false calumny and barbarous cruelty raised and maintained thirty yeeres persecution against the Christians devising and inflicting horried tortures upon Abdas or Audas a Bishop upon Benjamin a Deacon and also upon Hormisda a Nobleman Theoteclinus a Magician of Antioch under Maximinus by magicall force caused an Image of Iupiter to poure forth Oracles and such they were as served to whet on the Emperours persecution and to exasperate the hatred of the Citizens against the Christians 11. Of the divining envy dissimulation calumny blasphemy and enmity not onely against Christian Religion but even against Christ himselfe MIlesian Apollo being consulted about Christ whether he was God or man gave this answer That he was mortall according to flesh or body wise in portentous or monstrous workes but being apprehended by armes under Chaldean Judges with nailes and clubs he made a bitter end Upon which Lactantius his comment is That although the Oracle as it was forced began to speak truth yet it did it so subtilly and perversely as with intent to deceive the consulter being altogether ignorant of the mystery of God and man and so seems to deny him to be God by confessing him to be man But in that it acknowledgeth him to be mortall according to the flesh it is not inconsequent although against the mind of the Oracle but that he was immortall and God neverthelesse according to the Spirit And why must he needs make mention of the flesh when as it was enough to say him mortall but being pressed with truth he could not deny the thing to be as it was as he also was forced to confesse him to be wise And what saies Apollo to himselfe If he be wise then is his doctrine wisdome and no other and they are therefore wise that follow it and no other Why then doe their vulgar account us vain and foolish since we follow a master and Teacher wise by their Oraculous gods own confession In that he saith that he did portentous works by which he merited the faith of a Godhead he seems to assent unto us because he saith him to doe those very things which rightly understood and believed we glory in Neverthelesse he recollects himselfe and returnes to his daemonicall frauds of calumny and blasphemy For albeit he spake some truth as necessitated yet he seems to be a betrayer of himselfe and the gods in as much as he would have enviously concealed through an inimicall and deceiving lie that which the truth partly wrung from him And therefore he saith him to have done wonderfull workes but he meant it should be understood not by a divine but by a magicall or divining power But whereas he saith further that he was apprehended under Chaldaean Judges c. I demand hereupon whether they were Chaldeans by nature or by profession The first is not to be conceded as concerning Herod and Pilat nor yet properly as touching Annas and Caiaphas and therefore since he will needs call them Chaldeans the latter is rather to be supposed it is not strange to be believed that any one of them might be of the Chaldean profession or addicted to it And why might not the Chaldaeanizing Oracle be drawn to confesse so much against it selfe And might it not be one end of the Ecclipse at his passion to make even all the Chaldaeanizing Astrologers to confesse with some of their fellows that it was no other but the God of nature that now suffered One asking Apollo what God he might appease whereby to recall his wife from Christianity The Oracle gave this answer as St. Augustine cites it from Porphyrius a great enemy of Christ and Christians Sooner mayst thou write in water or fly in the ayre like a bird then remove the opinion of thy impious wife let her goe on as she will and sing a dead God in vaine fallacies and false lamentations whom the Judge rightly determining an ill death hath ended This Porphyrius cites and expounds blasphemously as if Christ died deservedly from the just sentence of his Judges But St. Augustine conceives Apollo spake not thus but his vaticinating Diviner and yet not he but this magicall calumniator that durst blaspheme above the devill himselfe For Apollo himselfe durst not but speak well of him saying he was such a God and King as made the heavens the earth and Sea and the deep things of Hell to tremble of whom both he and his fellow Daemons were afraid Such also was the answer of Hecate concerning Christ and so were all the rest of them Among some forced and dissembled truths abundance of blasphemy and calumny against Christ and Christian religion The Pythian Oracle being consulted again and again by the Athenians what religion was best to be set up would stil answer their Fathers or Countries customes rites or ceremonies Not but that he would false religion in all variety but that he feared a change of religion might make way to reformation of Christianity 12. Magicians Astrologers Diviners Diabolically praedicting maliciously envying malefically imprecating and venefically murdering such as inhibited opposed confuted contradicted them or their arts That is either by violence treachery or sorcery seeking and venturing their adversaries destruction whether they were Kings or Priests Christians or Persians VItellius having commanded by his Edicts that the Chaldeans Mathematicians Magicians judiciall Astrologers and Diviners should depart the City of Rome and be banished all Italy within the Kalends of October Thereupon the Chaldaeans set up an imprecatory and devotory libell threatning that Vitellius Germanicus by the day of the same