Liber Chaos

The First and Second Acts of Chaos
1. The first act of Chaos is igneity, aereity, aqueity and terreity. And its second act is the selfsame Chaos, now as the ignificative ignites its own ignificable, it also ignites the Chaos, and the same likewise follows with the aerificative, etc., and in this way, the said Chaos proceeds from ignification, aerification, etc.
2. Chaos is the first act, and the four simple elements transmitting their influence from this Chaos are the second act. Now as the four essences unite together to produce Chaos, this same Chaos then divides itself and produces four simple elements. Therefore, Chaos dividing itself is the first act, and the four simple elements constitute the second act.

3. Simple fire is the first act, and compound fire is the second act which occurs when the ignificative, as it enters by infusion into its own ignificable, is infused into air, water and earth, and produces the act of ignification in itself and in the other elements; and as one element proceeds in this way, understand that every one of the other elements follows the same process.

4. Compound fire, air, water and earth entering into composition in any elemented thing are the first act. And this elemented thing, which is but the compound being of these four, is the second act. Now as the parts of the elements intensively penetrate one another in greater or lesser proportions by way of composition, the elements in the compound constitute another species, which is not a species of any of the four elements.

5. The form of fire, the form of air, the form of water and the form of earth taken together are the first active act, and the second active act is the common form of the elemented thing composed of them. Likewise, the first passive act consists in the matters of fire, air, water and earth, and the second passive act is the common matter of the elemented thing.

6. Likewise, the common form and common matter of an elemented thing are the first act of the said elemented thing. But the whole elemented thing aggregated from these two, or the being of the substantial elemented thing, is the second act.

7. Further, a grain of wheat is the first act, and the ear that is produced from it is the second act, and likewise with other substantial things like these.

8. Further, substance is the first act, but common quantity, quality, etc. are the second act. For substance to exist, accidents must be accidentally present in it.

9. Intense active quantity and intense passive quantity are the first act, and the extended quantity aggregated from both is the second act. The same also applies to quality, etc.

10. In a mixture whose parts all interpenetrate one another, the entrance of each part into every other part is the first act of place, time, motion, action, passion and relation. But these accidents, namely place etc. are the second act, proceeding by means of substance and of the said principles beneath which mixture exists from the first degree of Chaos through to the last, as we said.

From what we said, it is clear enough how one act can be called the first act, and how another act can be called the second act. It is also clear how the first act is said to be prior to the subsequent act, and how the subsequent act is said to follow upon the preceding act, while the influence of Chaos exists contiguously through all the degrees, and distinctly through diverse essences in the division of acts and degrees.

Potentiality and Act in Chaos
1. In the first degree of Chaos, all beings existed potentially by way of creation and the Chaos was their subject. Then God, their prime agent, created the second degree of Chaos and in this second degree all specific forms were created. As a cup exists potentially in a lump of gold until it is brought into act by the craftsman's artifice, likewise, but much more so in a grain of wheat existing in the third degree of Chaos there is, potentially, the specific form and matter of another grain of the same species, and they are brought into act by the work of universal form and prime matter in the first degree of Chaos transmitting its influence to the third degree. This is how potentially existing form is brought into act, and this proceeds through the successive degrees of Chaos, so as to preserve the species of wheat; and the same likewise applies to other species.
2. Form and matter in the first degree of Chaos always exist in act, as principles universal to all things found in the third degree and in the sequence of numerous potential and actual forms, reproduced from the second degree up to the present through the process of generation and decay.

3. In the third degree, the grain of wheat exists as a substantial thing with its specific form and matter, with which it is numerically identical in act. But this substantial thing potentially holds a great number of grains of wheat, and this is because the first degree transmits its influence to the third degree which receives it. And as the the third degree receives influence from the first, the first degree potentially infuses into this grain new forms which potentially exist in the matter of the grain. And here, by the influence of the first degree, and by the appetite of the first grain for generating another grain like itself, a second grain is brought from potentiality into act while the first grain decays.

