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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05102	The third volume of the French academie contayning a notable description of the whole world, and of all the principall parts and contents thereof: as namely, of angels both good and euill: of the celestiall spheres, their order and number: of the fixed stars and planets; their light, motion, and influence: of the fower elements, and all things in them, or of them consisting: and first of firie, airie, and watrie meteors or impressions of comets, thunders, lightnings, raines, snow, haile, rainebowes, windes, dewes, frosts, earthquakes, &c. ingendered aboue, in, and vnder the middle or cloudie region of the aire. And likewise of fowles, fishes, beasts, serpents, trees with their fruits and gum; shrubs, herbes, spices, drugs, minerals, precious stones, and other particulars most worthie of all men to be knowen and considered. Written in French by that famous and learned gentleman Peter de la Primaudaye Esquier, Lord of the same place, and of Barree: and Englished by R. Dolman.; Academie françoise. Part 3. English	La Primaudaye, Pierre de, b. ca. 1545.; Dolman, R. (Richard)	1601 (1601)	STC 15240; ESTC S108305	398,876	456

equall cannot haue equall ascensions euen in the right sphere it is necessarie that the said twelue howers both of day and night should be vnequall one to another and by so much the more vnequall by how much more the Pole is eleuated aboue the Horizon according to the diuersitie of the artificiall daies and nights whereof they likewise are called artificiall howers They are also named Planetarie and temporall for that they are taken in the way of the planets which is the zodiacke and also because the ancients haue assigned the time of the seuen naturall daies of the weeke to the domination of the seuen planets attributed to the said vnequall howers and haue appointed to the said naturall daies the names of those planets which raigne the first vnequall hower of the artificiall day But leauing this discourse we must now entreat of the altitudes of the sunne and of his shadowes according as hath beene declared in our antecedent speech That we may better then vnderstand the reason of shadowes we must first haue knowledge of the altitudes of the sunne aboue the Horizon bicause that the diuersitie of shadowes proceedeth from the varietie of those heights Of the heights of the sunne Now by the height of the sunne is vnderstood the arck of the verticall circle which passeth by the center of the bodie of the same sunne being comprised betweene the same center and the Horizon and distinguished by the parallell of the same Horizon which passeth togither with the same center as heretofore hath been related So that the height of the sunne increaseth from sunne rising till noone and proportionally decreaseth from noone till sunne set So that the greatest altitude that the sunne may haue in an artificiall day is at the noone hower wherefore it is called the Meridian altitude Which surmounteth the height of the Equinoctiall in the oblique sphere by the quantitie of the declination of the sunne so long time as he is in that part of the zodiacke inclining towards the pole which is eleuated aboue the Horizon and is lesse then the height of the Equinoctiall by the same quantitie when the sunne is in the other moitie of the zodiacke which inclineth towards the opposite pole So that the least altitude that the sunne may haue is vnder the winter solstice and the greatest is when he is in the summer solstice But the sunne being in the Equinoctiall points his Meridian altitude differeth not in the oblique sphere from the height of the Equinoctiall Whereupon ensueth that in all the degrees of the zodiacke which are alike distant from the one or other solstice the sunne hath one selfesame Meridian altitude And thereupon ensueth that in all howers whereof the one is before noone and the other after and equally distant from noone as are ten a clocke in the morning and two a clocke after noone the sunne hath one selfesame altitude which is the cause that in all sunne dials being composed by helpe of the said howers as the old quadrants are the hower-spaces serue indifferently as well for before as after noone And bicause that the altitudes of the sunne varie according to the obliquenes of the sphere the said sunne dials cannot serue generally but onely to that polarie eleuation whereunto the altitudes of the sunne haue been calculated Concerning shadowes they are made by meane of solid-darke bodies exposed against the sunne Of right reuerse shadowe And of those some are called right shadowes and some reuerse shadowes The right shadow is that which is caused by interposition of the shadowing bodie rightly erected vpon the Horizon and the reuerse shadow is that which proceedeth from euery shadowing bodie equally distant from the said Horizon So that the right shadow reacheth out at length vpon the Horizontall superficies and the reuerse shadow is turned ouer perpendicularly aboue the said Horizon Whereby it is manifest that