that the Stars have a prevailing power upon the minde of Man and their operations are so strong that they overturn the minde oppress it c. We cannot hinder the motions of the Stars nor can we hinder them to put forth their Influence yet we may preserve our selves from that influence As those who are in a Town besieged howbeit they cannot hinder the Enemy to fire his Guns upon them yet they may preserve themselves from the harm of the shot by keeping themselves within the Walls So we may keep off the evil influences of the Stars by those preservatives which may be prepared for that purpose Now you must remember that there are two kindes of Influences there is one kinde of influence which is good and necessary to us that as the body is sustained by nourishment even so we are sustained strengthned and preserved by this good influence there is another kinde of influence which is hurtful to us this hinders the former good influence that it cannot have any operation upon us to do us good and against those hurtful influences we must provide defensives to preserve us from their harm Those defensives are the Rings and Images of the Planets which are made according to the influence i. e. they are made in the time of a good influence I do not deny but that the Rings of the Planets as I have shewed elsewhere treating of Imagination have a power to preserve us and are helpful to the prolonging of life yet I do not approve of them for many reasons which I will not mention now The best way how we may preserve our selves from the evil influences of the Stars I conceive it is this To turn off the influence from our selves to another thing which will easily yield to the Influence as for example If some evil Star as Mars c. be enclined to ruine me and this inclination hath made some Impression upon my minde and begins to infect it whereby I may fall into some disease of the minde then I must make an Image like a man upon which the evil influence may have its operation and so I my self may be saved from the harm of that influence For a Star being enclined to ruine me and finding some agreement betwixt me and this Image and that it hath a readier way to fall upon this Image and hath less resistance in this Image then it should have in me therefore it leaves me who am more difficult to work upon and chooseth the Image which is more easie where it fulfils its operation with delight There may be many other reasons given why the influence removes thus from the person against whom it was intended to the Image but I will not now express them for they are not pertinent to the purpose in hand The second thing of which I am to speak is to shew you how we may be preserved from the harm of Witch-craft that our life be not shortned by it I have in many other of my writings shewed remedies for Witch-craft but you shall use the same way here for Witch-craft and Inchantment as you have been taught before for the evil influences of the Stars for Witch-craft or Inchantment hath the same way of working upon our minde or Body as the evil influence of the Stars But here we must use another kinde of Object upon which the operatâ—on of Witch-craft must be turned then that which is used for the influences of the Stars Thus I do I make an Image of Wax like a Man which I set in its own place and whatsoever evil is intended against me by Witch-craft it shall be removed from me to that Image and there it will be accomplished for the Inchantment proceeding from the minde of the Witch against me my minde keeps it strongly off and turns it upon the Image whereby there can be no harm done on either side The third thing is how we may save our selves from the harm of the Imaginations of others I may be killed by an others Imagination if it be accomplished in me if it be not turned some other way from me I will explain this to you by an example Suppose I have an enemy who hath an extream hatred against me so that he exceedingly desires my death daily he is no Witch but onely a violent enemy and this I do not know that he hath any such malice against me Now what must I do that this imagination wrong me not Certainly the best course that I can take for this is thus to settle my minde and to keep it in quiet free from all passions or disturbance as much as possibly I can not desiring any revenge or to do any wrong to any and by this good temper of my minde the others malicious imagination against me shall be thus overcome that it cannot do any harm to me Fourthly whereas our own thoughts do oft-times wrong us as when I think my judgement too weak for such a thing c. by this thought my reason is quite overcome and I lose my reason with it as I have shewed more largely elsewhere Now the best help for such thoughts is this Not to put more upon our reason then it can easily perform and so we shall not be troubled with such thoughts Another way to help these thoughts is thus If we conceive any thing to be much without the reach of our Judgement c. for this we may use the same Image which we use for the influences of the Stars and the Image standing in our stead and is as it were the same with us then those thoughts which would have wronged us will vanish and they will pass from us to the Image for the Image cannot make any resistance against these thoughts and there they may be fulfilled without any harm Fifthly By the thoughts and imaginations many Superstitions are made effectual which differ much from Inchantment or imagination As for example When I hear a Raven upon the top of my house then I have a Superstitious thought that this must be a sign of death in