As for the musical advantage, although it seem more reasonable, yet do we not observe that cranes and birds of long necks have any musical, but harsh and clangous throats. But birds that are canorous, and whose notes we most commend, are of little throats and short necks, as nightingales, finches, linnets, Canary birds, and larks. And truly, although the weazand, throttle, and tongue be the instruments of voice, and by their agitations do chiefly concur unto these delightful modulations, yet cannot we distinctly and peculiarly assign the cause unto any particular formation: and I perceive the best thereof, the nightingale, hath some disadvantage in the tongue, which is not acuminates and pointed as the rest, but seemeth as it were cut off, which perhaps might give the hint unto the fable of Philomela, and the cutting off her tongue by Tereus.

CHAPTER XV.

Of the Lake Asphaltites.

CONCERNING the Lake Asphaltites, the Lake of Sodom, or the Dead Sea, that heavy bodies cast therein sink not, but by reason of a salt and bituminous thickness in the water float and swim above, narrations already made are of that variety, we can hardly from thence deduce a satisfactory determination, and that not only in the story itself, but in the cause alleged. As for the story, men deliver it variously.

Counterfeit candles' ends are now made of peppermint, which are admirable imitations of the attractive originals, and would have perfectly supplied the occasion related by the Dean.

8 acuminate.] Yf the acuminate did any thinge to the songe or speech of birds, how comes itt that the blunt toung in the parat and the gaye [jay?] speake best, and in the bulfinch expresses the most excellent whistle.-Wr.

9 As for the story itself, &c.] It is to be reckoned among the many strange and incredible stories, which both ancients and moderns have told respecting this lake. Dr. Pococke swam in it for nearly a quarter of an hour, and felt no inconvenience. He found the water very clear, and to contain no substances besides salt and alum. The fact is, that its waters are very salt, and therefore bodies float readily in it; and probably on that account few fish can live in it. Yet the monks of St. Saba assured Dr. Shaw that they had seen fish caught in the lake. -See Dr. Adam Clarke's note in loc.

Some I fear too largely, as Pliny, who' affirmeth that bricks will swim therein. Mandevil goeth further, that iron swimmeth, and feathers sink. Munster in his Cosmography hath another relation, although perhaps derived from the poem of Tertullian, that a candle burning swimmeth, but if extinguished sinketh. Some more moderately, as Josephus, and many others, affirming that only living bodies float, nor peremptorily averring they cannot sink, but that indeed they do not easily descend. Most traditionally, as Galen, Pliny, Solinus, and Strabo, who seems to mistake the Lake Serbonis for it. Few experimentally, most contenting themselves in the experiment of Vespasian, by whose command some captives bound were cast therein, and found to float as though they could have swimmed. Divers contradictorily, or contrarily, quite overthrowing the point.2 Aristotle, in the second of his Meteors, speaks lightly thereof, σE μvooλoyour, which word is variously rendered, by some as a fabulous account, by some as a common talk. Biddulphus* divideth the common accounts of Judea into three parts; the one, saith he, are apparent truths, the second apparent falsehoods, the third are dubious or between both, in which form he ranketh the relation of this lake. But Andrew Thevet, in his Cosmography, doth ocularly overthrow it, for he affirmeth he saw an ass with his saddle cast therein and drowned. Now of these relations so different or contrary unto each other, the second is most moderate and safest to be embraced, which saith that living bodies swim therein, that is, they do not easily sink, and this, until exact experiment further determine, may be allowed as best consistent with this quality, and the reasons alleged for it.

As for the cause of this effect, common opinion conceives it to be the salt and bituminous thickness of the water. This indeed is probable, and may be admitted as far as the second opinion concedeth. For certain it is that salt water *Biddulphi Itinerarium, Anglicè.

sinketh.] Soe it will doe in anye water, if kept upright.—Wr. 2 divers contradictorily.] This diversity may proceed from the diverse experiments that have been made on severall sides of the lake, which have not all the like effecte: in some partes it beares that which in another part will sinke, as hath been experimented by some late travelers.-Wr.

will support a greater burden than fresh; and we see an egg will descend in fresh water, which will swim in brine. But that iron should float therein, from this cause, is hardly granted; for heavy bodies will only swim in that liquor, wherein the weight of their bulk exceedeth not the weight of so much water as it occupieth or taketh up. But surely no water is heavy enough to answer the ponderosity of iron, and therefore that metal will sink in any kind thereof, and it was a perfect miracle which was wrought this way by Elisha. Thus we perceive that bodies do swim or sink in different liquors, according unto the tenuity or gravity of those liquors which are to support them. So salt water beareth that weight which will sink in vinegar; vinegar that which will fall in fresh water; fresh water that which will sink in spirits of wine; and that will swim in spirits of wine which will sink in clear oil; as we made experiment in globes of wax pierced with light sticks to support them. So that although it be conceived a hard matter to sink in oil, I believe a man should find it very difficult, and next to flying to swim therein. And thus will gold sink in quicksilver, wherein iron and other metals swim; for the bulk of gold is only heavier than that space of quicksilver which it containeth; and thus also in a solution of one ounce of quicksilver in two of aqaa fortis, the liquor will bear amber, horn, and the softer kinds of stones, as we have made trial in each.

