NATURAL
AGICK
John Baptifta Porta,
A N E A P 0 1 L I I A N E:
I N
TWENTY BOOKS:
1 Of the Caufcs of Wonderful things.
2 Of the Generation of Animals.
3 Of the Produdion of new Plants.
4 Of increafingHoufhold-Stuff.
5 Of changing Metals.
6 Of counterfeiting Gold.
7 Of the Wonders of the Load-ftone.
8 Of ftrange Cures.
9 Of Beautifying Women.
10 Of Diftillation.
1 1 Of Perfuming.
12 Of Artificial Fires.
1 3 Of Tempering Steel.
14 Of Cookery.
15 Of Fi(hing,Fowling,Hunting,$V.
16 Of Invifible Writing.
17 Of Strange GlafTes.
18 Of Statick Experiments.
19 Of Pneumatick Experiments.
20 Of the Chaos.
Wherein are fet forth All the Riches and Delight*
Of the
NATURAL SCIENCES.
Printed for Thomas Young, andSoJw**/ Speed ; and are to be fold at the three Pigeons, and at the Angel in St.
Paul 's Church -yard. 1658,
uL ^
The Preface to the Reader.
Courteous Reader,
F this Work made by me in my Youth , when I was hardly fifteen years old, was fo generally received and with fo great applaufe^ that it was forthwith tranflated into many Languages > as Ita- lian, French, Spaniih, Arabickj and paffed through the hands of incomparable men : J hope that now coming forth from me that am fifty years old , it fhall be more dearly enter- tained* For when I faw the fir ft fruits of my Labours recei- ved with fo great Alacrity of mind, I was moved by thefegood Omens ; And therefore have adventured to fend it once more forth , but with an Equipage more Rich and Noble.
From the frfi time it appeared, it is now thirty five years, And {without any de- rogation from my Modefiy be it fpoken) if ever any man laboured earneflly to dif- clofe the fecrets oj Nature, it was I : For with all my Mindc and Power, I have turned over the Monuments of our Ancefiors , and if they writ anything that was f °.cret and concealed , that I enrolled in my Catalogue of Rarities . Moreover, as I travelled through France, Italy, and Spain, I confuted with all Libraries, Learn- ed men , and Artificers, that if they knew any thing that was curious , I might un- der f and fuch T ruths as they had proved by there long experience. Thof ? places and men , I had not the happinefs to fee, I writ Letters too frequently , earneflly de- fying them tofurnifh me with thofe Secrets, which they efieemed Rare ; not failing with my Entreaties i Gifts, Commutations, Art, and Induflry. So that whatfoever was Notable, and to be de fired through the whole World, for Curiofities and Excel- lent Things , I have abundantly found out , and therewith Beautified and Aug- ment ed the f ?, my Endeavours, « NATURAL MAGIC K, wherefore by moft earnefi Study, and confiant Experience, I did both night and day endeavour to know whether what I heard or read, was true orfalfe , that I might leave nothing unaffayed : for I oft thought of that Sentence of Cicero, It is fit that they who defire for the good of mankinde , to commit to memory things moft profi- table , well weighed and approved , fhould make tryal of all things. To do this J have fpared no Pain nor Cofi, but have expended my narrow Fortunes in a large magnificence.
Nor were the Labours, Diligence, and Wealth, of mofi famous Nobles, Potentates) Great and Learned Men, wanting to afsifl me $ Efpecially {whom J name for his Honour} the Illufiriom and moft Reverend Cardinal of Eftings : All which did afford there Voluntary and Boiygiful Help to this Work. I never wanted alfoat
C my
The Preface.
myHoufe an Academy of curious Men, who for the trying of tbefe Experiments, cbearfully disburfed there Moneys, and employed there utmoft Endeavours, in a fi- ling me to Compile and Enlarge this Volume, which with f ? great Charge, Labour 3 and Study , / had long before provided.
Having made an end thereof, I was fomewhat unwilling tofujferit to appear to the publike View of all Men (/ being now old, andtrufiing up my Fardel) for there are many moft excellent. Things fit for the Worthieft Nobles , which fhould ignorant men (that were never bred up in the J acred Principles of Philofophy) come to know, they would grow contemptible, and be undervalued-, AsVh.tofaith, to Diony fi- lls, They Teem to make Philofophy ridiculous, who endeavour to profti- tute Her Excellence to prophane and illiterate Men.
Alfo here are conceived many hurtful and mifchievoui things , wherewith wicked and untoward men may mif chief others, what thenmuft I do, let Envy be driven away, and a de fire to benefit P oft erity , vanquifh all other thoughts £ The moft Ma- jefiick Wonders of Nature are not to be concealed , that in them we may admire the Mighty Power of God, his wifdom, his Bounty, and therein Reverence and Adore him. whatf oever tbefe are, I fet them before you, that you may difcern my Dilligence and Benevolence towards you ; Had I withheld thefe Things from the World , J fear I fhould have undergone the reproach of a wicked man; for (Cicero drives th if from Plato) we are not born for ourfelves alone, but our Countreywill challenge apart, our Parents and our Friends require their parts alfo from us. wheref or e fueh Things as hitherto lay btd in the Bofome of wondrous Nature,fhall come to light, from the Store-houfes of the moft ingenuous Men, without fraud, or deceit.
I Difcover thofe Things that have been long bid, either by the Envy or Ignorance of others, Nor fhall you here finde empty Trifles, or Riddles , or bare Authorities of other men.
I did not think fit to omit any thing by erring Honeftly, or following the beft Lea- ders ^ But fuch as are Magnificent and moft Excellent, I have will' d by the Artifice of Words, by Tranfpofition and. Depre fiion of them ; And fuch Things as are hurt- ful and mifebievous, I have written obfeurely , yet not fo, but that an ingenueus Reader may unfold it, and the wit of one that will throughly fearch may comprehend it,
I have added [omethings that are Profitable, and rarely Known, becaufe they are moft true. Sometimes from Things moft Known, and meanly efteemed, we af :end to Things moft Profitable and High , which the Mindecan fcarce reach unto : One's Under{landmg cannot comprehend High and SublimeTbings , unleJT itftandfirm on moft true Principles. The Mathematical Sciences, rife from fome trivial and common Axioms,to moft Sublime Demonftrations. wherefore I thought it better to Write true Things and Profitable, thanfalfe Things that are great. True Things be they never f ? fma/l, will give occafions to Difcover greater things by them. The in- finite multitude of Things is incomprehenfible , and more than a man may be able to contemplate.
In one Method I jhall ohferve what our Anceftors have fiid 5 Then I fhall fiew ly my own Experience, whither they be true orfalfe , and laft of all my own Inven- tions, That Learned Men may fee how exceedingly this later Age hath furpajjed Antiquity.
Many men have written what they never jaw, nor did they know the Simples that were the Ingredients, but they fet them down from other mens traditions , by an in* bred and importunate defire to adde fomething , JoErrors are propagated by fuccef- fion, and at laft grow infinite, that notfo much Jlfc Prints of the former remain,
^m That
*
The Preface*
That not onely the Experiment will be difficult, but a man can hardly reade them without laughter.
Moreover, I paj? by many men , who have written Wonders to be dtnered tq Pofierity , promt fing Golden Mountains , yet Write othernife then they thought. itenCe moji ingenuous men, and defirow to learn, are detained for a very long time ( andwhen they defpair of obtaining what they feek for, they finde that they [pent their time, pains, and charge in vain) and fo driven to defpardtion , they are forced to repent by leifure : Others grown wife by other mens barms, learn to hate thofe Things before they know them.
I have divided the fe Secreets into fever alClaffes, that every man may finde what he likes befi.
Lafily, I ftould willingly pafi by the offending of your Ears^ if I had no care to re- fell the Calumnies of detractors and envtow men , that mofi immodef ly wounds me^ calling me a Sorcerer , a Conjurer, which names from my tender Touth I have ab- horrd. Indeed I always held my felf to be a man fubjeB to Errors and Infirmities 5 therefore defined the a fi'ifiances of many Learned men , and that if I had. not faith- fully interpreted, they would reprove me But what I always feared came to p&fs, that I fhouldfall into the hands offome vile and hateful men,who by doing injury to others, jufily or unjufily , labour to win the popular and bafe approbation, and Ap- plaufe of the Vulgar, bywhofe renown d Teeth, thofe that are wounded do not con- fume, but by retorting the venome back upon them, they overthrow their own Honor.
A certain Frenchman in his Book ftf//^Daemonomania5 Tearms me a Magi- cian, a Conjurer, and thinks this Book of mine, long fince Printed, worthy to be burnt, becaufe I have written the Fairies Oyntment , which I fiet forth onely in dete fiat ion of the frauds ofDivels and witches ', That which comes by Nature is abufedby their fuperfiition, which I borrowed from the Books of the mo ft commendable Divines, What have I offended herein, that they fhould call me a Conjurer Z But when I en- quired of many Noble and Learned Frenchmen , that were pleafed to Honour me with there Vifits, what that man was , they anfweredthat he was an Heretick, and tltat he had efcaped from being cafi headlong from a Tower, upon Saint Bartholo- mew his day , which is the time appointed for the defiruRion of fuch wicked men. In the mean time I fhall defire the great and good God (as it becomes a Noble and Chrifiian man to do) that he may be converted to the Catholike Faith , and may not be condemned whilfi he lives.
Another Frenchman who unworthily reviled all the Learned men of his Age, joynsme amongfl them, and holds, that onely three Phyfitians, that are his Friends, are Praife-worthy , as the mofi Learned of all men of our Times ; and amongfi them he reckons up himfelf; for the Book tspublifhed in his Name , it is a wonder what Inventions that man hath found out to win praife, who having no man to commend him, nor is he worthy commendations , yet he hath undertaken to commend him- felf. IpaJ? over other men of the fame temper , who affirm that I am a witch and a Conjurer, whereas I never Writ here nor elfwhere, what is not contain d within the bounds of Nature.
wherefore, Studiow Readers, accept my long Lab ours, thateoflme much Study, Travel, Expence, and much Inconvenience , with the fame Minde that I pub- lico them ; and remove all Bl'mdnefs and Malice, which are wont to dazle the fight of theMtnde, and hinder the Truth ; weigh the fe Things with a right Judgement, when you try what I have Written , for finding both Truth and Profit, you will (tt way be) think better of my Pains. Yet I am affured there will be many ignorant people s void of aU feriow Matters, that will Hate and Envy the fe Things, and
The Preface.
wiU Rajhly pronounce, That fome ofthefeExperiments are not only falfe,butimpoflibl£ to be done ; And wbilfi they flrive by Arguments and vain Difputes 3 to overthrow the Truth, they betray there oven ignorance : Such men, as vile, are to be driven from the Limits of our N A T U R A L M A G I C K : For they that believe not Natures Miracles, do, after a manner, endeavour to abolifh Philof iphy. If I have ■ over-pafj ed f me Things , or not fpoken f o Properly of them, as I might ; / know there is nothing fo Beautiful , but it may be Adorned; Nor fo Full, but it may be Augmented,
J. B. P.
"WW wWa *5C£ ma& •S^t •JP**Xw
The
I
The FIRST BOOK
OF
i* Natural Magick :
Wherein are fearched out the Caufes of things which pro- duce wonderful Effects.
Chap. I. What it meant by the time of UMagick.
Orphyry and Aptfleius, great Platonicks, in an Oration made in the defence of Magick, do witnefs,that Magick took her name and original from Perfia. ThIIj> in his book of Divination, faith, that in the Pcrfian language, a Magician is nothing elfe but one that expounds and ftudies divine things ; and it is the general name of Wife-men in that country. S.Jerome writing to ?4«//'»«*,faith that Apolloniui Tfanatu was a Magician,as the people thought;or a Philofopher,as the Pythagoreans efteem- ed him. Pliny faith , that it is received for a certainty among moft Authors,that Magick was begun in Perfia by Zoroaftres the fon of Orimafttu ; or, as more curious Writers hold, by another Zoroaftres^ furnamed Proconnefiut) who li- ved a little before. The fir ft Author that ever wrote of Magick, was Ofihanes9 who going with Xerxes king of Perfia in the war which he made againft Greece) did fcatcer by the way as it were the feeds andfirft beginnings of this wonderful Art,infeSing the world with it wherefoever he came ; infomuch that the Grecians did not onely greedily defire this knowledge , but they were even mad after it. So then Magick is taken amongft all men for Wifdom, and the perfect knowledge of natural things : and thofe are called Magicians , whom the Latines call Wife-men, the Greeks call Philofophers, of 'Pythagoras onely, the firft of that name, as Diogenes writes : the Indians call them Brackmans,in their own tongue ; but in Greek they call them Gy- mnofophifts, as much co fay as naked Philofophers: the Babylonians and Affyrians call them Chaldeans, of Chaldxa a county in Afia : the Celtcs in France call them Druids, Bards, and Semnothites : the Egyptians call them Priefts ; and the Cabalifts call them Prophets. And fo in divers countries Magick hath divers names. But we finde that the greateft part of thofe who were beft feen into the nature of things,were excellent Magicians: as, amongft the Perfians,Z0r*a/?rmhefon of Orimaftus^hom we fpake of before i amongft the Romanes, 'Hyma Pompilitu ; Thefpion, amongft the Gymnofophifts • Zamolxis, amongft the Thracians ; Abbaris, amongft the Hyperbo- reans ; Hermes^ amongft the ./Egyptians : and Budday amongft the Babylonians. Be- tide thefe, Apuleim reckons up Carinondas, Damigeron^Hifmofes^ApoUomtu^ta^ Dor* damti) who all followed Zoroaftres and Ofthanes,
Chap. II. what is the Nature of UWagick.
^pHere ire two forts of Magick : the one is infamous,and tinhappie,becaufe it hath to do with foul fpirits, and confifts of Inchantments and wicked Curiofity ; and this is called Sorcery ; an art which all learned and good men deteft ; neither is it able to yeeld any truth of Reafon or Nature , but ftands meerly upon fancies and imaginations, fuch as vanifh prefently away, and leave nothing behinde them ; a* Jmblifhm writes in his book concerning the my ftcries of the Egyptians, The other
D Magick
% Natural Magick ? 2?oo^ i.