my house now this Superstitious thought growing strong may either cause sickness or the death of one who is sick in my house the truth of this appears oft-times by experience and I have given the reasons of this in my Treatise of Superstitions The way to prevent the harm of such Superstitions is thus I must perswade my judgement that such superstitious thoughts are vain and foolish and what I esteem to be a certain sign of such or such a thing to come to pass that this is my error I must endeavor to convince my Judgement of it and I must be always careful to exalt my Reason above groundless conceits and not to entertain thoughts upon the report or phansies of others nor to conform my thoughts to vulgar opinions as when I hear the croaking of a Raven upon my house I must think no otherwise of this but that it is onely the natural act of the Raven which signifieth no more to me upon my house then in any other place and thus this superstitious thought is overcome and made ineffectual A strong conceit of the truth and certainty of superstitious thoughts is the cause which oft-times makes them have their effect but if I examine these thoughts by reason and so come to see their groundlesness vanity and folly this will quite destroy them and prevent that evil which they might effect This I conceive is enough for those cures of the diseases of the minde If any do not understand these things which I have written here concerning long Life it is because they can neither perceive what I say nor what Nature doth I do not intend to make those things plainer to them for what I have written here I have written it onely for those who are grounded in the knowledge of such things and it is my desire that they may fully understand me If you would know what Dyet is best for long life observe these rules following 1. Let your meats and drinks be prepared with the preservative Medicine and this will drive out all superfluous humors which lurk in the Body 2. If you have any inward diseases then you must speedily use fit Medicines as Quintessences c. to ripen them Concerning the causes of diseases and their proper remedies I will not write any thing here for that I have done in many other of my Physical Treatises 3. The best Dyet for long life is a moderate dyet which I need not describe here seeing it is so well known to every Physician 4. Let your meats and drinks be rightly prepared that is They must be purged from all superfluities impurities and whatsoever is hurtful in them and this is to be done the same way which is used in the separation of the Elements as I have described in my Book concerning Restauration and Renovation Such purified meats and drinks with a moderate dyet are wonderfully helpful to the prolonging of life they nourish well and they never cause any disease in the Body this cannot be said of other meats and drinks To conclude Observe That those purified meats and drinks yield better nourishment to our Bodies then any other they do encrease flesh and good blood very much this is their use and the use of their preservative Medicine is to preserve the spirit of Life and the humor of life FINIS
of Camphire two drams of the juice of Poppy and the juice of Henbane of each one ounce mix them and lay them to the Ulcer to take away the heat of it Then take of the Apostolorum Plaister and the Diaquilon Plaister of each half an ounce of Mummy three ounces of Cerusse or white Lead two drams of Camphire one dram Mix them over the fire and make them into a Plaister which must be applyed to the soar until the Cure be done LIII For Corns in Feet or Hands Caution You must not cut Corns so deep as to cut the quick flesh and you must not use Corrosive Waters to them for in so doing you may cause a dangerous Ulcer to follow Cure Take the Oyl of Juniper Berries and Agarick of each one dram of Ox Gall two drams mix them and lay them to the Corn until the Corn groweth dry and black and begins to moulder away then apply to it the Plaister Oppodeltoch some four or five weeks until the cure be done Another Take Realgare one scruple of the Oyl of the yolks of Eggs half a dram of slacked Lime half a dram mix them and lay them to the Corn and they will make the Corn black and consume it The Oppodeltoch Plaister Take of Colophony two ounces the powder of Celendine and the powder of Orange skins of each half an ounce of the best Turpentine so much as to make them into a plaister LIV. When in any part of the body there is a hard immovable tumor or Excrescency of flesh growing to the Muscles which groweth still bigger and at last makes the member crooked where it is it also weakens the guts causing great windiness in them Caution You must not use the Chyrurgions Instruments to this nor any such Medicines which are used for Aposthumes Cure You must do no more to such tumors or Excrescencies but to hinder their increasing which is done by this Oyntment Take of the Oyl of Myrtles two ounces of the oyl of Nutmeg half an ounce of the marrow of an Ox two drams of Petroleum two ounces and a half Mix them Herewith you shall annoint those places where the Spermatick vessels lie most outwardly the back and thighs once a moneth LV. When there are spots in the skin of the face or elsewhere of a yellow or clay colour c. If they stay constantly in the place or if sometimes they evanish and return again Cure Take of Turnsole and Germander of each three ounces of the best Manna half an ounce of Parmacity and Bay-berries of each ten drams the water of Baulm the water of Vervain the water of Valerian of each five ounces Put your Herbs into the Waters