lets seem to be of greatest Use to the Peace and Quiet of the terraqueous Globe, in venting the fubterraneous Heat and Vapours; which, if pent up, would make dreadful and dangerous Commotions of the Earth and Waters.

It may be then accounted as a fpecial Favour of the divine Providence, as is obferved by the Author before praised (d), "That there are fcarcely any "Countries, that are much (annoyed with Earth"quakes, that have not one of these fiery Vents. "And these, (faith he) are conftantly all in Flames "whenever any Earthquake happens, they difgorg

ing that Fire, which whilft underneath, was the "Cause of the Difafter. Indeed, (faith he,) were "it not for thefe Diverticula, whereby it thus gain"eth an Exit, 'twould rage in the Bowels of the "Earth much more furioufly, and make greater "Havock than now it doth. So, that though "those Countries, where there are fuch Vulcano's, 66 are usually more or lefs troubled with Earth"quakes; yet, were thefe Vulcano's wanting, they "would be much more annoyed with them than "now they are; yea, in all Probability to that De66 gree, as to render the Earth, for a vaft Space "around them, perfectly uninhabitable. In one "word, (faith he) fo beneficial are these to the "Territories where they are, that there do not "want Inftances of fome which have been rescued, "and wholly delivered from Earthquakes by the "breaking forth of a new Vulcano there; this con"tinually discharging that Matter, which being till "then barricaded up, and imprisoned in the Bowels "of the Earth, was the occafion of very great and "frequent Calamities". Thus far that ingenious Author.

(d) Woodward's Essay, Part 3. Confect, 13.

CHA P. IV.

Of the Mountains and Valleys.

HE laft Thing I fhall take notice of relating to the Earth, fhall be the Hills and Valleys. These the eloquent Theorift owns to "contain fomewhat CC auguft and stately in the beholding of them, that "infpireth the Mind with great Thoughts and Paf"fions, that we naturally on fuch Occafions think

of God and his Greatnefs". But then, at the fame Time he faith, "The Hills are the greatest "Examples of Ruin and Confufion; that they have "neither Form nor Beauty, nor Shape, nor Order, 66 any more than the Clouds in the Air; that they "confift not of any proportion of Parts, referable "to any Design, nor have the leaft Footsteps of

Art or Counfel". Confequently one grand Part of this lower Creation, even the whole prefent Face of our terraqueous Globe, according to this ingenious Author, is a Work of mere Chance, a Structure in which the Creator did not concern himself.

Part of this Charge I have already briefly answered, and my Survey now leads me to fhew, that the Mountains are fo far from being a Blunder of Chance, a Work without Defign, that they are a noble, useful, yea, a neceflary part of our Globe (a).

And

(a) Though there are some that think Mountains to be a Deformity to the Earth, &c. yet if well confidered, they will be found as much to conduce to the Beauty and Conveniency of the Universe, as any of the other Parts. Nature (faith Pliny) purpofely framed them for many excellent Ufes; partly to tame the Violence of greater Rivers, to ftrengthen certain Joints within the Veins and Bowels of the Earth, to break the Force of the Sea's Inundation, and for the Safety of the Earth's Inhabitants, whether Beasts or Men. That they make much for the ProteEtion of Beafts, the Pfalmift teftifies, The highest Hills are a Refuge for the wild Goats, and the Rocks for Conies. The

And in the firft Place, as to the Bufinefs of Ornament, Beauty, and Pleafure, I may appeal to all Men's Senfes, whether the grateful Variety of Hills and Dales, be not more pleafing than the largest continued Planes. Let thofe who make it their Bufinefs to vifit the Globe, to divert their Sight with the various Profpects of the Earth; let thefe, I fay, judge whether the far diftant Parts of the Earth would be fo well worth vifiting, if the Earth was every where of an even, level, globous Surface, or one large Plane of many 1000 Miles; and not rather, as now it is, whether it be not far more pleafing to the Eye, to view from the Tops of the Mountains the fubjacent Vales and Streams, and the far diftant Hills; and again from the Vales to behold the furrounding Mountains. The elegant Strains and lofty Flights, both of the ancient and modern Poets on thele Occafions, are Teftimonies of the Senfe of Mankind on this Configuration of the Earth.

But be the Cafe as it will as to Beauty, which is the leaft valuable Confideration, we fhall find as to Convenience, this Configuration of the Earth far the most commodious on feveral Accounts.