Magick is natural ; which all excellent wife men do admit and embrace, and worfhip with great applaufcmeither is there any thing more highly efteemed,or better thought of, by men of learning. The mod noble Philofophers that ev^r were , 'Pythagora/, EmpedocleS)Democrites,ind Plato, forfcok their own countries, and lived abroad as exiles and banifhed men, rather then as ftrangers ; . and all to learch out and to attain this knowledge ■ and when they came home again, this was the Science which they profeffed, and this they efteemed a profound myfterie. They that have been mott skiifu. in dark and hidden points of learning, do call this knowledge the very high- eft point, and the perfection of natural Sciences ; infomuch that if they could find out or devife amongft all natural Sciences, anyone thing more excellent or more wonderful then another, that they would ftiil call by the name of Magick. Others have named it the practical part of natural Philofophy, which produceth her effe&s by the mutual and fit application of one natural thing unto another .The Platonicks, as Plot mm imitating Mercuritu, writes in his book of Sacrifice and Magick,makes ic to be a Science whereby inferiour things are made fubjetf to fuperiours, earthly are fubdued to heavenly ; and by certain pretty allurements, it fetcheth forth the properties of the whole frame of the world. Hence the Egyptians termed Nature her feif a Magician, becaufc the hath an alluring power to draw like things by their likes ; and this power,fay they, confifts in love : and the things that were fo drawn and brought together by the affinity of Nature, thofe (they faid) were drawn by Magick. But I think that Magick is nothing elfe but the furvey of the whole courfe of Nature. For, whilft we confider the Heavens, the Stars, the Elements, how they are moved, and how they are changed, by this means we find out the hidden fecre- cies of living creatures, of plants, of metals, and of their generation and corrupti- on ; fo that this whole Science feems meeriy to depend upon ihe view of Nature, as afterward we fhall fee more at large. This doth Platofeem to fignifie in his nlct- biad.es, where he faith, That the Magickof Zoroaftres, was nothing elje, in bis opinion, but the knowledge and fludy of Divine things, wherewith the Kings Sons of 'PerHa, among ft ether princely qualities, were endued \ that by the example of the Common-wealth of the •whole world, they alfo might learn to govern their own Common- we alt h. And Tally, in his book of Divinations, faith, That amongft the Perfians no man might be a Kmg, un- lefshe had frft learned thei/frtof Magick.' for as Nature governs the world by the mutual agreement and disagreement of the creatures ; after the fame fort they alfo might learn to govern the Common-wealth committed unto them. This Art, I fay, is full of much venue, of many fecret myfteries ; it openeth unto us the properties and quali- ties of hidden things, and the knowledge of the whole courfe of Nature j and it teacheth us by the agreement and the difagreement of things, either fo to funder them, or elfe to lay them fo together by the mutual and fit applying of one thing to another, as thereby we do ftrange works, fuch as the vulgar fort call miracles, and fuch as men can neither Well conceive, nor fufficiently admire. Fo* this caufe, Ma- gick was wont to flouriih in ^Ethiopia and India, where was great fiore of herbs and ftones, arid fuch other things as were fit for thefe purpofes. Wherefore, as many of you as come to behold Magick, muft be perfwaded that the works of Magick are no- thing elfe but the works of Nature, whofe dutiful hand-maid Magick is. For if (he find any want in the affinity of Nature, that it is not ftrong enough, (he doth fupply fuc'ci defeCts at convenient feafons, by the help of vapours, and by obferving due meafires and proportions j as in Husbandry, it is Nature that brings forth corn and herbs, but it is Art that prepares and makes way for them. Hence was it that Ami- pho the Poet faid, That we overcome thofe things by Art, wherein Nature doth overccme tut zndPlotwus calls a Magician fuch a one as works by the help of Nature onely, and nod>y the help of Art. Superfiitious, profane, and wicked men have noohing to do with this Science ; her gate is fhut againft them : neither do we judge them worthy to be.driven away from this profeffion onely, but even out of Cities, and out of theworld,tobegrievoufly punifhed, and utterly deftrayed. Butnow^what h the duty , and what muft be the learning of this profeffor, we purpofe to fhc w in that which foliowcih.
CHAP,
of the Caufes of Wonderful things.
Chap. III.
"The InfiruBion of a <JW*gician} and what manner of man a CMagician ought to he. ■
NOw it is meet to in'.buft * Magician, both what he muft know,and what he mud oblerve ; that being luffciently inftru&ed every way,he may bring very llrange and wonderful things to p2fs. Seeing Magick, as we (hewed before, is a pra&ical part of Natural Philoibphy , therefore it behoveth a Magician, and one that afpires to the dignity of that profeffion, to be an exa& and a very perfect Philofopher. For Pi?ilofophy teaches, what are the effects of fire, earth, air, and water , the principal matter of the heavens ■ and what is thecaufeof the flowing of the Sea, and of the divers-coloured Rain-bowe ; and of the loud Thunder,and of Comet ,and firy lights that appear by night,and of Earth-quakes ; and what arc the beginnings of Gold and of Iron ; and what is the whole witty force of hidden Nature. Then alfo he muft be a skilful Phyfician : for both thefe Sciences are very like and neer together • and Phyfkk,by creeping in under colour of Magi;k , hath purchafed favour amongft men. And furely it is a gieat help unto us in this kinde : for it teaches mixtures and temperatures, and fo fhews us how to compound and lay things together for fuch purpofes. Moreover, it is required of him,that he be an Herbalift,not onely able to difcern common Simples, but very skilful and fharpfighted in the nature of all plants: for the uncertain names of plants,and their neer likenefs of one to another, fo that they can hardly be dtfeerned , ruth put us to much trouble in fome of our works and experiments. And as there is no greater inconvenience to any Artificer, then not to know his tools that he muft work with : fo the know ledge of plants is fo neceffary to this profeffion, that indeed it is all in all. He muft be as well feen alfo in the nature of Metals, Minerals Gems and Stones. Furthermore,what cunning he muft have in the art of DWillation , which follows and refembles the fhowers and dew of heaven, as the daughter the mother ; I think no man will doubt of it : for it yeelds daily very ftrange inventions, and moft witty devices, and fhews how to finde out many things profitable for the ufe of man : As for example, to draw out of things dewy vapours, unfavoury and grofs fents or fpirits, clot?, and gummy or filmy humours ; and that intimate eflence which lurks in the inmoft bowels of things, to fetch it forth, and fublimate it, that it may be of the greater ftrengtb. And this he muft learn to do, not after a rude and homely manner, but with knowledge of the caufes and reafons thereof. He muft alfo know the Mathematical Sciences,and efpe- cially Aftrologie ; for that fhews how the Stars are moved in the heavens, and what is the caufe of the darkningof the Moon ; and how the Sun, that golden planet, meafures out the parts of the world, and governs it by twelvtSignes : for by the fundry motions and afpefts of the heavens, the celeftial bodies are very beneficial to the earth ; and from thence many things receive both active and paffive powcrs,and their manifold properties: the difficulty of which point long troubled the Platonicks mindes, how thefe inferiour things fhould receive influence from heaven. More- over, he muft be skilful in the Opticks , that he may know how the fight may be de- ceived , and how the likenefs of a vifion that is feen in the water, may be feen hang- ing without in the air, bv the help of certain Glaffes of divers fafhions ; and how to make one fee that plainly which is a great way off, and how to throw fire very far from us : upon which fl *ights, the greateft part of the fecrecies of Magick doth de- pend. Thefe are the Sciences which Magick takes to her felf for fervants and help- ers ; and he that knows not thefe , is unworthy to be named a Magician. He muft be a skilful worktnan,both by natural gifts,and alfo by the pra&ife of his own hands: for knowledge without pra&ice and workmanfhip,and practice without knowledge, are nothing worth ; thefe are fo linked togcther,that the one without the other is but v ain,and to no purpofe. Some there are fo apt for thefe enterprites,even by the gifts of Nature, that God may feem to have made them hereunto. Neither yet do I fpeak thi?, as if Art could not perfeft any thing : for I know that good things may be made better , and there are means to remedy and help fowajd d>*t which lacks
D a per-
^ Natural Magick, ^Boo/^u
perfection. Firft, let * man confidcr and prepare things providently and skilfully, and then let him fall to work, and do nothing unadvifedly. This I thought good to fpeak of,that if at any time the ignorant be deceived herein, he may not lay the fault upon us, but upon his own unskilfulnefs : for this is the infirmity of the fcholar,and not of the teacher : for if rude and ignorant men fliall deal in thefe matters , this Science will be much difcredited , and thofe ftrange effects will be accounted hap- hazard, which are mtft certain, and follow their neceffary caufes. If you would have your works appear more wonderful, you muft not let the caufe be known : for that is a wonder to us, which we fee to be done, and yet know not the caufe of it : for he that knows the caufes of a thing done,doth not fo admire the doing of it ; and nothing is counted unufual and rare , but onely fo far forth as the caufes thereof arc not known . Ariftotle in his books of Handy-trades,faith,that matter- builders frame and make their tools to work with ; but the principles thereof, which move admi- ration,thofe they conceal. A certain man put out a candle ; and putting it to a fione or a wall, lighted it again ; and this feemed to be a great wonder : but when once they perceived that he touched it with brimftone, then, faith (jaUn^ it ceafed to feem a wonder. A miracle, faith Ephefttts, is diflblved by that wherein ic feemed to be a miracle. Laftly, the profeflbr of this Science murt alio be rich : for if we lack mo- ney, we fliall hardly work in thefe cafes : for it is not Philofophy that can make us rich; we muft firft be rich, that we may play the Philofophers. Hemuft fpare forno charges, but be prodigal in feeking things out •, and while he is bufie and careful in feeking, he muft be patient alfo,and think it not much to recal many things ; neither muft he fpare for any pains : for the fecrets of Nature are not revealed to lazie and id le perfon?. Wherefore Spicharmus faid very well, that men purchafe all things at Gods hands by the price of their labour. And if the effect of thy work be not anfwerablc to my defcription, thou muft know that thy felf haft failed in fome one point or another j for I have fet down thefe things briefly, as being made for wit- ty and skilful workmen, and not for rude and young beginners.
Chap, IV.
The opinions of the antient Philofophers touching the caufe $ of ftrange operations ; and firft, of the Elements,
TTHofe effe&sof Nature which oft-times we behold, have fo imployed theantient Philofophers minds in the fearching forth of their caufes, that they have taken great pains, and yet were much deceived therein; infomuch that divers of them have held divers opinions : which it fliall not be amifs to relate, before we proceed any farther. The firft fort held that all things proceed from the Elements, and that thefe are the firft beginnings of things; the fire, according to Hippafus Metapomi- tiUi) and Heraclides Ponticw; the air, according to Diogenes Apolloniates^ and Anaxi- menes; and the water, according to Thales Mileftus. Thefe therefore they held to be the very original and firft feeds of Nature; even the Elements, fimplc and pure bodies (whereas the Elements that now are, be but counterfeits and baftards to them ; for they are all changed, every one of them being more or lefs medled with one another) thofe, fay they, are the material principles of a natural body, and they are moved and altered by continual fucceflion of change; and they are fo wrapt up together within the huge cope of heaven, that they fill up this whole fpace of the world which is fituate beneath the Moon ; for the fire being the ligbteft and pureft Element, hath gotten up aloft, and chofe it felf the higheft room, which they call[the element of fire. The next Element to this is the Air,which is fomwhat more weighty then the fire, and it is fpread abroad in a large and huge compafs ; and paf- fing through all places, doth make mens bodies framable to her temperature, and is gathered together lometimes thick into dark clouds, fometimes thinner into mifts, and fo is refolved. The next to thefe is the water; and then the laftand loweftof all, which is fcrapqd and compared together out of the purer Elements,
Of the Qaufes of Wonderful things. y
and is called the Earth ; a chick and groffe fubftancc , very folid , and by no means to be pierced through : fo that there is no folid and firm body but hath earth in ir, as alfo there is no vacant fpace but hath air in it. This Element of earth is fituatein the middle and centre of all, and is round befet with all the reft; and this only ftands ftill and unmoveable, whereas all the reft are carried with a circular motion round about it. But Hippon and fritias held that the vapours of the Elements were the firft beginnings : Parmtnides held that their qualities were the principles; for ail things (faith he) confflof cold and heat. The Phyfitians hold that ail things cor.fiGc of four qualities, heat, cold, moifture, drouth, and of their predominancy when they meet together ; for every Element doth embrace as it were with certain armes his neighbour-Element which is next fituate to him ; and yet they have alio contrary and fundry qualities whereby they differ : for the wifdom of nature hath framed this workmanfhip of the world by due and fee meafure, and by a wonderful fitneffe and conveniency of one thing with another; for whereas every Element had two qualities, wherein it agreed with fome, and difagreed with other Elements, nature hath bellowed fuch a double quality upon every one, as finds in other two her like, which (he cleaves unto : as for example, the air and the fire ; this is hot and dry, that is hot and moift : now dry and moift are contraries, and thereby fire and air difagree ; but becaufe either of them is hot, thereby they arc reconciled. So the Earth is cold and dry, and the water cold and moift; fo that they difagree, in that ihe one is moift, the other dry ; but yet are reconciled, in as much as they are both cold ; otherwife they could hardly agree. Thus the fire by little and little is changed into air, becaufe either of them is hot ; the air into the water, becaufe either of them is moift ; the water into the earth, becaufe either of them is cold ; and the earth into fire, becaufe either of them is dry : and fo they fucceed each other after a moft provident order.From thence alfo they are turned back again into themfelves, the order being inverted, and fo they are made mutually of one another : for the change is eafie in thofe that agrecin any one common qualicy ; as fire and air be ea- fily changed into each other, by reafon of heat : but where either of the qualities are oppofite in both, as in fire and water, there this change is not fo eafie. So then, heat,cold, moifture and drouth, are the firft and principal qualities) in as much as they proceed immediately from the Elements, and produce certain fecondary ef- fefts. Now two of them,namely heat and cold, are active qualities,fitter to be do- ing themfelves,then to fuller of others : the other two,namely moifture and drouth, are pafllve • not becaufe they are altogether idle,but becaufe they follow and are pre- fcrved by the other. There are certain fecondary qualities,which attend as it were upon the firft j and thefe are faid to work in a fecond fort ; as to foftcn, to ripen, to refolve, tomakeleffe or thinner: as when heat works into any mixt body, ic brings out that which is unpure,and fo whilft it ftrives to make it fit for his purpofe, that ic may be more fimple, the bodybecometh thereby fmaller and chinner: fo cold doch preferve , binde, and congeal ; drouth doth thicken or harden , and makes uneven ; for when there is great ftore of moifture in the utter parts, that which the drouth is not able to confume, it hardens , and fo che ucccr pares become rugged ; for chac pare where che moifture is gone, finking down, and che other where it is hardened, rifing up, there muft needs be great roughnefle and rugged- neffe : fo moifture doth augment , corrupt, and for the moft part works one thing byicfelf, and another by fome accident ; as by ripening, binding, expelling, and fuch like, it brings forth milk, urine, monethly flowers, and fweat ; which the Phy- fitians call the third qualities, that do fo wait upon the fecond, as the fecond upon the firft: andfometime they have their operations in fome certain parts, as to ftrengthen che head, to fuccour the reins ; and thefe, fome call fourth qualities. So then,thefe are the foundations, as chey call chem, of all mixt bodies, and of all wonderful operations : and whatsoever experiments they proved, the caufes hereof refted (as they fuppofed) and were to be found in the Elements and their qualities. ButEmpedocles Agrigentinus not thinking that the Elements were fufficient for this purpofe, added unco them moreover concord and difcord, as thecaufesof genera-
6 Natural Magick , ©00^ i.
tion and corruption : There be four principal feeds or beginnings of all things • J*. piter, that is to fay, fire ; Pluto> that is to fay, earth ;Juno9 that is to fay, air ; 'and Neftisi that is to fay, water: all thefe fometimes love and concord knits together in one, and fometimes difcord doth funder them and make them flie apart. This concord and difcord, faid he, are found in the Elements by reafon of their lundry qualities wherein they agree and difagree : yea,even in heaven it lelf, as Jupiter and Venn love all Planets fave Mars&nd Saturn, Venus agrees with Mars , whereas no Planet elfe agrees with him. There is alfo another disagreement amongft them, which arifeth from the oppolit ions and elevations of their houfes : for even the twelve figns are both at concord and at difcord among themfelvcs, is Mam/iusihc Poet hath (hewed.
