Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

¶Of the foure qualities Elemen∣tarie. Chap. 1.

ELements there are foure, & so there be foure qualities of Elements, of the which euery bodie that hath a soule, is composed and made, as of matter. And namely mans bodie, that is noblest a∣mong all the Elements, and most nobly ordeined among all things, that be com∣posed

[illustration]

and made of diuerse thinges, as it that is assigned to y^e proper instrument, or organe of the reasonable soule, in his works, as well of kinde as of will. So mans bodie is made of foure Elements, that is to wit, of Earth, Water, Fire, & Aire: euery seuerall hath his proper qua∣lities. Foure be called the first and prin∣cipall qualityes, that is heate, cold, drie, & moist: they be called the first qualities, because they slide first from the Ele∣ments into the things that be made of Elements. They be also called the prin∣cipall qualities: for of them come all the secundarie effects. Two of these qualy∣tyes be called Actiue, able to worke hot, and coldnesse. The other two bée drye and wetnesse, and be called Passiue, able to suffer. And so as these qualyties preuaile and haue maisterie, the Ele∣ments be called Actiue and Passiue a∣ble to do y&e suffer. The first two be prin∣cipally called Actiue, not because they worke alone, for the Passiue qualityes worke also: for there is none idle qua∣litye in the bodie: But therefore they be called Actiue, for by the working of them the other be brought in & kept and saued. For heate sometime bringeth in and kéepeth moistnesse, and somtime dri∣nes, as it is séene in salt flesh. For y^e beat of the Salt dissolueth the parts that bée earthly, watry, and airebrand so by stac∣kening and softening of the heate is in∣duced moistnesse: Heate bringeth in dri∣nesse, for the heate working in moyst∣nesse dissolueth it first, and when it is dissolued consumeth it. And so drinesse which is the first of heat is induced, and also kept. Then heate is the qualitie of Elements most Actiue, as it séeneth by y^e effect thereof, while it worketh on anye thing, First it dissolueth the parts ther∣of, the which when they be dissolued, the thing is made féebler, that was stronger, by the ioyning togethers of the partes. And therefore the act of the thing that worketh, maketh lesse resistaunce. Also heate is the subtile, worker of all that is ingendered, and the cause effec∣tuall principally of the whole Genera∣tion. Heat is of two manner wise, heate of the Sunne, or heauenlye, gendering. And this heate gendereth and saueth. And therefore sometime Frogges bée gendered in the Ayre by the heate of heauen. That other heate, is the heate of the Elementes, and gendered: and this heate corrupteth and destroyeth, as when the Beames of lyght com∣meth togethers in a certaine point of a cleere bodye. As if the Beames were compound in a mirrour, there might be kindled and burned cloth or such lyke, by the rebounding of the Beames. Al∣so it bringeth and leadeth the neather thinges to the ouer. For making moo∣uing from the middle to the vttermost, it dissolueth and turneth what is earth∣lye into watrye, and watrye into aire∣ly, and airelye into firie. And so bring∣eth the neather and the middle into the ouer. Also it softeneth and maketh soft things that bée harde. For working in great boistous substaunce, mollisteth it dissoluing: as it is séene in mettall that melteth with heate: For dissoluing earthlye thinges into watrye, maketh them tender. Also softe thinges and fléeting it maketh it harde, as it is séene in an Egge that is roasted.* 1.1 For when the moyst and most subtill partes bée wasted awaye, it maketh harde the earthlye partes that abide. And so the Egge waxeth hards: and harde and thicke thinges it maketh subtille, while it mooueth from the middle to the vt∣termost partes, by his strength it dis∣solueth and dealeth the thing that it worketh in, and maketh it couenable and agréeable to his working. While it trauayleth to make a thing simple, it must néedes make it subtill, for the simplenesse of a boystous thing, is the subtilnesse that commeth in, by withdrawing of fastnesse and thicknesse of partes: as it is séene in Ise,* 1.2 that is made subtill when it is thawed by ••ente. Also heate by his vertue clean∣seth mettalles, and destroyeth the ruste thereof, and other filth. For work∣ing in the substaunce of the same met∣tall dissolueth it. And if it findeth a∣nye thing of drosse, eyther of ruste, it departeth and destroyeth it. If if bée an•• Golde, the strength of the heate

