Book on the Universe

3

SEV DE COSMOGR.

who are first in order and celestial aspect. Thus, we shall seem to teach not only through the cause, but because of the cause.

On the origin of heaven, and its influence and parts.

The world having been founded in His Ideas before all things, impressed upon the active and passive intellect, such that the world is contemporary to God in created wisdom while the order of the condition depending on God is preserved, the mass of the world rose up little by little from the prima materia first matter into that quantity which we behold. The most subtle extremity of the first matter, therefore, despoiled and purified of its corrupting accidents, was elevated into the mass of the ten celestial spheres. The mass of the four elements remained wrapped in corrupting accidents. Fire was carried thither, being in one part more subtle than itself in the elemental order, air twice as much, water three times, and earth four times more subtle, rarer, thinner, and more purified than itself. And thus from the four elements, ten celestial spheres arose, which are not only like the form of the world, but each individual has its own motive intelligences: by whose will the influence of the individual heavens becomes unequal, whence the diversity of the regions of the world in the same parallel. For in the same celestial reasoning, India is most fortunate, Ethiopia is sandy and unfortunate. And again, Beru and the new world are most fortunate. Of the ten heavens, the first seven have it thus. The Moon, as also the other six orbs of the planets, moves from setting to rising, completing its orbit in 27 days, but returning to conjunction with the sun on the 30th day. Nogah Venus, Cocab Mercury, and the sun complete their orbit in an annual course. Maadim Mars, which is the star of vehemence