Composition of Trifles and inventions of mad brains However they finde out men so covetous of so much happiness whom they easily perswade that they shall finde greater Riches in Hydargyrie than Nature affords in Gold Such whom although they have twice or thrice already been deluded yet they have still a new Device wherewith to deceive um again there being no greater Madness than to believe the fixed Volatile or that the fixed Volatile can be made So that the smells of Coles Sulphur Dung Poyson and Piss are to them a greater pleasure than the taste of Honey till their Farms Goods and Patrimonies being wasted and converted into Ashes and Smoak when they expect the rewards of their Labours births of Gold Youth and Immortality after all their Time and Expences at length old ragged famisht with the continual use of Quicksilver paralytick onely rich in misery and so miserable that they will sell their souls for three farthings so that the Metamorphosis which they would have made in the Metals they experiment upon themselves for in stead of Alchymists Cacochymists in stead of being Doctors Beggers in stead of Unguentaries Victuallers a laughing-stock to the people and they who in their youth hated to live meanly at length grown old in Chymical Impostures are compell'd to live in the lowest degree of poverty and in so much calamity that receiving nothing but Contempt and Laughter in stead of Commendation and Pity at length compell'd thereto by Penury they fall to Ill Courses as Counterfeiting of Money And therefore this Art was not onely expell'd out of the Romane Commonwealth but also also prohibited by the Decreed of the sacred Canons of the Church And if now there were a Law to forbid any of them to practise this Art without the special favour and license of the Prince upon the forfeiture of their goods and proscription of their persons we should have less false Money made wherewith many are now deceived to the great damage of the Commonwealth For which reason it is thought that Amasis King of Aegypt made a Law whereby every Magistrate was compell'd to give an account what Art or Science he most favour'd which he that did not underwent a very severe punishment Many things could I say of this Art of which I am no great enemy were I not sworn to silence a custom impos'd upon persons newly initiated therein which has been so solemnly and religiously observed by the ancient Writers and Philosophers that there is no Philosopher of approved authority or Writer of known fidelity who hath in any place made mention thereof which hath caus'd many to believe that all the Books treating of this Art were made of late days to which the names of the Authors Giber Morienus Gigildis and the rest of the whole Croud give no small confirmation the obscure words which they use and the unaptness of their language and their ill Method of Philosophizing Some have thought the Golden Fleece to be a certain Chymical Book written after the ancient manner in Parchment wherein was contained the way of making Gold Of which sort when Diocletian had got together a great many among the Aegyptians who were said to be very skilful in this Art he is said to have burnt them all left the Aegyptians confiding in their Riches and easie means of obtaining Treasure should at one time or other revolt from the Romans And therefore was this Art by a publike Edict of the same Emperour rendered infamous It would be too long to relate all the foolish Mysteries of this Art and empty Riddles of the Green Lion the Fugitive Hart the Volant Eagle the Dancing Fool the Dragon devouring his Tayl the Swell'd Toad the Crows Head of that which is Blacker than Black of Mercury's Seal of the Dirt of Foolishess of wisdom I ought to have said and a thousand other Trifles Lastly of that one thing besides which there is nothing else though as common as may be the blessed subject of the most holy Philosophers Storie not to be spoken of without incurring Perjury yet I will say somewhat of it obscurely and in such manner as none but the sons of Art shall understand me It is a thing which hath a substance neither too firy nor altogether earthy nor is it a watry nor sharp nor obtuse quality but indifferent light and soft or at least not hard not rough but sweet in taste sweet in smell grateful to the sight pleasant to the ear and delightful to think on More I must not say nor greater things can I. For I think this Art by reason of my familiarity with it worthy the same Honour as Thucydides gives to a good Woman when he says That she is the best woman of whom there is least discourse I will onely adde this That Chymists are of all men the most perverse for when God says In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread and the Prophet in another place Because thou eatest the labours of thy hands therefore art