Chap. V.
7 hat divers operations of Nature proceed from the effential forms of things,
A LI the Peripateticks , and moft of the latter Philofophers could not fee how all operations (hould proceed from thofecaules which the Antiems have let aown ; for they find that many things work quite contrary to their qualities , and therefore they have imagined that there is fome other matter in it, and that it is the power and properties of effential formes. Bat now that all thing; maybe made more plain, we mull ccnfiderthac it will be a great help unto us, for the making and finding out of ftrange things, to know what that is from whence the venues of any thing do proceed : that fo we may be able to difcern and diftinguifh one thing from another, without confounding all order of truth. Whereas one and the fame com- pound yeelds many effe£fs of different kinds , as we (hall find in the proceffe of this Book, yet every man confeffeth that there is but one only original caufe there- in that produceth all thelic effeels. And feeing we are about to open plainly this ori- ginal caufe, we mull begin a little higher. Every natural fubllance (I mean a com- pound body) is compofed of matter and form, as of her principles : neither yet do I exclude the principal qualities of the Elements from doing their part herein ; for they alfo concur, and make up the number oc three principles: for when the Ele- ments meet together in the framing of any compound, the lame compound retains certain excellent and chief qualities of theirs ; whereof though all help together to bring forth any effe&s , yet the fuperiour and predominant qualities are held to do all, becaufe they make the power of their inferiour, to become theirs : for unleffe fome were ftronger then other, their venues could not be perceived. Neither yet is the matter quite dettitute of all force: I fpeak here, rot of the firft and firople matter, but of that which conlifts of thefubftances and properties of the Elements, efpecially the two paflible elements, the Earth and the Water : and thofe which Arifiotle calleth fometimes fecondary qualities, fometimes bodily effects, we may term them the functions and powers of the matter ; as thinneffe, thickneffe, rough- neffe, fmoothnefle, ealineffe to be clefc, and fuch like, are altogether in the power of the matter, howbeit they proceed all from the Elements. Therefore to avoid con- fufion, it is better to hold that the effects of the qualities come of the temperature or mixture of the Elements, but the effects of the matter from the confidence or fubftances of them. But the Form hath fuch lingular vertue,that whatsoever effects we fee,all of them firft proceed from thence ; and it hath a divine beginning and be- ing the chiefeft and moll excellenr part, ablolure of her felf , (he uietb the reft as her inflruments , for the more fpeedy and convenient difpatch of her adfions: and he which is not addifted nor accullomed to fuch contemplations , fuppoietb that the temperature and the matter works all things, whereas indeed they are hut as ic were inflruments whereby the form worketh : for a workman that ufeth a graving Iron in the catving of an Image, doth not ufe it as though that could work, but for his own furtherance in the quicker and berter performance thereof. Therefore whereas there are three efficient and working caufes in every compound, we muft not fuppofe
any
Of the Qaufes of Wonderful things, y
any of them to be idle, but all at woik, fome more and fcmelefle • but above all other, the form is molt afttve and bufie, lengthening the reft ; which furely would be to nopurpofe. if the form fhould fail them , in as much as they are not capable of heavenly infiuences. And though the form of it felf be not able to produce fuch effe&s, but the reft alfo mull do their parts, yet are they neither confounded toge- ther, nor yet become divers things ; but they are fo knit among themfeiver , that one Hands in need of anothers help. He that fcans thefe things well by the iearch of reafon, fhall find no obfeurity herein,nor confound the knowledge of the truth. Wherefore that force which is called the property of a thing, proceeds not from the temperature, but from the very form it felf.
Chap. VI.
Whence the Form cometh j and of the chain that Homer faigned, and the rings that Pla- to memioneth,
SO then, the form, as it is the moft excellent part, fo it cometh from a mod ex- cellent place ; even immediately from the higheft heavens, they receiving it from the intelligences, and thefe from God himfelf : and the fame original which the Form hath, conlequently the properties alio have. Zeno Citticm holds two begin- nings, God and Matter ; the one of them aSive or efficient, the other thepaffive principle. For God, as Plato thinks, when by the Almighty power of his Deity he had framed in due meafure and order the heavens , the liars, and the very firft prin- ciples of things the Elements, which waft away by reafon of fo many generations and corruptions, did afterwards by the power of the Heavens and Elements, or- dain the kinds of living creatures, plants, and things without life, every one in their degree, that they might not be of the fame eftate and condition as the hea- vens are ; and he enjoyned inferiour things to be ruled of their fuperiours, by a fet Law, and poured down by heavenly influence upon everything his own proper Form,ful of much ftrength and a&ivity:and that there might be a continual encreafe amongft them, he commanded allxhings to bring forth feed, and to propagate and derive their Form wherefoever fhould be fit matter to receive it. So then, feeing that formes come from heaven, theymuft needs be counted Divine and heavenly thingsrfor fuch is the pattern and the moft excellent caufe of them,which ?Atf0, that chief Philofopher, cails the foul of the World, and Ariftotle univerfal Nature, and Avicenna calls it the Form-giver. This Form-giver doth not make it of any thing, as though it were but iome frail and tranfitory fubftance, but fiatcheth it meerly out of himielf, and bellows ir firft upon intelligences and liars, and then by certain afpe&s informetb the Elements, as being fit inflrumentsto difpofe the matter. See- ing therefore this Form cometh from the Elements, from heaven, from the intelli- gences, yea from God himfelf ; who is fo foolifli and untoward, as to fay thatic doth not favour of that heavenly nature, and in fome fort of the Majefty of God himfelf? and that it doth not produce fuch effects, as nothing can be found more wonderfull , feeing it hath fuch affinity with God? Thus hath the providence of God linked things together in their rankes and order, that all inferiour things might by their due courics be derived originally from God himfelf, and from him receive their Operations. For God the firft caufe and beginner of things, as Macrobtm fakb, of hisownfruitfulneffe hath created and brought forth a Spirit, the Spirit brought forth a Soul, (bur the truth of Chriftianity faith otherwife) the Soul is fur- nifhed partly with reafon , which it beftows up Divine things,as heaven and the ftars (for therefore are they faid to have Divine Spirits) and partly with fenfitive and vegetative powers,which it beflows upon frail and tranfitory things. Thus much Vtr* gil well perceiving, caileth this Spirit ,The foul of the World ; The Spirit, faith he, cherifheth it within , and conveying it felf through the inmoft parts, quickens and moves the whole lamp, and dofcth with this huge body. Wherefore feeing Man ftands as it were in the middle,bet wixt eternal and thole tranfitory things,and is not
• altoge*
8 Natural Magick , Soo^ i.
altogether fo excellent as heaven, and yet, bccaufe of his reafon,more excellent then other living creatures ; and he hath alfo the fenfitive power : therefore the other living creatures, as it were degenerating from man, are indued onely with the two powers that remain, the fenfitive and vegetative powers. But the Trees or Plants, becaufethey have neither fcnfe nor reafon, bur do onely grow are faid to live on- ly in this refpe&, that they have this vegetative foul. This the fame Poet doth ex- preffe a little after. Seeing then the Spirit cometh from God, and from the Spirit comcth the foul, and the foul doth animate and quicken all other things in their or- der, that Plants and bruit beafts do agree in vegetation or growing, bruit beafts with Man in fenfe, and Man with the Divine creatures in undemanding, fo that the fuperior power cometh down even from the very firft caufeto thefe inferiours, de- riving her force into them, likeasit wcrea cord platted together, and llretchcd along from heaven to earth, in fuch fort as if either end of this cord be touched, it will wag the whole; therefore we may rightly call this knitting together of things, a chain, or link and rings, for it agrees fitly with the rings of Tlato, and with Ho- mers golden chain, which he being the firlt author of all divine inventions, hath fignified to the wife under the fhadow of a fable, wherein he fcigneth, that all the gods and goddeffes have made a golden chain, which they hanged above in heaven, and it reacheth down to the very earth. But the truth of Chrirtianity holderh that the Souls do not proceed from the Spirit, but even immediately from God himfelf. Thefe things a Magician being well acquainted withal, doth match heaven and earth . together,as the Husband-man plants Elmes by his Vines ; or to fpeak more plainly, he marries and couples together thefe inferiour things by their wonderful gifts and powers, which they have received from their fuperiours • and by this means he, be- ing as it were the fervant of Nature, doth bewray her hidden fecrets, and bring them to light, fo far as he hath found them true by his own daily experience, that fo all men may love, and praile, and honour the Almighty power of God, who hath thus wonderfully framed and difpofed all things.
Chap. VII.
Of Sympathy and Antipathy • and that by them we may k»ow and find outtht vtrtHes of things,
BY reafon of the hidden and fecret properties of things, there is in all kinds of creatures a certain companion, as I may call it, which the Greeks call Sympathy and Antipathyjbut we term it more familiarly ,their confcnt,and their difagreement. For fome things are joyned together as it were in a mutual league, and fome other things are at variance and difcord among themfelves; or they have fomething in them which is a terror and deftru&ion to each other, whereof there can be rendred no probable reafon : neither will any wife man feek after any other caufe hereof but only this, That it is the pleafure of Nature to fee it fhould be fo, that (he would have nothing to be without his like, and that amongft all the fecrets of Nature, there is nothing but hath fome hidden and fpecial property ; and moreover, that by this their Content and Difagreement , we might gather many helps for the ufes and neceffities of men; for when once we find one thing at variance with another, pre- fently we may conjeflure, and in trial fo it will prove, that one of them maybe ufed as a fit remedy againft the harms of the other : and furely many things which former ages have by this means found cut, they have commended to their pofte- rity, as by their writings may appear. There is deadly hatred, and open enmity betwixt Coleworts and the Vine ; for whereas the Vine windes it felf with her ten* drels about every thing elfe, fhe fhuns Coleworts only : if once fhe come neer them, fhe turns her felf another way, as if fhe were told that her enemy were at hand: and when Coleworts is feething, if you put never fo little wine unto it, it will neither boil nor keep the colour. By theexamp'e of which experiment, «/f»- drocides found out a remedy againft wine, namely, that Coleworts are good againft
drunken-
Of the Caufes of W onderful things. p
drunken neffe, as Theophrafius faith , in as much as the Vine cannot away with the favour of Coleworts. And this herbe is at enmity with Cyclamineor Sow-bread ; for when they are put together , if cither of them be green , it will dry up the o- ther:now this Sow-bread being put into wine, doth encreafe drunkenne{fe,where- as Coleworcs is a remedy againii drunkenneffe, as we faid before. I vy, as it is the * bane of ali Trees, fo it is mofi hurtful, and thegreateft enemy to the Vine ; and therefore Ivy alfois good agaiolt drunkennefle.There is likewiie a wonderful enmi- ty betwixt Cane and Fern, fo that one of them dellroyes the other. Hence it is that a Fern root powned, doth loofe and fhake out the darts from a wounded body,thac were fhot or caft out of Canes : and if you would not have Cane grow in a place, do but plow up the ground with a little Fern upon the Plough -fhear, and Cane will never grow there. Strangle-tare or Choke-weed defires to grow amongft Pulfe,and efpecially among Beans and Fetches, but it choaks them all : and thence V'.ofcorides gathers,That if it be put amongft Pulle,let to feethe, it will make them feethe quick" iy. Hemlock and Rue are at enmity; they ftrive each againii other :Rue mult not be handled or gathered with a bare hand, for then it will caufe Ulcers to arile ; but if you do chance to touch it with your bare hand, and fo t aufe it to fwell or itch, a- noint ic with the juice of Hemlock. Much Rue being eaten, becometh poifon; but the juice of Hemlock expels ^it ; fo that one polon poifoneth another: and likewiie Rue is good againii Hemlock being drunken, as cDiofcorides faith. A wilde Bull being tyed to a Fig-tree, waxeth tame and gentle, as Zoroafter faith, who com- piled a book called Geopomca , oat of the choice writings of the Antients. Hence it was found out, that the ftalks of a wilde Fig-tree, if they be put to Beef as it is boiling, make it boil very quickly, as P//»7 writeth ; and D/ofcorides mini- ftrech young figs that are full of milky juice, together with a portion of water and vinegar, as a remedy againft a draught of Bulls blood. The Elephant is afraid of a Ram, or an engine of warfo called: for as foonasevet he feeth it, he waxeth meek, and his fury ceafeth : hence the Romans by thefe engines put to flight the Elephants of Vyrrhm King of the Epyrotes, and fo got a great victory, ^uch a contrariety is there betwixt the Elephants members, and that kind of Lepry which makes the skin of a man like the skin of an Elephant ; and they are a prefent reme- dy againft that dileafe. The Ape of all other things cannot abide a Snail: now the Ape is a drunken beaft, for they are wont to take an Ape by making him drunk; and a Snail well wafhed is aremedy againft drunkennefle. A man is at deadly ha- tred with a Serpent : for if he do but fee a Serpent, prefently he is fore difmaid ; and if a woman with child meet a Serpent, her fruit becometh abortive : hence it is, that when a woman is in very fore travel, if fhe do but fmell the fume of an Adders hackle, it will prefently either drive out, or deftroy her child : but it is better to anoint the mouth of the womb in fuch a cafe, with the fat of an Adder. The fight of a Wolfe is fo hurtful to a man, that if he fpie a man firft, he takes his voice from him; and though he would fain cry out, yet he cannot fpeak: but if he perceive that the man bath firft efpied him, he makes no ado, but his favagefury ceafeth, and his ftrength failes him. Hence came that proverb, Lu- p*t infabtiUy the Wolf comethinthe nick; which TUto fpeaks of in his Poli- ticks. The Wolf is afraid of the Urchin • thence, if we wafh our mouth and throats with Urchines blood, it will make our voice fhrill, though before it were hoarfe and dull like a Wolves voice. A Dog and a Wolfe are at great ecmity ; and therefore a Wolves «kin put upon any one that is bitten of a mad Dog, af- fwageth the fwelling of the humour. An Hawk is a deadly enemy to Pigeons, but they are defended by the Kaftrel, which the Hawk cannot abide either to hear or fee: and this the Pigeons know well enough ; for wherefoever the Kaftrel remains, there alfo will the Pigeons remain, thinking themfelves fafe becaufe of their protec>or, Hence Cecelia faith, That there is a kind of Hawks which the common-people call a Kaftrel, that builds her neft about houfes, that is very good to keep away hawk; from a Pigeon-houfe t If you take the Kaflrels youngones and put them in divers earthen pots,and cover the pots clofe,& plaifter them round about, ind hang them up in fundry corners of a Pi^eon-houfe, the Pigeons will be fo far
io Natural Magick, Sm^i.
