That long and lean toes signe rude and unwise short and thick toes rash and heady toes that clinch together signe covetous and luxurious toes that start asunder signe light and loquacious Oh! Is not this a rare and profound art fit for none but Gipsies and Juglers to professe that teaches to judge of men as men judge of horses by their shape and making or as country swayns estimate their cattle by their horn and hide and hoof 4. As Metoposcopie or the inspecting of the front or forehead together with other parts of Physiognomie boasts it self for the Scholler so whether Chiremancy or Palmestry the inspecting of the hand or palme may not be accounted for a mistresse in observating and ominating Magick and Astrologie Why distinguish they betwixt Chiromancy Physical and Astrological As it physical conjectures were not enough there must also be Astrological divination And to this purpose what fictitious appellations of Minuts and Lines to be reckoned according to the number and explained according to the nature of the Planets What a Chyroscopical horoscope or a Planetarian Manual of jugling legerdemain and superstitious imposture From the Magical characters of the heavens in the hand what Astrological prognostications or ominations not of corporal motions and temper and not onely of civil actions and events but even of spiritual affections and manners Is it by the help of art that they here probably conjecture Nay is it not by diabolical instinct that they here peremptorily vaticinate or ominate of long life short life marriage single life fortunity infortunity vertue and vice Yet for all that what 's here that is not as vainly observed and as ridiculously ominated and portended as in any other part of Physiognomie As a great thick hand signes one not onely strong but stout a little slender hand one not onely weak but timerous a long hand and long fingers betoken a man not onely apt for mechanical artifice but liberally ingenious but those short on the contrary note a foole and fit for not hing an hard brawny hand signes dull and rude a soft hand witty but effeminate an hairy hand luxurious long joynts signe generous yet if they be thick withal not so ingenious the often clapping and folding of the hands note covetous and their much moving in speech loquacious an ambidexter is noted for ireful crafty injurious short and fat fingers mark a man out for intemperate and silly but long and leane for witty if his fingers crook upward that shewes him liberal if downward niggardly the lines spreading at the bottom joynt of the thumb signe contentious the line above the middle of the thumbe if it meet round about portends a hanging destiny many lines transverse upon the last joynt of the forefinger note riches by heirdome and right lines there are a note of a jovial nature lines in the points of the middle finger like a gridiron note a melancholly wit and unhappy if the signe on the little finger be conspicuous they note a good wit and eloquent but the contrary if obscure equal lines upon the first joynt of the ring finger are marks of an happy wit long nayles and crooked signe one brutish ravenous unchaste very short nails pale and sharp shew him false subtile beguiling and so round nails libidinous but nails broad plain thin white and reddish are the tokens of a very good wit I say no more but could they respect the heart as well as the hand and not the substance but the qualities of it they might learn to speak the words of truth and sobernesse 5. Which way go the Physiognomists Metoposcopists and Chiromantists to work for all this observation and omination of theirs but either as they pretend from the cause to the effect And how is that but first judging and pronouncing the man or the member to be Saturnine Jovial Martial Solar Venereal Mercurial Lunar Or else from the effect to the cause as they say by collecting their horoscope from the habitude of the body And thus what do they but trifle and delude which way they please by inspections observations ominations predictions of manners and fortunes to the great dishonour of God and reproach of Nature were it not that their art is proved to be an absurd imposture both by reason experience vertue and Grace For what can they say but that passions and affections may break forth and shew themselves in the alterations of some outward parts What then Because they may do so in some parts will they therefore make all to be signifying and signing Nay and even in those parts where those eruptions or significations are it is but upon a present provocation will they then make such collections and presagitions by them as if they were habitually seated there But I am weary of these frivolous Artists I will therefore only turn them over to their own fautors who tell them plainly that it is not necessary nor of any rational consecution that the condition manners and studies and institutes of mans nature together with the propensions and agitations of his minde should be accommodated to external marks neither yet to be measured by any signal lineaments of his body Because a man may conceive and agitate many things inwardly in his minde whereof there is not the least shew or appearance outwardly in his body And because a man may be of an enormous body and distorted members and neverthelesse possesse a minde excellent in all good culture and on the contrary be of a decent and compleat frame or shape and yet of manners ugly and ill-favoured enough And that there is not the least reason nor any rule of truth for these their conjectures observations and ominations neither are they agreed among themselves about their own absurd figments And therefore it is to be suspected that these nugacious kinds of men do onely dote through the instinct of the devil drawing them from errour into superstition and from that into infidelity 6. Whether Augurizing auspicating and aruspicinating and all such heathenish observations and ominations were not founded upon Magick and Astrologie For not onely these descended from the Chaldeans to the Greeks and from them to the Hetrurians and from them to the Latines But there had never been very like neither faith in nor practise of any such had not the Artists taught that there are certain lights of praesagition descending from the coelestial bodies upon all inferiour creatures as certain signes in their motion site gesture flight voice colour meat c. So that omination or divination may well be made from the similitude and convenience betwixt them and the stars For beasts and birds their parts and entrails their flyings and cryings c. How can these considered onely in themselves be causes of future events Yea how can they be so much as signes Unlesse they be taken as effects of some other causes that may cause or signe future things And what can they be but the coelestial motions And
