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thinking of the whole, he will not miss what is likely; for it is clear that the whole is composed of parts. What we have learned in the part, this we have also been taught concerning the whole. That moisture is one in kind, not even one of the contentious would gainsay. But indeed moisture, having been burned up by fire, became a fine dust; therefore every liquid, when it comes into fire, changes the quality in its particles, shifting from moist to dry, it is not completely annihilated. Since, therefore, a cloud is a constitution of vapor, and vapor is the fine-particled exhalation of moisture, it is absolutely necessary that when the cloud is scorched by the flame, that fine and indivisible mass of vapor, even if it does not preserve its moist quality, does not, with respect to its substance, pass into annihilation by being dissolved. For four things are observed concerning vapor 100, the moist, the cold, the heavy, the quantity. Of these, whatever is contrary to fire is annihilated by the power of the dominant element; for neither the moist nor the cold, when in fire, remains such. Quantity, however, has a kinship also with the substance of fire; for fire too is observed in quantity; and quantity does not fight with quantity. If, therefore, the quantity of the vapor is preserved, having been separated from the quality of moistness and coldness; and the quality of weight, being essentially inherent in the nature of vapor, was preserved along with the quantity (for weight is naturally inherent in both moist and dry things equally); our mind would no longer weary itself following the sequence of events, so as to recognize how water becomes earth, taking on a nature of the same kind through the change in the quality of the vapors. For the dry and the heavy would be a property of the quality observed in earth, into which the vapor, having been burned up, was transformed. And it seems good to me that, having taken hold of this principle, we not let go of the sequence of the examination, to which the theory proceeds through probabilities, guiding us by the hand toward the truth. For it seems that the sea for this reason always remains within its own boundaries, because little by little from the addition always made to it by the waters, the drawing off by means of vapors is effected by the overlying heat which warms it, drawing up the fine-particled nature of the liquids like a cupping-glass.

But in the inland and more northerly regions, the coldness of the surrounding air seems to be contrary to the argument, since the sea in these parts is not strongly heated, the giving up of vapors is inactive, it is possible to console this objection with a two-fold reasoning. First, that the sea is one and continuous with itself throughout, even if it be divided into ten thousand seas, being nowhere torn apart from its connection with itself; so that, if the southern part is superheated by the continuous presence of warmth, the perception of the diminution which occurs there takes place in the frozen parts, the flow of the waters automatically flowing down according to its nature toward that which is always in motion. Then also that all the sea is brine, being formed from all the water, through the giving up of vapors, is testified to equally; for dryness is a property of the nature of salts. But if this quality is