more than it did at the level AF, it would ri&longs;e yet more above <lb/>
the &longs;aid level A F; although that the &longs;elf &longs;ame quantity of water <lb/>
runneth all the while. </s> <s>By the above-named &longs;olid Principle I <lb/>
re&longs;olve extravagant Problems in my Treati&longs;e, and a&longs;&longs;ign the Rea<lb/>
&longs;ons of admirable effects of Running Waters: But as for what <lb/>
concerneth our purpo&longs;e of the <emph type="italics"/>Pontine Fenns,<emph.end type="italics"/> we have the Cau<lb/>
&longs;es very plain and clear; for which, by the trampling of Cattle <lb/>
which pa&longs;s thorow the <emph type="italics"/>Draining River,<emph.end type="italics"/> the waters abate &longs;o nota<lb/>
bly, that it is as it were a miracle for tho&longs;e Reeds, Flags, and <lb/>
Weeds that &longs;pring up, encrea&longs;e, and &longs;pread all over the River, <lb/>
&longs;top and impede that velocity of the waters which they would <lb/>
have by means of their declivity. </s> <s>But that pa&longs;&longs;age of tho&longs;e Bea&longs;ts, <lb/>
treading down tho&longs;e Weeds unto the bottom of the River, in &longs;uch <lb/>
&longs;ort, as that they no longer hinder the Current of the Water; <lb/>
and the &longs;ame Waters increa&longs;ing in their cour&longs;e, they do dimi<lb/>
ni&longs;h in mea&longs;ure and height; and by this meanes the Ditches of the <lb/>
Plains empty into the &longs;ame &longs;ucce&longs;sfully, and leave them free <lb/>
from Waters, and Drained. </s> <s>But the&longs;e Weeds in a &longs;hort <lb/>
time &longs;prouting up anew, and rai&longs;ing their &longs;talkes thorow the <lb/>
body of the Waters, they reduce things to the &longs;ame evil <lb/>
&longs;tate, as before, retarding the velocity of the Water, ma<lb/>
king it to increa&longs;e in height, and perhaps do occa&longs;ion grea<lb/>
ter mi&longs;chiefs; &longs;eeing that tho&longs;e many knots which each plant <lb/>
&longs;hoots forth, begets a greater multitude of Stalks, which much <lb/>
more incumbering the Water of the River, are a greater impe<lb/>
diment unto its velocity, and con&longs;equently make the height <lb/>
of the waters to encrea&longs;e &longs;o much the more, and do more mi&longs;chief <lb/>
than before.</s></p>

<p type="main"> <s>Another head to which the&longs;e harms may be reduced, but pro<lb/>
ceeding from the &longs;ame Root, which hath a great part in this <lb/>
di&longs;order, is the impediment of tho&longs;e Wears in the River which <lb/>
are made by heightning the bed of the &longs;ame, for placing of fi&longs;h<lb/>
ing-nets; of which <emph type="italics"/>Pi&longs;caries<emph.end type="italics"/> I reckoned above ten, when I made <lb/>
a voyage thorow tho&longs;e waters to <emph type="italics"/>Sandolo.<emph.end type="italics"/> And the&longs;e Fi&longs;hing<lb/>
Wears are &longs;uch impediments, that &longs;ome one of them makes the <lb/>
water of the River in the upper part to ri&longs;e half a Palm, and <lb/>
&longs;ometimes a whole Palm, and more; &longs;o that when they are all <lb/>
gathered together, the&longs;e impediments amount to more than &longs;even, <lb/>
or po&longs;&longs;ibly than eight Palms.</s></p>

<p type="main"> <s>There concurreth for a third mo&longs;t Potent Cau&longs;e of the waters <lb/>
continuing high in the evacuating, or Draining Chanel, and con<lb/>
&longs;equently on the Plains; The great abundance of water that i&longs;&longs;u<lb/>
eth from <emph type="italics"/>Fiume Si&longs;to,<emph.end type="italics"/> the waters of which do not keep within its <lb/>
Banks when they are abundant; but encrea&longs;ing above its Chanel, <lb/>
they unite with tho&longs;e of the Evacuator, and di&longs;per&longs;ing thorow