Kalends should be no where or not in being And yet not that by Fate so much as vaticinall malesice Domitian having decreed the banishment of the Astologers although he much presumed to be an Astrologer or Diviner himselfe they likewise casting his constellation told him what time he should die Ascletarion the Mathematician especially threatned his death to his own face At which Domitian angerly demanded what death found he by his art that he should die himselfe He answered that he himselfe should be eaten up of dogs which saith the story fell out as prodigiously as inevitably Now those dogs being divels without doubt it was easie for the Divell to suggest unto the Astrologer what he meant to effect himselfe so easie is it for Astrologers to predict those things whereof they intend to be the instruments or by their effascinating predictions to instigate others to commit And if they understood not these very things by diabolicall instinct to satisfie their tempting invocations how should Apellonius Tyanaeus disputing in the Schooles at Ephesus stop on a sudden with defixed eyes and distracted conntenance cry out at the very instant that Domitian was slaine at Rome well done Stephanus kill the Tyrant that Tyrant Domitian is even now wounded slayne dead Well might a Magician be advised of the act when it was a soothsaying divination that provoked to doe the deed Iustine Martyr was slain by the treachery of
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
answered the day should be his upon condition he would not spare to kill the first man he met in the morning Which he performed accordingly and got the victory Then returning home joyfully found to his griefe that he had killed his own wife who out of her great love had come to him disguised in mans apparell thereby to take part with him in that daies adventure Valerian addicted to anthropomancy or predicting by intrailes of men women children was unfortunate in his government taken prisoner by Sapor King of Persia who used him for a stirrop to get on horseback on and afterwards caused him to be flayed alive Another that had lost a silver spoon would needs goe to a magicall wiseman to finde out the thiefe and it was agreed betwixt them that for better discovery he who had conveyed it away should lose one of his eyes and when he came home he found that sad marke inflicted on a little child of his own that had carelesly cast the spoon aside Cecrops having newly builded Athens two prodigies presently appeared in the place an Olive tree sprung up suddenly water strangely gushed forth Upon these Delphick Apollo is consulted who answered that the Olive signified Minerva and the water Neptune and that it was in the choyce of the Citizens to give the name of their City to whether of these they would The Citizens of both sexes are convented the men are for Neptune and the women for Minerva and the female sex being more numerous by one prevailed in the suffrage But Neptune indigning the rejection did so depopulate them with waves and flouds that they were fain to punish their women for their suffrage against him Alcamenes and Theopompus being Kings of the Lacedaemonians there was an Oraculous prophecy that Sparta should be lost through lucre Lycurgus calling this to mind rejected all riches and the people were brought truly into such a superstitious feare that whereas before they thought them the onely benefactors they now condemned them to death that first brought money in amongst them In the City of Come in Italy the Officiall and Inquistor having a great number of Witches and Wizzards in prison taking others with them would needs urge them to shew them their homages to the divell but were so beaten by them that some of them died within fifteen daies others renounced God hereupon and vowed themselves to the divels service Eucrates beholding Pancrates an Aegyptian magician doe many wonderfull feats insinuated himselfe into his friendship and communicated all his secrets to him The Magician at length perswaded him to leave all his family at Memphis and to follow him alone and after they came into their Inne he took a bat a bar or a broom and wrapt it with clouts and by his charms made it walke and appeare like a man and made it minister unto them in sundry services as drawing water c. then with another charm would be turn it into a pestel bolt bar or besome again Now one day when Pancrates was gone abroad into the market Eucrates would needs imitate his familiar and drest the bar or pestel muttered the syllables and commanded it to draw water and after it had done sufficiently commanded it to turn into a pestell or bar again But it would not obey but still drew water till he was afraid of drowning then he took a saw and sawed the bar in two and then both parts began to fetch and poure water in abundance till in comes Pancrates and turned it into what it was at first and so left his fellow and was never seen after of him Iohn Faustus light among a sort of his companions who when they were halfe drunk importuned him to play some of his pranks and the feat must be a Vine full of Grapes as the greater novelty now in the Winter season Faustus consented to satisfie their curiosity upon this condition that they should keep silence and not stirre out of their places nor offer to pluck a Grape till he bad otherwise they might pluck their own perill The praestigious sight is presented and every one had his knife drawn and hold of a branch but not to cut till he spake