The Summary of Physics Restored

99Let the philosopher cease seeking the cause of the alteration of the Elements and the corruption and frailty of compounds in the opposition of the Elements. Let him instead lay the blame on the poverty and weakness of first matter. For in ancient Chaos it was not the case that Cold things fought with hot, moist things with dry, as is commonly believed. Only two of those four qualities were within it, and they were by no means opposed: coldness and moisture, fitting the female and matter. The other two, heat and dryness, which are masculine and formal, proceeded from the forming light. Only after the retreat of the waters and the arrival of light was the earth called Dry Land; before that it had been moist and subject to the waters.