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.

The VULCANO'S: OR, Mountains vomiting Fire, famous in the World; with their Remarkables. (Book 1)

CHAP. I. Of Subterraneous Abysses, and Conservatories, or Store-houses of Fire; the Original Cause and Sourse of all fiery Eruptions, and Vulcano's. (Book 1)

THAT there are Subterraneous Conservatories, and Treasuries of Fire (even as well, as there are of Water, and Air, &c.) and vast Abysses, and bot∣tomless Gulphs in the Bowels and very Entrals of the Earth, stored therewith, no sober Philosopher * 1.1 can deny; If he do but consider the prodigious Vulcano's, or fire-belching Mountains; the erup∣tions of sulphurous fires not only out of the Earth, but also out of the very Sea; the multitude and variety of hot Baths every where occurring. And that they have their sourse and birth-place, not in the Air, not in the Water; nay, nor as the Vulgar perswade them∣selves, not at the bottom of the Mountains; but in the very in-most privy-Chambers, and retiring places of the Earth, is as reasonable to think; And there Vulcan, as it were, to have his Elaboratories, Shops, and Forges in the profoundest Bowels of Nature.

For how else could there be every where such a quantity of Mine∣rals, brimstone, and sulphurous unctuous matters, without any fire and subterraneous burnings of fire-engendring, and all concocting na∣ture; which by no means can be conceived to be enkindled, from the conflicts of air and moisture, in those most dark and deep Regions of the Earth, so remote from all influence of the Sun.

Therefore subterraneous fire was necessary to the internal Oecono∣my, * 1.2 or constitution of, as it were, the organiz'd parts of the earth, and distribution of Life and heat, as we may so say, to all the exte∣riour members. Plato acknowledges hidden treasuries of ever-flow∣ing flames, and most huge Rivers of fires, as well as of waters. Yea and Aristotle himself affirms most ample sourses, as of water, so of spirit and fire. Also Pliny, Vitruvius, Cicero, have noted this Ar∣canum of nature; for in the bowels of the earth, are observed hid∣den * 1.3 operations of heat; and the greatest parts of the world are up∣held and sustained by heat underneath. We see fire struck forth from the conflict and attrition of stones; and the reeking earth to smoke upon every new digging, especially if deep; And also hot and warm waters drawn out of Wells continually, and that chiefly in winter; for that a great force of heat is contain'd and pent up with∣in the Caverns of the earth. All the Poetick Fables of Vulcan, Ve∣sta, * 1.4 the Cyclops, seem to allude to this subterraneous fire.

This is the sense of Lucretius singing thus;

—The Earth contains within it's Womb, First Seeds, whence th' Sea, and flowing Rivers come In constant course: Sources of Fire it has, For burning Soyls we see in many a place. But above all, Aetna's impetuous Cell, Rages with flames from th' lowest pit of Hell.

And Manilius, But with all parts the Fires mingled are, Quick Lightning, in the teeming Clouds of th' Air, They gender; Pierce the Earth; whence Aetna's Mountains, Dare Heaven: Also make Baths hot, in Fountains.

To this end the whole Earth is Cavernous, and the Terrene Globe * 1.5 contains vast spaces within its own bowels, arched Caves and Vaults, immense Tracts, and impenetrable Abysses. For, as Seneca relates

of the Fields of Puteolum, There are vast Caves, hugh Recesses, and vacuities; Stones on Mountains hanging here and there: Also cragged Gapings without bottom, which have often receiv'd them, as they fell in, and buried the mighty Ruine in the deep. For the whole Earth is not solid; but every where gaping, and hollow'd with empty rooms and spaces, and hidden burrows, as it were, whereto subscribes Pliny, Aelian, Lucretius, and other writers of Natural things. For the Fire and Water sweetly conspire together in mu∣tual * 1.6 service, with an inviolable friendship and wedlock, for the good of the whole in their several and distinct private-lodgings, as we may so say, and hidden receptacles; spreading themselves far and wide to a vast largeness, and capacity; which two Associates, and A∣gents of Nature, with pains work and bring about such variety of things we see, of Minerals, Juyces, Marles, Glebes, and other soyls, with ebullitions, and bublings up of Fountains also. As Manilius but now sang to us.

