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and to the moist, and to the burning and to the cooling; from whatever the part of the nourishment comes, it becomes that which the subject is by nature (for the dominant part opportunely appropriated to itself the fineness of the exhalation); in the same way, the addition which is always happening to the earth becomes imperceptible through those indivisible masses. Because having grown together with every subject, whatever the receiving thing may be in substance, it was altered to that nature, and became clod in clod, and sand in sand, and stone in stone, and in everything, everything, whatever of the harder things it may happen to have received, was changed to the dominant part. But if anyone thinks the resistance of the stone is difficult to accept for such an addition, even if the argument is consistent, nevertheless I think I ought not to contend with those who think these things. For the theory will have no probability, with the earthy influx from above passing through vapors from that which does not receive it to that which grows with it. But someone will perhaps say that our argument does not look to its own purpose, but while proposing to show that the moist nature remains in its original measure forever, has unawares constructed something contrary. 108 For whether what is given up remains in the fire, or whether, having been dried, it returns again to the earth, the diminution of the water will be equal in either case; and no less through this construction is a superabundance of the moist shown to be necessary, because it is certainly always being consumed. Therefore it would be necessary for this argument to understand again the nature of things, so that through it our theory might be successful toward the proposed aim. What then is nature? None of the things considered elementally in the constitution of the terrestrial world has been made unchangeable and unalterable by the Creator of all things; but all things are in one another, and are maintained through one another, as the convertible power, by a kind of circular motion, changes all earthy things into one another, and leads them back from one another to themselves again; and since this alteration is ceaselessly at work in the elements, it is necessary for all things to pass into one another, both departing from one another and again entering into one another in equal measure. For none of these would be preserved by itself, unless the intermixture with what is heterogeneous maintained its nature.

How then would one say that the mutable and alterable power travels in a circle through the four? For not all things come to be through one another, nor does the circle of alteration go around smoothly through each of the beings, but water was released toward air through vapors, and the vapors, having fed the flame, became earthy again, becoming like ash after having consorted with the fire; and the earth, having received these, stopped in itself the course of alteration. For it has not yet been examined whether the nature of water has its origin from earth. Therefore, it remains for this inquiry, whether it is possible for the earth to change into the nature of water. Surely no one will accuse us of idle talk, in seeking what is consistent in what has been said through the possible means. We see, then, many dry things being moistened automatically from some natural property, as can be seen in the case of salts, both those that are mined and those that are formed by roasting some liquid, of which dryness is the property, but if some moisture should reach them, they become damp, and they change the dryness in them to the moist quality. Thus I have known the nature of honey also, becoming in a way dry through roasting, and again being resolved into moisture from some circumstance. But let these things be passed over; for it is better to give consistency to the theory from some necessary principle from the start. We do not know one quality for each of the elements, through which the subject is completed, and is separated from its correspondent, but each is apprehended in different qualities, some of which are incommunicable with each other, while others are perceived in equal measure, being proper and fitting to

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καὶ ὑγρῷ, καὶ τῷ καίοντι καὶ τῷ ψύχοντι· παρ' ὧν ἂν γένηται τὸ τῆς τροφῆς μέρος, ἐκεῖνο γί νεται, ὃ τὸ ὑποκείμενον κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὶν (τὸ γὰρ ἐπικρατοῦν εὐκαίρως τὴν λεπτότητα τῆς ἀναδόσεως ἑαυτῷ προσῳκείωσε)· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἀνεπαίσθη τος γίνεται διὰ τῶν ἀμερῶν ἐκείνων ὄγκων ἡ ἀεὶ γινομένῃ τῇ γῇ προσθήκη. ∆ιότι παντὶ τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ συμφυέντα, ὅπερ ἂν κατ' οὐσίαν ᾗ τὸ δεχόμενον, πρὸς ἐκείνην ἠλλοιώθη τὴν φύσιν, καὶ ἐγένετο βῶλος ἐν βώλῳ, καὶ ψάμμος ἐν ψάμμῳ, καὶ λίθος ἐν λίθῳ, καὶ ἐν παντὶ πᾶν, ὅτιπερ ἂν τύχῃ τῶν στεῤῥοτέρων δεξά μενον, πρὸς τὸ ἐπικρατοῦν μετετέθη. Εἰ δὲ δυσπαράδεκτον οἴεταί τις τοῦ λίθου τὴν ἀντιτυπίαν τῆς τοιαύτης προσθήκης, κἂν ὁ λόγος τὸ ἀκόλουθον ἔχῃ, ὅμως ἐγὼ πρὸς τοὺς ταῦτα φρονοῦντας, οὐδὲν οἶμαι δεῖν ἀντιμάχεσθαι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἕξει τὸ εἰκὸς ἡ θεωρία, διὰ πνευμάτων ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ περιδεχομένου, πρὸς τὸ συμφυόμενον τῆς ἄνωθεν τοῦ γεώδους ἐπιῤῥοῆς μετα πιπτούσης. Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις ἴσως μὴ πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον σκοπὸν βλέπειν τὸν λόγον ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ προθέσθαι μὲν ἀποδεῖξαι τὴν ὑγρὰν φύσιν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐξ ἀρχῆς μέτρου μέχρι παντὸς διαμένουσαν, λαθεῖν δὲ τὶ ἐναντίον κατασκευάζοντα. 108 Εἴτε γὰρ ἐν τῷ πυρὶ τὸ ἀναδιδόμενον μένοι, εἴτε καὶ ξηρανθὲν πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐπανέρχοιτο, ἴση καθ' ἑκά τερον ἡ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐλάττωσις ἔσται· καὶ οὐδὲν ἧττον διὰ τῆς κατασκευῆς ταύτης ἀναγκαία δείκνυται ἡ τοῦ ὑγροῦ περιουσία, διὰ τὸ πάντως εἰσαεὶ δαπανᾶσθαι. Οὐκοῦν ἀναγκαῖον ἂν εἴη πρὸς τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, πάλιν τὴν φύσιν τῶν ὄντων κατανοῆσαι, ὡς ἂν δι' αὐτῆς ἡμῖν εὐοδωθείη πρὸς τὸν προκείμενον σκοπὸν τὸ θεώρημα. Τίς οὖν ἡ φύσις; Οὐδὲν τῶν στοιχειωδῶς ἐν τῇ συστάσει τοῦ περιγείου κόσμου θεωρουμένων ἄτρε πτόν τε καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον παρὰ τοῦ ∆ημιουργοῦ τῶν ὅλων πεποίηται· ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐν ἀλλήλοις ἐστὶ, καὶ δι' ἀλλήλων διακρατεῖται, τῆς τρεπτῆς δυνάμεως διά τινος ἐγκυκλίου περιφορᾶς πάντα εἰς ἄλληλα τὰ γεώδη μεταβαλλούσης, καὶ ἀπ' ἀλλήλων εἰς ἑαυτὰ πάλιν ἐπαναγούσης· αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς ἀλλοιώσεως ἀπαύστως ἐν τοῖς στοιχείοις ἐνεργουμένης, ἀνάγκη πάντα εἰς ἄλληλα μετα βαίνειν, ἐξιστάμενά τε ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, καὶ πάλιν κατὰ τὸ ἶσον ἀλλήλοις ἐπεμβαίνοντα. Οὐ γὰρ ἄν τι τούτων φυλαχθείη ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ, εἰ μὴ ἡ πρὸς τὸ ἑτε ρογενὲς ἐπιμιξία διακρατοίη τὴν φύσιν.