Jupiter Apollo and the rest of the starry Gods complaining of their own fate how they themselves are subject thereunto and that what any one of them doth especially upon poore mortals another of them can neither prevent nor remedy but it must of necessity be So Iupiter wept showers of blood because he could not deliver his sonne Sarpedon from death Contrarily Apollo Pythius contends that the fates may be dissolved by maleficall arts for when one enquired why Apollo had judged him fit for nothing and what was to be done that he might be thought fit for something he answered the force of the Fates did hinder him yet he might avoyd them by magicall arts Almost infinite numbers both of Graecians and Barbarians yea women and tender children have fainelesly and willingly left their bodies and imbraced their deaths now this cannot be applied to the necessity of Fate Oenomaus in his book of maleficall artifices uses these words against Apollo Goe thou to Delphos and thou canst not hold thy peace though thou wouldest for so Apollo the sonne of Jupiter now wils not because he will but because necessity compels him to will Heare a fatidicall Oracle Leaving thy Country goe into Euhoea for there it is fatally destinated for thee to build a City What sayest thou Apollo Is it not in a mans power to leave his own Countrey when he pleases and if it be fated for a man to build a City he must doe it whether thou consellest or no nay whether he himselfe will or no. Heare another fatidicall Oracle Goe tell the Parians O Thesides that they must build for themselves a City in Aeria Why he must needs have told it because it was so fated although thou hadst not commanded it Thou didst answer to Laius it was fated that he should be slain by his owne sonne Wert thou ignorant that his sonne was to be born Lord of his own will Was it not in Laius his own will whether he would doe his endeavour to get children or no and was it not in his sonnes own will whether he would kill his father or no Thou answeredst to Loerus Jupiter hath done and will doe thee much ill it is not right O Apollo for the Gods to handle an innocent man so hardly if he was forced to doe any thing ill why did not Jupiter punish himselfe also as the author of that necessity Why didst thou praise Licurgus O Apollo for if he were good this was not to be attributed to him but to the Fates Chiron the centaure the sonne of Saturne who taught Physick and Astrologie was grievously wounded in his foot by a dart of Hercules dipt in Lernaean poyson that casually fell upon it wherewith being sore vexed he wisht to die that he might fulfill the vaticination which his daughter Ocyrrhoe had predicted but he could not naturally thus yield to Fate being born immortall from his parents at length praying the Gods above that he might be suffered to die they granted his request but withall translated him into Heaven and placed him among the Starres in the Zodiack and there he is called Sagittarius Theophilus Emperour of Greece was advised by the Patriarke Iohn a Magician to breake down the fatall Statue with three heads and so to presage of his successe Likewise Euphrosine wife to Alexius was counselled to cause the snout of the Calydonian bore to be cut off and battered many other fatall statues and fabrications for presagitians sake Among the Elaeans was a brazen Oxe which the Corcyreans had there dedicated a little child playing under it hastily dasht his head against it so hard that it dasht out his braines The Elaeans condemned the Oxe for the murder and being about to draw it away to some execution they were admonished by the Delphick Oracle to expiate the Oxe as they used to doe facts of imprudent homicide because it was done by Fate and by chance and by no ill deceit The fatidicall Image of Apollo Cumanus wept four daies together at the warring against Aristonicus as not being able to prevent or redresse what was fatally destined So Juno Sospita neverthelesse unable to save wept at Lavinium because of a great pestilence that was fatally to follow And so Diana condoled Camilla and Hercules dying Pallas A notable fellow minding to try Apollos Oracle at Delphos askt him what it was he held in his hand holding a Sparrow under his cloake and whether it was alive or dead intending to kill or preserve it contrary to what the Oracle should answer But the answer was that it was in his own choice whether it should live or die The old Fable confesses that there is more in the liberty of a mans wil then in the Fates which they divine either of or by 8. Of the sundry natures customes and manners of men either quite contrary or nothing according to the positions conjunctions dominations and dispositions of the Starres AMong the Seranes there is a law not to kill nor to fornicate not to worship Images whence in that region there 's no temple to be seen no harlot no adultresse none is a thiefe none a man-slayer neither doth the siery starre of Mars constituted in the midst of heaven compell the wil of anyone of them to the murder of men neither doth Venus conjoyned to Mars cause any one of them to solicite another mans wife and yet every day Mars must needs come there into the midst of heaven and that in so great a Region that men are born there every houre is not to be denied Among the Indians and Bactrians there are many thousands of men which they call Brachmans they both by traditions and laws of their Fathers neither worship Images nor eate any thing that is animate they neither drink wine or beere but farre from all malignity are onely attending upon God but yet all the other Indians in the same Region are involved in adulteries murder drunkennesse idolatry yea there are found some of them dwelling in the same climate which hunting men and sacrificing devoure them And yet not any of the Planets which they call good and happy could prohibite these from slaughter and mischiefe neither could the malefick starres impell the Brachmans to malefice or malefacture Among the Persians there was a law of marrying daughters sisters and mothers themselves neither did they celebrate these nefarious marriages in Persia onely but also in all other climates of the world wheresoever they came whose wickednesse other Nations abominating called them Magufiaeans and there are in Aegypt Phrygia and Galatia very many of the Magufiaeans that by succession from their fathers are still polluted with the same wickednesse And yet we cannot say that in the Nativities of them all there was Venus in termes and in the house of Saturne and with Saturne Mars aspecting Among the Getulians this is the law or custom the women till the fields build houses and doe all such like works and moreover they may meet with
pestilent Hereticks and their Magick and Astrologie the greatest causes or confirmations of their blasphemous and nefarious Heresies SImon Magus was the Prince of Hereticks and the father of the first Heresies after Christ who besides those so execrable in doctrine and detestable in manners hatched these so abominable as concerning his own person giving out that himselfe was some great one Acts 8.9 and taught that himselfe was he who should appeare to the Iewes as the Sonne and in Samaria should descend as the Father and to the other Nations should come as the Holy Ghost He set himselfe forth for a God at least for the sonne of a Virgin He bewitched the people with his sorceries or magicke to say This man is the great power of God Acts 8.10 And in admiration of his magicall operations they set up a statue with this Inscription To Simon the holy God His Image was made after the figure of Iupiter and the Image of Salena or Helena his harlot whom he affirmed to be the first conception of his mind the mother of all by whom in the beginning he conceived in his mind to make the Angels and the Archangels was made after the figure of Minerva and these they worshipped with Incense victimes offerings and sacrifices Howbeit this magicall sorcerer simulated the Christian faith and was baptized supposing that the Apostles healed by Magick and not by the power of God and suspecting the Holy Ghost to be given by a greater Magicall science he offered money for the gift which being denied him he studied all manner of Magick so much the more so to make himself seem the more glorious in the emulation and to make himself famous in his contestation against the Apostles vented his heresies and vaunted his sorceries so much the more And in stead of the Holy Ghost he got him a devil for his familiar