CHAP. XXVI.
* 1.1THat fire that is bred, is not water at the first in the cloudes, but thicke aire, prepared to turne into water, and yet not changed into the same, but now ready and enclined to bee changed. Thou art not to thinke that it is gathered then, but onely powred out. It is made and falleth at once: besides, if I should grant, that a cloud is moist, and full of entertained waters, yet is there nothing that hinde∣reth, but that fire may be drawne out of moysture, nay, which thou wilt more wonder at out of humor it selfe. Some haue denied that any thing may bee changed into fire, before it were turned into water. A cloud therefore notwith∣standing, the water that it containeth, in some part may render fire, as often∣times one part of the wood burneth, the other sweateth. Neither doe I say that these are not contrarie amongst themselues, and that the one destroyeth not the other, but where the fire is more forcible then the water is, the water he obtaineth the mastery. Againe, whereas the abundance of humor exceedeth, then is fire without any effect. And therefore greene wood burneth not. It im∣porteth therefore how much water there is. For a little resisteth not, neither hindereth the fire. Why not? In the memorie of our ancestors, as Possidonius testifieth,* 1.2 when as in the AEgean sea there appeared an Island the sea fomed by day, and from the depth thereof there arose a smoake. Afterwards there issued a fire not continuall, but shining and sparkling at certaine times, after the man∣ner of lightnings, as often as the heate that was beneath ouercame the waight that was aboue. After this, stones turned out of their places, and rockes partly whole which the winde had driuen forth before they were wholly burned, partly eaten and turned into the lightnesse of a Pumnice stone. At last there ap∣peared the top of a mountaine, blacke and almost burned: afterwards there was some what added to the height thereof, and that rocke grew to the bignes of an Island. The same happened againe in our memorie, when Valerius Asiati∣cus was Consul. Why haue I related these things? to the end it might appeare, that neither the fire is extinguished when the sea ouerfloweth it, nor the force thereof is prohibited to issue by the waight of mightie waues. Asclepiodotus, the schollar of Possidonius, reported that the Island was of two hundred miles, where thorow the fire appeared where the waters were broken. And if the im∣measurable force of waters ascending from the depth, could not restraine the force of the ••lames: how much lesse can it extinguish fire in the aire, where the humor is thinne, and but like a dew? So that this reason hath no difficultie in it, that may hinder the causes of these fires, which we see neuer sparkle, except at such time as there is an inclination to raine, for in faire weather commonly we see no lightnings. A faire and cleare day feareth none of these, neither the night also, except it be obscured by darke clouds. What then? Doth it not