in love with the place, that they will never forfake ir. Hither belongeth that no- table Difagree men t that is betwixt Garlickand the Load-ftone: for being lineared about with Garlike, it will not draw iron to it; as P/tttar^ hath noted, and after him Ttolomans : the Load-ftone hath in it a poifonous vertue, andGarlick is good againft poifon : but if no man had written of the power of Garlick againft the Lcad- ftone, yet we might conjecture it to be fo, becaufe it is good againft viperr, and mad dogs, and poifonous waters. So likewife thole living creatures that are ene- mies to poifonous things, and fwallow them up without danger, may fhew us that fuch poilons will cure the bitings and blows of thofe creatures. The Hart and the Serpent are at continual enmity : the Serpent as foon as he feeth the Harriets him into his hole, but the Hart draws him out again with the breath of his'nolirils,and devours him : hence it is that the fat and the blood of Harts, and the ftones that grow in their eyes, are miniftred as fit remedies againft the ftingiog and biting of ferpents. Likewife the breath of Elephants draws Serpents out of their dens, and they fight with Dragons; and therefore the members of Elephants burned, drives away Serpents. The Storks drive out of the Countreyes where they are, Ly- zards, and fundry kinds of Serpents, and other noifome things in the fields : and the intrails of them all are good againft the Storks. The fame is done alfo in Egypt by the bird Ibis. That Indian Rat, called Ichneumon, doth harneffe himfelf with fomeof the Lote-tree, and fo fights asainft the Afp. The Lamprey fights with Ser- pents, and with her biting, kills the Bafilisk, which is themoft poilonous fcrpeDt that is. So alio the crowing of a Cock affrights the Bafilisk, and he fights with Ser- pents to defend his hens • and the broth of a Cock is a good remedy againft the poifon of ferpents. So the Snail and the Eagle. The Stellion, which is a b?aft like a Lyzard , is an enemy to the Scorpions ; and therefore the oyle of him being pu- trified is good to anoint the place which is ftricken by the Scorpion. The Barbel eats up the Sea-hare, and is good againft the poifon thereof. A Swine cats up a Salaman- der, without danger, and is good againft the poifon thereof. The Hawk is an enemy to the Chamaeleon, and his dung drunken in wine, is good againft the poifon oftheChamseleon. Likewife out of the Sympathies of plants, we may tather fome fecret, which is helpful againft fome kind of hurt. The herb Corruda, whereof Sperage comes, is mort fitly planted where Reed grows, becaufe they are of much likeneffeandneerneff-jandbothof them are inciters to luft. The Vine and the Olive-tree do joy in each others company, as Africanm writes: both of them are very commodious for mens ufes. In like manner the Morehenne loves the Hart, which is given to luft ; both of their members are inciters to venery. The Goat and the Partridge love each other ; and both thefe are good for one and the fame re- medy. So the fifh Sargus and the Goat. A Dog is molt friendly to a man; and if you lay him to any difeafed part of your body, he takes away the difeafe to himfelf; as Pliny reporteth.
Chap. VIII.
That things receive their force and power from Heaven, and from the Stars; and that thereby many things are wrought.
ISuppofe that no man doubts but that thefe inferiour things ferve their fuperiours, and that the generation and corruption of mutable things, every one in his due courfe and order, is over-ruled by the power of thofe heavenly Natures. The Egyptians, who firft proved and found out the cffe&s of the heavens , becaufe they dwelt in the open Champion-fields, where they had continually fair-wea- ther , and there were no vapours fent up from the earth which might hinder their contemplation of heaven, fo that they might continually behold the Stars in their brightneffe , did therefore wholly beftow themfelves in the know- ledge of heavenly influences : and whereas others that were not fo diligenc as they, flood amazed at the caufes of things, thefe men referred all to the heavens and the Stars, that all things took their deftiny from them, and that the influence of heaven bare great fway in all generations and corruptions; and thus obferving the motions of the ftars to and fro, they wrought many wonderful things ;
Of the Caufes of Wonderful things. n
for this was their reiolution, that to certain hours and lee times , there were an- iwerable ceruin afpefh of iuperiour powers,. wnercby all things were eff^&ed, Ptolomj was of the lame minde, who reduced the heavenly influences to a certain order, and thereby did prognoilicate many things: and he thought the mattr ih clear, that it need not mnch proof: and moreover, that the increafe and decreafe of all plants, and all living creature?, mcreorlefle, did proceed from the power andftrokeof thefiars. Ar.ftotle , finding that the hi'^helt motion was the caule aod beginning of all thing-;, \fcr if that fhould ceafe, thefemuit needs presently de- cay) faith,that it was nectfl'iry fcr this world t obi placed very neerand clofe to the iuperiour motions, that all power might be thence derived ; and he faw that all this force of inferiour thing; was caufed itom the Sun, as he himfelf fitly (hews: The winding courfe of the Sun, faith he, in the oblique circle of the Zodiak, caufeth the generation and corruption of alltranfitory things ; and by his going to and frc, diiiingu;fhath times and (Worts, TUto faith, that the circular motions of the hea- vens are the caufes of fruitfuln.fl; and b-irrennefle. The Sun is the Governour of time, and r he rule of life. Hence J m'Uchm following the do&rinc of the Egyp- tians, i'aich,that every good thing cometh certainly from the power of the Sun •, and if we receive any good from any thing elfe, yet the Sun mull pcrfeit and fnifh it. Heraclittu calls the Sun, the Fountain of heavrnly light; 0,-phetts calls it the light of life . TUto calls it a heavenly Fire, an ever li .ingC reature, a (lar that hath a Soul, the greatett and the daily flar : and the natural Philofophers call it the very heart of heaven. And Pfor/«*« fhews, that in antiem times the Sun was honoured infiead of God. Neither yet is the Moon ltiTe powerful, bur what with her own force, and what with the force of the un which (he borrows, fhe works much.by reafon of her neemefle to thefe inferiours. Albu r.a\at faid, That all thing- had their vertue from the Sun and the Moon : and Hermes the learned laid, that the Sun and the Moon are the life of all things living. Tne Moon is nighelt to the Earth of all Planets ; fhe rules moift bpdie?,and (he hath luch affinity wirh thefe inferiour , that as well things that have fouls, as they that have none, do feel in themiclves htr waxing, and her. waining. The Seas and Flouds, Rivers and Springs, do rife and fall, do run fome- times fwifter,fometimes flower , as fhe tules them. The furges of the Sea are toft to and fro, by continual fuccefhon ; no other caufe whereof the Antienrs could find but the Moon only : neither is there any other apparent reaion of the ebbing and flowing thereof. Li\ ing creatures are much at her beck, and receive from her great encreafe : for when fhe is at the fml, as LucUius faith, fhe feeds Oyfters,Crabs, Shelfifli, and foch like, which her warm light doth temper kindly in the night fea- fon; but when fhe is but the half or the quarter light, then (he withdraws her nou- riftiment, and they wafte.Tn like manner, Cucumbers, Grurds, Pompons, and fuch like, as have (lore of waterifli juice, feel the ftateof the Moon: forthey wax as fhe doth j and when fhe wiineth, they wade, as Athens.™ writes. Likewife the very fiemsof plants do follow the ftate of the heavens; witneffe the Husband-man, who finds it by experience in his grafting: and skilful Husbandmen have found the courfe and feafon of the year, and the m nethly race of the Moon fo neceffary for plants, that they havefuppofed this knowledge to be one chief part of Husbandry. Soalfo, when the Moon paffeth through thofe fignsof the Zodiak which aremoft peculiar to the earth, if you then plant trees, they will be ftrongly rooted in the earth: if you plant them when (ru pafleth through thefigns of the Air, then the tree fo planted, will be plentiful in branches and leaves, and eucreafeth more up- ward then downward. But of all other , the moll pregnant fign hereof is found in the Pome-granate • which will bring forth fruit julHo many years, as many daies as the Moon is old when you plant it. And it is a report alfo, that Garlick, if it be fct when the Moon is beneath the earth, and be alio plucked up at fuch a time, it will lofe its ftrong favour.All cut and looped Woods,asTimber and Fewel,are full of muchmoifture at the new of the Moon; and by reafon of that moifture, they wax foft, and fo the worm eats them, and they wither away. And therefore Vtmoeritm counfellcth , and VttruvtHi is alio of the fame rninde , to cut ox lop trees ia
E 2 the
i !•
\% Natural Magick, 2?oo^ i.
thewainingof the Moon, that being cut in feafon, they may latt long without rot- tenneffe. And that which is more, as her age varies, fo her effc&s vary according to her age; for inherfirft quarter, (he maketh hot and moiif,butefpecially mcitt j from thence all moift things grow and receive their humidity in that time : from that time to thefull of the Moon, (he gives heat and moiilure equally, as may be feen in Trees and Minerals : from that time to the half Moon decaying, (he is hoi and rnoili, but efpecially hot, becaufe (lie is fuller of light; thence the fifhes at that time com- monly are wont to iwim in the topof the water • and that the Moon is in this age warm, appears by this, that it doth extend and enlarge moift bodies ; and thereby the moifturc encreahng,it caufeth rottennefle, and maketh them wither and wallc a- way. But in her 'alt quarter, when (he lofeth all her light, then (he is meerly hot ; and the wifes of £ka/dea hold that this ftate of heaven is beft of all other. So they report that there is a Moon-herb, having round twirled leaves of t blewifh colour, which is well acquainted with the age of the Moon ; for when the Moon waxeth, this herb every day of her ags brings forth a leaf ; and when (he waineth, trie fame herb lofeth for every day a leac. Thefe variable effefts of the Moon, we may fee more at large, and more ufually in tame creatures and in plants, where we have dai • ly fight and experience thereof. The Pifmire, that little creature, hath t fenfe of the change of the Planets: for fhe worketh by night about the full of the Moon, but fhe refteth all the fpace betwixt the old and the new Moon. The inwards of mice anfwer the Moons proportion ; for they encreafewith her, and with her they alfo ftirinkaway. If we cut our hair, or pair our nailes before the new Moon, they will grow again but flowly ; if at or about the new Mcon, they will grow again quickly. The eyes of Cats are alfo acquainted with the alterations of the Moon, fo that they are fomctimes broader as the light is lefle , and narrower when the light of the Moon is greater. The Beetle marketh the ages aud feafons of the Planets : for he gathering dung out of the mixen, rounds it up together, and covereth it with earth for eight and twenty daies, hiding it fo long as the Moon goeth about the Zodiak ; and when the new Moon ccmeth, he openeth that round ball of dirt, and thence yields ay oung Beetle. Onions alone, of all other herbs, (which is molt wonderful) feels the changeable ftate of the Planets, but quite contrary to their change frameth it felf; for when the Moon waineth, the Onions encreafe; and when fhe waxeth, they decay; for which cauiethePrieftsof Egypt would not eac Onions, as P/#;*n^writes in his fourth Commentary upon Hefiode. That kinde of fpurge which k called Heliofcopium-, becaufe it follows the Sun , difpofeth of her reaves as the Sun rules them • for when the Sun rifeth, fhe openeth them, as being tfefirous that the morning fhould fee them rife ; and fhutteth them when the Sun fetteth, as defiring to have her flower covered and concealed from the night. So many other herbs follow the Sun, as the herb Turn-iolc: for when the Sun rifeth, (he holds down her head all day long, that the Sun may never fo much as writhe any of her (there is fuch love as it were betwixt them) and fhe ftoops (fill the fame way which the Sun goeth : fo do the flowers of Succory and of Mallows. Likewifc the pulfe called Lupines, ftill looks after the Sun, that it may not Writhe hisftalk; and this watcheth the Suns motion fo duly, that like a Dial it {hews the Husband-man the time of the day , though it be never fo cloudy ; and they know thereby the iuft time when the Sun fetteth : and Theephraftus faith, that the flower of the herb Lotum, isnotonelyopenandfhut,but alfofometimes hides, and fometimes ftiews her ftalk from Sun-fet to midnight ; and this, faith he, is done about the River £h- pbrates. So the Olive-tree, the Sallow, the Linden-tree, the Elm, the white Po- ple-tree, they declare the times of the Suns (landing, when it turns back again from the Poles ; for then they hide their leaves, and (hew only their hoar-white backs. In like manner winter-Creffes or Irium, and Penyrial, though they begin to wither being gathered, yet if you hang them upon a ftick about the time of the Solft ice, they will for that time flourifh. The ftone Selenites, (as much as to fay, the Moon- beam) called by others Aphrofelinon, contains in it the Image of the Moon, and (hews the waxing and waining of it every day in the fame Image. Another ftone
there
Of the Qaufes of Wonderful things. ij
there is,that hath in it a little cloud that turns about like the 5un,fomtirhes hiding^ fometimes (hewing it l'e:f. The Beaft Cynocephalus rcjoiceth at thcrifingof the Moon, for then he Hands up, lifting his fore-feet toward heaven,and wears a Roy- al Enfign upon hi3 head : and he hath luch a Sympathy with the Mood, that. wru»n fhe meets with the Sun (as bet win the old and new Moon) fo that (he gives no light, the male, or He-Cynocephalus,never looks up, nor eats any thing, as bewailing the icflc of the Moon j and the female, as male-content as He, ail that while piffeth blood : for which caufes, thefe beads are nourifhed and kept in hallowed places,thac by them the time of the Moones meeting with the Sun may be certainly known, as Ortts writes in his Hieroglyphicks. The liar Ar&uru?, at his riling caufeth rain.DogS are well acquainted with the riling of the Canicular ftar; for at that time they arc commonly mad ; and lb are vipers and ferpents ; nay, then the very (landing pools are moved, and wines work as they lye in the Cellar, and other great and ftrange ef- teSs are wrought upon earth : when this ftarrifeth , Bafil-gentie waxeth whiterifh, and Coriander waxeth dry, is Theophrafttumkcih. The riling of this ftar was wont to be diligently oblerved every year ; for thereby they would prognosticate, whether the year following would be wholefome or contagious, as Heracltdes Port- ucut faith: for if it did rile dark and gloomy, it was a fign that the Air would be thick ancTfoggy, which would caufc a peftilence : but if it were dear and lightfome, it was a fign that the Air would be thin and well purged, and confequentiy health- ful. In ancient times they much feared this Srar, fo that they ordained a dog to be effired in Sacrifice to ir, as Columella faith, that this liar is pacified with the blood and entrails of a fucking whelp; and Ovid like wife faith, that a dog bred on the sarth, is facrificed toxhe Dog-ttar in Heaven. The Beaft or wilde Goat, which in fgjpt is called Oryx, hath afenfe or feeling of this Star before it rifeth • for then he looks upon the Sun-beams, and in them doth honour the Canicular ftar. Hip- pocrates faith, it is not good either to purge or let blood, before or after this ftar rifeth . and (jalen (hews that many very neceffary operations of this Star muft be oblerved in Critical dayes ; and likewife in fowing and planting. Moreover, the greater ftarsand conftellationsmuft be known,' and at what time they go out of the iigns, whereby are caufed many waerifh and fiery impreffions in the Air. And vrhofoever is rightly fcen in ail cheie things, he will afcribe all thefe infericurs to the ftars as their caufes ; whereas if a man be ignorant hereof, he lofeth the grea- ter} part of the knowledge of fecret operations and works of nature. Bfe of this argument, we have fpoken in our writings of the knowledge of Plants.
