Abstract

This chapter explores some of the most frequently printed and widely circulated natural philosophical texts of the sixteenth century along with their medieval predecessors. It focuses on each author's conception of water and his classification for why water did not flood the earth. This chapter argues that most of these authors did ultimately classify the dry land's existence as a natural occurrence. However, it also shows that their arguments for this naturalness were longer and more convoluted than previous discussions, incorporating redefinitions of the proper subject matter of natural philosophy to do so. These longer, more complex discussions suggest that water was of more particular interest to sixteenthcentury authors of natural philosophical texts than to previous ones.

Keywords: nature; four elements; Philipp Melanchthon; Jean Bodin; Gregor Reisch

For there is earth, placed, as it were, as the center in the middle of it all, about which is water, about water air, about air fire […] Three of them, in turn [fire, air, and water], surround the earth on all sides spherically, except in so far as the dry land stays the sea's tide to protect the life of animate beings.

Th: Why does water not cover the earth, since earth is heavier than water? M: Aristotle is in difficulties here, since he admits that the earth ought to be surrounded by water, but the water is properly back from a certain part of the earth for the safety of birds and reptiles. From this it follows that the first cause freely removes the water and that it is not bound by any natural law, contrary to what Aristotle asserts. But how much more wonderful (mirabilius) is it that the earth floats on water, hanging in the air?

Th: It seems to be against nature (contra naturam) that the heavier [earth] is not carried down [below the lighter water].