incurred the contempt and disdain of my Kindred who upbraided me as I conjecture from a good zeal What unwonted thing doth he again begin He renders himself unfit for every condition and function as well Ecclesiastical as Secular He will at length become mad when he shall no longer find any novelty for his Delight or shall adict himself to Magical Arts or shall attempt a new Heresie It is become with him as with other wise Mens Children as to persist in obstinacy Others moreover redoubled His Father is in the fault for he hath rashly educated all his Children he admitted them from their tender years unto the Art of the Fire This man being now become foolish hath lost the oportunity or occasion of happiness when Isabella Clara Eugenia the Infanta of Spain received him and appointed him for a noble service with her Nephew the chief Cardinal he refused it it were better he had died instead of his Brethren some good might have been expected from them this man is serviceable for no employment If he gapes after studies let him submit himself to his Teachers as it is the manner of others to do or he is to be induced to marry a Wife who may shake off these strange things from him On the contrary others retorted This is too late replying by a mock he is a Philosopher he is too stubborn he is no where seen except in the company of most unconstant strange and uncouth persons of whatsoever profession and imployment he will also incur a misfortune for he knows not how to dissemble he spareth none neither great nor small when he discerns that which is unjust we are now dejected from all hope he must needs be reduced unto wants for he hath yeelded up all his Patrimony both that which he did possess and what should have fallen to him unto his Sister and moreover as joyful he hath departed hence far from home as shewing that he is never to return Who ever remembred the like He must needs undergo some changes notwithstanding it matters not us concerning what so that he be not to be accounted foolish so as to cast off his old dresses except better and more certain ones should supply him Conjectures fail us seeing that he hath entred into these things without our counsel let himself also look to what the end will be when he shall stand in need of us let him be accounted as a stranger After that I had quietly and joyfully overcome these and many other chances I forthwith devised of the following course or process of unburthening my Conscience the which at my Importunity a Man unknown to the World fearing God proposed unto me the chief Heads whereof I will deliver in a Compendium by Questions and Answers the subsequent whereof shall at some time hint out more than is manifestly declared in the precedent Answers the which is done to the intent that the Reader might likewise in the mean time somewhat earnestly endeavour and that it might be manifest unto him that the aforesaid answers do abound At a certain time a certain Man called a Friend came to visite me whom among other things I asked whether he did as yet remember his promise made unto me of administring some things to be joyned unto my Fathers Work for the further instruction of the courteous Reader To which he answered Minde Brother I thorowly weighing and meditating of thy Words all the night last past and also the new and unheard of deliberation of Mercurius Trismegistus Poimander my Lamp being extinguished and natural Nourishment being first for some time withdrawn from the Body whereby I might wholly be at leasure in the inner Man hereupon when I had sustained a great swooning fit I am made to see the use of my Eyes being suspended from a certain Light transparent weighty thick or dark and compacted created Bodies in their beginning middle and end and I my self also piercing my self and at the very moment of the Vision I was found placed in a clear living circular double Chair or Pulpit wanting a Foundation being embracingly enlightned toward its Beginning by the Stars being engraven on every side with a circular Letter which some do call Zenith others Nadir the which also by its aspect spake unto me Hear See understand and talk thou with one in all and all things in one The time hath appeared that all the Blind may see and all that see may remain blind Follow ye me and I will make manifest unto you my illumtnated Lights or Stars my most stable Heart is created old and new which is hung up for every man as a prize being as it were a thing unknown by an express quality proceed ye earnestly endeavour ye ye may reach the bottom of my necessary Body together with all its durable quiet and acting Members which parts are entire praising their Creator singularly and universally by their Effects who hath made me perfect that I might help thee and such as thou art in the moment of necessity for I am subjected to thy service and am nothing besides I hearing these things it was manifest that they were truths and at that very instant I saw the Prize hung up whereat I being as it were over furious attered these words Thou art a young Man as also thy Children which shall be born of thee for thy Brethren are like thee who are equal unto thee in age thy Body was created most clean ponderous exceeding well compacted and conspicuous thy one-two or single-double colours are skie coloured and red which do contain all the Colours of the universe and the which colour hath transchanged thee into black darkness thoubeing a white and red Virgin shalt bring forth unto him even ten Children at every birth with the unblemishing of thy Virginity for truly thou and thy Children do constitute a Light whose Parts are entire neither heat nor cold and not any the most â—â—â—arpest Sword shall loosen thy bond for the Sun is thy Father and the Moon thy Mother Therefore here thou all things as not seeing them and see thou as not hearing them and speak thou within in the silence that all things are in one then shalt thou know a double co-united one thing in all things as neither shalt thou be able to dissolve as neither to knit the Eternal Band without loss of time These things being spoken a great horrour invaded me and I soon converting my self unto those like unto me I there saw an innumerable company of Men of all forts of Nations learned and unlearned wise noble and ignoble young Men together withold who all were divided into strife among selves for the knowledge and science of the Truth I well perceiving the ground of this Division attempted by my wish to prepare my self for the implanting of a mutual Concord First I observed that a certain little Book being a part of another to follow after entituled Opuscula Medica Inaudita or Unheard of little Works of
