I. Wherein is a partial inquiry into the nature of the world, and a more minute exposition of the things which preceded the genesis of man3    A Bodleian ms. of the Latin version, cited by Forbes, which gives independent titles, has here:—“Of the perfection and beauty of the world and of the harmonious discord of the four elements.”

1. “This is the book of the generation of heaven and earth4    Gen. ii. 4 (LXX.).,” saith the Scripture, when all that is seen was finished, and each of the things that are betook itself to its own separate place, when the body of heaven compassed all things round, and those bodies which are heavy and of downward tendency, the earth and the water, holding each other in, took the middle place of the universe; while, as a sort of bond and stability for the things that were made, the Divine power and skill was implanted in the growth of things, guiding all things with the reins of a double operation (for it was by rest and motion that it devised the genesis of the things that were not, and the continuance of the things that are), driving around, about the heavy and changeless element contributed by the creation that does not move, as about some fixed path, the exceedingly rapid motion of the sphere, like a wheel, and preserving the indissolubility of both by their mutual action, as the circling substance by its rapid motion compresses the compact body of the earth round about, while that which is firm and unyielding, by reason of its unchanging fixedness, continually augments the whirling motion of those things which revolve round it, and intensity5    ὑπερβόλη apparently means “intensity” or “a high degree of force,” not “excess of force,” since, though the force in each is augmented, it does not exceed that in the other, which is augmented also pari passu. is produced in equal measure in each of the natures which thus differ in their operation, in the stationary nature, I mean, and in the mobile revolution; for neither is the earth shifted from its own base, nor does the heaven ever relax in its vehemence, or slacken its motion.

2. These, moreover, were first framed before other things, according to the Divine wisdom, to be as it were a beginning of the whole machine, the great Moses indicating, I suppose, where he says that the heaven and the earth were made by God “in the beginning6    Gen. i. 1.” that all things that are seen in the creation are the offspring of rest and motion, brought into being by the Divine will. Now the heaven and the earth being diametrically opposed to each other in their operations, the creation which lies between the opposites, and has in part a share in what is adjacent to it, itself acts as a mean between the extremes, so that there is manifestly a mutual contact of the opposites through the mean; for air in a manner imitates the perpetual motion and subtlety of the fiery substance, both in the lightness of its nature, and in its suitableness for motion; yet it is not such as to be alienated from the solid substance, for it is no more in a state of continual flux and dispersion than in a permanent state of immobility, but becomes, in its affinity to each, a kind of borderland of the opposition between operations, at once uniting in itself and dividing things which are naturally distinct.

3. In the same way, liquid substance also is attached by double qualities to each of the opposites; for in so far as it is heavy and of downward tendency it is closely akin to the earthy; but in so far as it partakes of a certain fluid and mobile energy it is not altogether alien from the nature which is in motion; and by means of this also there is effected a kind of mixture and concurrence of the opposites, weight being transferred to motion, and motion finding no hindrance in weight, so that things most extremely opposite in nature combine with one another, and are mutually joined by those which act as means between them.

4. But to speak strictly, one should rather say that the very nature of the contraries themselves is not entirely without mixture of properties, each with the other, so that, as I think, all that we see in the world mutually agree, and the creation, though discovered in properties of contrary natures, is yet at union with itself. For as motion is not conceived merely as local shifting, but is also contemplated in change and alteration, and on the other hand the immovable nature does not admit motion by way of alteration, the wisdom of God has transposed these properties, and wrought unchangeableness in that which is ever moving, and change in that which is immovable; doing this, it may be, by a providential dispensation, so that that property of nature which constitutes its immutability and immobility might not, when viewed in any created object, cause the creature to be accounted as God; for that which may happen to move or change would cease to admit of the conception of Godhead. Hence the earth is stable without being immutable, while the heaven, on the contrary, as it has no mutability, so has not stability either, that the Divine power, by interweaving change in the stable nature and motion with that which is not subject to change, might, by the interchange of attributes, at once join them both closely to each other, and make them alien from the conception of Deity; for as has been said, neither of these (neither that which is unstable, nor that which is mutable) can be considered to belong to the more Divine nature.