Sith this fire thus shut up in the Caverns of the Earth, agitating * 1.7 it self, when it finds passage, it never leaves penetrating unto some vent, for many hundred Miles, even under the Sea, and unpassable and far fetch'd windings and turnings of the Earth. And acquiring continually greater power, it turns the Earth, and even the very Stones and Mountains, it finds in its way, into easie fuel and nutriment: That except it were restrain'd by the encompassing of the Ocean, and the command of the Omnipotent Deity, it would attract and suck in the universal bulk, of all elementary Nature, into an unquenchable combustion, and Conflagration.

And there is need of such vast quantities of fires, for the uses of the Universe; And 'tis reasonable to think that the Divine Provi∣dence * 1.8 hath made a very great provision of fire in the belly of Na∣ture, whence by long Chimnyes or Funnels, as it were, it might diffuse an infinite heat and fervour for the use of things necessary; and the emolument of the Earth, Men, and Beasts. Just as it hath constituted the vast Sea in such a manner so as to distribute an inde∣ficient plenty of Waters, through the veins and channels of the whole body of the Earth. And as it hath appointed the Waters their bounds, so it hath so attempted and distributed these fires, in the hidden courses and apartments of subterrestrial Nature, that they might neither be suffocated by the infinuating and inflowing Waters of the Ocean, nor transgress their prescribed Limits and Confines: For otherwise, if they should be unlimitted Eruptions, they would soon turn all into Ruines.

Which shall at length come to pass, in that fulness of time, when * 1.9 all the Reins of unruly Nature shall be broke loose, and the Ca∣taracts, or Flood gates as it were, of subterraneous fire flung open; by the command of the Divine Power, not only the Earth, but even the Elements shall melt with fervent heat, to the ruine and destru∣ction of the whole World. That even as in the universal Flood, the windows of Heaven, and Gulphs of the Abysses being opened, he destroyed the World by an Inundation of Waters, even so also, in the last times, he might destroy the same by a Deluge of Fires: which who could deny to be, if he should behold the perpetual boyling fires in the Earth; the vast burning of Provinces; Lastly, the ma∣nifest provision and preparation of so much Combustible matter, and Sulphur together, which is vomited forth, even at one Gaping and Eructation; without confessing it a certain and infallible Specimen and Example, and evident token of preparation to the total and final Conflagration prescribed by the Divine Wisdom.

The Prodigious Vulcano's therefore and Fire-vomitting Moun∣tains visible in the external surface of the Earth, do sufficiently de∣monstrate it full of invisible and under-ground fires. For where∣ever there's a Vulcan, there also is a Conservatory, or Store-house under, as certain, as where there is a Chimney or smoke, there is fire; And argue deeper treasuries and storehouses of fire, in the very heart and inward bowels of the Earth. In so much that from hence the Holy Father's have not incongruously placed the greatest of all the * 1.10 Fire-conservative Abysses in the Centre of the Earth, for an eternal Jakes and Prison, destin'd for the punishment of the Damned; and some others for Purgatory (according to the received belief of Papists.)

Now flame is but flowing, or fluid fire, and the streaming efflux of sulphurous principles, or particles, &c. which from these burst forth in excessive raging streams, from the mouth of these Ignivomous (or fire-vomitting) Mountains, and Vulcano's; which are wonders of Nature, not unworthy generally to be known, and taken notice of, of all men. And which we now come to ennumerate, with their remarkable Phaenomena's, and Eruptions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  From what Signs Subter∣raneous Fire is gathered.
• * 1.2

  The necessity of Subterraneous Fire.
• * 1.3

  Fire is no where wan∣ting.
• * 1.4

  Vables of Poets allude to Subterraneous Fire.
• * 1.5

  The whole Earth is Ca∣vernous.
• * 1.6

  The Wedlock of Fire and water within the Earth.
• * 1.7

  Subterraneous fire seeks pas∣sages for vent.
• * 1.8

  The need and use thereof.
• * 1.9

  The last gene∣ral Conflagra∣tion of the World.
• * 1.10

  Hell in the Center of the Earth, accor∣ding to some.