¶INCIPIT LIBER DECIMVS NO∣NVS. (Book 19)
DE COLORIBVS.
FOrasmuch, as the properties be expressed of spiritual thīgs and bodelye, both of simple and compow∣ned, as is sayd before, now at ye last of some accidents that followe the substaunce of bodely things, by the help & grace of our Lord, héere we shal treate of, and first of Colour,* 1.1 secondly of Odour,* 1.2 and thirdlye of Sauour,* 1.3 and lastly of Licour.* 1.4
Colour is called in Latine Color, & hath that name, as Isi. saith in li. 18. for it is made perfect by heate of the fire, or by cléernes of ye Sun: or els it hath that name Color of Colendo, drieng & clean∣sing, for colours be dried and cleansed to make them full subtil and cléere, and al∣so cleane: and colours commeth of kind, or are made by crafte, but héereof looke héereafter De coloribus. Aristotle in li. Meth. saith, that colour is the vttermost part of a cléere thing in a bodye that is determined, for the vtter part of a bode∣ly thing, that sight sheweth is the diuer∣sitie of colours, that it taketh by kinde of medling and mastrie of Elements in a bodye that is compouned: For when a cléere thing and bright, medled by ac∣tuall ioyning of light, shineth vpon the vtter part of a cléere bodye and bright, then colour sheweth and presenteth that vtter part to the sight. And therfore Se∣cundo de Anima, Arist. saith, that cou∣lour chaungeth in sight, and giueth ther∣to a likenesse by working of lyght: for light is the perfection of cléere things & bright, for it bringeth the kinde of cou∣lour that is medled in a body kindly by mastrie of some elements, to chaunging and déede of perfection of the sight: For though colour be essentially and kindly a medled body, yet hath colour no might to shew himselfe, but by light that shi∣neth actually therevpon, and so alway to shew himselfe colour néedeth light, but light to shew it selfe néedeth no colour, as colour néedeth light that shineth in déede, to print thereby the qualytie of the coulour, in the line of the sight.
Therefore some men meane, that the reason of thinges séene, is rooted and shapen in lyght, that is, expresseth their beautie by the lyght: for if light lacketh and faulteth, the qualytie of coulour is not séene.