A goodly gallerye with a most pleasaunt prospect, into the garden of naturall contemplation, to behold the naturall causes of all kynde of meteors, as wel fyery and ayery, as watry and earthly, of whiche sort be blasing sterres, shooting starres, flames in the ayre &c. tho[n]der, lightning, earthquakes, &c. rayne dewe, snowe, cloudes, springes &c. stones, metalles, earthes &c. to the glory of God, and the profit of his creaturs.

¶ Of Rayne.

AFter the generatiō of cloudes is wel knowen, it shall not be hard to learn,* 1.1 from whence the rayne commeth.

For after the matter of the cloud be∣ing drawen vp, and by cold made thick, (as is sayde before) heate followynge, which is moste commenlye of the Sou∣therne wynde, or any other wynde of hotte temper, doth resolue it againe into water, so it falleth in droppes, to geue encrease of fruit to the earth, and moue men to geue thankes to God.

There be small showers, of small droppes, and there be great stormes of great droppes.

The showers with small drops, pro∣ceade either of the small heat, that resol∣ueth the cloudes, or els of the great di∣staunce of the cloudes from the earth.

The streames with great droppes, contrariwyse, doe come of greate heate, resoluing or melting the cloude, or els of smal distaunce from the earth. Wher¦of we sée an experiment when water is powred forth, from an highe place, the droppes are smalle, but if it be not from height, it wyll either haue no droppes

or very great.

The cause why rayne falleth in roū∣droppes, is both, for that y^e partes desire the same forme that the whole hathe, whiche is round▪ & also that so it is best preserued against all cōtrary qualities, like as we sée water, powred vpon drye or greasy thinges to gather it selfe into roundels, to auoyde the contrarietie of heate and dryenes.

It is not to be ommitted, that raine water although a great part of it be dra∣wen out of the sea, yet moste commenly it is sweet and not salt.* 1.2

The cause is, because it is drawne vp in suche small vapors, and that salt part is consumed by the heat of the sunne.

The rayn water doubtles, doth more encrease and cherishe thinges growyng on the earth, thē any other water wher with they may be watered, because the rain water, reteineth much of the sunns heate in it, that is no smal comfort to all growyng plantes. The water that com¦meth from heauen, in rayne wyll sooner come to putrefaction, or stinking, then any other, because it hath béen made ve∣ry subtile by heate, and also for that it is

mixed with so many earthly & corrupti∣ble substaunces.

Rayne water that falleth in the som¦mer, by Auicens iudgemēt,* 1.3 is more hol∣some then other water, because it is not so colde and moist as other waters be, but whotter and lighter.

Somtime ther is salt rain,* 1.4 whē som Exhalatiō which is whot & drie, is cōmixd w^e the vapor wherof the raine cōsisteth.

Sometime it is bitter,* 1.5 when summe burnt earthly moisture is mixed with it. This rayne is both vnholsom & also vn∣fruictful. In these coūtries, ther is great store & plenty of rayn, because the sunne is of such tēperat heat, y^t it gathereth ma¦ny vapors, & by immoderat heat doth not consume them. But in y^e East partes, in some whot cōtries, it neuer or seldom is séen to rain, as in Egipt & Siria, but in¦steade of rain Egipt hath y^e ryuer Nilus,* 1.6 whose ouerflowings, doth maruelously fatten y^e earth. In Syria & other like coū∣tries, they haue more plentifull dewe, then we haue, which doth likewyse ma∣ke their earth exceading fruictfull.

Seneca testifieth,* 1.7 that y^e rayn soketh no deper into the earth thē tenn foot depe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rayne.
• * 1.2

  why rain water is not salt.
• * 1.3

  Auicen.
• * 1.4

  Salt raine
• * 1.5

  Bitter raine.
• * 1.6

  The riuer Nilus.
• * 1.7

  Seneca.