Concerning the First Principle of Cold (15-16)

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg127.perseus-eng4:15-16

Refs	`{'start': {'reference': '15', 'human_reference': 'Section 15'}, 'end': {'reference': '16', 'human_reference': 'Section 16'}}`
Ancestors	`[]`
Children	`[]`

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Now that great rivers never freeze downwards is but consentaneous to reason. For those parts which are frozen above transmit no exhalation outward; for this, being penned up within and forced downward, affords heat to the moisture at the bottom. A clear demonstration of which is this, that when the ice is dissolved, you may observe a steam arising out of the water upwards in a very great quantity. And therefore the bodies of living creatures are warmest within in the winter, for that the heat is driven inward by the ambient cold. Now those upward exhalations and ascensions of the vapors deprive the waters not only of their heat but of their coolness. And therefore they that vehemently desire their drink to be cold never move the snow nor the moisture that is pressed out of it; for motion would deprive them both of the virtue which is required from them.

Now that this virtue is not the virtue of air, but of water, a man may collect by reasoning thus from the beginning. First, it is not probable that the air, which is next the sky, and touching the fiery substance is also touched by it, should be endued with a contrary virtue; for otherwise it is not possible that the extremities of the one should touch

and be contiguous to the extremities of the other. Nor is it agreeable to reason that Nature should constitute that which is corrupted next in order to that which corrupts, as if she were not the author of community and harmony but of combat and contention. For she makes use of contrary things in sustaining the universe; but she does not use them pure and unmixed, nor so that they will be in hostility; but she uses such as have alternately a certain position and order which is not destructive, but which inclines them to communicate and co-operate one with another, and to effect a harmony between the opposing qualities. And this is the nature of the air, being expanded under the fire above the water, contingent and adhering to both, neither hot in itself nor cold, but containing an intermixture and communion of hot and cold, harmlessly intermixed in herself; and lightly cherishing the contrary extremities.

Therefore the air is of an equal temper in all places, but winter is not in all places alike nor equally cold; but some parts of the habitable world are cold and moist, others hot and dry, not by chance, but because there is but one substance of heat and dryness. For the greatest part of Africa is hot and without water. But they that have travelled Scythia, Thrace, and the Pontic regions report them to be full of vast lakes, and large and deep rivers. And as for those regions lying between, those parts that join upon lakes and marshes are most cold by reason of the exhalations from the water. Posidouius therefore, affirming the freshness and moistness of the air of marshes to be the cause of its cold, has no way disturbed the probability of our argument, but rather added to the strength of it; for the air would not always be the colder the fresher it is, unless cold has its original from moisture. And therefore Homer much more truly shows us the fountain of cold, when he says,

Chill from the river blows the wind

Before the coming morn.
[*]

Then again it many times happens that our sense deceives us. So that when we feel cold garments or cold wool, we believe we feel them to be moist, by reason of the substance which is common to both, and of their natures which are coherent and familiar one with another. But in climates where the cold is extreme, it oftentimes breaks and cracks both pots and vessels, whether made of earth or brass,—none empty, but all full, the cold giving force and might to the liquor within,—which made Theophrastus say, that the air breaks those vessels, making use of the cold as of a hammer; whether more eloquently or more truly spoken, I leave you to judge. For then vessels full of pitch or milk should be more subject to be broken by the air.

But water seems to be cold of itself, and that primitively too; for in respect of the coldness of it, it is opposite to the heat of the fire; as to drought in respect of its moisture, and to ponderosity in regard of its lightness. Lastly, fire is altogether of a dissipating and dividing nature; water, of a nature to fasten and contain, holding and joining together by virtue of its moisture. Which was the reason why Empedocles called fire a pernicious contention, but water a tenacious friendship. For the nourishment of fire is that which changes into fire, and it changes that which is as it were of kin and familiar to it. What is contrary to it, as water, cannot be changed by it, or at least only with great difficulty. True it is, that as for itself, as I may so say, it cannot be burned; but as for green wood and wet straw, it overcomes them with much struggling, while the heat and cold contending together, by reason of their moisture and their natural antipathy,

produce only a dull flame, clouded with smoke, that makes little progress upon the materials.

