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Of the Sea-water running thorow the Veins of the Earth.
SOme are of opinion, That the Sea runs thorow the Veins of the Earth, as the Blood thorow the Body of an Animal, as a Man; which, to my reason, is very unlikely; for then there must be much more Water than Earth; if so, the Earth would be drowned with a superabundant quantity, what with the Sea that runs about it, and the Rain that falls upon it, and the Water that runs thorow it perpetually. For put the Case it be as they say, that it runs out at some places, as fast as it comes in at others, yet it would wash and moulder away the Earth by the perpetual con∣course and recourse, if not the Solidst part, yet the most Porous part. Besides, if it were so, the Earth would not be so dry as in many places it is, unless they hold, that some parts of he Earth have Veins, and other parts none. But if they say, that the Earth being so much greater in quantity than the Sea, which is the Watry part of the World, it hath not alwaies a sufficient quantity to satisfie the Drought, which causes the Veins to be dry, that Reason would make me think, that there should not be a suf∣ficient Quantity of Water to keep in a Body, to make a Sea so large to run about it, especially of that depth the Sea is of, and to run through the vast Earth, besides feeding the Air with Va∣pours. Thus if there were less Water than Earth, the Earth-Ball would be burnt up, or at least so dry, as to bear nothing; and if the Water were more than the Earth, the Earth would be drowned. Wherefore, in my opinion, the Ingredients of the World are equally mix'd, and proportionably made, as Earth, Water, Air, and Fire; so the Sun proportionable to the rest of the Planets, and the Planets proportionable to the Sun: so that the whole Globe is in equal temper, and the whole Body sound; and though we, who know not the Constitution of the World, may think sometimes the Elements are distempered, which is their natural temper to be so, but not in our knowledge to know how.