thou blessed and it shall be well with thee they contemning the divine Command and promise of happiness endeavour to raise Golden mountains by Womens labour and Childrens play I deny not but from this Art many excellent Inventions have deriv'd themselves hence Cinaber Minimum Purple that which they call Musical gold and the temperatures of other Colours had their beginning To this Art Aurichalcum the changing of Metals Soders and Tryals owe their first finding out Guns are the terrible Invention of this Art Hence sprung the Art of making all sorts of Glasses a most noble Invention of which Theophilus hath writ a most excellent Treatise But Pliny relates that the temperament of Glass was found out in the time of Tiberius but the Work-house was by Tiberius pull'd down and the Artificer if we may believe Isodorius was put to death left the Glass should detract from Gold and Silver and Brass lose their value CHAP. XCI Of the Law in general WE come now to the knowledge of the Law that onely pretends to judge and discern between True and False Equity and Iniquity Right and Wrong The chief Heads now-a-days are the Pope and the Emperour who boast that they have all Laws written in the Cabinets of their Brests whose Will is Reason and who by their own Arbitrary opinions rule and govern all Sciences Arts Writings Opinions and whatever other Works of men For which cause Pope Leo commanded that no person should dare to dispute or justifie any thing in the Church but by the Authority of the holy Councils the Canons and Decretals of which the Pope is the Head Neither is it lawful for us to make use of the Interpretations of any the most holy and learned Divines but onely so far as the Pope permits and authorizes by his Canons And the Canon further commands that no Book or Volume whatsoever shall be received by any Divine but what is first approved of by the Canons of the Pope The
matters and stirs them up by wicked and mischievous advice who hunts out for Causes and who is the greatest Scolder and Brauler to make the things which are just and true seem doubtful and unjust and by such Weapons as those to chase and overthrow Justice with whom Justice is nothing else but publike Gain and the Judge that sits upon the Bench is forc'd to confirm what Money makes appear just Nay they expose those things which are not even privations of things and Silence it self seeing that as none will speak but for Gain there 's none will hold his tongue but for Reward after the example of Demosthenes who when he askt Aristodemus a Compipiler of Fables what Fees he had got for Pleading answered A Talent But I replyed Demosthenes have got more to hold my tongue So that the tongue of a Lawyer unless fast bound in Silver chains is very mischievous and pernicious CHAP. XCIV Of the Calling of Publike Notaries AMong these Publike Notaries are to be reckon'd whose Injuries Falsities and Mischiefs continually by them wrought all are bound to endure while they pretend to have their credit license and authority from the Apostolike and Imperial power Among whom they are to be accounted the chiefest who know best how to trouble the Court perplex Causes counterfeit Wills and Deeds to abuse and deceive their Clyents and if need be to forswear themselves venturing at any Roguery rather than be outdone in plotting and contriving Cheats Scandals Quirks Tricks Quillets Treacheries Scylla's and Charybdis's by any other person whatsoever There is no Notary can frame an Instrument from whence there may not be some cause of Quarrel pickt out if any person have a minde to contest for there will be some way or other found out either to finde out a defect in the Writing or to invalidate the faith of the publike Notary These they call the Helps of the Law which they teach the Contentious how to flie to and lay hold of These are the effects of their Watching and Labour wherewith with they soften the rigour of the Law when they finde their Clyents willing to contend for he shall have so much Law as he can by his power maintain the Law averring that we cannot be equal to those that are more potent than we are CHAP. XCV Of the Study of the Law TO this those vast Gyants have relation who contrary to the Edict of Justinian have begot so many innumerable Volumes of Comments Glosses and Expositions every one differing in their Interpretation Besides this they have gathered together such Storms of Opinions so many Woods of dark and subtil Counsels and Cautions wherewith the Iniquity of Advocates is furnished as if Truth did not consist more in Reason than in confused Testimonies rak'd together out of such a monstrous heap of Opiniasters among whom there is so much Dissention so much Discord that he that knows not how to differ from another to contradict the Sayings and Opinions of others call in question the justice