Tokens

Now	1	w	3
that	1	w	7
great	1	w	12
rivers	1	w	18
never	1	w	23
freeze	1	w	29
downwards	1	w	38
is	1	w	40
but	1	w	43
consentaneous	1	w	56
to	1	w	58
reason	1	w	64
For	1	w	68
those	1	w	73
parts	1	w	78
which	1	w	83
are	1	w	86
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transmit	1	w	105
no	1	w	107
exhalation	1	w	117
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for	1	w	128
this	1	w	132
being	1	w	138
penned	1	w	144
up	1	w	146
within	1	w	152
and	1	w	155
forced	1	w	161
downward	2	w	169
affords	1	w	177
heat	1	w	181
to	2	w	183
the	1	w	186
moisture	1	w	194
at	5	w	196
the	2	w	199
bottom	1	w	205
A	1	w	207
clear	1	w	212
demonstration	1	w	225
of	1	w	227
which	2	w	232
is	4	w	234
this	2	w	238
that	2	w	243
when	1	w	247
the	3	w	250
ice	1	w	253
is	6	w	255
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you	1	w	268
may	1	w	271
observe	1	w	278
a	22	w	279
steam	1	w	284
arising	1	w	291
out	2	w	294
of	2	w	296
the	4	w	299
water	1	w	304
upwards	1	w	311
in	4	w	313
a	27	w	314
very	1	w	318
great	2	w	323
quantity	1	w	331
And	1	w	335
therefore	1	w	344
the	6	w	347
bodies	1	w	353
of	3	w	355
living	1	w	361
creatures	1	w	370
are	2	w	373
warmest	1	w	380
within	2	w	386
in	7	w	388
the	7	w	391
winter	1	w	397
for	5	w	401
that	3	w	405
the	8	w	408
heat	2	w	412
is	9	w	414
driven	1	w	420
inward	1	w	426
by	1	w	428
the	9	w	431
ambient	1	w	438
cold	1	w	442
Now	2	w	446
those	2	w	451
upward	2	w	457
exhalations	1	w	468
and	2	w	471
ascensions	1	w	481
of	4	w	483
the	10	w	486
vapors	1	w	492
deprive	1	w	499
the	11	w	502
waters	1	w	508
not	1	w	511
only	1	w	515
of	5	w	517
their	1	w	522
heat	3	w	526
but	2	w	529
of	6	w	531
their	2	w	536
coolness	1	w	544
And	2	w	548
therefore	2	w	557
they	1	w	561
that	4	w	565
vehemently	1	w	575
desire	1	w	581
their	3	w	586
drink	1	w	591
to	4	w	593
be	2	w	595
cold	2	w	599
never	2	w	604
move	1	w	608
the	17	w	611
snow	1	w	615
nor	1	w	618
the	18	w	621
moisture	2	w	629
that	5	w	633
is	11	w	635
pressed	1	w	642
out	3	w	645
of	7	w	647
it	5	w	649
for	7	w	653
motion	1	w	659
would	1	w	664
deprive	2	w	671
them	1	w	675
both	1	w	679
of	8	w	681
the	20	w	684
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which	3	w	695
is	12	w	697
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from	1	w	709
them	2	w	713
Now	3	w	717
that	6	w	721
this	3	w	725
virtue	2	w	731
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not	2	w	736
the	22	w	739
virtue	3	w	745
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air	1	w	750
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a	50	w	763
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by	2	w	778
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thus	1	w	791
from	2	w	795
the	23	w	798
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it	6	w	816
is	15	w	818
not	3	w	821
probable	1	w	829
that	7	w	833
the	24	w	836
air	2	w	839
which	4	w	845
is	16	w	847
next	1	w	851
the	25	w	854
sky	1	w	857
and	3	w	861
touching	1	w	869
the	26	w	872
fiery	1	w	877
substance	1	w	886
is	17	w	888
also	1	w	892
touched	1	w	899
by	3	w	901
it	7	w	903
should	1	w	910
be	4	w	912
endued	1	w	918
with	3	w	922
a	60	w	923
contrary	1	w	931
virtue	4	w	937
for	8	w	941
otherwise	1	w	950
it	9	w	952
is	19	w	954
not	4	w	957
possible	1	w	965
that	8	w	969
the	28	w	972
extremities	1	w	983
of	11	w	985
the	29	w	988
one	1	w	991
should	2	w	997
touch	3	w	1002
and	4	w	1005
be	5	w	1007
contiguous	1	w	1017
to	8	w	1019