which he said was the Soul of a slain childe although indeed it was a Devil that he had adjured for his assistance in doing whatsoever he commanded His Priests and proselytes likewise were taught to use exorcisms and incantations and Amatories and allurements and had also their Paredrials and Oniropompists Sc. their familiars and studiously exercised all manner of curious superstitions and unlawful Arts. And all was to this intent that his and their praestigious acts might seem to confirm their blasphemous heresies Elymas the Sorcerer or the Magician sought to turn away the Deputy from the faith and would not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord Act. 13.8 10. And not onely his actions but his appellations also serve to note his Heresie as well as his Sorcery Jannes and Iambres the Magicians that withstood Moses wherefore are those Hereticks men of corrupt minds reprobate or of no judgement concerning the faith that resist the truth compared to them 2 Tim. 3.8 Doubtlesse there was not onely some resemblance or similitude but some identity or reality in their actions Menander the disciple and successour of Simon Magus a Samaritane also and a Magician was possessed with a devil and being instructed with daemoniacal power was not inferiour to the former in diabolical operation And having attained to the height of magical Science which he said he had from his Euvoja and by her taught and gave it unto others so that many were deluded deceived by this his prodigious art To which he added as upon which he founded these his portentous Heresies or opinions viz. Affirming himself to be the Saviour sent from Olympus to Heaven or from the invisible world for the salvation of men Teaching that the Angels the operators of this world cannot be otherwise bound or compelled or conquered by any unlesse it be by learning the deceptive and proving the experience of the Magical art which he taught and by receiving the Baptism which he himself delivered which whosoever had ever been partakers of they should thereby acquire perpetual immortality and die no more but remain everlastingly with themselves or with him and become thenceforth expert of old age and be made immortal Saturninus or Saturnilus and Basilides were notorious impostors in all Magical arts using Images incantations and invocations and all other superfluous curiosities And among their other Heresies this was one inconsistent altogether not onely with nature and Theologie but with Magick also and Astrology viz. In that they invented 365. Heavens making one another by succession and similitude and the lowest of them begetting the creatures here below And the chiefest or highest of them which they call Abrafax or Abraxas they make to have in it self not onely the number of the 365 but the vertue of them all And yet the Mathematicians then agreed with them in the distribution of the 365 local positions of the Heavens though peradventure not in their mutual and so infinite generation Howbeit in this they and the Magicians were wholly agreed in contending their mysteries to be ineffable and ought to be hidden in silence Carpocrates and his ear-mark'd Disciples practised all manner of Magical arts used Incantations Philters Paredrials or Demoniacal assessours oniropompists or Dream-artists and all other machinations malignations inductions illectations c. Yea they set up Schools of Magick and taught praestigious operation in publique saying heretically that by vertue of these they had gotten the Dominion over the Princes and Fabricators of this world and not onely over them but over all that are made therein Teaching yet more heretically that they who will attain to the perfection of their Mystagogie must dare to do any thing yea must do any filthy thing otherwise they cannot escape the Prince of this world unlesse by such secret operation they pay their debt to all And what was this operation of absolving the debt in the body but a nefarious coition of men and of women and therewithal an abhominable operating of incantations venefices and Idolatries upon every member of the body Marcus with his podalitial Marcosites was most skilful expert in almagical impostures by which he seduced many men and not a few women to turn to and attend him as one most sciential and perfect and one that had gotten great vertue from invisible and unnameable powers places Wheras he onely mixed the ludicrous fopperies of Anaxilaus together with the wicked subtilties of Magicians and so deluded into admiration or astonishment such simple and senseless people as could not discern his ludibrious incantations For faigning himself to give thanks over a cup of white wine by his long invocations and incantations he turned it to red or made it so appeare that it might be thought by that grace from them that are above all he distilled his own blood into the cup through the invention thereof and that they which were present might desire to tast of that cup that so there might distil upon them that grace which the Magician invoked or which the Magician called Grace Understand withal that he had a Devil his Paredrial or assessor
one Creseens a dissolute vain-glorious circulatory sophisticall Philosopher because he disputed against and confuted him in that kind of sophistry Picus Mirandula for writing largely soundly and sharply against Astrology was envyously and imprecatingly told by Lucius Bellantius that according to his Astrologicall judgement upon his Nativity he should die in the thirty fourth yeare of his age yet while he formerly disputed for the Mathematicall sciences at large the Astrologers made the Starres to signifie his stupendous living above his yeares It is recorded of Simon Magus that many even of the Heathens observing his praestigiousnesse and branding him for it he soothed them up and pretended a sacrifice and bade all those that had reproached him or his art to a banquet of which they had no sooner eaten but they were all infested and inflicted with divels and diseases A Magician not far from Ihena being upbraided by a neighbour of his a Carpenter with his unlawfull arts and practises pretended to predict some infortunity of his at hand for railing against the profession but wrought it venefically so that the poore man fell suddenly into a strange disease Whereupon begging pardon for offending him or his Art he implored the help of his skill for his release The Magician promised it and to that purpose gave him a certaine root to take in a potion which he had no sooner done but he was taken with most exquisite torments in all parts of which at length he died 13. Of oraculous arts and divinatory artifices silenced and confounded at the presence and by the vertue of wise and holy men and things I Vlian apostatizing from Christianity and being now to be initiated in the Paganish way by the consecration of a praestigious Magician the Divell who was to be present at the solemnity disappeared at the signe of the Crosse which might then be of more vertue because of lesse superstition at which power Iulian was more troubled then he was at the Divels presence But the praestigious pseudomantist excused it and would not have him to think that the divel fled or avoyded the place for feare of it but in hatred to it Iulian again sacrificing to Apollo and no answer being given of any thing whereof he enquired he then demanded of the daemoniacall Priests what might be the cause of such his silence They answered that no answer was given by the Oracle because the Sepulchre of the Martyr Babylas stood so nigh Whereupon he commanded that the Galilaeans for so he called the Christians should come and remove his Sepulchre from