mixed in equal measure with the whole sea, then the brine will work its effect similarly in every part. For every nature in every case works that which is suitable to its own power. For just as fire burns, and snow chills, and honey sweetens, so also salts dry. Therefore, since the drying nature of salt is mixed in everywhere with the seas, divine wisdom having provided this for the ease of the giving up of vapors (for the salt in a way squeezes out and expels from the sea all the fine-particled matter of the water, through the dryness inherent in its nature overpowering the moisture) it is not beyond what is likely to suppose that the consumption of the moisture occurs equally from all sides, the air drawing from the sea through the 101 vapors. But indeed that all the moisture in the air becomes a cloud, and from there

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τοῦ παντὸς ἐννοῶν, τοῦ εἰκότος οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεται· δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι ἐκ μερῶν τὸ ὅλον συνέστηκεν. Ὅπερ δ' ἂν ἐν τῷ μέρει ἐμάθομεν, τοῦτο καὶ περὶ τοῦ παντὸς ἐδιδάχθη μεν. Μίαν δὲ τῷ γένει τὴν ὑγρότητα εἶναι, οὐδ' ἂν τῶν ἐριστικῶν τις ἀντείποι. Ἀλλὰ μὴν λεπτὴ κόνις ἐκκαυθεῖσα διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς ἡ ὑγρότης ἐγένετο· ἄρα καὶ πᾶν ὑγρὸν ἐν τῷ πυρὶ γενόμενον μεταβάλλει τὴν ἐν τοῖς μορίοις ποιότητα, πρὸς τὸ ξηρὸν ἐκ τοῦ ὑγροῦ μεθιστάμενον, οὐκ εἰς τὸ παντελὲς ἀφανίζεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἀτμοῦ σύστασις τὸ νέφος ἐστὶν, ὁ δὲ ἀτμὸς ἡ λεπτομερὴς τοῦ ὑγροῦ ἐστιν ἀναθυμίασις, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα, ὅταν καταφρυγὲν τῷ φλογμῷ τὸ νέφος, τὸν λεπτὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ ἀμερῆ τοῦ ἀτμοῦ ὄγκον, κἂν τὴν ὑγρὰν μὴ διασώζῃ ποιότητα, μὴ μέντοι κατὰ τὸ ὑποκείμενον εἰς ἀφανισμὸν μεταβαίνειν εἰς τὸ μηδὲ ἀναλυόμενον. Τέσσαρα γὰρ περὶ τὸν ἀτμὸν θεωρεῖ 100, τὸ ὑγρὸν, τὸ ψυχρὸν, τὸ βαρὺ, ἡ πηλικότης. Ἐκ τούτων ὅσα μὲν ἐναντίως πρὸς τὸ πῦρ ἔχει, τῇ δυνα στείᾳ τοῦ ἐπικρατοῦντος ἐξαφανίζεται· οὔτε γὰρ τὸ ὑγρὸν, οὔτε τὸ ψυχρὸν ἐν τῷ πυρὶ γενόμενον διαμένει τοιοῦτον. Ἡ μέντοι πηλικότης συγγενῶς καὶ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς οὐσίαν ἔχει· καὶ γὰρ τὸ πῦρ ἐν ποσῷ καθορᾶται· ποσῷ δὲ ποσότης οὐ μάχεται. Εἰ οὖν ἡ πηλικότης τοῦ ἀτμοῦ διασώζεται, τῆς κατὰ τὸ ὑγρόν τε καὶ ψυχρὸν ποιότητος διαζευχθεῖσα· ἡ δὲ κατὰ τὸ βάρος ποιότης οὐσιωδῶς ἐγκειμένη τῇ τοῦ ἀτμοῦ φύσει, συνδιεσώθη τῇ πηλικότητι (ἐπίσης γὰρ ἡ βαρύτης καὶ ὑγροῖς καὶ ξηροῖς ἐνυπάρχειν πέ φυκεν)· οὐκέτ' ἂν ὁ νοῦς ἡμῖν κάμνῃ τῇ ἀκολουθίᾳ τῶν γινομένων ἑπόμενος, ὥστε ἐπιγνῶναι, ὅπως τὸ ὕδωρ γῆ γενόμενον, διὰ τοῦ μεταβάλλειν τοὺς ἀτμοὺς τὴν ποιότητα, τὴν ὁμοειδῆ φύσιν καταλαμβάνει. Τὸ γὰρ ξηρὸν καὶ βαρὺ ἴδιον ἂν εἴη τῆς περὶ τὴν γῆν θεωρουμένης ποιότητος, εἰς ὅπερ ἐκκαυθεὶς ὁ ἀτμὸς μετεποιήθη. Καί μοι δοκεῖ καλῶς ἔχειν τῆς ἀρχῆς ταύτης λαβομένους, μὴ διαφεῖναι τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῆς ἐξετάσεως, εἰς ἢν πρόεισι διὰ τῶν εἰκότων ἡ θεωρία, χειραγωγοῦσα πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἔοικε γὰρ καὶ ἡ θάλασσα διὰ τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις ὅροις διὰ παντὸς μένειν, ὅτι κατ' ὀλίγον τῆς ἀεὶ γινομένης αὐτῇ διὰ τῶν ὑδάτων προσθήκης, ἡ διὰ τῶν ἀτμῶν ἐξάντλη σις ἐπὶ τὸ ὑπερκείμενον γίνεται τῆς ἐπιθαλπούσης θερμότητος, σικύας δίκην τὸ λεπτομερὲς τῆς τῶν ὑγρῶν φύσεως ἀνιμωμένης.