the	30	w	1022
extremities	2	w	1033
of	12	w	1035
the	31	w	1038
other	2	w	1043
Nor	1	w	1047
is	20	w	1049
it	12	w	1051
agreeable	1	w	1060
to	9	w	1062
reason	3	w	1068
that	9	w	1072
Nature	1	w	1078
should	3	w	1084
constitute	1	w	1094
that	10	w	1098
which	5	w	1103
is	21	w	1105
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next	2	w	1118
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order	1	w	1125
to	10	w	1127
that	11	w	1131
which	6	w	1136
corrupts	1	w	1144
as	5	w	1147
if	1	w	1149
she	1	w	1152
were	1	w	1156
not	5	w	1159
the	33	w	1162
author	1	w	1168
of	13	w	1170
community	1	w	1179
and	5	w	1182
harmony	1	w	1189
but	4	w	1192
of	14	w	1194
combat	1	w	1200
and	6	w	1203
contention	1	w	1213
For	2	w	1217
she	2	w	1220
makes	1	w	1225
use	1	w	1228
of	15	w	1230
contrary	2	w	1238
things	1	w	1244
in	17	w	1246
sustaining	1	w	1256
the	34	w	1259
universe	1	w	1267
but	5	w	1271
she	3	w	1274
does	1	w	1278
not	6	w	1281
use	2	w	1284
them	3	w	1288
pure	1	w	1292
and	7	w	1295
unmixed	1	w	1302
nor	2	w	1306
so	6	w	1308
that	12	w	1312
they	2	w	1316
will	1	w	1320
be	6	w	1322
in	20	w	1324
hostility	1	w	1333
but	6	w	1337
she	4	w	1340
uses	1	w	1344
such	1	w	1348
as	6	w	1350
have	1	w	1354
alternately	1	w	1365
a	86	w	1366
certain	1	w	1373
position	1	w	1381
and	8	w	1384
order	2	w	1389
which	7	w	1394
is	22	w	1396
not	7	w	1399
destructive	1	w	1410
but	7	w	1414
which	8	w	1419
inclines	1	w	1427
them	4	w	1431
to	11	w	1433
communicate	1	w	1444
and	9	w	1447
co-operate	1	w	1457
one	2	w	1460
with	4	w	1464
another	1	w	1471
and	10	w	1475
to	12	w	1477
effect	1	w	1483
a	94	w	1484
harmony	2	w	1491
between	1	w	1498
the	39	w	1501
opposing	1	w	1509
qualities	1	w	1518
And	3	w	1522
this	4	w	1526
is	24	w	1528
the	40	w	1531
nature	1	w	1537
of	16	w	1539
the	41	w	1542
air	3	w	1545
being	2	w	1551
expanded	1	w	1559
under	1	w	1564
the	42	w	1567
fire	1	w	1571
above	2	w	1576
the	43	w	1579
water	4	w	1584
contingent	1	w	1595
and	12	w	1598
adhering	1	w	1606
to	13	w	1608
both	2	w	1612
neither	1	w	1620
hot	1	w	1623
in	28	w	1625
itself	1	w	1631
nor	3	w	1634
cold	3	w	1638
but	8	w	1642
containing	1	w	1652
an	19	w	1654
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and	13	w	1669
communion	1	w	1678
of	17	w	1680
hot	2	w	1683
and	14	w	1686
cold	4	w	1690
harmlessly	1	w	1701
intermixed	1	w	1711
in	33	w	1713
herself	1	w	1720
and	15	w	1724
lightly	1	w	1731
cherishing	1	w	1741
the	45	w	1744
contrary	3	w	1752
extremities	3	w	1763
Therefore	1	w	1773
the	46	w	1776
air	4	w	1779
is	26	w	1781
of	18	w	1783
an	23	w	1785
equal	1	w	1790
temper	1	w	1796
in	35	w	1798
all	1	w	1801
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is	27	w	1819
not	9	w	1822
in	37	w	1824
all	2	w	1827
places	2	w	1833
alike	1	w	1838
nor	4	w	1841
equally	1	w	1848
cold	5	w	1852
but	10	w	1856
some	1	w	1860
parts	2	w	1865
of	19	w	1867
the	47	w	1870
habitable	1	w	1879
world	1	w	1884
are	3	w	1887
cold	6	w	1891
and	16	w	1894
moist	3	w	1899
others	1	w	1906
hot	3	w	1909
and	17	w	1912
dry	1	w	1915
not	10	w	1919
by	4	w	1921
chance	1	w	1927
but	11	w	1931
because	1	w	1938
there	3	w	1943
is	29	w	1945
but	12	w	1948
one	3	w	1951
substance	2	w	1960
of	20	w	1962
heat	4	w	1966
and	18	w	1969
dryness	1	w	1976
For	3	w	1980
the	50	w	1983
greatest	1	w	1991
part	3	w	1995
of	21	w	1997
Africa	1	w	2003
is	30	w	2005
hot	4	w	2008
and	19	w	2011
without	1	w	2018
water	5	w	2023
But	1	w	2027
they	3	w	2031
that	13	w	2035
have	2	w	2039
