(109) 
Of the Mtindus Siibtcrraneos of Athanafms 
Kirchcr, 
This long expeftcd Suhtemneous WorU^ is now come to 
fight, dedicated (atleaft thQ Exemplar^ that hath been per- 
ufedby theP»W{/7-'^r of thefe P^^erx^ who hears. That other 
Copes bear Dedication to other Great Frwces) both to the 
prefent Pope,2LS being efteemed by the Author to have a part 
of his ApofloUcal Kingdom there 3 and to the Roman Emperor 
nowRegnantj who indeed in his Kingdom of Hnngary^ and 
in feveral Provinces of Germdny^ hath very many and very 
confiderable thingg, worthy tobeobfervedj under Ground, 
To give the Curious a taftc of the Contmts of this Volume^ 
and thereby to excite them to a farther fearch into the re- 
ceffes of Nature^ for the compofure of a good Natural Hi^ 
fiory 5 they may firft take notice^ That the Author^ having 
given an accout^in the Vreface^ what encouragement he re- 
ceived^ for writir^ this Book, from the opportunity of Tra'* 
veiling with the Gdrdinal of BaJJia into Sicily (in which Voy-' 
age, hefaith, He met with, asit were, an E/?i/<7s?^eof what 
may be obfervablein the Subterraneous parts of the Earth 5 
and in particular^ with an Earth- quake of 14 days duration? 
very inftruftive to him concerning feveral great Secrets of 
Nature 0 having, I fay,thus Prefaced,h€ divideth his Work 
into 1 2 B&oij^ whereinhc affirm.snot onely to have explica- 
ted the Divine Stmfture of the under-ground Worlds and 
the wondrous diftribution of the Work-houfcs of Nature^ 
and her Majefty and Riches therein 5 but alfo to have open- 
ed the Caufe^of her EfFefts and Produftionsj whence, by 
the Marriage of Nature and Art, a happy Ifluc may follow 
for the ufe and benefit of Humane Life. 
In the jfr/? Book, he confiders the nature of theGentreof 
the Earth, where he delivers feveral P^f^i^/^^^a touching the 
fame, and Difcourfcs of the Motion of heavy Bodies^ of 
Pendulemsj of Projeilils, 
In 