Medicines to drink and so they plainly prostrated his strength But it opportunely happened that his remaining strength and youth overcame the Disease he appeared to have received his lost strength whereby he was confirmed that Professours and Licensed Persons were true Physitians reckoning from their relation that he had deserved or was in danger of Death and that he owed his Life unto their Torments hence they took of him a double reward but not according to their deserts The young Man renewing his former pious steps was the second time oppressed with the very same malady and he hoped by their endeavour again to escape the same cruelty but alass his spirit failed him and from sound Reason and a knowledge of the Truth he cryed out unto this his Brother It hath befallen me as to all others and it shall so long continue untill Physitians so called do in very deed feel and see this present time to be for Eternity but now they forget the time past believing that they possess the present time they deny the time to come seeing they cannot see that and so they take no care for a longer Life for they have never been destitute thereof even as of any other frail or mortal good whereof there is made a repairing but they possessing one only Life and loosing that all shall be ended It is a vain thing to employ ones self in Studies when no necessity is urgent upon us The Servant who ought readily to serve us is beaten which doth perpetually provoke this Man whom he shall name his Master by all his qualities he shall be ignorant of his thraldom although all Men except a few are bound up by his Servitude the which for the most part deprives of Life both now and hereafter I despair of a temporary Life for they who are said to bring help do want the knowledge thereof and they are first constrained to obtain it by brawlings and discords which will arise among them through hatred and envy wherewith those called Doctors or Teachers have never laboured seeing they are but few who by running up and down day and night do excel in Wealth whereby they scrape together an abundance of Money as well among the Healthy and Sick as those that are dead and so they might continue in concord the which shall remain so long until the last times appear which thou shalt discern by that when thou shalt see the number of Junior and Licensed Doctors of Medicine so to increase that they shall scarce have employment The Seniours shall be offended with the Juniours and Young Beginners because their dayly revenues shall be diminished and because they shall find forreign or accidentary Juniours being constrained to learn more sure Principles for to get their living to cure some Sick whose like being under their care did undergo Death which thing the Seniours shall envy wishingly desiring that all the Sick-folks might die unto whom the Juniors should be called Lastly they shall reproach them publickly before all the People saying These wicked young Men do cure by Enchantments they should of necessity be forbidden to practise By these and the like means they shall labour to subvert them and and they shall offend God that it may add courage unto other godly and industrious Juniours to perfect that which they shall propose to the Seniours in these Words When we have invited you to suffer us publickly to cure some Sick of an Hospital appointing a Prize or Wager for the benefit of the Poor ye also to be solicitous or diligent on the other hand and that they who had not answered the effect should pay the reward thereof ye have refused that thing ye seek not the Poor but Give Ye ye resemble Beggars in that thing who disdain their fellow Beggars and are unwilling that their number should increase for they have a confidence in some rich Mens houses and places where a larger bounty befel them for their deceitful Words and Tricks that so they may leave their Arts and these Houses to their Children for a Dowry which very thing also ye cherish in your Mind but it shall have a bad success because through this publick discord which shall spring from Covetousnesse that dayly Deceit shall be made known to the World and they shall receive only true Doctors who may be discerned by their good Fruits and who shall imitate the steps of the Samaritan These Words being finished he felt his Life to fail therefore lifting up his eyes towards Heaven he with sorrow subjoyned Oh most merciful Lord abbreviate thou the term of Mans Salvation and change thou the frail Doctrine of the Doctors their Flesh into the natural or peculiar Love of the Spirit that the Innocent may finish their Life to thy Glory I pray thee oh my Saviour do not thou impute my Death to the Doctors hereafter for an Offence for truly they know not what they do commit but vouchsafe thou to open their eyes that they may assent to the truth and that the People may publish those things of them as in times past of holy Paul Which saying being ended he wholly committed himself to the Divine Will and breathed forth his last Breath in the armes of this his Brother who did alwayes ponder these Words aforesaid This Man in his turn uttered these following Words We are all of us being Brethren in Christ engaged to patronize the truth the which is not better perfected than by opposing and defending Hence we will prosecute two things one is that the strength of our Enemies may be made known unto us the other is that we may add more strength to our own and so that we may be the more confirmed in our purpose After that they had heard all these Words they compelled him to undergoe this charge with the threatning of a Fine for so much as he had taken this voluntary Office on himself And he alleaged I being the second of the Seniours am desirous to be instructed by any one in this difficult matter I being a Servant of truth do after some sort yield to the two former Propositions but unto the third I can in no wise assent to wit to subvert the aforesaid Books by interdictions and brands of Censures for if we should endeavour that we should act altogether rashly we thinking to extinguish them in one place should also again raise them up in a thousand other places Men are no longer so ignorant and unwary as in times past when as all Examples or Patterns of religious obedience were published by favour which thing is chiefly manifest in Printers and Booksellers they making gain here and there and it cannot be forbidden and hindered Doth not the thing it self bespeak that we need not go far That Author himself set forth a Discourse inscribed Of the Magnetick or Attractive cure of Wounds which was stoln from him and about five hundred of them printed in Letters by his Enemies whereupon they divulged three divers
Books in great number of the Divines and Doctors of Medicine of all Europe maintaining their Athiesm consisting of blasphemous Censures the which Censures they had easily collected because they live in all Countries under every kind of habit and countenance of Religion where Money or Merchandise abounds and these censorious Infamies they did every where spread abroad in Temples and other publick Places whereby the little Book was made known and was hunted after by every one I have known many seeking to compass it at a dear rate neither could they obtain it for no Printer had any thing of it to be found seeing that they kept it only to themselves it being so often printed only for the collecting of the Stripes of Censurers they suffering the loss of above fifty thousand Royals whereby they might overthrow the Author thereof Moreover because the aforesaid little Book or Discourse was approved of by some Wise Learned and Moderate Men great injury was done to the Author God foresaw otherwise and blessed him that he should not be suppressed according to their desire And lo in this restraint suffered from above he published upon it another little Book instead of a forerunner and this other principal Book was to follow after that it may cleerly be manifest those Writings of his are not afraid of a Censors Rod. Fourthly that the Authors own original Copy of his Book or Writings in the Heirs Possession should be by craft or prize apprehended it cannot be accomplished to be abolished by the Fire before that it be printed for I certainly know that some disdainful Persons have by sending a certain Bookseller before them offered to the fore-threatned Heir a thousand Crownes in hand and