thence which they did with great exultation singing even in the eares of the profane Prince Confounded be all they that serve graven Images and that boast themselves of Idols At the incarnation of Ghrist all the divining Oracles of the Panym gods were shut up as the Oracle of Delphos among others was constrained to confesse and so never spake afterwards Wherewith Augustus being afraid caused a great Altar to be erected in the Capitoll signifying that it was the Altar of the Ged the firstborn A jugling impostor carried about a Dragon perswading the people it was Aesculapius saying it would give answers of all that was demanded that whensoever he moved him in any of his circles Oyes was made after the manner of Athens in these termes if any mocker flouter or Christian be here let him goe forth for no prankes could be playd while they were by About the time of Constantine Apollo spake this Oracle not out of the mouth of his Priest as formerly but out of a certaine darke cave or denne viz. that the just which were upon the earth meaning the Christians hindred him from his vaticinating or presaging power Valentinian who was at first somewhat favourable to the Christians was afterwards greatly incensed against them by the Magicians Astrologers and Diviners that urged him to forbid them his house to banish them far away and to put them to the Sword because indeed they were obstacles to their incantations and praestigious practices For there were some of those holy professors that with their very sight and voyce represt all that their diabolicall art and efficacy Thaumaturgus with his companions driven by reason of the night approaching and an hasty shower falling into a Temple where divination was wont to be exercised immediately upon their entrance the Divell gave over his answer and departed the place The next morning after they were gone from thence the Priest of the Temple began his sacrifices to adjure the spirit to his predicting responsals againe who cried out that he could not now have accesse to the place as formerly and all because of his entrance that remained there the last night St. Hierome sayes that upon our Saviours entrance into Aegypt all the Idols there fell down and so their divining arts and offices were undone wherewith they had so long deceived the world And therein he takes the prophecy to be fulfilled Isa 19.1 c. Macarius of Aegypt and Macarius of Alexandria both these holy men were banished into an Isle that had no Christian inhabitant in it They were no sooner entred there but the Devils that had there their Temple or grove and their divining Priest began forthwith to quake for feare Yea the Priests daughter being suddenly obsessed with a fury and crying out why came ye hither to drive ue hence They expelled the Divell out of the Damosell which occasioned the conversion of the Priest and the inhabitants of the whole Isle to the Christian faith The like story is of these two together with Isidorus and the Devils own confession by the tongue of the obstssed Damosell much more large O your power ye servants of Christ every where are we expelled by you out of Cities and Villages Mountaines and Valleys and desart places We had hopes that this strange place of ours might have escaped your presence and power but hither you are driven by your persecutors that you might be a means to drive us hence c. Astyrius by his presence and prayer plainly detected and utterly frustrated the praestigious conveyance of the victimes that in certaine festivals were cast into the enchanted fountaines Apollo himselfe was forced to confesse that the holy men which resided thereabouts were the onely obstacles why he could utter no more his presaging truths and being asked how those kind of men might be discerned he answered by their profession of Iesus Christ 14. Of such as apostated from or were excommunicated out of the Church of Christ because of Magick and Astrologie SImon Magus believed and was baptized and continued with Philip and wondred beholding the miracles and signes which were done Act. 8.13 yet after all this the bond of iniquity the diabolicall compact or magicall covenant had so entangled and insnared him that of sometimes Samaritan sometimes Iewish and for the most part Pagan in his religion he fell utterly away from Christian and had not the least part or lot in that
take the Omen whether she should bring forth a son or a daughter an egge was taken from under a sitting hen and according to the prescripts of divining omination was kept warm in her hands or in the hands of her maids hatching it by turns till at last comes out a Cock gallantly crested or Combed whereupon Seribonius a Mathematician promised famous things of the infant and that he should raign but without any kingly ensign That it should be a male childe he gathered from the Cock chicken but by the same reason why should he be without any kingly ensigne seeing the Cock was so bravely crested or combed Proelus gives an example in a spirit which was wont to appear in the form of a Lyon but by the setting of a Cock before it vanished away because there is a contrariety betwixt a Cock and a Lyon Orus Apollo saith in his hieroglyphicks Dawes that are twins signifie marriage because this animal brings forth two eggs out of which male and female must be brought forth But if which seldom happeneth two males be generated the males wil not couple with any other females nor females with any other males but will alwayes live without a mate and solitary Therefore they that meet a single Daw divine thereby that they shall live a single life The Eagle portends victory but by blood because she drinks no water but blood An Owle because she goes to her young by night unawares as death comes unawares is therefore said to foretel death Yet sometimes because she is not blinde in the dark of the night doth betoken diligence and watch ulnesse which she made good when she sate upon the spear of Hiero. Faustina the wife of Antonius fell in love with a sword-player and fell sick for him her husband how this might be remedyed made his consult with the soothsayers whose advice was to kill the Fencer and let his wife bathe her in his blood and presently accompany with her himself and so the passion would be allayed Melampus the Augur conjectured at the slaughter of the Greeks by the flight of little birds when he saith thou seest that no bird taketh his flight in fair weather Swallowes because when they are dying they provide a place of safety for their young do portend a great patrimony or legacy after the death of friends A Bat meeting any one that is running away signifies an evasion for although she have no wings yet she flies A Sparrow is a bad omen to one that runs away for she flies from the Hawk and makes haste to the Owle where she is in great danger To meet a Lyon seeing she is amongst animals the strongest is good but for a woman to meet a Lyonesse is bad because she hinders conception for a Lyonesse brings forth but once A Dog in a journey is fortunate because Cyrus being cast into the Woods was nourished by a Dog till he came to the Kingdom Mice signifie danger for the same day that they did gnaw gold in the Capitol both the Consuls were intercepted by Hannibal by way of ambush neer Tarentum The Pismires because they know how to provide for themselves and to prepare safe nests for themselves protend security riches and a great Army Hence when the Pismires had devoured a tame Dragon of Tiberius Caesar it was advised that he should take heed of the tumult of a multitude If a Snake meet thee take heed of an ill tongued enemy for this animal hath no power but in his mouth A Snake creeping into