Two Treatises on the Nature of the Elements and the Fifth Essence

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ON THE ELEMENTS (DE ELEMENTIS).

…we might more perfectly contemplate the splendor of His eternal light, and love Him, since we were created most perfect. Thus in a fourfold manner God (Deus) divided His works into Fire (Ignem), Air (Aërem), Water (Aquam), and Earth (Terram). Each one of these is distinguished by its own virtues (virtutibus), according to the measure and proportion of its own subtlety (subtilitatis). Fire excels the rest, possessing a more excellent power, by which it can impart to the others a splendor rivalling its own. There is nothing to which it does not grant life. Without it, most things are dead, as we experience daily, but especially in winter. Behold this Element (Elementum), how laboriously it illuminates the Air! and leads it to a similar brightness (claritatem), dispelling all darkness from it. In this way it makes manifest how great an obscurity the air was previously oppressed by. Furthermore, it purges the same from all excrementitious humor (humore excrementitio) and earthly fumes. It also renders it free from thickness, and brings it about that through its subtlety it can penetrate even the most solid things. To speak briefly, Fire renders the air similar to itself in every respect, so that even scarcely any [...] between

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