1ture of all the Parts is preſently broken and
diſſolved, and ſalls into dangerous Diſtempers
and immature old Age. A City ſtanding at
the Foot of a Hill, and looking towards the
ſetting Sun, is accounted unhealthy, more for
this Reaſon than any other, that it feels too
ſuddenly the cold chilling Breezes of the Night.
It may likewiſe be convenient by looking back
into Times paſt, according to the Obſervations
of the Wiſe, to examine into Properties yet
more hidden, if there be ſuch in the Place:
For there are Countries which have in their
Nature ſome Secret undiſcovered Qualities,
which confer Happineſs or Unhappineſs. Lo
cris and Crotona are ſaid to have never been
infected with any Plague. In the Iſle of
Candia there is no miſchievous Creature. In
France very few Monſters are born; in other
Places the Naturaliſts ſay, that in the Middle
either of Summer or Winter it never Thunders:
But in Campania, according to Pliny, it Thun
ders at thoſe very Times over thoſe Cities that
ſtand to the South; and the Mountains near
Albania are ſaid to be called Ceraunia, from
the frequent Lightnings that fall upon it. The
Iſle of Lemnos too being very ſubject to Light
ning, was the Reaſon, Servius informs us, of
the Poets feigning that Vulcan fell there from
Heaven. About the Streights of Gallipoli and
the Eſſedones, it was never known either to
Thunder or Lighten. If it Rains in Ægypt
it is reckoned a Prodigy. Near the Hydaſpes
in the Beginning of Summer it Rains continu
ally. They ſay that in Lybia the Air is ſo ſeldom
ſtirred by Winds, that it grows ſo thick, that
ſeveral Kinds of Vapours are viſible in the Sky:
And on the Contrary, in moſt Parts of Gala
tia, the Winds blow in Summer with ſo much
Violence, that it drives along the very Stones
like Sand. In Spain near the Ebro, they ſay
the North-Weſt Wind blows ſo hard, that it
overturns Carts heavy laden: In Æthiopia we
are told the South never blows, and Hiſtorians
write, that this Wind in Arabia and the
Country of the Troglodites burns up every
Thing that is green: And Thucydides affirms,
that Delos was never troubled with Earth
quakes, but always ſtood firm upon the ſame
Rock, though the other Iſlands all about it
were often laid in Ruins by Earthquakes, We
ourſelves ſee, that the Part of Italy, which
runs from the Selva dell' Aglio below Rome,
all along the Ridge of Hills of the Campagna
di Roma quite to Capua, is perpetually ſtript
and almoſt quite laid waſte by Earthquakes.
Some believe Achaia was ſo called from its ſre
quent Inundations of Water. I find that Rome
was always ſubject to Agues, and Galen takes
thoſe Agues to be a new Kind of double Ter
tian, which muſt have varions and almoſt di
rect Remedies applied to it at different Sea
ſons. It is an old Fable among the Poets, that
Typho the Giant being buried in the Iſland of
Prochyta, often turns himſelf about, and with
his turning ſhakes the whole Iſland from its
very Foundation. The Reaſon of this Ficti
on of the Poets was, becauſe that Iſland was ſo
tormented with Earthquakes and Eruptions,
that the Erythreans and Chalcidians, who in
habited it, were forced to fly for it. And a
gain, aftewards thoſe who were ſent by Hiero of
Syracuſe to build a new City there, frightened
with the continual Danger of Deſtruction, de
ſerted it too. Wherefore all Things of this
Nature are to be ſifted out from long Obſer
vation, and examined and compared by other
Places, in order to come at a clear and full
Knowledge of every Particular.
diſſolved, and ſalls into dangerous Diſtempers
and immature old Age. A City ſtanding at
the Foot of a Hill, and looking towards the
ſetting Sun, is accounted unhealthy, more for
this Reaſon than any other, that it feels too
ſuddenly the cold chilling Breezes of the Night.
