Sect. 3. Of Meteors.
THat
Comets are the co••apparition of wandring starres,* 1.1 which approach so near each other, as that they seem to touch one another: Or as Laertius;
the concourse of Planets, emitting flames.
That
falling starres are shot down from the aether, as spar∣kles, and therefore soon extinguished.
That
* 1.2 Thunder is the collision of Clouds, lightning their mutuall attrition:Or as Plutarch;
the cold falling upon the hot, or the aetheriall,* 1.3 upon the aeriall, the noise which it makes is Thunder: of the blacknesse of the cloud is caused lightning, of the greatnesse of the light Thunderbolts, of the more corporeall fire whirle-winds, of the more cloudy Pre∣sters.
That
lightning distills from the aether;and that
from that great heat of Heaven many things fall down, which the clouds preserve a long time enclosed.
That the
Rain-bow is a refraction of the Suns light upon a thick dark cloud,* 1.4 opposite to him as a looking glasse; by the same reason (faith he) appeared chiefly in Pontus, two, or more Suns.
That
Earth quakes are caused by the aire or aether, which being of its own nature apt to ascend,* 1.5 when it gets into the veines and cavernes of the earth, finding difficulty in the getting out, causeth that shaking; for the upper parts of the earth contract themselves by the benefit of rain, Na∣ture having made the whole body thereof alike, laxe and spungy, the parts, as in a Ball, superiour, and inferiour, the superiour, that which is inhabited by us, the inferiour, the other: This wind getting into the inferiour parts, breaks the condensed aire, with the same force as we see clouds broken, when, upon the collision of them, and motion of the agitated aire, sire breaks forth: this aire falls upon that which is next, seeking to get out, and tears in pieces whatsoever it meets, untill through those narrow passages, it either finds a way to Heaven, or forceth one: which Laer••ius obscurely expresseth, the repulsion of the air upon the earth.
THat
Snow is not white,* 1.6 but black, nor did it seem white to him, because he knew the water whereof it is congealed to be black.