THE ASSEMBLY

elements, of the same essence, that is, of the same matter, yet of different forms—that is, simple qualities—which are converted into one another. From these, once created, He thereafter created all things, both of the high things and the low, because it was necessary for creatures to be drawn from a certain root from which they might multiply to inhabit the world. Therefore, before all things, God created the four elements, from which He afterwards created whatever He willed: namely, various natures, some of which He created from one element.

The ASSEMBLY original: "T V R B A"; refers to the Turba Philosophorum or the "Assembly of the Philosophers," an influential early Latin alchemical text presented as a transcript of a meeting of pre-Socratic philosophers. says: Which are those things, Master, which the sublime God created from one?

And he replied: They are the Angels, whom God created from fire.

The ASSEMBLY asked: Which things are created from two?

And he replied: From two were created the Sun, the Moon, and the stars—namely, from air and fire. Therefore, Angels are more brilliant than the Sun, Moon, and stars, because they were created from a single unique thing, which is the fourth and the rarest rarest: Latin 'rarissimum', meaning the most subtle, least dense, or most spiritual form of matter of all; the Sun, however, the Moon, and the stars were created from a composition of fire and air.

The Assembly said: And from what comes the creation of the heavens?

And he replied: God created the heaven from water and air; thus the heaven is also composed of two: namely, from one of the thinner things, which is air, and one of the denser things, which is water.

And they said: Master, complete your discourse, and speak of those things made from three.

And he said: From three elements God created