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And an ingenious Spaniard says, that "rivers and the inhabitants
of the watery element were made for wise men to contemplate, and
fools to pass by without consideration." And though I will
not rank myself in the number of the first, yet give me leave to
free myself from the last, by offering to you a short contemplation,
first of rivers, and then of fish; which I doubt not but to give
you many observations that will appear very considerable: I am sure
they have appeared so to me, and made many an hour pass away more
pleasantly, as I have sate quietly on a flowery bank by a calm river,
and contemplated what I shall now relate to you.
And first concerning rivers; there be so many wonders reported and
written of them, and of the several creatures that be bred and live
in them, and those by authors of so good credit, that we need not
to deny them an historical faith.
As, namely, of a river in Epirus, that puts out any lighted torch,
and kindles any torch that was not lighted. Some waters being drunk,
cause madness, some drunkenness, and some laughter to death. The
river Selarus in a few hours turns a rod or wand to stone: and our
Camden mentions the like in England, and the like in Lochmere in
Ireland. There is also a river in Arabia, of which all the sheep
that drink thereof have their wool turned into a vermilion colour.
And one of no less credit than Aristotle, tells us of a merry river,
the river Elusina, that dances at the noise of music, for with music
it bubbles, dances, and grows sandy, and so continues till the music
ceases, but then it presently returns to its wonted calmness and
clearness. And Camden tells us of a well near to Kirby in Westmoreland,
that ebbs and flows several times everyday: and he tells us of a
river in Surrey, it is called Mole, that after it has run several
miles, being opposed by hills, finds or makes itself a way under
ground, and breaks out again so far off, that the inhabitants thereabout
boast, as the Spaniards do of their river Anus, that they feed divers
flocks of sheep upon a bridge. And, lastly, for I would not tire
your patience, one of no less authority than Josephus, that learned
Jew, tells us of a river in Judea that runs swiftly all the six
days of the week, and stands still and rests all their sabbath.
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