The Magical-Astrological-Diviner Posed and Puzzled, Treatise · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
From the fables of Miracles.
IS not the rarity of miracles (already proved) enough to prove the ſtories of Magical Mirables to be but meer fables? We need not therefore their pardon to call them ſo: nay, they ought to gratifie us that we call them not worſe then ſo. Seeing the vertue of miracles and miraculous operation, is in Gods word alone: and neither in Nature, nor Art, nor Artifice. What can we ſay leſſe, then that all ſuch natural Mirables, are onelyonly for meere naturals to admire? Whoſe Authors have been ſome of them ſpurious; moſt of them obſcure; all of them (in that particular) vain and nugacious. Who take up their authorities by tradition; from paganiſh ſtory, poetical fiction, and mythological relation, of ſuch wonderful things, as were never in Nature, or the world. Who uſe to cite their mirables with ſuch a (they ſay) as if they themſelves were not onelyonly aſhamed to own them; but afraid to report them. Who ſtuffe up their legendary ſtories of magical mirables, with tales of ſuch ſtrange things, and they ſo incredible; and under ſtrange Names, and they ſo unknown; and in ſuch ſtrange places, and they ſo remote: as that they are not worth ſeeking after; or if they were, yet neither name, nor thing, nor place is to be found. Who urge us onelyonly with this; that ſuch their wonders are not to be proved by reaſon, but referred to experiment: and yet we are as far from ſeeing the one; as from hearing the other. Nevertheleſſe, all theſe are impudently urged, and impoſing upon our Faith, to admit, and admire, what wonderful effects of configurations conſtellations, influences, impreſſions, ſeales, characters; upon Elements, Minerals, Stones, Vegetables, Animals; yea and Rationals not excepted. Nay and a many of theſe ſo impoſed, as tending effectually to Prophecy, Divination, Prediction, Prognoſtication. And therefore omitting the ridiculous rabble of magical mirabilari…s (for I have neither liſt nor leaſure to meddle with them at large) I ſhall onelyonly inſtance in a few of them, which they not onelyonly report confidently; but impudently preſcribe to this very purpoſe. Adviſing the Reader by the way, that (for all this) they cannot be believed without ſuperſtition, nor practiſed, without ſorcery.
1. There is an herb among the Chaldeans called Ireos; among the Greeks, Mutuchiol; among the Latins Elitropia: this herb is of ſo admirable vertue, that if it be gathered in Auguſt, while the Sun is in Leo, and wrapt in a Lawrel leaf, adding thereunto the Tooth of a Wolf; and ſo at night laid under a mans head: if any thing be ſtoln from him, he ſhall ſee the Thiefe, and all his conditions.
2. The herb called by the Chaldeans Aquilaris, by the Greeks Valis, by the Latines Chelidonia; if it be taken with the heart of a Mole, and be laid upon the head of a ſick man; it may ſo be diſcerned, or divined, whether he ſhall dye of that diſeaſe, or recover ye or no: for if he now ſing out, it is a ſigne he ſhall die; but if he weep, then ſhall he not dye at that time. By the like, the conquering of an Enemy, and recovery of a Suite is to be foreknown.
3. The herb which by the Chaldeans is called Luperax, by the Greeks Eſifena, by the Latins Viſcus querei; this herb with another herb called Martegon: if it be put into a mans mouth, and he begin to forethink who is a coming (be it friend, or foe) if he ſhall come, it will fixe upon his heart; if he ſhall not come, it will leap from it; nay, will it not leap out of his mouth?
4. The herb which the Chaldeans call Tſiphilon, the Greeks Orlegenea, the Latins Centaurea; this herb (the Magicians ſay) hath admirable vertue: for if with the blood of a female Lapwing, and oyle, it be put into a Lamp; it makes all that ſtands by believe themſelves to be Magicians; and that their heads are in heaven, and their feet upon the earth: and if the ſame be caſt into the fire, the ſtars ſhining; the ſtars will ſeem to juſtle and skirmiſh one againſt another.
5. The Stone called Sylonites, bred in an Indian Snail, confers the preſcience, and preſence of certain things future: while a man hath it under his tongue, let him bethink him of any buſineſſe, whether it ought to be done, or may come to paſſe, or not: and if it may, or ought; it will cleave ſo faſt to his heart, as that it cannot be plucked thence: if not, the heart will leap back from it.
6. If thou wouldſt interpret dreams, and Prophetize of things future, take the ſtone which is called Eſmundus, or Aſmadus; and it will give Prophetization, interpretation of all dreams, and make to underſtand riddles.
7. If thou wilt divine of things future, take the ſtone called Celonytes, of a purple and various colour, and is found in the body of a Snayle: if any man carry this ſtone under his tongue, he ſhall Propheſie, and foretell future things.
8. By the ſtone called Elitropia (or as the Nigromanticks) the Babylonian Gemme; with certain verſes, and Characters, Princes have predicted by divining: for which cauſe the Prieſts of the Temples made ſpecial uſe of this ſtone, in the feaſts of their Idols.
