The same river is also accounted the greatest of the earth, called therefore Fluviorum pater, and totius Orbis maximus, by Ortelius. If this be true, many maps must be corrected, or the relations of divers good authors renounced. For first, in the delineations of many maps of Africa, the river Niger exceedeth it about ten degrees in length, that is, no less than six hundred miles. For arising beyond the equator it maketh northward almost 15 degrees, and deflecting after westward, without meanders, continueth a straight course about 40 degrees, and at length with many great currents disburdeneth itself into the occidental ocean. Again, if we credit the descriptions of good authors, other rivers excel it in length, or breadth, or both. Arrianus, in his history of Alexander, assigneth the first place unto the river Ganges; which truly according unto later relations, if not in length, yet in breadth and depth, may be granted to excel it. For the magnitude of Nilus consisteth in the dimension of longitude, and is inconsiderable in the other; what stream it maintaineth beyond Syene or Esna, and so forward unto its original, relations are very imperfect; but below these places, and further removed from the head, the current is but narrow; and we read, in the history of the Turks, the Tartar horsemen of Selimus swam over the Nile from Cairo to meet the forces of Tonumbeus. Baptista Scortia, expressly treating hereof, preferreth the river of Plate in America, for that, as Maffeus hath delivered, falleth into the ocean in the latitude of forty leagues, and with that force and plenty, that men at sea do taste fresh water before they approach so near as to discover the land. So is it exceeded by that which by Cardan is termed the greatest in the world, that is the river Oregliana in the same continent; which, as Maginus delivereth, hath been navigated 6000 miles, and opens in a channels of ninety leagues broad, so that, as Acosta, an ocular witness, recordeth, they that sail in the middle can make no land on either side." * De naturâ et incremento Nili. been omitted in all the subsequent editions:-" conceiving a perpetuity in mutability upon unstable foundations erecting eternal assertions." 7 side.] Oregliana river is 6000 miles longe, 270 miles broad at the mouth.— Wr. Now the ground of this assertion was surely the magnifying esteem of the ancients, arising from the indiscovery of its head. For as things unknown seem greater than they are, and are usually received with amplifications above their nature; so might it also be with this river, whose head being unknown and drawn to a proverbial obscurity, the opinion thereof became without bounds, and men must needs conceit a large extent of that to which the discovery of no man had set a period. And this is an usual way, to give the superlative unto things of eminency in any kind, and when a thing is very great, presently to define it to be the greatest of all. Whereas indeed superlatives are difficult; whereof there being but one in every kind, their determinations are dangerous, and must not be made without great circumspection. So the city of Rome is magnified by the Latins to be the greatest of the earth; but time and geography inform us that Cairo is bigger, and Quinsay, in China, far exceedeth both. So is Olympus extolled by the Greeks, as an hill attaining unto heaven, but the enlarged geography of after times make slight account hereof, when they discourse of Andes in Peru, or Teneriffe in the Canaries.1 And we understand, by a person who hath lately had a fair opportunity to behold the magnified mount Olmypus, that it is exceeded by some peaks of the Alps. So have all ages conceived, and most are still ready to swear, the wren is the last of birds; yet the discoveries of America, and even of our own plantations have shewed us one far less, that is, the humbird, not much exceeding a beetle. And truly, 8 head.] Maximus Tyrius, tutor to Aurel. Antonin. emperor, taxeth the vaine solicitude of Alexander to discover the head of the Nile, and enquired rather si a Deo bona omnia, unde mala fluunt, &c. -Wr. 'superlative.] A Noble Lord was wont to say the best trowts are in as many places of England, as afford any trowtes, for every place magnifies theire owne. Hence Tullye wittily drew an argument from the mouths of all the philosophers against themselves, that the secte of the Academicks (whereof he was one) was the best. For, saythe hee, aske the Stoickes which is the best, and he will say the Stoick. But then aske which is the best, hee will say the Academick. Soe aske of the Peripatetick, the Cynicke, the Pythagorian, the Platonick, and the Pyrronian or sceptick, which of all is the best, each of these will magnifie and advance his owne as the prime, but next his owne the Academicke. Therefore hee concludes, and that most invinciblye, that which by the confession of all interests in severall is the second, is in every truthe the firste: for what each speakes of his owne is partiall, but whatt all confesse to be the second best after their owne, is by all confession the very prime of all.— Wr. Canaries.] Pico, in the Azores, 3 miles highe like a sugar loafe.