1. As it is the moft falubrious, of great ufe to the Prefervation or Reftoration of the Health of Man. Some Constitutions are indeed of fo happy a Strength, and fo confirmed an Health, as to be

Kingly Prophet had likewife learnt the Safety of those by his own Experience, when he also was fain to make a Mountain his Refuge from the Fury of his Mafter Saul, who profecuted him in the Wilderness. True indeed, fuch Places as these keep their Neighbours poor, as being most barren, but yet they preferve them fafe, as being most strong; witness our unconquered Wales and Scotland. Wherefore a good Author doth rightly call them Nature's Bulwarks, caft up at God Almighty's Charges, the Scorns and Curbs of victorious Armies; which made the Barbarians in Curtius fo confident of their own Safety, &c. Bifhop Wilkin's World in the Moon, pag. 114.

F 4

indifferent

indifferent to almost any Place or Temperature of the Air: But then others are fo weakly and feeble, as not to be able to bear one, but can live comfortably in another Place. With fome, the finer and more fubtile Air of the Hills doth beft agree, who are languishing and dying in the feculent and groffer Air of great Towns, or even the warmer, and vaporous Air of the Valleys and Waters: But contrarywife, others languish on the Hills, and grow lufty and strong in the warmer Air of the Valleys.

So that this Opportunity of fhifting our Abode from the warmer and more vaporous Air of the Valleys, to the colder and more fubtile Air of the Hills, or from the Hills to the Vales, is an admirable Easement, Refreshment, and great Benefit to the valetudinarian, feeble part of Mankind, affording those an eafy and comfortable Life, who would otherwife live miferably, languish and pine away.

2. To this falutary Conformation of the Earth, we may add another great Convenience of the Hills, and that is, in affording commodious Places for Habitation;" ferving (as an eminent Author (b) wordeth it) as Skreens to keep off the cold and nip"ping Blafts of the northern and easterly Winds, "and reflecting the benign and cherishing Sun"Beams, and fo rendering our Habitations both "more comfortable and more chearly in Winter; "and promoting the Growth of Herbs and Fruit"Trees, and the Maturation of the Fruits in Sum

mer.

3. Another Benefit of the Hills is, that they serve for the Production of great Varieties of Herbs and Trees (c). And as there was not a better Judge of thofe

(b) Ray's Wisdom of God, &c. pag. 251. World, pag. 35.

Diffolution of the

(c) Theophrastus having reckoned up the Trees that delight moit in the Hills, and others in the Valleys, obferveth, "Aar

those Matters, fo I cannot give a better Account of this Convenience, than in the Words of the laft cited famous Author, the late moft eminent and learned Mr. Ray (d), (who hath fo fully difcuffed this Subject I am upon, that it is fcarce poffible to tread out of his Steps therein). His Obfervation is, "That the Mountains do especially abound with "different Species of Vegetables, because of the 66 great Diversity of Soils that are found there, every Vertex or Eminence almoft, affording new "Kinds. Now thefe Plants, (faith he,) ferve part"ly for the Food and Suftenance of fuch Animals ، as are proper to the Mountains, partly for medi"cinal Uses; the chief Phyfick, Herbs and Roots, " and the best in their Kinds growing there: It be❝ing remarkable, that the greatest and most luxu"riant Species in moft Genera of Plants are native "of the Mountains.

4. Another Convenience which my last named "learned Friend obferves (e) is, "That the Moun"tains ferve for the Harbour, Entertainment, and "Maintenance of various Animals; Birds, Beasts " and Infects, that breed, feed and frequent there. "For, (faith he) the higheft Tops and Pikes of "the Alps themselves are not deftitute of their Inhabitants, the Ibex or Stein-buck, the Rupicapra or Chamois, among Quadrupeds; the Lagopus among Birds. And I my felf (faith he) have ob"ferved beautiful Papilio's, and Store of other In"fects upon the Tops of fome of the Alpine Moun❝tains. Nay, the highest Ridges of many of these

Τι

Τα ἢ ὅσα κοινὰ ἢ ὁρῶν καὶ ἢ πεδίων, μείζω μαζί και καλλίω τῇ ὄψει τὰ ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις γίνε). κρείττω ἢ τῆτε χρήσει το ξύλων και 23 καρ Tav, Tα beenά. Theoph. Hift. Pl. l. 3. c. 4. "Aπavlα 3 IN TOTG οικείοις τόποις καλλίω γίνει, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐνθενεῖ Ta who go piλει τὰς ἐφύδρας καὶ ἐλάδες, τα δε τὰς ἐυσκεπῶς καὶ ἐνηλίας. 14. Taj, Ib. 4. 4. c. I. (d) Wisdom of God, p. 252. (0) Ubi supra.

"Mountains