Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A28798
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Frier Bacon his discovery of the miracles of art, nature, and magick faithfully translated out of Dr. Dees own copy by T.M. and never before in English.; De mirabili potestate artis et naturae. English
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Bacon, Roger, 1214?-1294.; T. M.
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1659
(1659)
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Wing B373; ESTC R10803
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22,920
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72
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Frier BACON HIS DISCOVERY OF THE MIRACLES Of ART NATVRE And MAGICK Faithfully translated out of Dr Dees own Copy by T. M. and never before in English LONDON Printed for Simon Miller at the Starre in St Pauls Church-yard 1659. THE TRANSLATOR TO THE READER A Prejudicate eye much lessens the noblenesse of the Subject Bacons name may bring at the first an inconvenience to the Book but Bacons ingenuity will recompence it ere he be solidly read This as an Apology is the usher to his other Workes which may happily breath a more free Air hereafter when once the World sees how clear he was from loving Negromancy 'T was the Popes smoak which made the eyes of that Age so sore as they could not discern any open hearted and clear headed soul from an heretical Phantasme The silly Fryers envying his too prying head by their craft had almost got it off his shoulders It 's dangerous to be wiser than the multitude for that unruly Beast will have every over-topping head to be lopped shorter lest it plot ruine or stop the light or shadow its extravagancies How famous this Frier is in the judgment of both godly and wise men I referre you to the Probatums of such men whose single Authorities were of sufficiency to equallize a Jury of others and as for the Book I refer it to thy reading As for my self I refer me to him whom I serve and hope thou wilt adore THE JUDGMENT OF Divers Learned Men CONCERNING Fryer BACON IO. Selden de Diis Syris Sintag 1. r. 2 7.25 That singular Mathematician learned beyond what the Age he liv'd in did ordinarily bring forth Roger Bacon an Oxford man and a Fryer minorite The Testimony of Gabriel Powel in his Book of Antichrist in Preface p. 14. Roger Bacon an Englishman a founded Scholar of Merton-Colledg in Oxford a very quick Philosopher and withall a very famous Divine he had an incredible knowledge in the Mathematicks but without Necromancy as John Balleus doth report although he be defam'd for it by many Now this man after he had sharply reproved the times wherein he liv'd these Errours saith he speak Antichrist present Nicholas the Fourth Pope of Rome did condemn his Doctrine in many things and he was by him kept in prison for many years together as Antonine hath it in his Chronicle He flourished in the year of our Lord 1270. John Gerhard Vossius in his Book of the four Popular Arts printed at Amsterdam 1650. is every where full of the praises of Bacon as in the year 1252. About these mens time Roger Bacon also flourished an Englishman and a Monk of the Order of St. Francis who as he had div'd into all Arts and Sciences so also he writ many things of them he was a man both learned and subtil unto a Miracle and did such wonderfull things by the help of Mathematicks that by such as were envious and ignorant he was accused of Diabolical Magick before Pope Clement the 4th and for that cause was detained in prison by him for some time Jo. Pecus Earl of Mirandula the Phenix of all the wits of his Age cals him likewise very ingenious Moranlicus also commends highly his Opticks He was buried at Oxford in the Monastery of the Monks of his own Order anno 1284. So Chap. 35. 32. anno 1255. So Chap. 60. 13. Of Musick anno 1270. So Chap. 70. 7. 1270. Roger Bacon flourisht in England a man wonderfully learned And Chap. 71. 8. anno 1270. Roger Bacon a Franciscan Monk and a Divine of Oxford was famous amongst the English in all sort of Sciences a man of so vast learning that neither England no nor the world beside had almost any thing like or equal to him â—nd either by envy or ignorance of the Age wherein he lived was accused of Magick He in the mean time did write and recommend to the Memory of Posterity a Book of Weights of the Centers of heavy things of the Practicks of Natural Magick c. For he was a man well vers'd in all sorts of study very learned in the Latine Greek and Hebrew Tongues a Mathematician every way accomplisht and very skilfull both in Philosophy Physick Law and Divinity THE CONTENTS Of the Several Chapters Chap. 1. Of