Chap. fX.-
How to Mr aft ani draw firth the vermes of fnptriour Bodies,
Vfl/"E have (hewed before, the operations of celeftial bodies into thefe inferiours, asalfothe Antipathy and Sympathy of things: now Will We (hew, by the affinity of Nature, whereby ail things are linked together as it were rri one com- mon bond, how to draw forth and to fetch out the vertues and forces of luperior bodies. The Platonicks termed Magick to be the attra£tion or fetching out of one thing from another, by a certain affinity of Nature, tot the parts of this huge world, like the limbs and members of one living creature, do ail depend upon one Author, and are knit together by the bond of one Nature: therefore as in us,the brain, the lights, the heart, the liver, and other parts of us do receive and draw mutual benefit from each other, lb that when one part fuffers, the reft alfo fuffer with it ; even fo the parts and members of this huge creature the World, I meaft all the bodies that are in it,do in good neighbour-hood as it were,lend and borrow each others Nature; for by reafon that they are linked in one common bond, there- fore they have love in common ; and by force of this common love, there is amongft them a common attraction, or tilling of one of them to the other. And this in- deed is Magick. The concavity or hollowneffe of the Sphere of the Moon, draws up fire to it, bectufe of ihe affinity of their Natures; and the Sphert of the fire
likewife
i^. Natural Magick. hool^i.
likewife draws up Air ; and the centre of the worlddraws the earth downward, and the natural place of the waters draws the waiers to it. Hence it is that the Load-ftone draws iron to it, Amber draws chaff or light ftraws, Brimftone draws fire, the '•un dnws after ir entry fl>w rs and leaves, and the Moon draws after ic the waters. ?lotimuin&Sy*ep.tn fay , Great is nature everywhere; me layetb. certain baits whereby to ta:cn certain things in all places : as fhe draws down hea- vy things by the cenrre of the eanb, as by a bait ; 16 (he draws light things upward by the conca\ity of the Moon ; by heat, leaves ; by moilture, roots ; by ore bait or another, all things. By which kind of auraifion, the Indian Wilards hold that the waole world is kr>ic and bcao1 within it ieif : for ' fay they) the World is a li- ving creature , ever) wnere both male and female, and the parts of it do couple to- gether, within and between themlelves, by reaion of their mutual love; and fo they hold and 'land together, every mem ier of it beins linked to each o; her by a common bond ; which the pint of the Worlc, whereof we fpake before, hah incli- ned them unto. For thiscauft Orpheus calluh Jupiter, and the Nature cf the World, mm and wife; becaufe the World is fodelirous to marry and couple het parts together. The very or del of the Signs declareth, that the World is every- where male and female • tor the former is the male , the latter is the female: fo alfo Trees and H rbs have both fexes, as wetl as living treatures: fo the fire is to the Air, and the water to the Earth, as a male to the femaie : fo that it is no mar- vel| that the parts of the World defire fo much to be matcht together. The Pla- nets are t artly ma^ar-d partly female; zndMercurjis of both fexes itfeif, Thcfe things the Husbar d man perceiving, prepares his field and his feed, for heavenly influences to w< rk upon ; the Phjfirim likewife obferves the fame, anc works ac- cordingly 9 for the preservation both of our bodies, and of univerfal Nature. So the Pbilofopher who is skilful invhe Srars(for fuch is properly a Magkian)works by certain baits, as it were, fitly matching earthly and heavenly things together, and platting them as skilfully ore within anothei, asacunning Husband-man planteth anoidcr fff intoa ycu g (lock: nay, he iayeth earthly things under heavenly things , and bferiouts fo fitly for their fuperiours everywhere to work upon, as if a nun mould lay iron before the Losct ftone to be drawn to it , or Chriifal before j the Sun to be enlighten* d by it , or an Egge under a Hen to hatch it. Furthermore, as fome can focheri hegges$tbat even without the help of living creatures, they will make them live • yea and oftentimes they will prepare fuch matter, fo cunningly, that even wuhout egges,or any apparent feeds, they will brine forth living creatures, (as they will bring fc nu Bees, of an Ox ; and a Scorpion, of Bafil .) working toge- ther by the help. >f universal Nature upon he vantage of fit matter, and a feaicn- able or convenient r;,me: even fo the M.gician, whenonce beknow? which and what kinds of makers Nature hath parti) framed, and partly Art hath perfected, and gathered together, fuch as are fit to receive influence from above t thefe matters efpedally doth he prepare and compound tosether,at luch a time as fuch an influence raignethjand by this means c'oih gain tohimielf the vermes and forces of heaven- ly bodies : for wherefoever there is any matter fo directly Lid before luperiour bo- die?,is a looking-glaffe before ones fate,or as a wall right before ones voice ;fo doth it prefently fuffer the work of the Superiours,the moft mighty Agent,and ihe admi- rable life and power of all things mewing it felf therein. P.Utims in his Book of Sacrifice and Magick, faith, That the Philolophers confideting this affinity and bond of Nature, w" erewith all natural things are linked each to other, did thence frame the Art of Ma°ick,and acknowledged both that the fupenours might be feen in these inferiours, and thefe inferiours in their fuperiours ; earthly things in heavenly, though not properly, bur in their caufes, and after a heavenly fc£t ; likewife heaven- ly things in earthly, but yet after an earthly fort. For whence mould we fuppofe it to be, that the plants called Sun.followers, mould ft ill follow the vuns motion ? and likewife the Moon-followers, the Moons motion ? Wherefore furely even in esrth we may behold both the Sun and the Moon ; but yet by rea!cn cf their quality up- on earth; audio in heaven we may behold all plants,ard ftones.and living creatures, but yet asfollowing the heavenly natures : which things the Aniieuts perceiving,
did
did apply and lay fome earthly things to fome heavenly , and thence brought down the celeftial forces into thefe inferiours, byreafonof their likenefs one with the ether; for the very likenefle of one thing to another, is afufficient bond to link them together. If a man do heat a piece of paper, and then lay it a little under the flame of "a candle, though they do not touch each other, yet he (hall fee the pa- per prefently burn, and the flame will flill defcend till it have burned all the paper. Let us now fuppofe the paper thus heated, to be that affinity which is betwixt fu- pcriours and inferious; and fuppoie we alfo, that this laying of the paper to the candle, to be the fit applying of things together, both for matter, and time, and place: let us fuppofe yet farther, the flame taking hold of the paper, to be the o- peration of fome heavenly body into a capable matter; and laft of all, we may lup- poie the burning of the paper, to be the altering of that matter into the nature of the celeftial body that works upon ir,and fo purifies it,that in the end it flieth up- ward like burning flax, by reafon of fome heavenly feeds and fparks which it hath within it felf.
Chap. X.
How the knowledge of fccrecies dependeth upon the furvey and viewing ef the wholt Wtrld,
\X7E are perfwaded that the knowledge of fecret things depends upon thecon- " templation and view of the face of the whole world, namely, of the motion, ftate and fafhion thereof, as alfo of the fpringing up, the growing and the decaying of things: for a diligent fearcher of Natures workes, as he teeth how Nature doth generate and corrupt all things, fo doth he alfo learn to do. Likewife he learns of living creatures; which though they have no underftanding, yet their fenfes are far quicker then ours ; and by their anions they teach us Phyhck, Husbandry > the arc of Building, the difpofing of Houfhold affairs, and almoft all Arts and Sciences i the like may beoblerved in Metals, Gems, and Stones. The bealts that have no rea- fon , do by their nature ftrangely faun the eyes of witches, and hurtful things : the Doves, for a prefervative agiinfl inchantments, fcft gather fome little Bay-tree boughs, and then lay them upon their nefts, to prelerve their young; fo do the Kites ule white brambles, the Turtles fword-graffe, the Crows^ Withy, the Lap- wing, Venus-hair, the Ravens Ivy , the Herns Carrot, the Partridges Reed-leaves, the Black-birds Myrtle, the Larkes graffe, the Swans Park-leaves, theEa«le ufeth Maiden-hair, or the ftone jEtites for the fame purpofe. In like mannner they have fhewed us preservatives againft poyfons : the Elephant having by chance eaten a Chamseleon, againft the poyfon thereof, eats of the wilde Olive ; whence Solinm ob- ferves, That the fame is a good remedy for men alfo in the fame cafe. The Panthers, having fwallowed up the poifonous herb Aconirum, wherewith the Hunters be- fmear pieces of flefh fo to deftroy them, againft the poyfon thereof feek out mans dung. The Tortoife, having eaten a ferpent,difpels the poyfon by eating the herb Origan. When Bears have tafted the fruit of the Mandrakes, they eat Pifmiresa- gainft the poyfon thereof. There is a kind of Spider which deftroyeth the Harts', except prefently they eat wilde Ivy; and whenloever they light upon anypoyfo- nousfood, they cure themfelves with the Artichoke; and againft Serpents they pre- pare and arm themfelves with wilde Pajfneps ; fo do the Ring-doves Choughs,and Black-birds ufe Bay-leaves. The little worm Cimex is good againft the biting of Afpes ; as Pliny fhews by Hens, who, if hey eat that worm, are all day after , free from the hurt of Afpes. Goats care not for Bafil-genrle, becaufe it bring* a Lethar- gy, as Chryfipptu writes. The fame Beafts have alfo fhewed us what herbs are good to cure wounds. When the Harts are wounded by theCretians, they feek out the herb Dittany, and prefently the darts fall cue of their bodies. And fo do the Goats. The Elephant being wounded, feeks out the juice of Aloes, and thereby is cured. The fame Beafts have alfo found out purgations for themfelves, and thereby taught us the fame. An Afle eats the herb Afplenum to purge his melancholy • of
whom
l6 Natural Magice. 2>00^i.
whom the Phyfitians have learned to Minifter the fame herb for the fame purpofe. The Hinde purges her felf with large Cummin, before fhe bringeth forth, that her birth may come the more eafily from her. Arifiotle faith, That Boars feed upon the herb Aram, or Wakej-robin, to keepihem foluble Pigeons and Cocks feed upon Pellitory, for the fharpening cf their ftomack. Dogs eat graffe to purge all their noifome humours, which otherwife would make them mad. Of all thefe, men have learned to ufe fuch Medicines againft the like difeafer. A Lion being fickof a quartane Ague, eats and devours Apes, and fo is healed : hence we know that Apes blood is good againft an Ague. The griping of the belly and guts, is healed by looking upon Geefe and Ducks, and Vegetim writes ; and Columella faith j that if a Duck do but look upon a fick horfe, fhe heals him : and Pliny faith, that if you lay a Duck to the griping of ones belly, (he takes away thediieafe, and dies of itherfelf; and LMarcellui writes, That it is good for one that is fo troubled, to eat the flefh of a Duck. Goats and Does are never purblind,becaufe they eat certain herbs. Hawks, as foon as they feel their fight dim,they eat Sc w-thiftle. Elephants, againft the difeafes of their eyes, drink milk. Serpents have caufed Fennel to be very famous; for as foon as they taftcof it, they become young again, and with the juice thereof repair their fight ; whence it is obferved, that the fame is good to repair a mans fight that is dim. Hares feed upon herbs that have juice like milk, and therfore in their bellies they have a cream; whence Shepherds have learned to make cream of many fuch herbs preffed together. Partridges eat leeks, to make their voi- ces clear, as Arifiotle writes ; and according to their example, Neroy to keep his voice clear, eat nothing butoyle of leeks, certain daves in every moneth. Thefe Beafts have likewife found out many inflruments in Phyfick. The Goats, when their eyes are blood-fhotten, let out the blood ; the She-goat by the point of a bull-rufh, the He-goat by the pricking of a thorn, which lets out the evil humour, and yet ne- ver hurts the eye, but reftores him his perfc& fight : hence, men learned by fuch means to cure the eyes. The ^Egyptians fay, they never learned of men to minifter clyfters, but of the bird Ibis, which ufeth it to her fclf for the loofneffe of her bo- dy. And of the fame bird alfo they learned their diet, to eat largely at the waxing, and fparingly at the waining of the Moon. Bears eyes are oft-times dimmed; and for that cauie they defire hony-combs above all things, that the Bees flinging their mouths , may thereby draw forth, together with the blood, that dull and groffe humour : whence Phyfitians learned to ufe letting blood, to cure the dimnefle of the eyes. The Gullie-gut, when he is full of meat, he pitcheth himfelf betwixt tw6 trees, fo to force out excrements.
Chap. XT.