the word But having held them a while in suspence all suddenly vanished and every man appeared to have hold onely of his own nose and ready to have cut it off if the word had been once given 34. Of an evill Art worst to the Artists or the just punishment and dreadfull judgements befalling praestigious Magicians and fatidicall Astrologers THraseas the Augur telling Busyris the Aegyptian Tyrant that in a time of excessive drought there was no other way to procure raine but by sacrificing some stranger to Iupiter the King thereupon enquiring what countreyman he was and finding him to be a stranger sacrificed him the first And persisting in this inhumane way Hercules comming into Aegypt slew both the tyrant his sonne and all the Ariolists at their owne Altars Certaine Hetrurian Soothsayers gave envious perfidious and unprosperous divinations and directions to the Romans about a statue that was stricken with thunder and lightning for which they were slain by the people and that gave occasion to the boys to sing this proverbe in the streets Ill counsell is alwaies worst to the Counsellor A certaine Germane warfaring in Italy chose to him a souldier that was a Conjurer to be his mate to shew him his skill the circle is made the imprecation uttered the spirit hideously appears is asked about the successe at Gouletta confesses his ignorance and takes time to resolve disappeares and leaves such a terrour and stink behind that they had like to have been poysoned with the noysomenesse and died for feare Examples of the Magastromancers fatall miseries and unfortunate ends are too many to be instanc't in at large Zoroaster the first father of them was vanquisht by Ninus who burnt his books some say that he himselfe was burnt by the divell as he was provoking him by his magicall experiments Simon Magus as he would needs goe fly in the ayre had his magicall wings so clipt that he fell down and broke his neck Cynops as he went about to raise the dead out of the sea was himselfe swallowed up of the waves and died Zarces and Arphaxat both burnt by lightning Chalchas died for envy Tullus Hostilius provoking to thunder was himselfe stricken to death therewith Nectanebus killed by his own sonne Ascletarion eaten up of dogs as he went to execution Onomacritus expelled Athens by Hipparchus Messinius put to the sword by Valentinian Sempronius Rufus banished by Severus Heliogabalus an thropomantist slain and cast into a Jakes Nigidius Figulus died in exile Apoleius accused and condemned before Claudius Maximus proconful of Africa Amphiaraus swallowed up of the earth Romulus rapt up in a black stormy thundring cloud Aristaeus snatcht away by an evill spirit Zito fetcht away quick by the divel A Count of Matscon as he was making merry with his
sickning alike and recovering alike supposed them therefore to be twins and so fetcht the cause from their like temper and constitution in their generation and conception but Possidonius a stoicke and much addicted to Astrology would needs have it to be from the constitution of the Stars at their conception and birth St. Augustine gives judgement forthe physitian against the Mathematitian grounded upon the disposition of the parents the soyle the nutrition c. and not upon the influence of the Stars Three brothers sonnes to the Cimmerian King contending about their fathers kingdome were content to referre themselves to Ariopharnes King of Thrace whom he judged worthiest of it Who gave judgement after this manner better then all the Ariolaters He caused their fathers body to be taken out of the Sepulchre and to be tied to a tree to see which of them could shoot neerest their fathers heart The eldest shot his father in the throat the second hit him in the brest the youngest would rather lose his hopes then shoot at all And to him for his pieties sake he designed the Kingdom Charles the great or as some say his sonne beholding a stupendous Comet one Egmund alias Egmard an Astrologer willing to have him thereby apprehend some fearfull mutations either to his person or to his dominions yet because he would seem not to terrifie him too much made use of those words of Scripture both against his own art and mind Be not dismayed at the signes of Heaven To whom the Emperour answered very devoutly We feare not Comets or prodigious signes but the maker of them and us and magnifie his mercy that would thus admonish us provoking and slothfull sinners by these or any other his tokens Frederick the third when a Countreyman came before him complaining that one of his horses was stoln out of his Inne askt where the thiefe was that said the Countreyman he could not tell How chance said the Emperor he stole not both thy horses as well as one The man answered the other was a Mare and not fit for a souldiers use whereupon instead of going to a wise man to finde out stolne goods the Emperour advised him to lead his mare up and down the severall streets and lanes and so by their mutuall neighing the thiefe came to be discovered In the time of Edward sirnamed the Martyr there appeared a terrible blazing Starre which the Wizzards and the vulgar would have to portend this and that but the more wise and religious said it was a signe of Gods anger for their wickednesse against the married Clergy The mother of George Castriot called Scanderbeg dreamed she was brought to bed of a Serpent which covered all Albania and devoured many Turks His father Iohn Prince of Albania hearing of this dream would seek for no exposition