and against fictitious Apparences and Invocation of Spirits 1. Chap. 2. Of Charmes Figures and their Vse 4 Chap. 3. Of the force of Speech and a Check to Magick 10 Chap. 4. Of admirable Artificial Instruments 17 Chap. 5. Of Perspective Artificial Experience 9 Chap. 6. Concerning strange Experiments 23 Chap. 7. Of Retarding the Accidents of Old Age and Prolongation of Life 28 Chap. 8. Of obscuring the Mysteries of Art and Nature 35 Chap. 9. Of the manner to make the Philosophers Egge 41 Chap. 10. Of the same Subject another way 46 Chap. 11. Of the same Subject another way 49 BE pleased to take notice that there is now in the Press 18 Books of the Secrets of Art Nature Collected out of the choicest Authors both Antient and Modern first designed by Iohn VVecker Dr of Physick and now much enlarged by Dr R. Read The like never before in the English Tongue To be sold at the Starre in St Pauls Church-yard A LETTER SENT BY Frier ROGER BACON TO VVilliam of Paris Concerning both The Secret Operation OF NATURE ART As also The Nullity of Magick CHAP. I. Of and against fictitious Apparences and Invocation of Spirits THat I may carefully render you an answer to your desire understand Nature is potent and admirable in her working yet Art using the advantage of nature as an â—nâ—trument experience tels us is of greater efficacy than any natural activity Whatsoever Acts otherwise than by natural or artificial means is not humane but meerly fictitious and deceitfull We have many men that by the nimblenesse and activity of body diversification of sounds exactness of instruments darkness or consent make things seem to be present which never were really exâ—stent in the course of Nature Tâ—â— world as any judicious eye may see groans under such bastard burdens Jugleâ— by an handsome sleight of hand will put a compleat lie upon the very sighâ—â— The Pythonissae sometimes speaking from their bellies otherwhile from the throat than by the mouth do create what voices they please either speaking at hand or farre off in such a manner as if a Spirit discoursed with a man and sometimes as though Beasts bellowed which is all easily discovered by private laying hollow Canes in the grasse or secreâ— places for so the voices of men will be known from other creatures When inanimate things are violently moved either in the Morning or Evening twilight expect no truth therein but down-right cheating and cousenage As for consent men by it may undertake any thing they please if so be they `have a mutual disposition These I mention as practices wherein neither philosophical Reasons Art or power of Nature is prevalent Beyond these there is a more damnable
the soul conquers many diseases CHAP. III. SERMONIS Of the force of Speech and a Check to Magick IN regard truth must not receive the least injury we should take more exact notice how every agent communicateth the Virtue and Species which is in it to other extrinsecal objects I mean not only the substantial Virtue but even Actâ—ve Accidents such as are in tertia specie Qualitatis As for the Virtues which flows from the Creature some of them are sensible some insensible Man which is both the most noble corporeity and dignified rational soul hath no lesse than other things heat and spirits exhaling from him and so may no lesse than other things emit and dispose of his Virtues and Species to external Objects Some creatures we know have power to metamorphose and alter their objects As the Basilisk who kils by â—ight alone The Wolf if she first see a man before the man see him makes the man hoarse The Hyaena suffers not the dog which comes within his shadow to bark as Solinus de mirabilibus mundi and others And Aristotle lib. 2. de Vegetab saith That Female Palm-trees bring forth fruit to maturity by the smell of their Males And Mares in some Kingdoms impregnate by the smell of Horses as Solinus affirms Aristotle in his Secrets assures us of several other contingencies which issue from the Species and Virtues of Plants and Animals Hence I argue If Plants and Animals which are inferiour in dignity to our humane Nature can emit then surely may man more abundantly emit Species Virtues and Colours to the alteration of external Bodies To this purpose is that which Aristotle tels us Lib. de sâ—mno Vigiliâ a menstruous woman looking in a glasse doth infect it with spots like clouds of bloud Solinus further writes That in Scythia there are women which have two sights in one eye Hence Ovid Nocet pupilla duplex and that these women by their glances kill men And we our selves know That men of an evil complexion full of contagious infirmities as Leprosie the Falling-sickness spotted Feaver bleer-eyed or the like infects those men in