34 



every man is a stone ; therefore every man is an animal, 

 the conclusion is true, hut not scientific. 



Note to p. 14. Ocellus is wrong in ascribing two powers 

 only to each of the elements, instead of three, as is clearly 

 shown by Proclus, in the following extract from his admi- 

 rable Commentary on the Timaeus of Plato, " There are 

 some physiologists (says he) who ascribe one power to each 

 of the elements; to fire indeed heat, to air frigidity, to 

 water moisture, and to earth dryness ; in so doing, entirely 

 wandering from the truth. In the first place, because they 

 subvert the world and order. For it is impossible for things 

 to be co-adapted to each other, when they possess the most 

 contrary powers, unless they have something in common. In 

 the next place, they make the most contrary natures allied 

 to each other, viz. the hot to the cold, and the moist to the 

 dry *. It is necessary, however, to make, things which are 

 hostile more remote than things which are less foreign. 

 For such is the nature of contraries. In the third place, 

 therefore, the first two powers will have no sympathy what- 

 ever with the rest, but will be divulsedf from each other. 

 For it is impossible to say what is common to humidity and 

 frigidity. And in addition to all these things, as the ele- 

 ments are solids, they will not be conjoined to each other by 

 any medium. It has however been shown that it is not pos- 

 sible for solids to be conjoined through one medium. Nor 

 can they be conjoined without a medium. For this is alone 

 the province of things that are perfectly without interval. 



" But some others, as Ocellus, who was the precursor of 

 Timaeus, attribute two powers to each of the elements; to 



* For <ro tvuvriuvetTK here, read rot. tvavriurarct, and for rq 

 fagftov <rtp "^t>^u t read TO Sigpov, x. r. >.. 

 f- For Kiryiprnfjt.tvat, in this place, I read 



