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A28798
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Frier Bacon his discovery of the miracles of art, nature, and magick faithfully translated out of Dr. Dees own copy by T.M. and never before in English.; De mirabili potestate artis et naturae. English
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Bacon, Roger, 1214?-1294.; T. M.
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1659
(1659)
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Wing B373; ESTC R10803
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22,920
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72
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Frier BACON HIS DISCOVERY OF THE MIRACLES Of ART NATVRE And MAGICK Faithfully translated out of Dr Dees own Copy by T. M. and never before in English LONDON Printed for Simon Miller at the Starre in St Pauls Church-yard 1659. THE TRANSLATOR TO THE READER A Prejudicate eye much lessens the noblenesse of the Subject Bacons name may bring at the first an inconvenience to the Book but Bacons ingenuity will recompence it ere he be solidly read This as an Apology is the usher to his other Workes which may happily breath a more free Air hereafter when once the World sees how clear he was from loving Negromancy 'T was the Popes smoak which made the eyes of that Age so sore as they could not discern any open hearted and clear headed soul from an heretical Phantasme The silly Fryers envying his too prying head by their craft had almost got it off his shoulders It 's dangerous to be wiser than the multitude for that unruly Beast will have every over-topping head to be lopped shorter lest it plot ruine or stop the light or shadow its extravagancies How famous this Frier is in the judgment of both godly and wise men I referre you to the Probatums of such men whose single Authorities were of sufficiency to equallize a Jury of others and as for the Book I refer it to thy reading As for my self I refer me to him whom I serve and hope thou wilt adore THE JUDGMENT OF Divers Learned Men CONCERNING Fryer BACON IO. Selden de Diis Syris Sintag 1. r. 2 7.25 That singular Mathematician learned beyond what the Age he liv'd in did ordinarily bring forth Roger Bacon an Oxford man and a Fryer minorite The Testimony of Gabriel Powel in his Book of Antichrist in Preface p. 14. Roger Bacon an Englishman a founded Scholar of Merton-Colledg in Oxford a very quick Philosopher and withall a very famous Divine he had an incredible knowledge in the Mathematicks but without Necromancy as John Balleus doth report although he be defam'd for it by many Now this man after he had sharply reproved the times wherein he liv'd these Errours saith he speak Antichrist present Nicholas the Fourth Pope of Rome did condemn his Doctrine in many things and he was by him kept in prison for many years together as Antonine hath it in his Chronicle He flourished in the year of our Lord 1270. John Gerhard Vossius in his Book of the four Popular Arts printed at Amsterdam 1650. is every where full of the praises of Bacon as in the year 1252. About these mens time Roger Bacon also flourished an Englishman and a Monk of the Order of St. Francis who as he had div'd into all Arts and Sciences so also he writ many things of them he was a man both learned and subtil unto a Miracle and did such wonderfull things by the help of Mathematicks that by such as were envious and ignorant he was accused of Diabolical Magick before Pope Clement the 4th and for that cause was detained in prison by him for some time Jo. Pecus Earl of Mirandula the Phenix of all the wits of his Age cals him likewise very ingenious Moranlicus also commends highly his Opticks He was buried at Oxford in the Monastery of the Monks of his own Order anno 1284. So Chap. 35. 32. anno 1255. So Chap. 60. 13. Of Musick anno 1270. So Chap. 70. 7. 1270. Roger Bacon flourisht in England a man wonderfully learned And Chap. 71. 8. anno 1270. Roger Bacon a Franciscan Monk and a Divine of Oxford was famous amongst the English in all sort of Sciences a man of so vast learning that neither England no nor the world beside had almost any thing like or equal to him â—nd either by envy or ignorance of the Age wherein he lived was accused of Magick He in the mean time did write and recommend to the Memory of Posterity a Book of Weights of the Centers of heavy things of the Practicks of Natural Magick c. For he was a man well vers'd in all sorts of study very learned in the Latine Greek and Hebrew Tongues a Mathematician every way accomplisht and very skilfull both in Philosophy Physick Law and Divinity THE CONTENTS Of the Several Chapters Chap. 