The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

528 EBB AND FLOW.
and powerful tides; but if in the opposite direc- fixed bodies can agree with liquid and fluid-that
tion, weak and scarcely perceptible. For the Red is, not that they move towards the poles, but are
Sea hath a considerable tide; and the Persian pointed and turned towards the poles. For since
Gulf, with a yet more entire westward direction, every revolving sphere, which has fixed poles,
a still stronger. But the Mediterranean, the participates of the nature of movable and fixed;
greatest of all gulfs, and its parts, the Tuscan, after, by its consistency or self-determining naPontic, and Propontic Seas, and in like manner ture, the rotatory force is bound up, still the
the Baltic, all which tend eastward, are almost force and tendency to direct itself remains, is
destitute of tide, or have only languid ones. But augmented and gathered into one; so that directhis difference is most conspicuous in certain parts tion and verticity to the poles in hard bodies
of the Mediterranean, which, so long as they tend is the same with the revolution on their poles in
eastwards or turn towards the north, as in the fluids.
Tuscan Sea and the others we have mentioned, The third inquiry remains. Whence and how
are pacific and without much tide. But, after ariseth that reciprocal action of the tides, once in
getting a westerly direction, which takes place in six hours, which coincides with a quarter of the
the Adriatic, it requires a remarkably large tide. diurnal motion, with that difference to which we
To which we may also add this, that in the Medi- have adverted. To understand this, let us supterranean the slight reflux which is found begins pose that the whole globe was covered with
from the ocean, the flow from the opposite direc- water, as in the general deluge; we conceive the
tion, so that the water follows rather a course waters, as forming a complete and unbroken
from the east than the natural refluence of the globe, would always roll in a progression from
ocean. The three instances only we shall use for east to west each day to a certain extent: not
the present, in reference to this second inquiry. certainly a great space, on account of the remisThere may be added to these another species of sion and deliberation of that motion as it approof, agreeing with those already advanced, but proaches the earth, seeing the, waters were noof a more difficult nature. It is this: that an where obstructed or confined. Let us suppose,
argument may be sought for proof of this mo- again, that the whole land was an island, and
tion from east to west, not only from the consent- that it extended longitudinally between south and
ing motion of the heavens, of which we have north, which confirmation and position most realready spoken,-where this motion is, as it were, strain and obstruct the motion from east to west;
in full flower and strength,-but also from the we think that the waters would keep on in their
earth when it seems wholly to cease; so that it direct and natural course for a certain time, but,
is really a direction of the universe, and pervades reverberated by the shores of that island, would
all things from the zenith to the interior parts of roll back in equal intervals; that there would be,
the earth. Now, we apprehend that this conver- therefore, only one influx of the sea a day, and in
sion takes place from east to west (as in reality like manner only one reflux, and that to each of
it is found to do) upon the south and north poles. these about twelve hours would be apportioned.
And Gilbertus has, with great care and accuracy, And let us now suppose what is true and matteraccomplished for us this discovery, that the whole of-fact, that the land is divided into two islands,
earth and nature, so far as we call it terrestrial, those, namely, of the new and old world; for
have an inclination or popularity not softened Australia, by its position, does not much alter the
down, but rigid, and, as Gilbertus himself calls it, effect; as neither does Greenland nor Nova Zemrobust, latent, but betraying itself in many nice bla, and that these two islands extend through
experiments towards the north and south. And nearly three zones of the world, between which
this observation we thus modify and correct, that two oceans, the Atlantic and Southern, flow, and
this ought to be asserted only of the exterior these nowhere find a thoroughfare, except towards
formation about the surface of the earth, and the poles; we think it necessarily follows, that
ought not to be extended to the bowels of the these two ramparts impart and communicate the
earth; for that the earth is a magnet was at one character or double reaction to the entire mass of
time conceived,-a light imagination,-for it can- waters. Whence arises that motion in the quarnot be that the inward parts of the earth resemble ter of a day,-so that the waters being cooped in
any substance which the eye of man hath seen:': on both sides, the ebb and flow of the sea would
since all the substances among which we live are become visible twice a day, since there is a
loosened, subdued, or broken up by the sun and double advance, and also a double recoil. Now,
heavenly bodies, so that they cannot possibly if these two islands were extended through the
agree with those which have had their seat in a waters like cylinders or columns, of equal dimenplace where the influence of the heavenly bodies sions, and with rectilinear shores, that motion
does not penetrate;-but, which is our present might be easily perceptible, and might be pointed
subject, the more superficial crusts or formations out to any one, which now seems to be perplexed
of the earth appear to agree with the conversions and obscured by so great a variety of position of
of the sun, air, and waters, as far as solid and land and sea. For it is not difficult to form some