hill of the ^thyopians Theoer Ochemaj and fcndeth out moft parching flames^ in the hotcft' 

 funne {hinedaiesXoin how many places with fundrie fires Nature burneth theearth*^ 



Chap* cvii. 



^ Wonders of f res by themfelvesi 



MOreovcrjfince the nature of thisonely element of fire is tobefofruitfulljtobreed it lelfe,^ 

 and to grow infinitely of the left Iparkesj what may be thought will be the end of fo many 

 funeral fires of the earth? What a Nature is that which feedeth the moft greedie voracitie in the 

 whole world without lolfe of it felfe ? Put thereto the infinite number of ftars^the mightie great 

 ^ Sunne 5 moreover the fires in mens bodies,and thofe that are inbred in fome ftonesj the attriti- 

 on alio of certaine woods one againft anotherjyea^nd thofe within clouds^the very originall of 

 lightenings.SureIy,it cxceedeth al miracks^that any one day fhould palfcjand not alkhe world 

 bee fet on a light confuming fire, fince that the hollow fierie glalTes alfo fet oppofiteagainfl the 

 Sunne bcames^ fooner fet things a burning than any other firc^ What fhould I fpeake of innu* 



merablf 



