Heraclitus Christianus, or, The man of sorrow being a reflection on all states and conditions of human life : in three books.

CHAP. VI. Of the great Calamities which Men have suffered by the overflowing of Water.

WHAT remaineth more for the perfecting of Man's Misery, see∣ing the very Elements rise up against him, and are as Witnesses and Ministers of Gods vengeance for his sins? what is there more necessary to Humane Life than Water, see∣ing that neither Man, Beast, nor Herb can subsist without it? (not to reckon the Ornament and Beauty which it bringeth to the Universe) it is the most an∣cient and mightiest of all the Elements, as saith Pliny and Isidore. It ruineth and layeth low the Mountains, predominateth and governeth the Earth; puts out the Fire, turneth it self into Vapours, surpas∣seth the Region of the Air, from whence afterwards it descendeth to engender and produce all things on the Earth: and yet nevertheless, what Chastisements hath Antiquity experimented from the vigor

of this Element, when the Deluge of Wa∣ter overflowed and covered the whole Earth? when the Veins of the Heavens were opened, that the Waters surpassed the highest Mountain by fifteen Cubits, as Moses describeth it in Genesis? How ma∣ny times hath Egypt been drown'd by the overflowing of the River Nilus? How many thousands of men have lost their Lives and been buried in the bellies of Fishes? How sensible has Greece been of the fury of the Waters, when the greatest part of Thessaly was drown'd, all the In∣habitants expecting nothing but the entire ruin of mankind by the violence of this Element? What mischief received the Romans by the overflowing of the River Tiber, which swelled after such a manner, that the waters mounted above the high∣est Towers and Pinacles of the City? the Bridges were broken down: their Gold, Silver, Corn, Wine, Cloth, Silk, Stuff, Oiles, Wool and other Goods, to the value (as was computed) of two or three Mil∣lions of Gold, lost and consumed; above 3000 Men, Women and Children were de∣stroyed by the violence of the Flood. Jas∣per Contaren writeth in his Book of the four Elements, That in our time, Valence a City of Spain, lacked but little of being

drowned with all its Inhabitants by the vio∣lence, and before unknown eruption of Wa∣ter: so that if it had not been speedily suc∣coured with Ramparts, they had all undoubt∣edly perished.