There are four Elements, and original grounds of all things—Fire, Earth, Water, Air—of which all elemented inferior physical bodies are compounded not by way of combining them up together but by transmutation and union and when they are destroyed they are reduced and reformed into Elements. For there is none of the touchable and reelable Elements by senses that is pure, but they are more or less mixed, and available to be changed one into the other: Even as Earth becoming dirty, and being dissolved, becomes Water, and the same being made thick and hard, becomes Earth again; but being evaporated through heat, passing into Air, then passing into Fire; and this being extinguished, returns back again into Air but being cooled again after its burning, becomes Earth, or Stone, or Sulphur, and this is manifested by Lightning.
Plato(pbuh) also was of that opinion, that Earth was as a whole changeable, and that the rest of the Elements are changed, as such so into one another successively.
The opinion of some Philosophers is that Earth is not changed, but relented and mixed with other Elements, which do dissolve it, and that it returns back into itself again.
Now, every one of the Elements has two specific qualities—the former ones from it retains as proper to itself
In the other as a mean, it agrees with that which comes next after it.
For Fire is hot and dry, the Earth dry and cold, the Water cold and moist, the Air moist and hot.
And so after this manner the Elements, according to two contrary qualities, are contrary one to the other, as Fire to Water, and Earth to Air.
The Elements are on another account opposite to one another:
For some are heavy, as Earth and Water
and others are light, as Air and Fire.
In which the Earth and Water are called passives
but the Air and Fire are called actives.
And yet once again, Plato distinguishes them in another manner, and assigns to every one of them three qualities, :
to the Fire brightness, thinness and motion
but to the Earth darkness, thickness and quietness.
And according to these qualities the Elements of Fire and Earth are contrary. But the other Elements borrow their qualities from these, so that the Air receives two qualities of the Fire, thinness and motion, and one of the Earth: darkness.
Water receives two qualities of the Earth, darkness and thickness, and one of Fire: motion.
But Fire is twice more thin than Air, thrice more movable, and four times more bright; and the Air is twice more bright, thrice more thin, and four times more movable than Water. Wherefore Water is twice more bright than Earth, thrice more thin, and four times more movable.
As therefore the Fire is to the Air, so Air is to the Water, and Water to the Earth; and again, as the Earth is to the Water, so is the Water to the Air, and the Air to the Fire. And this is the root and foundation of all bodies, natures, virtues and magical works and he who shall know these qualities of the Elements, and their mixtions and combinations shall easily perform wonderful magical and astonishing operations and shall be perfect in Magic.
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Plato(pbuh) also was of that opinion, that Earth was as a whole changeable, and that the rest of the Elements are changed, as such so into one another successively.
The opinion of some Philosophers is that Earth is not changed, but relented and mixed with other Elements, which do dissolve it, and that it returns back into itself again.
Now, every one of the Elements has two specific qualities—the former ones from it retains as proper to itself
In the other as a mean, it agrees with that which comes next after it.
For Fire is hot and dry, the Earth dry and cold, the Water cold and moist, the Air moist and hot.
And so after this manner the Elements, according to two contrary qualities, are contrary one to the other, as Fire to Water, and Earth to Air.
The Elements are on another account opposite to one another:
For some are heavy, as Earth and Water
and others are light, as Air and Fire.
In which the Earth and Water are called passives
but the Air and Fire are called actives.
And yet once again, Plato distinguishes them in another manner, and assigns to every one of them three qualities, :
to the Fire brightness, thinness and motion
but to the Earth darkness, thickness and quietness.
And according to these qualities the Elements of Fire and Earth are contrary. But the other Elements borrow their qualities from these, so that the Air receives two qualities of the Fire, thinness and motion, and one of the Earth: darkness.
Water receives two qualities of the Earth, darkness and thickness, and one of Fire: motion.
But Fire is twice more thin than Air, thrice more movable, and four times more bright; and the Air is twice more bright, thrice more thin, and four times more movable than Water. Wherefore Water is twice more bright than Earth, thrice more thin, and four times more movable.
As therefore the Fire is to the Air, so Air is to the Water, and Water to the Earth; and again, as the Earth is to the Water, so is the Water to the Air, and the Air to the Fire. And this is the root and foundation of all bodies, natures, virtues and magical works and he who shall know these qualities of the Elements, and their mixtions and combinations shall easily perform wonderful magical and astonishing operations and shall be perfect in Magic.
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