Page 18 - Paracelsus Three Books of Philosophy

or of its substance. Water may burn and flame as well as any thing else, and if it burn,
then is it watery fire. Again, whereas the fire of earth will burn and blaze, it is not
therefore to be accounted fiery, though it be somewhat like to fire. He is but a silly and
sensual philosopher that calls the element according to that which he perceives. Thus
rather should he think, that the element itself is far another thing than such a fire as
this. And for what cause? All that moistens is not the element of water. Even the
element of earth may be brought into water, yet it remains earth still. Whatsoever,
likewise is in the earth, is of the element of earth. For it is, and is known by the
property of that out of which it proceeded, and to which it is like. A man may strike
fire out of a flint and chalcedony. That is not the elemental fire, but a strong expression
out of great hardness.

The element of the air hath many procreations in it, all which are yet mere air.
Every philosopher should well understand this, that no element can beget another thing
out of itself but that which is of itself. Like ever begets its like. So then, seeing the air
is invisible, it can bring nothing visible out of itself. And whereas it is impalpable, it can
produce nothing that may be touched. Therefore (as I may say so) it doth melosinate.
And though that be from the air, yea be the very air, and nothing else, yet the
conjunction is made in another element, which is the earth. For here may a conjunction
be made from the air to a man, as it cometh to pass by spirits in all witchcrafts and
enchantments. The same may be said here as was of the Nymphs, who though they
live in the element of water, and are nothing but water, yet have the freedom to
converse with things on the earth, and to generate with them. The like compaction also
is there from the air, which may be seen and felt; yet as a procreation of the first
separation, but only as a consequence. For as a beetle is bred of dung, so may a
monster of the airy element assume a bodily shape with airy words, thoughts and
deeds, by a mixture with that which is earthy. Nevertheless such kind of miracles and
consequences do at last decay again into the air, as Nymphs turn into water, just as a
man by rotting is consumed and turned to earth, because he came from thence.

And thus the procreations proceeded one out of another by the great separation.
From those procreations arose other generations, which have their mysteries in those
procreations, not in like manner as the separation of the things aforesaid, but as a
mistake, or abortion, or excess. Thunder comes from the procreations of the
firmament, because that consists of the element of fire. Thunder is as it were the
harvest of the stars at that very instant of time when it was ready to work according to
its nature; magical tempests rise out of the air, and there end: not as if the element of
air begot them, but rather the spirit of the air. The fire conceives some things bodily, as

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