besides offering an Assurance of another thousand on the condition that he would deliver up all the Writings of his Father which were in his Possession no one piece being detained the Heir smelt out the deceit as being void of the desire of Money he heard him spake he asked him many Questions he enquired into all things and plainly confounded him so that at last he imprudently brake forth into reproaches departing home with a vain Journey These and many such like Attempts being acted which the Heir hath had experience of do breed in him a distrust so that he only requires a preservation from him who aspireth unto those things that he may not be deceived Besides I have understood if I rightly remember that himself hath taken care to have those Writings imprinted by an honest and faithful Man who will be diligent to sell them into all parts Fiftly to suborn baâ—â—ard Books on the Author containing strange and false Doctrine that would be made manifest for the reason of Invention doth now every where plainly appear besides we should so awaken the Heir thereby and according to the signification of his name he would so loudly exclaim that it should be perceived by all unto whom means should not be wanting although he wants a Patrimony for truly it is affirmed and is the very truth that he hath found Elias the Artist and hath made him his familiar Friend by help of whom he shall propagate the Phylosophy of Pythagoras whose ultimate Tables he doth by unwearied Labour dig up with the signification of the Parent of the metallick Rod. The matter being thus let us not provoke him let us spare our Pains and preserve our Charges or Expences for if this Doctrin doth bear any evil intent before it it will soon goe to ruine of its own accord and if it descend from God and we resist it we could not satisfie our purpose and we should spend our pains and costs in vain bringing on our selves destruction both now and hereafter When as all the rest of the Doctors had now heard these solid Reasons they returned him great thanks and esteemed his disprovement of what the other had said for a decision of the matter except the aforesaid Seniour this man hearing those things through grief and fear was smitten with an Apoplexâ—e and so died an exceeding sudden Death his Sons cryed out with loud howlings or lamentations his Neighbours were awakened and resorted thither apace being ignorant of what was done they found all his Family exceedingly perplexed Whither likewise a studious Man approached who had observed this rout he presently sacrificed to his own profit for when he saw all those Writings there laying up and down and left he taking them up hid them under his Cloak and presently withdrew himself asson as the day shone forth he did his endeavour to read them unto every one of his Friends and Favourites who spread it abroad and made it known Hence it was further spread abroad that thou in digging hadst obtained the Will or Testament of Pythagoras and it was declared by the Supream Lord of hidden Treasures this Lord did presently commit thee to custody because thou hadst not brought forth the Testament of Pythagorus to light the which ought not to be attained by theft but by gift the Lord appointed three of his Wife Men the Seekers or Lovers of peculiar natural Science whom many of all sorts of Nations and Conditions yea and the great Ones of the World did follow or defend to go thither where thou wast detained who thus spake unto thee Be of good cheer this sentence shall be to be sustained by thee which our Lord hath brought upon thee the which begins after this manner By the command of thy Supream Lord unto whom it is certainly known that thou Mercurius Van Helmont in digging hast found a Treasure which he had commanded to be enquired after by his Subjects by whom thou being accused and convicted by certain and full proofs art condemned to Death unless thou shalt bring forth that very patched and covered Testament of Pythagoras and likewise shalt most fully discover by what way and knowledge thou hast found that These things being performed a liberty shall be allotted thee throughout all his Empire Thou hearing these things with a sorrowful Mind and being again refreshed with cheerfulness didst certainly know that by proceeding in denyals thou couldest not escape Death wherefore thou answeredst unto those that were sent in message unto thee after this manner following I intreat you oh ye Wise like as also Prudent Sirs if I can prevaile any thing with you that ye mutually attest my thankful mind unto our Lord for so clementious a sentence wherewith he hath vouchsafed to prosecute me and to demonstrate unto him that I have imprudently retained that Testament as being ignorant that it was to be delivered I now prepare my self to preform it together with all the Experience and Knowledge whereby I have obtained it and that indeed unto whom it shall please our Lord so that his Goodness may grant me the space of a whole Week within which time I am to satisfie our Lord whereby I may re-obtain my liberty according to the tenour of his Sentence hoping that that will
every Vegetable could send forth its seed before the Creation of the Stars surely it became man to rejoyce in no lesse priviledge to wit to have his subsistence moving and his bearing from above from the inbred Seed but not from the Stars in the book of long life those things are at large cleared up which are here desired concerning the Archeus or Master Workman of life CHAP. VI. Logick is unprofitable 1. The Authours Protestation 2. The Omen or Presage of this Book 3. What meanes he used in the composing of Philosophy 4. The Authour writes as it were from a command 5. The distribution of Logick by its parts 6. The ridiculous penurie of differences for a definition 7. The misery of division 8. The method of dividing deserves not the name of Philosophy 9. The vain boasting of discourse 10. Logick brings forth onely an opinion 11. Why nineteen Syllogismes do not bring forth knowledge 12. The boasting Syllogistical Pomp is examined 13. Why every conclusion is annexed to a doubt 14. Why the conclusion of Syllogismes is not of necessity 15. In true Premises false conclusions and on the contrary 16. That the knowledge of demonstration is not to be generated in a Learner 17. Why a Syllogisme doth not bring forth knowledge 18. True Sciences cannot be demonstrated 19. The knowledge of Principles is not in reason 20. What may be found out by Logick 21. The Schooles of Logick oppose themselves to the holy Scriptures 22. By Logick is onely re-taken what was before known 23. A double and almost an unprofitable end of Logick 24. No knowledge but it is from above 25. To sell Logick for Philosophy contains a juggle or deceit I Shall be called a presumptuous brawler it displeaseth any of those that went before me to understand like the Boar that utterly destroyes the Vineyard But I know that it would go ill with me if my Soul should stand subjected to the judgements of men For I began from my Manhood to look a squint upon ambition or that vainest of things depending on the unstable will or judgement of men My Eye alwayes directly beheld the calling which my Mother being against it I had made mine But now I know that I am compelled to teach the truth therefore the doctrine of this Book although it self shall cease with the number of dayes yet that that shall remain even to the end of the World What if I shall shew the ignorance sluggishness impieties and cruelties of Physitians about things that