4 Lacus a Lake, a little sea with in the land hauing riuers running into it, or out of it, or both.  If it hath neither it is called Stagnum a standing Poole, also Palus; a fenne.

5 Fluvius a Riuer, which from the pleasantnesse is also called Amnis; from the smalnesse of it Rivus.

Now concerning these parts diuers questions are moued; whether there bee more Sea or Land? whether the sea would naturally ouerflow the land, as it did in the first creation, were it not withheld within his bankes by diuine power? whether the deepenes of the Sea, doth exceede the height of the mountaines? whether mountaines were before the flood? what is the hight of the highest hilles? whether Iland, came since the flood? what is the cause of the Ebbing and flowing of the Sea? what is the original of springs and riuers? what manner of motion the running of the riuers is? with such like, whereof some belong not so properly to this science of Geography as to others.  Wee speake onely a word or two of the last, & so proceed.  The question is whether the motion of the riuers bee streight, or Circular.  The doubts on both sides will best appeare by a figure first drawne:  wherein, Let (HMO) be the Meridian of Alexandria in AEgipt, or of the Mouth of Nilus and answerable to the meridian of the Heauens.  Another in the Earth (XBY.) Let (B) bee the mouth of Nilus, and (C) the fountaine and head of it.  Now the mouth of Nilus, where it runnes into the mediterranian Sea, is placed by geographers in the 31. degree of the North latitud; & the head of Nilus where it riseth is placed by Polomeus in 11. degree of the South latitud, but by latter & more exact geographers in the 14. degree of the Southern latitud, so that the distance betweene the founts & Ostia i.e. betweene (C) and (B) is 45. degrees of a great Circle, which after the vsuall account makes 2700. one eight part of the earths compasse.  The quaestion now is, whether the runninge from (C) to (B) runne continually downward in a streight line; or circularly in a crooked line.  If it runne in a streight line, as is most agreeable to the nature of the water it must moue either by the line (CEB) or by the line (DB.) By the line (CEB) it cannot moue:  for when it is come to (E,) it will stand still.  Because from (E) to (B) it must moue vpward, if it moue at all, which is contrary to the nature of water.  If therefore it moue by a streight line it can bee noe other, but (BD,) and so from (D) to (B) it shall continually descend; for of all places betweene (D,) & (B) (B) is the nearest to (A.) But then the fountaine must not bee in (B) but higher in (D) which semees altogether improbable or impossible.  For first the line (AD) would bee notably and sent by