either of Oracles or Soothsayers but cheared his wife telling her he foresaw she should be delivered of a sonne an excellent warrior a great scourge of the Turks and a defender of the Christian faith Luctatius Catulus a notable Romane in the first Punick war was advised by the Senate not to consult the fortune of the praenestine lots Because the Commonwealth ought to be administred by patriall auspications that is by prudent counsels and not by forraine divinations And by this means he prospered and put an end to that war Apollo foreseeing the ruine of the Athenians counselled them for their safety to betake themselves to wooden walls sc their ships which very thing Themistocles out of his prudent observation had advised before Solon gave warning of the tyranny that should infest the state of Athens For which saith Cicero I may call him a prudent man but not a Diviner Because prudence was able to forespeak such a thing without Divination Divitiacus Heduus led more by Physiology then Astrology and by reason more then both as concerning the events of things future would never be drawn on alone by the augury of a divining Priest but would still adde thereunto his own prudent and rationall conjecture And by that alwaies ruled his affaires rather then by the other Otanes a noble Persian and most sagacious in conjecture suspecting the Magicians usurpation in suborning a false King a Pseudo Smerdis for the true Smerdis being slain by Prazaspes a Magician and Patizites a Magician setting up his brother Smerdis a Magician who was in all parts very like the other Otanes advised his daughter a concubine to feele about the Pseudo Smerdis his head for Cambyses had cut off both the Magicians eares for distinction sake and thus cunningly finding out the truth they conspired against the usurping Magicians and slew them Agathocles made an oration to his souldiers whereby they were much encouraged But an ecclipse of the Sunne hapned at which thâ—y were not a little terrified Wherefore the King as carefull to give a reason of that as of the warre told them that if it had hapned before they set forth the prodigie might have portended something against them that made the expedition but seeing it fell out after their setting forth all the portent must needs be against them against whom the expedition was made And thus he encouraged them again and proo ved victorious William the Conquerour comming out of his ship to enter upon the English shore his foot chanced to slip so that he fell to the ground some doubted of the omen but one of the souldiers said wisely this did but signifie his taking possession of England Christophorus Golumbus after that he saw the Indians turne treacherous and grow implacable towards him told them having some skill in Astronomy to foresee an Ecclips that within few daies they should see the Moon his friend and portending terrible things to them because of their breach of hospitality Now when the Ecclipse hapned accordingly they ignorant of the cause took his prediction to be ratified and fearing the sequel used him with all curtesie and ladened him with gifts 19. Of Magicall and Astrologicall Artists and their Arts wittily derided wisely rejected and worthily contemned THe Army of the Romanes being deadly smitten by the darts and arrows of the Parthians and Cassius labouring to preserve and order such of the dispersed as repaired to him for another assault a certain Chaldaean advised him to protract the time a while til the Moon had runne over Scorpio and attained to Sagitarius Oh quoth he I reare Sagitarius or the Archer more then I doe Scorpio or the Serpent himselfe Spurina admonished Caesar to take heed of some perill that was towards him which could not be deferred beyond the Ides of March When the day came Caesar derided Spurina saying the Ides of March were come and yet he saw no hurt Yea quoth the Augur they are come indeed but for all that they are not past Thus they jeared one another but ere the predicted time was compleat the conspiracy of Caesars death took effect And thus the Astrologers jeare what got Caesar by jearing
and ashes Hamilear the Carthaginian Captaine led on by the Ariolists sacrificed all the while he was in fight in hope of better successe but finding it in the discomfiture of his party to fall out on the contrary he cast himselfe as a desperate sacrifice into the fire to quench it with his blood that had put him in so great hopes and stood him in so little stead Rhadagusus a King of the Gothes in warring against the Romans did nothing almost but immolate or sacrifice for auspication or divinations sake so that they began boastingly to spread abroad Rhadagusus who had reconciled to himselfe the protection and assistance of such Gods was sure to overcome But nevertheless he was taken and slain with above 100000. of his army Papyrius Cursor oppugning Aquilonia the Pullarian Auspicator would needs be presaging clean contrary to his tokens whose fallacie being found out the Consul praesumed a good omen notwithstanding and beginning the fight caused the lying Augur to be placed in the front and the first dart that was cast by the enemy struck him stark dead Eudemus being foretold by a cunning dream-speller that although he was now in exile yet he should return to his own Land within five yeares within which space he notwithstanding dyed in â—â—racusa but to make his prediction good he said he meant his grave which is every mans own land Constantia an honourable dame