But a private opinion there is which crosseth the common conceit, maintained by some of late, and alleged of old by Strabo, that the floating of bodies in this lake proceeds not from the thickness of water, but a bituminous ebullition from the bottom, whereby it wafts up bodies injected, and suffereth them not easily to sink. The verity thereof would be enquired by ocular exploration, for this way is also probable. So we observe, it is hard to wade deep in baths where springs arise; and thus sometime are balls made to play upon a spouting stream.3

And therefore, until judicious and ocular experiment confirm or distinguish the assertion, that bodies do not sink

3 spouting stream.] This confirmeth what I noted before, for, as in the hot bathe, so here, the bituminous ebullition is but in some places stronge, and in some places of the lake not at all.- Wr.

herein at all, we do not yet believe; that they do, not easily, or with more difficulty, descend in this than other water, we shall readily assent.4 But to conclude an impossibility from a difficulty, or affirm whereas things not easily sink, they do not drown at all; beside the fallacy, is a frequent addition in human expression, and an amplification not unusual as well in opinions as relations; which oftentimes give indistinct accounts of proximities, and without restraint transcend from one another. Thus, forasmuch as the torrid zone was conceived exceeding hot, and of difficult habitation, the opinions of men so advanced its constitution, as to conceive the same unhabitable, and beyond possibility for man to live therein. Thus, because there are no wolves in England, nor have been observed for divers generations, common people have proceeded into opinions, and some wise men into affirmations, they will not live therein, although brought from other countries. Thus most men affirm, and few here will believe the contrary, that there be no spiders in Ireland; but we have beheld some in that country; and though but few, some cobwebs we behold in Irish wood in England. Thus the crocodile from an egg growing up to an exceeding magnitude, common conceit, and divers writers deliver, it hath no period of increase, but groweth as long as it liveth. And thus in brief, in most apprehensions the conceits of men extend the

4 readily assent.] And hee should adde, in some places itt beares, in others not.-Wr.

5 groweth, &c.] This may bee true inoughe in regard of the vast bignes which is reported of some of them; and what should hinder? For in men and creatures also kept for food, their bulke growes still greater, though not their stature.-Wr.

It is probably true, of the whole order to which the crocodile belongs (the saurians), that they have "no period of increase" they have no metamorphosis, like many other animals (and some in the same class), to place a limit, by its completion, to the further growth of the individual. Nor do they, like the vertebrate animals, arrive early at a maximum of growth, which is not afterwards increased, except in corpulency. Congeniality of climate makes a striking difference in magnitude, at the same age, between saurians of different countries (for example, the crocodile of the Nile is larger than any other of its species), but in all, growth, though very slow, is probably continued through life; unless, indeed, extreme old age may begin the end, by ending the vital power of growth, which seems probable, but would not impugn our author's position.

considerations of things, and dilate their notions beyond the propriety of their natures.

In the maps of the Dead Sea or Lake of Sodom, we meet with the destroyed cities, and in divers the city of Sodom placed about the middle, or far from the shore of it; but that it could not be far from Segor, which was seated under the mountains, near the side of the lake, seems inferrible from the sudden arrival of Lot, who coming from Sodom at daybreak, attained Segor at sun-rising; and therefore Sodom ought to be placed not many miles from it, and not in the middle of the lake, which is accounted about eighteen miles over; and so will leave about nine miles to be passed in too small a space of time.

CHAPTER XVI.

Of Divers other Relations, viz. :-Of the Woman that Conceived in a Bath-Of Crassus that never Laughed but once ;-That our Saviour never Laughed ;-Of Sergius the Second, or Bocca di Porco;-That Tamerlane was a Scythian Shepherd.

THE relation of Averroes, and now common in every mouth, of the woman that conceived in a bath, by attracting the sperm or seminal effluxion of a man admitted to bathe in some vicinity unto her, I have scarce faith to believe; and had I been of the jury, should have hardly thought I had found the father in the person that stood by her. 'Tis a new and unseconded way in history to fornicate at a distance, and much offendeth the rules of physick, which say, there is no generation without a joint emission, nor only a virtual, but corporal and carnal contaction. And although Aristotle and his adherents do cut off the one, who conceive no effectual ejaculation in women; yet in defence of the other they cannot be introduced. For if, as he believeth, the inordinate longitude of the organ, though in its proper recipient, may

by attracting, &c.] No absurdity, which Browne undertakes to refute though so gross as not to merit notice, appears too monstrous to find acceptance with Ross. He finds it "quite possible, even as the stomach attracteth meat and drink, though in some distance from it." The conceit respecting Lot is not suggested by the scriptural account, which only asserts that he did not recognise his daughters.