of Adjudged Cases and to wrest good Laws to their own Humours and Interests is not to be thought Learned among um Thus is the Study of the Law made a deceitful Net and Gin of Iniquity these are the Crafts and these the Arts by which the whole Christian world is governed the Foundations of Empires and Kingdoms and out of these Knaves are chosen Presidents of Parliaments Senators and several great Officers of Popes and Princes as if wicked Advocates would prove just Judges when they came to be the Heads of the Nation These like the Titans to Jove become formidable to their Princes themselves Out of these come the swag-belly'd Secretaries and Purple Chancellors of Emperours and Kings who govern all affairs of State dispose of all Favours Gifts Benefits Offices Dignities and Patents of the prince who sell all Right and Justice all Law Equity and Honesty and compel others to purchase of them According to whose will such and such are to be Allies such Enemies to the Prince with whom sometimes they joyn in Leagues sometimes make War according to their pleasures And being rais'd from the lowest degree of Poverty and meanness of condition to so high a pitch of Dignity meerly by prostituting their Tongues at length they grow so bold and audacious that without calling to answer without order of Council they will convict and condemn men and many times alter forms of Government they themselves growing fat with Thievery and Robbery CHAP. XCVI Of the Inquisition HEre we must not omit the order of Predicants Inquisitors after Hereticks whose power when it ought to be founded upon the holy Scriptures yet they derive it all from the Canon-Law and Pontifical Decrees as if it were impossible the Pope should erre leaving the Scripture as a dead letter and onely the shadow of Truth and reject it as the Buckler and defence of Hereticks Neither do they receive the Traditions of the ancient Fathers and Doctors because they may both deceive and be deceived but pretending that the Roman Church cannot erre of which the Pope is the Head and therefore the Authority of his Court is the Rule of their Faith enquiring no further in their examinations than whether men believe in the Church of Rome which if any person refractory do grant then quoth they the Church condemns such or such a Proposition as heretical scandalous and offensive to pious ears and then compel the person to revoke and recant his Errour If the offender continue to justifie himself by Reason or Scripture or both straight with great clamour and mouthing they interrupt him telling him he is not before the Chair of Doctors or a Convocation of Scholars but a Tribunal of Judges he is not to dispute there but to answer directly whether he will stand to or abide the Decree of the Church or renounce his Opinion if not they shew him Faggots and Fire saying Hereticks are to be convinced with Faggot and Fire not with Scripture and Arguments and so compel a man not convicted of any perverse obstinacie contrary to his Conscience to abjure those things which if he deny they deliver him over to the Secular power as a deserter of the Church to be burnt saying with the Apostle Remove the evil thing from among you In ancient times such was the lenity and meckness of the Church that they neither punisht those that relaps'd into Judaism nor Blasphemies and Berengarius revolting to a most damnable Heresie was not onely not put to death but continued in his Archdeaconship But now if a man slip into the least Errour 't is much more than his life is worth and he shall be thrown into the Fire by these Inquisitors for a trifle Perhaps it is now convenient for the Church to use such severe chastisement for fear of losing its innate piety Sometimes Hereticks are Inquisitors after Hereticks which was the occasion of the Decree which Clement made But Inquisitors ought not to hold dark
Club of Hercules the chast Tree the Letters of the Hyacinth the daughters of Niobe the Tree under which Latona brought forth as also concerning the Country of Homer and his Sepulcher Which was eldest in time Homer or Hesiod Whether Patroclus were before Achilles In what Attire Anacharsis the Scythian slept Why Homer did not honour Palamedes whether Lucan be to be placed among the Poets or Hereticks Also concerning the thefts of Vergil and what time of the year he dyed Who was the Author of the little Epigrams is a great Contest among the Grammarians and hitherto undecided To say truth all the Verses of the Poets are full of Impostures and Fables invented for the delight of Fools under pretence of Flattery or detraction of the worst of Men. Whatever Poets do whether they relate praise or invoke 't is all but in flattery of their own Fables again whether they inveigh satyrize or accuse they do it in applause of their own Fables acting always the parts of