The Magical-Astrological-Diviner Posed and Puzzled, Treatise · Chapter 27 · Section 23
23. Of the aenigmaticall, obſcure, amphibolicall, ambiguous, and aequivocating (ſc. ſo deluding ſpeeches, ſtudiouſly and induſtriouſly delivered, by oraculous, magicall, ſorcerous, and aſtrologicall predictors, or diviners.
PYrrhus King of Epyre perceiving the power of the Romans, againſt whom he went, conſulted the Oracle of Apollo, and it gave him this doubtfull anſwer,
Aeacides, I ſay,
The Romans conquer may.
Which he interpreted to himſelfe in the beſt part, but found the event as various as the words were dubious.
Craeſus that rich King of Lydia, conſulting the Delphian Oracle, which he himſelfe had ſo m…nificently adorned; to ſhew its gratitude, it reſolved him this Riddle,
If Craeſus fearleſſe ſhall paſſe Italy's river,
A Kingdom great, wealth greater ſhall be ſhiver.
He now thought he ſhould deſtroy anothers wealth and power, and not his own: But inſtead of bringing Perſia within the power of Lydia, Craeſus himſelfe fell into the hands of Cyrus. And the Oracle gloried, that which way ſoever it hapned, it ſtill ſpake true.
While Alexander was in a fight, ſome that ſtood by him ſaw or imagined an Eagle fearleſſely fluttering over his head: then Ariſtander (the onelyonly diviner) carrying a lawrell in his hand, and ſhewed the ſouldiers a token of victory. But it is uncertain of which he ſpake, the Lawrell, or the Eagle.
An Aſtrologer adviſed Epaminondas the Thebane, to take heed of the Sea, for that would be fatall to him. Which he therefore carefully avoyded, but found his death in a wood, which was called by that name.
Another of them bad Philip of Macedon, take heed of a Charret, or Cart, as a thing diſmall, or dangerous to his life: whereupon he not only refrayned, but proſcribed the uſe of all ſuch; yet nevertheleſſe had his deaths wound given him in a City of ſuch a name: others ſay, the hilt of the ſword that killed him had a Chariot engraven on it.
Nero heard news from Apollo at Delphos, that he ſhould take heed of the ſeventy third yeere of age: which made him very ſecure, being then but about the age of thirty three. But he underſtood not (till it was too late) that it was meant not of his owne, but of the age of Galba, who ſhortly after ſucceeded him.
Hannibal was foretold, that he ſhould not die, but in the land of Lybia: and when he thought himſelfe ſecure, as farre enough from that; he took his death in a little village called Lybiſſa.
Iulian deluded by an Oracle, in the ambiguous word thera, ſignifying a beaſt, and a river; dreaming of nothing elſe but victory in his Perſian war, was there ſlain.
Caligula conſulting about his geniture, Sylla the Mathematician affirmed that his death was approaching. The Antiatine Lotts admoniſhed him to take heed of Caſſius. For which cauſe he cauſed Caſſius Longinus, then proconſul of Aſia, to be ſlain: unmindfull that Chaerea (the man that did the deed) was ſo called.
Zeno the Emperour was told by his vaticinating prognoſticators, that he of neceſſity ſhould be ſhortly in Conſtantinople; he preſumed it of the City, and that he ſhould goe thither in triumph, and ſtate: but his men being beaten, and fled, he caſually retired into a caſtle, which the inhabitants thereabouts called by that name, where he had leiſure to ſee and bewaile his deluſion.
Alexander beſieging Tyrus, dreamed he ſaw a Satyr: The Diviners expound it, Satyr…s, ſc. Tyrus is thine.
Commodus being about to give battle to the Saracenes, dreamed he was going to Theſſalonica; the Soothſayers thus interpret it, Thes allo nikin, ſc. leave the victory to another; and ſo he did.
Appius conſulting the Pythian Oracle about the event of the civill warre betwixt Caeſar and Pompey; was anſwered, that warre was nothing to him, he ſhould obtaine the cell of Eubaea: He now ſuppoſing that Apollo admoniſhed him not to imbroyl himſelfe in that danger, withdrew himſelfe to that place (preſumed a place of quiet and honour) but there he got a diſeaſe, and found a grave.
Daphida, or Daph…s a Sophiſter, would needs make himſelfe merry with Apollo's Oracle, or ſome of his vaticinating Prieſts, and conſulted how he might finde his horſe, when as he never had one: it was anſwered him, he ſhould finde his horſe, but it ſhould daſh out his braines. At length Attalus (againſt whom he had rayled) got him, and threw him headlong againſt a ſtone or rock ſo called. This end he had, for abuſing the authority, not deriding the Oracle.
Pope Sylveſter the ſecond inquiring at his brazen head, how long he ſhould live in that Papall dignity: the divell anſwered out of it, he might live long, if he came not at Hieruſalem; now when he thought himſelfe moſt ſafe, he was ſuddenly ſtricken whith a deadly feaver, in a Church at Rome called by that name.
