1from a fruitful Soil, enriches the Ground.
Horſes do not love a very clear Water, but
grow fat with any that is moſſy and warm.
The hardeſt is beſt for Fullers. The Phyſicians
ſay, that the Neceſſity of Water to the Health
and Life of Man is of two Sorts; one for
quenching the Thirſt, and the other, to ſerve
as a Vehicle to carry the Nutriment extracted
from the Food into the Veins, that being there
purified and digeſted it may ſupply the Mem
bers with their proper Juices. Thirſt they tell
us is an Appetite of Moiſture, and chiefly of a
cold one; and therefore they think that cold
Water, eſpecially after Meals, fortifies the Sto
mach of thoſe that are in good Health; but if
it be exceſſively cold it will throw the moſt ro
buſt into a Numbneſs, occaſion Gripes in the
Bowels, ſhake the Nerves, and by its Rawneſs
extinguiſh the digeſtive Faculty of the Sto
mach. The Water of the River Oxus being
always turbid, is very unwholeſome to drink.
The Inhabitants of Rome, from the frequent
Changes of the Air, and the nocturnal Vapours
which ariſe from the River, as alſo from the
Winds which commonly blow in the After
noon, are very ſubject to dangerous Fevers;
for theſe Winds generally blow very cold about
three o' Clock in Summer, at which Time
Mens Bodies are extreamly heated, and even
contract the very Veins. But in my Opinion
theſe Fevers, and indeed moſt of the worſt
Diſtempers there proceed, in a great Meaſure,
from the Water of the Tyber, which is com
monly drank when it is foul; to which Pur
poſe it may not be amiſs to obſerve, that the
ancient Phyſicians, for the Cure of theſe Ro
man Fevers, order the Uſe of the Juice of
Squills and of Inciſives. But to return. We
are upon the Search of the beſt Water. Celſus
the Phyſician, ſays of Waters, that of all the
different Sorts the Rain-water is the lighteſt;
the ſecond is that of the Spring; in the third
Place is the River-water; in the fourth, that
of a Well; in the fifth and laſt, that which
diſſolves from Snow or Ice. The Lake-water
is heavier than any of theſe, and that of a Marſh
is the worſt of all. The Mazaca, which ſtands
under the Hill Argæus, abounds with good
Water; but having no Way to run off in
Summer, it grows unwholeſome and peſtifer
ous. The Definition which the beſt Philoſo
phers give us of Water, is, that it is naturally
a Body ſimple and unmixed, whereof Coldneſs
and Humidity are two Properties. We may
therefore conclude that to be the beſt, which
deviates the leaſt from its own Nature; be
cauſe, if it be not perfectly pure, and entirely
free from Mixture, Taſte, or Smell, it will cer
tainly very much endanger the Health, by
loading the inward Paſſages of the Lungs,
choaking up the Veins, and clogging the Spirits,
the Miniſters of Life, For this Reaſon we
are told that the Rain-water, as it conſiſts of the
lighteſt Vapours, is the beſt of all, provided it
be not of ſuch a Sort as eaſily corrupts and ſtinks,
which when it grows foul is very apt to harden
the Belly. Some believe that the Occaſion of
this is, that it falls from Clouds formed of a
Mixture of too many different Vapours com
pounded together, drawn, for Inſtance, from
the Sea, which is the great Receptacle of all
the different Sorts of Springs; becauſe indeed
nothing can be more liable to Corruption, than
a confuſed Medley of Things in their Nature
diſſimilar. Thus the Juice of different Sorts of
Grapes mixed together, will never keep.
Horſes do not love a very clear Water, but
grow fat with any that is moſſy and warm.
The hardeſt is beſt for Fullers. The Phyſicians
ſay, that the Neceſſity of Water to the Health
and Life of Man is of two Sorts; one for
quenching the Thirſt, and the other, to ſerve
as a Vehicle to carry the Nutriment extracted
from the Food into the Veins, that being there
purified and digeſted it may ſupply the Mem
bers with their proper Juices. Thirſt they tell
us is an Appetite of Moiſture, and chiefly of a
cold one; and therefore they think that cold
Water, eſpecially after Meals, fortifies the Sto
mach of thoſe that are in good Health; but if
it be exceſſively cold it will throw the moſt ro
buſt into a Numbneſs, occaſion Gripes in the
Bowels, ſhake the Nerves, and by its Rawneſs
extinguiſh the digeſtive Faculty of the Sto
mach. The Water of the River Oxus being
always turbid, is very unwholeſome to drink.
