26

Of the Chaos

cenfion or greatest strength was, raised upthe Earth first, and cast off the Waters, a tic!thence spreading by degrees, still elevatedthe Land, and drove the Waters further anc!further ; till at length the weight of thetflwas too great to be railed, and then the firebrake forth at the tops of the Mountains,where it found least'resistance, and difperUit (elfin the open Air. The Waters also,where they found the bottom sandy,or yield-ing, made their way into all thole Cavitiesthe fire had made and left, filling them up aShigh as the level of the Ocean. Neither letany man imagine, that the Earth under theWater, was too (oft and muddy to be in this'manner railed by subterraneous sire ; for Ihave shewn before , that the bottom of theSea is lo saddened and hardened by theweight of the incumbent Water, that the'High-ways,beaten continually by Horses andCarriages, are not more firm and solid. Butomitting this (which is only a conjecture )

I shall discourse a little more concerning theEquality of Sea and Land.

ft hath been observed by some,That wherethere are high Cliffs or Downs along theShore, there the Sea adjoyning is deep • andwhere there are low and level Grounds, it is(hallow : the depth of the Sea answering tothe Elevation of the Earth above it: and as the

Earth