Peripateticall institutions. In the way of that eminent person and excellent philosopher Sr. Kenelm Digby. The theoricall part. Also a theologicall appendix of the beginning of the world. / By Thomas White Gent.

LESSON III.

Of the parts of the Planetary World, and especially those of the Earth.

1. THe greatest part of the world, which we have some kind of knowledge of, consists of the Sun and six great bodies illuminated by it; and some lesser ones, which are, in a manner, members cut off from the grea∣ter.

2. The bigger bodies are counted by Astronomers, Saturn, Iupiter, Mars, the Earth, Mercury, Venus: which, 'tis cer∣tain, (of the rest by evident experiments, of Mars and Saturn by their parity to the rest) are opake bodies, illuminated by the Sun.

3. Mercury is believ'd to have ap∣pear'd like a spot under the Sun. Venus appears horned like the Moon. Iupiter; suffers from the Stars accompanying him

and they, reciprocally, from him. The Sun alone shines of it self.

4. Moreover, since light is Fire, the fountain of light is the fountain of Fire, too. The SUN, therefore, is a vast body, consisting of Mountains and Plains which belch out fire; and, as Aetna, Lipara and Hecla are never without flames, and e∣specially the Vulcanian Mountains of the new world, so, much lesse is the Sun.

5. Both the clouds of ashes (vapour'd out in vast abundance) and other bo∣dies mix'd with them, which make the Spots in the Sun; and the fountains of flames, observ'd, sometimes more fierce∣ly sometimes more remissely, to blaze out, witnesse this to be the nature of the Sun.

6. The whole body, therefore, of the Sun, or, at least, as deep as is necessary, must needs consist of some matter resem∣bling to bitumen or Sulphur; and be in∣tended by nature for nothing but an Esca and food of flames, serviceable to o∣ther bodies.

7. And, since we have the same Actour upon the other six Bodies, the effects, too, must needs be analogous upon an analo∣gous matter, as we have already prov'd

that of all other bodies must be: amongst these, the Earth, by which we are nourisht, is the best known to us.

8. This, our very senses tell us, is di∣vided into three parts: A solid Sub∣stance, which we call Earth; a liquid but crasse one, which we call Water; and anin∣visible one, which we call Aire.

9. The Earth is not a Loadstone: first, because it hangs not on any other; for, the Stars of the Eighth Sphear are at too great a distance, to look for any Magneticall action from them: second∣ly, because that vertue in it which attracts the loadstone, is not diffus'd through the whole body of the Earth, but rests only in the bark of it, as it were: third∣ly, because, if it were a loadstone, it would joyn to some other body, as the load∣stone does to Iron; nor would it be car∣ry'd about in any place or with any Mo∣tion of its own, but proceed to joyn it self with that other. The parts of the Earth are Mountains, Valleys, Caverns, Plains.

10. And, since, we know, Fire will make water boil and swell, and dilate whatever other bodies are mixt with the water; we see, too, that the Earth, both

within in its bowells, and in its superfici∣es, is furnisht with heat to concoct Me∣tals and juyces: as, in our bodies, when the heat abounds with moisture above the just proportion in any part, it breeds warts and wens and blisters; so, hills and mountains must, of necessity, rise out of the body of this great Mother.

11. This is evidenc'd both by anci∣ent and modern Experiments, which tell us of Islands cast up in the Sea: we hear of cinders belcht out of Aetna and Vesu∣vius; for the most part, falling upon and encreasing the Mountains, but some∣times, too, raising fields into Mountains: and, hence it is, that Mountains, for the most part, ingender Metalls and are full of wholesome hearbs, as is generally observ'd.

12. Hollow places, whether upon the Superficies of the Earth, which we call Vallies, or Caverns within its bowells, proceed from two proper causes: the sinking and settling of the Earth into those places, which the matter for the Mountains left vacant; and the wash∣ing away of that matter which, by rains and torrents, is carry'd otherwhere, e∣specially into the Sea. Thus, the Chan∣nells

of Rivers are made; thus, between vast and very high Mountains, the Chan∣nells of the Valleys are deeper: Hence, in one place, the Earth is hollow'd away, in another rais'd.