are to be had in the greatest esteem and whose losse is irrepairable and lastly most dangerous to Souls and it shall be answered me with despight scoffing and taunting truly from this very time I rejoyce in my self and am contented with the living hope of that recompence For it was needful that in the composing of new Philosophy I should break down almost all things that have been delivered by those that went before and many things ought to be set in good order and restored which every one will not receive with a like acceptance Neither am I ignorant that it is alway the lot of those that deserve well to undergoe the sharp and for the most part ignorant censurer But if I teach things that are profitable it is a Command not to bury ones Talent received in the Earth I might say with Jerome in his Prologue of Isaiah Let them read first and afterwards despise least they seem to condemn things unknown not from judgement but from the presumption of hatred But I nothing esteem whether I shall be read and reproved or not It is enough that I have sufficiently yielded to the command For neither was there any animosity or heat of ambition in me of being made known who willingly do confess that I have no good thing that is to be imitated Yea the Book had been put to the Press without a name if it could have been done without offence I began from my youth to accustom my self to practise upon the Itch Physitians Chyrurgeons and Apothecaries speaking against me that the rest of the common people might despise me as an Alchymist and a Philosophe a few onely favouring me and from whose favour I have hitherto withdrawn my self what I could Surely I have spent much time and labour and have withdrawn much more profitable leasure from my self that I might satisfie the command of this study Let the praise be to the first truth to which alone belongs the recompence of well doers In whose glasse I have seen and held it confirmed that the judgements of men do for the most part directly differ from the judgments of God That the common applause is foolish full of Errours infamous and alwayes hurtful but that the Universal Judge knowes no Errour Therefore I will begin with things pertaining to discourse Logick consisteth of three parts of definition division and discussing by Argument First of all they teach that a definition consists in the Genus or general kinde and in the constitutive difference of the thing defined But seeing that scarce any other constitutive difference of the Species or particular kinde is known besides rational and irrational which is a specifical difference and neerest to individuals and that one of these two is hitherto Negative truly the first of these I shall sometime prove to be frivolous wherefore one foot being taken away from that which hath three feet the Logitian must needes fall that hath trusted in such a seat Especially because division also is so miserable a member of Logick that it may be deservedly doubted whether through a ridiculous barrenness it hath remained almost neglected by the Schooles themselves For the former is as well the knowledge of the whole and entire thing as of its parts And as concerning Essence it belongs to an universal one to be one in many and therefore it is more knowable For he that hath known one thing and that which is profitable he hath known more things and particular things but not on the contrary Because one thing and profitable is in the understanding but plurality or dividing is in the sense For by how much the more any thing is divided into parts by so much the more it approacheth to things infinite and therefore it is the lesse to be known sliding unto irregularity and the more subject to change and opposition But since Logick treateth of Universals and that it may be said 1. Of the latter that we erre less in Vniversals than in particulars Surely Logick leading us by division unto singulars it is so far from leading to the knowledge of those things according to Aristotle that it rather thrusteth us down into errours Truly if we more fully consider of the member of division it is able to perfect no part of Philosophy it is a certain naked method of dividing so rude and raw that scarce one supposition maxim property mood and progress thereof can be taught or dictated to young men Therefore Logick being
utmost of Three Hundred Years because they are those which some living Creatures do daily of their own accord reach unto but man very seldom and that not but in some unwonted places But why Long Life may be extended with so great a largness it comes to pass because it is on both sides received after the manner of the Receiver For the Modern Tree of Life should now no longer render me capable of the least Dignity or term by reason of the light of my Life being depraved by many storms the thred whereof they have cut off while it was as yet in the Flax. He shall fullfil thy desire in good things and thy Youth shall be renewed as the Eagle For neither is it said as of the Eagle because the former Youth of an Eagle is not restored But the Eagle is renewed no otherwise than as the Serpent puts off his skin and the Stag his hornes although in the mean time they do not cease to wax old under that renovation So that the Eagle hastens into grey Feathers Therefore I thus speak of Long Life not indeed which may be extended even unto the last day according to the rashness of Paracelsus as neither do I speak of a sound Life which is plainly free from Diseases but of that which under some certain kind of Protection of the Faculties doth for some good while enlarge the bound of Life Which meanes if they are administred unto a Child and strong Infant are to bring the same unto the aforesaid term if he proceed to use the same What if at length certain Climates do protract the Life shall that thing be denied unto a Medicine unto which there is a natural endowment of Long Life For oft-times he which is constrained to use Spectacles in the fiftieth Year doth afterwards again of his own free accord see clearly in the eightieth Year of his Age. Why shall not that therefore be done totally by Art which happens in the Eyes from a voluntary vigour But I have alwayes supposed that whatsoever was once Natural to wit in Nestor doth not resist a possibility of Nature Neither also doth it move me that Arch-Physitians have found this place untouched and dumb and therefore also have left it Because the Schooles do long since despaire to be wise beyond Galen who notwithstanding like an Apothecary doth substitute one thing for another and indeed hath set forth ridiculous Books of Preserving Health as for Long Life For he encloseth this in straight crooked athwart and circular rubbings to wit he acting great motion and being a great Circulater in these things which are of his own Invention even as an ignorant transcriber of others For as oft as he faileth from whence he may copy out serious things he so discovereth the wonderful poverty of his wit that he hath seemed to have doated throughout some Books in a figural friction or rubbing And therefore none of his successors hath hitherto counted the Books of Galen of Defending Health worthy of a Commentary or hath attempted to lift them from the ground but rather by a successive Interpretation every one hath bound that Doctrine of Galen unto the obedience of the huckstery of the Kitchin and Diet. For so through the craft of the Devil Long Life hath wandered into defending of Health and from thence into the Kitchins The Art therefore of some Years is