ABSTRACT
[f. 33r] Into darkness then did descend the sprite of god, Upon the watrie Chaos, wher on he made his abode. Which darknes then was on the face of the deepe, In which Rested the Chaos, and in it all thinges asleepe: Rude, unformed, wythout shape, forme or any good, 5 Out of which god Created all thinges as yt stoode. But first he Commaunded a lighte to appeare, That all might be seene, that before was hid. And god sawe that the light was good and Cleare, And the darknes and light he did then dyvide, 10 Callinge the one dai, and the other nighte For darknes obscuer (and dai for shining brighte). And a firmament then god did let make, To severe the waters above from those belowe; And dyvided the Earth from the waters alsoe, 15 Wherin greatly his powere he did showe. Then out of this Chaos, the Elementes 4 were made: Heat and cold, moiste and drye, in like wise, Which ar the begininge of all Creaturs wide That under the globe of Luna doe abyde. 20 The Quintessence (that som men yt calle) Was taken out of the Chaos before the 4 Elementes all: Which is the firste beinge, as we may discrie, And uncorruptible, wherof was made the skie And Caelestialle bodies all, which doe never die. 25 Soe that of Hyle, nor Chaos, nor quintessence hie Is ther any generation to Multiply In species or kinde here in earth belowe, Of creatures abydinge under the skye, But the 4 Elementes doe make influence, 30 By their speciall power, into all thinges belowe; And into every specificat thinge doe put quintessence To repe such seed therof: as men doe sowe But of them selves. As they ar simple and puer in kind, In every species together conjoyned we doe them finde, [f. 33v] Creatinge Sulphur, Salte, and Argent Vive— The Inward bodies of thinges that make them thrive. Whose grosse bodies to destroy, yf we will them have, We moste not spare therof to deprave. Nexte after thes, 4 Elementes puer, simple and Cleare 40 (That is, heat and Cold, moiste and also dry) Ar assigned to worke on 4 bodies grosse (The laste substance of the Chaos, and of the highest, the drosse): Earth, water, ayre & fier, therin to showe their mighte And therin to make generation and bringe forms to lighte; 45 In every one severally, out creatures to bringe, In which is the begininge and generation of all thinge. For heate is assigned to the fier, which doth burne; Moisture to the ayer, which doth Corrupte & Round turne; Drynes to the Earth, the mother of each thinge; 50 And Coldnes to the water, from whence all doe springe. Heat and moisture ar Active to generation; Cold and dryth ar passive, in and to each thinge; Fier and ayer, active by Elementation; Water and Earth, passive to generation. 55 For in drynes of the Earth and in Water Cleare, All thinges ar engendred, before they appeare. Accordinge to the Conjunction of the 4 Elementes, In each of their Subjectes severally, Are Engendred and brought forth every Creature 60 Lyvinge or beinge under the Mone’s skye. The Earth is fixte, durable for ever to abyde; The ayer Continually moveth from place to place besyde, And is the life of the fier which purgeth all; And the water (for Coldnes) destructive, men call. 65 But when they ar Commixed, one with another (Not simple, but Compound in their Elementall qualities), Then worke they in kinde by diversities, More and lesse as they ar Commixed by degrees. [f. 34r] Yf thes 4 Elementes doe worke in the fier To Engender and bringe forth som creature, As the Sallamander, ever lyvinge therin, Youe moste conceyve welle of his Commixcion, Which is by nature and Elementes tempered so well That he delightes as gould in the fier to dwelle. 75 For to the Creatures of the fier and his Region, The fier is alwaies most naturalle: For that in their Commixture yt is moste predominate, Which maketh them the more able the fier to Enduer, By reason of moch heat & drith in their temprature. 80 The water to the fier is moste Enimie; Therfore, kepe fier in water, and moisten that is drie, And yt will perishe and die, and sone putrifie. For as the fier is hote of him selfe, and of the Earth drye, Soe the water is cold and moiste of the skie, 85 Which Causeth creatures of the fier to die and putrifie. For Colde doth destroy, and moiste doth putrifie: Excepte thou knowe this, studdie not philosophic Likwise, the creatures that in the Ayer doe lyve Of the aery substance ar moste Compacte. 90 The other Elementes which doe under dryve (As water, Earth and fier), of which they ar facte, Yet in the ayer they moste delighte, and of yt doe feed, And in their Contrary full ill doe they speed. For yt is Omne oppositum under the skie, 95 Which is the only cause all Creatures doe die. For in their simile all thinges doe Rejoice, And of their simile they all waies make choice. And creatures engendred in the waters cold and moiste Ar sluggish and heavy, and given to moch reste, 100 And feedes of such thinges as that Element doth houlde. For their bodies ar grosse and of a moiste mould, As fishes, froges, and herbes: milke, butter, & chease To feede soe grosly, they ar nothinge Creese.
