FULKE, William

Scarce edition of this most interesting work on meteorological phenomena. Fulke (1536/7-1589) began his career studying law, later entered Clifford’s Inn and was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1560. He later embraced radical puritan views and became preacher at St John’s, Cambridge, before being named Master of Pembroke College in 1578. Besides his academic interests in theology and oriental languages, he also wrote two scientific works. In his ‘Antiprognosticon’ (1560), he made a clear-cut distinction between astronomy and astrology. ‘In denying that astrology had any truly scientific basis, Fulke’s was one of the most radical attacks on astrology in this period. In his work on meteorology, he entered another field in which superstition and appeal to supernatural forces were common. As a neo-Aristotelian scientist, Fulke explained even the most unusual physical phenomena in terms of natural causation, while, as a theologian, he saw this as entirely compatible with belief in divine providence. These scientific works were important in promoting a strictly rational approach to the physical world, while denying any conflict between true science and true religion.’ (DNB)

The present work is divided into 5 books, the first is dedicated to exploring the causes of meteors, with the next four categorising them according to the four elements: fire, water, earth and air. According to Aristotle, everything below the Moon’s sphere is created from these 4 substances, including meteors, which were believed to originate from this sublunary space. With reference to the ancient writers, Fulke explores the causes of various types of weather, including rain and why it is not salty, as well thunder, lighting and rainbows.