travelled	1	w	2048
Scythia	1	w	2055
Thrace	1	w	2062
and	20	w	2066
the	52	w	2069
Pontic	1	w	2075
regions	1	w	2082
report	1	w	2088
them	5	w	2092
to	14	w	2094
be	10	w	2096
full	1	w	2100
of	22	w	2102
vast	1	w	2106
lakes	1	w	2111
and	21	w	2115
large	1	w	2120
and	22	w	2123
deep	1	w	2127
rivers	2	w	2133
And	4	w	2137
as	8	w	2139
for	10	w	2142
those	3	w	2147
regions	2	w	2154
lying	1	w	2159
between	2	w	2166
those	4	w	2172
parts	3	w	2177
that	14	w	2181
join	1	w	2185
upon	1	w	2189
lakes	2	w	2194
and	23	w	2197
marshes	1	w	2204
are	4	w	2207
most	1	w	2211
cold	7	w	2215
by	5	w	2217
reason	4	w	2223
of	23	w	2225
the	54	w	2228
exhalations	2	w	2239
from	3	w	2243
the	55	w	2246
water	6	w	2251
Posidouius	1	w	2262
therefore	3	w	2271
affirming	1	w	2281
the	57	w	2284
freshness	1	w	2293
and	24	w	2296
moistness	1	w	2305
of	24	w	2307
the	58	w	2310
air	5	w	2313
of	25	w	2315
marshes	2	w	2322
to	15	w	2324
be	12	w	2326
the	59	w	2329
cause	2	w	2334
of	26	w	2336
its	2	w	2339
cold	8	w	2343
has	1	w	2347
no	17	w	2349
way	1	w	2352
disturbed	1	w	2361
the	60	w	2364
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rather	1	w	2398
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to	16	w	2405
the	62	w	2408
strength	1	w	2416
of	28	w	2418
it	26	w	2420
for	12	w	2424
the	63	w	2427
air	6	w	2430
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not	11	w	2438
always	1	w	2444
be	14	w	2446
the	64	w	2449
colder	1	w	2455
the	65	w	2458
fresher	1	w	2465
it	27	w	2467
is	33	w	2469
unless	1	w	2476
cold	10	w	2480
has	2	w	2483
its	3	w	2486
original	1	w	2494
from	4	w	2498
moisture	3	w	2506
And	5	w	2510
therefore	4	w	2519
Homer	1	w	2524
much	1	w	2528
more	1	w	2532
truly	1	w	2537
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us	11	w	2544
the	67	w	2547
fountain	1	w	2555
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he	87	w	2568
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Chill	1	w	2578
from	5	w	2582
the	68	w	2585
river	3	w	2590
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the	69	w	2598
wind	1	w	2602
Before	1	w	2608
the	70	w	2611
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Odyss	1	w	2627
V	1	w	2629
469	1	w	2633
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it	29	w	2645
many	1	w	2649
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us	12	w	2683
So	1	w	2686
that	16	w	2690
when	3	w	2694
we	4	w	2696
feel	1	w	2700
cold	12	w	2704
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or	34	w	2714
cold	13	w	2718
wool	1	w	2722
we	5	w	2725
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we	6	w	2734
feel	2	w	2738
them	6	w	2742
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be	16	w	2746
moist	6	w	2751
by	6	w	2754
reason	5	w	2760
of	30	w	2762
the	72	w	2765
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is	36	w	2781
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to	18	w	2789
both	3	w	2793
and	25	w	2797
of	31	w	2799
their	4	w	2804
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are	5	w	2819
coherent	1	w	2827
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one	4	w	2841
with	6	w	2845
another	2	w	2852
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where	1	w	2871
the	75	w	2874
cold	14	w	2878
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and	27	w	2909
cracks	1	w	2915
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vessels	1	w	2933
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earth	1	w	2952