their company While on the other side men of a sound and wholsome complexion especially young men do by their very presence exhilerate and comfort others which no question as Galen in his Techne proceeds from their pure spirits wholsome and delightsome vapours their sweet natural colour and from such Species and Virâ—ues as they emit That man whose soul is defiled with many hainous sins his Body infirme his Complexion evil and hath a vehement fancy and desire to hurt his neighbour may bring more inconveniencies then another man The Reason may be the Nature of Complexion and infirmity yeelds obedience to the thoughts of the Heart and is more augmented by the intervention of our desires Hence it is that a leprous person who is solicitous desirous and fancying to infect some one or other in the room may more easily and forceably effect it than he which hath no such intention fancy or desire For as Avicen observes in the foreâ—cited place the nature of the body is obedient to the thoughts and more intent fancies of the soul And as Avicen in the 3d Metaph. affirms the thought is the first mover after that the desire is made conformable to the thought then after that the natural virtue which is in the members obeys the desire and thought and thus it is both in good and bad effects Hence it is that a young man of a good Complexion healthfull fair well featured Body having his soul not debauched with sinne but of a strong fancy and vehement desire to compasse the effecting of some magnificent designe withall adding the power of his Virtues Species and natural heat He may by the force of these * Spirits Vapours and influences work both more powerfully and vehemently than if he should want any of these fore-going qualifications especially strong affections and forceable imaginations Hence I conclude Men by the concurrence of the foresaid Causes Words and Works being the Instruments bring great undertakings to perfection As for words they are hatched within by the thoughts and desires of the mind sent abroad by heat Vocale arteries and motion of the Spirits The places of their generation are in open passages by which there is a great efflux of such spirits heat vapours virtues and Species as are made by the soul and heart And therefore words may so farre cause alterations by these parts or passages as their Nature will extend For it 's evident That breathings yawnings several resolutions of Spirits and heat come thorow these open passages from the heart and inward parts Now if these words come from an infirm and evil complexionated body they are constantly obnoxious But if from a pure sound and wholsome constitution they are very beneficial and comfortable It 's clear then That the bare generation and prolation of words joyned with desire and intention are considerable in natural operations Hereupon we do justly say Vox viva magnam habet virtutem Living words are of great Virtue Not that they have any such Virtue of doing or undoing as Magicians speak of but only they have the Virtue of Nature which makes me put in this Caution of being extream cautelous herein For a man may as many have already done erre on both hands Some wholly denying any operation of words Others superfluously decline to a Magical use thereof Our duties should be to have a care of such Books as are fraught with Charms Figures Orizons Conjurations Sacrifices or the like because they are purely Magical For instance the Book De Officiis Spirituum liber de morte animae liber de artâ— notariâ with infinite others containing neither precepts of Nature or Art having nothing save Magical Fopperies Yet herewithall we must remember there are many Books commonly reputed to be Magical but have no other fault then discovering the dignity of wisdome What Books are suspicious and what not Every discreet Readers experience will show him The Book which discovers natural or artificial operations imbrace that which is void of either or leave both as suspitious and unworthy the consideration of any wise man 'T is usual with Magicians to treat of both unnecessary and superfluous subjects 'T was excellently said of Isaac in lib. de Febribus The rational soul is not impeded in its operations unlesse by the Manicles of ignorance And Aristotle is of opinion in lib. secret That a clear and strong intellect being impregnated by the influences of divine Virtue may attain to any thing which is necessary And in 3d Meteor he saith There is no influence or power but from God In the Conclusion of his Ethicks There is no Virtue whether Moral or Natural without divine influence Hence it is that when we discourse of particular agents we exclude not the Regiment of the universal Agent and first Cause of all