I will conclude with Scaliger, Nequaquam nos homines sumus, sed partes hominis, ex omnibus aliquid fieri potest, idque non magnum; ex singulis ferè nihil. Besides (as Nazianzen hath it) Deus latere nos multa voluit: and with Seneca, cap. 35. de Cometis, Quid miramur tam rara mundi spectacula non teneri certis legibus, nondum intelligi? multæ sunt gentes quæ tantum de facie sciunt cœlum, veniet tempus fortasse, quo ista quæ nunc latent in lucem dies extrahat longioris ævi diligentia, una ætas non sufficit, posteri, &c.

when God sees his time, he will reveal these mysteries to mortall men, and shew that to some few at last, which he hath concealed so long. For I am of his mind, that Columbus did not finde out America by chance, but God directed him at that time to discover it: it was contingent to him, but necessary to God; he reveals and conceals to whom, and when he will. And which one said of History and Records of former times, God in his providence to check our presumptuous inquisition, wraps up all things in uncertainty, bars us from long antiquity, and bounds our search within the compass of some few ages:

Many good things are lost, which our predecessors made use of, as Pancirola will better enform you; many new things are daily invented, to the publike good; so kingdomes, men, and knowledge ebbe and flow, are hid and revealed, and when you have all done, as the Preacher concluded, Nihil est sub sole novum. But my melancholy Spaniels quest, my game is sprung, and I must suddenly come down and follow.

Iason Pratensis, in his book de morbis capitis, and chapter of Melancholy, hath these words out of Galen, Let them come to me to know what meat and drink they shall use, and besides that, I will teach them what temper of ambient Aire they shall make choice of, what wind, what countries they shall chuse, and what avoid.

Out of which lines of his, thus much we may gather, that to this cure of melancholy, amongst other things, the rectification of Aire is necessarily required. This is performed, either in reforming Naturall or Artificiall Aire. Naturall, is that which is in our election to chuse or avoid: and ’tis either generall, to Countries, Provinces; particular, to Cities, Towns, Villages, or private houses. What harm those extremities of heat or cold do in this malady, I have formerly shewed: the medium must needs be good, where the Aire is temperate, serene, quiet, free from bogs, fens, mists, all manner of putrefaction, contagious and filthy noisom smels.

The Egyptians by all Geographers are commended to be hilares, a conceited and merry Nation: which I can ascribe to no other cause than the serenity of their Aire. They that live in the Orchades are registred by Hector Boethius and Cardan, to be fair of complexion, long-lived, most healthfull, free from all manner of infirmities of body and mind, by reason of a sharp purifying Aire, which comes from the Sea. The Bœotians in Greece were dull and heavy, crassi Bœoti, by reason of a foggy Aire in which they lived,

( Bœotum in crasso jurares aere natum )

Attica most acute, pleasant, and refined. The Clime changeth not so much customes, manners, wits (as Aristotle Polit. lib. 6. cap. 4. Vegetius, Plato, Bodine method. hist. cap. 5. hath proved at large) as constitutions of their bodies, and temperature it self. In all particular Provinces we see it confirmed by experience, as the Aire is, so are the inhabitants, dull, heavy, witty, subtile, neat, cleanly, clownish, sick, and sound.

In Perigort in France the Aire is subtle, healthfull, seldome any plague or contagious disease, but hilly and barren: the men sound, nimble, and lusty; but in some parts of Quienne full of moores and marishes, the people dull, heavy, and subject to many infirmities. Who sees not a great difference betwixt Surry, Sussex, and Rumny Marsh, the Wolds in Lincolnshire, and the Fens.

He therefore that loves his health, if his ability will give him leave, must often shift places, and make choice of such as are wholesome, pleasant, and convenient: there is nothing better than change of Aire in this Malady, and generally for health, to wander up and down, as those Tartari Zamolhenses, that live in hords, and take opportunity of times, places, seasons.

The Kings of Persia had their Summer and Winter houses; in Winter at Sardis, in Summer at Susa; now at Persepolis, then at Pasargada. Cyrus lived seven cold months at Babylon, three at Susa, two at Ecbatana, saith Xenophon, and had by that means a perpetuall Spring. The great Turk sojourns sometimes at Constantinople, sometimes at Adrianople, &c. The Kings of Spain have their Escuriall in heat of Summer, Madritte for an wholesome seat, Villadolite a pleasant site, &c. variety of secessus, as all Princes and great men have, and their severall progresses to this purpose.

Lucullus the Roman had his house at Rome, at Baiæ, &c. When Cn. Pompeius, Marcus Cicero (saith Plutarch) and many Noble men in the Summer came to see him, at supper Pompeius jested with him, that it was an elegant and pleasant village, full of windows, galleries, and all offices fit for a Summer house: but in his judgement very unfit for Winter: Lucullus made answer, that the Lord of the house had wit like a Crane, that changeth her country with the season; he had other houses furnished, and built for that purpose, all out as commodious as this.

So Tully had his Tusculane, Plinius his Lauretan Village; & every Gentleman of any fashion in our times hath the like. The Bishop of Exeter had 14. severall houses all furnished, in times past. In Italy, though they bide in Cities in Winter, which is more Gentle-man-like, all the Summer they come abroad to their country-houses, to recreate themselves.

Our Gentry in England live most part in the country (except it be some few Castles) building still in bottoms (saith Jovius) or neer woods, corona arborum virentium; you shall know a village by a tuft of trees at or about it, to avoid those strong winds wherewith the Island is infested, and cold Winter blasts.

Some discommend moted houses, as unwholesome; so Camden saith of Ew-elme, that it was therefore unfrequented, ob stagni vicini halitus, and all such places as be neer lakes or rivers. But I am of opinion, that these inconveniences will be mitigated, or easily corrected by good fires, as one reports of Venice, that graveolentia and fog of the moors, is sufficiently qualified by those innumerable smoaks. Nay more, Thomas Philol. Ravennas a great Physician contends, that the Venetians are generally longer lived than any City in Europe, and live many of them 120. yeers.

But it is not water simply that so much offends, as the slime and noisome smels that accompany such overflowed places, which is but at some few seasons after a floud, and is sufficiently recompenced with sweet smels and aspects in Summer. Ver pinget vario gemmantia prata colore, and many other commodities of pleasure and profit;

or else may be corrected by the site, if it be somewhat remote from the water, as Lindly, Orton super montem, Drayton, or a little more elevated, though neerer, as Cawcut, as Amington, Polesworth, Weddington (to insist in such places best to me known, upon the river of Anker in Warwickshire, Swarston, and Drakely upon Trent.) Or howsoever they be unseasonable in Winter, or at some times, they have their good use in Summer.

If so be that their means be so slender, as they may not admit of any such variety, but must determine once for all, and make one house serve each season, I know no men that have given better rules in this behalf, than our husbandry writers. Cato and Columella prescribe a good house to stand by a navigable river, good high-waies, neer some City and in a good soile, but that is more for commodity than health.

The best soile commonly yeelds the worst aire, a dry sandy plat is fittest to build upon, and such as is rather hilly than plain, full of Downes, a Cotswold country, as being most commodious for hawking, hunting, wood, waters, and all manner of pleasures.

Perigort in France is barren, yet by reason of the excellency of the aire, and such pleasures that it affords, much inhabited by the Nobility; as Noremberg in Germany, Toledo in Spain. Our country-man Tusser will tell us so much, that the fieldone is for profit, the woodland for pleasure and health, the one commonly a deep clay, therefore noisome in Winter, and subject to bad high-waies: the other a dry land.