Tiberius his palace portended his fall Two Snakes were found in the beed of Sempronius Gracchus wherefore a soothsayer told him if he would let the male go or the female escape he or his wife should shortly dye he preferring the life of his wife killed the male and let the female escape and within a few dayes he dyed But Tully tels the story otherwise and reasons better upon it I marvel saith he if the emission of the female Snake should bring death to Tiberius Gracchus the emission of the male Snake were deadly to Cornelia why he did dismisse either of them For the soothsayers answered nothing of any future accident if neither were dismist And that Gracchus his death followed the cause I believe was some disease and not the Serpents dismission Meeting of Monks is commonly accounted as an ill omen and so much the rather if it be early in the morning because these kind of men live for the most part by the suddain death of men as Vultures do by slauhgters Apollonius and his companions according to his advice caused the phantasm of an Hagge to vanish away by reviling it for he knew that was the best remedy against such invasions For so fearful is this kind of spirits that they once moved tremble and are compelled by feigned terror and false and impossible threats So the Hagge of Menippus Lycius who was the cause of the Pestilence being stoned by his command and the pestilence ceased And was not that because they are afraid of impossible beatings as well as impossible threatnings 21. Of Magicians Astrologers Diviners envying opposing differing contradicting confuting both themselves and one another CAlchas and Mopsus two great Augurs or Astorlogical diviners meeting together at an Oracle of Apollo Clarius fell to contest about their skill in the conjecturing art The question was how many Figs there were upon such a tree or how many Pigs there were in such a sowes belly Which Mopsus guest at and mist not a hair but Calchas because he could not do somuch pining with grief or envy took pet and dyed Eudoxus the chief Astrologer of his time affirmed that the Chaldeans are not to be credited in their natalitial prognostications or predictions Penaetius a Stoical Philosopher and yet rejected the predictions of the Astrologers Anchialus and Cassander excelling in all parts of Astrology yet used it not or rather abused it not to predictions Scylax Halicarnassaeus although eminent in Astrology neverthelesse abandoned the whole Chaldaical way of it Servius Tullius sleeping his head seemed to shine or burn some of the Diviners said that signifyed he should perish by lightning others that it was a token he should obtain Regal dignity Darius dreamed that the Camp of the Macedons was on fire and that he saw Alexander coming to him in clothes of the same fashion as his own were and that he was carryed on horseback through Babylon and so vanisht out of fight At this the dream spellers were divided in their divinations some interpreting it a fortune some an infortune some to the one side some to the other Betwixt the Tyrians and the Macedonians was a semblable prodigle blood on the one part seen in iron and on the other part in bread They of either party interpret it as a token of good successe to themselves But Aristander the most skilful of the Diviners expounded it thus on the Macedonian behalf if the blood had appeared outwardly
Thales their own Country wiseman or Astrologer and he to Bias and he to Pittacus and so one to another till at last it came to Solon he gave it to Apollo himself And thus was it shuffled up betwixt the Astrologers and the Oraculists Strepsiades consulted a Thessalian Veneficke about pulling down the Moon from Heaven by magicall ends For at Athens they were wont to pay use rent taxes c. upon the first appearing of the new Moon Now if there were no Moon at all to appeare he thought this the onely way to prevent and defeat the creditors Macarius the Mitylenian a Priest of Bacchus bearing before him a face of justice and equity one committed to his trust a certain sum of money which in his presence he hid in a more safe and secret place of the Temple Afterwards the man calling upon him to restore what was deposited he called him into the Temple and there cut his throat Belesis a Babylonian Priest skilfull in Astrology and the art of divining had foretold to Arbaces the Mede that he should eject Sardanapalus out of the Assyrian Kingdome Which so falling out Arbaces made Belesis Governour of Babylon Now an Eunuch of Sardanapalus finding great store of treasure in his house brought it to Belesis who under a colour of carrying ashes transported it away it being the Kings due Which fact of his the Judges sentenced for capitall but that it was the Kings pleasure to pardon him The Romanes having spent much treasure in the Macedonian warre and their people greatly exhausted It was thought necessary that so much should be exacted of the pontificall Augures Aruspicks Diviners c. as might help to supply the present necessity for though they had praedicted faire for it yet had they themselves hitherto payd nothing to the warre This taxe made the predicting Priests so murmur and exclaime at the breach of their priviledges for that they could have wisht they had not been so forward in predicting and auspicating as they were 33. Of the infamy danger misery and ruine of such as have affectedly favoured or preferred and superstitiously credited or consulted Magicall and Astrologicall predictors OCtavius perswaded by certaine Chaldaean sacrifices or praedicting Soothsayers who had promised him that all should goe well with him stayd in Rome till he was there slain by Marcus his Souldiers that had entred the City And after he was dead a Chaldean prophesie was found in his bosome This man saith the Historian was as wise and just as any Roman of his time save that he had this great imperfection to frequent Soothsayers wise men and Astronomers more then men skilfull in arms and government Midas was so superstitiously troubled and distracted about his own dreams that he poysoned himselfe by drinking of Buls blood Aristodemus King of the Messenians in his warre against the Lacedaemonians was so disturbed at the dogs barking like wolves and that the grasse grew in his fathers house or about his houshold Gods which the diviners feared for ominous that he desperately made himselfe away Nicias the Athenian Captain was so exceeding fearful of the portent of an ecclipse that he sate still and suffered himselfe to be environed by his enemies and so betrayed both himselfe and 40000. souldiers to destruction Pomeralius by his predictions was the cause of a great slaughter to Constantine the sonne of Irene and of his own death to boot Stethatus accounted the chiefe Astrologer of his time by a foolish vaticination brought destruction both to Alexius and himselfe Emanuel Connuenus the Emperour much addicted to this madnesse timely besides the perpetuall infamy brought himselfe and a great Navy to utter confusion Peter Leonius a Physician by his vaine confidence of the Mathematicks gave occasion to the death of Laurence de Medices and his own after that Andronicus having made somewhat too severe an edict not onely against Conjurers and Necromancers but against all their relations to redeem the hatred of such severity he began to encourage and consult them himselfe And enquiring about his Successor the magicall diviner used his feats in water and there was seen written backward Si for Is the two first letters of his successors name Noting Isacius that slew him and raigned in his stead Didius Iulianus making the like inquisition by a glasse a child looking in it observed Iulians slaughter