Πῶς οὖν εἴ ποι τις ἂν, διὰ τῶν τεσσάρων τὴν μεταβλητικήν τε καὶ ἀλλοιωτικὴν δύναμιν, περιοδεύειν κυκλεύουσαν; Οὐ γὰρ πάντα δι' ἀλλήλων γίνεται, οὐδὲ δι' ὁμαλοῦ ὁ τῆς ἀλλοιώσεως κύκλος, δι' ἑκάστου τῶν ὄντων περιχωρεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ὕδωρ πρὸς τὸν ἀέρα διὰ τῶν ἀτμῶν ἀνεχέθη, οἱ δὲ ἀτμοὶ τὴν φλόγα θρέ ψαντες πάλιν ἀπεγεώθησαν, οἷόν τις σποδιὰ μετὰ τὸ τῷ πυρὶ καθομιλῆσαι γενόμενοι· ἡ δὲ γῆ ταῦτα δεξαμένη ἔστησεν ἐν ἑαυτῇ τὸν τῆς ἀλλοιώσεως δρόμον. Οὔπω γὰρ ἐξήτασται, εἰ ἡ τοῦ ὕδατος φύσις ἐκ γῆς ἔχει τὴν γένεσιν. Οὐκοῦν τούτῳ τῷ σκέμματι λείπεται, εἰ δυνατόν ἐστι τὴν γῆν εἰς ὕδατος μεταστῆναι φύσιν. Πάντως δὲ οὐδεὶς ἡμῖν ἀδολεσχίαν ἐπεγκαλέσει, δι' ὧν ἂν ἦν δυνατὸν ἀνα ζητοῦσι τὸ ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἀκόλουθον. Ὁρῶμεν τοίνυν πολλὰ τῶν ξηρῶν, αὐτομάτως ἔκ τινος φυσι κῆς ἰδιότητος ὑγραινόμενα, οἷον ἐπὶ τῶν ἁλῶν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, τῶν τε μεταλλευομένων, καὶ τῶν ἔκ τινος ὑγροῦ καταφρυγομένου συνισταμένων, ὧν ξη ρότης μέν ἐστι τὸ ἰδίωμα, εἰ δέ τις αὐτῶν νοτία καθ ίκοιτο, ἰκμαλέοι γίνονται, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὑγρὰν ποιό τητα τὸ ἐν σφίσι ξηρὸν μεταβάλλουσιν. Οὕτως ἔγνων καὶ τὴν τοῦ μέλιτος φύσιν ξηρὰν τρόπον τινὰ διὰ τῆς ὀπτήσεως γινομένην, καὶ πάλιν ἐκ περιστά σεως τινος εἰς τὸ ὑγρὸν ἀναλύουσαν. Ἀλλὰ παρείσθω ταῦτα· κρεῖττον γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τινος ἀναγκαίας δοῦναι τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῷ θεωρήματι. Οὐ μίαν γινώσκομεν ἐφ' ἑκάστου τῶν στοιχείων ποιότητα, δι' ἧς συμ πληροῦται τὸ ὑποκείμενον, καὶ τοῦ ἀντιστοιχοῦντος ἀποχωρίζεται, ἀλλ' ἐν διαφόροις ἕκαστον καταλαμβάνεται ταῖς ποιότησιν, ὧν αἱ μὲν ἀκοινωνήτως ἔχουσι πρὸς ἀλλήλας, αἱ δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἶσον ἐνθεωροῦν, οἰκείως τε καὶ ἁρμοδίως ἔχουσαι πρὸς