Book on the Universe

because Caesar’s calendar was diminished by 5 minutes and 26 seconds. Whence, from the year of the Lord 1545, there are 15 days to be intercalated, which individually grew over every 106 years. The Latins divide the hour into 60 minutes, but the Hebrews much more securely into 1080 parts for the sake of the ease of division into 1/2 (540), 1/3 (360), 1/4 (270), 1/5 (216), 1/6 (180), 1/9 (120); because of this, they preserve the best ratio of the lunar union with the equinox, from which we are now removed by 5 days. Thus, the Chaldean or golden number also must be restored by being five days higher than it is; and the Hebrew ratio of calculation must be observed, which is from the sacred scriptures and not from the Chaldeans.

On the Globe of Earth and Water, and on the Mutual Connection of the Elements.

Fire, in its own substance, reveals to us the nature of the four elements. For when it makes the inner parts of burnt things, and most especially of wood, black, it shows us the true color of the earth. For the color of earth is properly blackness. And because earth is most dry, fire makes it pure, and resolves it into ashes, which are pure earth, that is to say, most dry. On the surface of coal, it is red, and it shows the nature of water, which God finally instituted in its moist state so that in life it is red and is the seat of blood and the soul. For otherwise, water is white in itself. But it acquires this color from fire or from heat. These two tend downward, and they make one globe, with the order of nature violated in the water. For the earth ought to have been surrounded on all sides by water, just as water is surrounded by air, and air by fire in a circular manner. Whence...