5. Now all things were already arrived at their own end: “the heaven and the earth7    Gen. ii. 1.,” as Moses says, “were finished,” and all things that lie between them, and the particular things were adorned with their appropriate beauty; the heaven with the rays of the stars, the sea and air with the living creatures that swim and fly, and the earth with all varieties of plants and animals, to all which, empowered by the Divine will, it gave birth together; the earth was full, too, of her produce, bringing forth fruits at the same time with flowers; the meadows were full of all that grows therein, and all the mountain ridges, and summits, and every hillside, and slope, and hollow, were crowned with young grass, and with the varied produce of the trees, just risen from the ground, yet shot up at once into their perfect beauty; and all the beasts that had come into life at God’s command were rejoicing, we may suppose, and skipping about, running to and fro in the thickets in herds according to their kind, while every sheltered and shady spot was ringing with the chants of the songbirds. And at sea, we may suppose, the sight to be seen was of the like kind, as it had just settled to quiet and calm in the gathering together of its depths, where havens and harbours spontaneously hollowed out on the coasts made the sea reconciled with the land; and the gentle motion of the waves vied in beauty with the meadows, rippling delicately with light and harmless breezes that skimmed the surface; and all the wealth of creation by land and sea was ready, and none was there to share it.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΠΡΩΤΟΝ. Ἐν ᾧ τίς ἐστι μερικὴ περὶ τοῦ κόσμου φυσιολογία, καί τις ἁβροτέρα διήγησις περὶ τῶν προγεγονότων τῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου γενέσεως.

Αὕτη ἡ βίβλος γενέσεως οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, φησὶν ἡ Γραφή: ὅτε συνετελέσθη πᾶν τὸ φαινόμενον, καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν θέσιν ἕκαστον τῶν ὄντων ἀποκριθὲν ἀνεχώρησεν: ὅτε περιέσχεν ἐν κύκλῳ τὰ πάντα τὸ οὐράνιον σῶμα, τὴν δὲ μέσην τοῦ παντὸς ἀπέλαβε χώραν τὰ βαρέα καὶ κατωφερῆ τῶν σωμάτων, γῆ τε καὶ ὕδωρ, ἐν ἀλλήλοις διακρατούμενα. Σύνδεσμος δέ τις καὶ βεβαιότης τῶν γεγενημένων ἡ θεία τέχνη καὶ δύναμις τῇ φύσει τῶν ὄντων ἐναπετέθη, διπλαῖς ἐνεργείαις ἡνιοχοῦσα τὰ πάντα. Στάσει γὰρ καὶ κινήσει τὴν γένεσιν τοῖς μὴ οὖσι, καὶ τὴν διαμονὴν τοῖς οὖσιν ἐμηχανήσατο, περὶ τὸ βαρὺ καὶ ἀμετάθετον τῆς ἀκινήτου φύσεως, οἷον περί τινα πάγιον ἄξονα, τὴν ὀξυτάτην τοῦ πόλου κίνησιν τροχοῦ δίκην ἐν κύκλῳ περιελαύνουσα, καὶ δι' ἀλλήλων ἀμφοτέροις συντηροῦσα τὸ ἀδιάλυτον; τῆς τε κυκλοφορουμένης οὐσίας διὰ τῆς ὀξείας κινήσεως τὸ ναστὸν τῆς γῆς ἐν κύκλῳ περισφιγγούσης, τοῦ τε στεῤῥοῦ καὶ ἀνενδότου διὰ τῆς ἀμεταθέτου παγιότητος ἀδιαλείπτως ἐπιτείνοντος τῶν περὶ αὐτὴν κυκλουμένων τὴν δίνησιν. Ἴση δὲ καθ' ἑκάτερον τῶν ταῖς ἐνεργείαις διεστηκότων ἡ ὑπερβολὴ ἐναπειργάσθη, τῇ τε στασίμῳ φύσει καὶ τῇ ἀστάτῳ περιφορᾷ. Οὔτε γὰρ ἡ γῆ τῆς ἰδίας βάσεως μετατίθεται, οὔτε ὁ οὐρανός ποτε τὸ σφοδρὸν ἐνδίδωσι καὶ ὑποχαλᾷ τῆς κινήσεως. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ πρῶτα κατὰ τὴν τοῦ πεποιηκότος σοφίαν, οἷόν τις ἀρχὴ τοῦ παντὸς μηχανήματος προκατεσκευάσθη τῶν ὄντων, δεικνύντος, οἶμαι, τοῦ μεγάλου Μωσέως διὰ τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγενῆσθαι εἰπεῖν, ὅτι κινήσεώς τε καὶ στάσεως ἔκγονα τὰ ἐν τῇ κτίσει φαινόμενα πάντα, τὰ κατὰ τὸ θεῖον βούλημα παραχθέντα εἰς γένεσιν. Τοῦ τοίνυν οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς ἐκ διαμέτρου πρὸς ἄλληλα κατὰ τὸ ἐναντίον τῆς ἐνεργείας διεστηκότων, ἡ μεταξὺ τῶν ἐναντίων κτίσις ἐν μέρει τῶν παρακειμένων μετέχουσα. δι' ἑαυτῆς μεσιτεύει τοῖς ἄκροις, ὡς ἂν ἐπίδηλον γενέσθαι τὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα τῶν ἐναντίων διὰ τοῦ μέσου συνάφειαν. Τὸ γὰρ ἀεικίνητον καὶ λεπτὸν τῆς πυρώδους οὐσίας μιμεῖται μέν πως ὁ ἀήρ, ἔν τε τῷ κούφῳ τῆς φύσεως καὶ τῷ πρὸς τὴν κίνησιν ἐπιτηδείως ἔχειν. Οὐ μὴν τοιοῦτός ἐστιν, οἷος τῆς πρὸς τὰ πάγια συγγενείας ἀλλοτριοῦσθαι, οὔτε ἀεὶ μένων ἀκίνητος, οὔτε διαπαντὸς ῥέων καὶ σκεδαννύμενος: ἀλλὰ τῇ πρὸς ἕτερον οἰκειότητι οἷόν τι μεθόριον τῆς τῶν ἐνεργειῶν ἐναντιότητος γίνεται, μιγνὺς ἅμα καὶ διαιρῶν ἐν αὐτῷ τὰ διεστῶτα τῇ φύσει. Κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον, καὶ ἡ ὑγρὰ οὐσία διπλαῖς ποιότησι πρὸς ἑκάτερον τῶν ἐναντίων ἁρμόζεται. Τῷ μὲν γὰρ βαρεῖά τε καὶ κατωφερὴς εἶναι, πολλὴν πρὸς τὸ γεῶδες τὴν συγγένειαν ἔχει.

