'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎387] (410/448)

The Sun's Excellencies ^Properties.
wbere the heat as they imagined was intolerable. For anfwer: It is very true the Sun kT
ing limited h^ courfe withntthe burning Zone, by reafonofthatconftant refidence emits
his beams and fhines with utmoft ardour upon thofe parts and People, whether his slan-
ees be oblique or perpendicular; and from thence it is the Continent is more efpeciaUv
parcht through he extremity of heat and the inflammation of the Air. Neverthelefs! S
b the wonderful wifdome and gopdnefs of God, thatinfome parts upon the Terra
ma, but principally in Iflands and places well-nigh compafled with water, the Earth is
commonly fruitfu and the Sun delightful and advantagious: In which confideration give
me leave eulogically to enumerate a few of thofe many attributes have defervedlv Ircn
given that glorious Pianet '• in Gra. r. ^.'it is cafled the great Luminary which the Almighty
placed m the Firmament of Heaven to illuminate the Earth, and rule the day as the Moon
whofe light is borrow d from the Sun, doththenight: Andinthe 19. Pfalm the Prophet
David declares, In Sole pofmt aherndculum fnuWj
There is the Surfs Pavilion fet,
Who from his Rojie-Cabinet
Like a frejh Bride-groom jhews his face,
And as a Gyant runs his race.
He rifeth in the dawning Eafi,
And glides obliquely to the Weft>
The World with his bright Rayes repleat
All Creatures cherijheth with '
And Eccl. 11« 7- Dulce lumen & deleciabile eft videre Solem, Light is pleafant, and 'tis com-
fortabie to behold the Sun. SOL eft fins lucis y the fountain of Light, the King of Stars*
inthroned in the midft of all the Planets, fountain of heat, heart of the World, vifible
image of the mviuble GOD, Semper ambulant, illu-
ftransj See. Ever m motion, never refting, and with his Light dilcovering all things. Nor
is its Light lefs extenfive than its Heat: for Light is the Chariot by which Heat is convey'd
about the inferior Orbs i and though in its own body limited to Heaven, by its influence
it goes'to and fro and vifits all the corners of the Earth: at once, irradiates every Pro
vince; views all Cities and other parts within the Hemifphere •, imbraces both Sea and *
Land-, with equal refpedt falutes the Cottages of Peafants and Courts of Princes^ mer
rily frisks up and down without differencing Prifons from Palaces-, gilds the Mountains,
caufes the Valleys to glifter -, cheerfully dances upon Rivers, makes the Meadows fragrant
and the Fields fruitful-, folaces Youth as well as Age;.revives,yea provokes decay'd Nature-
and though inanimate of it felf gives life to Vegetables, Infedls^c. It renders all things
fair, faith Firgil-, and Orpheus in his Lyriques fings, Ter Te virefcunt omnia, All things are
made fruitful and flourifhing by the Sun. Now from thefe and other properties, the Gen
tiles have this excellent Creature in adoration, which Job wifely reproves, faying, If I be
held the Sun when it jhined, &c. and my heart hath been fecretly enticed fo as my mouth kijfed my
hand-, jhould I not thereby deny God who is above ? imitated by the Jews, reproved in the
8 of Ezekiel 16 verfe, where the 25 Idolatrous Elders fet their backs towards the Temple
and turning their faces to the Eaft wodhipped the Sun-, this was by an erroneous attri
buting to the fecond what was due to the firft: for it is the power of God that gives
vertue to the Sun to exhale vapours, which vapours are formed into clouds containing
rain; and it is rain that both qualifies the air and makes the Earth in due feafon to bring
forth her increafe^ yet fo, as thofe and all other fubordinatecaufes,'together with the Sun
and Nature it felf would be altogether ineffeftual, were it not for that operative faculty
wherewith the Almighty hath endowed thofe Creatures: for it is by his direction the
Sun not only helps the generation of all fenfible bodies, but as St. Auguftin obferves,that
nourifhes and brings its Work unto perfection; therefore we maft acknowledge with
Saint Amhrofe-, Bonus quidem Sol eft in Minifterio non in Imperio, The Sun certainly is good
where it aduates as a Servant, not a Sovereign- Moreover, albeit by its benign influ
ence ordained for the comfort of Man this Ifle and many other places within this Zone
are obferved conftantly verdant and admirably fruitful^, neverthelefs it has its fhaddow,
for it cannot be deny'd but in the Mediterranean parts of Africkhy the Sun's force and effi
cacy the Countrey is gene rally aduft, and the earth for want of moifture converted into
fand, as Alex, obferved in his travel from v£gypt to Libya upon a villt of the Temple dedi
cated to J up. Hammon ; for five dayes neither Bird nor Beaft, Tree nor grafs appearing,
faith the Hiftorian: A fit place for Cham's Poflerity, and agreeable to that of the Pfalmift
where 'tis faid, A fruitful Land is made barren for the wickednef of thofe that dwell therein*
D d d 2
In