and let them lie in the waters two or three days and when the spots begin to come out upon the skin take three or four ounces of those Waters at a time Observe That Turnsole is a singular good Herb it wonderfully reneweth the blood and flesh A Treatise concerning long Life CHAP. I. All Medicines divided into three sorts according to the threefold Age of Man shewing that each Age must have its own Medicines proper for it SEeing there are Medicines which can preserve the Body of Man for many Ages from Diseases Corruptions and Superfluities or if there be any infirmity or corruption in the Body they can cure it It ought to be the care of every Physician to know them and to know them throughly for there are very many tedious Diseases and many Maladies incident to the Body of Man which are rooted out by these Medicines which prolong life In this discourse of long Life I will first give you the Theory of it and then the practice that you may fully know all that concerns long Life I would not have any to doubt of this that life may be prolonged for these two Reasons 1. Because it doth not appear that there is any certain day or hour of any mans death 2 Because we have Medicine prepared for us by him who hath created us both to preserve us from Diseases and to drive out Diseases Hence we may conclude that neither Diseases bring Death neither is Death the cause of Diseases nay Death and Diseases agree no better then fire and water A natural Disease hates Death as every part of the living Body hates Death I intend in this discourse to speak to those of my own way who by great skill and daily experience have searched into and do know the propertieâ— and natures of things which are hid and unknown to presumptuous and titular Doctors And I do affirm this as a most certain truth That the Body may be restored changed to the better yea wholly renewed As it is to be plainly seen in Metals which may be so purified that they shall be afterwards free from any rust so likewise dead Bodâ—es if they be embalmed do not putrifie afterwards Some perhaps may dislike my Writings because they are short and because of those Examples which I use but my Writings are not therefore to be slighted seeing I use onely the examples of such things which are or may be done by Nature as in this comparison of Mettals with the Body of Man I know that there is great difference betwixt these two yet they are both preserved one way as experience teacheth If a dead Body can be preserved by Balsom from putrefaction or decay how much more may a living Body be so preserved Now there are three parts of Mans Age viz. yong Age middle Age and old Age and each of these must have such Medicines for prolonging life as are proper and suitable to them therefore there must be also three kindes of Medicines for the conservation of Life according to these three Ages We may likewise say that there are three parts in long life according to those three parts of mans Age for many might die in their Infancy many in their middle age c. if their life were not prolonged by the help of Medicines We cannot have any certainty that an Infant or a strong yong man shall outlive a weak old man No part of mans age hath any certain time of death appointed to it the Infant in the Mothers Womb may have many things befal it which may be the cause of great weakness in the childe or incline the childe to diseases and that Infant which is very weak when it is born the strength of Nature is abated and lessened in it as it is in old age And therefore those Medicines which are the helps of long life must be given to this Infant anointing the Nurses breast therewith which the childe doth suck c. as you shall hear more at large afterwards in the practice of long life For by these Medicines of long life the strength of Nature is increased and life prolonged after the same maner in an Infant as it is in old age Or if a yong man runs into so great excess of Drinking or Venery c. that thereby
necessary that we consider first what life is secondly which is the chief seat of life thirdly by what things life is shortned or lengthened Lâ—fe is not a body but a thing spiritual like hearing seeing smelling c. Now that which is a body we may easily finde it out by the course of Nature whence it is but we cannot finde out by the course of Nature what sight is or what is the cause of sight or how it is effected so neither can we finde out what life is or how it is produced for life comes not of natural seed according to the ordinary course of nature as the most part of natural things do but it comes from a natural beginning in a Spiritual and extraordinary maner As for example we strike fire with a steel and a flint and yet there is no fire either in the steel or flint neither are they of a fiery nature either by their predominant Element or their complexion they are bodies which will not yield to fire they are not easily consumed by fire they seem to râ—sist fire and yet we can bring fire from them After the same maner life comes from these things in which there is no life viz. seed root c. even as the fiery sparks comes from the flint in which there is no fire Now let us consider whether or not the life can be lengthned amended or strengthned seeing it is incorporal It is like fire which having more wood burns more vehemently So life the more it hath of the humor of life so much the more the Spirit of life abounds But that fire should come from that in which there is no fire the reason of this we cannot know Many do think that the hardness of the flint and steel is the cause of these fiery sparks