The Magical-Astrological-Diviner Posed and Puzzled, Treatise · Chapter 27 · Section 22
22. Of jugling predictions, forged divinations, and ludibrious mock-charms, as operative as the reſt; and all alike effectuall, not from themſelves; but from the Agents, or Patients ſuperſtition, and credulity.
SErtorius a notable Captaine, was wont to faine viſions, dreams, and divinations; and pretended himſelfe to be informed of many future events, by a white Hinde, that a skilfull friend had ſent him, to be his inſtructor in thoſe myſteries: and by theſe very devices, kept his Souldiers in order and courage; and ſo atchieved many notable feates and victories.
Two Countrey fellows came to Veſpaſian, intreating his helpe in their cure, as the Oracle of Serapis had ſhewed unto them. One of them was blind, and he was told, that if Veſpaſian did but ſpit in his eyes, that ſhould reſtore his ſight. The other was lame of his thighs, and he was told he ſhould be cured, if Ʋeſpaſian did but touch the part affected with his heele. The good Emperour was ſomewhat ſcrupulous to make experiment of a thing ſo vaine and improbable; but at the importunity of his friends, and earneſt ſuite of the parties, he was drawn to doe as the Oracle or viſion had directed; and the effect preſently followed thereupon. Namely, upon their ſuperſtition, and the divels illuſion; for the Serapidane Divel was a…raid, that his divining Oracle would fall to the ground, now that Chriſtianity began ſomewhat to appeare in Aegypt; and therefore he ſent his patients to implore the help of Veſpaſian, that by the rarity of the miracle he might hold up the majeſty of the Oracle.
Alexanders ſouldiers being greatly terrified and diſheartned, becauſe of a bloody Ecclipſe of the Moon; hereupon he (ſecure of all events) called for the Aegyptian preſagers, and commanded them to expreſſe their skill. They concealed the cauſe of the Ecclipſe, and their own ſuſpicions from the common ſort; but forged this interpretation, That the Sunne was over the G…eekes, and the Moon over the Perſians: and as often as ſhe was in an Ecclipſe, did portend the ſlaughter and ruin of that Nation. The credulous ſouldiers hereupon conceived hope, went on, and proſpered.
Pheron an Aegyptian King, had a diſeaſe of a ſtrange cauſe, but of a ſtranger cure. He was ſtruck blind for caſting a dart into Nilus, and ſo continued for the ſpace of eleven yeeres; then conſulting the Oracle about his recovery, it was anſwered, he muſt waſh his eyes with the urine of a woman, that had never known other then her own husband. Firſt he made tryall of that of his own wife, but it would not doe: and of many others more, and at laſt he light of one whereby he recovered his ſight. And forthwith called all thoſe other women together, and burnt them; and married that one himſelfe, whoſe water was ſo ſoveraigne.
The Dictators, Emperours, and people of Rome, were taught by their augurizing and aruſpicall Diviners, certaine devotory odes, or formes of direfull execration, full of barbariſmes, and prophaneneſſe; that ſo the imprecating of the one added to the others vaticinating, might make the ominating much more forcible and effectuall.
Eraſmus having in familiarity one Bibliopegus, a Dane; they two being pleaſantly diſpoſed together, Eraſmus jeſtingly bad him take a knife, and open any leafe of Homers Iliads, and chooſe any verſe on the right ſide of the leafe, and he would thence undertake to tell him his fortune. Bibliopegus having obſerved all circumſtances very ſtrictly, Eraſmus began to predict, that he ſhould marry a wife very rich, but ſo ill conditioned, that he ſhould be forced to deſert her. And the event of this jeſt fell out in good earneſt.
Hemingius while he was a young Student, in a Logick Lecture, recited theſe verſes, uſed in the Schooles;
Fecane cageti, Daphenes, gebare, Gedaco,
Gebali ſtant, ſed non ſtant Phebus, hec… & hedas.
Hereupon he added in jeaſting manner, that theſe verſes were very effectuall againſt a Feaver; if the ſeverall words were inſcribed upon a piece of bread, and given to the ſick man in order, ſo as to eate every day a piece, with the word inſcribed. Now there hapned to heare him a good honeſt ſimple man, who not apprehending the jeaſt, believed all to be ſpoken ſeriouſly. And within a few daies after, having a ſervant of his fallen ſick of a Fevrr, gave him a piece of bread the firſt day inſcribed with the Fecane; and ſo every day in order to the laſt word; and then he was cured. Others likewiſe ſeeing the efficacy of this amulet followed the example, and obtained the like effect. Till at length the jeſt of it came out, and ſo the vertue of it ceaſed.
Gotſchal…us, and Wierus relate this ſtory (one from his own knowledge, the other from anothers report; and though they vary in circumſtances, yet they agree in the effect.) A certaine woman grievouſly troubled with ſore eyes, light upon a certaine knaviſh Scholler, to whom ſhe complained of her infirmity, craved the help of his art, and promiſed liberally to reward him. He, either to make ſport, or in hope of gaine, promiſed to help her: and to that end, took a piece of paper, wherein he wrote ſuch kind of Characters as were never invented or ſeen before; and underneath them wrote theſe words in great Letters, The divel pull out thine eyes, and ſtop up their holes with dung. This he folds up, and wraps it in a piece of cloth, and ties it about her neck, and bids her have an eſpeciall care that it be not taken thence, nor yet opened, or read by any means. All this ſhe obſerves awfully, and her watery eyes were cured. About a yeere or two after, either ſhe let fall off through careleſneſſe, or elſe had a deſire to ſee what was there contained; the charm then being opened, and read, and the curſed contents thereof underſtood, and abhorred, it was caſt into the fire; which done, her ſore eyes returned in as grievous manner as before.
I have read it in an Orthodox divine, that he knew a young Gentleman, who by chance ſpilling the ſalt of the Table; ſome that ſate with him ſaid merrily to him, that it was an ill omen, and wiſht him take heed to himſelfe that day: of which the young man was ſo ſuperſtitiouſly credulous, that it would not goe out of his mind; and going abroad that day, got a wound of which he died not long after.
Old Ennius fained many anſwers of the Pythian Apollo, and delivered them in verſe; when as Apollo had long before left off his poeticall prophetizing: and yet even theſe ſpake as true, and was found as effectuall, as any of the reſt.
Numa Pompilius, Scipio Affricanus, Lucius Scylla, Quintus Sertorius, Minos King of Crete, Piſiſtrates the Athenian Tyrant, Lycurgus, and Zaleucus, are all noted for aſſimulating of religion, or a faigning of divination and oraculous predictions: and nevertheleſſe prevailed by this means, and ruled both by Laws and arms.
Perſia being oppreſſed with the ſordid domination of the Magicians, Darius the King with ſome adjutors of like dignity, entred into a pact, that they ſhould ride to ſuch a place before Sunne riſing, and whoſe horſe neighed there firſt, it ſhould be taken as an omen to make him King. Now Darius his Groom, to effect it the more proſperouſly for his maſter, had rubd his hand in the genitall parts of a Mare, and when they came to the place, ſtrok't the horſe over the noſe, which preſently neighed upon the ſmell. Whereupon all the reſt alighted, and as from a divine ſuffrage, ſaluted him King.
Alexander Severus, yet a youth, and dreaming of nothing leſſe then an Empire; making (as boyes uſed) Ʋirgilian lots; light upon certain verſes that ſeemed to portend or praeſignifie the Romane Empire to him. Yea many ſuch verſes both of Homer and of Ʋirgil, have been often uſed to that end; and have proved as ſignificant and effectual, as any preſaging Oracle of them all.