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ater is the heaviest element, full of unctuous flegme, and it is an element more worthy in its quality then the earth, without, volatile, but within fixed, it is cold, and moist, and tempered with the aire: it is the sperm of the world, in which the seed of all things is kept: it is the keeper of the seed of every thing. yet wee must know, that the seed is one thing, and the sperme another: the earth is the receptacle of the sperme, but water is the receptacle of the seed. whatsoever the aire doth distill into the water, by means of the fire, the same doth the water convey to the earth. sometimes the sperme lackes sufficiency of seed, for want of heat which should digest it; for there is alwayes plenty of sperm, expecting seed, which by the[pg 86] imagination of fire through the motion of the aire it carryes into its matrix: and sometimes there being lack of seed, the sperme enters, but it goeth forth againe without fruit: but of this more at large hereafter in the third treatise of principles, viz. in that of salt. it happens sometimes in nature, that the sperme enters into the matrix with a sufficiency of seed; but the matrix being indisposed, by reason of being filled with offensive, sulphureous, & flegmatick vapors, doth not conceive, neither doth that come to passe that should. also nothing is properly in this element, but only as it is wont to bee in the sperm. it is delighted chiefly in its own motion, which is made by the aire, and it is apt to mixe with things by reason of its superficiall, volatile body. it is, as wee said before, the receptacle of all manner of seed: in it the earth is easily purified, and resolved; and the aire is congealed in it, and is joined with it radically. it is the menstruum of the world, which penetrating the aire, by means of heat, drawes along with it selfe a warm vapour, which causeth a naturall generation of those things, which the earth, as a matrix is impregnated withall, and when the matrix receives a due proportion of seed, of what kind soever, it proceeds, and nature workes without intermission to the end; but the remaining moisture, or sperme falls to the side, and by vertue of the heat in the earth is putrefied (that which is cast to the side) and of that afterwards are generated other things, as small vermine, and wormes. the artificer of a quicke wit may indeed see in this element, as it were out of sperme, divers wonders of nature; but it will be needfull to take that sperm, in which the astrall[pg 87] seed in a certaine proportion is already imagined, or conceived; because nature makes, and produceth pure things by the first putrefaction, but by the second farre more pure, worthy, and noble; as thou hast an example in wood, which is vegetable, where in the first composition nature maketh wood, but when that is after maturity corrupted, it is putrefied, and of it worms are bred, and such kind of vermine as they are, which have both life, and sight: for it is manifest, that a sensible thing is alwaies more worthy then a vegetable: for to the organs of sensible things much more subtile, and purer matter is required: but to return to our purpose.

this element is the menstruum of the world, and is divided into three sorts, viz. pure, purer, and most pure. of the most pure substance of it the heavens are created, the purer is resolved into aire, but the pure, plaine, and grosse remains in its sphere, and by divine appointment, and operation of nature doth preserve and keep every thing that is subtile. it makes one globe together with the earth: it hath also its center in the heart of the sea: it hath one axell tree and pole with the earth, by which all courses, and fountaines of water issue forth, which afterward increase, and grow up into great rivers. by these issuing forth of waters the earth is preserved from burnings, and with this moistning the universall seed is carryed forth through the pores of the whole earth, which thing is caused through heat, and motion. now it is manifest that all courses of waters return into the heart of the sea; but whither afterward they run is not known to every body. there be some that think that all rivers, water, and springs[pg 88] which have their course into the sea, do proceed from the stars, who, when they know no other reason why the sea should not increase, and bee fuller, by reason of them, say that these waters are consumed in the heart of the sea. but this nature will not admit of, as wee have shewed when we spake of the rain. the stars indeed cause, but doe not generate water; seeing nothing is generated but in its owne like of the same species: now the stars consist of fire, and aire; how then should they generate waters? and if it were so, that some starre should generate waters, then necessarily also must others generate earth, and also others other elements: because this fabrick of the world is so upheld by the four elements, that one may not exceed another in the least particle, but they strive one with the other in an equall ballance; for otherwise if one should exceed the other, destruction would ensue. yet let every one persevere in what opinion hee please, it is thus shewed to us by the light of nature, that this fabrick of the world is preserved by these four elements, their equality being proportioned by the great god, and one doth not exceed the other in its operation. but the waters upon the basis of the earth are contained as it were in some vessell from the motion of the aire, and towards the articke pole are by it constringed, because there is no vacuum, or vacuity in the world: for this cause is there in the center of the earth the fire of hell, which the archeus of nature doth govern.

