they not been unquestioned by some, and at least as improbable truths have been received by others. Unto some it hath seemed incredible what Herodotus reporteth of the great army of Xerxes, that drank whole rivers dry. And unto the author himself it appeared wondrous strange, that they exhausted not the provision of the country, rather than the waters thereof. For as he maketh the account, and Buddeus de Asse correcting their miscompute of Valla delivereth it, if every man of the army had had a chenix of corn a day, that is, a sextary and a half, or about two pints and a quarter, the army had daily expended ten hundred thousand and forty medimnas, or measures containing six bushels.2 Which rightly considered, the Abderites had reason to bless the heavens, that Xerxes eat but one meal a day, and Pythius, his noble host, might with less charge and possible provision entertain both him and his army; and yet may all be salved, if we take it hyperbolically, as wise men receive that expression in Job, concerning behemoth or the elephant, "Behold, he drinketh up a river and hasteth not; he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth." 2. That Hannibal ate or brake through the Alps with vinegar may be too grossly taken, and the author of his life annexed unto Plutarch, affirmeth only he used this artifice upon the tops of some of the highest mountains. For as it is vulgarly understood, that he cut a passage for his army through those mighty mountains, it may seem incredible, not only in the greatness of the effect, but the quantity of the efficient, and such as behold them may think an ocean of vinegar too little for that effect.3 'Twas a work indeed 2 bushels.] But the wonder is not soe much how they could consume soe much corne, as where they could have it soe sodenly. But it seemes the learned author heere mistooke his accompte. For 1,000,000 quarts (allowing for every one in his army a quarte, and 16 quartes to a bushell), amount to noe more then 62,499 bushels, or 10,416 medimnas, which would not loade 1000 wagons, a small baggage for so great an army not to be wondered at.-Wr. 3 an ocean, &c.] There needed not more than some few hogsheads of vinegar, for having hewed downe the woods of firr growing there, and with the huge piles thereof calcined the tops of some cliffes which stood in his waye; a small quantity of vinegar poured on the fired glowing rocks would make them cleave in sunder, as is manifest in calcined flints, which being often burned, and as often quentcht in rather to be expected from earthquakes and inundations, than any corrosive waters, and much condemneth the judgment of Xerxes, that wrought through Mount Athos with mattocks. 3. That Archimedes burnt the ships of Marcellus, with speculums of parabolical figures, at three furlongs, or as some will have it, at the distance of three miles, sounds hard unto reason and artificial experience, and therefore justly questioned by Kircherus, who after long enquiry could find but one made by Manfredus Septalius* that fired at fifteen paces. And therefore more probable it is that that the ships were nearer the shore or about some thirty paces, at which distance notwithstanding the effect was very great. But whereas men conceive the ships were more easily set on flame by reason of the pitch about them, it seemeth no advantage; since burning glasses will melt pitch or make it boil, not easily set it on fire. 4. The story of the Fabii, whereof three hundred and six marching against the Veientes were all slain, and one child alone to support the family remained, is surely not to be *De luce et umbra. vinegar, will in fine turne into an impalpable powder, as is truly experimented, and is dayly manifest in the lime kilnes.- Wr. Dr. Mc Keever, in a paper in the 5th vol. of the Annals of Philosophy, N. S. discusses this question, and arrives at the conclusion that, in all probability, the expansive operation of the fire on the water which had been percolating through the pores and fissures of the rocks, occasioned the detachment of large portions of it by explosion, just as masses of rock are frequently detached from cliffs, and precipitated into adjoining valleys, by a similar physical cause. Dr. M. notices the annual disruption of icebergs in the Polar seas, on the return of summer, as a phenomenon bearing considerable analogy to the preceding. Mr. Brayley supposes that Hannibal might have used vinegar to dissolve partially a particular mass of limestone, which might impede his passage through some narrow pass. Dr. M. suggests that he might attribute to the vinegar and fire what the latter actually effected by its action on the water, and would have effected just as well without the vinegar. But perhaps after all the only vinegar employed might be pyroligneous acid, produced from the wood by its combination, without any intention on the part of Hannibal, though its presence would very naturally have been attributed to design by the ignorant spectators of his operations, which, on this theory, may be supposed to have been conducted on a full knowledge of the effects they would produce, in the explosive removal of the obstacles which obstructed his advance. paralleled, nor easy to be conceived, except we can imagine that of three hundred and six, but one had children below the service of war, that the rest were all unmarried, or the wife but of one impregnated.4 5. The received story of Milo, who by daily lifting a calf, attained an ability to carry it being a bull, is a witty conceit, and handsomely sets forth the efficacy of assuefaction. But surely the account had been more reasonably placed upon some person not much exceeding in strength, and such a one as without the assistance of custom could never have performed that act, which some may presume that Milo, without precedent, artifice, or any other preparative, had strength enough to perform. For as relations declare, he was the most pancratical man of Greece, and as Galen reporteth, and Mercurialis in his Gymnastics representeth, he was able to persist erect upon an oiled plank, and not to be removed by the force or protrusion of three men. And if that be true which Athenæus reporteth, he was little beholding to custom for his ability; for in the Olympic games, for the space of a furlong, he carried an ox of four years upon his shoulders, and the same day he carried it in his belly; for as it is there delivered, he eat it up himself. Surely he had been a proper guest at Grandgousier's feast, and might have matched his throat that eat six pilgrims for a salad.