Two Elements there are, in which animallsanimals live, water and aireair, and as ma=
ny in which noeno animated thing can live, earth and fire: For as those are
of a midlemiddle and temperate complexion in the first and second qualityesqualities, soeso
these are extreme; bodyesbodies either too thickethick or too subtillsubtle, soeso thickethick as not
to admittadmit other bodyesbodies, soeso subtillsubtle as indeed to admit, but to penetrate and burneburn
them: But the reason why men doedo live in vaults and subterranean MynesMines is
because of the aireair descending thitherto, and supplying the vacuity of those
places: But here weewe speakespeak of every Element apart: In water fish doedo live
in incredible number, variety, and fertility, yea the greatest of all ani=
mallsanimals; In the aireair men, four=-footedfour-footed beasts, birds, wormesworms, and insects: Whatso=
ever is saydsaid of Spirits wandringwandering in the secret parts of the earth, is ano=
ther thing, for neither are they animallsanimals: But they say the Salamander
alone lives in fire: Now the Salamander is a creeping verminevermin, not much -
unlike to a Lizard, but of Slower pace, bigger head, and different colourcolor, such
as I remember I have seen in the Alps, or neckeneck of Spluga, coming out of
the caverns of rocks after thunder and rainerain, and staying in the way, a -
countryman of that place advertising that it was, called ein Molch: And it
had about a clammy and viscous moistnessemoistness, by the virtue of which it
passethpasses freely through fire without harmeharm: But the Philosophers Sala=
mander is much different, though it be assimilated to this: For that is -
bred in fire, this not; but if it falls into fire it is not presently burned -
by reason of its excedingexceeding coldnessecoldness and moistnessemoistness, but can freely passepass
through the flame: That is hotthot and dry this cold and moist: For every
thing participates of the nature of the mothers wombewomb, or resembles -
the place and countreycountry: Fire producethproduces nothing but that which is hotthot -
and dry, as its like, and on the contrary the moist and cold caverns
of rocks, being full of water, doedo bring forth this cold and moist ver=
mynevermin. That dothdoes by the similitude of nature rejoycerejoice in fire, this by
contrariety extinguishethextinguishes it, or repells its force for some time from it.
They say that the flyefly called Pyrausta is generated in fire, and flyesflies out
of the brassebrass furnaces of Cyprus: but noeno man hathhas beleivdbelieved this true, except
by an allegory: For fire, if it be continued, destroyesdestroys and corrupts the
bodyesbodies of all animallsanimals whatsoever, it allsoalso burning the earth into glasseglass,
and the most solid timber into ashes, and all other compounded things,
a few excepted, as MercuriallMercurial, which doedo either wholywholly remayneremain, or allto=
getheraltogether flyefly from fire, noeno separation of the parts being made in them:
Vulcan is a most cruellcruel murtherermurderer, who calls all things mixed with the
Elements to his examination,

some being excepted from his judgement -
seat as the priviledgesprivileges, and prerogatives of the EmperesseEmperess Nature: Upon
these heehe obtainesobtains noeno right alone, unlesseunless heehe joynejoin to himselfehimself other -
judges, and Salamanders are above his violence, which they doedo not fear: -
AvicenneAvicenna in Porta reckons up the various temperaments of bodyesbodies, which are
all unæquallunequal, and therefore corruptible by fire and other injuryesinjuries: but one
heehe affirms to be exactly æquallequal, which hathhas soeso much heat, as cold, soeso -
much siccity, as moisture, not as to weight, but justice, as the PhysitiansPhysicians
termeterm it, and this is that which is more patient, than agent; in which if
fire endeavoursendeavors to dissolve water its contrary into aireair its familiar, the
earth admittsadmits not this resolution, because it is incorporated with water: -
and the internallinternal fire of the compound dothdoes by consent approve this
sentiment of the earth, because it is an intimate freindfriend to the earth. -
The judgementjudgment therefore of Vulcan ceasethceases, who usethuses yet another en=
trigueintrigue, striving to burneburn the earth into ashes, as his customecustom is, but the wa=
ter adhæringadhering to it prævaylesprevails against exceptions, which ShewsShows itselfeitself uni=
ted to the earth, and the aireair to it, and fire to the earth on the other -
side; heehe therefore that would incinerate the earth, must allsoalso incine=
rate the other Elements: And soeso Vulcan being disapointeddisappointed suspends -
his judgementjudgment, lest heehe Should be derided by all men. This body is like
the reallreal Salamander, in which the Elements are exactly æquallizedequalized in vir=
tue: Of it SaythSays the Rosary out of Geber; That Philosopher would have -
the substance of Mercury mortifyedmortified, but naturally his Mercury is in that
venerable Stone, as is manifest to all men: therefore etc. AllsoAlso that Phi=
losopher would have the substance of Mercury fixed, as is evident, be=
cause heehe teachethteaches the wayesways of fixing with many cautions and devices,
but who doubts the substance of that pretiousprecious stone to be fixed? cer=
tainly noeno man that knowesknows it. By which it is demonstrated, that the
Stone must be reduced to the nature of the Salamander by fixa=
tion; that is, to absolute fixity, which declines not, or refusethrefuses fire. -
For neither can it be the Salamander, before it hathhas learned to en=
dure fire most patiently, which must of necessity be effected in long
processeprocess of time. Hereafter in the 35 emblematicallemblematical discourse weewe will -
treat of Achilles and Triptolemus, placed in the night time under embers
of fire, till they could endure most vehement heat, who allsoalso attained to a
Salamandrine property by customecustom and habit: for customecustom is a second -
nature, which notwithstanding must coḿunicatecommunicate power, and as a Mis=
tresseMistress begin alteration, otherwise customecustom will be able to effect little or
nothing; that is the reason why it is impossible to fix ice at fire, but
CristallCristal possible, because nature hathhas begun this: The same must be
supposed of watrywatery and volatile Mercury, which in its owneown nature
cannot be fixed, except by mariagemarriage and coition with Sulphur, -
which is the Philosophers tincture, and fixethfixes all volatile Spi=
rits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .