The Magical-Astrological-Diviner Posed and Puzzled, Treatise · Chapter 27 · Section 26
26. Of Aſtromancers turning Pantomancers; or preſaging, not onelyonly upon prodigies, but upon every ſlight occaſion, by every vile and vaine means: and ſo occaſioning ſuperſtitious people to an omination upon every accident, and after any faſhion.
DArius in the beginning of his raigne, but changed the ſcabbard of his Sword, from the Perſian into the Graecian faſhion: and the Chaldaeans (loath to let ſlip any occaſion of keeping their art in ure) ſtraight way prognoſticated thereupon the tranſlation of his Kingdom to the Greekes.
A Raven let fall a clod upon Alexanders head, and it brake to pieces: and then flying to the next Tower, was there intangled in pitch: Ariſtander interprets it as a ſigne of the ruine of the City, with ſome perill to the Kings perſon. But what was laſt and leaſt prognoſticated, was firſt and moſt found.
Alexander ſteeping Barley (as the Macedonian cuſtome was at the making of walls) the birds of the ayre came and picked it up. Now many took this for an unlucky token. But the diviners (that would ſpend their verdict in the moſt triviall matters, rather then ſit out) told them it betokened, that that Corn ſhould nouriſh many countries.
Cicero derided the Baeotian vaticinators, for predicting victory to the Thebanes, from the crowing of Cocks. So doth he the Lanuuian Aruſpicks, for making ſuch a marvelous portent, in that the Mice gnawed the Belts.
The City of Rome being mightily deveſted by the Gaules, the Senators began to deliberate, whether they ſhould repaire their ruined walls; or flit to Vejos. Now a certaine Centurion of theirs comming by at that inſtant, commanded the Enſigne to ſet down his Standard, or Banner in that place, ſaying, it was beſt for them to abide there. The Senators over▪ hearing that voyce, interpreted it as an omen, and ſo deſiſted from conſulting any longer about their migration, or removall, but reſolved to ſtay at Rome ſtill.
Lucius Paulus being about to warre with King Perſes, as he returned from the Court home to his own houſe, his little daughter met him, whom he kiſt, and askt her why ſhe lookt ſo ſad? ſhe replied, Perſa was dead, meaning her whelp or Pupper. And this he took to be an omen or preſage of the vanquiſhment and death of Perſes.
Caecilia the wife of Metellus, leading a Neece of hers (now marriageable) to the Temple, to heare ſome hopes of a good husband; ſhe ſtanding long there, and hearing no anſwer to any ſuch purpoſe, deſired her Aunt ſhe might have leave to fit by her: That thou ſhalt (ſaid ſhe) and I will yeild thee my ſeat. This the Virgin accepted for an omen, that ſhe ſhould ſucceed her in being married to Metellus after her deceaſe.
Caius Marius fleeing to the houſe of Faunia for ſafeguard, ſet up his Aſſe, and gave him Provender; which he refuſed to eate, but got out, and went into the water: and that made him to ruminate, that there was no ſafe abiding for him in any houſe or countrey, but he muſt get him to ſea.
Pompey being routed by Caeſar, fled for ſafety to the Iſle of Cyprus; and ſpying there a ſtately building, asked the name of it; it was anſwered, that it was called foreign; this he ſighing interpreted, as portending ill to him, touching the Empire or Kingdom.
They of Perianna imploring the ayd of the Samians, againſt their adverſaries of Cerra: they to deride them, ſent them a Sybill in a little Bark; which they interpreted as a good omination. So they of Apollonia being in diſtreſſe, and ſending to the Epidamnians for ſuccour, they returned them anſwer, that they would ſend the river Aeas for their reliefe: which they accepted as a good omen; and making the river Captaine in chiefe, got the victory, and afterwards ſacrificed to it, as a God.
The old Druides gathered a Serpents egge at a certaine time of the Moon, according to certaine rites and ceremonies; and ſo reſerved it for omination of victory and prevalency in warres, ſtrifes, contentions. And ſuch an one a Noble man of Rome, is ſaid to have hatched in his boſome in a controverſie that he had with the Emperour Claudius.
Of Zoroaſter it is ſaid, that he laught at his birth; and that his braines beat ſo hard, that they beat off the hand that was laid upon his head: and this muſt ſignifie his profound ſcience. Plato while an infant, and aſleep in his cradle, there ſate hony Bees upon his lips: and this muſt ſignifie his Eloquence. To Mydas in like manner there came piſmires and carried graines of Wheat into his mouth: & this was a prediction of his riches. Servius Tullius, a mean child, while he was ſleeping a flame appeared to ſhine round about his head; and this was made to preſage a crown. Roſcius his nurſe awaking obſerved by moon-light a Serpent as it were imbracing the child: and this muſt prognoſticate his eminent fame and glory; although his height was a Stage-player. If theſe occaſions were not ſlight, yet could there be ſlighter divinations, or more worthy to be ſlighted?
