The vulcano's, or, Burning and fire-vomiting mountains, famous in the world, with their remarkables collected for the most part out of Kircher's Subterraneous world, and exposed to more general view in English : upon the relation of the late wonderful and prodigious eruptions of Ætna, thereby to occasion greater admirations of the wonders of nature (and of the God of nature) in the mighty element of fire.

A Description of Aetna by Kircher. Wherein, as in a certain Prototype, the Reasons of Subter∣raneous Fires, and their never failing food, are de∣monstrated, as we use to say, to the Eye.

When I survey'd Sicily, in the year 1638. before all things, I thought fit to examine the Mountain Aetna, most of all celebrated by the Monuments of all Writers. A great Prototype, I say, of all burning Grounds; and that the most famous type, of almost whatsoever kind of ragings, by Sea or Land, outragious. And with this one onely spectacle of Nature alone, Sicily is (and ever was) admirable. Seeing you can scarce find an Author either of the Anti∣ents, or Moderns, whom the violence of its ferocious nature, hath not drawn into admiration and astonishment. Yet because they have only beheld afar off the genuine Causes of so great effects: We coming a little nearer to the matter, from those things which in these last times, have been oberved with my own eyes, intending to prosecute its Nature and Constitution, we will endeavour to de∣monstrate opportunely the cause of so strange and exotick effects. * 1.1

Aetna therefore, is one onely Mountain, rearing up on high its Top or Spire, unto thirty miles, according to the Axis (or direct line through the Center, or midst) as by Maurolicus and Clavius attested, who searched out its altitude, by a Geometrical account and computation. But it takes up sixty, or as others say, an hun∣dred miles space, with its roots, spread wide round about; fruit∣ful with fat Fields, Vineyards, Fountains, Pastures, lying round about. And Woods of Pines and Beech; and full of Forrests of most high Fir-trees. But at the utmost top is broken and cragged, with unstable Cinders, and Pumice stones; and cleaves open with * 1.2 a most vast Crater, or deep mouth'd Cup of twelve miles in com∣pass, which in a steep descent streightens it self narrower, even to the bottom of Hell, as it were. A most horrible Praecipice to see to, most formidable with flames, fumes, both from the very bottom, and from the sides of the Mountain; with an horrendous roaring and bellowing, not unlike bursting forth of Thunders. That the very imagination and thoughts of the fire and ruines, so nigh at

hand, could not, but presently at the first reincounter, amaze and afright any man; although the most audacious and fearless; and make him start therefrom, as it were from a certain infernal Gulph of Hell.

And I doubt not but those burnings which are here seen in all Ages, have by the constant rejectings forth of Ashes, much aug∣mented this vast Mountain; which on every part, both the ghast∣ly fight of steep deseents of Cliffs; and the Cindry, and Pumice∣stone-like face of burnt Rocks; as also the appearance of huge Dens, (one whereof you may see capable to contain thirty thou∣sand men easily) formidable with burnt Pumice-stones, as also with resuses and recrements of various melted Mineral Matter, does abun∣dantly shew. You may see in many places, paths of huge Tor∣rents, * 1.3 from the said matter, call'd Sciarra, which have left, as it were, certain foot-steps and tracks of great havocks, and destru∣ctions, from the fiery flux or flowing of the melted Mettal. In the very top, Snows, and Ashes or Cinders; as if they had meditated * 1.4 an Eternal Wedlock, are seen to overwhelm all things with a sad and doleful countenance. Verily, by so much more dangerous to incautelous Visiters; by how much certain profound devouring-Gulphs, covered over with Snow and Ashes, and stretch'd forth all along, descending into the inmost Abysses, without bottom or end; are more frequent. Which as they have swallowed up very many, unadvisedly coming near to view without a guide; so have, by their ruine, left an example to others; not rashly to venture upon those places, which by such occult Artifices and Machines, and hidden deceipts, cheat Mortals out of their lives. Even as Fa. Matthew Taveran, a curious searcher out, as of all natural things, so of this Mountain also; try'd and experienced with great peril of his life. And to be short, All the matter of the upper part of the Mountain, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to be nothing else but a confused heap, and hanging of it self 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or Cinders, Pumices, and Stones, which they call burnt Coal-stones. Which seeing it is on every hand exposed, and easily * 1.5 penetrable, both to Mineral Spirits within; and also without, to Snows, Rains, Hails, and Winds. It ought certainly, not to seem wonderful to any, that this adust and burnt matter, as it is impregnated, with new and new provision alwayes from Heaven; so it should conceive, in succession of time, new Generations and increases, so as to burn again afresh; and without end, again and again flame with new Conflagrations. As Virgil testifies;

Whatever furious matter feeds the Fire, As soon as burnt, goes out: hath spent all'ts Ire, Wherewith to rage: Cinders and Seedless ground Lie fallow: which course oft it suffers round: And thus exhausted by a thousand fires, Renews itŝ former strength; new flames respires.

For whereas, in the utmost bottom of this Hellish Gulph, the fire is at no time extinguished, but alwayes sends forth some marks and tokens of it self, either boyling heat, or smoke, or flame, as I have often in the examination of the Mountain observ'd: Yet out∣wardly it begins to grow fierce and terrible, but only at certain in∣tervals of time, more or less, according to the plenty of the combu∣stible matter heap'd up together. And by how much the longer it hath ceased; as if the matter was more ripen'd, vegetated and grown, for burning; by so much it bursts forth with greater violence; and together with the very flame, sends forth huge heaps of Sands; and as Lucretius asserts, Prodigious Stones of wondrous weight hurls forth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Its height; top and bigness.
• * 1.2

  The large∣ness and horrid face of its Crater.
• * 1.3

  Paths or tracts of fiery floods or rivers.
• * 1.4

  Snow and Ashes co ver its top
• * 1.5

  The new generating of Combu∣stible matter.