1moſt undigeſted: unleſs we will ſuppoſe, that
there is a fiery Spirit in the Bowels of the earth,
by which ſubterrancous Waters are concocted.
Ariſlotle ſays that the Water in Wells grows
warm in the Summer in the Afternoon. Ac
cordingly ſome will have it that Well-water
ſeems cold in Summer, only by compariſon with
the hot Air which ſurrounds us. Accordingly
we find, contrary to the old received Opinion,
that Water juſt freſh drawn, does not bedew
the Glaſs into which it is put, if the Glaſs be
perfectly clean and not greaſy. But as of the
firſt Principles whereof all Things conſiſt, eſ
pecially according to the Pythagorean Notion,
there are two which may be called male, which
are Heat and Cold; and it being the Property
of Heat to penetrate, diſſolve, break, attract and
ſuck up all Moiſture, as it is that of Cold to
compreſs, contract, harden and conſolidate:
both theſe have in a great Meaſure the ſame
Effects, and particularly upon Water, provided
they are exceſſive and of too long Continuance;
becauſe they both equally conſume the more
ſubtile Parts, which occaſions exactly the ſame
aduſt Dryneſs. Thus we ſay, that Plants are
burnt up, not only by extreme Heat but alſo by
extreme Cold; becauſe when the more tender
Parts of the Subſtance of the Wood are con
ſumed and dried up either by Froſt or Sun,
we ſee the Tree look ruſty and chapt as by
Fire. From the ſame Cauſes Water grows
viſcous by the Sun's Heat, and looks as if it
were full of Aſhes in extreme Froſt. But there
is another Difference even among Waters al
lowed to be good; for particularly as to Rain
water, it is of great Importance in what Sea
ſon of the Year, at what Time of the Day,
and in what Winds you collect it, as alſo in
what Place you preſerve it, and what Time it
has been kept. The Rain which falls after
the Middle of Winter is thought to afford the
heavieſt Water; and that which is collected in
the Winter is ſaid to be ſweeter than that col
lected in the Summer. The firſt Rains after
the Dog-days are bitter and unwholeſome, be
ing corrupted with a Mixture of ſome of the
aduſt Particles of the Earth, and we are told
that the Earth itſelf has a bitter ſavour at that
Time of the Year, from being burnt up by the
Heat of the Sun. Hence we are adviſed, that
the Rain-water gathered from the Houſe-top,
is better than that which is collected in the
Ground; and of that which is gathered from
the Houſe-top, the moſt wholeſome is ſaid to
be that which is got after the Roof has been
well waſhed by the firſt Rain. The African
Phyſicians tell us, that the Rain which falls in
Summer, eſpecially when it thunders, is not
pure, and is unwholſome from its Saltneſs.
Theophraſtus thinks, that the Night Rains are
better than thoſe in the Day. Hence that
is accounted the moſt wholeſome which falls
in a North Wind. Columella is of Opinion,
that Rain water would not be bad if it were
carried through carthen Pipes into covered
Ciſterns, becauſe it caſily corrupts when it
ſtands uncovered to the Sun, and ſoon ſpoils,
if it is kept in any Veſſel made of Wood.
Springs alſo are very different from one ano
ther. Hippocrates judged thoſe which riſe
from the Roots of Hills to be the beſt. The
Opinion of the Ancients concerning Springs was
as follows. They thought the very beſt of all
were thoſe which lay either to the North, or
fronting the Sun-riſe about the Equinox; and
the worſt they ſuppoſed to be thoſe which lay
to the South. The next beſt they thought
were thoſe which fronted the Sun-riſe in Win
ter, nor did they diſapprove of thoſe on the
Weſt Side of the Hill, which generally is very
moiſt with a great Abundance of light Dew,
and conſequently muſt afford a very ſweet
Water, becauſe the Dew does not fall but in
quiet, clear Places, and where there is a tem
perate Air. Theophraſtus thinks that Water
gets a Taſte from the Earth, as in Fruits, Vines,
and other Trees, which all have a Savour of
the Earth from which they draw their Juices,
and from whatever happens to lie near their
Roots. The Ancients uſed to ſay, that there
were as many different Sorts of Wines, as there
were of different Soils wherein the Vineyards
were planted. Thus Pliny tells us, that the
Wines of Padua taſted of the Willows to which
the Inhabitants of that Country uſed to bind
their Vines. Cato teaches to medicate the Vines
with the Herb Hellebore, by laying Bundles of
it at the Roots, at the ſame Time that you
open them, in order to make them looſen the
Belly without Danger. For theſe Reaſons the
Ancients thought, that the Water which iſſued
out of the living Rock, was better than that
which roſe from the Ground. But the beſt of
all was thought to be that which diſtilled from
ſuch an Earth, which being put into a Baſon
with Water, and ſtirr'd together with it, would
the ſooneſt ſubſide and leave the Water the
leaſt tainted either in Colour, Smell, or Taſte.