4. The essence of a grain of wheat from which other grains are to be generated loses its individual numerical identity when the form and matter of the corrrupted grain cease to constitute this grain. But the essence of the matter and form which actually had constituted this grain, namely prime matter and form, still remain as the specific essence of wheat even when the individual grain is corrupted. And because they no longer constitute this grain of wheat after it has been corrupted, they are no longer the matter and form of this particular grain of wheat, but merely the matter and form of wheat. Therefore, what used to be the matter and form of the grain remains as the essence of wheat, which is impelled to grow by the influence of the first degree of Chaos and to give its own substantial likeness to this growth. In this way, many other grains are further produced from Chaos, from the essence of the matter and form of the said grain. Therefore, in a grain of wheat from which other grains are to be generated, and in other similar things, only individual identity is corrupted. But in the things that pass from one specific form of being to another specific form of being, individual identity and specific essence are both corrupted. For instance, as bread and vegetables etc. are eaten, the bread and vegetables etc. are corrupted not only in their individual identity, but also in their specific essence, because what once existed under the species of bread and vegetables, etc. is now transmuted into the species of flesh and blood, etc. by the nutritive power's virtue.

5. When the generating grain is corrupted, only its individual identity and particular substantial being are corrupted along with its individualized accidents; and as the specific essence of wheat remains after the grain is corrupted, so do the specific accidents constituting this essence. Now as Chaos with its essence influences the generating grain of wheat, it also influences its accidents. Thus, the essence of the corrupted grain of wheat, as it receives increase from Chaos both essentially and accidentally, generates new grains both essentially and accidentally.

6. All accidents were created in a potential state in the first degree of Chaos by supreme providence, and disposed in order in the second degree; these accidents are ceaselessly produced from potentiality into act, successively through the second and third degrees, until this present moment. And what we said shows clearly enough how generated accidents originate in accidents which are potentially in the first degree of Chaos and are brought into act through the second degree into the third. The same likewise applies to the essence of form, for the essence of form is produced from the substantial essence of the first degree of Chaos, and the same likewise applies to matter, as clearly shown above.

The Universal Transmutation of Form and Matter in Chaos
1. In the first degree of Chaos, there is no transmutation of form and matter, but due to the influence of the first degree, transmutation of form and matter proceeds in the third degree: for instance, in a generating grain of wheat, form and matter are transmuted into another individual when they generate the grain produced by generation. And we clarify this as follows.
2. In a grain of wheat, there is specific form and matter. Now as one grain generates another grain, the individual identity of the generating grain decays, whereupon its substance made of its own specific form and matter also decays, or else nothing would be subject to generation and decay, which is an impossibility. Therefore, the individual identity of the generating grain decays, and through decay it returns to nothingness, since it had never been positively added to its constituent principles. And as the substantial generation of substantial beings proceeds from form and matter, given the pre existing ingredients of form and matter, so does substantial decay occur when form and matter cease to constitute a substantial being, even though the constituting essence of form and matter does not decay.

3. We can see clearly enough that this grain of wheat, as it generates another grain of wheat, gives the likeness of its form and matter to the grain it generates. And this happens because the essence of the generating grain, which, as said above, naturally reverts to the first degree through decay, is the essence most akin to the generated grain among all the essences that are likewise diffused throughout all of the first degree of Chaos and converted into one single confused essence of this first degree. And because it is so much closer to this generated grain than is any other essence, its virtue is more apt to transmit its influence into the essence about to be generated in the generated grain, than into any other essence.

4. In the sea, water which is specific to the essence of a decaying dead fish because it had formerly entered into the composition of the fish, reverts to simple water in the same order as that through which it had arisen from simple water, so as to generate some other supposite, and this also applies to all other supposites, both animal and vegetal.

5. Supposing many grains have decayed or been burned so that their matter aggregates in the air in contact with a field sowed with grains of a species like their own, then the first degree of Chaos would send the influence of the said matter into the sown grains sooner and more quickly than any other matter, and this is because of the similarity between species and the appetite whereby everything in nature seeks things similar to itself.

6. In human procreation, the first degree of Chaos sends the influence of its essence through an instrument into the third degree; but the father, in procreating, does not send the influence of his own essence, namely the form and matter that makes him a man, but he transmits the influence whereby the first Chaos instills from itself form and matter similar to the father's to provide a body for the offspring; and thus it is clear that a father does not produce an offspring from his own human essence, but rather, it is produced by the essence which flows from the first degree of Chaos and is converted into the essence of a human body, clothing itself with the specific likeness of this body; therefore, a father, as he procreates, transmits his specific likeness to his offspring, but does not transmit his human individuality, namely his individual and specific form and matter, or else no man would have his own specific essence, and resurrection would mean nothing, nor would the first degree of Chaos transmit individual essences to the third, nor would it preserve the individual forms and matters which they must take up again as they resurrect on the final day.