Short and the Life Long if we must have respect unto the Hope of Life which the loose Doctrine of the Heathens hath neglected CHAP. XCII The Enterance of Death into Humane Nature is the Grace of Virgins The Index of the Contents 1. Why it is Treated of Death before of Life 2. A final Cause is not in Natural Things as neither is it the first of Causes 3. Some Absurdities of Aristotle 4. The Author prostrates this Treatise to the Censure of the Church 5. God indeed made Death for bruit Beasts but not for Man 6. What may be denoted by the Etymology of Death 7. The Devil could not make Death for Man 8. Man prepared Death effectively for himself 9. Of what sort the Immortality of our first Parents was 10. By what means Immortallity did stand in Man 11. Why the Mind is not capable of Suffering 12. The necessity of the sensitive Soul 13. The eating of the Apple did contain in it the second Causes for a necessity of Death 14. The inward Properties of that Apple 15. Man before the Fall wanted a sensitive Soul 16. The Mind Imprints its Image in the Seed 17. A chain flowing from the eating of the Apple 18. To what end the Author hath written this Treatise LIfe was indeed before that Death could be therefore although Life be before Death in Nature and Duration yet for this Treatise the Enterance of Death into Man's Life doth precede Life because I might not treat of Immortal Life such as it was from the intention of the Creator before the Sin of our first Parent but onely of the Length of Life or of the prolonging of Life whose end because it is closed terminated and defined or limitted by Death Death ought to be first determined of by its Causes as the remover of the bound of Life Truly I have not studied to imitate Aristotle in this thing who teacheth That the End is the first of Causes For I have elsewhere plentifully demonstrated that Aristotle was plainly ignorant of whole Nature Wherefore that his Maxime as well within as out of Nature is false Because if we speak of God the First Mover the Arch-type of all things and of the invisible World be it certain that with him there is not any Priority of Causes but that they all do co-unite into Unity with whom all things are onely one Likewise seeing whatsoever is made or generated in Nature is made or generated from a necessity of the Seeds and so that Seeds are in this respect the original Principles and natural Causes of things and do act for ends not indeed known to themselves but unto God alone From a necessity of Christian Phylosophy a Final Cause hath no place in Nature but onely in artificial things And therefore also from hence is verified what I have elsewhere sufficiently proved That Aristotle hath understood nothing less than natural things and that he hath deceived his Schools by artificial things And he is wholly impertinent in this place because he hath reduced artificial things under the catalogue of natural Causes Yea in more fully looking into the matter Aristotle remaines alike ridiculous For truly a builder before the bound or figure of Houses made out of Paper doth presuppose a knowledge of the Place an attainment of Meanes in the next place of Lime Bricks Stones Wooden and Iron materials a computation of which Meanes doth go before a Figure of the Houses And so neither also is the Final Cause if there be any the first of Artificial Causes in the Mind of the Author Therefore it is a
the poyson of the jaundise to be in vain seeing they thought that Choler to be that which did abound only in quantity and otherwise to be a natural co-partner of the venal blood Ah I wish they had first examined that yellow Choler such as they shew to swim on the blood let out oâ— the veins cannot more deeply tinge the urine which otherwise is watery from the nature of its own Whey than Choler it self is tinged and as yet far lesse And that an ordinary urine of a mean and temperate yellownesse is notwithstanding more deeply tinged than the aforesaid supper-swimming Choler it self is That in the jaundise its colour is fourtytimes more full and ringed than that it can be hoped to be dyed by the aforesaid Choler And that by how much the more diseasie and nearer to death the jaundise is by so much the urine also is more filled with a deep or yellow yellownesse Neither yet is there a reason why more of Choler should be daily generated while as there is a lesse necessity thereof and the natural heat in the Liver lesse Why there should I say be more of Elementary fire by how much death is nearer and why that fire if there should be any should be nearer to its own choaking And that while they rashly say hony to be wholly turned into Choler or gaul in a Cholerick strong fiery manly and valiant constitution which otherwise in a sanguine person is made totally blood And so also that they being constrained by their own and unvoluntary confession do not see that the generation of their feigned Choler proceedeth on both sides from some poysonous indisposition of the body and the which being at length increased produceth much more plenty of those excrementitious filths than of blood yea than it is wont to do a little before Since as in the mean time there is no necessity of such Choler but very much necessity of blood in the jaundise May they not seem from thence to conclude 1. That nature in its greatest health alwayes erred in its own ends 2. And so also that the Creatour thereof had erred 3. And that she should not cease to make a most plentifull quantity of gaul while as she most greatly abhorreth that and should have the least need thereof That the making of Choler in the Schools is from a diseasifying cause but not from the integrity of nature That whatsoever they call Choler is neither Choler nor gaul nor one of the four feigned constitutive Humours of us but the gaul being excepted that Choler is alwayes a meer dungy excrement if not also together therewith defectuous and poysonsom Therefore Choler never existed in nature But the gaul is a prevalent bowel in the nature of an original or first-born liquor greatly vital and most exceeding necessary Choler therefore is wanting in whole nature therefore also for the jaundise But the disease called Choler whatsoever it toucheth with its poysonous ferment it deâ—â—es it and transchangeth it into a poyson without ceasing The whole invention therefore of Choler is frivolous false and pernicious But the nest or shop of the jaundise is from the Pylorus even unto the end of the Duodenum For I remember that a Pike-fish being at sometime opened alive in the back from the head to the tail and bound a-crosse upon the region of the stomach within a few hours his putrified carcase stank and all his flesh which before was most white became yellow The comon sort of Physitions supposed that he had drawn Choler from the jaundous person But I suppose that the live fish had putrified with the heat of him that had the jaundise and that he had borrowed his yellownesse from corruption That the excrement tinged on the skin in the jaundous person was a mortified poyson no other wise than as the flesh of the fish was For the fish was so stinking that it was despised by a Cat I therefore healed the man by some calcined Alcali salts Let it be sufficient to have spoken these things concerning the falshood of Humours and the miserable snare of the Humourists But other things which concerning the falling down of Humour having regard hither might offer themselves I will elsewhere perfectly explain in a particular treatise concerning the toyes of a Catarrhe But last