That the likenefs of things (heweth their fecret vertues, . . • . i ' ■ ■"• '
^^Ho fo looks into the writings of the Ancients, namely, Hermes firpheusy Zero- afiresy Harpocration^ and other fuch like skilful men as have invented ard regi- ftred the fecrecies of this Art, fhall find that they gathered all from that likentffc of feeds, fruits, flowers , leaves and roots, as alfo of theflars, metals, gems,»and ftoncsjthat likenefle,I fay,which thefe things have to the difeafes and parts of a mans body, as alfo of other living creatures : and out of thofe Writers, afterward Hip- pocrates > ViofcoridesyPlinyy and the reft, called out as many fuch fecrecies as they found to be true, and recorded them in their own books;except fome certain thing?, which they thought were no fecries , but either of folloy or of envy, accounted them to be ordinary and plain matters. I will relate two or three examples of thofe former fecrecies. Tbeophrafttti (puking of thofe herbs that refemble the Scorpion and the Polypus, faith, That fome herbs have a peculiar kind of form, as the root of the herb Scorpius, called by fome Walwort, and the root of Polypody : for that it is like a Scropion, and is good againft the fling of him ; and this is rough, and full of hollow partitions like the Polypus, and is of force to kill him. And in another-place be faith, That many things ate written of the force of plants, not without juft caufe;
Of the Qaufes of Wonderful things. 17
at for exJmp!e,to make fruitful and barren ; both which, the herb Ragge-wort is forcible unto for they grow double, a greater and a Imaller ; the greater helps ge- neration, the frmller hinders ir. And this herb is called Tcfiicuhu. Some herbs are good for procreation of a male, and ft me of a female ; as the herb which is called Marifica,and Fceminipara ; both are like each other : the fruir of the Foeminipara is like the mofs of an Olive-treejthe fruit of the Maripara is double like a mans ftones. The fruit of whirelvy will make feed barreo,buc the fruit of Arfemery will make ic fertile; which fruit is a fmall grain, like to Millet. The leaves of the herb Harts- tougue will make a man quite barren,if the herb it felf be barren j for there is Harts- tongue thac bears fruit, and this will make a man fruitful. It is a thing to be noted in a Bur, that a flower grows within the roughncfle and prickles of it , which doth not fhew ic felf, but conceives and brings forth feed within it felf ; much like as Weafils and Vipers do: for they bring forth egges within themfelves, and Icon after briog forth young ones; fo theBur contains, and cherifhes, and ripens the flower within ic felf, and afterward yeelds fruir. But thei'e things have both the active and paffive parts of generation. Dicfcorides writetb, That the herb Scorr ius refembleth the tail of the Scorpion, and is good againfl his bicings. So he faith, thac the herb Dtajon, both the greater and the lefs , is full of fpeckles like a Serpents hackle, and is a remedy againd their hurts: fo the herb Arifaron in Egypr, and Wake.robin, and Garlick, bear feeds like a Snakes head; and fo Bugiois and Or- chanec bear feeds like a Vipers head . and thefe are good ro heal their venemous bitings. Likewife Stone-crop and Saxifrage arc good to break the flone in a mans bladder: and many other fuch things he there fets down. Galen faith, That the Lark hath a crefled crown, of the fafhion of the herb Fumitory, and that either of them is good againft the Cholick. Pliny hath gathered into his books, many things cut of the Antients works that were extant in his time. We will relate fome of' them. He faith, That an herb whidh grows in the head of an Image, being wrapt in a cloth, is good for the Head-ach. Many men have written of Holy- wort : it hath a flie-beetle in the ftalk, that runs up and down in it, making a noife like a Kid, (whence it receives the name) ; and this herb is patting good for the voice. Or- pheus found out by his wit, the properties of Stones. The flone GalacTites, in co- lour like: milk, if you caft the duft of it upon the back of a Goat, fibe will give milk m *re plentifully to her young ; if you give it a nurfein her drink , it encreafes her milk. C hriflal is like unto water; if one fick of an Ague keep ir, and roul it in his mouth, it quenches his thirft. The Amethift is in colour like wine,and it keeps from drunkennefs. In the flone Achates you may fee fruits, trees, fields and medows* the powder of it caff about the horns or fhouldersof Oxen as they are at plou°h| will caufe great encreafe of fruits. The ftone Ophites refembleth the freckles and fpots of Serpents, and it cures their bitings. If you dafh the ftone Galcophonos, ic founds like brafs : flage-players are wont to wear it, becaufe it makes one have an excellent voice. The flone Hematites being rubbed, is like blood, and is good for thofethat bleed, and for blood-fhot eyes: and the fioce Sinoper is of the fame both colour and vertue. The refidue I will not here fet down, becaufe I have handled them more at large, in that which I have written of the knowledge or* Plants. °
Chap. XIT. How to compound and lay things together, by this hkenefs.
»ryE have fhewed how that Nature layes open the likencfle of vertiies and * ▼ properties; now let us fhew how to compound and lay thofe things to- gether : for this is a principle of mod ufe in this faculty, and the very root of the greateft pare of fecrec and flrange operations. Wherefore here thou muft imitate the exact diligence of the Antients, fludying to know how to
F apply
18 Natural Magick. Hookj.
apply and by things together with their likes , which indeed is the chief matter wherein the moLt fccrecies do confi'i. It is manifeft that every kind of things, and every quality can incline and draw, and allure fome things to it, and make them become like it felf: and as they are more a£tive, lb they more eafi!y can perform it: as for example, fire being very a£tive, doth moreeahly convert things into it felf, andfo water into water. Avicenna laith, That if any thingfiand long in fait, it will become wholly i'alt ; if in an unfavory veffel, k will become unfavory: he thatconverfes with a bold man, Hull heboid; if with a fearful man, he fhall be fearful: and look what living creature converfes among men, the lame will be tame and gentle. Such pofitions are ufual in Phyfick ; as, All parts of the body, are nourifhed by their like, the brain by brains, teeth by teeth, lights by lights, and the liver by the liver. A mans memory and wk is holpen by a Hens brain ; and her skull, if it be put into our meat whilft it is new, helps the falling-faknefle ; and her maw, if you eat it before fupper, though you hardly digeft it, yet is it good to ftrengthen the ftomack. The heart of an Ape, takes away the palpitation cf a mans heart, and encreafeth boldnefle, which is feated in the heart. A wolfs yard broiled and minced, is good to eat for the procuring of luft, when ftrength begins to fail. The skin of a Ravens heel is good againft the Gout ; the right-heel-skin muft, be laid upon the right-foot, if that be gouty ; and the left upon the left : and final- ly, every member helps his like. But thefc things, Phyfitians wrire of, whofe fay- ings it is not our purpofe here to rehearfe. Furthermore, we muft cociider and be well adviled, what things fucb or fuch a quality is in ; and whether it be there onely after a common lore, or elfe in fome great meafure ; and whether it be an affection, or perturbationjand whether it come by chance,by art, or by nature j ay for example, heating , cooling, love, boldneffe, barrennelTe, fruufulnefle , ladnefle, babling, or luch like ; and whether it can caufe any fuch matter as we would work thereby : for examples fake : If you would make a woman fruiful, you muft confiderwith your felf the moft fertile living- creatures ; and amongft the reft, an Hare, a Cony, or a Moufe ; for an Hare is bigge even after fhe hath brought forth ; ftie genders every month, and brings not forth all her young at once, but now and then one upon fun- dry daies, and prefently goeth to buck again ; and fo conceives while (he gives fnck> and carries in her womb at once, one young that is ripe, another that hath no hairs, and a third that is but lately conceived. Again, you muft confider the parts and members where that property lyeth, andminifter them to your Patient : as, to make a woman fruitful, you muft give her the womb and curd of an Hare; and to the man, the ftones of an Hare. In like manner, any particular creature that was never fick, is a helpagainft all diicafes. If you would have a man become bold or impudent, let him carry about him the skin or eyes of a Lion or a Cock, and he will be fearlefle of his enemies ; nay, he will be very terrible unto them. If you would have a man talkative, give him tongues, and feek out for him water-frogs, wilde-geefe and ducks,and other fuch creatures, notorious for their continual noife- making ; the tongues whereof, if you lay under the head or fide of a woman as (he is deeping, becaufe they are moft clamorous in the evening, they will make her ut- ter her night-fecrecies. Other things we omit, as being fuperfluous and unprofitable here, feeing we have largely handled them in our books of plants.
Chap. XIII.
That particular creatures have particular gifts j fome in their whole bodj/y others have them in their parts.
P Articular creatures are not deftitute of excellent and firange properties, but are very powerful in operation , more then ordinarily their kind yields : and this is by reafon either of fome hidden property , or rather of the hea- venly afpedtsand influences working diverfly in divers particulars, as Alhertta fuppofeth, and in one particular more then in moft other cf the fame kind. Thefe fundry effects and inclinations cf fuch particulars , a Magkian muft
Of the Qaufes of Wonderful things. ij>
alfo be well acquainted with j that knowing fundry ways whereby to work,he may make choice of the fitted, and fuch as may bcft ferve his prefent ufe and need ; for this is our task, to teach the way and method of fearching out, and applying of fe- crecies ; which done, no further thing can be required of us. Therefore to our pur- pofe. Albertvu faith, That there were once two twins, one of them would open doors and gates if he did but touch them with his fide ; and the other would fnut them as fait when they were open. Some cannot away to look upon a Cat, a Moufe, and fuch like, but prefently they fwoon. So, many have the gift from heaven to heal the Kings-evil, and divers other fores : and that which hath troubled much, many Surgeons, and they could not heal it, hath at length been healed only with fpittle. Again, we muff well confider, what kinds of qualities are incident to what kinds of parties j as, commonly queans are impudent, ruffians are luxurious, theeves are fear- ful ; and fuch like paffions, as Writers everywhere mention. Moreover, fome natural things have not only fuch properties in tbemfelves, but they are apt alio to commu- nicate them unto others. A Harlot is not only impudent in her felf, but fhe alfo naturally infe&s therewith, all that fhe touches and carries about her ; fo that if a man do often behold himfelf in her glaffe, or put on her garments, it will Make him impudent and lecherous as fhe is. The Load-ftone doth not only draw to it felf that iron which it touches, but alfo all iron things neer it ;thc fame ring which the Load-ftone draws to it felf , will draw many rings if they be neer, fo that it will be like a chain ; the vertuc of the Load-ftone paffing out of one ring into another. And the like may be obferved in other things. We muft note alfo, that the vertues of fome things arc feated in their whole fubftance ; of other things, in fome of their part*. The Sea-Lamprey ftayeth a Ship, not principally with any one part , but with her whole body. And there be many like examples. On the other fide, ma- ny things work by fome of their parts; as the Cockatrice and the Bafilisk, by their eyes ; likewife Pifmires fhun the wings of a Rere-moufe, but her head and heart they do not fhun ■ fo they fhun the heart of an Houpe, but neither the head, nor yet the wings. The like may be obferved in other things.
Chap. XIV.
Of thofe properties and vertues which things have whtle they live j and of fnch as remain in things, after death,
muft confider that almoft all thofe vertues which are found to be excellent in things while they are alive, do quite perifh in death, and feldom are of any force afterward. If the wolf efpy us , his eyes make us dumb • the eyes or* the Cockatrice and Bafilisk will kill us forth-right; the Sea-lamprey ftaies the courfe of a Ship ; the Struthio-camelus can digeft iron : but none of all the thefe being dead,worketh ought;for when they perifh,their vertues alfo perifh with them. Ther- fore it is a wife rule in natural Migick, that if a man will work any thing by living creatures, or by any of their parts or properties , he muft take the benefit of them while they be alive ; for if they die, their venue dies alfo. For the foul, faith AI-, bertus^s a chief help, and flrikes a great ftroke in thofe qualities which arc in living creatures;fo that they being alive, are endued with many operative vertues , which their death, (efpecially if it be natural, that their humours are quite wafted) takes from them,as Phyfitians do much obferve. Draw out a frogs tongue,take away from the Ray or Fork-fifh his dart,thc eyes or ftones out of any creatures head,or any fuch operative thing,not after they are dead,but while they are yet alive,and throw them into the water again, that if it be poflible they may live ftill,left their vertue ftiould decay , but rather that by their living "they might quicken thofe their natural properties, and fo you may work better thereby. And thus we muft do in all things elfe, which I fpare to fpeak of any further. Sometimes yet the proper- tics of thing i arc operative, yea, and that more forcibly, after death. The
F % wolfe
zo Natural Magick , Soo^ i.
Wolf is hurtful and odious to (beep after he is dead : for if you cover a drum with a wolfs skin, the found of it will make fheep afraid, when moli other creatures will not be afraid ; nay, (beep will make a heavy noife , whereas it contrariwiie caufeth fuchciamorous creatures as hear it, to hold their peace : lb if you cover it with a bears skin, the found thereof will make horlesrun away: and if you make harp- firings of all their guts feverally, and put them together upon the inftiumenr, they willalwayes jar , and never make any conforr. The beaft Hyxna , and the Panther, are naturally at variance ; hence the skin of a dead Hysena makes the Panther run a- way ; nay, if you hang their feverall skins one againft the other, the Panthers skin will lofe the hairs.So a Lions skin wafteth and eateth out the skins of other beafts ; and fo doth the wolfes skin eat up the Lambs skin. Likewile, the feathers of other fowles, being put among Eagles leathers, do rot and conlumc of themfelves. The beaftFlorus, (it may be the Afs) and the bird vEgithus are at fuch mortal enmity, that when they are dead, their blood cannot be mingled together.The Pigeon loves theKaftrel fo well, that (he loves the Dove-houfe much the better, where a dead Kaftrel is. In like manner, herbs, and other fimples, retain many operative qualities, even after they are dried up. Thefe things malt be well confidered by a Maguian, kit peradventure he be deceived in their working,
Chap.XV.
That all Simples are to begotten and ttfed in their certain Jeafons.
SEeing all inferiours, efpedally plants, receive their vertue from the heavens, therefore we muft have a fpecial care to take them in their due leafons : for as heaven varies the constitutions of the year, fo doth it vary plants, they being much nourilhed by the temperature of the Air ; and the time of the year, as Theophrajltu faith,is all in all from thcm.Whence that proverb was juftly fetcht,That it is the year, and not the field, which brings forth fruit. Which may be underftood two wayes ; either as the vulgar fort mean, cr after a more peculiar manner. Concerning the vulgar undemanding thereof' \Diofcor ides Qiews,that we muft have a fpecial care both to plant, and to gather ail things in their right leafons ; for they are operative onely, as their feafon is obferved, but otherwife of no force. The time of gathering, muft be a calm and fair time. If we gather them either too foon or too late, they loofe their beft vertue. Roots muft be plucked up in the fall of the leaf, for then they are fulleft, both of moifture and vertue ; their force hiding it felf within them when their leaves fall, which lafts long in them, being at that feafon gathered. Flowers muft be gathered in the Spring, becaufe then they have moft vertue : and Leaves muft be gathered in the Summer. The like we muft oblerve in other things. Know allo,that fome things lofe their vertua quickly, others keep it along time, as experience and the rules of Phytick teach us ; that fome things may be kept many years, others being long kept, are good for nothing. Whence it cometb, that many experiments prove falfe, becaufe that which we work by, happily hath loft hisver- tue,beingkept too long. But there are certain peculiar times to gather them in (which the vulgar fort obferveth not) wherein the heavenly conftellations beftow tiponthem fome lingular venue , proceeding from the moft excellent nature and quality of the ftars : in which times if they be gathered, they are exceedingly ope- rati ve.But there can be no fet and juft time afhgned,by reafon of the divers fituations of divers places in refpe&of the Sun ; for as the Sun-beams come neerer or further off, fo the earth fructifies fooner or later : yet we will give fome general obfervations. Roots are t6 be gathered betwixt the old Moon and the new ; for then the moi- fture is fallen into the lower pans , and that in the Evening ; for then the Sun hath driven in the moifture , and by theftalkic is conveyed down into the root. The time ferves well to gather them,when their wrinkles be filled out with moifture,and they chap becaufe they have fo much juice, as if they were about to break in pieces. Leaves are then to be gathered, as foori as they have opened themf^lves out of the fprigs ; and that in the morning about Sun-rifing ; for then they are raoifter then in
Of the Qaujes of Wonderful things. %\
the evening, the Suns beat having drunk up their moifiure all day long. Flowers are then to be gathered, when they begin to feed, while their juice is in them, and be- fore they wax limber. Stalks are then to be gathered, when the flower is withered j for then efpecially are they profitable. And feeds muft be then gathered, when they are fo ripe that they are ready to fall. There are fome more peculiar obfervations. Hot and (lender herbs ftiould be gathered when Mars and the Sun are Lords of the celeftial houfes moift herbs, when the Moon is Lord $ but you muft take heed that you gather them not in the falling houfes thereof. Thefe things well obferved in ga- thering plants, will make them very profitable for Phyfical ufes.
Chap. XVI.