7. In a graft, transmutation proceeds as one form flows into another form and one matter into another matter, and not only between the form and matter of a single species, for wherever two species are joined, as we see when part of a peach tree is grafted on an apple tree where we have two different species each of which keeps its own specific being and substantial identity in a single continuous body but finally, the essences of both species are mixed and compounded in the fruit, as is evident in the color, taste and shape of the fruit of any tree grafted in this way.

8. The very same applies to the breeding of a mule, for in a mule we have the mixed influences of the likenesses of a horse and a female donkey which belong to distinct species.

9. The images and letters engraved on a seal do not transmit their identity to the wax, but only the likeness of their shape; likewise, the form and matter of a generating being do not give their identity to the offspring, but only their likeness substantiated by the influence that flows through them, transmitted by the first degree of Chaos from itself into the third through instruments, namely males and females in animals, or seeds in plants.

10. In artificial work there is no transmutation of one form into another form or of one matter into another matter, and consequently there is no transmutation of one essence into another, as we see in a silver cup, for if it is melted down and then cast again, the first form is entirely destroyed and another form is made, without any change in the identity of the matter, because in the destruction and construction of artificial forms, the matter is at no time converted to the first Chaos while it exists at one time as a cup of one form and at another time as a cup of another form.

The Intrinsic and Extrinsic Operations of Chaos
1. As the ignificative operates in the ignificable and on the ignificable as form on its own subject, intrinsic natural operation proceeds; but when the ignificative operates on the aerificable in order to convert it into the essence of igneity, this is extrinsic operation, meant to sustain the intrinsic operation. And the same applies to the other elements.
2. As igneity operates in its own essence as well as in aereity, aqueity and terreity, and as aereity operates in the same way, and so do the other essences, the first degree of Chaos is produced when the essences of Chaos produce one Chaos, and the form common to Chaos produces Chaos from prime matter; here, the operation or action of Chaos - given the total passivity of matter - consists in disposing this matter so it can be instilled into the third degree of Chaos.

3. In the second degree of Chaos, the first degree had a dual operation, namely intrinsic and extrinsic, and the intrinsic operation came first, because the second degree was located and situated in the first; and it also operated outwardly because all the species in this degree were created as instruments so that the first degree could transmit its essence from itself to the second, and from the second to the third, from the third to the fourth and so on in sequence until the end of the world.

4. In the third degree of Chaos substance operates within substance through the mode of generation and corruption where each part exists in the other parts, as in an elemented supposite in which we understand that fire transits into air and vice versa, air into water and vice versa, water into earth and vice versa, and earth into fire and vice versa, so that each element operates in all the other elements, yielding one common form compounded from four simple forms and one common matter compounded from four simple matters; and under this form and matter, compound supposites exist in other species and essences which are not the species or any of the said elements, nor are they of the same species as the things that go into their composition, as we can see in a grain of wheat and in other species.

5. In the generation of a generated grain and the corruption of the grain generating it, we understand that there is a dual operation of the generating grain, namely extrinsic and intrinsic; the intrinsic operation is the one which the generating grain initiates within itself, and as it exists in itself it transmits the influence of its virtue through a medium, namely the first degree of Chaos, into the generated grain which is external to the essence of the generating one.

6. Form operates within itself to make another form under which the producer produces its own shape from passive matter, for instance the shape of a man, a grain or some other species.

7. Accidents are generated and produced within substance, for instance extended quantity is produced throughout the whole body from the intensive quantity of form and matter; and the same applies to quality, which arises within substance as the form of fire acts on matter by heating, lighting, lightening or brightening this matter so that the entire choleric supposite is calefactive within and outside itself, as we see in material fire when it burns things up, as well as in other supposites of this kind, and the same applies to the other elements in their own way.

8. In the essence of substance, form is the locificative as well as the temporificative etc. principle, where a supposite exists in matter under form, and matter is the locificable, temporificable etc. principle, as the parts all move within each other, so that fire in this supposite enters into air, water and earth; and air into water, earth and fire; and the same applies to water and earth, and their mutual ingress involves locus, motion and time, without which the said mutual ingress of the elements would be impossible, as there would be no mixture of the elements, and without mixture, there would consequently be no composition in supposites. Now all the above shows very clearly how accidents are produced within substance and show up in external shape.

9. The elements cannot give rise to substance without accidents, and therefore accidents arise within substance. Form quantifies quality with quantity, and form qualifies quantity with quality, the same applies to the other accidents, and it is very difficult to know these accidents as they operate in a real and a very secret way within substance so that through their operation they show up outside of a substance as the shape of this substance. Each accident goes into the makeup of this shape while the form, or real presence of each of them resides within substance, where it is practically inaccessible to the senses.