Mad-men Rightly therefore did Democritus call Poesie not an Art but Madness Therefore Plato said that he never knockt at a Poets Doors being in his Wits Then are Poets said to express most admirable lines when they are either Mad or Drunk For this cause St. Austin calls Poesie the Wine of Error quaft only by drunken Doctors St. Jerome also calls Poesie the Meat of the Devils An Art of it self thin and naked which is in reality a meer insipid thing unless it be clad and season'd with some other learning An Art always hungry always starving and like Mice feeding on stollen Cates yet I know not with what boldness in the midst of their trifles and fables like Tithonus Grashoppers the Lycian Frogs the Myrmidons Emmets promising to themselves immortal Fame and Glory Live happy then such Charms my numbers boast No day shall see ye in Oblivion lost Which indeed is no Fame or Reward at all or at most very little profitable Neither is it the Office of a Poet but of a Historian to prolong the life of Reputation CHAP. VI. Of History NOw History is a Narration of Actions either with praise or dispraise which declares and sets forth the conduct and event of great things the Actions of Kings and Illustrious Men according to the order of Time and Place Therefore most Men think this to be the Mistress of well-living and most useful for the instruction thereof for that by the examples of great things it both incites the best of Men out of a desire of Immortal Glory to undertake great and noble Actions and also for fear of perpetual Infamy it deters wicked Men from Vice But it often falls out contrary and many as Livie relatâ— of Manlius Capitolinus had rather purchase great than good Fame and when they cannot obtain their desired greatness by vertuous means will endeavour to atchieve it by Acts of Impiety as Justin out of Trogus relates of Pausanias the young Macedonian famous for the Murder of King Philip and is also justifyed of Herostratus who burnt the Temple of Diana the most famous Structure in the World which had been two hundred years in building at the expence of all Asia as Gellius Valerius and Solinus report And although it was enacted under most severe Penalties that no Man should so much as make mention of his name either by Word or Writing yet he attain'd the end which spurr'd him on to commit so great a Villany his name being still remembred and yet living to this our present Age. But let us return to History Which being a thing that above all things promises Order Fidelity Coherence and Truth is yet defective in every one For Historians are at such variance among themselves delivering several Tales of one and the same Story that it is impossible but that most of them must be the greatest Lyers in the World For to omit the beginning of the World the Universal Deluge the Building of Rome or of any other great City from whence they generally commence the first beginnings of all their huge Narratives of which they are all altogether ignorant of the other generally very incredulous and of the third very uncertain what to determine For these things being the most remote in time more easily gain Pardon for vulgar Error But as to what concerns later times and Ages within the memory of our Ancestors there is no excuse that can be admitted for their Lying Now the causes why they so much differ among themselves are many For the most of Historians because they were not living at the same time or were not present at the Actions or conversant with the persons taking their Relations upon trust at the second hand mist the chief scope of Truth and Certainty Of which Vice Eratostâ—enes Metrodorus Speptius Possidonius and Patrocles the Geographer are accused by Strabo Others there are who having seen by halves as in a March or as Mendicant Travellers to perform Vows viewing many Provinces undertake to compile Histories such as formerly Onosicritus and Aristobulus set forth concerning India Some others to please their own Fancies will feign upon true History and sometimes for the Fables sake omit the whole Truth as Diodorus Siculus notes of Herodotus Liberianus and Vopiscus of Trebellius Tertullian and Orosius of Tacitus among which you may likewise reckon Danudes and Philostratus Others convert the whole Story into Fables as Guidius Câ—esias Haecateus and many other of the Ancient Historiographers Others there are who impudently arrogating to themselves the Name and Title of Historians lest they should seem to be ignorant of any thing or to have borrowed from others presume to write strange and wonderful Relations of unknown Places and inaccessible Provinces Of which nature are those Figments of the Arimaspi Gryphons Pigmies Cranes People with Dogs Heads the Astromori People with Horses Feet the Phanissii and the Trogladytes a-kin to which are those Relations that