Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/46

ſtall, Beryll, and Pearls in the Shels of Fiſhes : and they are called airy, which ſwim upon the Water, and are ſpongious, as the Stones of a Sponge, the pumiſh Stone, and the Stone Sophus: and they are called fiery, out of which fire is extracted, or which are reſolved into Fire, or which are produced of Fire : as Thunderbolts, Fire-ſtones, and the Stone Aſbeſtus. Alſo amongſt Metals, Lead, and Silver are earthy; Quickſilver is wateriſh: Copper, and Tin are airy : and Gold, and Iron are fiery. In Plants alſo, the roots reſemble the Earth, by reaſon of their thickneſs: and the leaves, Water, becauſe of their juice: Flowers, the Aire, becauſe of their ſubtility, and the Seeds the Fire, by reaſon of their multiplying ſpirit. Beſides, they are called ſome hot, some cold, ſome moiſt, ſome dry, borrowing their names from the qualifies of the Elements. Amongſt Animals alſo, ſome are in compariſon of others earthy, and dwell in the bowels of the Earth, as Worms and Moles, and many other ſmall creeping Vermine : others are watery, as Fiſhes; others airy, which cannot live out of the Aire : others alſo are fiery, living in the Fire, as Salamanders, and Crickets, ſuch as are of a fiery heat, as Pigeons, Eſtriches, Lions, and ſuch as the wiſe man cals beaſts breathing Fire. Beſides, in Animals the Bones reſemble the Earth, Fleſh the Aire, the vital ſpirit the Fire, and the humors the Water. And theſe humors alſo partake of the Elements, for yellow choller is inſtead of Fire, blood inſtead of Aire, Flegme inſtead of Water, and black choller, or melancholy inſtead of Earth. And laſtly, in the Soul it ſelf, according to Auſtin, the underſtanding reſembles Fire, reaſon the Aire, imagination the Water, and the ſenſes the Earth. And theſe ſenſes alſo are divided amongſt themſelves by reaſon of the Elements, for the ſight is fiery, neither can it perceive without Fire, and Light : the hearing is airy, for a ſound is made by the ſtriking of the Aire; The ſmell, and taſt reſemble the Water, without the moiſture of which there is neither ſmell, nor taſt; and laſtly the feeling is wholly earthy, and taketh groſs bodies for its object. The actions alſo, and the operations of man are governed by the Elements. The Earth ſignifies a ſlow, and firm motion;