xin THALES* MISTAKES 125 



by Thales is a silly one. The whole earth, he says, 

 is upborne by water, and floats just like a boat ; 

 when it is spoken of as trembling, it is rolling by 

 the movement of the water. It is no wonder, then, 

 that there should be abundance of water to pour 

 forth in rivers, since the world is itself wholly set 

 in water. You should put out of court such an 

 antiquated, unscientific idea. There is no ground 

 for believing that the water comes in through the 

 chinks in the earth's sides, and forms bilge-water 

 in her centre. 



XIV 



THE Egyptians have recognised four elements also ; 

 and they then form each into two, male and female. 

 The atmosphere they consider male where it is 

 windy, female where it is cloudy and sluggish. 

 They call the sea manly water, every other kind of 

 water they call womanly. Fire they call masculine 

 where a flame is burning, and feminine where there 

 is a glow that is harmless to touch. The firmer 

 kinds of earth, such as boulders and crags, they call 

 male, reserving the term female for the parts that 

 are amenable to cultivation. 



XV 



THERE is but one sea, which has so existed no doubt 

 from the beginning of things. It has sources of its 

 own, from which its impulses and tides are derived. 

 As with the raging sea, so with this gentler kind of 

 water, there is a vast supply 1 in secret, which no 



1 All the texts give via = -way. The obvious correction is vts = amount, 

 supply. Gercke confirms this correction. 