1. Of and against fictitious Apparences and Invocation of Spirits 1. Chap. 2. Of Charmes Figures and their Vse 4 Chap. 3. Of the force of Speech and a Check to Magick 10 Chap. 4. Of admirable Artificial Instruments 17 Chap. 5. Of Perspective Artificial Experience 9 Chap. 6. Concerning strange Experiments 23 Chap. 7. Of Retarding the Accidents of Old Age and Prolongation of Life 28 Chap. 8. Of obscuring the Mysteries of Art and Nature 35 Chap. 9. Of the manner to make the Philosophers Egge 41 Chap. 10. Of the same Subject another way 46 Chap. 11. Of the same Subject another way 49 BE pleased to take notice that there is now in the Press 18 Books of the Secrets of Art Nature Collected out of the choicest Authors both Antient and Modern first designed by Iohn VVecker Dr of Physick and now much enlarged by Dr R. Read The like never before in the English Tongue To be sold at the Starre in St Pauls Church-yard A LETTER SENT BY Frier ROGER BACON TO VVilliam of Paris Concerning both The Secret Operation OF NATURE ART As also The Nullity of Magick CHAP. I. Of and against fictitious Apparences and Invocation of Spirits THat I may carefully render you an answer to your desire understand Nature is potent and admirable in her working yet Art using the advantage of nature as an â—nâ—trument experience tels us is of greater efficacy than any natural activity Whatsoever Acts otherwise than by natural or artificial means is not humane but meerly fictitious and deceitfull We have many men that by the nimblenesse and activity of body diversification of sounds exactness of instruments darkness or consent make things seem to be present which never were really exâ—stent in the course of Nature Tâ—â— world as any judicious eye may see groans under such bastard burdens Jugleâ— by an handsome sleight of hand will put a compleat lie upon the very sighâ—â— The Pythonissae sometimes speaking from their bellies otherwhile from the throat than by the mouth do create what voices they please either speaking at hand or farre off in such a manner as if a Spirit discoursed with a man and sometimes as though Beasts bellowed which is all easily discovered by private laying hollow Canes in the grasse or secreâ— places for so the voices of men will be known from other creatures When inanimate things are violently moved either in the Morning or Evening twilight expect no truth therein but down-right cheating and cousenage As for consent men by it may undertake any thing they please if so be they `have a mutual disposition These I mention as practices wherein neither philosophical Reasons Art or power of Nature is prevalent Beyond these there is a more damnable
their Pitchers and shining of their Lamps together with the sudden leaping forth of the fire and inestimable cracklings These would appear strange if they were designed to their just height both of proportion and matter I might produce many strange works of another kind which though they bring no sensible profit yet contain an ineffible spectacle of wit and may be applied to the probation of all such secrets as the ignorant crew will not imbrace Such might I name the attraction of Iron to the Loadstone a thing so incredulous as none save an eye-witnesse would believe And in this attraction of Iron experience will show a diligent searcher more wonders than any vulgar capacity can entertain But to proceed to greater and more than these There is an attraction of gold silver and all other metals by a certain stone much after the same manner Besides one stone will runne to the heap Plants may have their mutual concurrence and the parts of sensible creatures locally divided will naturally move to a mutual imbracement The consideration whereof makes me think that there is not any thing whether in divine or outward matters too difficult for my faith To proceed higher The whole power of the Mathematicks may compose a spherical Engine according to Pâ—olomies frame in eight Almagest which sincerely describes both longitude and latitude of all Celestial Bodies but to give them a natural diurnal motion is not in the power of the Mathematicks However a discreet head-piece would do well to try the making hereof of such materials and artifice as it might have a natural diurnal motion Which seems to me possible and because many things are moved with the motion of the Heavens as Comets the Sea tides with several other things which are turned about either in the whole or in part Such a work might be thought more miraculous and of a vaster benefit than any thing hitherto mentioned For the perfecting of this would frustrate all other whether the more curious or the more vulgar Astronomical Instruments which surely would be