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 Raine. Chap. 7.

RAine is impression that commeth of much colde vapour and moist, there gathered in a cloude, the which vapour is more in quantitie and substance then y^e matter that dew commeth of, & more cooleth and moysteth then the matter

doth. For suuiosities that be drawen out of the waters & of earth by strength of heate of heauen, be drawn to the nether∣most part of the middle space of y^e aire, & there by coldenesse of the place they bee made thick, & then by heat dissoluing and departing the moisture therof, & not wa∣sting all, these fumosities be resolued & fallen & turne into reine and showers, as Be. saith, Raine is called Pluuia, & hath y^e name of Pluralitate, pluralitie of drops, as Isi. saith. For it falleth and commeth downe then, & then, & dropmeale. And al∣so rain is called Imber, & hath that name of Imbuendo, for it springeth & tempe∣reth the earth, & maketh it beare fruite. For land and earth that is not besprong with raine, is barren: And the farther the dow•• of the which raine is gendred, is from y^e earth, & the neerer heuen: y^e more softly the raine commeth downe, & with y^e more small drops: And y^e nigher such a clowd is to the earth, the raine falleth swiftlyer commonlye and with greater drops.

Also winds that blowe vp in the sea, gather much humour of the outer partes of the water, and bearing them vp with them into the aire, at last they ••••rne thē into matter of raine. When ther is much matter in a watry clowd, & the clowd is very thick: the impression of beames is strong vpon the clowd, & of great gathe∣ring of beames & rebounding therof cō∣meth strong heat, & at the last by vertue of y^t heat the clowd is dissolued & falleth & turneth into strong raine. As we oft s••, y^t after strong heat cōmeth strong raine, as Beda saith. Also sometime is so great generation of heate by gathering of beames, & by rebounding therof about y^e clowds, y^t the vapour is as it wer burnt: & by strong burning heat it turneth into red cholar. And therefore sometime the people thinke y^t it raineth bloud,* 1.1 as A∣ristotle sayth. And raine water is full constraining & binding, and therefore it restraineth & hindeth flure of the womb; as Constantine sayth. But raine water is subtill & light of substaunce, and hath more airinesse & more lightnesse of ayre then other waters: And therefore it is seene chaungeable, and turneth soone into contrary qualities. And therfore it taketh corruption & rotteth soone, as Constant. saith. But it is more fresh and swéet then other waters, when it abideth in his own cléernes & vertue. Then if raine be temperate in quality & quantity, & agrée∣able to y^e time, it is profitable to infinit things. For raine maketh the lande to beare fruit, & ioyneth it together if there be many chinnes therin, and aswageth & tempereth strength of heat, & cléereth the aire, & ceaseth & stinteth windes, and fat∣teth fish, and helpeth and comforteth drye complection, as Constantine sayth. And if raine bée euill and distemperate in his qualities, and discording to place and time, it is gréeuous and noyfull to many things. For it maketh déepnesse & vncleannesse, & slippernesse in waies & in paths, and bringeth forth much vnprofi∣table hearbes and grasse, and corrupteth and destroyeth fruites and sades, and quencheth in seeds the natu••all heat, and maketh darknesse & thicknes in the aire, & taketh from vs the Sunne beames, & gathereth mist and clowdes, and letteth the work of labouring men, and farrieth and letteth riping of corne and of fruits, and exciteth ruine and running fluxe, & increseth & strengtheneth al moist euills, & is cause of hunger, and of famine, & is cause of corruption, & of morein of beasts & shéepe: for corrupt showres do corrupt the grasse & hearbes of pastures, whereof commeth needful, corruption in beasts, as Constantine saith.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Euery red cholar ••ha•• fal∣leth, is not blud as some suppose.