or	35	w	2954
brass	1	w	2959
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which	11	w	3032
made	2	w	3036
Theophrastus	1	w	3048
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those	5	w	3073
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of	36	w	3187
pitch	1	w	3192
or	42	w	3194
milk	1	w	3198
should	4	w	3204
be	17	w	3206
more	4	w	3210
subject	1	w	3217
to	21	w	3219
be	18	w	3221
broken	1	w	3227
by	7	w	3229
the	83	w	3232
air	8	w	3235
But	3	w	3239
water	7	w	3244
seems	1	w	3249
to	22	w	3251
be	19	w	3253
cold	17	w	3257
of	37	w	3259
itself	2	w	3265
and	30	w	3269
that	18	w	3273
primitively	1	w	3284
too	1	w	3287
for	16	w	3291
in	50	w	3293
respect	1	w	3300
of	38	w	3302
the	84	w	3305
coldness	1	w	3313
of	39	w	3315
it	36	w	3317
it	37	w	3320
is	38	w	3322
opposite	1	w	3330
to	24	w	3332
the	85	w	3335
heat	5	w	3339
of	40	w	3341
the	86	w	3344
fire	2	w	3348
as	16	w	3351
to	25	w	3353
drought	1	w	3360
in	51	w	3362
respect	2	w	3369
of	41	w	3371
its	5	w	3374
moisture	4	w	3382
and	31	w	3386
to	26	w	3388
ponderosity	1	w	3399
in	52	w	3401
regard	1	w	3407
of	42	w	3409
its	6	w	3412
lightness	1	w	3421
Lastly	1	w	3428
fire	3	w	3433
is	40	w	3435
altogether	1	w	3445
of	43	w	3447
a	223	w	3448
dissipating	1	w	3459
and	32	w	3462
dividing	1	w	3470
nature	3	w	3476
water	8	w	3482
of	44	w	3485
a	228	w	3486
nature	4	w	3492
to	28	w	3494
fasten	1	w	3500
and	33	w	3503
contain	2	w	3510
holding	1	w	3518
and	34	w	3521
joining	1	w	3528
together	2	w	3536
by	8	w	3538
virtue	5	w	3544
of	45	w	3546
its	7	w	3549
moisture	5	w	3557
Which	1	w	3563
was	1	w	3566
the	89	w	3569
reason	6	w	3575
why	1	w	3578
Empedocles	1	w	3588
called	1	w	3594
fire	4	w	3598
a	237	w	3599
pernicious	1	w	3609
contention	2	w	3619
but	15	w	3623
water	9	w	3628
a	239	w	3629
tenacious	1	w	3638
friendship	1	w	3648
For	5	w	3652
the	90	w	3655
nourishment	1	w	3666
of	46	w	3668
fire	5	w	3672
is	44	w	3674
that	19	w	3678
which	12	w	3683
changes	1	w	3690
into	1	w	3694
fire	6	w	3698
and	35	w	3702
it	43	w	3704
changes	2	w	3711
that	20	w	3715
which	13	w	3720
is	45	w	3722
as	21	w	3724
it	44	w	3726
were	2	w	3730
of	47	w	3732
kin	2	w	3735
and	36	w	3738
familiar	2	w	3746
to	31	w	3748
it	45	w	3750
What	1	w	3755
is	46	w	3757
contrary	4	w	3765
to	32	w	3767
it	46	w	3769
as	22	w	3772
water	10	w	3777
cannot	1	w	3784
be	20	w	3786
changed	1	w	3793
by	9	w	3795
it	47	w	3797
or	46	w	3800
at	58	w	3802
least	1	w	3807
only	2	w	3811
with	8	w	3815
great	4	w	3820
difficulty	1	w	3830
True	1	w	3835
it	49	w	3837
is	47	w	3839
that	21	w	3844
as	24	w	3846
for	17	w	3849
itself	3	w	3855
as	25	w	3858
I	2	w	3859
may	3	w	3862
so	11	w	3864
say	3	w	3867
it	51	w	3870
cannot	2	w	3876
be	21	w	3878
burned	1	w	3884
but	16	w	3888
as	26	w	3890
for	18	w	3893
green	1	w	3898
wood	1	w	3902
and	37	w	3905
wet	1	w	3908
straw	1	w	3913
it	52	w	3916
overcomes	1	w	3925
them	7	w	3929
with	9	w	3933
much	2	w	3937
struggling	1	w	3947
while	1	w	3953
the	92	w	3956
heat	6	w	3960
and	38	w	3963
cold	19	w	3967
contending	1	w	3977
together	3	w	3985
by	10	w	3988
reason	7	w	3994
of	48	w	3996
their	5	w	4001
moisture	6	w	4009
and	39	w	4012
their	6	w	4017
natural	1	w	4024
antipathy	1	w	4033
produce	1	w	4041
only	3	w	4045
a	276	w	4046
dull	1	w	4050
flame	1	w	4055
clouded	1	w	4063
with	10	w	4067
smoke	1	w	4072
that	22	w	4077
makes	2	w	4082
little	1	w	4088
progress	1	w	4096
upon	2	w	4100
the	96	w	4103
materials	1	w	4112