Book I. The Temple ^/ VVifdome. 65

is twice more bright then earth, thrice more thin, and foure times more moveable j As therefore the Fire is to the Aire, fothe Aire is to the Water, and Water to the Earth 5 and again, as the Earth is to the Water, fothe Water to the Aire,and the Aire4:o the Fire: And this is the Root and Foundat» on of all Bodies, Natures, Vertues, and wonderfull Works; And he which fhall know thefe things, and their Rulers, Idea's and Figures, (hall eafily know all things, Paft, Prefent, and to Comej and alfo ihall bring to pafle fuch things that are wonderfull, and aftoni{hing,and fhall be perfeft in this Art.
Chap, XV III.
of a threefold conpderation of the Element f
T Here arc then as we have faid, foure Elements, without the perfeft knowledg whereof, we can cffeft nothing in this Science , now each of them is threefold, that fo the number of foure may make up the number of twelve Ideas incorporated into fixteen Figures and twelve houfes, or parts of the Earth,and by pafling by the number of feven which fignifieth thefeven Ruler^, into the number ten, (which fignifieth the Cxleftial powers, are ten prin- cipal names of God, as you read in the ninth Chap- ter) there may be a progrelTe to the fupream unity upon which all vertue and operation depends , of the firft order are the pure Elements, which are nei- thercompounded, changed nor admit ofmixion, butareincorrupcable3& not of which, but through which the vertues of all natural things are brought
forth
64. rAe Temple ^/Wildome. BookJ.
forth into Arc *, No man is able t'o declare their VertueSj becaufcthey can do all things upon all things. He which is ignorant of thefe (hall never bring to palTc any wonderfull matter, nor under- ftand what he would know *, of the fecond Order are Elementsthat arecompoundedjchangeableand Impure, yet fuch as may by '\rtbe reduced to their pure fimplicity, whofe Vertue when they are thus reduced to their fimplicityj doth above all things perfcft this Art, and thefe are the Foundations of the work; OF the third Order are thofe Elements which originally and of themfelves are not Ele- ments 5 but are twice compounded, various and changeable one into another,they are the infallible Medium, and therefore are called the middle Na- ture.
By thefe jou Jhallfee from whence altt kings florp ^ Whence Mankjnde^Beafts^whence fire^whence rain &fno» Whence earth quahes are^ why the whole Ocean Beats , Over his bankjy and then again retreats , Whence (Irength of Herbs ^ whence courage rage of Bruit Sy AU l^nde of Stone^ of creeping things and Fruits ;
Very few there ^rc that underftand the deep mifte- rious of this Arc. (In it is) by means of thofe things aforcfatd, the perfeftion of every effect in what thing foever, they are full of wonders and mifteries and are operative, as in Aftrology, fo in this Art : For from thefe, through them proceeds the bind- ings, loolings and tranfmutations of all things^ the linowledge and forecelliag things to come.
Let no man therefore, without thefe three fort^ of Elements and theknowledg thereof, be confident that he is able to cure all Difeafes in the body, but
\vhofoeV6]?
Boo K.I. r^e Temple (?/Wifdome. 6$
whofoever (hall know how to prepare his Mcde- cines, as I partly told you, in my Method of Kofie Crucian Fhjifick^^ and how to reduce thofe of one or- der into thofe of another, impure into pure, com* pounded into iimple, and fliall know how to under- nand diftin£^ly, the Nature 5 Vertuc and power of them in Number, Degrees and Order, without dividing the fubftance, he (hall eafily, attain to ths knowledge and perfeft operation of all thefe natu- ral things conteined in this Book,
CHAR
66 the Temple (?/Wifdome, Book L
C AH P. XIX.
OfthevponderfnUNahtresof Fire and Earth and
their FigtiTcs,
T'-Hiis the Earth is divided into twelve parts og hoiifes, over which the feveii Rulers and their twelve Idea^ s^ovtrn^and you muft know how to rc- duoc thofc of cue Nature into thofe of another,
which