That the Countries and places where Simples grow, are chiefly to be conjidered,
M Any are deceived in plants, and metals, and fuchlike, becaufe they ufe them that come next hand, never heeding the fituation of the place where they grow. But be that will work foundly , mutt well confider, both theafpeft of the heavens, and the proper nature and fituaiion of the place j for the place works di- v erfly in the plants, according to his own divers temperatures ; and fometimes cau- feth luch an alteration in the venues of them, that many, not onely young Ma- gicians, but good Phyfitians and Philofophers too, have been deceived in fearching them out. Tlato makes mention hereof : God (faith he) hath furnithed the places of the earth with divers vertues,that they might have divers operations into plants and other things according to their kind. And lb Porphyry faith, that the place is a prin- ciple of a generation, as a father is. Theophraftus would have Hemlock gathered and fctch'd from Sufa, becaufe Thrapai was of opinion, that there it might fafely be ta- ken, and in other very cold places : for whereas in Athens the juice of it is poifon, odious amongft the Athenians, becaufe it is given to kill men in common executi- ons ; and Socrates there taking it, died prefently ; yet here it is taken without dan- ger, and beafts feed upon it. The herb called Bears-foot, that which grows on the Hill Oeta and Parnaflus, is very excellent ; but elfewhere, of fmall force: there- fore Hippocrates , when he would cure Democntm, hecaufed it to be fetch'd from the Hills. And in Achaia , efpecially about Cabynia, there is a kind of Vine, as Theophrafius faith, the wine whereof caufeth untimely births ; and if the dogs eat the grapes, they will bring forth abortives: and yet in thetafie, neither the wine, nor the grape, differ from other wines and grapes. He faith alfo, that thofe Phyfi- call drugs which grow in Eubcea, neer unto j£ge, are good ; but neer to Telethri- um, which is a fhadowed and waterifh place, they are much worfe and drier. In Perfia there grows a deadly tree, whofe apples are poifon, and prefent death ^here- fore there it is ufed for a punilhment: but being brought over to the Kings intoE- gypt, they become wholefome apples to eat, and lofe their harmfulnefle , as Columel- la writes. Diofcorides faith, That the drugs which grow in fteep places, cold and dry, and open to the winde, aremoft forcible; but they that grow in dark, and warerifh, and calm places, are leffe operative. Wherefore if we find any difference in fuch things, by reafon of the places where they grow, that they have not their right force, we muft feek them out there where the place gives them their due vertue.
Chap. XVII.
Certain properties of Places and Fountains, which are commodious for this work*
Difference of places, works much in the different effe&s of things. For the place of the waters, and alfo of the earth, hath many miraculous vertucs,which a Magician muft needs be well acquainted with : for oft-times we fee, that fotne things are ftrangely operative, onely by reafon of the (ituation of the place, the dif- pofit ion of the Air, and the force of the Sun, as it cometh nearer or further off. If
one
1% Natural Magick, cBool^i.
one ground did not differ from another, then we fhould have odoriferous reeds, rufhes, graffe,frankincenfe, peper, and myrrh, not only in Syria and Arabia, but in all other Countries alfo. Likewife many properties are derived out of Waters and Fountains ; which otherwife could not be made, but that the waterifh humor in the earth, conveys his fcent and fuch like properties, into the root of that which there groweth, and fo nourifheth up that matter which fprings out , and caufeth fuch fruit as favours of the place, according to his own kind, Zama is a City in A- frica, and Ifmuc is a Town twenty miles from it : and whereas all Africk befides, is a great breeder of beafts, efpecially of ferpents, about that Town there breed none at all ; nay, if any be brought thither, it dies : and the earth of that place al- fo killeth beafts,whitherfoever it is carried. In the great Tarquine Lake of Italy, are feen Tree?, fome round, fome triangle, as the wind moves them; but none four-fquare. In the Country beyond the River Po , that part which is called Mon- fteraxj there is a kind of Corn called Siiigo, which being thrice fown, makesgood bread-corn Neer to Harpafum a Town of Afia, there is a huge Rock, which if you touch with one finger, will move j if with your whole body, it will not move. There are fome places of the earth that are full of great fires, as j£tna in Sicily, the Hill Chimera inphafelis • the fire whereof Ctejias writes,will be kindled with wa- ter, and quencht with eartb. And in the Country of Megalopolis, and the fields about Arcia, a coal falling on the earth, fets it on fire. So in Lycia, the Hills Ephe- fli being touched with a Torch, flame out, infomuch that the ftones and fands there do burn in the waters ; wherein if a man make a gutter with a ftaff, he fhall fee Ri- vers of fire run therein. The like things are reported of water?. For feeing they pafTe under the earth, through veins of allum , pitch , brimftone, and fuch like ; hence it is that they are iometimes hurtful, and fometimes wholfcme for the body. There are alfo many kinds of water, and they have divers properties. The River Himera in Sicily, is divided into two parts : that which runs againft jEtna, is very fvveer, that which runneth through the fait vein,is very fait. In Cappadocia, betwixt the Cities Mazaca,,and Tuava, there is a Lake, whereinto if you put reeds or timber, they become ftones by little and little, and are not changed from ftones again, nei- ther can anything in that water be ever changed. In Hierapolis, beyond the River Maeander, there is a water that becomes gravel, fo that they which make vvater- courfes, raife up whole banks thereof. The Rivers Cephifes and Melas in Bxotia, if cartel drink of them, as they do continually to make them conceive, though the dams be white, yet their young {hall be ruffet, or dun, or coal-black. So the fheep that drink of the River Peneus in Theffaly, and Aftax in Pontu?, are thereby made black. Some kinds of waters alfo are deadly, which from the poifonou; juice of the earth become poifonousj as the Well of Terracina called Neptunius, which kills as many as drink of it ; and therefore in old times it was ftopt up. And the Lake Cychros in Thracia, kills all that drink of it,and all that wa(h themfelves with ir. In Nonacris, a Country of Arcady , there flow very cold waters out of a ftone, which are called the water of Styx, which break to pieces all veffels of filver and braffe ; >and nothing can hold them but a Mules hoof, wherein it was brought from Antipa- ter^ into the Country where Alexander was, and there his Son JoUa killed the King with it. In the Country. about Flafcon,thc way to Campania, in the field Cor netum, there is a Lake with a Well in it, wherein feem to lie the bones of Snakes,- Lyfard?, and other Serpents ; but when you would take them out, there Uno fuch thing. So there are fome fharp and fowre veins of warer, as Lyncefto, and Theano ip Italy ; which I fought out very diligently, and found it by the way to Rome, a mile from Theano • and it is exceeding good againft the Stone. There is a Well in Paphlago- nia, whofoever drinks of it, is prefently drunken. In Chios is a Well, that makes all that drink of it, fottifh and ienfleffe. In Sufa is a Well, whofo drinks of ic, lo- feth his .teeth. The water of Nilus is fo fertile, that it makes the clods of ear t£ to become living creatures^In iEthiopia is a Well,which is fo cold at noon,that you can- not clunk it ; and fo hot at midnight, that you cannot touch it. There are many other like Wells, which Ovid fpeaks of : Jmmons Well is cold all day, and warm , both morning and evening : ifre waters of Athamas,fet wood on fire, at the fmafl'oFihe
Moon :
Of the Caufes of Wonderful things. 2$
Moon : there is a Well where the Citones inhabit, thatturneth into flones all that toucheth it, or drinks of it ; Crathis and Sybarismake hair fhew like Amber and Goid ; the water of Salmax, and the iEthiopian Lakes , make them mad or in a trance that drink of it ; he that di inks of the Well Clitorius, never cares for wine after; the River Lyncellius makes men drunken ; the Lake Pheneus in A ready, is hurtful if you drink it by night ; if by day, it is wholefome. Other properties there are alio of places and fountains, which he that would know, may learn out o\Theo- yhraftuiiTtn.&M, PojJidontHS) HegefiiS) Herodotus, Ariftides, ^Meirodorus , and the jike, who have very diligently iought out, and regiftred the propertiesof places; ard out of them , flinfa SoUnm , and fuch Writers have gathered their books.
Chap. XVIII.
That Compounds work_more forcibly ■ and how to compound and mix thofe Simples which we would ufe in our mixtures .
NO-v we will fhew how to mix and compound many Simples together, that the mixture may caufe them to be more operative. Procltu in his book of Sacri- fice and Magick, faith, That the antient In ierts were wont to mix many things toge- ther, becaufe they faw that divers Simples had fome property of a God in them, but none of chem by it felf futficient to reiemble him. Wherfore they did attraffc the hea- venly influences by compounding many things into one, whereby it might refcrnble that One which is above many. They made images of fundry matters, and many o- dors compounded artificially into one, fo to exprefle the effence of a God, who bath in himfelf very many powers. This I thought good to alleadge, thatwernay know the Ancients were wont to ufe mixtures, that a compound might be the more operative. And I mv felf have often compounded a prelervative again!* poifon, of Dragon-herbs, the Dragon-fifh, Vipers, and the ftone Ophites ; being led therein by the likeneffe of things. The herb Dragon-wort, both the greater and fmaller, have a ftalk full of fundry- coloured fpecksrif any man eat their root,or rub his hands with their leaves, the Viper cannot hurt him. The Dragon-fiih being cut and open- ed, and laid to the place which he hath flung , is a prefent remedy againft his fling, as tAZttui writes. The Viper it felf, if you flay her, and ftrip off her skin, cut off her head and tail, call away all her intrails,boil her like an Eele, and give her to one that fhehath bitten, to eat, it will cure him : or if youcut off her bead being alive, and lay the part next the neck, while it is hot, upon the place which The hath bitten, it will (irangely draw outthepoyfon. Many men compound medicines made of crea- tures living on the cmh, in the water, in the air, together with herbs and ftones, you may find moll wittily devifed, in the books of Ktrannides and Harprocratio»3uc now we will fhew the way and manner how to compound Simples, which the Phy- tic ians alfo do much obferve. Becaufe we would not bring forth one effect only,but icmetimes have ufe of two or three, therefore we muft ufe mixtures, that they may cau e fundrv tfFe&s. Sometime things will not work forcibly enough , therefore to make the a£l ion effectual, we muft take unto us many helps. Again, fometimethey work too ft rongly, and here we muft have help to abate their force. Oft-times we would pra&ice upon fome certain member, as the head, the heart, or the bladder; here we muft mingle fome things which are directly operative upon that part , and upon none elfe ; whereby it falleth out , that fometimcs we muft meddle contraries together. Eut to proceed. When you would do any woik, firft confider what is the chief thing which vourfimple or compound fhould effeS ; then take the ground or foundation of your mixture, that which gives the name to your compound, and let there be-To much of it, as may proportionably work your intent ; for there is a juft and due quantity required for their working: then put in the other ingredients, as fau:e sni fealoning,to help the ptincipal to work more eafily and in due time. So we mingle fweet things with unfavory, and with bitter,that it may fmell and tafte well : for if we fhcu id mingle onely unfavouty and bitter receits, they that we give it un- to would loath ic, and their animal fpirits would fo abhor it, that though they took
24^ Natural Magick, ^Boof^x.
it, yet it could not work in them. So we meddle fort and hard things together that they may go down more pleafancly. Sometimes there is Co little ina rcceitahat the heat of the body waftes it before it can work ; here then is reqeked a greater quantity: for, this doth not hinder the working , but gives the natural heaticme- whattofeed upon, that in the mean fpace the receit may have fit time to work! As forexample: If we would catch birds by bringing them to fleer, here we muft take theNutMethella, which is of that force, as to caufe fleep and heavincfs of brain • and let this be the ground of our mixtion : then to make it more lively in work- ing, put thereto the juice of black Poppie, and the dregs of wine: If ic be too hard, arsd we would have it more liquid, that fo it may fill out the pulfe oy other baites.which we lay for them; put thereto the juice of Mandrakes, and Hemlock, and an Ox gall: and that it may not be bitter or unfavoury, put hony, cheefe or floure amongft it,that fo it may be fitter to be eaten : and when orce the birds have tailed of it, they lie down to fleep on the ground, and cannot flie, but may be ta- ken with hands. The like muft be obferved in other things.
Chap. XIX. How to find out the jufl weight of a mixture.
WE mull alfo have a fpecial care to know the right mihiftringof a ccmpound,and how to find out the juft proportion of weight therein ; fcr the goodneis of the operation of things, confifts chiefly in the due proportion and mealure of them: And unlefs the mixtion be every way perfect, it availeth little in working. Where- fore the Antients were wont to obferve not only in compounds,but alio in Simples due weight andmeafure ; and their experience hath left it unto us. If then thou beftoweft thy pains in this faculty, firftthou muft find out the weight of afimple Medicine, how much of it would fervefuch a purpoieas thou intendeft ; and to that,thoumuft proportionabfy frame thy compound, obferving a due proportion , both in the whole and every part thereof. Let tby chief Simple, the ground of thy mixture, be half the weight, and the other ingredients altogether muft be the other half; but how much of each of thefe other ingredients , that thou muft gather by thy own conjecture: So then,thy whole compound muft be but as much as if it were onely afimple receit ; for we do not compound things, to make the receit grea- ter, either in quantity or in vertue , but only becaufe it fhould bemorefpeedy in operation : It muft alfo be confidered, that the weights of mixtures and medicines muft vary proportionably, as the Countries and Climates vary : for this alters their operation, as we fhewed before. Thou muft therefore work advifedly; and as the operation of the Simples altereth, fo thou muft alter their weight, by putting to, and taking from , and wittily fitting all things, that they may effect that which thou wculdeft. This is the reafon, why in our experiments which we have fet down hereafter, we have deicribed the parts thereof by their feveral weights : and left the divers names of weights fhculd hinder thy working , we bate qfed thofe weights and names which Cornelius C'e/fus ufed before us : for lb it is fitteft fcr all mens fatisfaction.
Chap.XX. How to prepare Simples,
HAving Chewed the way how to compound and find out ihejtft weight cf cor compofition, it now remains we teach hew to prepare Simples ; which is a matter chiefly neceflary for this work ; and greatefl <kill is feenin it. For the ope- rations of Simples, do not fo much cor fift in thcmfelves , as in the prerarirg of them; without which preparation, they work little or nothing at all. Tbtie be many wayes to prepare Simples, to make them fitter for certain ufes. Tie rrcft u- fual wayes are, Steeping, Boiling, Burning, Pcwning. Refolvirg into afher, Diftil- Jing, Drying, and fuch tlike. To macerate oifteep any thing, isto drerch ardto
Of the Caufesof W "onderful things. 25
foak it in liquor, that ic may be throughly wet both within and without, fo that the more fubtil and intimate pare of it may be drained and fqueezed out, and the orcfler and earthly part be left behind, to receive that humour in the very middle, which we would have in it. Boiling we then ufe, when we cannot other- wife well pet out the juice of any thing : for by boiling we draw out of the centre into the circumference, when we cannot do ic by Keeping ; though thereby the flichtcr vapours may be relblved. So we ufe to burn, to rofte, to pown things, that we may take away all their moifture from them ; for by this means, they may the more eafily be refolvcd, and the fooner convertqd into liquor, and the better mingled with other things tobi put to them. So we rofte or broil things when o- thervvife we cannot break them, that they might become duft ; yet alwayes we muft take heed that we do not fo burn them, as they may iofe their ftrength • nor fo boil things but only as they may be fitter to receive that fubtil humor and quality, which we would convey into them. Diftillation of things is ufed, as well to get out water that may be of greater ftrength,therby to work more eafily & handfomly;as alfo becaufe the {lighter and more fubtile parts of Medicines are fitteft for us, the grof- fer parts muft be caft away, as being an hindrance to our purpofe : and the like we muft conceive of other operations. Thefe things I thought fitteft for this work. He that would be inftrufted more at large herein, let him look into the books of Phy- fuians. But let us now proceed to further matters.