melteth it, but it is not destroyed. For fine golde though it melt with heate, yet it looseth nothing of his weight. Also heate accidently corrupteth, as it hap∣peneth, when it dissolueth more then it wasteth, then the humours rot and bee corrupted. As it fareth in a wet moowe of wheate, where the heate closed therin, resolueth and dealeth the water into smoake. And the smoak holden close in, softneth the graines, and rotteth and cor∣rupteth it. Also heate maketh kindlye heauy things light. For when the moy∣sture is wasted by heate, the weight is the lesse. And so the substance of y^e thing is made more light. And by heat work∣ing in moysture, smoake is gendered, the which smoake is made light & purged, & turneth into a subtil & light substance of aire, and maketh the thing that it is in the more light. And therefore it is, that the bodyes of beasts that be aliue, are farre more lighter then the bodyes of beasts that be dead, through the heat and spirit that is conteined in the organes & vaines: and so bodies of beasts be lighter after meat, thē afore, for comfort of heat. Also it happeneth, that with working, heate maketh things heauie. For wor∣king in the substaunce of a thing, it con∣sumeth & wasteth the most subtil & light parts: & grose & ponderous parts abide. And then the thing is more sadde, fast; and also the more heauie. Also by ope∣ning of small holes & pores, by strength of the heate, the spirits be drawen out, by whose absence the bodie is made lighter, and by presence of them the bo∣dy is the more heauier. Also heate gen∣dereth beautie and red coulour. For hee working in y^e matter, resolueth y^e earth∣ly parts, and turneth them into watrye, and into airely, & firely. And then firely parts inclose the vttermost parts of the thing, & giueth it a likenes. And so firely coulours that is red, be gendered as it is seene in roses. Wherfore when by heat, hot humours be multiplied in the body, or in the heart, then by spreding of these hot humours in the vttermost parts of the bodie, red coulour is increased. Also it happeneth that heate discouloureth a thing. For by heate opening the pores, humors and spirits goe out and vanish. Whose presence causeth good coulour, & by their absence coulour is lost: Then discoulour is gendered, as it is seene in a red rose, that waxeth white in the smoak of Brimstone. And if heat be strong, it slaieth kindlye. For while the last mo∣uing worketh in the substaunce, at last it dissolueth it, and in dissoluing destroy∣eth it at the end. And it happeneth that heate saueth the lyfe: for by heate that giueth mouing to the heart and to the spirites, the spirites be restored in the bodie. And the foode is equally dispear∣sed into the lims, and so the bodie hath lyfe.

Then of this that is saide, gather thou, that heate is an Element in pro∣pertie most able to work, most pearcing, most moueable to moue, gendred of mo∣uing of beames, and multiplyeth it selfe, and commeth to other, and chaungeth into his owne likenesse things that hée worketh in. And giueth lyfe to thinges that be dead and destroyed with colde,* 1.3 & renueth them: as it is séene in rootes & plants, that die in the winter colde, and reliuen in the heate and springing time. Heate bringeth the neather thing to the ouer, and draweth and destroieth super∣fluities, and clenseth filth and hoarnesse. And in diuerse matters it worketh di∣uerse effects, and sometime contraryes. And therefore now it maketh thin and soft, and melteth, and openeth, and re∣turneth: Now it maketh thicke & hard, and constraineth and maketh to shrink, and it stoppeth, and saueth: and now it destroieth. And by his vertue it chaung∣eth sauours. For heat chaungeth sowre things and sharpe, into swéete, as it is seene in fruites, and in grapes. Also pas∣sing great heate turneth swéete thinges into bitter and salt. For by passing great heat burning the bloud, the bloud tour∣neth into Colera. And by greate heate, water by strong séething, consuming partes ayrely, and the earth remaining, the water turneth into substannce of Salt. And heat defieth and séetheth rawe things, and ripeth gréene things, & ma∣keth fruit ripe. Therefore in hot Coun∣tryes fruit so sooner ripe then in colde,

and also more swéete. And heate bring∣eth forth matter, and shape lykenesses that be hidde in the matters, as in small beasts and wormes. For by working of heate, golde, siluer, and other mettals be brought forth of stones, and be beautifi∣ed in a more noble shape. And by heate that dissolueth and cleanseth ashes, the ashes turne to glasse: And so it appea∣reth, that heate of aire and of kinde is minister and seruaunt. For by meane of heate the noblest shapes and likenesses as well of kinde as of craft, that be hid, commeth forth in act and in déede. Also heate t••••t is printed in the aire, gende∣reth raine: and clowdes, thundering and lightening, and dew, and other such. For by the vertue thereof that worketh and draweth diuerse vapours, drie & moist, be drawen vp to diuers places and regi∣ons of the aire, the which gathered to∣gether into clowdes, and the heate inclo∣sed altereth and chaungeth them into di∣uerse kindes, which at length it dissol∣ueth: and béeing dissolued, some into Snowe, some into Hails, and some into raine, sprinckleth them all about into the earth. And heate raiseth the bodie that it is in; from the middle to the ouermost roundnesse, as it is some in the Ele∣ments, in the which heate hath the ma∣sterie: as in the Ayre & in the fire, that is farthest from the middle of the earth. And also this is séene in Oyle, that flée∣teth and swimmeth alone, and in all other things, in which heate hath ma∣sterie. Also it sheweth the disposition and qualitie of the body that it is in. As appeareth in the bodye, that heate hath the masterie ouer. For as Constantinus sayth, lib••r. ••. cha. 16. If the body be hot, then is much slash, and little fatnesse, redde coulour, much haire blacke or redde, hotte touching, good vnderstan∣ding, a man of great facun••••itie, a quicke goer, vardye, wrathfull, louelye, leche∣rous and desiring much, and hastelye defien••••, or of good digestion, of sharpe voyce, shamefast, of strong and swifte pulse, Constant sheweth these signes, and many other, by the which an hot bodye is knowne. This sufficeth at this time that is spoken of the proper∣tie of heate.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of an Egge.
• * 1.2

  Of Ise.
• * 1.3

  As also of flies that be reui∣ued by y^e heat of the Sun.