A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

FONS,

A Fountain. There are hot Fountains, the water whereof is as good to drink, says Vitruvius, as that which is drawn out of the Fountain of the Muses, or the Spouting-waters of Martian's Fountain. All hot Fountains have a Medicinal Virtue; for being warm'd by the Minerals, through which they run, acquire a new vertue, and are fit for other uses than common Waters are. For Sulphureous Water is good for distem∣pers of the Nerves, fortifying them, and consuming the bad humours with their heat. The waters that run through Allum-mines, cure bodies weakened with the Palsy, or some other like distemper, driving the exorbitant cold out of the Limbs by heat, restoring them to their Natural state; the bituminous waters being drunk, by purging expel distem∣pers of the internal parts of the body.

At Carthage there is a Spring, on the sur∣face whereof there is Oyl swimming over, which smells like the scraping of a Lemon, the Inhabitants of the place anoint their Cat∣tle with it. Near Hieropolis in Phrygia there is a great boiling Fountain which petrifies.

There are also springs of water that con∣tract bitterness by the moisture of the Earth, through which they run out, which proceeds from Mines of Sandarach, that communicates its bitterness to the waters.

There was was a spring of Water at Terra∣cina, called the Fountain of Neptune, the Wa∣ter whereof was so poisonous, that it imme∣diately killed Men who drank of it. In Thes∣salia there is still a Fountain shadowed by a Tree, the blossoms whereof are of purple colour, the Flocks refuse to drink of it. In the Country of the Falisci, near the road of Naples, and a Grove standing in the middle of a Field called Cometus, comes out a Spring, wherein are found bones of Serpents, Lizards, and other venemous Beasts.

There are also some Fountains of acid wa∣ters, as the Fountains of Lyncestis and Velino in Italy, Theano in Terra di Lavoro, and in ma∣ny other places, which being drank, dissolve stones in the Bladder and Reins.

Besides all these Fountains there are other Springs, the Waters whereof seem to be mixt with Wine, as that of Paphlagonia, which, without any Wine mixt with it, makes Men drunk.

In Arcadia, near a Town well known cal∣led Clitor, is a Cave under ground, from whence flows a spring of Water that has such a Virtue, that Men hate Wine after they have drank of its Water. Upon this Fountain there is an Epigram written in Greek Verses, giving warning to the People that the Fountain is not proper for bathing, and is an Enemy to the Vineyard, because Melampus having offer∣ed his Sacrifice, purified the Daughters of Praetus in this Fountain, to cure them of their Madness, and restored them to their former condition.

In the Isle of Clio there was a spring of wa∣ter, that made those mad who drank of it. Wherefore an Epigram was set on it, to give warning that the water thereof was very plea∣sant to drink, but made the minds of Men as hard as Stone.

At Suza the Capital City of the Kingdom of Persia, another small spring of water makes the Teeth fall out. And an Epigram is there written, to give notice to the people, that the water of that Fountain is very proper for

bathing, but makes the Teeth of those who drink of it shed.

These two Fountains Arethusa and Hippocrene were often rehearsed by the Poets. The name of this last Fountain signifies the Horse Foun∣tain. This Horse was also called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, i. e. Fountain. 'Tis well known, that the Va∣pours of the waters under-ground, ascend to the highest top of the Mountains by a conti∣nual transpiration, and there thicken into small drops of water, which meeting toge∣ther make Springs. Vossius tells us, that this motion of ascending waters, compared to a Horse, gave occasion to the Fable of Pe∣gasus.

Arethusa is a Fountain in Greece, which was beloved by the River Alpheus, who follows her running under ground as far as Sicilia, where Diana receives her in the small Island of Orty∣gia. See Alpheus.