and the succession of Severus So was Iulian the Apostate deluded by his diviners to his utter destruction Otho Sylvius was led on by his predicting Astrologers to usurpation and riot and to kill himselfe desperately at last Maxentius was so deluded by his prognosticators with assurance of victory that he went on confidently but was vanquisht and perished Licinius called together his Augurs Aegyptian diviners Necromancers Veneficks praestigious sacrificers and pseudopresagers to enquire what should be the successe of the warre against Constantine They all at once predicted victory without doubt The inchanters made odes and rimes the Augures presignified happy successe by the flight of birds so did the Aruspicall sacrificulists from the intrayles and thus they made him confident to his vanquishment flight and extream confusion Italicus a Christian Governour having an accustomed hors-race with an aemulating neighbour a Pagan comes to Hilarion entreating his prayers because his Aemulator had used sorcerous imprecations whereby to disable his horses and stir up his own Hilarion judging such an occasion not worthy of his prayers counselled him to sell his horses which he kept for that purpose and to distribute the money to the poore He answered it was a publique custome and the other would not suffer it to be laid down and that in such their masteries they used insolently to domineere over the Christians He therefore being much importuned both by him and others condescended whether in merriment or to be rid of the importunity to give him a cup in which he used to drink in and bad him fill it with water and sprinkle his horses therewith and so dismist him This he did accordingly and wanne the goale against all expectation Whereupon Hilarion who thus intended to deride rather then to imitate any Magicall artifice was simulated for a Witch or Wizard by the Paganish party and required to penalty Elianor Dutchesse of Glocester consulted so long with Astrologers Wizzards and Witches till she came to be convented for one her selfe at last and after that lived and died miserably In a town within the territories of Brunswick they had hired a pyed Piper to conjure away all the Rats and Mice that much infested him This he did by his piping and charming but not being satisfied according to his expectation he piped or charmed again and there followed him an 130 children of that place all whom he led unto the side of an hill and conjured them every one into a gaping cleft thereof so that he and they were swallowed up and never seen after A Captaine consulting with a Wizard about the next daies battle he
is is a fatality Why then should we be bound to believe the prognosticated things of Fate or Fortune before hand yea though they may have some naturall cause remotely necessary or of some indefinite probability yet is not all this sufficient for our faith in particular because as concerning many such naturall causes there is in us nevertheless besides the supreme a liberty and power to prevent 35. Suppose the Fates have destinated one man to be hangd or kill'd by another why should not that be prognosticated from another mans nativity as well as his own seeing he also comes necessarily into the series of second causes Indeed some of the old genethliacks have boasted to foresee or foretell a mans fate or fortune from the nativity of his parents Brethren children c. But have not others of them held it for a foolish fancy that the fate or fortune of one man should lye involved not only in his own but in the constellations of so many mens nativities 36. Whether they that suffer the same fate have the same starres coupling or compacting thereunto Et è contra Suppose them suffring and suffring to death the last line of Fate for Christ the Gospell religion and conscience Is this fatall destiny also from the starry order and connexion who ever heard that the starres made Martyrs or necessitated unto martyrdome How then hath it come to passe that young old men women of severall ages sexes nations and therefore not of the same constellations have all agreed to undergoe the same event 37. Whether that be true Fate which they would mingle together with providence and how can divine providence and Pagan Fate agree For Providence is the beginning and continuation of all things Fate is the end or utter confusion of them Providence is in the ordering of casuals as well as fatals Fate is opposing all things fortuitous and therefore not disposing them Providence is an act in God their Fate is no more but an event upon the creature Providence is a disposition impendent or out of the thing Fate is a disposition inherent or in the thing Providence comprehends all things past present and to come so does not Fate in her connexion of Causes Providence is in and over all things from the greatest to the least good evill celestialls terrestrialls spiritualls corporealls universalls singulars naturalls rationalls voluntaries necessaries contingents so is not Fate Providence is more speciall to one than to another but Fate is a necessity to all alike Providence can work immediately without and against means Fate can operate nothing but according to her series or connexion Providence can act with every creature reserving to it its own motion as with free agents freely with contingents contingently c. whereas Fate hath no way to work but fatally that is necessarily forcibly inexorably immutably inevitably The rules order successe of divine providence are either written in his own book or in his own breast and not in the Starres and Planets as Fate is The wisedome justice power goodnesse of his providence all this is written in his own book the particular successes issues events thereof all these are written in his own breast Even wise Providence it self is not herein to be discerned or determined before-hand what satuous thing is Fate then that is so obvious and triviall as for the Faticanes to foretell Is not this difference enough between them and never to be reconciled Providence is a prudent counsellor and will have the particular issues kept secret Fate is a silly babbler and will have them commonly foretold 38. Whether had it not been for the fictions of Fate and Fortune there had ever been hatcht opinions and heresies so projudiciall to divine providence and that even amongst Pagans themselves that had experience sufficient to convince them of the truth and power of it and of the justice yea and goodnesse of it in great part Had the divine providence ever been denyed if Fate and fortune had not been held for Gods Had God himself been implanted under Fate or made subject to the decrees of it or slandered for a sloathfull careless spectator of humane things and terrene if they had not confined and limited God to content himself with the reiglement of the heavens as if it had veen beneath his dignitie and majestie to vouchsafe to look down to sinall things or once to take notice of of what was done here below but to commit the care and rule of all sublunary and inferiour things to the starres and celestiall bodyes as his substitutes and their superiours Had prophane and wicked men ever accused providence and excused their impieties had they not heard of fatall starres necessitating and inforcing both their wills and actions 39. Was not the constitution of Fate and Fortune first invented in a derogation to God and his divine providence and that through a paganish and infidelious scandall at good things happening to bad men here and evill things to good men which had never been excogitated or had soon vanished had they been thus Christianly instructed viz. That the all provident Creator dispenses