The Philosopher (if well understood) added light to different issues, almost Predicamental, immediately after the referred ten Predicaments, referring to the preceding categories. The same necessity is done in this Science, following the method, and order of Aristotle, who first discussed the species of Opposites, reducing the main ones to four, in which Logicians, and Metaphysicians engage in subtle disputes, from which what is most proper for this Science will be selected, in which also the four species of Opposites, noted by Aristotle, and warned by Saint Thomas, also run in the Schools.
The first species of Opposites is that of Relatives, which was discussed in the third Predicament for its pure Predicamental nature. The second, of Contraries, or maximum extremes. The third, by Privation. The fourth, contradicting, or Contradictory. The generic definition is formed thus: Opposites are the extremes, which admit and have repugnance among themselves.
If they are Adverse in maximum extremes, they are understood as Those, which being of one genus, are maximally distant from each other: not with respect to place, like Earth to Sky; but with respect to the opposition in defending oneself, and offending the contrary, with the science of intelligence, and exercise in the strength of the instrument Sword, which art provided, use introduced, and necessity proved by science, and experience, and which are admitted, and valued by men in Political and Military Nations.
These opposites, which are of a genus and species; although distinct, they are considered in maximum distance contrary, not only by the placement of bodies, but by the position, and operation, which diametrically, is put in defense, and offense, both in the mode, and in the effect, with which they admit the term, and definition of extremes, maximally repugnant, not like man, and beast, that although they are contained in the genus Animal, and fight among themselves, it is with the difference of rational to irrational, which in that one can have science of intelligence, and exercise to wound, and kill the beast with hunting skill; and this one opposes no more, than with instinct, and forces, that it acquired in its own nature, without reasoning: so they are not diametrically opposed at maximum distance, nor are they comprehended under one species, nor are they opposed in maximum extremes. Then man and beast are not merely adverse, contrary, opposites in this Science, the man armed with Sword against another in the same form, in which there is a perfect opposition diametrically repugnant at maximum distance, and extremes by genus, and species.
By Privation it is understood, not only the maximum distance of opposites (which has been pondered) but also that operative opposition, caused in what having arrived, to have formality, it loses it by accident: like the one who was born with sight, and lost it due to illness, or other causes: the same is said in this Science, that combatants oppose each other by privation, because each one of them tries to cause it to his opponent; in such a way, that he does not get to achieve his Stratagems, depriving them at the time of their formation at the beginning, middle, or end, using the precepts of this Science, in which it is reduced to prevent the Skilful the actions of his opponent; in such a way, that he does not enter his jurisdiction, causing him privation in his operations, to always be superior to him, in the force of privation, and subjection to which he needs.
Noticing, both in the opposition by maximum distance, and by privation, that all the Stratagems that are chosen with knowledge, have their distances, and proportionate means (according to their species) and in the disposition, which is acquired with each one of the means, includes the privation, which is caused to the opposite contrary, so that it cannot offend at the time it is offended, that in this they are always, and must be maximally opposed, for being a precept, inviolable in this Science, and indispensable in it to deprive the contrary of being able to offend, when it is offended.
Contradictorily, or contradictory, is that reasoning, which by formal argument, disput.ing by contrary means, investigates the truth until convincing the opposite with the infallible demonstration, which is contrary to sophistical refutations. This is called contradictorily, or contradictory, as in this Science, not only are the actions contradicting, but the reasoning, and arguments, with which the infallible certainty is investigated by means of syllogism, and demonstration; since as the Philosopher teaches, the affirmation, and the denial, it is necessary that they are not simultaneously true, but that one is true, and the other false, as to the contradictory, or diametrically contrary, although in the relative the opposition is in another way, like double, with respect to half, etc., as Aristotle discusses at length, and Logicians dispute (where the curious will find what to employ their wits) recognizing, that the matter of Opposites, not only includes the Physical contraries, but the Metaphysical ones, it being appropriate for the Logician the reasoning of one, and the other, by contradicting, or contradictory: satisfying the Skilful with the sufficient understanding for this Science, in which contradicting, and contradictory are found
After discussing the four species of Opposites, the Philosopher considered four other terms, which he called First Modes, conceding them as ancient, to which he added another, which he called Causality. The ancient ones are: 1. First in time: 2. First in consequence: 3. First in order of teaching, and speaking: 4. First in dignity: 5. First in causality. There is another Priority, not attained by Aristotle, nor by us, without the light of Faith, which is Priority of origin, which pertains to Theologians.