of Rome having received assurance from Astrologers of a long healthfull and most happy life fell sick within sive daies after of a burning feaver and finding that there was no way but death she strained her husbands hand and concluded both her speech and life with these complaining words Behold what truth is in the vain pregnosticates of fond Astrologers Ninus who detested all Astrologers with their deceipts suppressed Zoroastes who would deale in nothing without their encouragement Pompey with his guard of prophets lost his head and Caesar by contempt of Oracles subdued his enemies Iustinian exiling all sorts of false Prophets with their bag and baggage did flourish as a Conquerour whereas Iulian admitting them with all their packs of falshoods and blasphemous lies did perish as a castaway At such time as Brittanicus waited for the great lot of the Roman Empire by the comfort and encouragement of a vaine Astrologer he lost both life and all by the rigour of a bloody Tyrant Thrasillus the Mathematician whom Tiberius had taken into familiarity presaging good things upon the sight of a ship but things falling out contrary to what he predicted Tiberius was purposed as they walked together to cast him down a praecipice for a falsary and an intruder into his secrets Seneca by a pretty fancy bringeth in Mercury perswading with the Gods that they would abridge the life of Claudius if not for any other cause yet even for pitty and compassion of the poore Astrologers who had already been taken with so many lies from yeare to yeere about this point as if the destinies were not more favourable then their grounds were sure the credit of Astrology would decay for ever St. Ambrose telleth of one that prognosticated great store of raine to fall after an exceeding drought but none was seen till it was obtained by the prayers of the Church Galen writeth that none of all those Prophets and Astrologers whose skill was commended and their depth admired in his time at Rome gave any perfect judgement either as touching the disease the continuance or cure thereof Manfredus a rare Doctor of Astrology assured Ordelaphius a Prince in Italy that that very yeere wherein he died if there were any certain knowledge by his art he should not end his life before extremity of age had made him lame and unweldy Paulus Florentinus lived till 85 yeeres of age and yet he would assure his friends in private that he never found one comfort that might promise long life in the figure of his birth but sudden death with many tragicall and most lamentable accidents The great dearth of Cattle which was so certainly expected by the Calculators Anno 1558. turned to a wonderfull encrease of all kinds of sustenance At the same time that the fond Bohemians were affraid to be consumed with sudden sire that should come down from Heaven as some preachers gave warning they were almost drowned with a second Flood by means of excessive showres spring-tides and store of land-waters that ranne down with immoderate abundance as if God had resolved to descry the falshood of their jugling At another time the people were so scared with an universall feare of waters scattered aboad by prophets of this kind as a certain Abbot seeking to prevent the worst built him a Tabernacle upon the top of Harrow on the Hill but the conclusion is that before Summer was halfe spent all the ditches were drawn dry and the castle perished for lack of water Paul Flerent noting two constellations under which the State of Florence was refreshed after long and bloudy warres findeth them so crosse and opposite one to another as himselfe is forced to confesse that small light of assurance may be taken from the blaze of this Beacon Pencer prognosticated upon the last Comet that our bodies should be parched and burned up with heat but how fell it out Forsooth we had not a more unkindly Summer for many yeeres in respect of extraordinary cold 25. Of the Heavens calculating their own purport without the helpe of an Artist and the suspition of Magastromancers predicting rather by diabolicall instinct or the suggestion of their own Familiars then from any vertue of the starres THe day before Iulian died one and he an heathen watching over night saw a conjunction or compact of the Stars expressing thus much in legible characters To day is Julian slain in Persia Also Didymus Alexandrinus had a vision of white horses running in the ayre and they that rode upon them said tell Didymus in this very houre Iulian is slain and bid him tell it to Athanasius the Bishop Constantine in his holy meditations calling up his eyes Eastward towards Heaven saw the similitude of a Crosse wherein were stars as letters so placed that visibly might be read this sentence in Greek In this thou shalt overcome At what time Caesar was in the battell of Pharsalia one Caius Cornelius a notable prognosticator in Padua beholding the flying of Birds cryed out Now they give the onset on both sides and a little after as a man possessed with some spirit cryed out again O Caesar the victory is thine Such was that of Apollonius concerning Domitian of which before Numa Pompilius a Magician or Sortiary not inferior to any had frequent and familiar company confabulation and congression with Aegeria a Nymphish devill Simon Magus had a dogge they say could speak and doe many prodigious pranks Quintus Sertorius had an Hart which he consulted withall Pope Sylvester the second had a dogge which he held more deare then the Kingdom of Naples