The workes of Lucius Annæus Seneca, both morrall and naturall Containing, 1. His bookes of benefites. 2. His epistles. 3. His booke of prouidence. 4. Three bookes of anger. 5. Two bookes of clemencie. 6. His booke of a blessed life. 7. His booke of the tranquilitie of the minde. 8. His booke of the constancie of a wiseman. 9. His booke of the shortnesse of life. 10. Two bookes of consolation to Martia. 11. Three bookes of consolation to Heluia. 12. His booke of consolation to Polibius. 13. His seuen bookes of naturall questions. Translated by Tho. Lodge, D. in Physicke.

CHAP. XXVI.

IN summer some flouds are increased, as Nilus (whereof we will render another reason,* 1.1 in a more conuenient place) Theophrastus writeth, that in Pontus there are certaine riuers that increase in the summer time, whereof he iudgeth that there are three causes; first, because at that time most of all the earth is apt to be chan∣ged into winter; next, because there are some huge showers that fall in a more remote place, whose waters streaming along by secret passages, are silently dis∣charged into the same; thirdly, if the entrie be beaten with continuall windes, and the floud be beaten, and the water mounteth backe againe, which seemeth to increase because it is not poured out into the Sea;* 1.2 the fourth reason is from the Planets, for these in some moneths vrge more then in other some, and dry vp the flouds; in other places being farther off, they draw and consume lesse, in such sort•• that that which is lessened in one season is increased in another. There are some flouds that manifestly fall into some bottomlesse pit, and so are swal∣lowed vp from our sight: some are consumed by little and little, and after some intermission return again and reassume both their name and course: the cause is manifest, there is some vacuitie vnder the earth. But all water by nature discen∣deth downeward, and is carried into a voyde place. The Riuers therefore that are receiued thither make their secret course, but as soone as any thing that is solid meeteth with them, and stayeth them, by working a passage that resisteth them, lest they renue and pursue their former course.

So when as Licus is drunke vp and drayned By yawning earth, at last he mounts againe Far from the place where first it was contayned, And springs and floats with in another maine, And now drunke vp, straight with a silent course Sliding along, he spends his flouds vntamed Amidst the Gre••kish Ocean, and his source Is in that place proude Erasinus named.

The floud Tygris doth the like in the East; it is swallowed vp, and after hauing made a long iourney vnderneath the earth, at last in a farre remote place it ri∣seth againe vndoubtedly the same. Some fountaines at a certaine time cast out their excrement, as Arethusa in Sicilia doth from fiue to fiue yeares, in Summer during the Olympian games: from thence springs that common report, that the riuer Alphaeus passeth from Achaia thither, and running vnder the sea, without discouering her selfe, or breaking forth vntill such time as she hath attained the Sicilian shore. Therfore in those dayes when the Olympique games are solem∣nized, the excrements of those beasts that are sacrificed, being cast downe the streame, found their issue and appeare there. This, my deerest Lucillius, hast thou expressed in thy Poeme: the like hath Virgil done, speaking to the foun∣taine Arethusa;

So grant the gods, that whilst thy milder waue The swift Sicanian streame doth vndermine, That bitter tasted Doris neuer haue The meanes to intermix his waue with thine.

There is a fountaine in Cheronese of Rhodes, that after a great space of time poureth out from her bottome certaine ordures, vntill such time as it is wholly and intirely purified. The like to this doe diuers other fountaines in other places, which vomit out not onely their mud and the leaues of trees, but also all other things that are cast thereinto. The like doth the Sea in euery place, whose nature is this; to discharge whatsoeuer carkasses or vncleanenesse it hath in it vpon the shores. Some parts of the Sea doe the like in some seasons of the yeare, as about Messina and Milas, at which time she casteth vp vpon the sands, I know not what excrement, like vnto doung, and boyleth and ripleth, exhaling a stinking odor; whence the fable riseth, That the horses of the Sun are stabled there. But there are some things whereof it is a hard matter to yeeld a reason: and as touching this, which is now in question, although some haue diligently obserued when this purgation is made,* 1.3 yet is there no certainty thereof; so that the neerest cause can hardly be found out but onely the generall, which is, that all still and inclosed waters purge themselues ordinarily, for excrements cannot stay in those which haue a current, that carrieth and rauisheth all things with it. Those that push not to their shores that which is falne into them, haue a streame that is lesse or more violent. But the Sea draweth from her bottome, and casteth vpon her shores the bodies of the dead, the wrecks of ships, and those small things that she receiueth purging her selfe as well in faire weather as in stormie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Why some Riuers increase in Sum∣mer.
• * 1.2

  Other diuers ac∣cidents in Riuers and Fountaines.
• * 1.3

  The causes of the purgation of these Riuers.