Homer'in Altın Zinciri: Doğanın Kökeni Üzerine

Now, he who undertakes to contemplate the essence of all natural things—their birth, life, and death—should and must carefully consider the origin of Nature from beginning to end. That is, how and from what Nature gives birth to, sustains, and again destroys the things contained here in the four elements, and each of them in particular: such as the universal phenomena, animals, herbs, and ores. He must observe how Nature herself dissolves, congeals, re-resolves, and regenerates them. For whatever Nature makes, and through whatever means she makes it, she destroys everything again through those very same means. Thus, every single thing carries its own congealer and dissolver with it—its life and death upon its own back. By one thing it is born and sustained, and by that very same thing it is again broken and destroyed. For according to the distinction of the operations and the methods of operation, a different action and effect results.