¶Of Pit water. Cap. 2.
A Pit is called Puteus, and Puteus, is a lake digged and dolue, and hath that name Puteus of Potus, drinke as Isidore sayth: for of sweating and wo∣sing of clyues and dennes of the earth, water springeth, for then the small in∣ner veynes of the earth be broke, and the water wose out as it were smoking. And of that wosing, pit water is gende∣red, as he saith. And as Constant. saith, among waters, pit water is thickest and worst to defie, for saltnesse of the earth, and for standing of the water, and also for déepnesse and farnesse from the aire. By riuer sides pit water is soone found, and the substance of that water, is like∣ned to the complection of the riuer wa∣ter: and when a pit is nigh another, the deeper pit draweth the water of the pit that is of lesse déepnesse, and gathereth that water to it selfe, and taketh sauour of the earth and ground that is there a∣bout, and therefore the water is shewed now salt, now fresh. Also pit water ofte taketh corruption, when it is not moued, and therefore to make pit water cleane, & pure, it néedeth that it be oft moued & drawen: and the néerer that pit water is to the veyne of the earth, the more colde and the more fresh commonly the water is found. Also in winter seldome or neuer pit water fréeseth. For by pre∣sence of colde aire in Winter time, heate that is contrary to colde is there put in∣to the inner parts of the pit, and there∣fore the water therof is changed by hot vapor, and is not suffered to freese, but is founde more hot in Winter, than in Summer. Also for déepnesse of his place, pit water is got with difficultie, and is vnneth caught or drawen without great triall and crafte.