Alexanders father dreamt that his mothers belly was ſealed with the impreſſe of a Lyon upon it. Hecuba, when ſhe was bringing forth Paris, had a viſion of a firebrand, or burning Torch, that ſhould ſet on fire Troy, and all Aſia. There appeared unto the mother of Phalaris the image of Mercury, pouring forth blood upon the earth. The mother of Dionyſius dreamed that ſhe brought forth a Satyr. Adde to theſe and the like, the prodigious birth of Zoroaſter, their Prince and maſter, and then aske the Magaſtromancers, what need ſuch prodigies at births? and ſuch preſagings upon them? if the natalitiall conjunctions be ſufficiently portending without them.
The Oracles themſelves would give anſwers to any kind of queſtions, were they never ſo triviall; and would preſage the erection and reſtauration of ſcenicall enterludes (as parts of divine ſervice) though never ſo Iudicrous: And would enjoyn and accept of divining means, matters, inſtruments, rites, ceremonies, though never ſo ridiculous. As among the Colophonians in Ionia there the Oracle would afford them the vertue of prophecying from the drinking of water. Among the Branchides in the ſame Province, from the ſucking in of certaine vapours. In another Oracle a woman ſate upon a Trevet at the mouth of a cave, and was filled with the fury of divination. In another a glaſſe was let down into a fountaine, by a ſlender thred and after ſacrifices and imprecations, the images of things future were ſeen in the glaſſe. In another, they deſcended into a fountaine, and ſo vaticinated as they deſired. In another, they conſulting burnt lamps, offered Incenſe, gave gifts, and put their eares to the mouth of the Image; then ſtopping them, they went out of the Temple, and opening them again, the firſt voyce they heard from any they met, they took it for an Oraculous anſwer. In another they judged of things future by caſting of Dice, &c.
Severall Countries had their ſeverall waies of divining, and all of them eſteemed alike acceptable to the Gods, and alike effectuall among themſelves. Tacitus writes thus of the manners of the Germans, that they ſing as they goe to warre, and encourage each other by their Bardian odes, acquiring the fortune of their fight by their ſinging, and he that makes the harſheſt noiſe is thought to doe it beſt. They take this to be much of providence in children, (eſpecially females) neither neglect they their counſels and anſwers. Ʋelleda the Propheteſſe (although ſhe was a trouble to them) they held for a Goddeſſe. Auſpicies and Lotteries they obſerve eſpecially. And for lots the cuſtome is ſimple. A bough cut off from a fruitfull tree they divide into leſſer branches or ſlips; and thoſe diſtinguiſhed by certain marks, they caſt careleſly upon a white garment: and in publique conſulting uſe the miniſtry of the Prieſt; in private of the father of the family; who looking up to heaven takes up every one of them thrice, and interprets them according to the impreſt markes. If any forbid, there's no more conſulting for that day: if it be permitted, then to anſwer the faith of the auſpicies, they goe on to interrogate the voyces and flights of birds. It is alſo the property of that Nation to experience the preſages and monitions of horſes. They are nouriſhed publiquely in woods and groves; white they are, and touch no common work; onelyonly put into a ſacred chariot they are accompanied by the Prieſt, and the Prince, and ſo they obſerve their neighing and ſweating. Neither is there more faith had in any other auſpicie either by the common people, the Nobles, or the Prieſts. For they conceive theſe to be the Secretaries of the Gods, and themſelves their miniſters. There is another way of auſpicie, whereby they explore the event of warre: they get a captive by any means of that Nation with which they warre, and commit him and one choſen out of their own common ſort, to try together in their own Country armes: and the victory of the one or the other they make to be a great preſage to either ſide. They couple not, unleſſe ſome ſudden thing chance, but on certain daies when the Moon begins to be in the …ull; for that they believe to be a moſt auſpicious beginning for the doing of buſineſſe.
The mother of Sapor King of Perſia being with child, and it doubted whether it was a male or a female ſhe went withall, (for if it proved a female, it might not ſucceed in ſuch dignity.) For this cauſe the Princes convented the Magicians, to try their skill, and pronounce upon the birth. Therefore they brought a Mare ready to fole, and the Magicians vaticinated upon it; and it falling out according to their prediction, they thereupon concluded, it was a male child the Queen went withall: upon this they without delay layd the Crown upon the Queens belly, and proclaimed the child ſcarce conceived to be their King, according to their Countries rites and laws.
Auguſtus and Marke Anthony were playing together, and what a buſineſſe of caution a mathematicall Aegyptian preſager made upon it? adviſing the one (as concerning their after earneſt) to take heed of the other, as whoſe genius was too ſtrong for him, or his daemon afraid of his.
As Pope Eugenius ſung Maſſe in the Church of Rheimes, ſome drops of the conſecrated wine chanced to be ſpilt; and what prognoſticating was upon it? And no leſſe was there upon Thomas Archbiſhop of Canterbury his ſinging a Requiem the ſame day he was reconciled to the King.