Histories of Visions Apparitions Prophecies Spirits Divinations, Part 1 · Section 7
7. Of the fatuity of fatations, or fatidicall divinations.
HOw often is Jupiter, Apollo, and the reſt of the ſtarry Gods, complaining of their own fate? how they themſelves are ſubject thereunto? and that what any one of them doth (eſpecially upon poore mortals) another of them can neither prevent, nor remedy, but it muſt of neceſſity be? So Iupiter wept ſhowers of blood, becauſe he could not deliver his ſonne Sarpedon from death.
Contrarily, Apollo Pythius contends, that the fates may be diſſolved by maleficall arts, for when one enquired, why Apollo had judged him fit for nothing, and what was to be done, that he might be thought fit for ſomething? he anſwered, the force of the Fates did hinder him; yet he might avoyd them by magicall arts.
Almoſt infinite numbers, both of Graecians and Barbarians, yea women, and tender children, have faineleſly and willingly left their bodies, and imbraced their deaths: now this cannot be applied to the neceſſity of Fate.
Oenomaus, in his book of maleficall artifices, uſes theſe words againſt Apollo: Goe thou to Delphos, and thou canſt not hold thy peace, though thou wouldeſt; for ſo Apollo the ſonne of Jupiter now wils; not becauſe he will, but becauſe neceſſity compels him to will.—Heare a fatidicall Oracle! Leaving thy Country, goe into Euhoea, for there it is fatally deſtinated for thee to build a City. What ſayeſt thou Apollo? Is it not in a mans power to leave his own Countrey when he pleaſes? and if it be fated for a man to build a City, he muſt doe it whether thou conſelleſt or no; nay, whether he himſelfe will or no.—Heare another fatidicall Oracle, Goe tell the Parians, O Theſides, that they muſt build for themſelves a City in Aeria. Why he muſt needs have told it, becauſe it was ſo fated, although thou hadſt not commanded it. Thou didſt anſwer to Laius, it was fated that he ſhould be ſlain by his owne ſonne. Wert thou ignorant, that his ſonne was to be born Lord of his own will? Was it not in Laius his own will whether he would doe his endeavour to get children, or no? and was it not in his ſonnes own will whether he would kill his father, or no?—Thou anſweredſt to Loerus, Jupiter hath done, and will doe thee much ill: it is not right, O Apollo, for the Gods to handle an innocent man ſo hardly; if he was forced to doe any thing ill, why did not Jupiter puniſh himſelfe alſo, as the author of that neceſſity?—Why didſt thou praiſe Licurgus, O Apollo? for if he were good, this was not to be attributed to him, but to the Fates.
Chiron the centaure, the ſonne of Saturne, who taught Phyſick, and Aſtrologie; was grievouſly wounded in his foot by a dart of Hercules, dipt in Lernaean poyſon, that caſually fell upon it: wherewith being ſore vexed, he wiſht to die, that he might fulfill the vaticination which his daughter Ocyrrhoe had predicted: but he could not naturally thus yield to Fate, being born immortall from his parents: at length praying the Gods above that he might be ſuffered to die, they granted his requeſt, but withall tranſlated him into Heaven, and placed him among the Starres in the Zodiack, and there he is called Sagittarius.
Theophilus Emperour of Greece was adviſed by the Patriarke Iohn a Magician to breake down the fatall Statue with three heads, and ſo to preſage of his ſucceſſe. Likewiſe Euphroſine wife to Alexius, was counſelled to cauſe the ſnout of the Calydonian bore to be cut off, and battered many other fatall ſtatues and fabrications, for preſagitians ſake.
Among the Elaeans was a brazen Oxe, which the Corcyreans had there dedicated; a little child playing under it, haſtily daſht his head againſt it ſo hard, that it daſht out his braines. The Elaeans condemned the Oxe for the murder, and being about to draw it away to ſome execution, they were admoniſhed by the Delphick Oracle, to expiate the Oxe, as they uſed to doe facts of imprudent homicide; becauſe it was done by Fate, and by chance, and by no ill deceit.
The fatidicall Image of Apollo Cumanus wept four daies together, at the warring againſt Ariſtonicus, as not being able to prevent or redreſſe what was fatally deſtined. So Juno Soſpita (nevertheleſſe unable to ſave) wept at Lavinium, becauſe of a great peſtilence that was fatally to follow. And ſo Diana condoled Camilla: and Hercules, dying Pallas.
A notable fellow minding to try Apollos Oracle at Delphos, askt him, what it was he held in his hand (holding a Sparrow under his cloake) and whether it was alive, or dead? (intending to kill, or preſerve it, contrary to what the Oracle ſhould anſwer. But the anſwer was that it was in his own choice whether it ſhould live or die. The old Fable confeſſes that there is more in the liberty of a mans wil, then in the Fates, which they divine either of, or by.