right shadowes are infinite and reuerse none at all either at sunne rising or sunne set Againe right shadowes decrease by little and little from sunne rising till noone and doe proportionally increase from noone till sunne set to which the reuerse shadowes are contrarie So that the least right shadow and the greatest reuerse shadow that can be in any day whatsoeuer is at noonetide And you must note that the sunne being eleuated aboue the Horizon more thē 45. degrees euery shadowing body being directly erected vpon the said Horizon surmounteth his right shadow but euery reuerse shadow surpasseth his shadowing bodie which causeth it And when the sunne is raised lesse then 45. degrees the contrarie commeth for the right shadow exceedeth his shadowing bodie and the shadowing bodie surpasseth the reuerse shadow But if the sunne be precisely 45. degrees high then all shadowing bodies are equall to their shadowes both right and reuerse From which equalitie is extracted the Geometricall square which is set in quadrants or vpon the backe of the astrolobe by which are measured by meanes of the shadowes or visuall lines representing the saide shadowes all lengths heights and depths by reason that the two sides of the said square which meete at right angles in the center of the instrument represent two shadowes one equall to another Yet Geographers doe commonly vse but right Meridian shadowes to know in what part of the world the regions of the earth consist and how farre they decline from the Equinoctiall which shadowes doe varie lesse about the Solstists then about the Equinoctiall points like to the altitudes of the sunne But wee haue said enough concerning this matter and to morrow we will prosecute our first discourse concerning the celestiall world now intreating of the substance and nature of heauen and of the particular effects of the sphericall bodies in things here below whereof you ASER shall begin to discourse The end of the third daies worke THE FOVRTH DAIES WORKE Of the substance and nature of heauen and of the celestiall bodies and of their continuance and change Chap. 25. ASER. BEing this day to intreate of the substance and nature of heauen and of the particular effects of the sphericall bodies in things here below we shall make more easie entrance thereto if we first begin with some briefe consideration concerning all essences First then will we propound this principle that among all creatures in heauen and earth some are spirituall and the rest corporall By the spirituall we meane those that haue no bodie and cannot be perceiued by corporall senses as are angels or diuels and the soules or spirites of men And by the corporall wee meane all other creatures that are visible and sensible to the senses of our bodies Now of these some are without life Diuision of all essences or natures and the rest liue And amongst those which are without life there is a difference in two points One is in that some haue naturall motion and the rest haue not And amongst those which haue this motion some are mutable and corruptible and

artificiall daies of what length soeuer they bee there rise aboue the Horizon sixe signes of the zodiacke beginning at the true place of the sunne and the other sixe signes which begin at the opposite point do rise in the night time bicause that the zodiack and Horizon are great circles of the sphere which do alwaies diuide one another equally And according as with the sixe eleuated signes by day or night any part or quantitie of the Equinoctiall doth arise aboue the Horizon either more or lesse by so much the artificiall daies and nights are of shorter or longer continuance so that the ascension of the eleuated signes by day is the true measure of the artificiall day and the ascension of the other eleuated signes by night is the measure thereof Because then that in the right sphere togither with the moitie or one halfe of the zodiack wheresoeuer it begin the moity of the equinoctial doth precisely rise aboue the Horizon for this cause therefore the artificiall daies are equall to the nights in the said right sphere So that all the reuolutions of naturall daies comprised betweene the two Tropickes are diuided by the right Horizon into two iust halfes and at right angles like the Equinoctiall But in the oblique sphere the daies are neuer equall to the nights but twise a yeere that is when the sunne is in the first point of the signe of Aries and of Libra which points are for this reason called the two Equinoctiall points For in the oblique sphere there are but the two halfes of the Zodiacke comprised betwixt the saide Equinoctial points which may haue equal ascensions because that the two Colures do neuer agree with the Horizon which cannot diuide the zodiacke and Equinoctiall also into two equall parts togither except in the same Equinoctiall points Whereof the one is neuer with the Horizon without the other because the said greater circles are in them diuided into two exact halfes But out of these Equinoctiall points while the sunne is in that halfe of the zodiacke that declineth from the