more valuable than a Kings Coffers and yet there may matters be brought to passe which though they will not reach so near a miracle yet of farre greater publick and private profit As the producing so much gold or silver as we please not by the work of Nature yet accomplishment of Art seeing there may be ten and seven wayes of gold â—â—ght by the mixture of silver with gold and the first way is made by sixteen parts of gold with some parts of silver which will attain the four and twentieth degree of gold alwayes augmenting one degree of gold with one of silver and so for the mixture of brasse with gold So the last way is * by the four and twenty degrees of pure gold without mixture of other metal And beyond this Nature knows no further progresse as experience tels us Though Art may augment gold in the degrees of purity even to infinitenesse and compleat silver without the least cheat And yet that which seems more rare than all this is That though the rational soul hath so farre its free-will as it cannot be compelled yet may effectually be excited induced and disposed freely to alter its affections desires and behaviours to the dictates of another man And this may not only be practised upon one particular person but upon a whole Army City or Body of a Nation living under one Region if we believe experience And this experience Aristotle discloseth in his Book of Secrets both of an Army Region and single person And thus I have well nigh finished my thoughts of Nature and Art CHAP. VII Of Retarding the Accidents of Old age and Prolongation of Life THe furthest attainment which the complement of Art joyned with the whole Energy of Nature can reach unto is the Prolongation of Life to a very old date How farre this is attainable manifold experience hath shewed us Pliny reports That Pollio a man of a strong body and mind lived much longer then men usually now of whom Octavius Augustus enquiring What course he took to live so long was answered aenigmatically he used Oyl without and Mulsum within now according to the opinion of some it 's eight parts of water and nine of honey I might produce many examples of the same quality as that which fell out in the dayes of King William A Countrey-man plowing in the field found a golden vessel containing a certain liquor which he supposing to be the Dew of Heaven washed his face withall and drunk of it whereby he became renued in spirit body and excellency De bubulio factus est Bajulus Regis Siciliae from a Plow-man he was made Porter to the King of Sicily And the Popes Letters assures us That Almannus held Prisoner by the Sarâ—cens through the use of a Medicine lived five hundred years For the King whose Captive he was having received this Medicine from the Embassadours of the great King and being suspitious of them made tryal hereof upon this Captive which was brought him for that purpose And the Lady of the Woods in great Britanny searching for a white Hinde found an Ointment wherewith the Keeper of the Woods anointed his whole body except the soals of his feet and he lived three hundred years without any corruption save in the soals of his feet which had some passions We our selves know it frequent in these dayes That plain Countrey men without the advantage so much as of a Physicians advice live very healthfully an hundred years or little lesse And these are the rather confirmed by the operations of Animals as Harts Eagles Serpents and many others who by the efficacy of heart or stones have renewed their youth And wise men seeing that even bruits could reach so farre to their Prolongation adjudging it no lesse feasable by reasonable men set themselves on the Spurre to find out this secret Hereupon Artefius from his own ingenuity having found the Secrets of Stones Herbs Sensibles c. both for the knowledge of Nature and especially the Prolongation of Life did * rejoyce that he had lived 1025. yeares Further to confirme this Assertion of the Prolongation of Life it 's considerable That man naturally is immortal that is to say Potens non mori hath a possibility of not dying Yea even after his fall he might live a thousand years though by degrees the length of life was abbreviated Hence it follows That this abbreviation is Accidental and consequentially may be repaired in whole or in part and upon search we shall find the accidental cause of this corruption is not from the Heavens or any other than the defect of true Government of our health In that our Fathers are corrupt and imbecil they beget sonnes of a corrupt complexion and composition and their children upon the same score are corrupted Thus the Pedigâ—ee of corruption is deprived from Fathers to sonnes untill we settle upon our heirs