The Nature of the Four Elements (Natura Naturata) · chunk 4 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 · 496 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T56: magic, faustus, charms, charm, conjure, spirits, skill, ho, power, spells.
O excellent prince and great lord nature I am thine own child and formed instrument I beseech thy grace take me to thy cure And teach me such science thou thikyst expedient Than sith thou art so humble and benevolent That thing that is meet for thy capasyte And good for thy knowledge I shall Instruct the Furst of all thou must consider and see These elementis which do each other penetrate And by continual alteration they be Of themself daily corrupted and generate The earth as a point or centre is situate In the myddis of the world/ with the water joined with the air & fire round & hole environed Th● earth of itself is ponderous and heavy Cold and dry of his own nature ꝓper Some part lieth dry continually And part thereof covered over with water Som● with the salt see some with fresh river which earth and the water to guider with all So joined make a round figure sperycall So the water which is cold & moist is found In and upon the yerth filling the hol●nes In diverse partis lying with the earth round yet th● hillies and mountains of the earth excess Take nothing of it a way the roundness In comparison because they be so small No more than the prikkꝭ do that be on a gall The air which is hot and moist also And the fire which is ever hot and dry A bout th● earth and water jointly they go And compass them every where orbycularly As the white a bout the yolk of an egg doth lie But the air in the lower part most remaineth The fire naturally to the higher tendyth The eth●ryall region which conteynyth The stars and planetties and ●uery spear A bout the elementis daily moveth And covereth them round a bout every where Every star and spear in strange manner Upon his own poles mouy●h-dyuersly which now to declare were to long to tarry The fire and the air of their naturys be light Therefore they move by natural providence The water because it is ponderous in weight moveth not naturally but by violence Of the st●rris and plan●ttꝭ by whose influence The see is compelled to ebb and flow daily And fresh waters to spring continually And though that the water be gross and heavy ●●t nothing so gross as the earth I wis Therefore by heat it is vapoured up lightly And in the air makeeth cloudies and mystꝭ But as soon as ever that it grossly is Geder●d to guider/ it descendyth a gain And causyth upon the earth hail snow & rain The earth because of his ponderosyte A voydyth equally the movyngꝭ great Of all extremytes and speries that be And ●endyth to the place that is most quiet So in the mids of all the speries is set Fo●mast abject from all manner moving where naturally he resteth & moveth nothing
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)
¶O excellent prynce and great lorde nature I am thyne owne chylde and formyd instrument I beseche thy grace take me to thy cure And teche me suche scyens thou thikyst expedyēt ¶Than syth thou art so humble and beneuolent That thynge that is mete for thy capasyte And good for thy knowlege I shall Instructe the ¶Furst of all thou must consyder and see These elementis whiche do yche other penetrate And by contynuall alteracyon they be Of them selfe dayly corruptyd and generate The yerth as a poynt or center is sytuate In the myddꝭ of the worlde / with ye water Ioyned with the ayre & fyre rounde & hole inuyronyd ¶Th yerth of it selfe is ponderous and heuy Colde and dry of his owne nature ꝓper Some parte lyeth dry contynually And parte therof coueryd ouer with water Som with the salt see some with freshe ryuer whiche yerth and the water to gyder with all So Ioynyd make a rounde fygure sperycall ¶So the water whiche is colde & moyst is foūde In and vppon the yrth fyllynge the holnes In dyuers partis liynge with ye yerth rounde yet th hyllys and mountyns of ye yerth excesse Take nothynge of hit a way the roundnes In comparyson bycause they be so small No more than the prikkꝭ do that be on a gall ¶The ayre whiche is hote and moyst also And the fyre which is euer hote and dry A bout th yerth and water Ioyntly they go And compasse them euery where orbycularly As the whyte a boute the yolke of an egg doth lye But the ayre in the lower parte moste remaynyth The fyre naturally to the hyer tendyth ¶The ethryall region whiche conteynyth The sterrys and planettys and uery spere A bout the elementis dayly mouyth And coueryth them rounde a bout euery where Euery sterre and spere in straunge maner Uppon his owne poles mouyh-dyuersly whiche now to declare were to longe to tary ¶The fyre and the ayre of their naturys be lyght Therfore they moue by naturall prouydence The water bycause it is ponderous in weyght Mouyth not naturally but by vyolence Of the strris and planttꝭ by whose influence The see is compellyd to ebbe and flowe dayly And freshe waters to sprynge contynually ¶And though yt the water be grose and heuy t nothynge so grose as the yerth I wys Therfore by hete it is vaporyd vp lyghtly And in the ayre makyth cloudys and mystꝭ But as sone as euer that it grosely is Gederd to gyder / it descendyth a gayne And causyth vppon ye yerth hayle snow & rayne ¶The yerth because of his ponderosyte A voydyth equally the mouyngꝭ great Of all extremytes and sperys that be And endyth to the place that is most quiet So in the myddys of all the sperys is set Fomast abiet from all maner mouynge where naturally he restyth & mouyth nothynge