* 6. It much disadvantageth the panegyrick of Synesius,† and is no small disparagement unto baldness, if it be true what is related by Elian concerning Eschylus, whose bald pate was mistaken for a rock, and so was brained by a tortoise *In Rabelais. Who writ in the praise of baldness. An argument or instance against the motion of the earth. 4 3.] This and the following paragraph, as well as § 12, were first added in 2nd edition. 5 an ox, &c.] An ox of 4 years in Greece did not æqual one with us of 2; whereof having taken out the bowels and the heade and the hide, and the feete and all that which they call the offall, we may well thinke the four quarters, especially yf the greate bones were all taken out, could not weigh much above a 100lb. weight. Now the greater wonder is how he could eate soe much, then to carry itt. Itt is noe newes for men in our dayes to carry above 400 weight; but few men can eate 100 weight, excepting they had such a gyant-like bulke as hee had.-Wr. which an eagle let fall upon it. Certainly it was a very great mistake in the perspicacy of that animal. Some men critically disposed, would from hence confute the opinion of Copernicus, never conceiving how the motion of the earth below, should not wave him from a knock perpendicularly directed from a body in the air above. 7. It crosseth the proverb, and Rome might well be built in a day, if that were true which is traditionally related by Strabo; that the great cities, Anchiale and Tarsus, were built by Sardanapalus, both in one day, according to the inscription of his monument, Sardanapalus Anacyndaraxis filius, Anchialem et Tarsum und die ædificavi, tu autem hospes, ede, lude, bibe, &c. Which if strictly taken, that is, for the finishing thereof, and not only for the beginning; for an artificial or natural day, and not one of Daniel's weeks, that is, seven whole years; surely their hands were very heavy that wasted thirteen years in the private house of Solomon. It may be wondered how forty years were spent in the erection of the temple of Jerusalem, and no less than an hundred in that famous one of Ephesus. Certainly it was the greatest architecture of one day, since that great one of six; an art quite lost with our mechanics, a work not to be made out, but like the walls of Thebes, and such an artificer as Amphion. 8. It had been a sight only second unto the ark to have beheld the great Syracusia, or mighty ship of Hiero, described in Athenæus; and some have thought it a very large one, wherein were to be found ten stables for horses, eight towers, besides fish-ponds, gardens, tricliniums, and many fair rooms paved with agath and precious stones. But nothing was 6 Anchiale and Tarsus.] A single fortress, as that of Babell, is called a city. Genes. xi. 4. In imitation whereof, built by Nimrod, the first Assyrian Monarch, itt is possible that Sardanapalus, the last Monarch, but withall the greatest in power, and purse, and people, might easily raise such a fortresse in a daye, having first brought all the materials in place, and if one, he might as well have built ten in several places. Now these cityes were about 4 hundred miles distant, Tarsus on the banke of Sinus, Issicus in Cilicia, and Anchiala on the banke of the Euxine Sea in Pontus, both border townes, dividing Natolia on the lesser Asia from the greater Asia, and were the 2 frontire townes of the Assyrian Monarchie, and were built for the ostentation of his vast spreading dominions, and both in a day raised, for ostentation of his power.-Wr. impossible unto Archimedes, the learned contriver thereof; nor shall we question his removing the earth, when he finds an immoveable base to place his engine unto it. 9.7 That the Pamphilian sea gave way unto Alexander, in his intended march toward Persia, many have been apt to credit, and Josephus is willing to believe, to countenance the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea. But Strabo, who writ before him, delivereth another account; that the mountain climax, adjoining to the Pamphilian sea, leaves a narrow passage between the sea and it; which passage at an ebb and quiet sea all men take; but Alexander coming in the winter, and eagerly pursuing his affairs, would not wait for the reflux or return of the sea; and so was fain to pass with his army in the water, and march up to the navel in it. 10. The relation of Plutarch, of a youth of Sparta that suffered a fox, concealed under his robe, to tear out his bowels before he would, either by voice or countenance, betray his theft; and the other, of the Spartan lad, that with the same resolution suffered a coal from the altar to burn his arm; although defended by the author that writes his life, is I perceive mistrusted by men of judgment, and the author, with an aiunt, is made to salve himself. Assuredly it was a noble nation that could afford an hint to such inventions of patience, and upon whom, if not such verities, at least such verisimilities of fortitude were placed. Were the story true, they would have made the only disciples for Zeno and the Stoicks, and might perhaps have been persuaded to laugh in Phalaris his bull. 11. If any man shall content his belief with the speech of Balaam's ass, without a belief of that of Mahomet's camel, or Livy's ox; if any man makes a doubt of Giges' ring in Justinus, or conceives he must be a Jew that believes the sabbatical rivers in Josephus; if any man will say he doth 79.] First added in the 6th edition. the sabbatical river.] A singular discrepancy exists on this point between the statement of Josephus and that of Pliny. The former (De Bell. Jud. lib. vii. c. 24) saying that the river flows on sabbath, but rests on every other day-while Pliny (Hist. Nat. xxxi. § 13) relates that it flows most impetuously all the week, but is dry on the sabbath. All the Jewish rabbinical authorities adopt the latter as the fact, in opposition to Josephus, whose account is so singular, that several of his commentators have not hesitated to suppose a transposition to have |