If thou wouldſt foreknow any thing future, take the ſtone called Bena, and put it under thy tongue: and ſo long as thou ſo holdeſt it, thou ſhalt continually predict by divining things future; and ſhalt not (in any wiſe) erre in divining.
10. If thou wouldſt judge of, or declare the opinions, and cogitations of others; take the ſtone which is called Gerarides, and is of a black colour, and hold it in thy mouth.
11. If thou wouldſt whet the wit of any one, or increaſe his wrath, or foretel future things: take the ſtone which is called Smaragdus, &c. For it (carried about him) makes a man to underſtand well, confers a good memory, increaſes the wealth of him that carries it about him; and if any man hold it under his tongue, he ſhall Prophecie forthwith.
12. A Weaſel is a creature ſufficiently known, if the heart of this creature be eaten, while it is yet panting, it maketh to know things to come.
13. If thou wouldſt (as the great diviners have done) underſtand the voices of Birds, take with thee two companions on the firſt of the Kalends of November; and go into the wood with dogs, as if thou wentſt an hunting; and that beaſt thou firſt ſindeſt, carry it home with thee, and prepare it with the heart of a Foxe, and thou ſhalt ſtraight underſtand the voices of Birds, and Beaſts: and if thou wouldſt that another ſhould underſtand them, do but kiſſe him, and he ſhall underſtand them likewiſe.
14. A Suffumigation made with the congealed blood of an Aſſe, and the fat of a Wolfe, and Storax, &c. will cauſe to foreſee things future in ſleep; whether good, or evil.
15. If any one ſwallow the heart of a Lapwing, or a Swallow, or a Weaſel, or a Mole, whilſt it is yet warm with natural heat; it ſhall be helpful to him for remembring, underſtanding, and foretelling.
16. The ſtone that is bred in the apple of the eye of a Civet Cat, held under the tongue of a man, is ſaid to make him to divine, or prophecy. The ſame is Selenites, the Moon-ſtone reported to do.—Alſo there is an herb called Rheangelida, which Magicians drinking of, can Prophecy.
17. They ſay alſo, that a Tyke if it be pulled out of the left ear of a Dog, and if it be altogether black; hath great vertue in the Prognoſtick of life. For if the ſick party ſhall anſwer him that brought it in, who ſtandeth at his feet, and ſhall ask of him concerning his diſeaſe, there is certain hope of life: and that he ſhall dye, if he make no anſwer.
18. They ſay, that fumes made of Linſeed, and Fleabane ſeed, and roots of Violets, and Parſly, doth make one to foreſee things to come; and doth conduce to prophecying.—They ſay alſo, that if any one ſhall hold a Viper over a vapour with a ſtaffe; he ſhall prophecy.—So it is ſaid that the ſtone Selenites, id eſt, the Moon-ſtone, and the ſtone of the Civet Cat, cauſe divination: alſo vervaine, and the herb Theangelis, cauſe ſoothſaying.
19. Melancholly men, by reaſon of their earneſtneſs, do far better conjecture, and fitly conceive a habit, and moſt eaſily receive an impreſſion of the celeſtials.—The Sybills and the Bacchides, and Niceratus the Syracuſan, and Ancon, were by their natural melancholy complexion, Prophets, & Poets.—For this, when it is ſtirred up, burns, and ſtirs up a madneſſe, conducing to knowledge, and divination: eſpecially if it be helped by any celeſtial influxe; eſpecially of Saturn, who ſeeing he is cold and dry, as is a melancholy humour, hath its influence upon it, increaſeth, and preſerveth it.
20. The Rabbines ſay, there is an Animal called Jedua, having a humane ſhape, in the middle of whoſe Navel comes forth a ſtring, by which it is faſtned to the ground like a Gourd, and as far as the length of that ſtring reacheth, it devoures all that is greene about it: and deceiving the ſight, cannot be taken, unleſſe that ſtring be cut off with the ſtroke of a dart, which being cut off, it preſently dyes. Now the bones of this Animal, being after a certain manner laid upon the mouth; preſently he whoſe mouth they are laid upon, is taken with a frenzie, and ſoothſaying.
Now, what a rare Mirable of Art is Magical Divination, yea and Aſtrological Prediction: that hath all theſe, and many more (if one would take the paines to collect them) Mirables of Nature, peculiarly ſubſerving thereunto? I ſay even Aſtrological Prediction. For without a conſtellated fabrication, or confection; all theſe preſaging Mirables (and the like) ſignifie nothing in effect. And therefore (for the manner of acting in, and by ſuch as theſe) they caution ſtraitly to obſerve the Planet, benevolous, or malevolous; as they wolud preſage upon the effect, good, or ill. And not onelyonly ſo, but the dominion of the Planet, and the day of that dominion, and the houre of that day: as they would have the predicted effect to be now, or then. So that, to what end ſerve the feigned Mirables of Nature, but to feigne the Mag-aſtro-mantick Art for the greateſt Mirable?