Emblems of rarities: or Choyce observations out of worthy histories of many remarkable passages, and renowned actions of divers princes and severall nations With exquisite variety, and speciall collections of the natures of most sorts of creatures: delightfull and profitable to the minde. Collected by D.L.

A Mountaine alwayes casting forth flames and smoke.

THe Mountaine called Ves••∣vius Mons, being nigh unto the great water Sarnum, not far from Naples, sendeth forth con∣tinually flames of fire and smoke like unto Aetna in Sicily. This Hill in the Reigne of TITUS the Emperour, being broken in the very top, did cast forth so great flames, that it set the Countries adjoyning on fire. The Writers of Histories say, such abundance of ashes and hot imbers to have beene throwne out of this Hill, that the fields round about have beene filled with the said ashes, even to the tops of the trees.

It is also found in ancient wri∣tings, that Pliny the second, being a very grave and wise man, in the Reigne of Traia∣nus the Emperour, was suffo∣cate and destroyed with the flames and ashes of this Hill, when that for the desire he had to see and note the nature and motion of it, hee presumed to goe too neare.

This Mountaine also burned with flames of fire, when T. Vespasian and F. Domitian were Consuls, and breaking out in the top, first it cast forth stones aloft, after that so great flames of fire followed, that through the fervent heate thereof two Townes were consumed with Fire: the smoke thereof was so thicke, that it tooke away the light of the Sunne, and in the day time made the darknesse of

the night, casting forth Pumice stones, and divers other kinde of black stones. Last of all, ashes sprang out so thicke, and such a multitude, that the Countries hard by were covered there∣with, as it were with Snow, and these ashes were driven by the force of the windes, partly into Affricke, and partly into Ae∣gypt and Syria. The which out∣ragious burning, as the elder Pliny did contemplate and be∣hold, the smoke did so obstruct and stop his winde-pipe, that in the restraint of respirati∣on, he was suffocate and stran∣gled.