For understanding, each mode will be defined by itself. 1. First in time is that which, with respect to the same succession of time, had being in the term Before, to which the term After is posterior: e.g. in this Science those Stratagems, and wounds are considered first in time, which are acted from a free cause, and are executed first in time, which are acted from a free cause, and are executed on the contrary, when there is a disposition for them, without communicating his Sword, or by communication of it, without any preceding voluntary movement of his own; and these are called first in time, because they are in the term Before, from which they receive the denomination of First intention, as well as of Second, the Stratagems, and wounds, which are After movements of the contrary, with which it is understood what in this Science is first in time.
2 First in consequence is that which results consequent from some first principle, as in this Science, it is understood, when the contrary forms Stratagem, and the Skilful, taking advantage of his movements, forms another, in which he first achieves execution: and this is called First in consequence, because the other does not have it.
3 First in order is that which, according to disposition, is placed first. In this Science there are precepts in the formation of Stratagems, and wounds, in which the First intention precedes the Second, giving each one the place, and order that belongs to it, thus avoiding confusion, with which it is recognized what Stratagem, and wound is first in order.
4 First in dignity, it is understood that which, with respect to another, with which it is compared, is more worthy. In this Science, in force of this fourth mode, it is recognized that there are three dignities of Stratagems: the greatest is understood that which is by means of the movement of conclusion, because it deprives the contrary of his Sword: and if it is in all perfection, it can also deprive him of his life; and for such effects, this species is considered first in dignity.
In this Science, the first in causality is understood as that Stratagem, which from its formation causes another, or others, to form, as has been demonstrated in the third Category, in the relation that some Stratagems have to others, from which it is recognized which are the first by Causality: with this we refer to the Category of Relation, concluding that this doctrine of Priority is essential in this Science, because of the application of these five modes, which give knowledge of what is first, and subsequent: with this, the understanding perceives what is first in time, in consequence, in order, in dignity, and in causality; and in this last one more detailed explanation will be seen in the Topics.
The Philosopher considered Similarities, or Similes in two ways, either by Time or by Nature. By Time, those are considered similar that, in the same period of time, are similar in their causes and their effects; this mode of similarity is what is called by time, like the first-intention injuries, which are similar by time because they do not depend on the movement of the opponent but on the free agent, which is called a free cause because it is not dependent on another. In effect, they are similar because they occur without preceding movements or movements of the opponent on which they would be forcefully dependent.
Similars by nature are subdivided into two modes: the first, in those that receive reciprocation, even though the cause of one is not the cause of the other. Such are the Narratives that admit reciprocation in their origin, being distinct because the immediate cause of one is not the immediate cause of the other, as in natural filiations and productions, to which the movements and injuries in this Science allude, that can proceed from one another, receiving reciprocation in their principle; e.g., the Downward Cut and the Half Downward Cut, the Upward Cut and the Half Upward Cut, which receive reciprocation in their principle in such a way that although the cause of one is not the cause of the other, as every movement that proceeds from a primary causal action can be the cause of another, the Whole Downward Cut, Half Downward Cut, Upward Cut, and Half Upward Cut can receive reciprocation in their principle, considering the reciprocation they receive from their natural principle, which is the formation of a cutting injury, where the Half Downward Cut has a certain filiation from the whole, by production of its nature. To derive the lowest species, it is necessary that there is an original cause from which it derives, like the son from the father; and thus the Half Downward Cut from the Whole Downward Cut, noting that the lowest species receive reciprocation in those that are causal causes by nature, although they are distinct from each other.
In a second mode, similars by nature are also considered as being so with respect to the genre, although the species are dissimilar: e.g., the man and the beast are similar in genre by nature, and are dissimilar in species, as in this Science, the Downward Cut and the Upward Cut are similar in genre and are dissimilar in species, because the genre that encompasses all sharp injuries is slash. In species, being of the same genre of sharp injury, the Downward Cut and the Upward Cut are dissimilar in species because there is perfect distinction of similar in them; and in this way in the other injuries, genres and species are considered, recognizing in what they are similar, and in what they are dissimilar by nature and principle, and in what they admit reciprocation, or are not capable of it.