Mixture and Virtue in Chaos
1. Mixture proceeds in Chaos in many ways, but we understand that it is divided into four main species, the first of these is the Chaos itself produced from igneity, aereity, aqueity and terreity. The mixture of these essences where each is mixed with all the others results in one Chaos, namely one confused body containing whatever is elemented.
2. We understand that the second species of mixture is divided into four simple elements which enter into mixture to compose the third and fourth species of mixture. This second species flows from the influence of the first, and exists with its own virtue and essence in the third and fourth, or else there would be no participation between the first, third and fourth species, which is impossible.

3. The third species of mixture is divided into four parts, namely fire, air, water and earth. The first part, we understand, is all fire perceptible to our senses. We sense that fire is diffused and enclosed in air, water, earth, stones, iron etc. and fire is enclosed and diffused to prevent it from burning up the other parts, for if fire were aggregated to the same extent as air, water and earth are, bodies could not be generated nor could the other parts resist fire. The second part is the air of which we all partake. The third part is water, namely the sea, all fountains, ponds and rivers. The fourth part is the accumulation of earth on which we dwell.

4. The fourth and last species of mixture is in elemented supposites, namely in the individuals of species in which the elements are mixed and compounded, as in men, irrational animals, plants and metals. The second, third and fourth species flow from the influence of the first species in which they exist and from which they receive being and virtue: they all exist within it like parts in their whole, and it exists in them all like the whole in its parts.

5. The first and second species are invisible and intangible. In the first, the essences of Chaos are equally within one another due to the maximal virtue of mixture. But this is not so in the remaining species, because their parts are within one another in greater or lesser proportion, so there is a greater division of mixtures and virtues, as for instance in air: now there is more mixture between the aerificative and the aerificable than between the aerificative and the terreificable, and the same with fire and water. This follows likewise in the third and fourth species of mixture: as we see, there is more water in the ocean than in the earth, and there is more fire and earth in a choleric subject than in a phlegmatic one. Now as each element depurates itself with all its virtue away from every other element, the second species of mixture and virtue is followed by the third species and the third virtue, and the third species and third virtue are followed by the fourth species of mixture where each element generates other elements. The same applies to elemental corruption, for when a supposite is corrupted, some of it remains in the fourth species of mixture, but the rest of its parts revert in due order to the other species of mixture. Now the part which remains in the fourth species of mixture is depurated in the first, second and third in sequence so it can be altered and become a new supposite.

6. Further, mixture proceeds between form and matter, given that elemental supposites are produced from both, and in all supposites the four elements are mixed together in the following way: fire receives the subject of earth, namely its matter and consequently its form, and in this way, as fire receives dryness from earth, it diffuses its heat into air along with its own subject comprising both its matter and form, and in this subject fire is the subject of earth through dryness; likewise, air in turn receives the said properties with their substances as it instills moisture along with its subject into water with the properties it receives as said above. The same process goes on as water enters into earth, and then again as earth enters into fire, so that the parts of the four elements never cease mixing with each other; and because each one has its own form and matter, all the said forms ceaselessly mix and are mixed through their own and alien matters, and consequently through themselves; and let us repeat again that because all the elemental forms in a supposite constitute one common form, and all the elemental matters constitute one common matter, the entirety of this common form is mixed throughout the entirety of the common matter, given that the said elemental forms are mixed, as we said, throughout their matters. Mixture proceeds in the vegetative and sensitive powers of animals in a way similar to the way we described with regard to elemental forms and matters; and we propose to say more about this further on.

7. As stated above, the parts of the elements all exist within one another; consequently, mixture proceeds between substance and accidents, given that substance is composed of form and matter so that the entirety of form exists in the entirety of matter and vice versa, and the entire active intense quantity of form exists within the entire passive intense quantity of matter, and as they are mixed and united in this way, as are the entirety of quality, relation etc. extended quantity is produced throughout the entirety of substance and gives rise to the mixture of substance with its accidents. From this maximal mixture, digestion proceeds and through digestion, virtue proceeds from substance through accidents, to make up substance with its accidents, and we call this kind of substance an elemented supposite.

8. Form is active by nature and matter is passive by nature, so that when both are joined together in some existing supposite, form never ceases to act, nor does matter cease its passive submission to the act of form; for if they ceased, their natural conjunction would be destroyed, which is impossible, and on account of this impossibility, form never ceases mixing together all the parts of the elements, and consequently it never ceases producing virtue in the compound, for each and every one of these parts has in itself the wherewithal to produce its own partial virtue, and as they are mixed together, as we described, one single virtue is multiplied, this virtue has quantity and quality and it proceeds according to the quantity of parts and of digestion among them, and the other accidents all follow the same process.