Pope Alexander the ſixth, who was himſelfe addicted to Necromancy, was inquiſitive how long he ſhould continue in the Popedome? It was anſwered nineteen: which he underſtood of yeeres; but it was compleated in ten yeeres and nine moneths, as ſome ſay: or as others, in eleven yeares and eight daies.
A certain Biſhop was forewarned by an Aſtrologer, to beware of a fall from a high place: he hoping to avoyd the threatning of the Starres, kept continually in low roomes. At length newes being brought that he was put out of his Biſhoprick; wretch that I am! ſaid he, that I could not think on this before; for I could not have fallen from an higher place.
A great Mathematician was conſulted, who ſhould be the ſucceſſor to Stephen King of Poland; he wrote Deus. They were glad of ſo good a Governour; but ſoon after came in the Suedian. And the Aſtrologer being challenged upon his praediction, replied he meant they ſhould read the word backward, and then it was Sued.
Peter the Hermit, a Soothſayer, prophecied that King Iohn ſhould be no more King of England after Aſcenſion day; which he would have made good in his reſignation of his kingdom into the hands of the Pope, and receiving it again upon other conditions. But all his equivocation would not ſave him from the Gallowes.
Thomas of Erſilton, a Scottiſh Soothſayer, being askt by the Earle of March, what kind of weather they ſhould have on the morrow? anſwered, that on the morrow before noon ſhould blow the foreſt wind that ever was heard in Scotland. The morrow proving faire and calme, the Earle told him he was much miſtaken in his marke. To which he anſwered no more, but that it was not yet paſt noon. Then came news of the Kings death; upon which the Wizzard replied, that was the wind he meant.
The Earle of Athol truſting to a wizzards or witches prediction, that before his death he ſhould be crowned openly in the ſight of the people; trayterouſly conſpired the death of Iames the firſt King of Scotland. For which he was in the beginning of his execution, brought into an open place, and there crowned with an hot Iron.
Iunius Brutus going to Delphos with the ſonnes of Tarquin, (whom he had ſent thither to honour Apollo with ſacrifices and gifts) was fain (for feare of envy to offer his Gold to the divining God in an hollow ſtaffe. And the young men conſulting which of them ſhould raigne: it was anſwered by the Oracle, he that before other ſhould kiſſe his mother. Then Brutus (ſeeming to ſlip by caſualty) purpoſely caſt himſelfe groveling and kiſſed the earth, as common mother of them all.
Tully thus beſpeaks Apollo, A whole volume hath Chryſippus filled with thy Oracles, ſome partly falſe, and ſome true by chance: (as it often proves in any kind of ſpeech) ſome ſo obſcure, as that the interpretation needs an interpreter; and the lot may very well be referred to a lot again: and ſome ſo ambiguous, as that they may juſtly be imputed to a ſubtile ſophiſter, rather then to a divining anſwerer.
Hamilcar the Carthaginian Captaine, as he beſieged the Syracuſans, in his dream heard a voyce that told him, he ſhould the next night ſup in the City. At which he was glad, promiſed himſelfe the victory, and prepared for the aſſault. But the Syracuſans (upon advantage of a tumult amongſt his men) ſurprized him, and ſo carried him with them into the City, and there he ſupt, as a captive, but not as a conquerour, as he was made to ſuppoſe.
Cambyſes warned by Apollo's Oracle to beware of Smerdis, who ſet lime-twigs for his Crown, ſuppoſed it to be meant of his brother, and ſo bereſt him of his life: but after this, another Smerdis, who was nothing of the blood, and whom the Deſtinies concealed in the Duke, accompliſhed the prophecy. The ſame Cambyſes being adviſed to beware of a Town called Ecbatana, would never come at any of thoſe which were in his own Dominions; but light by chance into another, where his life ended.
The night before King Henry the fourth meant to ſet forward to the holy Land, with an intent to declare his inward repentance for the wrongs which he had done at home, by warring againſt Infidels: becauſe it had been told him that he ſhould die in Ieruſalem; it was his fortune to fall ſicke and die ſoon after, in a chamber bearing that name here at Weſtminſter.
Edward the firſt was made to doubt of Brough upon Stanmi…e; when as he died at Brough upon the ſands.
An Earle of Pembrook died at Barwick in Wales, when as he was put in feare of Barwick upon the border.
Wolſey the Cardinal of Yorke, being given to underſtand that at Kingſton he ſhould end, would alwaies rather ride about, then paſſe thorough Kingſton upon Thames: but was committed to the charge of Sir Anthony Kingſton, to convey him to the Tower, if he had not died by the way.
The Welſhmen had a prophecy, that the rood of Dernell Gathren ſhould ſet fire on a Forreſt: a thing ſo farre from ſenſe and probability, as no man could conceive what it ſhould meane: till Cromwell, meaning to make a ſcorne of ſuperſtition, cauſed the fire, wherewith no Forreſt ſtored with Trees, but a ſilly Fryar ſhould be burnt, to be kindled with that Image.