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Astronomical Images : Combination of Elements

Bartholomaeus de Usingen

Astronomical Images

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Bartholomeus de Usingen (1465-1532), an Augustinian friar and Professor of Theology at the University of Erfurt, is better known as Martin Luther's teacher and later opponent. This is a slender book containing the main points of Aristotelian natural philosophy: in three sections it covers several main concepts from <i>Physics</i>, <i>On Generation and Corruption</i>, and <i>On the Soul</i>; the text was printed on every other line to allow for annotations. This particular copy contains annotations between the lines and in the margins, but the identity of the annotator is not known. This textbook does not contain any printed figures or diagrams, but on the verso of the last leaf, a reader has decided to add a chart showing the relationship among the four Elements, Earth, Air, Water and Fire, as described in <i>On Generation and Corruption</i> (II.3-5) ' placed here in the chart respectively at the top, bottom, left and right. According to Aristotle, each Element possesses two qualities: Air is hot and wet; Water is wet and cold; Earth is cold and dry; Fire is dry and hot. These qualities are placed between the Elements in the chart to show that each Element is connected with two qualities. Of the four qualities, it is not possible to combine hot and cold or wet and dry, and these are labelled '<i>combinatio impossibilis</i>' on the diagonal lines connected to the qualities; the other lines connecting the qualities (forming a square) indicate that those qualities can be combined and are described as '<i>combinatio possibilis</i>'. The Elements Water and Fire, and Earth and Air, are linked with the lines '<i>contraria</i>' ' contrary, because they are constituted from contrary qualities. The Elements are also linked with lines (forming a square) with the phrase '<i>symbolizantia</i>' ' indicating a sharing of one quality and the possibility of conversion between the two Elements that are linked.</p>


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