Τῷ δὲ μετέχειν ῥοώδους τινὸς καὶ πορευτικῆς ἐνεργείας, οὐ πάντη τῆς κινουμένης ἠλλοτρίωται φύσεως, ἀλλά τίς ἐστι καὶ διὰ τούτου μίξις τῶν ἐναντίων καὶ σύνοδος, τῆς τε βαρύτητος εἰς κίνησιν μετατεθείσης, καὶ τῆς κινήσεως ἐν τῷ βάρει μὴ πεδηθείσης, ὥστε συμβαίνειν πρὸς ἄλληλα τὰ κατὰ τὸ ἀκρότατον τῇ φύσει διεστηκότα διὰ τῶν μεσιτευόντων ἀλλήλοις ἑνούμενα. Μᾶλλον δὲ κατὰ τὸν ἀκριβῆ λόγον οὐδὲ αὐτὴ τῶν ἀντικειμένων ἡ φύσις ἀμίκτως πάντη πρὸς τὴν ἑτέραν τοῖς ἰδιώμασιν ἔχει, ὡς ἂν, οἶμαι, πάντα πρὸς ἄλληλα νεύοι τὰ κατὰ τὸν κόσμον φαινόμενα, καὶ συμπνέοι πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἡ κτίσις ἐν τοῖς τῶν ἀντικειμένων ἰδιώμασιν εὑρισκομένη. Τῆς γὰρ κινήσεως οὐ μόνον κατὰ τὴν τοπικὴν μετάστασιν νοουμένης, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τροπῇ καὶ ἀλλοιώσει θεωρουμένης: πάλιν δ' αὖ, τῆς ἀμεταθέτου φύσεως τὴν κατὰ τὸ ἀλλοιοῦσθαι κίνησιν οὐ προσιεμένης: ἐναλλάξασα τὰς ἰδιότητας ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφία, τῷ μὲν ἀεικινήτῳ τὸ ἄτρεπτον, τῷ δὲ ἀκινήτῳ τὴν τροπὴν ἐνεποίησε, προμηθείᾳ τινὶ τάχα τὸ τοιοῦτον οἰκονομήσασα, ὡς ἂν μὴ τὸ τῆς φύσεως ἴδιον, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τὸ ἄτρεπτόν τε καὶ ἀμετάθετον, ἐπί τινος τῶν κατὰ τὴν κτίσιν βλεπομένων, Θεὸν νομίζεσθαι τὸ κτίσμα ποιήσειεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔτι θεότητος ὑπόληψιν σχοίη, ὅπερ ἂν κινούμενον ἢ ἀλλοιούμενον τύχῃ. Διὰ τοῦτο ἡ μὲν γῆ στάσιμός ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἄτρεπτος: ὁ δὲ οὐρανὸς τοῦ ἐναντίου τὸ τρεπτὸν οὐκ ἔχων, οὐδὲ στάσιμον ἔχει, ἵνα τῇ μὲν φύσει ἑστώσῃ τὴν τροπὴν, τῇ δὲ μὴ τρεπομένῃ τὴν κίνησιν ἡ θεία συμπλέξασα δύναμις, καὶ ἀλλήλαις ἀμφοτέρας τῇ ἐναλλάξει τῶν ἰδιωμάτων προσοικειώσῃ, καὶ τῆς περὶ τὸ θεῖον ὑπολήψεως ἀλλοτριώσῃ. Οὐδέτερον γὰρ ἂν τούτων, καθὼς εἴρηται, τῆς θειοτέρας φύσεως