Now the ground of this assertion was surely the magnifying esteem of the Ancients, arising from the indiscovery of its head. For as things unknown seem greater then they are, and are usually received with amplifications above their nature; so might it also be with this River, whose head being unknown and drawn to a proverbial obscurity, the opinion thereof became without bounds; and men must needs conceit a large extent of that to which the discovery of no man had set a period. And this an usual way to give the superlative unto things of eminency in any kind; and when a thing is very great, presently to define it to be the greatest of all. Whereas indeed Superlatives are difficult; whereof there being but one in every kind, their determinations are dangerous, and must not be made without great circumspection. [SN: _The greatest Cities of the World._] So the City of Rome is magnified by the _Latines_ to be the greatest of the earth; but time and Geography informs _us_, that _Cairo_ is bigger, and _Quinsay_ in _China_ far exceedeth both. [SN: The highest Hills.] So is _Olympus_ extolled by the _Greeks_, as an hill attaining unto heaven; but the enlarged Geography of aftertimes makes slight account hereof, when they discourse of _Andes_ in _Peru_, or _Teneriffa_ in the _Canaries_. And we understand by a person who hath lately had a fair opportunity to behold the magnified mount _Olympus_, that it is exceeded by some peakes of the _Alpes_. So have all Ages conceived, and most are still ready to swear, the Wren is the least of Birds; yet the discoveries of _America_, and even of our own Plantations have shewed us one far less; that is, the Humbird [SN: Tomineio.], not much exceeding a Beetle. And truly, for the least and greatest, the highest and the lowest of every kind, as it is very difficult to define them in visible things, so is it to understand in things invisible. Thus is it no easie lesson to comprehend the first matter, and the affections of that which is next neighbour unto nothing, but impossible truly to comprehend God, who indeed is all in all. For things as they arise unto perfection, and approach unto God, or descend to imperfection, and draw nearer unto nothing, fall both imperfectly into our apprehensions; the one being too weak for our conceptions, our conceptions too weak for the other.