PART THREE.

by the force of fire they come together from the imperfect metals and protect each other, the impure portion being burned and removed, Paracelsus teaches; which is found to be most in agreement with both nature and truth, for everywhere (heterogeneous things being mixed and pressed by injury) like is associated with like and defends itself against force as much as it can, so that it may be preserved; while the rest, which are not of its nature, are neglected and left to the enemy as prey. Which many examples, not only in animals but also in vegetables and minerals, would confirm if omitted here for the sake of brevity. But it is most necessary to know this, who is the enemy or friend of each: for to some, the highest heat is opposed, to others the most intense cold. Which is seen in the harshest winter, when a vessel full of warm beer or some other fiery liquid or one containing some subtlety is exposed, which, not being able to resist the hostile cold, is necessarily corrupted, nature first protecting itself as much as it can against the enemy, with the purest and most powerful parts of the same nature withdrawing into the center where they are kept, but leaving the rest to be converted into ice by the enemy. The same is manifest in other liquids also feeling the cold of different parts, the most excellent being torn away from the viler, hastening to the middle as a fortification: as if salt or oil were dissolved in the same water, these, being more excellent than the water itself, will go into the middle, the water being left to be coagulated by the cold, which experience has most often confirmed. When a city is besieged by a powerful enemy, against whom it is unable to defend itself, it does not immediately open the gates, so that he may do and carry off everything at his pleasure, but resists as long as possible, no one is willingly killed first, but retreats as long as he can, especially the nobles, to whom the management of affairs is entrusted, even if they strive to save their citizens, so that not one may perish, yet when it is not allowed, they rather expose the enemy's swords to their own bodies than theirs, seeking the innermost and most fortified part of the city where they might be preserved, until the citizens having been defeated, they themselves are also forced to surrender.