The Nature of the Four Elements (Natura Naturata) · chunk 3 of 19
Rastell, John · published 1520 · first performed or written 1517 [c.1517-c.1518] (Annals) not in BritDrama unassigned nearest T56 Magic, spells and conjuring · 521 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T56: magic, faustus, charms, charm, conjure, spirits, skill, ho, power, spells.
THe high mighty most excellent of all The fountain of goodness verteu & cunning which is eterne of power most potential The perfection and furst cause of every thing I mean that only high nature naturing Lo he by his goodness hath ordained and create Me here his minister called nature naturate wherefore I am the very naturate nature The inmedyate minister for the preservation Of every thing in his kind to endure And cause of generation and corruption Of that thing that is brought to distruction a nother thing still I bring forth a gain Thus wondrously I work and never in vain The great world be hold ●o divided wondrously In to two regyons whereof on I call The ethereal region with the hevyns hie Containing the planetties sterris & spears all The lower region called the elemental Containing these four elementis be loo The fire the air the water and earth also But yet the elementis and other bodies all Beneath/ take their effecties and operations Of the bodies in the region ethereal By their influens and constellations They cause here corruptions and generations For if the mouyng● above should once cease Beneath should be nother in●r●se nor decrease These elementis of themself so single be Unto diverse formies can not be divided yet they commyx to guider daily ye s●e whereof diverse kinds of things be engendered which things eftsonies when they be corrupted each element I reduce to his ●urst estate So that nothing can be utterly ad●y●helate For though the form and fation of any thing That is a corporal body be destroyed yet every matter remaineth in his being whereof it was furst made and formed For corruption of a body commixed is but the resolution by time and space Of every element to his own place For who that will take any body corporal And do what he can it to destroy To break it or grinned it into ●ouder small To wash to drown to burns it or to dry yet the air and fire thereof naturally To their own proper places will ascend The water to the water the earth to the earth tend For if heat or moisture of any thing certain By fire or ●e water ●e cons●●●yd yet earth or ashes on earth will remain So the elementis can never be destroyed For essencyaliy there is now at this tide As much fire air water earth as was Ever before this time neither more nor 'las wherefore thou man now I speak to the Remember that thou art compound and create Of these elementis as other creaturis be yet they have not all like noble estate For plantis and herbs grow and be insensate Brute bestis have memory and their wyttis five But thou hast all those and soul intellective So by reason of thine understanding Thou hast dominion of other bestis all And naturally thou sholdyst desire cunning To know strange effectis and causes natural Fo● he that studyeth for the life bestial As voluptuous pleasure and bodily rest I account him never better than a best
seed 43: T49 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
THe hye myghty most excellent of all The foūtayn of goodnes verteu & cōnyng whiche is eterne of power most potencyall The ꝑfeccyon and furst cause of euery thynge I meane that only hye natue naturynge Lo he by his goodnes hath ordeynyd and create Me here his mynyster callyd nature naturate ¶wherfore I am the verey naturate nature The inmedyate mynyster for the preseruacyon Of euery thynge in his kynde to endure And cause of generacyon and corrupcyon Of that thynge that is brought to distruccyon A nother thynge styll I brynge forth a gayne Thus wondersy I worke and neuer in vayne ¶The great word be holde o deuydyd wōdersly In to two regyons wherof on I call The etheriall region with the heuyns hye Conteynynge the planettys sterris & speris all The lower region callyd the elementall Conteynynge these .iiij. elementis be loo The fyre the ayre the water and yerth also ¶But yet the elementis and other bodyes all Beneth / take theyr effectys and operacyons Of the bodyes in the region ethereall By theyr influens and constellacyons They cause here corrupcyons and generacyons For yf the mouyng a boue sholde onys cease Beneth sholde be nother inrse nor decrese ¶These elementis of them selfe so syngle be Unto dyuers formys can not be deuydyd yet they cōmyx to gyder dayly ye se wherof dyuers kyndes of thyngꝭ be ingenderyd whiche thyngꝭ eftsonys whan they be corruptyd yche element I reduce to his urst estate So that nothynge can be vtterly adyhelate ¶For though the forme and facyon of any thyng That is a corporall body be distroyed yet euery matter remaynyth in his beynge wherof it was furst made and formyd For corrupcyon of a body cōmyxyd ys but the resolucyon by tyme and space Of euery element to his owne place ¶For who that wyll take any body corporall And do what he can it to distroy To breke it or grynde it into ouder small To washe to drown to bren it or to dry yet the ayre and fyre therof aturally To their owne ꝓper places wyll ascende The water to the water the yerth to ye yerth tende ¶For yf hete or moysture of any thynge certayne By fyre or e water e consyd yet yerth or asshes on yerth wyll remayne So the elementis can neuer be distroyed For essencyaliy ther is now at this tyde As muche fyre ayre water yerth as was Euer before this tyme nether more nor las ¶wherfore thou man now I speke to the Remembre that thou art compound and create Of these elementis as other creaturis be yet they haue not all lyke noble estate For plantis and herbys growe and be insensate Brute bestis haue memory and their wyttꝭ fyue But thou hast all those and soule intellectyue ¶So by reason of thyne vnderstandynge Thou hast domynyon of other bestis all And naturally thou sholdyst desire cōnynge To knowe straunge effectꝭ and causys naturall Fo he that studyeth for the lyfe bestyall As voluptuous pleasure and bodely rest I account hym neuer better than a best