aveâ— the Northern Seas to be frozen all over However they find Fools and Men without Wit or Judgment who believe these things and take 'um for Oracles In the number of these idle Writers is Ephorus to be reckoned who related that there was but one City in Ireland as also Stephen the Graecian who said the Franks were a People of Italy and that Vienna was a City of Galilee together with Arianus that affirm'd the Germans to be Borderers upon Ionia and Dionysius so notorious for his tales of the Pyrenaean Hills For further confirmation we find that what Tacitus Marcellus Orosius and Blondus discourse concerning many places of Germany is for the most part very unagreeable to Truth Falsly doth Strabo affirm that Ister which is the Donaw rises not far from the Adriatick Sea Falsly doth Herodotus affirm the same River to flow from the West that it rises among the Celtae the farthest people of all Europe and disgorges it self among the Scythians Again falsly doth Strabo relate that the Rivers Lapus and Visurgus flow as
makes interpretations of Thunder and Lightning and other Airy Meteors as also of Monsters and Prodigies but no otherwise than by Conjecture and Comparison which how false and erronious it is is notoriously manifest CHAP. XXXIX Of Interpretation of Dreams HEre we may usher in the Interpretation of Dreams call'd Onirocritica whose Interpreters are properly call'd Conjecturers according to that Verse in Euripides He that Conjectures least amiss Of all the best of Prophets is To this Delusion not a few great Philosophers have given not a little credit especially Democritus Aristotle and his follower Themistius Sinesius also the Platonick so far building upon Examples of Dreams which some accident hath made to be true that thence they endeavour to perswade Men that there are no Dreams but what are real For say they as the Celestial Influences produce divers Forms in Corporeal Matter so out of certain Influences predominating over the power of the Fancy the impression of Visions is made being Consentaneous through the disposition of the Heavens to the Effect which is to be produc'd more especially in Dreams because the mind being then at liberty from all corporeal Cares and Exercises more freely receives the Divine Influences therefore it happens that many things are reveal'd in Dreams to them that are asleep which are conceal'd from them that wake With these reasons they pretend to beget a good Opinion of the Truth of Dreams But as to the Causes of Dreams both External and Internal they do not all agree in one judgment For the Platonicks reckon them among the specifick and concrete Notions of the Soul Avicen makes the Cause of Dreams to be an Vltimate Intelligence moving the Moon in the middle of that Light with which the Fancies of men are Illuminate while they sleep Aristotle refers the Cause thereof to Common Sence but plac'd in the Fancy Averroes places the Cause in the Imagination Democritus ascribes it to little Images or Representatives separated from the things themselves Albertus to the Superior Influences which continually flow from the Skie through many Specifick Mediums The Physicians impute the Cause thereof to Vapours and Humours others to the affections and cares predominant in persons when awake Others joyn the powers of the Soul Celestial Influences and Images together all making but one Cause Arthemidorus and Daldianus have written of the Interpretation of Dreams and certain Books go about under Abrahams Name whom Philo in his Book of the Gyants and of Civil Life asserts to have been the first Practiser thereof Other Treatises there are falsified under the Names of David and Solomon wherein are to be read nothing but meer Dreams concerning Dreams But Marcus Cicero in his Book of Divination hath given sufficient Reasons against the vanity and folly of those that give Credit to Dreams which I purposely here omit CHAP. XL. Of Madness BUT though I had almost forgot it let us with these Dreamers number those that give a kind of sacred Credit to the Prophesies of Mad-folks who themselves have lost all knowledge of things present memory of past and indeed all humane sense fondly imagining them to have the gift of Foreknowledg as if what the wise and waking know not Mad-folks and Dreamers should see as if God were nearer at hand to them than to the vigilant watchful intelligible and those that are full of premeditation Unhappy men that believe such Vanity that give obedience to such Impostures that cherish such Deluders submitting their own Faith and Discretion to their Bellies For what can we imagine Madness to be but a departure of Reason persecuted by evil Spirits convey'd through the Stars or through the Inferiour Bodies by the bad Angels which Lucan seems to intimate when he brings in Arvus the Thuscan Prophet In Thunders motion