In The Meane Time I Say Not That Is Impossible, But That The Bottome Of The Hill May Inwardly Breed And Nourish Flames, Which At Certaine Seasons (As Hath Bene Heretofore Obserued) Haue Burst Out, And Perhaps May Do The Like Hereafter.

[Footnote:

The surface of the country is very mountainous, but there are no definite ranges, the isolated volcanic masses being separated by elevated plateaux of greater or less size. The whole centre is, in fact, an almost continuous desert fringed by a belt of pasture land, lying along the coast and running up the valleys of several of the greater riuers. This desert is occupied partly by snow mountains and glaciers, partly by enormous lava streams, partly by undulating plains of black volcanic sand, shingle, and loose stones. This region is of course without verdure, and entirely uninhabited. The rocks are all of igneous origin, but of very different ages, traps, basalts, amygdaloids, tufas, ochres, and porous lavas. The number of active volcanoes is, at present, not great, but hot springs and mud volcanoes testify to the existence of volcanic action along a line running from the extreme south west at Cape Reykjanes to the north coast near Husavik. The only recent well ascertained eruptions have been from Hecla, Aotlugja, Skaptar Vokul, and (in 1874-5) from the mountains to the south-east of Myratu Lake. The eruption of Skaptar in 1783 is the greatest anywhere on record in respect of the quantity of lava and ashes ejected. Earthquakes are not unfrequent. The greatest mountain group is the Vatna or Klofa Yokul, on the south coast, a mass of snow and ice covering many hundred square miles, and sending down prodigious glaciers which almost reach the sea. From one of these a torrent issues, little more than a hundred yards long, and a mile and a half broad. The line of perpetual snow ranges from 2,000 to 3,000 feet. The loftiest summits of this great mountain mass have never been ascended, but the highest point is believed to be the Orefa Yolcal, 6,405 feet. The other considerable peaks in different parts of the island are Herdubreidr (an extinct volcano), 5,290 feet, Eyjafjalla Yokul, 5,579 feet, Snafels Yokul, 5,965 feet, and Hecla, 5,095 feet.]

SECTIO SEPTIMA.

[Sidenote: Frisius. Munst.] Montis Hecla flamma nec stuppam lucernarum luminibus aptissimam adurit, neque aqua extinguitur: Eoque impetu, quo apud nos machinis bellicis, globi eijciuntur, illinc lapides magni in aera emittuntur, ex frigoris & ignis & sulphuris commixtione. Is locus a quibusdam putatur carcer sordidarum animarum. Item Zieglerus. Is locos est carcer sordidarum animarum.

Nec stuppam adurit.) Vnde habeant Scriptores, non satis conijcitur. Hac enim nostris hominibus prorsus ignota, nec hic vnquam, nisi prodidissent illi, audita fuissent. Nemo enim est apud nos tam temeraria curiositatis, vt huius rei periculum, ardente monte, facere ansit, vel quod scire licuit, vnquam ausis fuerit. Quod tamen Munsterus asserit. Qui, inquit, naturam tanti incendij contemplari cupiunt, & ob id ad montem propius accedunt, eos vna aliqua vorago viuos absorbet &c. Qua res, vt dixi, nostra genti est ignota prorsus. Exstat tamen liber veteri Noruagorum lingua scriptus, in quo terrarum, aquarum, ignis, aeris, &c. miracula aliquot confusa reperias, pauca vera, plurima vana & falsa. Vnde facile apparet, a Sophis quibusdam, si dijs placet, in Papatu olim esse conscriptum: [Sidenote: Speculum Regale.] Speculum Regale nomen dederunt, propter vanissima mendacia, quibus totus, sed plarumque sub religionis & pietatis pratextu (quo difficilius est fucum agnoscere) scatet speculum minime regale, sed Anile & Irregulare. In hoc speculo figmenta quadam de Hecla incendio, his qua nunc tractamus non multum dissimilia, habentur, nullo experimento magis quam hac stabilita, ideoque explodenda.

Caterum ne audaculus videar, qui speculum illud Regale mendacij accusem; nullum vero ex his qua minus credibilia affert, recenseam; Accipe horum pauca Lector, qua fidem minime mereri existimarim.

1. De quadam Insula Hybernia; qua templum & Parochiam habet: Cuius incola decedentes non inhumantur: sed ad aggerem seu parietem coemeterij, viuorum instar erecti, consistunt perpetuo: Nec vlli corruptioni, nec ruina. obnoxij: vt posterum quiuis suos maiores ibi quarere & conspicere possit.

2. De altera Hybernia Insula, vbi homines emori nequeant.

3. De omni terra & omnibus arboribus Hybernia, qua omnibus omnino venenis resistant, serpentes & alia venenata, vbiuis terrarum, sola virtute & prasentia, etiam sine contactu, enecent.

4. De tertia Hybernia Insula: Quod hac dimidia Diabolorum colonia facta sit. In dimidiam vero propter templum ibidem exstructum, iuris habeant nihil, licet & pastore (vt tota Insula incolis) & sacris perpetuo careat: idque per naturam ita esse.

5. De quarta Hybernia Insula, qua in lacu quodam satis vasto fluitet: cuius gramina, quibusuis morbis prassentissimum remedium existant: Insula vero ripam lacus statis temporibus accedat, idque vt plurimum, diebus Dominicis, vt tum quiuis facile eam veluti nauim quandam, ingrediatur: id quod tamen pluribus simul, per fatum licere negat. Hanc vero Insulam septimo quoque anno ripa adnasci tradit, vt a continente non discernas: In eius autem locum mox succedere alteram, priori, naturam, magnitudine & virtute consimilem: qua vnde veniat, nesciri: idque cum quodam quasi tonitru contingere.

6. De venatoribus Noruegia, qui lignum domare (sic enim loquitur, quantumuis improprie: cum ligno vt non vita, ita nec domitura competat) adeo docti sint, vt asseres 8. vlnas longi, plantis pedum eorundem alligati, tanta eos celeritate, vel in excelsis montibus, promoueant, vt non modo canum venaticorum, aut caprearum cursu, sed etiam auium volatu superari nequeant: atque vnico cursu, vnico etiam hasta ictu, nouem vel plures capreas feriant. [Sidenote: Gronlandia.] Hac & similia, de Hybernia, Noruegia, Islandia, Gronlandia, de aqua & aeris etiam miraculis, centonum ille magister, in suum speculum collegit: Quibus, licet suis admirationem, vulgo stuporem, nobis tamen risum concitauit.

Sed Frisium audiamus. Flamma, inquit, Montis Hecla nec stuppam, lucernarum luminibus aptissimam, adurit, nec aqua extinguitur. Atqui inquam, ex Schola vestra Philosophica petitis rationibus hoc Paradoxon confirmari poterit. Docent enim Physici, commune esse validioribus flammis omnibus vt siccis extinguantur, alantur vero humidis: Vnde etiam fabri, aqua inspersa, ignem excitare solent. Cum enim, aiunt, ardentior fuerit ignis, a frigido incitatur, & ab humido alitur, quorum vtrumque aqua inest. Item: Aqua solet vehementes accendere ignes: Quoniam humidum ipsum quod exhalat, pinguius redditur, nec a circumfuso fumo absumitur, sed totum ignis ipse depascitur, quo purior inde factus, ac simul collectus, a frigido alacrior inde redditur.

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