1with, but when Neceſſity or Opportunity will
allow of it to be deſired above all Things.
That Region therefore is to be choſen, which
is moſt free from the Power of Clouds and all
other heavy thick Vapours. Thoſe who ap
ply themſelves to theſe Enquiries have obſerv
ed, that the Rays and Heat of the Sun act
with more Violence upon cloſe denſe Bodies,
than upon thoſe of a looſer Contexture, upon
Oil more than Water, Iron more than Wool;
for which Reaſon they ſay the Air is moſt
groſs and heavy in thoſe Places, which are moſt
ſubject to great Heats. The Ægyptians con
tending for Nobility with all the other Nati
ons in the World, boaſted, that the firſt Men
were created in their Country, becauſe no
Place was ſo fit to plant the firſt Race of Men
in, as there, where they might live the moſt
healthily; and that they were bleſſed by the
Gods with a Kind of perpetual Spring, and a
cónſtant unchangeable Diſpoſition of Air above
all the Reſt of the Word. And Herodotus
writes, that among the Ægyptians, thoſe chief
ly who lived towards Libia, are the moſt
healthy, becauſe they enjoy continual gentle
Breezes. And to me the Reaſon why ſome
Cities, both in Italy and in other Parts of the
World, are perpetually unhealthy and peſti
lential, ſeems plainly to be the ſudden Turns
and Changes in the Air, from Hot to Cold,
and from Cold to Hot. So that it very much
concerns us to be extremely careful in our Ob
ſervation, what and how much Sun the Regi
on we pitch upon is expoſed to; that there be
neither more Sun nor more Shade than is ne
ceſſary. The Garamantes curſe the Sun, both
at it's Riſing and it's Setting, becauſe they are
ſcorched with the long Continuation of it's
Beams. Other Nations look pale and wan, by
living in a Kind of perpetual Night. And
theſe Things happen not ſo much, becauſe ſuch
Places have the Pole more depreſſed or oblique,
tho there is a great deal in that too, as becauſe
they are aptly ſituated for receiving the Sun and
Winds, or are skreened from them. I ſhould
chuſe ſoft Breezes before Winds, but even
Winds, though violent and bluſtering, before a
Calm, motionleſs, and conſequently, a heavy
Air. Water, ſays Ovid, corrupts, if not mov
ed: And it is certain the Air, to uſe ſuch an
Expreſſion, wonderfully exhilerated by Moti
on: For I am perſuaded, that thereby the Va
pours which riſe from the Earth are either diſ
ſipated, or elſe growing warm by Action are
concocted as they ſhould be. But then I
would have theſe Winds come to me, broken
by the Oppoſition of Hills and Woods, or tir
ed with a long Journey. I would take heed
that they did not bring any ill Qualities along
with them, gathered from any Places they
paſſed through. And for this Reaſon we
ſhould be careſul to avoid all Neighbourhoods
from which any noxious Particles may be
brought: In the Number of which are all ill
Smells, and all groſs Exhalations from Marſhes,
and eſpecially from ſtagnating Waters and
Ditches. The Naturaliſts lay it down for cer
tain, that all Rivers that uſe to be ſupplied by
Snows, bring cold ſoggy Winds: But no Water
is ſo noiſome and pernicious, as that which
rots and putriies for want of Motion. And
the Contagion of ſuch a Neighbourhood will
be ſtill more miſchievous, according as it is
more or leſs expoſed to unwholeſome Winds:
For we are told, that the very Winds them
ſelves are in their own Natures ſome more
wholeſome than others. Thus Pliny from
Theophraſtus and Hippocrates informs us, that
the North is the beſt for reſtoring and preſerv
ing of Health; and all the Naturaliſts affirm,
that the South is the moſt noxious of all to
Mankind; nay further, that the very Beaſts
may not ſafely be left in the Fields while that
Wind blows; and they have obſerved, that at
ſuch Times the Stork never flies, and that the
Dolphins in a North Wind, if it ſtands fair to
wards them, can hear any Voice, but in a
South, they are more ſlow in hearing it, and
muſt have it brought to them oppoſite to the
Wind. They ſay too, that in a North Wind
an Eel will live ſix Days out of Water, but
not ſo in a South, ſuch is the Groſſneſs and un
wholeſome Property of that Wind; and that
as the South Wind brings Catarrhs and Rheums,
ſo the North-Weſt is apt to give Coughs. They
likewiſe find Fault with the Neighbourhood of
the Mediterranean, upon this Account chiefly,
becauſe they ſuppoſe, that a Place expoſed to
the Reflection of the Sun's Rays, does in ef
fect ſuffer two Suns, one ſcorching them from
the Heavens, and the other from the Water;
and ſuch Places upon the Setting of the Sun
feel the greateſt and moſt ſenſible Alrerations
in the Air when the cold Shadows of Night
come on. And there are ſome who think, that
the Weſtern Reverberations or Reflections of
the Sun, either from the Sea or any other
Water, or from the Mountains, moleſt us moſt
allow of it to be deſired above all Things.