-Wr. for the least and greatest, the highest and the lowest of every kind, as it is very difficult to define them in visible things, so is it to understand in things invisible. Thus is it no easy lesson to comprehend the first matter, and the affections of that which is next neighbour unto nothing, but impossible truly to comprehend God, who indeed is all in all. For things, as they arise into perfection, and approach unto God, or descend to imperfection, and draw nearer unto nothing, fall both imperfectly into our apprehensions, the one being too weak for our conceptions, our conceptions too weak for the other. Thirdly, divers conceptions there are concerning its increment or inundation. The first unwarily opinions, that this increase or annual overflowing is proper unto Nile, and not agreeable unto any other river, which notwithstanding is common unto many currents of Africa. For about the same time the river Niger and Zaire do overflow, and so do the rivers beyond the mountains of the moon, as Suama and Spirito Santo. And not only these in Africa, but some also in Europe and Asia; for so is it reported of Menan in India, and so doth Botero report of Duina in Livonia, and the same is also observable in the river Jordan, in Judea, for so is it delivered that "Jordan overfloweth all his banks in the time of harvest." *3 The effect indeed is wonderful in all, and the causes surely best resolvable from observations made in the countries themselves, the parts through which they pass, or whence * Josh. iii. 2 some in Europe and Asia.] And in America, where the Rio de la Plata is flooded at certain periods, and like the Nile inundates and fertilizes the country. The Indians then leave their huts, and betake themselves to their canoes, in which they float about, until the waters have retired. In the month of April, in 1793, it happened that a current of wind, of an extraordinary nature and violence, heaped up the immense mass of water of this river to a distance of ten leagues, so that the whole country was submersed, and the bed of the river remained dry in such a manner, that it might be walked over with dry feet. The vessels which had foundered and sunk, were all exposed again, and there they take their original. That of Nilus hath been attempted by many, and by some to that despair of resolution, that they have only referred it unto the providence of God, and his secret manuduction of all things unto their ends. But divers have attained the truth, and the cause alleged by Diodorus, Seneca, Strabo, and others, is allowable; that the inundation of Nilus in Egypt proceeded from the rains in Ethiopia, and the mighty source of waters falling towards the fountains thereof. For this inundation unto the Egyptians happeneth when it is winter unto the Ethiopians, which habitations, although they have no cold winter, the sun being no further removed from them in Cancer than unto us in Taurus, yet is the fervour of the air so well remitted, as it admits a sufficient generation of vapours, and plenty of showers ensuing thereupon. This theory of the ancients is since confirmed by experience of the moderns; by Franciscus Alvarez, who lived long in those parts, and left a description of Ethiopia, affirming that from the middle of June unto September, there fell in this time continual rains. As also Antonius Ferdinandus who in an epistle written from thence, and noted by Codignus, affirmeth that during the winter, in those countries, there passed no day without rain. Now this is also usual, to translate a remarkable quality into a propriety, and where we admire an effect in one, to opinion there is not the like in any other. With these conceits do common apprehensions entertain the antidotal and wondrous condition of Ireland, conceiving only in that land an immunity from venomous creatures; but unto him that shall further enquire, the same will be affirmed of Creta, memorable in ancient stories, even unto fabulous causes, and benediction from the birth of Jupiter. The same is also found in Ebusus or Evisa, an island near Majorca upon the thereupon.] This observation is worthye of notinge, yf you understand itt of that Ethiopia, which borders on the springs of Nilus, supposed generally to flow out of the mountains of the moon, that is, 15 degrees beyond the æquinoctiall. Whereas Prester John's courte, of residence wherein Alvarez lived, is 12 degrees on this side the line, i. e. 27 And degrees, or 1620 miles at least. 5 Ireland.] See note at p. 240. coast of Spain. With these apprehensions do the eyes of neighbour spectators behold Etna, the flaming mountain in Sicilia; but navigators tell us there is a burning mountainR in Iceland, a more remarkable one in Teneriffe of the Canaries, and many volcanoes or fiery hills elsewhere. Thus crocodiles were thought to be peculiar unto Nile, and the opinion so possessed Alexander, that when he had discovered some in Ganges, he fell upon a conceit he had found the head of Nilus; but later discoveries affirm they are not only in Asia and Africa, but very frequent in some rivers of America. Another opinion confineth its inundation, and positively affirmeth, it constantly increaseth the seventeenth day of June; wherein perhaps a larger form of speech were safer, than that which punctually prefixeth a constant day thereto. For this expression is different from that of the ancients, as Herodotus, Diodorus, Seneca, &c. delivering only that it happeneth about the entrance of the sun into Cancer; wherein they warily deliver themselves, and reserve a reasonable latitude. So, when Hippocrates saith, Sub Cane et ante Canem difficiles sunt purgationes, there is a latitude of days comprised therein; for under the dog-star he containeth not only the day of his ascent, but many following, and some ten days preceeding. So Aristotle delivers the affections of animals, with the very terms of circa, et magna ex parte; and, when Theodorus translateth that part of his "coeunt thunni et scombri mense Februario post Idus, pariunt Junio ante Nonas," Scaliger for "ante Nonas" renders it "Junii initio," because that exposition affordeth the latitude of divers days. For affirming it happeneth before the Nones, he alloweth but one day, that is, the Calends; for in the Roman account, the second day is the fourth of the Nones of June.9 Again, were the day definitive, it had prevented the delusion of the devil, nor could he have gained applause by its prediction; who notwithstanding, (as Athanasius in the life 6 burning mountain.] Called Hecla. 7 Another.] Lord Bacon, Natural History, Experiment 743. latitude.] This is all one with the former, for in their times the then entered or rather soner soe that this about hath a large latitude: for at the sumer solstice, or his coming to Cancer, hee does little varye his declination for almost a month's space.-Wr. 9 June.] Reckoning the nones as they doe the calends a retro.- Wr. |