9. The digestion of virtue in elemental mixture proceeds as follows: a part of fire diffused through all the parts of the other elements digests for its own end, or appetite, the other parts according to situation, habit, quantity, quality, relation, action, passion, time and place, and this part of fire receives all these things from above, namely from the first, second and third species of mixture into the fourth.

10. God sowed the seeds of species throughout the Chaos, because as He created the first degree of Chaos He disposed the forms and matters of each species in potentiality so that the mixture of parts accomplished in the first degree of Chaos instills itself and its influence into the other degrees, where virtue and mixture arise from the influence of the prime Chaos, from the properties of species and their dispositions within their own essences, and this virtue and mixture has quantity, quality etc. as previously ordained by God in the first, second and third degrees of Chaos and in the said species of mixture, as described above.

The First and Second Intentions in Chaos
1. In the first degree of Chaos the ignificative has its first intention for its own ignificable and conversely, and its second intention is for an alien ignificable of the essence of earth, air and water; likewise, the proper ignificable or the ignificative's own matter first intends to be ignificable under its own ignificative, and its second intention is to be aerificable under the aerificative, or aqueificable under the aqueificative, and the other elements also proceed in this way. Therefore, Chaos is a second intention of each essence which has its first intention for itself, as we said above.
2. From the Chaos there is an influx of four simple elements, each one of them has its first intention for itself, as simple form seeks simple matter and vice versa, so as to make up one simple supposite; but as an element cannot accomplish this by itself, it seeks composition, and thus the compound element arises by the second intention.

3. Simple fire has an appetite to convert the other elements to its own essence so it can be perfect in its simplicity; therefore, as a second intention, it has an appetite or inclination to receive dryness from earth, give heat to air and mortify water; and the same is understood about the other elements.

4. This process likewise occurs in the third species of mixture, then in the fourth, until finally fire or any other compounded element constitutes some species, as each element seeks to be perfected in the second species of mixture, where its prime intention lies.

5. In any tree, each one of the four elements has a secondary appetite for the trunk, branches, leaves, flowers and fruit, but its primary appetite is for the seed of the fruit. However, with reference to itself, its second intention is for the seed but the first is for itself, and thus each element exists in a species through the second intention, but in itself by the first intention.

6. The first intention of form and matter is to be substance, their second intention is for the accidents of substance, because substance cannot exist without them.

7. From this difference between first and second intentions, follows the difference between the essence of substance and the essence of accidents, so that accidents do not belong to the essence of substance, but proceed from the virtue arising from its form and matter to be deployed into instruments with which this substance can simply exist in its own form and matter.

8. In Chaos, the genus is a second intention and its species are the first intention.

9. Likewise, species are a second intention and their individuals are the first intention.

10. And all species and individuals are a second intention whereas the human species and its individuals are the first intention.

Appetite and Causal Seeds in the Chaos
1. When God, the Creator of all things, brought forth the Chaos from non being into being, He sowed causal seeds in the Chaos together with their appetites for disposing and adapting the forms and matters of species.
2. These seeds existed potentially in the first degree of Chaos, nor do they cease to exist therein, so they can sustain a ceaseless reproduction of species, or else no species would have any natural appetite for reproducing its individuals.

3. From the first degree of Chaos, as we said above, there is an influx of four simple elements, where each one divides itself through composition into species and then produces supposites with appetite for generation and corruption prompted by the causal seeds whereby the elements seek to enter into species, or else no element would have any natural appetite to arrive at constituting a species, or any preference for some species over others, nor could natural specification arise in the first degree of Chaos before arising in the third, which is impossible.

4. Everything in creation has a greater natural appetite for God than for anything else, and even though the elements have no intellect, they nonetheless have an appetite for God, as they desire to follow the rule that God gave them as He instills His own presence and influence throughout the second and third degrees of Chaos which must have in themselves all the seeds of the species arousing the elements' appetites before they enter into composition in any species, for otherwise the elements would not have more appetite for the end than for the beginning, nor would the final intention exist in nature before existing in a secondary principle, which is impossible.

5. In a grain of wheat, an ear of wheat potentially exists, this potentiality is disseminated throughout every part of the grain, and given that the ear must have more form and matter in itself than has the grain in which the ear potentially exists, the Chaos must contain some causal seeds harboring the appetite to reproduce species by means of the wheat grain, as the Chaos instills some of its form and matter, in equal amounts of form and matter, through the wheat grain, until finally the ear reaches its formal and material perfection, and all animate beings breed in this way.