of all that for black Choler they are wont to accuse the Hemerhoides or piles in the next place the Menstrues and Cancer of the Dugs Surely that I despise under silence as unworthy of an answer and as unprofitable trifles in a great compassion of the rash belief of my neighbours and also of the blindnesse of the Schools For truly herein they retire from the terms proposed by themselves as well in making of blood and sliding down to the spleen as in passing from yellow Choler into black Because the fundament veins and veins of the womb not always daily or in any place but only about the utmost passages of those veins blood being otherwise good is made malignant and defiled in those places and not before but not that it was already before degenerated in the Spleen and sent into the utmost end of the Fundament Even so as also whatsoever the Schools devise for the establishment of phlegm concerning the Pose Cough Asthma Shortnesse of Breath Pleurisie Toothach c. All that I will demonstrate in its own place in the treatise of the toyes of a catarrhe for ridiculous dreames of Paganisme But now it hath seemed sufficient unme to have shewn that no phlegm is conteined in the fellowship of four humours and that which is dashed forth from diseasie causes which is snivelly and the which they have hitherto perswaded themselves to be ejected like phlegm it is sufficient now to have shewn that that very thing hath undergone the title of an excrement nor that it is in any wise to be ascribed unto the family of a vital Humour Let the Lord Jesus be between me and the interpreters of these things FOR AN ARGUMENT Of the book a Poet hath thus sung against the Humourists thirsting after Christian blood MOst famous Captain why in many Doctours doth thou trust It 's much thou can'st confide in one the other rout unjust Do hurt dost thou not see the veins throughout the body empted This cut 's that burn's and so by Art the maladie's incensed Who ere of daubing Galen doth in ought the counsel take They all against one body fight and B' Art a slaughter make A rout of Medicine professors slew an Emperour Dost thou believe that Physick Doctours have a healing pow'r He was a Belgian Prince by blood but Phisick't by that rable After the Spanish mode to th' Dutch that mode's unprofitable I 'le adde a little to his Tomb here lays a Captain best O're whom Mars could not ought prevail while blood was in his breast What bloody war could not perform Physitians could by lance Thus less than Hippocrat's himself Mavors is made by chance TUMULUS
happily any good thing shall therein offer it self Truly I was a Glutton of Books I had collected all remarkable things into common places so as that few exceeded me in diligence but most in judgement In the seventeenth year of my youth I read Lectures of Chyrurgery before the Students in the Colledge of the Physitians of Lovain being appointed thereunto by the Professors Thomas Fienus Gerardus de Villeers and Stornius Alas I presumed to teach those things which I my self was ignorant of I fitted together Holerius Tagautius Guido Vigo Aegineta and the whole Troop of Arabians the which surely all together understood not the perfection of Chyrurgery Afterwards I desisted having admired at my own rashnesses and inconsideratenesses that I should presume only by the reading of books to teach those things which are not well learned but by sight and the handling of the hands by long use and a sharp judgement For an unconsiderate presumption blew me up because I had been voluntarily by them chosen hereunto and had my Professors both my Auditors and the Censurers of my readings For I trusted to writings as it happens to children reading from Baiardus and Malegigius At length being amazed with my self I certainly found that the event answered not the Doctrine and that Professors gave me not more light in practising than the writings of the Antients In the mean time it often came into my mind what the Schools thunder forth out of Avicen to wit that confidence on the Physitian is of greater weight to the sick than the Physitian is with all his instruments I therefore suspected that it was a feeble succour of the Physitian before which an imaginary aid of confidence should be preferred For if any one being glad or joyful be cured by laughter at leastwise let the medicine be ridiculous where the Physitian shall cure the sick party by laughing and confiding for that is not the medicine which the Almighty hath created from the earth Then also that Maxim of the Schools appeared ridiculous affirming that the capital betokening of curing is drawn from things helpful and hurtful because that Maxim ordinarily presupposeth that uncertain and hurtful medicines are wont for the most part to be sent afore Helpful ones also if any shall be given that they are administred by chance and without knowledge which things surely do define medicine against the will of the Schools to be a conjectural Art and that the knowledges and cures of diseases do begin a posteriori or from the effect from errours from the tryal and conjecture of that which is uncertain yea that that which should afterwards be searched out should be alike uncertain The Poet hath deservedly cursed that medicinal Maxim Careat successibus opto Quisquis ab eventu facta notanda putat I wish that he who e're he be may want successes rare Who from th' event doth straightway think deeds to be noted are I therefore grieved that I had learned that Art and being angry with my self grieved who was Noble that against the will of my Mother and my Kindred on the Fathers side being ignorant thereof I as the first in our Family had dedicated my self to medicine I long bewailed the sin of disobedience and it grieued me of the years and pains bestowed in a choise profession And I ost-times humbly intreated the Lord with a sorrowful heare that he would vouchsafe to lead me unto a calling not whither I was carried of my own free accord but wherein I might well please him most And I made a vow that I would follow and obey him to the utmost of my power whithersoever he should call me Then first as having been fed with the forbidden fruit I acknowledged my own nakednesse Because I found neither truth nor knowledge in my suppositional docttrine supposing it especially to be a cruel thing to heap up moneys by others miseries Also that it was an unseemely thing to translate an art founded in charity and bestowed under the condition of exercising mercy into gain since the Noblenesse of charry is estranged by a stipend which wants a price out of it self because it is greater than all price Wherefore I presently entitled my inheritance on my sister a widow and transferred it by a gift among the living because she could scarce conveniently want it I therefore being a young man altogether unprofitable in all things an unthrifty man and who had rashly applyed my self to studies commended my self to God with an intention of going far from home of forsaking medicine and of never returning into my Country Because I cleerly then beheld my own innermost parts I discovered and divorced the vanities of my former presumption and literal Learning I therefore proceed on as uncertain unto strangers under hope that the Lord would clementiously direct my course unto the end of his own good pleasure But by how much the more I detested medicine and cast it far from me as a juggling deciet indeed by so much the greater occasion of healing invaded me For an Idiot associated himself with me who had known at least the