these middle things with an indifferent hand as unto creatures That the best men upon earth are not worthy of the least of goods things may deserve to be involved in the utmost of evill things that can here befall them That the wise Disposer knows how to turn these outward good things to the evill of evill men and these outward evill things to the good of good men That this present world is no time of full punishing or rewarding but these two precisely pertain to the world that is to come 40. Admit that either Fate or fortune was so indeed as they presage or much more than they can imagine yet how is the best of them both sufficient to moderate all fond hopes and fears Or what is able to doe that but a lively faith voyd of these heathenish superstitions and assuredly believing That there is an all-provident God that only foresees all things necessarie and to whom nothing is contingent or casuall That can will and doth work for the best of his both with second causes and exteriour means as also without them yea and against them That binds not the world much lesse tyes his Church unto them That hath written his childrens names in the book of life and much more then they may be assured hath numbred the hairs of their heads as concerning all earthly accidents That shines and moves in the Sun and Moon and starres and makes their generall influxes more or lesse effectuall as he is pleased to adde or abstract his speciall motion or oppose his immediate administration or interpose the office of his more excellent Ministers Angells and reasonable Souls CHAP. XIX 19. From the affinity to Witch-craft 1. WHat difference betwixt Astromancy Magomancy or Magastromancy as touching a sorcerous both superstition and operation and all these after-named viz. Stareomancy or divining
for it self as also more efficacious to that which it desires Every one therefore that is willing to work in Magick must know the vertue measure order and degree of his own soul in the power of the universe 14. Those words are of greater efficacy then other which represent greater things as intellectual coelestial supernatural as more expresly so more mysteriously Also those that come from a more worthy tongue or from any of a more holy order for these as it were certain signes and representations receive a power of coelestial and supercoelestial things as from the vertue of things explained of which they are the vebieula so from a power put into them by the vertue of the speaker 15. Proper Names of things are very necessary in magical operations Hence Magicians say that proper Names of things are certain rayes of things every where present at all times keeping the power of things as the essence of the thing signified rules and is discerned in them and know the things by them as by proper and living images According to the properties of the influences proper Names result to things Every voyce therefore that is significative first of all signifies by the influence of the coelestial harmony Secondly by the imposition of man although oftentimes otherwise by this then by that But when both significations meet in any voice or name which are put upon them by the said harmony or men then that name is with a double vertue viz. Natural and arbitrary made most efficacious to act as oft as it shall be uttered in due place and time and seriously with an intention exercised upon the matter rightly dispofed and that can naturally be acted upon by it 16. In composing of verses and orations for the attracting the vertue of any star or Deity you must diligently consider what vertues any star containes as also what effects and operations and to infer them in verses by praysing extolling amplifying and setting forth those things which such a kind of star is wont to cause by way of its influence and by vilifying and dispraising those things which it is wont to destroy and hinder And by supplicating and begging for that which we desire to get and by condemning and detesting that which we would have destroyed and hindred And after the same manner he make an elegant oration and duely distinct by Articles with competent numbers and proportions 17. Moreover Magicians command that we call upon and pray by the names of the same star or name to them to whom such a verse belongs by their wonderfull things or miracles by their courses and waies in their sphere by their light by the dignity of their kingdome by the beauty and brightness that is in it by their strong and powerfull vertues and by such like as these Besides with the divers sorts of the names of the stars they command us to call upon them by the names of the Intelligences ruling over the starres themselves 18. Magicians command that in every worke there be imprecations and inscriptions made by which the Operator may expresse his affection That if hee gather an herbe or a stone he declare for what use he doth it if he make a picture he say and write to what end he maketh it 19. When thou art working any thing which belongs to any planet thou must place it in its Dignities fortunate and powerfull and ruling in the day houre and in the figure of the Heaven Neither shalt thou expect the signification of the worke to be powerfull but also thou must observe the Moon opportunely directed to this for thou shalt doe nothing without the assistance of the Moon And if thou hast more patternes of thy work observe them all c. 20. Thou shalt observe that the Angles of the Ascendant and a tenth and Seventh be fortunate as also the Lord of the Ascendent and place of the Sunne and Moon and the place of part of the Fortune and the Lord thereof and the Lord of the foregoing conjunction and prevention c. 21. Magicians advise us that in casting or in graving Images we would write upon it the name of the effect and this upon the back when evill as destruction on the belly when good as love Moreover in the forehead of the Image let be written the name of the species or individuum which the Image represents or for whom or against whom it is made Also on the breast let the name of the signe or face ascending and the Lord thereof be written also the names and characters of its Angles Moreover in making the Image they advise that prayer for the effect for which it is made bee used Now they use the Images being made diversly according to the vertues thereof Sometimes they hang them or bind them to the body sometimes they bury them under the earth or a River sometimes they hang them in a chimney over the smoak or upon a tree that they may be moved by the wind sometimes with the head upward and sometimes downward sometimes they put them into hot water or into the sire For they say as the workers of the Images do affect the Image it selfe so doth it bring the like passions upon those to whom it was ascribed as the mind of the Operator hath dictated it 22. To make one fortunate we make an image in which these are fortunate viz. the significator of the life thereof the givers of the life the signes and planets Moreover to the Ascendant the middle of the heaven and the Lords thereof be fortunate also the place of the Sunne and place of the Moon part of Fortune and Lord of conjunction or prevention made before their nativity by depressing the malignant planets But if we will make an Image to procure misery we must doe contrarywise and those which wee place here fortunate must there be infortunate by raising malignant stars Also for the destroying or prejudicing any let there be made an Image under the ascension of that man whom thou wouldst destroy and prejudice and thou shalt make unfortunate the Lord of the House of his life the Lord of the ascending and the Moon and the Lord of the house of the Moon and the Lord of the house of the Lord ascending and the tenth house and the Lord thereof c. 23 The youth to be initiated to Diaination by magick spells ought to be chosen sound without sicknesse ingenious comely perfect in his members of a quick spirit eloquent in speech that in him the divine power might be conversant as in the good houses that the minde of the youth having quickly attained experience may be restored to its divinity If therefore thou shalt be a man perfect in the sound understanding of Religion and piously and most constantly meditatest on it and without doubting believest and art such an one on whom the authority of holy Rites and Nature hath conferred dignity above others and one whom the divine powers contemn not thou