It may likewiſe be convenient by looking back
into Times paſt, according to the Obſervations
of the Wiſe, to examine into Properties yet
more hidden, if there be ſuch in the Place:
For there are Countries which have in their
Nature ſome Secret undiſcovered Qualities,
which confer Happineſs or Unhappineſs. Lo
cris and Crotona are ſaid to have never been
infected with any Plague. In the Iſle of
Candia there is no miſchievous Creature. In
France very few Monſters are born; in other
Places the Naturaliſts ſay, that in the Middle
either of Summer or Winter it never Thunders:
But in Campania, according to Pliny, it Thun
ders at thoſe very Times over thoſe Cities that
ſtand to the South; and the Mountains near
Albania are ſaid to be called Ceraunia, from
the frequent Lightnings that fall upon it. The
Iſle of Lemnos too being very ſubject to Light
ning, was the Reaſon, Servius informs us, of
the Poets feigning that Vulcan fell there from
Heaven. About the Streights of Gallipoli and
the Eſſedones, it was never known either to
Thunder or Lighten. If it Rains in Ægypt
it is reckoned a Prodigy. Near the Hydaſpes
in the Beginning of Summer it Rains continu
ally. They ſay that in Lybia the Air is ſo ſeldom
ſtirred by Winds, that it grows ſo thick, that
ſeveral Kinds of Vapours are viſible in the Sky:
And on the Contrary, in moſt Parts of Gala
tia, the Winds blow in Summer with ſo much
Violence, that it drives along the very Stones
like Sand. In Spain near the Ebro, they ſay
the North-Weſt Wind blows ſo hard, that it
overturns Carts heavy laden: In Æthiopia we
are told the South never blows, and Hiſtorians
write, that this Wind in Arabia and the
Country of the Troglodites burns up every
Thing that is green: And Thucydides affirms,
that Delos was never troubled with Earth
quakes, but always ſtood firm upon the ſame
Rock, though the other Iſlands all about it
were often laid in Ruins by Earthquakes, We
ourſelves ſee, that the Part of Italy, which
runs from the Selva dell' Aglio below Rome,
all along the Ridge of Hills of the Campagna
di Roma quite to Capua, is perpetually ſtript
and almoſt quite laid waſte by Earthquakes.
Some believe Achaia was ſo called from its ſre
quent Inundations of Water. I find that Rome
was always ſubject to Agues, and Galen takes
thoſe Agues to be a new Kind of double Ter
tian, which muſt have varions and almoſt di
rect Remedies applied to it at different Sea
ſons. It is an old Fable among the Poets, that
Typho the Giant being buried in the Iſland of
Prochyta, often turns himſelf about, and with
his turning ſhakes the whole Iſland from its
very Foundation. The Reaſon of this Ficti
on of the Poets was, becauſe that Iſland was ſo
tormented with Earthquakes and Eruptions,
that the Erythreans and Chalcidians, who in
habited it, were forced to fly for it. And a
gain, aftewards thoſe who were ſent by Hiero of
Syracuſe to build a new City there, frightened
with the continual Danger of Deſtruction, de
ſerted it too. Wherefore all Things of this
Nature are to be ſifted out from long Obſer
vation, and examined and compared by other
Places, in order to come at a clear and full
Knowledge of every Particular.
CHAP. VI.
Of ſome more hidden Conveniencies and Inconveniencies of the Region which a
wiſe Man ought to enquire into.
wiſe Man ought to enquire into.
We ought further to enquire carefully,
whether the Region is uſed to be mo
leſted with any more hidden Inconveniency.
Plato believed, that in ſome Places the Influ
ence of Spirits often reigned, and was at ſome
times miſchievous, and at others propitious to
the Inhabitants. It is certain there are ſome
Places where Men are very ſubject to run mad,
others where they are caſily diſpoſed to do
themſelves a Miſchief, and where they put an
End to their own Lives by Halters or Preci
pices, Steel or Poiſon. It is therefore very ne
ceſſary to examine by the moſt occult Traces
of Nature, every Thing that can be attended
with ſuch Effects. It was an ancient Cuſtom
brought down even from Demetrius's Time,
whether the Region is uſed to be mo
leſted with any more hidden Inconveniency.
Plato believed, that in ſome Places the Influ
ence of Spirits often reigned, and was at ſome
times miſchievous, and at others propitious to
the Inhabitants. It is certain there are ſome
Places where Men are very ſubject to run mad,
others where they are caſily diſpoſed to do
themſelves a Miſchief, and where they put an
End to their own Lives by Halters or Preci
pices, Steel or Poiſon. It is therefore very ne
ceſſary to examine by the moſt occult Traces
of Nature, every Thing that can be attended
with ſuch Effects. It was an ancient Cuſtom
brought down even from Demetrius's Time,