manual instruments of the art of the fire I presently as soon as I beheld the inward part of some bodies by the fire percieved the seperations of many bodies then not yet delivered in books and at this day some being unknown Afterwards an earnest desire of knowing and operating dayly increased in me For not much above two years after I had gotten such houshould-stuffe to my self whereby I was though absent in great esteem among the sick also with Ernestus Bavarus the Electour of Collen and he called me unto himself for help But then it as yet more shamed me of my late and learned ignorance Wherefore I presently resigned up all books and I percieved my self more to profit by the fire in conceptions attained by praying than in any kind of books which sing always the same Cuckows note And then I cleerly knew that I had vitiated the passage of true Phylosophy Obstacles and dificulties of obscurities on every side appeared the which not labour not time not watching lastly nor the lavishments of moneys could from any worthinesse disperse but the one only and meer goodnesse of God alone For neither did carnal lust nor drinking bouts withdraw even one only houre from me but continual paines and watching were the thieves of my time For I willingly cured the poor and those of a mean fortune being more stirred up by humane compassion and a moral affection of bestowing than from a pure and universal charity or dear love reflexed on the Fountain of Life For it happened that a Consul or Senatour being at somtime willingly about to make use of my endeavour I denied to giue it him presentially as being unwilling to forsake many that were poorer least I should be accounted to have neglected many for one Notwithstanding God from the free grace of his own good pleasure turned this pride into good For it shamed me to
Of the power of witches 779. 86 Of the nature and extent thereof 780 How a witch may be bound up in the heart of a horse 782 109 110 Witchcraft Simpathy and Magnetism do differ 759. 1 VVomen why monthly purged 405 24 VVomen are subject to double disieases 609 358. 17 VVomen consume not so much Blood as men 740 Yet they make more Ibid. VVhy they have so many conceits when with child 306 50 VVomb its overslowings cured by odorus ointments 114. 17 Remedy for a woman in travel 306. 46 VVomb a peculiar monarchy 575 A Twofold monarchy of a woman 609. 15 VVomb governs its self Ibid. 334. 43 VVomb brings forth an alterative Blas Ibid. Disseases of the womb differ from products 610. 19 The progresse of the wombs defects 612. 358 Its cure 612. 325 48 Sugar stirs up the sleeping fury of the womb 612 Wherein the fruitfulness of the womb consists 630 Where the womb of the urine beginneth 209 23 Womb warreth under its own banners 306. 52 Of the force of Imagination in women with Child 1117. 1118 The monarchy of the womb distingisheth a woman from a man 335. 48 In words herbs and stones there is great vertue 575 Silk-worms figure out a shadow of the Resurrection 684. 94 VVounds asswaged by odours c. 114 17 Hurt by the Moon-beams 141. 55 Z. ZEnexton against the plague 1144 Of the uselessness of some Zenextons 1145 Pretious stones not true Zenextons 1146 Amber a Zenexton and how so made Ibid. The qualities a Zenexton ought to have 1148 1149. Toad a Zenexton Ibid How the Toad is prepared for a Zenexton 1150 VVhy he is a true Zenexton 1152 A Poetical Soliloquie of the Translatour Harmonizing and Sympathizing with the Author's Genius WHen first my Friend did ask me to translate Van Helmonts Works wrapt up in hidden state Of Roman dialect that 't was a Book Of Med'cine and Phylosophy I took It in good part enough and did not doubt But to perform what I should set about By Gods asistance for I willing stood Much pains to take about a publick good I forth with entred on it and did see More than my friend thereof could tel to me For why since something was begot within My inward parts which loved truth but sin And selfish errour hated I began To feel and love the spirit of the man Whom I perceived like a gratious Son To build his knowledg on the Corner Stone And out of self to sink in humble wise As his Confession in me testifies The light of understanding was his guide From heath'nish Books and Authors he did slide And cast them of that so he might be free Singly to stand O Lord and wait on thee And in the pray'r of silence on thee call Because he knew thee to be All in All. And thou didst teach him that which will conduce To th' profit of his Neighbour be of use Both unto soul and body as inclin'd To read with lowly and impartial mind But as for lofty and and self-seeking ones Thou scatter wilt their wisdom wealth and bones Because thou art not honour'd in a lye Whether of Nature or Divinity But in the truth of knowledge of thy Life And of thy wondrous works which men of strife And alienated can no whit attain Till from the fall they do return again Helmont that thou returned'st I believe Thy testimony of it thou dost give When by the light thou saist entring thy dore Thou changed wast from what thou wert before And cause thou suffredst by a wicked sort For being good and once wast poyson'd for 't That 't was unjustly I am doubting past ' Cause th' Enemies conscience prickt him at the last And truely'n many places of thy Ream Words slow forth from thee like a silver stream And so that I at sundry times have found Sweet op'nings from the un'ty in the ground But did thy life in words alone consist Or art thou to be enrowl'd among the list Of Stoical Notionists which only spend Their time in contemplation and so end Their days or were good actions wrought by thee Which as the fruits discover do the tree Did shew that healing virtue forth did start From thy fire-furnace as love from thy hart If not how is it that thou dost us tel Thou ceased'st not Annually to heal Some Myriades or ten thousands yed Thy medicines were not diminished Or that thou wert so tender of the poor What if I say that bagd from door to door That thou retiredly didst live at home And cure them out of Charity not roâ—â— And gape for gain for visits as do most Physitians who unto rich houses post Floating about even as in a floud Of poysoned purged filths and venal blood And so the peoples wealth health life do soaâ— Through the sâ—ay viâ—ard of a Doctors cloak But Helmonts hand-pen asit plain appears Their false-paint coverings a funder tears In room whereof such Practicâ— Theory It doth insert that they as standers by Like Bibels Merchants will ven weâ—p and waâ—â— When they shall see their trade begin to fail And upright Artists held up by the â—an Of him who owns the good Samaritan Yet such School-Doctors shall not thus relent Whom Grace and goodnesse shall move to repent This is not utter'd out of spleen but pity Unto the sick in Country and in City No just cause given by these words to hate But to be owned by the Magistrate And I my self in former silly times Through School-tradition and Galenick lines Have wrong'd my body weaken'd my nature Clipping my vitals in their strength and Stature And though through Grace to soul and body to T' was turned to good yet that 's no thank to you Help Chymists help to pul their Babel down Builtby the pride of Academicks Gown Let Theophrastus Azoth Helmonts Lore Erect an Engine such as ne're before Hark Chymists hark attend Baptista's law He speaks to h's Sons as th' Lyon by the Paw And why as th' eye is opened to look May y' not discern Hercules by his foot Be it sufficient that he gives a tast Least pretious peat is he unto swine should east Be 't no dishonour to the Ghymick School That some mistakes thereof he doth controâ—â— Rather a praise unto the Masters eye Houshold disorders for to rectifie Strike Chymists strike strike fire out of your 〈◊〉 And force the fire unto the highest stint Of a Reverb'ratory such a heat As Galen back out of the field may beat And fetch th' Archeal Crasis Seminum To keep the field gainst a Rololleum Srrive not not by reason if you 'd win the day Pâ—ice your Athanar as he another way Aime not at lucre in what ye undertake Your motive love the spirit your guider make That day to day in you the Word may preach And night to night unto you knowledge teach That so Elias th' Artist if he come Ye as prepar'd may bid him welcome home And all well-wishers unto Science true Unto