thus to do 35. Moreover the Magicians when they made any confection either natural or artificial belonging to any star this did they afterward religiously offer and sacrifice to the same star receiving not so much a natural vertue from the influence thereof being opportunely received as by that religious oblation receiving it divinely confirmed and stronger c. Moreover to the coelestial and aetherical Gods white sacrifices were offered but to the terrestrial or infernal black c. 36. Moreover we must petition for and to the effectors of the thing desired viz. Such an Angel Star or Heror on whom the office lies but observing that our invocation on them must be made with due number weight and measure and according to the rules delivered concerning inchantments 37. Consecration is a lifting up of experiments by which a spiritual soul being drawn by proportion and conformity is infused into the matter of our works according to the tradition of Magical Art rightly and lawfully prepared and our work is vivified by the spirit of understanding So in the consecration of water fire oyle places paper swords c. Let there be commemoration made c. 38. Whosoever therefore thou art who desirest to operate in this faculty in the first place implore God the Father being one that thou also maiest be one worthy of his favour bee cleane within and without in a cleane place Wash your selves oft and at the daies appointed according to the mysteries of number put on cleane cloaths and abstaine from all uncleannesse pollution and lust Be not thou coupled to a polluted or menstruous woman neither to her who hath the Hemachoides touch not an uncleane thing nor a carkase Thou shalt wash and annoint and perfume thy selfe and shalt offer sacrifices Further perfumes sacrifice and unction penetrate all things and open the gates of the elements and of the heavens that through them a man may see the secrets of God heavenly things and those things which are above the heavens and also those which descend from the heavens as Angels and Spirits of deep pits and profound places apparitions of desert places and doth make them to come to you to appeare visibly and obey you 39. Moreover whatsoever thou operatest do it with an earnest affection and hearty desire that the goodnesse of the heavens and heavenly bodies may favour thee whose favour that thou mayest the more easily obtaine the fitnesse of the place time profession or custome diet habit exercise and name also do wonderfully conduce for by these the power of nature is not onely changed but also overcome For a fortunate place conduceth much to favour What place is congruous to each one must be found out by his nativity c. 40. Make election also of houres daies for thy operations For not without cause our Saviour spake Are there not twelve houres in the day and so forth For the Astrologers teach that times can give a certaine fortune to our businesses The Magicians likewise have observed and to conclude all the antient verse men consent in this that it is of very great concernment that in what moment of time and disposition of the heavens every thing whether naturall or artificiall hath received its being in this world for they have delivered that the first moment hath so great power that all the course of fortune dependeth thereon and may be foretold thereby All these are not ashamed to shew themselves in English ere this I have onely now collected them here and there with a running hand to the intent that at one view it might be discerned at least by comparison examined whether these dignifications qualifications dispositions preparations of Magick and Astrologie be not onely so superstitious as of Magick and Astrologie be not onely so superstitious as for conscience and religion to abhor them but so ridiculous as for reason and sense to deride them And whether these their preparations be not meer pollutions in themselves and these their dignifications very vilisications to natural and moral men and these their consecrations be not utter abominations to God and all good men Nay and whether the most damnable witches have not been initiated by such kind of preparative solemnities and their most execrable witchcrafts operated by such effectual ceremonies as these yea and they more fair seeming then the fairest of them CHAP. XXV From the folly of Interrogations and Elections WHether besides the superstition and vain curiosity it be not extreme folly and madnesse to make observation inquisition election of dayes and hours from a mans geniture and the disposition of the stars wherein to auspicate a businesse be it greater or lesse Especially seeing the directing Art it self is not onely depraved commentitiously as themselves confesse by the arrogance ambition vainglory covetousnesse and deceitfulnesse of the Artists but how are they able to vindicate it from a more commentitious invention and idle speculation or inspection according to such numbers additions substractions such days hours minutes scruples c. of such a star or planet in such a positure or aspect such a conjunction constellation configuration such a house such a Lord of the Ascendant such a Lord of the Horoscope such a significator such a Promissor such a Peregrinator such an ambulator such a prerogator such a dispositor such an Emissary c. with such motions congressions profections fortifications oppositions corrections rectifications directions elections c. And how do they prove that such fictions not onely of things but of names at least such disorderly confusions of both should not onely be the Rulers ordaining and ordering but the rules of foreknowing and foretelling mens fates and fortunes manners actions businesses successes fortunate or unfortunate c. Is it not great imprudence then for any to be here onquiring And as great impudence for them to undertake to be here resolving 1. As concerning Fortune in general If you would know whether your fortunatenesse or infortunity prosperity or adversity shall be more or lesse in the beginning middle or end of your life in body minde name goods relations c. 2. As concerning Religion If you would know whether you shall be of any Religion or none whether of a true or of a false Religion whether heretical schismatical hypocritical whether constant or wavering in Religion c. 3. As concerning marriage If you would know whether you shall ever marry or not when or about what age you shal marry how many wives or husbands you shall have whether you shall get a wise easily or after long and hard suit which shall love first or most sc the husband the wife or the wife the husband whether you two shall live long together and love mutually equally and constantly whether your wife shall be a virgin a widdow or an harlot be noble or base beautiful or deformed rich or poor faithful or disloyal vertuous or vitious wise or foolish sullen or cheerful frugal or lavish subject or imperious modest and