Equinoctiall towards the Pole which is eleuated aboue the Horizon that is from the vernall-Equinoctiall-point by the Sommer-Solstist to the Autumne-Equinoctiall-point the artificiall daies are longer then the nights And during the time that the sunne is in the other part of the said zodiacke which declineth towards the opposite Pole which is depressed vnder the said Horizon the nights are longer then the daies which inequalitie is so much the more by how much the sunne is neerer to the Solstists and the sphere is more obliquely placed in respect of the Horizon So that the artificiall daies encrease from the winter-Solstist by the Vernall-equinoctial-point to the sommer Solstist do decrease from the same by the Autumne-Equinoctial-point to the winter-Solstist I do not heere particularize the diuersitie of daies which commeth to passe all the yeere long from degree to degree being a thing little necessary for the substance of our discourse and which they may easily learne that will studie vpon the Astronomicall sphere But that we may finish this day without going from our sphericall matter let vs speake somewhat concerning the howers of the day and heights of the sunne and of his shadowes the declaration whereof I commit ACHITOB to you Of equall and vnequall temporall and artificiall howers of the heights of the sunne aboue the Horizon and of his right and reuerse shadowes Chapter 24. ACHITOB. HAuing entreated of naturall and artificiall daies it now resteth that we say somewhat concerning the parts of them which are called howers Euen as then there are two principall and great circles in the sphere the zodiacke and the Equinoctiall so likewise are there two maner of howers one sort are equall and naturall taken from the Equinoctiall the other vnequall temporall or artificiall deriued from the zodiacke Of equall howres Equall howers are spaces of time measured by the ascension or reuolution of one halfe signe that is of 15. degrees of the Equinoctiall For time must be diuided according to this circle which is the measure thereof And though the Equinoctiall be first diuided as euerie other circle into twelue equall parts called signes and each of those into thirtie degrees like the zodiacke yet neuertheles because that each signe demaundeth more time to be eleuated aboue the Horizon then the facilitie of distinction and supputation of time requireth therefore is euerie signe diuided into two equall parts And so in the whole reuolution of the Equinoctiall are 24. halfe signes of 15. degrees a peece which make the distinctions and measures of 24. howers diuided by the hower-circles whereof we haue heretofore spoken Which howers we call equall as wel by reason of the equalitie of the 24. halfe signes as also because that one requireth no more time to be eleuated aboue the Horizon then the other And for that the Equinoctiall is the measure of the regular and naturall motion of the whole world and that euerie signe is measured naturally and commonly by the said equall howers they are therefore called naturall and common howers We must know then that the sunne maketh his entire reuolution about the earth betweene one noone and the next following according to the naturall daies in 24. howers and one fifteenth part of an hower because the same reuolution comprehendeth the whole Equinoctiall which is the measure of 24. howers and 59. minutes and 8. seconds besides which are almost one degree which is the fifteenth part of the measure of one equall hower Concerning vnequall howers Of vnequal howers they are referred to the zodiacke being in number 24. that is twelue of the artificiall day and twelue of night And the day-howers begin at sunne-rising and those of night at sunne-set And they be all vnequall one to another whereby they haue their name Which that we may well vnderstand we must note that in all artificiall daies and nights of what quantitie soeuer they be there riseth aboue the Horizon one halfe of the zodiacke comprehending sixe signes which begin in day at that degree where the sun is and at night in that degree which is diametrally opposite And thus there are eleuated by day twelue halfe signes as many by night And as one halfe signe of the Equinoctiall maketh the space of an euen hower so one halfe signe of the zodiacke maketh the space of an vnequall hower Whereby appeereth that in each day and night there are twelue vnequall howers in the day and twelue in the night And that these howers must be vnequall one to another it appeereth in this because that the zodiacke by reason of the obliquenes thereof cannot be the measure of time but the Equinoctiall onely Wherefore it is necessarie that the time of the saide howers should be measured by the arcks of the Equinoctiall coascending aboue the Horizon togither with euerie halfe signe of the zodiack contayning fifteene degrees And for that the arcks of the zodiacke which are

