Varieties: or, A surveigh of rare and excellent matters necessary and delectable for all sorts of persons. Wherein the principall heads of diverse sciences are illustrated, rare secrets of naturall things unfoulded, &c. Digested into five bookes, whose severall chapters with their contents are to be seene in the table after the epistle dedicatory. By David Person, of Loghlands in Scotland, Gentleman.

Sect. 3.

Of the Moone, her light, substance, and Power over all sublunarie bodyes.

Quest. NOw resolve mee, if the Moone hath not more light of her selfe then the rest?

Answ. Yea she hath a glimps of light indeed of her selfe, but that is dimme and obscure; as may be seene in the sharp-new (as we say:) but as for the fulnesse of that light wherewith shee shineth unto us at the quarters or full,* 1.1 she borroweth that from the Sun. But we may better conceive the weaknesse of her light in her eclipses; when the earths shadow, interposed be∣twixt the Sun and her directly, vaileth and masketh her face; which then appeareth blackishly browne, yet not altogether destitute of light. Now as the light of the Sunne is the fountaine of warmenesse by day; even so, no question, but the winter and

Summer nights, are at a full Moone warmed more, then during the first or last quarters.

Quest. But is it true which is usually reported, that in the body of the Moone there be mountaines, and valleys, and some kinde of spirituall creatures inhabi∣ting; which Palingenius an Italian Poet describeth at length?

Answ. It is certaine, and our Mathematicians have found out, that in the Moone there are some parts thicker, some thinner, which make her face not to looke all cleare alike;* 1.2 for that dimmer blackenesse in the middle of it (vulgarly called the Man in the Moone) is nothing else but a great quantitie of the Moones substance not so transparent as the rest, and consequently lesse susceptible of light: which black part of it, with other spots, here and there Plinius lib. 2. cap. 9. of his Naturall historie taketh to be some earthly humors attracted thither by her force, and attractive power; which I hardly give way to, in re∣spect of the weaknesse of her force to draw to her any heavy dull and earthly humor, which never trans∣cend the regions of the aire, above all which the Moone is.

Quest. Now finally, hath the Moone no power over particular sublunary bodies? for I heare much of the influence and power of the Planets over the bodies of Men, Beasts and Plants.

Answ. As for the power and efficacy of the other Planets over us, I have something in the title of Ne∣cromancie. As for the Moones power experience sheweth, that the ebbes and flowes of the Sea, (how different so ever the Coasts be) depend totally and

constantly on the full and change of the Moone;* 1.3 for accordingly her waters swell, or decrease. Moreover the braines and marrow in the bones of Man and beast doe augment or diminish as the Moone increa∣seth, or waneth, as doe likewise the flesh of all shell fishes. Dayly experience too hath taught your Pru∣ners of trees, gelders of cattell, gardners and the like, to observe the Moones increase, and decrease: all which is strongly confirmed by Plinie in his second booke De Historia animalium, and Aristotle lib. 4. cap. 41. De generatione animalium.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What light the Moone thineth with.
• * 1.2

  what signifieth the black spots in the face of the Moone.
• * 1.3

  The Moones power over sublunarie bo∣dies.