To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
LEt vs now come vnto them, that haue said that all the Elements, or the greater part of those whereof we haue spoken, are the cause of earthquake. Democritus setteth them not downe all, but for the most part. For sometimes he saith that the wind is the cause, some••times the water, and sometimes both; and this prosecuteth he after this manner. Some part of the earth is hollow, and in that there assem∣bleth a great quantitie and abundance of water. Of this there is some part more
subtill and liquid then the rest: This being reiected by the waight that com∣meth vpon it, is beaten against the earth, and shaketh the same. For it could not float, except it shaked that against which it is beaten. That likewise which here∣tofore we haue spoken by the aire, may be said by the water also, when as it is gathered into one place, and that it ceaseth to containe any more: she stayeth her selfe against something: then worketh she an issue first by h••r waight, se∣condly by her violence, for she cannot haue issue, but by some hollow or ben∣ding place hauing beene long time retained, nor fall by measure in a right line, or without shaking those things, by which, and vpon which she falleth. But if it so fall out, that hauing taken some motion, she happen to stay in some place, and that this collection of water mounteth backe againe, and confuseth it selfe in it selfe; she is repulsed towards the firme land, which she shaketh to∣wards that side where she dischargeth her selfe most. Furthermore, the earth being sometimes steeped in water that hath entred into it, setleth a little lower, and the bottom thereof is shaken: which comming to passe, this part is pressed towards that, towards which the greatest abundance of water enclineth. Some∣times also the winde pusheth forward the waues, and if he insist with more vio∣lence then ordinarie, he causeth that portion of the earth to tremble, into which he translated the waters that are gathered by him. Somtimes inclosed in straits, and seeking issue, he stirreth all those things which he enuironeth, but the earth is porie, and giueth passages for the winde, which is so thin and pure, that a man cannot containe it, and so strong, that nothing can resist his force. The Epicure ••aith that all these causes may be, and he s••archeth out diuers others likewise, censuring those that haue maintained that both the one and the other causes a∣boue mentioned, proceed from the quaking of the earth; sure it is a thing al∣most impossible to maintaine certaine things to be certaine, which a man can∣not comprehend but by simple coniecture. So then, according to his opinion, the water may shake the earth, if it hath washed and worne away some porti∣ons thereof, which being diminished and infeebled, cannot any more sustaine that, which they bare being in their entire. The impression of the aire may cause an earthquake, and it may come to passe that the externall aire shall be a∣gitated by another, that commeth to intermixe it selfe with it. It may be also that the earth being iustled by some part of it selfe, that sincketh and falleth suddenly, is shaken likewise: Or else a portion of the same, being sustained by some supports, trembleth if either the supporters bend, or retire backe. Happi∣ly also some inflamation of the aire being conuerted into fire, and like vnto lightnings darteth forth and confoundeth all that which it meeteth withall. And it may bee that some winde incenseth both the waters of marishes and pooles, whence followeth an earthquake, because the shocke is violent, or else the agitation of the aire, which encreaseth by motion and vrgeth it selfe, moueth all things from the bottome to the top. But the Epicure can finde no more certaine cause of earthquake then the winde.
The examinati∣on of their opini∣on who thinke that all the ele∣ments together, or the most part, are the cause of Earthquakes.