6. In a field sown with wheat, causal seeds are ready to enter under many specific forms, like barley, oats, darnel, etc. if such grains are also sown in the same field; this shows very clearly that the field contains causal seeds in a state of confusion, where each causal seed seeks to exist with its distinct identity and produce things like wheat grains and other grains, so that the Chaos can instill itself through the grains into the parts held within its confused matter.

7. In a graft, a confused essence arriving from the lower part of the tree's trunk ascends to the shoots on the tree from which leaves and flowers proceed under specific form and matter, so that essence is transmuted from one species into another, and this essence's innate seeded parts had to be transmuted from confusion to specification before achieving specification.

8. And because the upper part of the tree cannot receive in itself all the parts held in the confused matter, it is very clear that a great many parts remain in potentiality and are not brought into act although they have been seeded and now exist as potential universals to parts which could be brought into act.

9. Therefore these things called causal seeds exist more in universals than in particulars, and have an appetite for being particular parts in species.

10. All this shows clearly enough how causal seeds exist in Chaos in the first species of mixture, then in the second, and from the second to the third, until they reach the fourth mixture; and the seeds exist in greater universality in one mixture than in another because some mixtures are more confused than others.

The Four Degrees of the Elements in Chaos
1. In the first degree of Chaos, God established in potentiality the degrees of animal, vegetal and mineral species, in the second He brought their degrees into act by creating them, so that from the second to the third there are four degrees of elements proceeding from the generating agent.
2. As there are four elements, God established four degrees for the quality of each, as for instance in the heat of fire: now some plants are hot in the fourth degree, some in the third, some in the second and some in the first. A herb or plant which is hot in the fourth degree, is dry in the third degree, because fire is hot per se and dry by accident; and this plant is moist in the second degree since fire is in concordance with air as it gives it heat. But because fire is opposed to water, a herb which is hot in the fourth degree must be cold in the first, and thus the said herb has four degrees: at the head is fire in the fourth degree of heat, followed by earth in the third degree of dryness, then air in the second degree of moisture and finally water in the first degree of cold.

3. In the said herb, fire divides itself into six points as follows: fire gives three points of heat to the three points of earth's dryness, and it gives two points of heat to the two points of moisture, and one point of heat to the point of cold; and this is how the degrees are proportioned and quantified in this supposite or herb which contains twelve points in itself, as we said.

4. This kind of supposite, which is hot in the fourth degree, is composed, as described, of twelve points, six of which belong to fire and the other six to the other elements, these are divided into three points of earth, two of air and one of water. The supposite moreover retains for itself a seventh point of heat which is simple and rules the six points of heat present in the supposite with the other elements' points, and it also retains a fourth point of dryness which rules the three points of dryness, a third point of moisture which rules the two points of moisture, and likewise a second point of cold which rules the single point of cold. This shows how the elements in the said supposite which is in the fourth degree of heat are both simple and compound: now the seventh point of heat, the fourth of dryness, the third of moisture and the second of cold are simple points which exist not only virtually, but even essentially within and outside the said supposite and which, as ordered in the second degree of Chaos, instill from the first degree of Chaos into the third, the degrees in the said supposite, namely the fourth, third, second and first as they exist in composition, mixture and digestion in the supposite, and their subject is the essence of the same supposite existing in the third degree of Chaos.

5. When the said supposite decays and its numerical identity is annihilated by corruption, then its fourth degree of heat which previously existed in the third degree of Chaos, reverts to the first degree of Chaos by means of this seventh point, and the third degree of dryness does the same through the fourth point, and the other elements do likewise, whereupon the subject of the four degrees reverts from the third degree of Chaos to the first, and this is enough about all species hot in the fourth degree.

6. Now let us look at a herb of the species which is hot in the third degree. Every elemented species which is hot in the third degree is dry in the second, moist in the first, and cold is downgraded in this species because it cannot have a whole degree of cold for itself. And likewise, as described above, in this species which is hot in the third degree, fire gives two points of heat to two points of dryness, one point of heat to one point of moisture and three quarters of one point of heat to the three quarters of a point of cold present in this species. Thus, the supposite contains seven and a half points: of these, three and three quarters belong to fire and the remainder to the other elements, and the supposite retains for itself a fourth point of heat which is simple and rules these three points and the other points of heat which are in composition; it also retains a third point of dryness which is simple and rules the two points of compound dryness, and likewise, it retains a second simple point of moisture which rules one point of compound moisture, and it also retains in this way a first point of cold which is simple and rules three quarters of one compound point. This can be likewise understood in the same order with regard to species in the second and first degrees of heat, so that we need not dwell any longer on this here, because what was said also applies to the fourth, third, second and first degrees of the other complexions.