That Region therefore is to be choſen, which
is moſt free from the Power of Clouds and all
other heavy thick Vapours. Thoſe who ap
ply themſelves to theſe Enquiries have obſerv
ed, that the Rays and Heat of the Sun act
with more Violence upon cloſe denſe Bodies,
than upon thoſe of a looſer Contexture, upon
Oil more than Water, Iron more than Wool;
for which Reaſon they ſay the Air is moſt
groſs and heavy in thoſe Places, which are moſt
ſubject to great Heats. The Ægyptians con
tending for Nobility with all the other Nati
ons in the World, boaſted, that the firſt Men
were created in their Country, becauſe no
Place was ſo fit to plant the firſt Race of Men
in, as there, where they might live the moſt
healthily; and that they were bleſſed by the
Gods with a Kind of perpetual Spring, and a
cónſtant unchangeable Diſpoſition of Air above
all the Reſt of the Word. And Herodotus
writes, that among the Ægyptians, thoſe chief
ly who lived towards Libia, are the moſt
healthy, becauſe they enjoy continual gentle
Breezes. And to me the Reaſon why ſome
Cities, both in Italy and in other Parts of the
World, are perpetually unhealthy and peſti
lential, ſeems plainly to be the ſudden Turns
and Changes in the Air, from Hot to Cold,
and from Cold to Hot. So that it very much
concerns us to be extremely careful in our Ob
ſervation, what and how much Sun the Regi
on we pitch upon is expoſed to; that there be
neither more Sun nor more Shade than is ne
ceſſary. The Garamantes curſe the Sun, both
at it's Riſing and it's Setting, becauſe they are
ſcorched with the long Continuation of it's
Beams. Other Nations look pale and wan, by
living in a Kind of perpetual Night. And
theſe Things happen not ſo much, becauſe ſuch
Places have the Pole more depreſſed or oblique,
tho there is a great deal in that too, as becauſe
they are aptly ſituated for receiving the Sun and
Winds, or are skreened from them. I ſhould
chuſe ſoft Breezes before Winds, but even
Winds, though violent and bluſtering, before a
Calm, motionleſs, and conſequently, a heavy
Air. Water, ſays Ovid, corrupts, if not mov
ed: And it is certain the Air, to uſe ſuch an
Expreſſion, wonderfully exhilerated by Moti
on: For I am perſuaded, that thereby the Va
pours which riſe from the Earth are either diſ
ſipated, or elſe growing warm by Action are
concocted as they ſhould be. But then I
would have theſe Winds come to me, broken
by the Oppoſition of Hills and Woods, or tir
ed with a long Journey. I would take heed
that they did not bring any ill Qualities along
with them, gathered from any Places they
paſſed through. And for this Reaſon we
ſhould be careſul to avoid all Neighbourhoods
from which any noxious Particles may be
brought: In the Number of which are all ill
Smells, and all groſs Exhalations from Marſhes,
and eſpecially from ſtagnating Waters and
Ditches. The Naturaliſts lay it down for cer
tain, that all Rivers that uſe to be ſupplied by
Snows, bring cold ſoggy Winds: But no Water
is ſo noiſome and pernicious, as that which
rots and putriies for want of Motion. And
the Contagion of ſuch a Neighbourhood will
be ſtill more miſchievous, according as it is
more or leſs expoſed to unwholeſome Winds:
For we are told, that the very Winds them
ſelves are in their own Natures ſome more
wholeſome than others. Thus Pliny from
Theophraſtus and Hippocrates informs us, that
the North is the beſt for reſtoring and preſerv
ing of Health; and all the Naturaliſts affirm,
that the South is the moſt noxious of all to
Mankind; nay further, that the very Beaſts
may not ſafely be left in the Fields while that
Wind blows; and they have obſerved, that at
ſuch Times the Stork never flies, and that the
Dolphins in a North Wind, if it ſtands fair to
wards them, can hear any Voice, but in a
South, they are more ſlow in hearing it, and
muſt have it brought to them oppoſite to the
Wind. They ſay too, that in a North Wind
an Eel will live ſix Days out of Water, but
not ſo in a South, ſuch is the Groſſneſs and un
wholeſome Property of that Wind; and that
as the South Wind brings Catarrhs and Rheums,
ſo the North-Weſt is apt to give Coughs. They
likewiſe find Fault with the Neighbourhood of
the Mediterranean, upon this Account chiefly,
becauſe they ſuppoſe, that a Place expoſed to
the Reflection of the Sun's Rays, does in ef
fect ſuffer two Suns, one ſcorching them from
the Heavens, and the other from the Water;
and ſuch Places upon the Setting of the Sun
feel the greateſt and moſt ſenſible Alrerations
in the Air when the cold Shadows of Night
come on. And there are ſome who think, that
the Weſtern Reverberations or Reflections of
the Sun, either from the Sea or any other
Water, or from the Mountains, moleſt us moſt
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