which comes from them and so they rest satisfied But by this answer they do not yet satisfie our question viz. How any thing can come from that in which it never was The life as I said before is like a flame which feeding upon Wood or Oyl and fat substances c. as it were living in them visibly represents life to us and as a flame decaying is renewed again by adding more wood c. yea when the flame is gone and there is onely live coals yet by larger additions of suitable matter the flame shall become greater then it was before So the life is stronger or weaker according to the goodness or badness of that whereby the life is continued so that according to nature we may refresh and cherish life by supplying it with those things which are agreeable and delightsom to it whereby it is made stronger and of longer continuance We ought not then to think the time of mans life is so determined that every man must needs die such a day and such an hour nor is it suitable to Christianity to think this that the life cannot be prolonged by these Medicines which God hath created to this purpose God hath created these Medicines for our use and he hath granted us a liberty to use them the defect is onely in us that we do not know those Medicines Mans reason is very weak it fails in most things we are much short in discerning of things good or hurtful to us how few men know the largeness of that power which God hath granted to man Adam knew all those things perfectly he was the wisest of Mortal men and he had continued immortal if he had not been deprived of the Tree of Life the which Tree of Life hath its place in Medicine as well as in Divinity for howbeit it was the Tree of Life yet it was a natural Tree CHAP. IV. How the Life is prolonged by vertue of the place where we live by the four Elements by the Stars and by the vertues of Herbs THe third thing I promised to speak of is this viz. To shew you those things by which life in lengthned or shortned And first The Place where we live makes much for the prolonging or shortning of our life There is great difference in Countreys Climates Cities Mountains Valleys c. Some are far more agreeable to long life then others in some places there is better Air they yield more delight the vapors which rise out of the ground more wholesom c. then in other places Secondly the Elements viz. Earth Air Water and Fire work great changes in life sometimes to the better sometimes to the worse Out of the Earth groweth every thing which nourisheth our Bodies and that also which destroyeth our Bodies We have from the earth not onely that which is hurtful to us as poyson c. but we have also that which can cure us and keep us from the harm of such things as Gold Balm c. Do not think that we have Medicines created onely to cure diseases for if so then Medicines could have no operation in Bodies which are sound and whole but experience proves this to be false You must know this that the Earth brings forth not onely such things which can destroy us or take away our health but also gives us Medicines which not onely can cure our diseases but also can preserve our life and health Meat and drink if rightly used they are the means to preserve our life but if abused they destroy life as it appears oft-times by the effects of Drunkenness and gluttony for whatsoever we have from any of the Elements may be good or hurtful to us accordingly as it is used Again observe That what damage we receive by one Element it is recompenced by another Element Water doth resist fire and by this resistance it preserveth things that they are not destroyed by the consuming heat of fire and if there be any damage by fire or water the Air will make amends the Air will not forsake us nor leave life if we do not first forsake it Sometimes the Air is infected and by its infection may kill us but we may easily know when it is infected and so we may preserve our selves from it if we leave it and go where there is a better Air. Here observe this difference in Air and the rest of the Elements there is a general Air and a particular Air a general water c. Now of particular Airs one may be good and another bad also one piece of earth is better then another and some water better then other water so also fire some is useful and some is hurtful as Lightning c. Thirdly the Stars have a great and powerful influence upon the life and health of Man they can make sick they can restore health they can preserve health they can bring death or prolong life There is no kinde of thing in the world but there are some good and some evil of that kinde Then here lyeth the main business how to get the good and eschew the evil we cannot have always that which we would as if we would appropriate the
influence of Jupiter to our selves or if we would turn away from us the influence of Mars or if we would draw to our selves the influences of such other Stars which are good Now this we cannot do as we can choose one herb and leave another I say we cannot do thus with the stars to keep off the influence of one and choose the influence of another as we please But thus much we may do if we observe the Sar before it put out its influence what is the most likely way of that influence viz. to what work business c. it enclines most and if it enclines to a business c. of that nature as ours is then we may by certain helps as those Images Rings c. which are made for the Planets draw the influence of that Star to work with us and assist us but these things I declare more fully elsewhere Fourthly many Herbs have somewhat lurking in them which can keep the life of man