for in the beginning of the creation of the world, the great and good god out of the confused chaos, in the first place exalted the quintessence of the ele[pg 89]ments, & that is made the utmost bound of all things: then he lifted up the most pure substance of fire above all things, to place his most sacred majesty in, and set and established it in its bound. in the center of the chaos (by the good pleasure of gods infinite wisdom) that fire was kindled, which afterward did distil those most pure waters. but because now that most pure fire hath obtained the place of the firmament, together with the throne of the most high god, the waters are condensed under that fire: and that they might be the more strongly fortified, & setled, the fire that is grosser then the former, was then raised (this by means of the centrall fire) and remained in the sphere of fire under the waters: and so the waters are congealed, and shut up betwixt two fires in the heavens. but that centrall fire never ceaseth, but distilling more waters, and those lesse pure, did resolve them into aire, which also abides under the sphere of fire in its proper sphere, and is enclosed by the element of fire, as with a sure, and strong foundation; and as the waters of the heavens, cannot goe beyond that supercelestiall fire, so the element of fire cannot go beyond the waters of the heavens, neither can the aire go beyond, or be exalted above the element of fire. as for the water, and the earth, they remained in one globe, because they have no place in the aire, except that part of the water, which the fire doth resolve into aire, for the daily fortifying of this fabricke of the world. for if there had been a vacuity in the aire, then all the waters had distilled, and been resolved into aire: but now the sphere of the aire is full, and is alwaies filled through the distilling waters, by the continuall centrall heat, so that the[pg 90] rest of the waters are by the compression of the aire rolled round the earth, and with the earth make up the center of the world; and this operation is performed dayly, and so also this world is fortified daily, and shall for ever bee naturally preserved from corruption, unlesse it bee the good pleasure of the most high creator (whose will is absolute) that it shall be otherwise. because that centrall fire never ceaseth to bee kindled by the universall motion, and influence of the heavenly vertues, and so to warm the waters; neither shall the waters cease to bee resolved into aire; neither shall the aire cease to compresse, and keep down the residue of the waters with the earth, and so to contain them in the center, that they may not bee moved out of their center: thus even in a naturall manner this world is made, and continued through the mighty wisdome of god; and so according to the example of this it is necessary that all things in the world bee naturally made. we are willing to discover to thee further this creation of this fabricke of the world, that thou maist know that the foure elements have a naturall sympathy with the superior, because they were made out of one and the same chaos: but they are governed by the superior, as the more worthy; and from thence came this obedience into this sublunary place. but know that all those things were naturally found out by the philosopher, as shal be shewed in its own place. now to our purpose concerning the courses of waters, and the ebbing & flowing of the sea, how by the polarie axell tree they are carryed from one pole to another. there are two poles, the one is artick, and in that part that is superior, and northerne, but the[pg 91] other antarticke under the earth, and in the southerne part. the articke pole hath a magneticke vertue of attracting, but the antarticke pole hath a magneticke vertue of expelling, or driving from: and this nature holds forth to us in the example of the loadstone. the articke pole therefore drawes waters by the axell-tree, which after they are entred in, break forth again by the axell tree of the antarticke pole: and because the aire doth not suffer an inequality, they are constrained to return to the articke pole, their center, and so continually to observe this course. in which course from the articke pole, to the antarticke pole by the midle, or axell-tree of the world, they are dispersed through the pores of the earth, and so according to more or lesse do springs arise, and afterward meeting together increase, and become to be rivers, and are again returned thither, from whence they came out; and this is uncessantly done through the universall motion. some (as i said before) being ignorant of the universall motion, and the operations of the poles say that these waters are consumed in the heart of the sea, and generated by the stars, which produce, and generate no materiall thing, impressing only vertues, and spirituall influences, which cannot give any weight to things. waters therefore are not generated; but know that they come forth from the center of the sea, through the pores of the earth into the whole world. from these naturall conclusions, or principles philosophers have found out divers instruments, and conveyances of waters, as also fountaines, since it is known, that waters cannot naturally ascend higher then that place is, from[pg 92] whence they come; and unlesse it were so in nature, art could never doe it, because art imitates nature; and that which is not in nature cannot succeed by art; for water, as i said before, doth not ascend higher then the place from whence it was taken: thou hast for an example that instrument, with which wine is drained out of a barrell.