the worke of the Vniuers is freely and willingly and franke will of God in his worke begun in time we will argue more liuely thus Seeing that the partes of this vniuers are so disposed that without any contrarietie or contradiction they might haue been otherwise ordered it followeth that they are contingent and not ordained of necessitie but of free will Auerrois saith We confesse not that the partes of the world could be altered bicause the world is an animal But I answere in what place of Aristotle learnt he this manner of disputing He will that his authoritie should be for a principle of demonstration Moreouer from whence draweth he the consequence Let him tell me if the world be an animal whether is it sensible or insensible If it be void of sense then is it no animal If it be sensitiue doth it see then doth it heare doth it smell doth it taste doth it eate Whether the world be an animall But say we confesse the world to be an animal as it seemeth that Plato and many other Sages would affirme surely it is no animal contained vnder the kinde of animals For all things in this frame are diuided by all philosophers into a former diuision before you come to the animal But let vs confesse that it may be called an animal by some kinde of answerablenes and likenes Wherefore then could not the disposition of the partes thereof be otherwise ordained Why should it be disagreeable for man to haue onely one eie in his forehead as it is reported of some Why could it not be made to the other creatures the vpper iaw moouing and the vndermost firme as the crocodile alone hath Why haue not sundry beasts two knees like the camell Surely these and such like things haue been so disposed by the soueraigne creator that without any contradiction or contrarietie might haue been otherwise ordained if we presuppose not the condition of the nature specified such as the creator himselfe hath according to his will prefixed But let vs farther proceede concerning the animall the world Of the course and straight passage of the Ocean By what necessitie hath the sea bin in such sort disposed that the ocean should passe through the narrow straights of Abyla Calpe high mountaines which antiquitie called Hercules-pillers What neede is there that from thence it should spread it selfe in length and bredth That then it should stretch it selfe into the Tuscan or Tirrhene sea afterward gathering it selfe into the Adriaticke gulph then enlarging it selfe into the Siriacke sea so running about by the Egean which for the beautious number of isles therein contained is named the Archi-pelagus or princesse of seas and from thence shrinking betweene most narrow passages the Helespont is made And againe the Propontick where it dilateth it selfe and where againe it is straightened is called the Thracian Bosphorus Then this Ocean being once againe widened there is made the sea Euxine that is to say the host since the manners of the barbarous nations haue been polished and made ciuill for it was first called Axenes that is the inhumane host bicause of the cruell and fierce nature of the dwellers thereabout And againe mixing it selfe with the lake of Meotis it is named the Cimmerian Bosphorus What neede is there also why Nilus passing by the Ethiopians and Arabians into Egypt and Tanais passing through the one and other Scythia Of Nilus and Tanais and running almost into the midst of the lake of Meotis should distinguish and separate the three partes of the world And by what other needfull ordinance is one part of the earth laid lowe in vallies another stretched out into plaines this part raised vp in billocks that lifted vp in loftie mountaines and that the flouds and euer-running fountaines and streames doe flowe in their seasons Of what necessitie also are some beasts of the earth fruitfull others barren these drie and those moist Might not we easily without any contrarietie or repugnancie imagine all the circuit of the earth to be plaine soft and bearing fruit And if God can performe that which we cannot thinke as all the Sages who haue beleeued in him doe affirme why can he not doe that which we may imagine Which if he can easily performe these things then are not of necessitie no otherwise then of eternitie disposed in such sort as we see them but according and how and when it hath pleased the soueraigne creator of them Now ynough is saide of these things we must farther proceed in the consideration of Gods works wherein will greatly aide vs the vnderstanding of one onely principall and prime cause of the vniuers that we may afterwards comprehend the maruellous effects thereof And herein ARAM let be the subiect of thy discourse Of one onely principall and first cause of the Vniuers Chapter 11. ARAM. THose who haue bin commonly called the Sages of the world haue so much differed in their doctrine euen in the search which they haue made of nature following the course of their speculations that amōgst them who haue bin nourished in one family learned vnder one master there are great contrarieties either in doctrine in manners in religion or in the end to which all these things tende Which is chiefly hapned vnto them by hauing setled the building of the world vpon badde and discordant foundations affying in their owne powers and inuentions too feeble for so