Medicine had in part raised this discord the which had recalled the more young godly studious and other Reverencers of the Truth out of the long and obscure night into the dawning of the Day that they might believe that a Light more perfect nor hitherto learned did remain from whence this dawning did shine unto them and by how much the more thorowly they looked into the aforesaid little Book by so much the more they were glad because they found therein the promises of the coming of a more perfect desired Light it being that which did so heighten their Mind that a certain one of them did not fear publickly to propose this Parable with a shrill Voice unto some eminent famous Professors of Universities and Christians yet ungrateful ones with Interrogatives and Admonitions It is no wonder that these our Words do seem the more hard to the Flesh seeing they are spiritual whereof the Flesh cannot give Judgment even as he spake who had never looked against the Light by reason of the sickness of his Sight and when he saw the least Light he detested it relating among other things that it was the worst of Poysons because it brought an intollerable Pain upon him so that therefore he remained uncurable who could not through his obstinacy endure any mention of curing seeing that he loved Darkness before Light and so was made a Son of the same Darkness Some of the Professors took notice that this similitude was uttered concerning them and not knowing how to moderate themselves as being possessed with fury they flung out this Ye Novices and seditious Seeds-men of Heresies ye ought to be burnt alive together with your Abettors These Words being spoken they in a rage rushed forward toward the House of the Seniour Professor and there called a company together by night that they might foresee among themselves what might be taken in hand whereby this new Doctrin might be subverted The Patron of this Family was a most covetous old Man as also very aged who after he had received them all with a solemn Salutation began his Speech saying My fellow Brethren and my sworn Sons of our Profession it is very well known unto you that our Doctrin hath been firmly established whereof nothing is to be doubted seeing it is so antient nor ever hath sustained any adversity of the Nations which might brand it with a blemish In our dayes it is least of all to be granted that by this Schismatical Doctrin it can go to the wall or that the glory esteem and the things suggested by us eminently appearing in print can altogether perish for the preserving of them let us earnestly endeavour with all our Might by which deed we shall render our selves immortal unto our successours and shall bear away a solemn reward for our famous Deeds let us be unanimous then shall we perform many things I will first produce my Opinion If any one of us shall be adverse to our purpose let him be imposed upon with a Fine by a plurality of voices agreeable to every ones Wealth or Ability I as the first will bind my self to this by a Copy and assoon as any one shall come to be fined let the money rebounding from hence he laid aside for the use of suppressing the Enemies and least discord should grow among us for the future and that we may fitly reach our seasonable conclusion it is needful that all things which shall here be dispatched be committed to writings whom they presently obeyed in every thing and committed it to the Effect besides they incited him that he might proceed as he had begun saying Both these Propositions are just and equal for truly all of us have by this our Doctrin gotten our wealth And so also it is meet and just that the Goods gotten thereby should have respect unto our Doctrin and should defend it whereby we may as yet attain to be more wealthy The aforesaid Seniour hearing these Words with a very grateful and pleasant Countenance and Gesture adjoyned thereto I hold it most exceeding necessary and also to procure other Wealth of the Schools that they may joyn with us and enter into a mutual Covenant because the Matter toucheth them also which being obtained we will presently implore the Magistrate to condemn that seditious little Book to the Fire under a further injunction that they which should make use of it shall pay the punishment of Goods and Body Secondly it should be diligently endeavoured by us that we presently setting upon the one only Son of the Author of the aforesaid little Book by subtilty who possesseth his other Writings by an hereditary right should promise him a certain summe of Money some third man interceding as for a congratulation or restoring of his Fathers Books unto us the which we should allege were to be committed to the Press as feigning to take part with his Father that by his means we at least might understand where he might keep them in secret whereby we might obtain the same to be burnt by the Fire for when these Books shall behold the Light we shall suffer greater things neither should any other Remedy avail than procure a Book to be set forth in the Authors name containing perverse Doctrin or hellish Arts and to disperse it throughout the whole World also that this thing might the better succeed the said Heir should be taken out of the way least he should hinder our purpose all which things it is lawful freely to commit without Sin seeing that we are able to demonstrate and confirm these things by a received custom and Doctrin of very many famous Writers of a certain predominating Order These sayings being ended he intreated the chief Doctor next unto himself no less to endeavour with all his might to abolish so gainsay-ing a Doctrin and to preserve the profitable one whereto he as the second to the first replyed he was at this command He was otherwise an honest and sincere Man who had secretly recalled many miserable Sick from the Grave through his Integrity whereby as oft as opportunity gave leave he chastised Forms or Sorts of Remedies from the quantity and violence of his said Collegiates This Man also understood of and expected the present coming of Elias the Artist the which he vehemently desired and had learned many Years before from a certain studious Man of the Brethren of his Profession and besides he excelled in the strength of reason and in a firm health of Body who dying seemed to know something beyond the common sort of Men. He once before his Death went to minister to the Poor freely out of Charity he wrought many Works of Mercy in the Hospitals and Prisons until he brought back with him a common Disease who presently sent for his Professours who much rejoyced that he himself would make tryal of the Fruits of their professed Theory these Professours calling a wonted counsel withdrew Blood largely from him they gave him Purgative