but he that shall enquire into the generality, will rather adhere unto the cautelous assertion of Aristotle, that is, bis septem annis exactis, and then but magna ex parte. That whelps are blind nine days, and then begin to see, is generally believed; but as we have elsewhere declared, it is exceeding rare, nor do their eyelids usually open until the twelfth, and sometimes not before the fourteenth day. And to speak strictly, an hazardable determination it is, unto fluctuating and indifferent effects to affix a positive type or period. For in effects of far more regular causalities, difficulties do often arise, and even in time itself, which measureth all things, we use allowance in its commensuration. Thus while we conceive we have the account of a year in 365 days, exact enquirers and computists will tell us, that we escape six hours, that is a quarter of a day. And so in a day, which every one accounts twenty-four hours, or one revolution of the sun; in strict account we must allow the addition of such a part as the sun doth make in his proper motion, from west to east, whereby in one day he describeth not a perfect circle. 3 Fourthly, it is affirmed by many, and received by most, that it never raineth in Egypt, the river supplying that defect, and bountifully requiting it in its inundation: but this must also be received in a qualified sense, that is, that it rains but seldom at any time in the summer, and very rarely in the winter. But that great showers do sometimes fall upon that region, beside the assertion of many writers, we can confirm from honourable and ocular testimony,* and that not many years past it rained in grand Cairo divers days together. The same is also attested concerning other parts of Egypt, by Prosper Alpinus, who lived long in that country, and hath left an accurate treatise of the medical practice thereof. Cayri rarò decidunt pluviæ; Alexandriæ, Pelusiique et in *Sir William Paston, Baronet. 2 elsewhere.] Vol. ii, p. 523. 3 escape 6 houres.] Lege overreckon every common yeare 10′ 44′′ according to Alphonsus, and every 4th yeare, 42 56". But Tycho by long and exact observation sayes the retrocession made by this overreckoninge is now but 41', pre cisely so that in 300 yeares to come the retrocession of the æquinoxes in the Julian kalendar (for in heaven they are fixed) cannot bee above one day: soe that the kalendar reformed would remaine to all times.-Wr. omnibus locis mari adjacentibus, pluit largissime et sæpe; that is, it raineth seldom at Cairo, but at Alexandria, Damietta, and places near the sea, it raineth plentifully and often. Whereto we might add the latter testimony of learned Mr. Greaves, in his accurate description of the Pyramids.* Beside, men hereby forget the relation of Holy Scripture. "Behold I will cause it to rain a very great hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof, even until now."* Wherein God threatening such a rain as had not happened, it must be presumed they had been acquainted with some before, and were not ignorant of the substance, the menace being made in the circumstance. The same concerning hail is inferrible from Prosper Alpinus, Rarissimè nix, grando, it seldom snoweth or haileth: whereby we must concede that snow and hail do sometimes fall, because they happen seldom.¤ Now this mistake ariseth from a misapplication of the bounds or limits of time, and an undue transition from one unto another; which to avoid, we must observe the punctual differences of time, and so distinguish thereof, as not to confound or lose the one in the other. For things may come to pass, semper, plerumque, sæpe; aut nunquam, aliquando, raro; that is always, or never, for the most part, or sometimes, oft-times, or seldom. Now the deception is usual which is made by the mis-application of these; men presently concluding that to happen often, which happeneth but sometimes that never, which happeneth but seldom; and that always, which happeneth for the most part. So is it said, the sun shines every day in Rhodes, because for the most part it faileth not. So we say and believe that a chameleon never eateth, but liveth only upon air; whereas indeed it is seen to eat very seldom, but many there are who have beheld it to feed on flies. And so it is said, that children born in the * Exod. ix. 4 The same is also, &c.] First added yf the lower ayre bee colder then that in 2nd edition. 5 rain-hail.] Haile is raine as itt fals first out of the clowde, but freeses as itt fals, and turnes into haile-stones, VOL III. from whence it fals.-Wr. 6 The same concerning hail, &c.] First added in 2nd edition. S eighth month live not, that is, for the most part, but not to be concluded always: nor it seems in former ages in all places, for it is otherwise recorded by Aristotle concerning the births of Egypt. Lastly, it is commonly conceived that divers princes have attempted to cut the isthmus or tract of land which parteth the Arabian and Mediterranean Seas. But upon enquiry I find some difficulty concerning the place attempted; many with good authority affirming, that the intent was not immediately to unite these seas, but to make a navigable channel between the Red Sea and the Nile, the marks whereof are extant to this day. It was first attempted by Sesostris, after by Darius, and in a fear to drown the country, deserted by them both, but was long after re-attempted and in some manner effected by Philadelphus. And so the Grand Signior, who is lord of the country, conveyeth his gallies into the Red Sea by the Nile; for he bringeth them down to Grand Cairo, where they are taken in pieces, carried upon camels' backs, and rejoined together at Suez, his port and naval station for the