waighty a charge as by rehearsing some points of their principles we may easilie vnderstand Diuers opinions of Philosophers touching the beginning of the world Thales Milesius supposed that the water was the beginning of all things bicause all the members of euery liuing creature seemed to be nourished by water which as it is placed in the middle of the world so doth the watrie humour abide in the center of the bodies of animals from whence it ministreth nourishment to all the rest of the members But his auditor Anaximander was of aduise that I wot not what infinitenes called the boundlesse matter was the principall subiect and first of essences and bicause that by nature such matter hath neither forme nor quantitie hee thought that this was the substance of perpetuall generation in such sort that infinite worlds were already past and heereafter infinitely to arise Anaximenes his disciple attributed the causes of all things to the infinite aire And his hearers Anaxagoras and Diogenes disagreeing togither one of them woulde perswade that the infinite matter wouen with diuers parcels of all sorts and kinds according to the condition thereof had beene beginning to it selfe And the other that the aire indued also with diuine reason was the matter of things Leucippus Democritus and Diodorus affirme that before all things there were certaine Atomoes or little indiuidable bodies some smooth others sharpe some round others partly made of angles partly turned and pointed and some crooked to be perceiued by reason onely solide without any vacuitie not ingendred immortall

the true east and west according as the true place of the sunne declineth more or lesse from the Equinoctiall The arcke then of the Horizon which is betweene the true east and the center of the bodie of the sunne when it is come to the easterne part of the Horizon is called the orientall latitude of the sunne and that which is comprised betweene the direct west and that same center when it is in the west part of the Horizon is called the occidentall latitude of the sunne As also the latitude of the starres is taken from the Zodiacke towards the one or other pole thereof For all stars both fixed and wandring hold their longitude and latitude of the Zodiacke as of the Equinoctiall their declinations ascensions and descensions So that the latitude of the sunne both orientall and occidentall is necessarily northerly one halfe of the yeere and the other halfe it is southerly And likewise the orientall latitude is equall to the occidentall in one day And bicause the variation of each latitude proceedeth of the diuersitie of the sunnes declinations they are therefore such on the septentrionall part as on the meridionall Consequently you must note that in the right sphere the foresaid orientall or occidentall latitude is such without difference as is the declination of the sunne bicause the right Horizon passeth by the poles of the world and sheweth both the one and other But in the oblique sphere those latitudes are greater then the declinations of the sunne and so much the greater and more different as the pole of the world is eleuated aboue the oblique Horizon and the place of the sunne declineth from the Equinoctiall So that the greatest are those of the solstists which doe most decline from the Equinoctiall and besides these there are fower points in the Zodiacke which haue equall latitude both orientall and occidentall that is two on the north side and two on the south side But thus much may suffice concerning this matter for our purpose And that we may not swerue from the substance of our former discourse it will be good for vs to intreate of the daies both naturall and artificiall which are caused by the prime and regular motion of the whole sphere with the nights likewise as you ARAM can manifest vnto vs. Of the naturall and artificiall daies and of the nights of their diuersitie and cause Chap. 23. ARAM. AMongst the most excellent and note-woorthie things which depend vpon the first and vniuersal motion of the whole heauen and vpon that which hath been expounded in our forepassed talke there appeereth next to be handled the vnderstanding of the greatnes and quantitie of the daies and the partes of them called howers as also of the heights of the sunne aboue the Horizon and of the shadowes as well right as oblique Beginning then with the daies you must note that some are called naturall some artificiall daies which with vs are named properly daies though indeede they be but parts of naturall daies and so of nights Of naturall daies Now the naturall day is nothing but the time of the entire reuolution of the bodie of the sunne about the world made by the naturall and proper motion of the vniuersall sphere which reuolution must alwaies begin at the Meridian circle and comprehend the time which is from one noone till the next ensuing But bicause the sunne this while goeth contrarie in his owne peculiar course the point of the Equinoctiall which is vnder the Meridian with the sunne performeth his reuolution sooner then the sunne it selfe Wherefore you must adde