Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

¶Of fire parpendicular. Cap. 1.

NOW we must speake of impressi∣ons, that be gendred in the aire: and first of the impressions that be gendered and come of hot vapour and dry, as the impression that is called, Ignis perpen∣dicularis. That impression is sometime seene in the ayre, and seemeth fire: and is nought els but impression gendred of hot vapour and drye, that is drawen vp in the first part of the aire with breadth in the neather part, and length in the o∣uer parte, with figure and shape of a flame, shaped as a shielde, and kindeled by fire and mouing of heauen. The se∣conde is called Ignis longus, long fire, and is impression gendered of hotte va∣pour and drye, in the ouermost parte of the ayre without breadth openlye kno∣wen, in comparison to his length, and is set on fire and flame, by mouing of the firmament, and by vertue of fire, & this impression is called, a Dragon spowt∣ing fire. The third impression is named Candela, and is gendred of hot vapour and drye, in the ouer parte of the aire, with little length and bredth euen lyke much: but for because of fire, and mo∣uing of heuen, it séemeth round in shape, burning as flame. The fourth impres∣sion Aristotle calleth Aslub, and is double: one moouing vpward, and ano∣ther downwarde. And this impression is gendered of subtill vapour, hot and drye, in the ouermost part of the ayre, with great length and breadth, and pro∣portioned togethers when it is strongly set on flame and heated by fire, and by mouing of the firmament, then it moo∣ueth vpward for subtilnesse of matter, and for strength of burning flame. Ano∣ther impression is called Aslub descen∣dens & is gendered of hot vapour, dry, and thicke, with euenly length & bredth, & is gendred in y^e ouer part of y^e middle region of the aire, and is set in burning flame by fire and by mouing of heauen, and moueth downward, because of cold that is there about, and because of hea∣uinesse of great matter and thicke, as A∣ristotle saith. These be impressions, that the people wéene to be starres, that fall by night downe from heauen, and flye vpward to heauen.

(* 1.1 As concerning the wonderful ope∣rations of fire, it is reported off in holy scripture, that Sidrach, Misach, and A∣bednagon, being cast into the hot bur∣ning Ouen, the fire did them no harme, and yet it vsed his owne kinde, to burne vp the formentors. It also consumed the sacrifice of the prophet Elias, against the mallice of the false Prophets of ••aal. It consumed the Captaines ouer fifties at the voyce of Eliah. The Lorde God appearing to Moses, was seene in a bush of fire, and yet the bush not burnt. Poli∣derus Virgilius, in his eyght booke of the Histories of Englande, maketh mention of Emma, mother of Edwarde, the seconde King of Englande, béeing vn••usllye accused by Goodwyn, which after manye attempted iniuryes, cea∣sed not to accuse hir of adulterye, with the Bishop of Winchester, the King there-with greatlye disquieted:

the Queene to open view cast hir selfe into a great fire, before hir entrance ther in, cried with a lowde voyce, that these burning flames might consume hir bo∣dy, if she were culpable of the faultes, whereof she was wrongfullye accused: and hauing ended this talke, she passed through the fire, in good safetie, so the great astonishing of the King and be∣holders. Guendolena, as Gratianus in his Chronicle reporteth, y^e wife of Hen∣ry the 15. Emperour of y^e Almaines, try∣ed hir accusation in like sort. It is also written of Policarpus, whome the Ro∣mane Emperour Verus, persecuted, with other Martirs. He being cast into the fire, the fire vanished away, & when those wicked tirants could not preuaile by fire, they slew those holy people with swords and weapons, whose bloud cry∣eth vengeance for such tiranny. Manye hidden vertues are in fire, and wonder∣full operations, it bréedeth kindly heate in bodies: it is the Nurse of lyfe: it ap∣peareth airie in the Sunne, from the Sun, in Comets: it kindleth in hearbs, plantes, mettalls, wormes, fishes, and stones.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Additiō.