sea; whereby in effect he acts the design of Cleopatra, who after the battle of Actium in a different way would have conveyed her gallies into the Red Sea. And therefore that proverb to cut an isthmus, that is, to take great pains, and effect nothing, alludeth not unto this attempt, but is by Erasmus applied unto several other; as that undertaking of the Cnidians to cut their isthmus, but especially that of Corinth so unsuccessfully attempted by many Emperors. The Cnidians were deterred by the peremptory dissuasion of Apollo, plainly commanding them to desist, for if God had thought it fit, he would have made that country an island at first. But this perhaps will not be thought a reasonable discouragement unto the activity of those spirits which endeavour to advantage nature by art, and upon good grounds to promote any part of the universe; nor will the ill success of some be made a sufficient determent unto others, who know that many learned men affirm, that islands were not from the beginning, that many have been * Isa. xi, 15. made since by art, that some isthmuses have been eat through by the sea, and others cut by the spade. And if policy would permit, that of Panama, in America, were most worthy the attempt, it being but few miles over, and would open a shorter cut unto the East Indies and China.5 CHAPTER IX. Of the Red Sea. CONTRARY apprehensions are made of the Erythræan or Red Sea, most apprehending a material redness therein, from whence they derive its common denomination; and some so lightly conceiving hereof, as if it had no redness at all, are fain to recur unto other originals of its appellation. Wherein to deliver a distinct account, we first observe that without consideration of colour it is named the Arabian Gulph. The Hebrews, who had best reason to remember it, do call it Zuph, or the weedy sea, because it was full of sedge, or 5 China.] Betweene Panama and the Nombre de Dios, which lyes on bothe sides that strip of lande, the Spaniards accompte about 40 miles at most; but the Spaniard enjoying both those havens, and consequentlye having the free trade of both seas without corrivalitye of other nations, (which yf that passage were open would not longe bee his alone,) will never endure such an attempt, and for that cause hath fortified bothe those havens soe stronglye that hee may enjoye this proprietye without controule. But itt withall supposes that to cutt through the ridge of mountainss which lies betweene those 2 havens is impossible, and would prove more unfecible then that of Egypt, which yf itt might be compassed would be of more advantage to these 3 parts of the world than that of Panama, and nearer by 1000 leagues to us, the remotest kingdome trading to the East Indyes. -Wr. This long projected intercourse with the East Indias seems-under the present enterprizing Pasha of Egypt, to be in a fair way of accomplishment. Letters thither having been actually sent off by the Mediterranean mail in the spring of 1835. The Pasha has sent to M. Brunel requesting his assistance in carrying on the great work of improvement in the channel of the Nile; and one of our British engineers, Mr. Galloway, who has the conduct of a railway constructing between Cairo and Suez, has been created a Bey of Egypt. 6 the weedy sea.] Bruce however says that he never saw a weed in it: and attributes this name to the plants of coral with which it abounds. "Heb. xi, 29, commonly called the Red Sea. But this is a vulgar error, and the appellation rather arose from its proper name Mare Erythraum, which (the commentators say) was derived from king they found it so in their passage. The Mahometans, who are now lords thereof, do know it by no other name than the Gulph of Mecca, a city of Arabia. The stream of antiquity deriveth its name from King Erythrus, so slightly conceiving of the nominal deduction from redness, that they plainly deny there is any such accident in it. The words of Curtius are plainly beyond evasion, Ab Erythro rege inditum est nomen, propter quod ignari rubere aquas credunt. Of no more obscurity are the words of Philostratus, and of later times, Sabellicus; Stultè persuasum est vulgo rubras alicubi esse maris aquas, quin ab Erythro rege nomen pelago inditum. Of this opinion was Andreas Corsalius, Pliny, Solinus, Dio Cassius, who although they denied not all redness, yet did they rely upon the original from King Erythrus. Others have fallen upon the like, or perhaps the same conceit under another appellation, deducing its name not from King Erythrus, but Esau or Edom, whose habitation was upon the coasts thereof.* Now Edom is as much as Erythrus, and the Red Sea no more than the Idumean, from whence the posterity of Edom removing towards the Mediterranean coast, according to their former nomination by the Greeks, were called Phoenicians or red men, and from a plantation and colony of theirs, an island near Spain was by the Greek describers termed Erythra, as is declared by Strabo and Solinus. Very many, omitting the nominal derivation, do rest in the gross and literal conception thereof, apprehending a real redness and constant colour of parts. Of which opinion are also they which hold, the sea receiveth a red and minious tincture from springs, wells, and currents that fall into it; and of the same belief are probably many Christians, who conceiving the passage of the Israelites through the sea to * More exactly hereof Bochartus and Mr. Dickinson. Erythrus, undoubtedly the same with Esau and Edom, who was a red manso Grotius and others. It is called by Moses, at Exod. xv, 22, ♫ D', the weedy sea, and such the accounts of modern tourists, as Niebuhr and others (see But whether Huruen), testify it to be. |