vigorous and flourishing for many ages for Herbs have an incorruptible essence the which when the Body of the Herb perisheth it entreth into some other Herb of the same kâ—nde or it remains incorruptible in the earth If we receive the essence of an Herb into our Bodies it stayeth with us till our Bodies perish and be putrified and then it enters into the earth So likewâ—se â—he essence and properties of Mans body leaves the body when it putrifieth Here we must remember the difference which is betwixt the property of the Herb and the essence of the Herb as for example the property of Hellebore makes Hellebore to be such an Herb differing from all other Herbs to have such and such vertues as Laxative c. So that the property of Hellebore can be in no other thing then Hellebore and when we receive the Hellebore or essâ—nce of the Hellebore into our body yet we do not receive the property of Hellebore The essence of Hellebore is the purest material substance of it containing the life all the vertues of the Hellibore in the highest degree Now when we take this essence inwardly it mixeth it self inseparably with that humor which is the chief seat of our life and preserveth this humor from destructive alterations and so long as this essence lasteth in us it doth us good it is of it self durable yet by the infection of our corruptible humors wherewith it is mixed it grows weaker and wasteth in time as Talce which cannot be consumed by fire yet it may be consumed otherwise in length of time I will here adde one thing further concerning the vertue of the place where we live viz. That there are some places which do so agree with the humor of life and do so preserve it that those who live there enjoy a wonderful long life and there are some other places which makes them immortal who live there The World may be divided into two parts the one part is the place of Mortality where we Mortals live in hope of Immortality by Grace the other part of the World is Paradise where death cannot be for whatsoever is there it is incorruptible naturally and not by a Miracle As our Phylosophick gold preserveth from Leprosie c. so it is the nature of Paradise to preserve from death that whatsoever hath its first being there it is thorowly undecayable in all its substance But we who live in this place of Mortality we have an incorruptible essence and we have a corruptible Body which can both be preserved without decaying in Paradise I will not write much of this because I have but little experience of it for the essence of Earth is the center of our experience and Paradise is far beyond our Travels so that what I speak of it I speak spiritually as in a dream rather then waking signifying to you that life is there perpetual continuing to the end of the world or if longer that is unknown to us But that you may more fully know how health and long life may be preserved you must consider the causes of health and the causes of diseases now health and all diseases are either from the minde or from the body The minde is the cause of such diseases which come by Witchcraft or our own imagination or the imagination of another or the influence of the Stars For when Imagination or Inchantment take hold of the minde and make an impression upon it so as the minde is disturbed and thoughts multiply and grow so strong that they overcome reason then at last by the power of that Imagination or Inchantment Reason is quite overthrown and so the evil operation of the Inchantment or Imagination prevails and thereby diseases are bred Thus also the influence of the Stars may overcome the minde and command it howbeit it be not bred in the minde nor depend of the minde as the former viz. Inchantment and Imagination yet it may powerfully encline the minde to good and bad operations as the Sun which pierceth through the glass and changeth that which is in the glass according to its own nature The other cause of health and diseases is the Body viz. The humors or complexions of the Body or some predominant quality or some principal member of the Body the Complexions are from the Body and are seated in those humors whereby the Body is sustained I will not here describe those diseases I conceive it not necessary neither will I here stay to discover to you the nature and causes of the minde and body or to tell you what choler is or what blood is or what Phlegm is or what Melancholy is but I will onely give you a hint of those things in general CHAP. V. The Life prolonging Medicine described how it should be used to what use it is chiefly intended and to whom it is most effectual I Now come to the Practice and first I will speak of natural remedies which are for those diseases whereof the Body is the cause and afterwards I will shew you how these diseases which come from the minde are to be cured which are not to be cured by natural remedies but they must be cured in such a way as is proper to them First then to preserve us from bodily diseases we must have respect chiefly to the humor of life which upholds the body governs the complexions of the body c. if it be kept in good case the Body is thereby preserved We need not be careful how we may renew the Complexions and Qualities of the Body or how to purge out hurtful or superfluous humors or how to cure the diseases of the Liver or Milt c. for these preservative Medicines which we use for long Life can do all this yea whatsoever defect or disease is in the Body they can throughly cure it and this they do not by that great vertue they have which is proper to the preservation of the humor of life and prolonging of life