Histories of Visions Apparitions Prophecies Spirits Divinations, Part 1 · Section 16
16. Of Magicians and Aſtrologers idolatrous account; and other vain, confident, and ſervile ſuperſtitions they wrought in ſimple and credulous men.
THere was a certain man called Simon, which before time in the ſame City uſed Magick, or ſorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himſelf was ſome great one. To whom they all gave heed, from the leaſt, to the greateſt, ſaying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, becauſe that of a long time, he had bewitched them with ſorceries or magick, Act. 8 9, 10, 11. To the ſame Simon, a Statue was ſet up at Rome, with this inſcription, To Simon the Holy God.
Theſe Magicians and Aſtrologers in their generations were numbred among the Gods, and had their Statues, Images, Oracles, Temples, Altars, Sacrifices, and Services, viz. Zoroaſter, Triſmegiſtus, Mopſus, Amphiaraus, Apollonius Tyanaeus, Amphilocus, Accius, Nanius, Porphyrius, Diodorus, Thor, Ollerus. All theſe Mag-aſtro-mancers, and many more arrogated a divinity to themſelves, from their divinations; and had it attributed unto them by the ſuperſtitious people of ſeveral Nations.
Theagenes was ſo ſuperſtitious, that he had in his houſe the Image of Hecate: and durſt at no time offer to ſtir out of doors, till he had firſt conſulted it. For which his ſlaviſh ſuperſtition, he grew into a Proverb among the very heathens themſelves.
Archimedes the Geometrician, by his art alone, drawing out a maſſy ſhip; which whole multitudes could not once move, hereupon Hiero the King was ſo tranſported with admiration, that he concluded, Archimedes ought to be believed in whatſoever he ſaid: yea, though he ſhould ſay, give him but footing, and he would remove the whole earth.
Auguſtus together with Agrippa, coming to the chamber of Theogenes the Mathematician; and he predicting great and almoſt incredible things to Agrippa, who firſt conſulted him: Auguſtus reſolved to conceale his own geniture, and would by no means have it calculated, leſt that leſſe things might be prognoſticated of him, then were of Agrippa: at laſt he yeilded to it by much importunity, and Theogenes leaping at it, and adoring him, prognoſticating his greatneſſe, becauſe born under Capricorn (for whoſoever hath his horoſcope in the firſt part of Capricorn, ſhall be a King, or an Emperour) Auguſtus had forthwith ſuch a confidence in this fatidical praeſagitian, that he divulged his natalitial Theme; and cauſed the ſigne of the ſtar Capricorn (under which he was born) to be impreſſed on his Coyn, and placed in his Arms.
Maximinus a great Tyrant, and perſecutor, was ſo ſuperſtitiouſly fearful, that he would do nothing without divination: neither would by any means be drawn to tranſgreſſe an augurie or an Oracle, no not a nayls breadth.
Frederick the ſecond, the Emperour, having married Iſabel ſiſter to the King of England, forbare her company, till a certain hour, that his Aſtrologers, or wizzards had aſſigned for that purpoſe; that ſo he might beget a ſon famous from the conſtellation. But mark the fruits of this conſtellatory copulation, poor Iſabel dyed in childbed.
Ludovicus Sfortia maintained an Aſtrologer at an exceſſive charge, who in recompenſe thereof, would inſult over his credulity by his prognoſtications: and make him oft times, leave his dinner, riſe out of his bed, and ride away in ſtormes and tempeſts, through dirt and mire; making him believe, that this was the onelyonly way to eſcape or prevent ſuch and ſuch eminent dangers, which he foreſaw were ready to betide him.
The Turks are ſo ſuperſtitiouſly addicted to obſerve the placits of the Aſtrologers; that they willingly war not, but at the beginning of the new Moon. Once they ſought to aſſault Vienna, for no other cauſe, but becauſe they ſaw a gilded Moon placed upon the top of St. Stephens Tower.
St. Auguſtine tells Marcellinus, how ridiculous it was (in the Gentiles account of their Magicians) to compare Apollonius, and Apuleius and other skilful men in Magick, to Chriſt: yea, and to prefer them before him. Yet he takes the compariſon to be more tolerable betwixt him, and them; rather then their adulterous Gods. Yea, and ſayes that Scipio Naſica their Prieſt, was more worthy of divine honours, then their Gods themſelves. Becauſe they being conſulted, commanded ſcenical playes (horrid and ſhameleſſe ſpectacles) for the ſedating of the peſtilence: but he admoniſhed the contrary; accounting thoſe curſed and filthy enterludes as the greateſt plagues of the minde.
Scipio Affricane was ſo ſwayed with divining ſuperſtition, that he would undertake no buſineſſe, publique or private, till he had firſt ſtayed and conſulted in the Cell of Jupiter Capitoline.
Lucius Scylla, ſo often as he determined to wage any war, he would firſt embrace the little Image of Apollo (taken from Delphos) and in the ſight of his ſouldiers, would pray it to haſten the promiſe, or prediction.
Alexander ſacrificing, and a young boy holding the Cenſer, a coal fell upon his arm, and ſo burnt it, that the ſtanders by were troubled with the ſmell: yet he (ſo inſenſibly charmed he was) not once ſhrinkt at it, whereby he was put in minde to preſage, what manly invincibleneſſe ſhould be found in his ſouldiers againſt all perils: when as he obſerved ſuch undanted ſufferance in a very childe.
As Aelius Praetor was pleading Law, a certain bird came and ſat upon his head: which an Aruſpick obſerved, and thereupon predicted; that it being ſaved, the ſtate of his own houſe would be happy; but the Commonwealth miſerable: but the contrary, if it dyed, which the ſuperſtitious man hearing, immediately bit off the birds neck before them all.
Codrus King of the Athenians upon an oraculous reſponſal that that ſide ſhould get the victory, whoſe King was ſlain in the battail: in a ſuperſtitious raſhneſſe committed himſelf diſguiſed to the danger of his enemies darts. Oh the ſuperſtition of predictions, that expoſe men not only to the toleration, but election of utmoſt perils!
Gyges living in all kind of felicity, would needs conſult Pythian Apolto, if any mortall man enjoyed more happineſſe, then himſelfe? it was anſwered of a poore Arcadian, who lived contented in his own ſtrait cottage, that he was farre more happy then he. At this he would needs throw away his enchanted Ring, and after that fell into extream miſery, the end of all magicall felicity.
The earth gaping, and thence an infectious ayre proceeding, which cauſed a great peſtilence among the Romans; and they endeavouring to fill it up, but could not: upon conſult, it was anſwered by the vaticinators that nothing could fill that gulph, and ſo remedy the plague, but one that was moſt eminent amongſt them: whereupon Curtius taking himſelfe to be the man preſaged, and to doe his countrey ſervice, rode headlong into the gulph, and there periſhed.
Menecrates an Aſtrologicall Phyſician, would needs account of himſelfe, as god Iupiter; and thus wrote to Philip of Macedon: Mencerates Iupiter to Philip health of body. He, to check his magicall arrogance, wrote thus: Philip to Menecrates, ſoundneſſe of mind. Yet ſeeing he would not for all this, out of that conceit, nor be advertiſed of his proud and vaine preſumption, he commanded, at a banquet, to ſet nothing before him but Frankincenſe, and ſuch like fumes (with the offering whereof the gods were pleaſed) but not one bit of meat: till at length, for meere hunger he was forced to confeſſe himſelfe to be no more but a mortall man.