skill'd and Lightnings bright And in the downy Feathers airy flight Then after the City-Procession after the Offering slain after the Entrails inspected he brings in a Potter thus delivering his judgment What rage ye Gods what wâ—es do ye preparâ— If Saturn's baneful Star in topmost Air Should kindle his dull Fires we then should moan To see Aquarius pour whole Rivers down And all the World in total deluge drown If Sol should mount the Nemaean Lions back In Flame would all the Worlds whole Fabrick crack And all the Skie with Sol's burnt Chariot blaze These Aspects cease but thou that burntst the claws And firk'st the Tail of threatning Scorpion What great thing breed'st thou Mars milde Jove goes down Oppressed in his fall and in the Skies The wholsome Star of Venus dulled is Mercury looses his swift motion And fiery Mars rules in the Skie alone Why do the Stars their Course forsaking glide Obscurely through the Air why does the side Of Sword-breaking Orion shine too bright Wars rage is threatned the Swords power all right Confounds by force Impiety shall bear The name of Vertue and for many a year This fury lasts Therefore all these delusions of Divination have their root and foundation from Astrology For whether the Lineaments of the Body Countenance or Hand be inspected whether Dream or Vision be seen whethe marking of Entrails or mad Inspiration be consulted there must be a Celestial Figure first erected by the means of whose indications together with the conjectures of Signes and Similitudes they endeavour to finde out the truth of what is desired So requisite is the use of Astrology to the Arts of Divination as if it were the Key that opens the door of all their Mysteries Therefore how much all these Arts are distant from Truth is evident from this that they make use of principles so absolutely false and feigned which being such as neither are ever were or will be and yet they will have to be the causes of future Events what can appear to be more contrary to all Truth CHAP. XLI Of Magick in general IT is requisite that we should here say something of Magick which is so linkt to Astrology as being her neer Kinswoman that whoever professes Magick without Astrology does nothing but is altogether out of the way Suidas is of opinion that Magick took its Original and Name from the Magusaei The common opinion is that it is a Persian name with whom Porphyrius and Apuleius consent and that Magos signifies in that Language no more than a Wise man or a Philosopher so that Magick containing both Natural Philosophy and the Mathematicks takes into the same Society the forces and bands of all Religions joyning to its self Goetia and Theurgy which is the reason that Magick is generally divided into Natural and Ceremonial CHAP. XLII Of Natural Magick NAtural Magick is taken to be nothing else but the chief power of all the natural Sciences which therefore they call the top and perfection of Natural Philosophy and which is indeed the active part of the same which by the assistance of natural force and faculties through their mutual opportune application performs those things that are
the humility and simplicity of little children who are prepar'd to shed their bloud for the Truth These are they to whom onely the true Deifying wisdom is given that is to bring us to the heavenly Quires and transforms us into Angels As we read in the Sermon of Christ Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be call'd the sons of God Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake It is therefore better and more profitable to be Idiots and without knowledge to believe by faith and charity and to become next to God than being lofty and proud through the subtilties of the Sciences to fall into the possession of the Serpent Thus we finde in the Gospel how Christ was receiv'd of Idiots of the vulgar people and of the simpler sort while he was rejected despised and persecuted even to death by the High-priests by the Lawyers by the Scribes by the Doctors and Rabbies For this cause Christ chose his Apostles not Scribes not Doctors not Priests but unlearned persons of the vulgar people void of knowledge unskilful and Asses CHAP. CII A Digression in praise of the Ass. BUt lest any one should falsly accuse me that I have call'd the Apostles Asses it will not be from the purpose to discourse the Mysteries of the Ass. For this creature the Hebrew Doctors expound to be the Hieroglyphick of Fortitude and Strength Patience and Clemency and that his influence dependeth on Sephiroth that is Hochma which signifies wisdom For his conditions are most necessary for a Scholar of wisdom for he lives by little food and is contented whatsoever it be Patiently he endures Penury Hunger Labour Stripes and all manner of Persecution yet of so low and poor an Understanding that he cannot