Universal and Particular Chaos
1. From igneity, aereity, aqueity and terreity, the Chaos is produced in universality, and it is a universal or common thing, and we call it universal, meaning that it is common to everything in elemental nature.
2. The first degree is universal, and from it, through creation, proceeds the second degree in which were created all the species universal to all individuals and all species in the third degree of Chaos, which in turn are universal to all their individuals in the third degree. Therefore the first degree of Chaos is universal to the second and the second is universal to the third.

3. The difference which Chaos receives from the ignificative, aerificative etc. and from the ignificable, aerificable, aqueificable and terreificable, is universal to all the differences existing in elemented nature in the third degree of Chaos. The same applies to all the properties and accidents which the Chaos receives in itself from its own essence, as these properties and accidents are universal to all the properties and accidents of elemental nature in the third degree of Chaos.

4. The substance of Chaos is universal to all the substances in the third degree of Chaos, which are its particulars, and just as this substance is universal to all the substances in the third degree, likewise all the accidents of this prime substance are universal to all the accidents of substances in the third degree, so that there is one universal substance which is universal to all natural substances, and one quantity universal to all quantities, one quality universal to all qualities, and so on with all the accidents in elemented nature.

5. The substance of a wheat grain in which many wheat grains potentially exist, is universal to all future substances generated by this grain; and what applies to the substances applies in the same way to the accidents, now the accidents of the generative grain are general to all the accidents of its generables, but understand that this occurs with help from the first degree of Chaos which instills its essence in the said grain, which we say is universal, but without the influence of the Chaos, this grain could in no way be universal on its own.

6. From the parts of fire present in a stone, in iron and in the air, when the stone is struck, particular fire is extracted, since the first degree of Chaos exists as a universal in the said parts, and this is a simple universal of the nature of igneity, which nonetheless exists in a compounded and mixed state in the stone, iron and air from which it is extracted as well as in the kindling in which it is kindled. Likewise, this air we breathe is universal to the breath of all animals; and water in rainwater, dew, springs, rivers and in the sea, is universal to all liquid bodies; and earth, which we call the center, is universal to all solid bodies, as we mentioned above in the chapter on mixture and virtue.

7. The Chaos instills universal matter into a tree, and the natural agent receives this influx of matter in the tree by differentiating it into branches, leaves and fruit, and in this way it specifies the universal so that the said matter becomes particular in the third degree of Chaos, but as a universal can never be entirely received by particulars, so likewise the first degree of Chaos can never be totally received in the third, whence it is clearly obvious that a universal is a principle which exists beyond particulars; however, we do not mean to say that the universal has no particularity of its own, but we mean that it is universal with respect to the existence of the things that are made or can be made from it, because if there were no principle in natural things, with the sole exception of the particulars in the third degree of Chaos, the entire first degree of Chaos would convert into the third, which is impossible.

8. Our senses clearly tell us that man receives an influence of air through five senses, namely through seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. Air is a single entity, and its influence is diffused when man receives it through specification, because his sensitive faculty has five diverse ways of receiving the air available to them in common, and this shows clearly enough that the universal communicates itself to a vast number of particulars of various species that live in air; the same is likewise understood about species which live in water, as water communicates with their five particular sensitive faculties.

9. When scions of pear and peach are grafted onto an apple tree, the form and matter which then are universal to the pear and the peach are naturally transmuted into another essence, namely the form and matter of pear and peach as the natural agent generates from the universal the particulars in which the form and matter of the universal are specified, because in the graft the specific form and specific matter of the pear and the peach are grafted onto the influx of the specific form and specific matter of this particular apple tree, which give rise to a universal with respect to the various grafted species which are particular and specific, and to which the essence of the apple tree as such communicates itself universally, and is received in particular ways with respect to the said essences of pear and peach.

10. The vegetative power communicates itself universally to four specific powers which exist in it, namely the appetitive, retentive, digestive and expulsive powers which exist universally on the outside but in particular ways on the inside; inasmuch as it is on the outside, the vegetative power exists in a confused state in potentiality in the first degree of Chaos, but inasmuch as it is on the inside, it exists as something specific the third degree of Chaos. And this is enough about particulars and universals.