to the entire reuolution of the Equinoctiall the ascension being taken in the right sphere from the part of the Zodiacke which the sunne hath passed that while to haue the entire reuolution of the sunne and the true measure of the naturall day For all accidents of ascensions which happen in the right Horizon are common to euery Meridian circle in the right or oblique sphere whereupon ensueth that the true naturall daies are vnequall one to another both bicause of the proper motions of the sunne as also bicause of the said ascensions taken in the right sphere For the sunne by reason of the obliquenes of the Zodiacke declining on either side from the Equinoctiall which onely is the measure of time is irregular in his owne proper motion and performeth not euery naturall day a degree precisely but sometimes a little more sometimes a little lesse And though it should make a degree iust yet would not the ascension in the right sphere be equall For these causes then the true naturall daies are vnequall But this inequalitie is scarcely to be perceiued by vulgar iudgement and sensible obseruation Moreouer it is to be vnderstood that forasmuch as the motions of the planets and the middle coniunctions and oppositions of the sunne moone cannot bee reduced into tables nor calculated but by equall daies and euen reuolutions of times there must be assumed for this cause certaine naturall daies one like alwaies to another which are called middle or meane daies containing each the entire reuolution of 360. degrees of the Equinoctiall and aboue that 59. minutes and almost eight seconds of a degree Which make vp the quantitie of the regular and middle motion of the sunne correspondent to one of the said euen and meane naturall daies according to which daies the tables of the foresaid motions are composed and calculated And by this meanes the proposed terme of an entire yeere is reduced into true natural daies which of Astronomers is called the Equation of the daies Of artificiall daies and nights For the artificiall day thereby is vnderstood that part of the naturall day which the sunne maketh passing from the east by south to the west through the proper and vniuersall motion of the whole world During which time the sunne illuminateth the superior part of the Horizon for which occasion the said part of the naturall day is properly termed day And that which remaineth thereof being comprised betweene the west to the east passage of the sunne is named night during which time the shadow of the earth is aboue the said Horizon in forme of a round Pyramis which doth then depriue that superior part of the light and shining of the sunne whereby the darknes is caused which is called night And also the two twylights that is Of the twylights the cleerenesse which we see before sunne rising and after sunne setting are parts of the night For the true artificiall day beginneth when the sunne is in the east part of the Horizon and endeth when he passeth to the west And these daies and nights are called artificiall bicause that according to the diuers and artificiall situation of the sphere and according to the true place of the sunne in the zodiacke they doe differ in quantitie one from another To vnderstande which varietie you must knowe Of the diuersitie of the daies and nights that in all

haue the power to doe and to suffer neither also can they consist more then two togegither for else contraries should remaine in one selfe same subiect Neither can heat be ioyned with cold without some meane nor dry with moist Whereupon doth follow that the qualities not contrarie being ioyned two and two together doe declare vnto vs fower well ordered combinations or couplings which do argue vnto vs the fower elements But hearken what the aduers part answereth Such coniunctions and copulations doe onely shew themselues in mixtures and compound bodies for some things being hot in the first degree are also moist and some being cold are drie others are hot and drie others cold and moist and so consquently of the rest But for the elements because that heat and great drines had reduced all things to an ende in steed of ministring a beginning vnto them Nature or rather the author of Nature Of the celestiall heat producing fire hath ordayned a celestiall heat well tempered by which all things should be engendred And by it and by putrefaction and motion the creature called Fire is incessantly produced Whereupon ensueth that though there be a fire yet neuerthelesse it is no element And therefore they conclude that there are but three elements The earth most thicke and heauie seated below the aire most thin and light placed aboue and the water meane betwixt these qualities situate between both They also affirme that vnto these elements it is common to haue no naturall heat because there is no heat but from the heauens and consequently from the soule and from brightnes That the earth because it is exceeding thicke and solide and the aire because it is beyond measure thinne seeme to be least cold but the water which is of meane substance betweene both seemeth to be most