The Magical-Astrological-Diviner Posed and Puzzled, Treatise · Chapter 27 · Section 17
17. Of the ſeverall waies that have been uſed, whereby to direct, diſpoſe, determine, moderate, remedy, or prevent ſuperſtitious hopes or feares; as concerning prodigies, and prognoſtications.
SƲlpitius Gallus, being Lieutenant Generall of Lucius Paulus his army againſt King Porſes, it hapned on a cleare night, that the Moon ſuddenly defected in an Ecclipſe; at which dire omen the ſouldiers ſtood amazed, and had no heart to fight: till he made a notable oration, concerning the courſe of the Heavens, and the force of the Stars (as that ſuch things have their naturall cauſes, and ordinarily portend no more but naturall effects, and not arbitrary actions, and contingent events.) And ſo animated the Souldiers, that they went on fearleſſe, and obtained the victory. Which they aſcribed to him, as an effect of his rationally perſwading art, quite contrary to the other, irrationally prognoſticating.
The Athenians being terrified at the ſudden obſcuration, or ecclipſe of the Sunne, taking it to be a celeſtiall denunciation of their deſtruction. Thereupon ſtood forth Pericles, and diſcourſed of the Sunne and Moones courſe; as he had learned of his maſter Anaxagoras; and ſo eaſed them of their vaine …eares.
Agathocles, in his warres againſt the Penians, when an Ecclipſe, or any celeſtiall prodigie did happen, was ſtill wont to diſcourſe to his Souldiers, of their naturall cauſes and effects: and ſo both expelled their feares, and encouraged them to ſucceſſe.
A certaine Augur would needs ſtay the marching of Alexanders army, till he took auſpication from a bird that ſate before them. The Soldiers mean while much troubled about the doubtfulneſſe of the preſage: one Meſellanius alias Myſonianus, a Jewiſh ſouldier, impatient of the delay, took an arrow, and ſhot the bird ſtone dead. Which the Augur indigning, he replyed, ſhould a whole army be ſtayed to note the preſage of its expedition and ſucceſſe from ſuch a ſilly thing, as could not foreſee its own fall?
A bold Aſtrologer preſumed to tell Galeacius Prince of Millaine, that the Starres promiſed himſelfe long life; but to him a ſhort one. This he ſaid, thinking to terrifie him; but it ſo provoked him, that he preſently cauſed him to be hanged, and lived a long time after.
There comming Oracles, or ſoothſayings of all ſorts to the Thehanes, ſome promiſing them victory, ſome threatning their overthrow, to the peoples infinite diſtraction; Thereupon Epaminondas their Captaine in chiefe, commanded that thoſe that promiſed victory ſhould be layd on the right hand the oratory chaire, and the other on the left. Having thus diſpoſed them, he got up into the chaire, and made this pithy oration. If you Thehanes will be obedient to your Captaines and be couragious of heart to encounter your enemies; theſe here (ſhewing the preſages on the right hand) are yours. But if ye be diſobedient, and faint hearted, then theſe (poynting to them on the left hand) are ordained for you.
A Soothſayer bringing in the intrailes of a ſacrificed Oxe to Philip of Macedon, ſonne to Antigonus; he asked Demetrius, what his judgement was of thoſe ſignes? And whether he ſhould keep the caſtle to himſelfe, or deliver it to the M…ſſinians? Demetrius ſmiling, anſwered him, If thou beeſt of the Soothſayers mind, thou mayſt deliver it up: but if thou haſt the mind of a King rather, then ſhal… thou hold the Oxe by both the horns.
Lucullus with about 10000 going againſt Tigranes, and his 130000 men; and that upon the day before the nones of October, on which formerly the Cymbrians had greatly diſcomfited Caeſars army: one told him, that day was ominous to the Romans. Let us fight them (quoth he) the more valiantly; and ſo we ſhall make it accounted for an happy day hereafter, of an unlucky day heretofore.
An Aruſpex, after his ſolemne luſtration, brought the intrailes to Craſſus, who let them fall out of his hands. This (as an argument of his age and weakneſſe) was interpreted for an ill token. Whereat he ſmiling ſaid, though they thought him ſo old and weake in letting thoſe intrails fall out of his hands: yet he was young, and ſtrong enough to keep his ſword in his hands.
Alexander drawing up to Babylon with his army, the Chaldaeans admoniſhed him, to delay his entrance into the City, for ſome ill ſignes, which they foreſaw. But he being reſolved anſwered them according to the common proverbe, that he was the beſt Diviner, that preſaged the beſt things. Then they requeſted him, that ſeeing he was ſo reſolved, that he would enter the City on ſuch a port, as might be with his face towards the Eaſt, and not towards the Weſt. He was content to obſerve them ſo farre; but finding the way exceeding ſoule and myrie, he entred the City the clean contrary way to their admonition.
When Apollonius, and his companions were travelling in a bright Moonſhine night, the phantaſme of an Hagge met them, and ſometimes it changed it ſelfe into this ſhape, and ſome times into that, and ſometimes vaniſhed out of their fight. Now as ſoon as Apollonius knew what it was, grievouſly reviling it, he adviſed his companions to doe the like. For he knew that was the beſt remedy againſt ſuch invaſions.
A certaine Iew having told Peter of Caſtile, that his horoſcope promiſed him moſt eminent fortune and ſucceſſe, in many things: which (for the moſt part) falling out contrary, and therefore the King angrily upbraiding the Genethliacke, with the falſity of his art. Alas (quoth he) though the heavens freeze never ſo hard, yet a man may ſweat in a bath; Confeſſing that inferiour and ordinary meanes working contrary, are ſufficient to alter and prevent the force and power of the heavenly bodies.
The parents of a certaine Virgin came to bleſſed Macarius, entreating him to pray to God, that her humane ſhape might be reſtored to their daughter, which they imagined to be turned into a Cow. The holy man affirmed, he could ſee no other thing in her, but the appearance of a virgin; and praying for them, the praeſtigious deluſion vaniſhed; and then they perceived her to be ſo too. The Aegyptian likewiſe that had his wife made to appeare in his bed, as if ſhe had been a rugged mare, appealed to Macarius: and by his prayers, the praeſtigious impoſture was expelled.
A young man dwelling in Gareoth, not farre from Aberdine, was haunted mightily with a ſpectrous apparition of a beautifull woman, inticing him to lewdneſſe: which he diſcovered to the Biſhop, who adviſed him to depart the place, and betake himſelfe to faſting and prayer; and ſo he was delivered of the temptation.
A young Gentlewoman of the Countrey of Mar, ſuſpected by her parents, and queſtioned ſomewhat ſeverely, confeſſed, that a young man kept her company by night, and ſometimes by day; but how he came in, or went out, ſhe could not tell. One day having watched, they ſpied an horrible monſtrous thing in their daughters armes; which a Prieſt, knowing the Scriptures, and of honeſt life, cauſed to vaniſh away.