B - Genus
1 - B - The Genus of Chaos
1. The first degree of Chaos is a genus which contains whatever we understand to be physical or corporeal. Through specification, this supreme degree descends into the third in which there are other kinds of genera, like the animal genus, the genus of color, the genus of trees and things like this, under which there are several species, such as the human species, the species of lions, whiteness, blackness, apple trees, pear trees etc.

2. In the essence of the first degree of Chaos, the ignificative is generificative, the Chaos is generificable, but the ignificable is specificable because the ignificative acts upon the aerificable, aqueificable and terreificable; and in the essence of the first degree of Chaos the very same applies to the aerificative because it is generificative etc. and because it likewise acts in turn upon the aqueificative, the terreificative etc. The aqueificative, the terreificative etc. act in the same way, and here we see how the first degree of Chaos is a genus containing in itself a specifying nature so that the third degree can follow.

3. In the third degree of Chaos, seeds constitute a genus, and a wheat grain is a species containing many individual wheat grains; in this grain, the aerificative is generificative over the aerificable, the ignificable etc, and likewise with the other elements, while a great many grains are produced from one grain. This shows how each grain, together with the influence of the first degree of Chaos and the virtue of the third can be a genus for generating a large number of grains.

4. The first degree of Chaos, not only by reason of substantial form and matter, but also by reason of accidental forms such as quantity etc., is a genus general to all the substantial and accidental forms in the third degree, which is clear enough, since this first degree substance has its own accidents closer to itself than any other substance has, and is continually active as the ignificative substantially ignifies its own ignificable and consequently the other elementables as well, and the same likewise applies to the other elements.

5. From this continuous act, the particular substances of the third degree arise; and when this act of the first degree of Chaos is interrupted because the third degree of Chaos is unable to receive its influence, substances are corrupted and upon corruption, they revert to the substance from which they arose, which is neither generated nor corrupted whereas they always undergo generation and corruption.

6. The Chaos is a corporeal substance in which many corporeal substances exist as real and natural genera throughout the third degree of Chaos, such as animals, plants, metals etc. or else the first degree could not instill its essence and virtue into the third, which is impossible.

7. Just as in a circle many lines converge toward one point, likewise, many species of the third degree of Chaos converge toward one point, namely the first degree of this Chaos, and just as the lines get closer to one another as they approach the point in which they unite, likewise, whenever the species of the third degree tend toward confusion, they also tend more toward the first degree of Chaos, and so the first simile shows that the virtue of generation exists in the middle of substance, as we see in the human heart where the virtue of blood is greater than in the other organs and limbs, and likewise in the trunk of a tree where there is more virtue than outside in the branches, leaves and fruit.

8. Given that genus is rationally deduced by the intellectual faculty from a number of species, it is deemed to have no real existence: now the animal genus is nothing but a mere rational construct, as it has no supposite with matter and form, but since reason understands that the first degree of Chaos cannot flow into the third without a medium, in this instance the animal genus, it understands that the animal genus is something that really exists as a medium and instrument through which the Chaos divides itself into species, and from the species into individuals in the third degree, or else the third could neither govern itself nor receive essence from the first; however we do not say that the animal genus is a supposite, as it has no specific form or matter, but we assert that it is the general point in which the natural conjunction and mixture of the vegetative and sensitive powers proceeds; now this point is invisible and intangible because it is diffused in its entirety throughout diverse species, and we say that this point is a creature and one of the principles of nature.

9. At first sight, a wheat grain is deemed to be an individual with specific form and matter, but the intellect understands more than this when it concludes that it is a genus in the way described above, due to its potential ability to generate and produce a great many grains of its own and of other species, like winter wheat, darnel etc. while the Chaos flows into it, and to be transubstantiated into human blood, and from blood into flesh once the form of bread is transmuted into the form of blood and the matter of bread into the matter of blood, which shows clearly enough that through the intermediary of Chaos, this grain's essence is a genus and something really universal which holds many particular potential species while this essence is substantially converted into another substance such as winter wheat, darnel, blood etc. In the wheat grain, these supposites are things aggregated from matter and form which are intangible and invisible under the species of wheat, because they exist in potentiality in the first degree of Chaos which is also intangible and invisible.

10. It is therefore clear, from what we said at the beginning of this chapter, that the first degree of Chaos is really a genus; but with regard to the secondary genus, which flows from the first degree of Chaos into the second and the third, some may doubt that it is more than a mere rational construct built on species, but as for us, as we said above, we assert that this secondary genus is a real thing according rational judgment based on real things.