cold That the earth because of some certaine thinnesse thereof admitteth heat and therefore is esteemed lesse cold then stones And the aire because of the temperate cleernes and for that by the thinnesse thereof it is easily chaunged is esteemed not onely not to be cold but to be hot though in truth all the elemēts are cold by their own nature Which coldnes is nothing else but priuatiō of heat which heat doth wholly rest in the stars which is a proper celestiall qualitie moouing the bodie which aided by motion produceth fire But say they many may bee deceiued by reason of the violent heat which sometimes maketh impression in the elements For by the action of the starres some parts of the elements are mixed and participate with the nature of the celestiall bodies as Pepper becommeth hot And yet such mingling cannot be said to be an element but a thing composed partly of elements And for the fire which lighteth by the striking and beating of stones that it is likewise an heat of the stars in a bodie rarified by the celestiall power By these reasons then they conclude that two qualities do onely appeere vnto vs the heat of heauen and the proper moisture of the elements and as for drie and cold that they be the priuations of those qualities and that therfore a thing verie hot or verie cold cannot properly be called an element What an element is but that that may be said to be an element which hath no need of nourishment which of it selfe is not corrupt neither wandreth here and there but retayneth a certaine place in great quantitie according to nature and is prepared for generation All which things not agreeing with the fire because it is alwaies mooued neither can subsist without nouriture and burneth the aire which is next it whereby being inflamed it is called a flame for flame is nothing else but the aire inflamed it followeth that it cannot be called an element but rather an accidentall and great heat Behold then how Philosophers do diuersly dispute vpon this matter but our intention is not to giue sentence therein especially against the ancient and generally confirmed opinion which admitteth fower elements Wherefore as leaning thereunto tel vs ACHITOB how they may be considered by the perfect compositions which are in the world Of the perfect compositions which are in the nature of all things by which the fower elements may be considered Chap. 40. ACHITOB. ACcording as we are taught by those who haue first diligently sought out the secrets of nature we shal consider an elementarie fire and the element thereof approching the heauenly spheres by reason of the naturall agreement which they haue together being much greater then there is of the heauens with the aire the water and the earth Now these fower elements do demonstrate themselues by the like number of perfect compounds The agreement of stones with the earth which follow the nature of them to wit by stones mettals plants and animals or sensitiue creatures For stones haue their foundation or originall vpon the earthie corner of this worlds frame because that agreeing with the nature of earth they descend alwaies towards the center except they be such as are ouer-dried and burned as are the pumice-stones which are made spungie in caues full of aire But when they are turned into dust then resuming their proper nature of stones they descend Chrystall and the Beryll are also numbred among stones because that though they may be engendred of water they are neuerthelesse so congealed and in manner frozen that being made earthie they descend downewards which is not the manner of frost and snow So is it with those stones that are bredde in the bladder though they be produced of a waterie humour And all these kindes of stones become so close and solide in their nature with such fastnes and binding that they cannot be molten like mettals although the saide mettals descend downewardes like stones Mettals agreeing with the water And therefore also vpon the second watrie angle of the elementarie world mettals are builded which though they be said to be composed of all the elements yet bicause they are principally made of water they retaine the nature thereof and will melt as Abubacher doth excellently discourse speaking thus We see in mines that by reason of the continuall heate of some mountaines the thickest of the water steweth and boileth so that in tract of time it becommeth quicksiluer And of the fat of the earth so stewed and boiled togither with heate is brimstone ingendred and through continuall heate also are mettals procreated For gold that hath no default is ingendred of quicksiluer and of brimstone that is pure tough cleere and red Siluer of the same liquid siluer and of close pure cleere and white sulphur wherein colour wanteth and something of the closenes surenes and consequently of waight Tinne that is more vnperfect is ingendred of the same causes and parts vnperfect bicause they are lesse concocted and attenuated Lead of the same terrestriall-siluer and full of filth depriued of purenes and surenes and of grosse sulphur or brimstone somewhat red whereto