to conclude therefore, know that springs, or breakings forth of water are not generated of stars, but that they come from the center of the sea, whither they return, and that thus they observe a continuall motion. for if this were not so, nothing at all either in the earth, or upon the earth could be generated, yea the ruine of the world would of necessity follow. but lest it may bee objected, that in the sea all waters are salt, and that the waters of springs are sweet: know, that this is the reason, because that water distills through the pores of the earth, and passing many miles through narrow places, and through sands, the saltnesse being lost, is made sweet: after the example of which cisterns are found out. there are also in some places greater and larger pores, and passages, through which salt water breaks through, where afterwards are made salt pits, and fountains, as at halla in germany. also in some places the waters are constringed with heat, and the salt is left in the sands, but the water sweats through other pores, as in polonia, at wielicia, and bochia: so also when waters passe through places, that are hot, sulphureous, and continually burning, they are made hot, from whence bathes arise: for there are in the bowells of the earth places, in which nature distills, and sepa[pg 93]rates a sulphureous mine, where, by the centrall fire it is kindled. the water running through these burning places, according to the neernesse or remotenesse are more or lesse hot, and so breaks forth into the superficies of the earth, and retains the tast of sulphur, as all broth doth of the flesh, that is boiled in it. after the same manner it is, when water passing through places where are mineralls, as copper, allum, doth acquire the savour of them. such therefore is the distiller, the maker of all things, in whose hands is this distillatory, according to the example of which all distillations have been invented by philosophers; which thing the most high god himself out of pity, without doubt, hath inspired into the sons of men: and he can, when it is his holy will, either extinguish the centrall fire, or break the vessell, and then there will be an end of all. but since his goodnesse doth intend the bettering of all things, hee will at length exalt his most sacred majesty, and raise up higher the purest fire of all, which is higher then the waters of the heavens which are above the firmament, and will give it a stronger degree of heat then the centrall fire, that all the waters may bee exhaled up into the aire, and the earth be calcined, and so the fire, all the impurity being consumed, will make the waters of the purified earth, being circulated in the aire, to be more subtile, and will (if wee may thus speak in a way of philosophy) make a world much more excellent.

therefore let all the searchers of this art know, that the earth, and water make one globe, and being together make all things, because they are tangible elements, in which the other two being hid doe[pg 94] work. the fire preserves the earth, that it bee not drowned, or dissolved: the aire preserves the fire that it bee not extinguished: the water preserves the earth that it bee not burnt. it seemed good to us to describe these things, as conducing to our purpose, that the studious may know, in what things the foundations of the elements consist, and how philosophers have observed their contrary actings; joining fire with earth, and aire with water: although when they would doe any excellent thing, they have boiled fire in water, considering that one blood is purer then another, as a tear is purer then urine. let that therefore suffice which we have spoken, viz. that the element of water is the sperm, and menstruum of the world, as also the receptacle of the seed.