The Inhabitants of Rome, from the frequent
Changes of the Air, and the nocturnal Vapours
which ariſe from the River, as alſo from the
Winds which commonly blow in the After
noon, are very ſubject to dangerous Fevers;
for theſe Winds generally blow very cold about
three o' Clock in Summer, at which Time
Mens Bodies are extreamly heated, and even
contract the very Veins. But in my Opinion
theſe Fevers, and indeed moſt of the worſt
Diſtempers there proceed, in a great Meaſure,
from the Water of the Tyber, which is com
monly drank when it is foul; to which Pur
poſe it may not be amiſs to obſerve, that the
ancient Phyſicians, for the Cure of theſe Ro
man Fevers, order the Uſe of the Juice of
Squills and of Inciſives. But to return. We
are upon the Search of the beſt Water. Celſus
the Phyſician, ſays of Waters, that of all the
different Sorts the Rain-water is the lighteſt;
the ſecond is that of the Spring; in the third
Place is the River-water; in the fourth, that
of a Well; in the fifth and laſt, that which
diſſolves from Snow or Ice. The Lake-water
is heavier than any of theſe, and that of a Marſh
is the worſt of all. The Mazaca, which ſtands
under the Hill Argæus, abounds with good
Water; but having no Way to run off in
Summer, it grows unwholeſome and peſtifer
ous. The Definition which the beſt Philoſo
phers give us of Water, is, that it is naturally
a Body ſimple and unmixed, whereof Coldneſs
and Humidity are two Properties. We may
therefore conclude that to be the beſt, which
deviates the leaſt from its own Nature; be
cauſe, if it be not perfectly pure, and entirely
free from Mixture, Taſte, or Smell, it will cer
tainly very much endanger the Health, by
loading the inward Paſſages of the Lungs,
choaking up the Veins, and clogging the Spirits,
the Miniſters of Life, For this Reaſon we
are told that the Rain-water, as it conſiſts of the
lighteſt Vapours, is the beſt of all, provided it
be not of ſuch a Sort as eaſily corrupts and ſtinks,
which when it grows foul is very apt to harden
the Belly. Some believe that the Occaſion of
this is, that it falls from Clouds formed of a
Mixture of too many different Vapours com
pounded together, drawn, for Inſtance, from
the Sea, which is the great Receptacle of all
the different Sorts of Springs; becauſe indeed
nothing can be more liable to Corruption, than
a confuſed Medley of Things in their Nature
diſſimilar. Thus the Juice of different Sorts of
Grapes mixed together, will never keep.
IT was an ancient Law among the Hebrews,
that no Man ſhould ſow any Seed but what was
pick'd and unmixed; it being their Notion,
that Nature totally abhorred a Medley of differ
ent Particles. Thoſe who follow Ariſtotle,
thinking that the Vapours which are extracted
from the Earth, when they are raiſed up to the
cold Region of the Air, are by the Cold com
preſſed into Clouds, and afterwards diſſolve in
Rain, are of quite a different Opinion. Thus
Theophraſtus ſays, that cultivated and Garden
Fruits fall more caſily into Diſtempers than
wild ones, which being of a tough Contexture
never tamed, more vigorouſly reſiſt any Injury
from without; whereas the other being made
tender by Culture, have not the ſame hardy
Conſtitution. The ſame he tells us will hold
good as to Waters, and the more tender we
make them (to uſe his own Words) the more
liable they will be to ſuffer Alteration. For
this Reaſon ſome ſay, that Water which has been
boyled and ſoften'd by the Fire will ſooneſt
grow cold, and ſo be ſooneſt made hot again.
Thus much of Rain-water. Next to this the
Spring-water is certainly the beſt. Thoſe who
prefer the River to the Spring, ſay, what elſe is
a River, but an Abundance and Concourſe of
many different Springs united together, and
maturated by the Sun, Winds and Motion? So
they tell us too, that a Well is nothing but a
Spring lying very deep: from whence they in
fer, if we will allow the Rays of the Sun to be
of any Service to Water, that it is no hard mat
ter to judge which of theſe Springs muſt be the
that no Man ſhould ſow any Seed but what was
pick'd and unmixed; it being their Notion,
that Nature totally abhorred a Medley of differ
ent Particles. Thoſe who follow Ariſtotle,
thinking that the Vapours which are extracted
from the Earth, when they are raiſed up to the
cold Region of the Air, are by the Cold com
preſſed into Clouds, and afterwards diſſolve in
Rain, are of quite a different Opinion. Thus
Theophraſtus ſays, that cultivated and Garden
Fruits fall more caſily into Diſtempers than
wild ones, which being of a tough Contexture
never tamed, more vigorouſly reſiſt any Injury
from without; whereas the other being made
tender by Culture, have not the ſame hardy
Conſtitution. The ſame he tells us will hold
good as to Waters, and the more tender we
make them (to uſe his own Words) the more
liable they will be to ſuffer Alteration. For
this Reaſon ſome ſay, that Water which has been
boyled and ſoften'd by the Fire will ſooneſt
grow cold, and ſo be ſooneſt made hot again.
Thus much of Rain-water. Next to this the
Spring-water is certainly the beſt. Thoſe who
prefer the River to the Spring, ſay, what elſe is
a River, but an Abundance and Concourſe of
many different Springs united together, and
maturated by the Sun, Winds and Motion? So
they tell us too, that a Well is nothing but a
Spring lying very deep: from whence they in
fer, if we will allow the Rays of the Sun to be
of any Service to Water, that it is no hard mat
ter to judge which of theſe Springs muſt be the