Of Cures PhyfkaJ, Lib. I, 



not able to be difcerned by any fenfible Eye whatfoever. l.aftly, it Is 

 the laft part of Atomy or that thing which is made or proceedeth from 

 it. 



Now of thefe Elements which are the ufual firft Movers, or beginners 

 of all moving things, there are only four in Number, that is to fay, Fire, 

 Air^ Water, and Earth ^ meaning not that Fire, Air^ Water, and Earth, 

 which is here vifible with us beneath, and which through the groifnefs 

 thereof is both palpable and to be difcerned •, but thofe which are a- 

 mounted aloft, and through their Purity invifible and concealed from 

 us, (for the other are compounded Bodies, and not fimple.) And of thefe 

 perfe^^ and diftinu; Elements you iliall know that the Fire is the higheft, 

 as being fixed or joyned next unto the Moon, being hot and dry, yet jia- 

 turally exceeding, or being mofi: predominant, or ruling in Heat. 



The Air is placed next unto Fire, and is naturally light and hot ^ yet 

 his predominant or chief Qjaality is moift. 



TheVVaterh'pyc-ed. unto the Air, the difpofit ion thereof being heavy 

 and moift: but his Predominant or chief Quality only cold. 



Laftly, The H^rf/j adjoyned to the Water, is the low ell: •, anditismofi 

 heavy and cold ^ but the Predominant or chief Quality thereof is only 

 drineis- ,, , ^ 



Now for theV iitues, Properties, and Operations of .thefe four- Ele- 

 ments, you fliall uiiderfland, that firft the KV^, by means of his {ieat, 

 movcth Tvlatter to Generation, ^vA fiirreth up Warmth, in all living 

 Things-, it is that which the Phylolbphers call //^ftTo^^??^^, vv'hich is in 

 the mixt Bodies to feparate things of divers Rinds one fi'om another, 

 and alfo to joyn things of like Kinds together, whicli they .likewiie call 

 Homogcnea. For by Virtue of the Fire, the Bones of tlorfes are fepa- 

 rated from the Fiefh, the Fleili from the Sinews, the Sinews from the 

 Veins, the Veins from the Arteries, the Heart from the Liver, tlie Liver 

 from the Spleen, and fo forth in fuch fort as we fee the divers Parts of 

 the Fuel we bum, by the Virtue of the Fire and Heat to be feparated, 

 and divided omt from another ^ as the Vapour from the Smoak, the Smoak 

 from the Flame, and the Flame from the Aihes, as In thefe thirigs, fo in 

 many other things, as in the Tryal of Metals and fuch like, where the 

 Fire by Virtue of the Heat leparateth the Body from Body, that is. 

 Metal from Metal, and Corruption from Incorruption, gathering and 

 knitting together every thing of one and the fe if fame kind. Befide? 

 the virtue of the Fire, is to ripen, order and digefr things raw and undi- 

 gefted, mingling the dry with the moift, and opening the Fores, that the 

 Air being fomewhat more Iblid and grois, may enter into the Body : And 

 lafllv, it breaketh and moderateth the coldnefs o^ the Water and the 

 Earth, fo that it may not diftemper or confound the Body. 



Touch- 



