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.

I.

THE Central Fire A, through certain Fire-ducts, or Chan∣nels, diffuses round about, every where, far and near fiery exhalations and spirits. These driven into the Water-houses, it partly disposes into hot Baths; partly attenu∣ates or rarifies into vapours; which dashing, as it were, against the Arches or Vaults of Concavous Dens, and condens'd by the cold∣ness of the place, and lastly dissolved into Waters, generate Foun∣tains and Rivers; and then partly derived into fit Matrices and Re∣ceptacles, fruitful of other kind of Juyces, of several Minerals, con∣tract fast together, and harden into Metallick Bodies; or else are or∣dered for a new Conception, and fructifying of combustible Mat∣ter, to nourish, and still feed and maintain the Fire. You see there also, how the Sea, by the Winds and pressure of the Air, or motion of the aestuating Tides, ejaculate and cast forth the Waters, through Subterraneous, or under-ground Burrows, into the highest Water-houses of the Mountains. You see also the Sea and the Plains in the utmost surface of the Earth, to take place next to the Subterraneous World; and the Air next to them, as the Scheme teaches: Yet you are not to imagine, that the Fires and Waters, &c. are really thus disposed in Nature underground. For whoever has seen them? But this onely was to signifie, according to the best imagination of the Author, that they are after some well-ordered and artificial, or organiz'd way or other, contriv'd by Nature; and that the Un∣der-ground World is a well fram'd House, with distinct Rooms, Cellars, and Store-houses, by great Art and Wisdom fitted toge∣ther; and not, as many think, a confused and jumbled heap or Chaos of things, as it were, of Stones, Bricks, Wood, and other Materials, as the rubbish of a decayed House, or an House not yet made.

And to the perpetuation of these hidden and unsearchable ope∣rations of Nature, there is a constant circulation and return round thereof. The Constellations, Sun, Moon, and Stars, cause the re∣ciprocal slowings and Tides of the Sea to and fro. By the impe∣tuousness

of the Seas rage and Tides, an immense bulk of Waters, being, through hid and occult passages at the bottom of the Ocean, protruded or thrust forcibly into the intimate bowels of the Earth, excites and stirs up also Subterraneous Fire by the impetuousness of Winds, and restores it with new conveyance of Nutriment. The Subterraneous Fire not knowing how to be idle, being enkindled by the reciprocation, or return to and fro, of the Tides, as it were by certain Bellows; and raging, does, by these, and those, and the other Fibres, or Veins of occult passages, which are replenished with Metallick and Mineral Juyces, carry, whiles it passes by, an huge plenty of vapors with it self; which protruded, partly through the Terrestrial Conveyances of the Mountains, partly through the bottom of the Ocean, into the uttermost Surface; and there dilated and spread wider, do again, with their blasts, solicite and provoke the Air, the Ocean, and Seas. And what is again insinuated through the Orifices of the Oceans bottom, doth convey new Provanr to the Subterraneous Fire, to nourish and conserve it; and by this means also doth supply new matter to provoke and stir up the Sea again; (as but now was declar'd) You see therefore the manner and way of the Circulation of Nature. You see how Water, Fire; Fire, Water; mutually, as it were, cherish one another; and by a certain unanimous consent, conspire to the Conservation of the Geo∣cosm, or Terrestrial World. For if Subterraneous Fire should e∣mit no vapours for matters of Winds; The Sea, as it were torpid, and void of motion, would go into a putridness, to the ruine of the whole Globe. And consequently destitute of the aid of Winds, could neither also succour Subterraneous Fire, with necessary nutri∣ment. Whence the Fire extinct, being the life of the Macrocosm, as spiritous blood is of the Microcosm, Universal Nature must ne∣cessarily perish. Lest therefore Nature, undergoing so great a de∣triment, should fail; Hereupon God most good and great, by pro∣vident Nature, the Hand-maid of the Supream Work-master, would have both Elements be in a perpetual Motion, for admirable ends, elsewhere shewn. For the Water sliding through the secret passa∣ges under ground, supplies moisture; and together therewith car∣ries a mixture of Terrestrial portions to the Fire-houses, for their food. And these again swelling with hot Spirits, carried upwards, and elevated through wonted Fire-ducts, do with their heat cherish the Water-houses, and other kind of Receptacles, whether of Air, or several Juyces of Minerals and Earths, (for there are Store-houses

of all under ground) and do animate them for the Generation both of Minerals, and also of Vegetables, to be promoted, or furthered by exhalations. And so in an everlasting, and circulatory motion, all things which are beheld in Nature, do exist and abide. And so Subterraneous Fire, together with Water, are the Effectors and Generators, we may say, of all things, &c.