L. VIVES.
A Fifth (a) body] But Aristotle frees the soule from all corporeall beeing, as you may read De anima, lib. 1. disputing against Democritus, Empedocles, Alcm•…•…on, Plato and Xenocra∣tes. But indeed, Plato teaching that the soule was composed of celestiall fire taken from the starres, and with-all, that the starres were composed of the elementary bodies, made Aristotle thinke (else-where) that it was of an elementary nature as well as the starres whence it was taken. But in this hee mistooke him-selfe and miss-vnderstood his maister. But indeed Saint Augustine in this place taketh the opinion of Aristotle from Tully (for Aristotles bookes were rare, and vntranslated as then) who saith that hee held their soule to bee quintam na∣turam, which Saint Augustine calleth quintum corpus, a fifth body, seuerall from the elemen∣tary compounds. But indeede it is a question whether Aristotle hold the soule to bee corpo∣reall or no, hee is obscure on both sides, though his followers •…•…old that it is absolutely incor∣poreall, as wee hold generally at this day. And Tullyes words were cause both of Saint Au∣gustines miss-prision, and like-wise set almost all the Grecians both of this age and the last, against him-selfe, for calling the soule 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, whereas they say Aristotle calleth it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, habitio perfecta, and not motio pere•…•…nis, as Tullyes word implieth. But alas, why should Tully be so baited for so small an error? O let vs bee ashamed to vpbraide the father of Latine eloquence with any misprision, for his errors are generally more learned then our labours!