Ἐν δὲ τοῖς μεσογείοις τε καὶ βορεινοτέροις τῶν τόπων ἡ τοῦ περιέχοντος ψυχρότης ἐναντιοῦσθαι δοκεῖ τῷ λόγῳ, ὡς διὰ τὸ μὴ θάλπεσθαι σφοδρῶς τὴν ἐν τοῖς μέρεσι τούτοις θάλασσαν, ἀργούσης τῆς τῶν ἀτμῶν ἀναδόσεως, διπλοῖς ἔστι λογισμοῖς τὴν ἀντίθεσιν ταύτην παραμυθήσασθαι. Πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι μία ἐστὶ καὶ συνεχὴς πρὸς ἑαυτὴν διόλου ἡ θάλασσα, κἂν εἰς μυρία διῄρη πελάγη, οὐδαμοῦ τῆς πρὸς ἑαυτὴν συναφείας διασπωμένη· ὥστε, εἰ τὸ νότιον τῇ διηνεκεῖ παρου σίᾳ τοῦ θερμοῦ ὑπερκέοιτο, ἐν τοῖς κατεψυγμέ νοις μέρεσι τῆς ἐκεῖ γενομένης ἐλαττώσεως τὴν αἴ σθησιν γίνεσθαι, αὐτομάτως τῆς τῶν ὑδάτων φορᾶς ἐν τῷ κατωφερεῖ τῆς φύσεως πρὸς τὸ ἀεὶ κινούμενον μεταῤῥεούσης. Ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τὸ πᾶσαν ἅλμην εἶναι τὴν θάλασσαν, ἐκ παντὸς τοῦ ὕδατος γινομένην, διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀτμῶν ἀνάδοσιν, κατὰ τὸ ἶσον μαρτύρεται· ἴδιον γὰρ τῆς τῶν ἀλῶν φύσεως ἡ ξηρότης ἐστίν. Εἰ δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἶσον ἡ ποιότης αὕτη πρὸς πᾶσαν θάλασσαν ἀνακέκραται, ἄρα ὁμοίως ἐν παντὶ μέρει τὸ ἑαυτῆς ἐνεργήσει ἡ ἅλμη. Πᾶσα γὰρ φύσις τὸ κατάλληλον τῇ ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει πάντως ἐργάζεται. Ὡς γὰρ καίει τὸ πῦρ, καὶ ἡ χιὼν ψύχει, καὶ γλυκαίνει τὸ μέλι, οὕτω καὶ οἱ ἅλες ξηραίνουσιν. Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ πανταχοῦ τοῖς πελάγεσιν ἡ ξηραντικὴ τῶν ἁλῶν συγκαταμέμι κται φύσις, τοῦτο πρὸς εὐκολίαν τῆς τῶν ἀτμῶν ἀνα δόσεως τῆς θείας σοφίας προειδομένης (ἐκθλίβει γάρ πως καὶ ἐξωθεῖται τῆς θαλάσσης πᾶν τὸ λεπτομερὲς τοῦ ὕδατος ἡ ἅλμη, διὰ τῆς ἐγκειμένης τῇ φύσει ξηρότητος κατὰ τοῦ ὑγροῦ δυναστεύουσα) οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ εἰκότος ἐστὶν ἐπίσης οἴεσθαι πανταχόθεν γίνεσθαι τῷ ὑγρῷ τὴν δαπάνην, τοῦ ἀέρος διὰ τῶν 101 ἀτμῶν ἀρυομένου τὴν θάλασσαν. Ἀλλὰ μὴν τὸ πᾶ σαν τὴν ἐναέριον ἰκμάδα νέφος γίνεσθαι, κἀκεῖθεν