discern between Lettice and Thistles Of a clean and innocent heart void of Choler being at peace with all living creatures patiently carrying all burthens laid upon his back as a reward whereof he is never troubled with Lice or any diseases and liveth longer than any other Beast An Ass saith Columella performs many and very necessary labours beyond his share for he is many times used in Plowing and drawing heavie Carts He is also used in Mills for the grinding of Corn. There is no Country but wants so necessary a creature as the Ass is How much the Ass is regarded and esteemed in Augury Valerius witnesses of C. Marius who having conquered both North and South being at length declared an enemy of his Country and pursued by Sylla by the advice and guidance of an Ass escaped all his threatnings an Ass being the cause of his flight and safety Also in the Old Law God so far honour'd the Ass that when he commanded every first begotten to be slain for Sacrifice he onely exempted Men and Asses granting that Man should be redeemed for a price and that a Sheep should be exchanged for the Ass. Christ would that this Beast should be a witness of his Nativity as is generally affirm'd And by him he would be saved from the hands of Herod The Ass was consecrated by the touch of the body of Christ for Christ ascending to Jerusalem in triumph for the Redemption of mankinde as it is recorded in the Gospel rode upon an As which was mysteriously foretold by the Oracle of Zachary And we read that Abraham the Father of the Elect rode onely upon Asses So that the Proverb commonly repeated among the Vulgar is not spoken in vain That the Ass carries Mysteries Wherefore I would hereby advertise the famous Professors of Sciences that if the unprofitable burthen of Humane Knowledge be not laid aside and that Lions borrowed skin put off not that of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah but of the Lion that goes about roaring and seeking whom he may devour whereby ye shall be turned into meer and bare Asses that ye will be utterly and altogether unfit to carry the Mysteries of Divine wisdom Neither had Apuleius of Megara's Ass been admitted to the holy Mysteries of Isis if he had not been turn'd out of a Philosopher into an Ass. We read Miraculous actions of divers Beasts as that an Elephant writ the Greek letters and Plutarch relateth a Story of one that being a Rival with Aristophanes the Grammarian lov'd a young Maid named Stephanopolides And in the same Author we read of a Dragon that lov'd a Virgin of Etholis The same also preserv'd his Nourisher running to her assistance as knowing her voice In Pliny we finde that a Serpent call'd Aspis was accustomed to come daily to a certain mans Table who perceiving the son of her Host to be stain by one of her young ones she flew her young one in revenge of the broken law of Hospitality nor would ever after for shame come to that house again The same Gratitude is recorded of a Panther to a man for helping her young ones out of a ditch for which she conducted him out of the desart till she brought him safe into the open Road. Histories also report that Cyrus was suckled by a Bitch and the founder of the Roman Citie by a She-wolf I pass over the Wonders related of Dolphins and the Gratitude of Lions for benefits receiv'd Nor will I speak of the Bear of Daunia nor of the Bull of Tarentum both tam'd by Pythagoras But that which surpasseth all admiration is this That Ammonius of Alexandria Master of Origen and Porphyrie is said to have had an Ass one of the hearers of his Wisdom a Fellow-scholar with the rest We finde also in sacred Story that an Ass was endued with the spirit of Prophecie for when Balaam a wise man and a Prophet went to curse the people of Israel he saw not the Angel of the Lord but the Ass saw him and with the voice of a man spake to Balaam that rode him Thus I say sometimes the simple and rude Idiot sees those things oft-times which a School-Doctor blinded with the Traditions of men cannot perceive Did not Sampson with the jaw-bone of an Ass kill and slay the Philistims and being thirsty when he prayed to the Lord the Lord loosned a tooth in the same jaw-bone and clean water sprang out immediately which when he had drank his spirits were refreshed and his strength recovered Did not Christ by the mouth of his silly Asses and rude Idiots the Apostles vanquish and put to silence all the Learned Philosophers of the Gentiles and great Lawyers among the Jews trampling under-foot all manner of worldly wisdom drinking to us out of the Cheek-bone of his Asses the water of wisdom and everlasting life By what has been already said it is now as clear as the Sun that there is no Beast so fit and proper to retain Divinity as the Ass into which creature if ye be not transform'd ye shall not be able to carry the Divine