NO TES B Y TRANSLA TOR 345 



into air (spiritusY while on p. 71, 1. 9, "the air (aer), which is 

 interchangeable with fire." Again, on p. 75, 1. 6, "When the 

 clouds have enclosed air" (spiritus); 1. 26, "atmosphere (aer) 

 shut up in a hollow cloud." A still more conclusive case, 

 though the passage is probably in other respects corrupt, occurs 

 in the last sentence of c. xxix. p. 77, where the first "air" is 

 sptritus, the second, a mere synonym or variant, is aer. 

 Cf. p. 187, 1. 27, and the passages cited below from pp. 245, 

 249, 251, 259, 260. 



The translator has little choice. He must follow his author, 

 and, where the latter makes a distinction, must endeavour to 

 reproduce it ; otherwise he must, as the author did, observe the 

 idiom of his own language. 



In accordance with this principle aer is usually translated 

 "atmosphere," and spiritus "air"; but circumstances have 

 rendered unavoidable a considerable number of exceptions. 



The discussion of phenomena in which air plays a part is 

 contained chiefly in Books II. and VI., and here the distinction 

 of terms in English has been, so far as practicable, maintained. 

 In Book II. "air" is a translation of aer about a dozen of 

 times out of a total of over fifty times that " air " occurs, and in 

 Book VI. about half a dozen out of a total of nearly seventy. 



The following is a list of the places in which " air " translates 

 aer: 



Book I. throughout. 



Book II. pp. 56, 11. 20, 21 ; 57, 11. 17, 22; 58, 1. 3; 59, 

 1. 26 ; 61, 1. 18 ; 66, 1. 12 ; 71, 1. 9; 72, 1. 22 ; 77, 1. 17 ; 98, 

 1. 26 ; 101, 1. 28. 



Book III. pp. 120, 11. 8, 9 (four times); 121, 11. 11-20 

 (five times); 123, '1. 28; 129, 1. 3; 134, 11. 26, 28; 135,!. i; 

 140, 1. 29. 



Book IV. pp. 176, 11. 6, 9; 184, 1. 2 ; 1 86, 1. 16. 



Book V. pp. 195, 1. 32 ; 196, 1. 7 ; 198, 1. 3 ; 199, 1. 16 ; 

 202, 1. 6 ; 205, 1. 1 1 ; 206, 1. 3 ; 211, 11. 14, 20. 



Book VI. pp. 245, 1. 28; 249, 1. 10 ; 251, 11. 8, 9; 259, 

 1. 7 ; 260, 11. 26, 29. 



Book VII. throughout, with three exceptions, viz. pp. 277, 

 1. 26 ; 279, 1. 16 ; 281, 1. 4. 



In a few cases " air " occurs as a more explicit representation 

 of a pronoun or an adjective which implies it : in these instances 

 the context is generally a sufficient guide. Spiritus, too, has 

 sometimes quite a different rendering, e.g. breath. 



On pp. in, 139, 152, "air" is used of a very slight breeze, 

 the very gentlest breath of wind, and represents aura a good 

 illustration of the ambiguity of language. 