νομισθείη: οὔτε τὸ ἄστατον, οὔτε τὸ ἀλλοιούμενον. Ἤδη τοίνυν τὰ πάντα πρὸς τὸ ἴδιον ἔφθασε τέλος. Συνετελέσθη γὰρ, καθώς φησι Μωϋσῆς, ὅ τε οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καὶ τὰ διὰ μέσου πάντα, καὶ τῷ καταλλήλῳ κάλλει τὰ καθέκαστον διεκοσμήθη: ὁ οὐρανὸς μὲν ταῖς τῶν φωστήρων αὐγαῖς, θάλαττα δὲ καὶ ἀὴρ τοῖς νηκτοῖς τε καὶ ἐναερίοις τῶν ζώων, γῆ δὲ ταῖς παντοίαις τῶν φυτῶν τε καὶ βοσκημάτων διαφοραῖς, ἅπερ ἀθρόως ἅπαντα θείῳ βουλήματι δυναμωθεῖσα κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἀπεκύησε. Καὶ πλήρης μὲν ἦν τῶν ὡραίων ἡ γῆ, ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἄνθεσι τοὺς καρποὺς ἐκβλαστήσασα: πλήρεις δὲ οἱ λειμῶνες τῶν, ὅσα τοὺς λειμῶνας ἐπέρχεται. Πᾶσαί τε ῥαχίαι καὶ ἀκρώρειαι, καὶ πᾶν ὅσον πλάγιόν τε καὶ ὕπτιον, καὶ ὅσον ἐν κοίλοις, τῇ νεοθαλεῖ πόᾳ καὶ τῇ ποικίλῃ τῶν δένδρων ὥρᾳ κατεστεφάνωτο, ἄρτι μὲν τῆς γῆς ἀνισχόντων, εὐθὺς δὲ πρὸς τὸ τέλειον κάλλος ἀναδραμόντων. Ἐγεγήθει δὲ πάντα κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς, καὶ διεσκίρτα τὰ τῷ προστάγματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ζωογονηθέντα βοτὰ, κατ' ἀγέλας τε καὶ κατὰ γένη ταῖς λόχμαις ἐνδιαθέοντα. Ταῖς δὲ τῶν μουσικῶν ὀρνίθων ᾠδαῖς ἁπανταχῆ περιηχεῖτο πᾶν, ὅσον κατηρεφές τε καὶ σύσκιον. Ἥ τε κατὰ θάλατταν ὄψις, ὡς εἰκὸς, ἄλλη τοιαύτη τις ἦν, ἄρτι πρὸς ἡσυχίαν τε καὶ γαλήνην ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς τῶν κοίλων καθισταμένη, καθ' ἣν ὅρμοι καὶ λιμένες θείᾳ βουλήσει ταῖς ἀκταῖς αὐτομάτως ἐγκοιλανθέντες, προσημέρουν τῇ ἠπείρῳ τὴν θάλατταν. Αἵ τε ἠρεμαῖαι τῶν κυμάτων κινήσεις τῷ κάλλει τῶν λειμώνων ἀνθωραΐζοντο, ὑπὸ λεπταῖς καὶ ἀπήμοσιν αὔραις κατ' ἄκραν τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν γλαφυρῶς ἐπιφρίσσουσαι. Καὶ ἅπας ὁ κατὰ τὴν κτίσιν πλοῦτος, κατὰ γῆν τε καὶ θάλατταν ἕτοιμος ἦν, ἀλλ' ὁ μετέχων οὐκ ἦν.