W ater is the heaviest Element, full of unctuous flegme, and it is an Element more worthy in its quality then the Earth, without, volatile, but within fixed, it is cold, and moist, and tempered with the aire: it is the sperm of the world, in which the seed of all things is kept: it is the keeper of the seed of every thing. Yet wee must know, that the Seed is one thing, and the Sperme another: the Earth is the receptacle of the Sperme, but Water is the receptacle of the Seed. Whatsoever the Aire doth distill into the Water, by means of the fire, the same doth the water convey to the Earth. Sometimes the sperme lackes sufficiency of seed, for want of heat which should digest it; for there is alwayes plenty of Sperm, expecting Seed, which by the[Pg 86] imagination of fire through the motion of the Aire it carryes into its matrix: and sometimes there being lack of Seed, the Sperme enters, but it goeth forth againe without fruit: but of this more at large hereafter in the third Treatise of Principles, viz. in that of Salt. It happens sometimes in Nature, that the Sperme enters into the matrix with a sufficiency of Seed; but the matrix being indisposed, by reason of being filled with offensive, sulphureous, & flegmatick vapors, doth not conceive, neither doth that come to passe that should. Also nothing is properly in this Element, but only as it is wont to bee in the Sperm. It is delighted chiefly in its own motion, which is made by the Aire, and it is apt to mixe with things by reason of its superficiall, volatile body. It is, as wee said before, the receptacle of all manner of Seed: in it the Earth is easily purified, and resolved; and the Aire is congealed in it, and is joined with it radically. It is the menstruum of the world, which penetrating the Aire, by means of heat, drawes along with it selfe a warm vapour, which causeth a naturall generation of those things, which the Earth, as a matrix is impregnated withall, and when the matrix receives a due proportion of Seed, of what kind soever, it proceeds, and Nature workes without intermission to the end; but the remaining moisture, or Sperme falls to the side, and by vertue of the heat in the Earth is putrefied (that which is cast to the side) and of that afterwards are generated other things, as small vermine, and wormes. The Artificer of a quicke wit may indeed see in this Element, as it were out of Sperme, divers wonders of Nature; but it will be needfull to take that Sperm, in which the Astrall[Pg 87] Seed in a certaine proportion is already imagined, or conceived; because Nature makes, and produceth pure things by the first putrefaction, but by the second farre more pure, worthy, and noble; as thou hast an example in wood, which is vegetable, where in the first composition Nature maketh wood, but when that is after maturity corrupted, it is putrefied, and of it worms are bred, and such kind of vermine as they are, which have both life, and sight: for it is manifest, that a sensible thing is alwaies more worthy then a vegetable: for to the organs of sensible things much more subtile, and purer matter is required: But to return to our purpose.
This Element is the Menstruum of the world, and is divided into three sorts, viz. pure, purer, and most pure. Of the most pure substance of it the Heavens are created, the purer is resolved into Aire, but the pure, plaine, and grosse remains in its sphere, and by divine appointment, and operation of Nature doth preserve and keep every thing that is subtile. It makes one globe together with the Earth: it hath also its Center in the heart of the Sea: it hath one axell tree and pole with the earth, by which all courses, and fountaines of water issue forth, which afterward increase, and grow up into great rivers. By these issuing forth of waters the Earth is preserved from burnings, and with this moistning the universall Seed is carryed forth through the pores of the whole Earth, which thing is caused through heat, and motion. Now it is manifest that all courses of Waters return into the heart of the Sea; but whither afterward they run is not known to every body. There be some that think that all rivers, water, and springs[Pg 88] which have their course into the sea, do proceed from the stars, who, when they know no other reason why the sea should not increase, and bee fuller, by reason of them, say that these Waters are consumed in the heart of the sea. But this Nature will not admit of, as wee have shewed when we spake of the Rain. The stars indeed cause, but doe not generate Water; seeing nothing is generated but in its owne like of the same species: Now the Stars consist of Fire, and Aire; how then should they generate Waters? And if it were so, that some Starre should generate Waters, then necessarily also must others generate Earth, and also others other Elements: because this fabrick of the world is so upheld by the four Elements, that one may not exceed another in the least particle, but they strive one with the other in an equall ballance; for otherwise if one should exceed the other, destruction would ensue. Yet let every one persevere in what opinion hee please, it is thus shewed to us by the light of Nature, that this fabrick of the world is preserved by these four Elements, their equality being proportioned by the great God, and one doth not exceed the other in its operation. But the Waters upon the basis of the Earth are contained as it were in some vessell from the motion of the Aire, and towards the Articke pole are by it constringed, because there is no vacuum, or vacuity in the world: for this cause is there in the Center of the Earth the fire of hell, which the Archeus of Nature doth govern.
For in the beginning of the Creation of the world, the great and good God out of the confused Chaos, in the first place exalted the quintessence of the Ele[Pg 89]ments, & that is made the utmost bound of all things: then he lifted up the most pure substance of fire above all things, to place his most Sacred Majesty in, and set and established it in its bound. In the Center of the chaos (by the good pleasure of Gods infinite wisdom) that Fire was kindled, which afterward did distil those most pure waters. But because now that most pure fire hath obtained the place of the Firmament, together with the throne of the most high God, the waters are condensed under that Fire: and that they might be the more strongly fortified, & setled, the fire that is grosser then the former, was then raised (this by means of the Centrall Fire) and remained in the sphere of Fire under the Waters: and so the Waters are congealed, and shut up betwixt two Fires in the heavens. But that Centrall Fire never ceaseth, but distilling more Waters, and those lesse pure, did resolve them into Aire, which also abides under the sphere of Fire in its proper sphere, and is enclosed by the Element of Fire, as with a sure, and strong foundation; and as the Waters of the Heavens, cannot goe beyond that supercelestiall Fire, so the Element of Fire cannot go beyond the Waters of the Heavens, neither can the Aire go beyond, or be exalted above the Element of Fire. As for the Water, and the Earth, they remained in one globe, because they have no place in the Aire, except that part of the Water, which the Fire doth resolve into Aire, for the daily fortifying of this fabricke of the world. For if there had been a vacuity in the Aire, then all the Waters had distilled, and been resolved into Aire: but now the sphere of the Aire is full, and is alwaies filled through the distilling Water............