For the ſame Reaſons Columella was of Opinion,
that Water which ran down ſtony Precipices
there is a fiery Spirit in the Bowels of the earth,
by which ſubterrancous Waters are concocted.
Ariſlotle ſays that the Water in Wells grows
warm in the Summer in the Afternoon. Ac
cordingly ſome will have it that Well-water
ſeems cold in Summer, only by compariſon with
the hot Air which ſurrounds us. Accordingly
we find, contrary to the old received Opinion,
that Water juſt freſh drawn, does not bedew
the Glaſs into which it is put, if the Glaſs be
perfectly clean and not greaſy. But as of the
firſt Principles whereof all Things conſiſt, eſ
pecially according to the Pythagorean Notion,
there are two which may be called male, which
are Heat and Cold; and it being the Property
of Heat to penetrate, diſſolve, break, attract and
ſuck up all Moiſture, as it is that of Cold to
compreſs, contract, harden and conſolidate:
both theſe have in a great Meaſure the ſame
Effects, and particularly upon Water, provided
they are exceſſive and of too long Continuance;
becauſe they both equally conſume the more
ſubtile Parts, which occaſions exactly the ſame
aduſt Dryneſs. Thus we ſay, that Plants are
burnt up, not only by extreme Heat but alſo by
extreme Cold; becauſe when the more tender
Parts of the Subſtance of the Wood are con
ſumed and dried up either by Froſt or Sun,
we ſee the Tree look ruſty and chapt as by
Fire. From the ſame Cauſes Water grows
viſcous by the Sun's Heat, and looks as if it
were full of Aſhes in extreme Froſt. But there
is another Difference even among Waters al
lowed to be good; for particularly as to Rain
water, it is of great Importance in what Sea
ſon of the Year, at what Time of the Day,
and in what Winds you collect it, as alſo in
what Place you preſerve it, and what Time it
has been kept. The Rain which falls after
the Middle of Winter is thought to afford the
heavieſt Water; and that which is collected in
the Winter is ſaid to be ſweeter than that col
lected in the Summer. The firſt Rains after
the Dog-days are bitter and unwholeſome, be
ing corrupted with a Mixture of ſome of the
aduſt Particles of the Earth, and we are told
that the Earth itſelf has a bitter ſavour at that
Time of the Year, from being burnt up by the
Heat of the Sun. Hence we are adviſed, that
the Rain-water gathered from the Houſe-top,
is better than that which is collected in the
Ground; and of that which is gathered from
the Houſe-top, the moſt wholeſome is ſaid to
be that which is got after the Roof has been
well waſhed by the firſt Rain. The African
Phyſicians tell us, that the Rain which falls in
Summer, eſpecially when it thunders, is not
pure, and is unwholſome from its Saltneſs.
Theophraſtus thinks, that the Night Rains are
better than thoſe in the Day. Hence that
is accounted the moſt wholeſome which falls
in a North Wind. Columella is of Opinion,
that Rain water would not be bad if it were
carried through carthen Pipes into covered
Ciſterns, becauſe it caſily corrupts when it
ſtands uncovered to the Sun, and ſoon ſpoils,
if it is kept in any Veſſel made of Wood.
Springs alſo are very different from one ano
ther. Hippocrates judged thoſe which riſe
from the Roots of Hills to be the beſt. The
Opinion of the Ancients concerning Springs was
as follows. They thought the very beſt of all
were thoſe which lay either to the North, or
fronting the Sun-riſe about the Equinox; and
the worſt they ſuppoſed to be thoſe which lay
to the South. The next beſt they thought
were thoſe which fronted the Sun-riſe in Win
ter, nor did they diſapprove of thoſe on the
Weſt Side of the Hill, which generally is very
moiſt with a great Abundance of light Dew,
and conſequently muſt afford a very ſweet
Water, becauſe the Dew does not fall but in
quiet, clear Places, and where there is a tem
perate Air. Theophraſtus thinks that Water
gets a Taſte from the Earth, as in Fruits, Vines,
and other Trees, which all have a Savour of
the Earth from which they draw their Juices,
and from whatever happens to lie near their
Roots. The Ancients uſed to ſay, that there
were as many different Sorts of Wines, as there
were of different Soils wherein the Vineyards
were planted. Thus Pliny tells us, that the
Wines of Padua taſted of the Willows to which
the Inhabitants of that Country uſed to bind
their Vines. Cato teaches to medicate the Vines
with the Herb Hellebore, by laying Bundles of
it at the Roots, at the ſame Time that you
open them, in order to make them looſen the
Belly without Danger. For theſe Reaſons the
Ancients thought, that the Water which iſſued
out of the living Rock, was better than that
which roſe from the Ground. But the beſt of
all was thought to be that which diſtilled from
ſuch an Earth, which being put into a Baſon
with Water, and ſtirr'd together with it, would
the ſooneſt ſubſide and leave the Water the
leaſt tainted either in Colour, Smell, or Taſte.
For the ſame Reaſons Columella was of Opinion,
that Water which ran down ſtony Precipices