The
THE
SECOND BOOK
o f
Natural Ma°ick :
D
Shewing how living Creatures of divers kinds, may be mingled and coupled together, that from them, new, and yet profitable kinds of living Creatures may be generated.
The Pro e m e. n~<[ 7 ii*s<y. - li Qivi tfool <rirf »I tob^ si -r; • J* now i-ar)<ti Ur« w t«rh
H^w'»g wandred beyond my bounds, in the confideration of Caufes and their Alii- ons ; which I thought fit to make the Subjctt of my firji bookj it will be time to ffcak of thofe Operations, which we have often promtfed, that we may not too long keep off f torn them thofe ingenious men that are very dejirous to know them. Since that we have Jaid, That Natural CMagickjs the top, and the compleat faculty or Natural Science , in han- dling it , we will conclude within the compafs of this Volume, whatfoever is High, Noble, Choice, and T^table, that u dtf covered in the large field of Natural Hiftory. But that we may perform this, Ifhallreduce all thofe Secrets into their proper places ; and that no- thing may be thrufi out of its own ran\y IjhaH follow the order of Sciences. And J fhalL fir/} dtvtde them into Natural arid Mathematical Sciences; and 1 fhaftbegtn with the N*-> tutal • for I hold that mofi convenient , that all may anfe from thofe things that are fim- fle, and notfo laborioui,to tJMathematical Sciences. 1 fhaU from Animals firft proceed to Plants, and fo by fteps to Minerals, and other works of Nature. J fl?aU briefly dcfcrtbc Vountains,alfo whence flow Springs ; and 1 jhaH annex thereto the Reafons, and theCaufes • that Indujirioui men made acquainted with thu,may find out more of themfelves. And Jrecaufe there are two generations of Animals and Plants, one of themfelves, the other by copulation: 1 fhallfirfi fpeak^of fuch as are bred without copulation • and next,of fuch as proceed from copulation one with another, that we may produce new living C reatmres,fuch 4U the former ages never faw. Iff) all begin therefore with Putrefaction, becaufethat u the principle to produce new Creatures ; not one I) from the variety of Simples , but of mixed Bodies. I thought fit to leave none out, though they be of fmall account, fince there is no- thing in Nature, appear it never fo fmall, wherein there is not fomethirg to be admired.
Chap. I.
The firfi Chapter treat eth of Putrefattion , and of a flrange manner of producing li- ving Creatures.
Efore we come to (hew that new living Creatures are generated of Purrcfa&ion, it is meet to rehearle the opini- ons ©fantient Philofophers concerning that matter- Whereof though we hive i'poken elfewhere, in the defcription of Plants, yet for the Readers eafe, we will here rehearfe lcme of them, tofhewthat not onely imperfe£f, but peifeft li- ving Creatures too, are generated of Putrefa£ticn. Perphy- ry thought that Living creatures were begotten of thebcwels of the Earth foaked in water, and quickned by the heat of the Sun. Of the Same mind were Archelaus the Athenian, Anaxagorat C ta^omemus-, and Euripides his Sco- lar» ClcodemMe,md after him Thcopl.raftw) thought that they came of puuified wa- ter
Uf we generation of Animals. ly
ter mixt with earth ; and the colder and fouler the water was, the unfitter it was for their generation. Dtodortts, and many ochsr good Philosophers hold, that all living Creatures did arife of putrefa&ion. For whereas in the beginning of the world, the Heavensrand Earth, and Elements were tetled in their natural pUces, the earth being left flimy and loft in many places, and then dried and Hricken with the heac of the Sun, brought forth certain tumors and iwellings in the furface and upper- moft parts: in thefe turners were contained and cherifaed many putrefaStions and rotten clods, covered over with certain fmall skins; this pmrified fluff, being moil-iened with dew l?y nighr, and the Sun heating it by day, after a certain icafon became ripe ; and the skins being broken, thence iffucd all kinds of livingCrea- lures ; whereof, they that had quickeft heat, became birds; the earthy ones be- came creeping beafts ; the waterifli ones became fifhes in the Sea ; and they which were a mean, as it were, betwixt all thefe , became walking-ireatures. But the heat of the Sun Hill working upon the earth, hindered it from begetting and bringing forth any more fuch creatures; but then,the creatures before generated coupled together,and brought forth others like themfelves. Avicennn^ in that work of his which he made of deluges and flouds ; holds, that after the greatflouds that drowned the Earth, there was no mans feed; but then, man, and all living Crea- tures elfe, were generated of rotten carcafes, only by the venue of the Sun: and therefore he fuppofeth, that the womb, and fuch needful places framed by nature, for the better fafhiocing of the infant, are not needfull to the procreation of man. He proves his .flertion by this, that mice, which arife of putrefaction, do couple together , and beget flore of young ; yea, and ferpents are generated chiefly of womans hair. And in his book of living Creatures, he tels of a friend or his, that brought forth Scorpions after a ftrange manner, and thole did beget other Scorpions, not imperfect, or unlike to themfelves, but fuch as did alfo procreate others. Averroes held,that the ftars were fufficicnt to generate imperfect creatures*, as mice, bats, moules, and fuch like, but not to generate Men, or Lions. And dai- ly experience teachcth us, thai many living creatures come of the pmrified matter of the earth. And the Ancients fuppofing all things to be produced out of the earth,cal- led it the mother of all; and i he Greeks called it Dimitera. Ovid hath very ele- gantly fet down this generation of putrefaction, under the fable of Pytho ; that the earth brought forth of its own accord , many living creatures of divers forms* the heat of the Sun enliving thofe moitfures that lay in the tumors of the earth, like fertile feeds in the belly of their mother ; for heat and moifture being tempered to- gether, caufeth generation. So then , after the deluge, the earth being now moift, the Sun working upon it, divers kinds of creatures were brought forth, feme like the former, and fome of a new fliape.
Chap. II.
Of certain earthly Creatures, which are generated of ftttrefMion*
PLants and living Creatures agree both in this, that fome of them are generated of feed, and fome of them Nature brings forth of her own accord, without any feed of the fame kind ; fome out of putrified earth and plants , as thofc Creatures that are divided between the head and the belly ; feme out of the dew that lies upon leaves , as Canker-worms; fome cut of the mud,asfhel- creatures • and fome out of living Creatures themfelves, and the excrements: of their parts, as lice. We will onely rehearfe fome which the Ancients have fet down, that fo we may alfo learn how to procreate new creature?. And firft, let us fee, how
Mice
i8 Natural Magic k. j3oo{i.
Mice are generated of putrtfaBion.
Diodorut faith, that neer to the CityThebais in Egypt, when Nilus overflowing is paft, the Sun heating the wet ground, the chaps of the earth fend forth great ftorc cf mice in many places ; which aftonifheth men to fee, that the fore-part of the mice fliould live and be moved, whereas their hinder parts are not yet fliapen. *P/;»; faith, that after the fwaging of Nilus, there are found little mice begun to be made of earth and water, their fore-parts living, and their hinder parts being nothing but earth. tAHianta faith, that a little rain in Egypt, engenders many mice, which be- ing fcattered everywhere in their fields, eat down their corn, and devour it : And fo it is in Pontus ; but by their prayers to God, they are confamed. LMacrobittt and Avicennafo], that the mice fo generated, do encreafe exceedingly by coupling to- gether. Ariftotle found out, that a kind of field-mice encreafed wonderfully-} fo that in fome places they did fuddenly eat up whole fields of corn : infomuch that many Husband men appointing to reap their corn on the morrow, when they came with their reapers, found all their corn wafted. And as thefe mice are generated fuddenly, fo they are fuddenly confumed, in a few dayes ; the reafon whereof can- not be fo well afligned. Pliny could not find how it fhould be ; for neither could they be found dead in the fields, neither alive within the earth in the winter time. Diodorus and tAitianus write, That thefe field-mice have driven many people of Ita- ly out of their ownCountrey : they dtftroyed Cofas,aCity of Hetruria: many came to Troas, and thence drove the inhabitants. Theoyhraftm va&Varro write, That mice alfo made the inhabitants of thelflind Gyarus to forfake their Country j and the like is reported of Heraclea in Pontus, and of other places. Likewife alfo
Frogs Are wonderfully generated of rotten daft and rain ;
for a Summer fhowre lighting upon the putrified fands of the fhore, and duftof high-wayes, engenders frogs. tABlianus-, going from Naples in Italy, to Puteoli, faw certain frogs, that their fore-parts moved and went upon two feet, while yet their hinder parts were unfafhioned, and drawn after like a clot of dirt : and Ovtd faith, one part lives, the other is earth ftill : and again, mud engenders fregs that fometimes lack feet. The generation of them is fo eafie, and fudden, that feme write it hath rained frogs ; as if they were gendred in the Air. FhyLrckm in Atke* nam writes foj and HeracUdeshembm writes, that it rained frogs about Dardany and Pceonia, fo plentifully, that the very wayes and houfes were full of them: and therefore the inhabitants , though for a few dates at the firft they endured it, killing the frogs, and fhutting up their houfes, yet afterward when they faw it was to no purpofc, but they could neither ufe water, nor boil meat, bur frogs^would be in it , nor fo much as tread upon the ground for them, they quite forfook their coun- tries, as Diodorus and Exftathitu write. The people Autharidx in Thefprtaia, were driven out of their Country, by certain imperfect frogs that fell from heaven. But it is a ftrange thing that
%jd Toads are generated of dirty and of women s flowers,
InDariene, a Province of the new world, the air is .moft unwholefome, the place being muddy and full of ftinking marifhesmay, the village is it felf a marilh, where Toads are prefently geodred of the drops wherewith they water their houfes, as *Pete r Martyr writes. A Toad is likewife generated of a duck that hath lyen rotting under the mud, as the verfe fhews which is afcribed to the duck ; When I am rotten in the earth, I bring forth Toads : happily becaufe they and I both, are moitt and foul creatures. Neither is it hard to generate Toades of womens puirified flowers; for women do breed this kind of cattel, together with their children, as Celius Aurelianus *nd Plateariut all them, frogs, toads, lyzards , and luchlike: and the women of Salerium, in times paft , were wont to ufe the juice of Patfleyand Leeks, at the beginning cf their conception, and efpecially about the time of their quickening,thereby to deftroy this kind of vermin with them. A certain
woman
Of the (feneration of Animals \ 19
woman latelytmrri-d, being in all mens judgement great with child, brought forth in Head of a child, four Creatures like to frogs, and after had her perfeft health. But this was a kind of a Moon-calf. Paracelftutod, that if you cur a ferpent in pieces, and hide him in a veflel of glaffe, under the mud, there will be gendred many worms, which being nourifheci by the mud,will grow every one as big as a Serpent J fo that of ouc ferpent may be an hundred generated : and the like he holds of other creatures. I will not gainfay it, but only thus, that they do not gender the fame ler- pents. And fo, he faith, you may make them of a womans flowers ; and fo, he faith, you may generate a Bafiiisk , that all (hall die which look upon him : but this is a ftark lie. It is evident alfo, that
Serpents may be generated of mans mayrow^ of the hairs of a menfirmus woman,
and of a horfe- feftf, or mane.
We read, that in Hungary, by the River Theifa, Serpents and Lyzards did breed in mens bodies, fo that three thouland men died of it. Tlinj writes, that about the be- ginning of the wars againft the Marti, a maid-fervant broughtforth a ferpent. Avi~ cenna in bis book of deluges, writes, that ferpents are gendred of womens hairs e- fpedaliy, bccaufc they are naturally moifter and longer then mens. We have expe- rienced alfo, that the hairs of a horfes mane laid inthewaiers, will become fer- pents: and our friends have tried the fame. No man denies but that ferpents are eafily gendred of mansflefh, efpecially of his marrow. vj£i%anm faith, that a dead mans back-mirrow being putrified , becomes a ferpent: and fo of the rneekeft living Creature arifes the moft favage: and that evil mens back-bones? do breed fuch monfters after death; Ovid (hews, that many hold it for a truth. Tlinj received it of many reports, that Snakes gendred of the marrow of mens backs. Writers alfo (hew,
Hot* a Scorpion may be generated of Baft I.
Fkretttinus the Grecian faith, That Bafil chewed and laid in the Sun, will engender ferpents. P//»;addeth ; that if you rub it, and cover it with a ftone, it will be- come a Scorpion ; and if you chew it, and lay it in the Sun, it will bring forth worms. And fome fay, that if you ftamp a handful of Bafil, together with ten Crabs or Cre- vifes, all the Scorpions thereabouts will ccme unto it. Avtcenna tells of a ftrange kind of producing a Scorpion ; but Galen denies it to be true. But the body of a Crab-fifn is ftrangely turned into a Scorpion : Pliny faith, that w hile the Sun is in the fign Cancer, if the bodies of thofe fifties lie dead upon the Land, they wil be turned into Scorpions. Ovid faith, if you take of the Crabs arms, and hide the reft in the ground, it will be Scorpion. There is alfo a
Creature that lives but one day9 bred in vineger ;
as t&liamti writes ; and it is called Ephemeras, beciufe it lives but one day : it is gendred of the dregs of fowre wine ; and as foon as the veflel is open, that it comes into the light, prefently it dies. The River Hippantsy about the folftitial daies, yields certain little husks, whence iflue forth certain four-footed birds, which live and flic about till noon, but pine away as the Sun draws downward, and die at the Sun-fcc- ting $ and becaufe they live but one day, they are called Hemerobion, a daics- bird. So the
Tyrigones be generated in the fire ;
Certain little flying beads, fo called, becaufe they live and are nourifhed in the fire ; and yet they flieup and down in the Air. This is ftrange ; but that is more ftrange, that as foon as ever they come ouc of the fire, inco any cold air,prefcAtly they die. Likewifcthe
Salamander
*o Natural Mag ick. hoof{i»
Salamander is gendred of the water j
.fcr the Salamander u felf genders nothing, neither is there any male or female among!) them, nor yet amonglt Eeels, nor any kind elie j which doth not generate of thernfelves eicher egge or young, as TUny noteth. But now we will fpeak of a molt excellent generation, namely, how
Bees are generated of an Ox.
t/EHar>tu writes. That Chen are commodious many wayes; amongft the reft, this ison6 excellent commodity, that being dead, there may be generated of them a very profitable kind of Creamers, namely Bees. Ovid faith it, that as allputrified bodies are turned into tome i'mall living Creatucrs, lo Oxen putrified do generate Bees. Fhrentmm the Grecian faith, that Julias King of Africa, taught how to make Bees in a wooden Ark. Vemocrittti and Varro fliew a cruel manner of making Bees in a houfe: but it is a very ready way. Chufeahoufe ten cubits high, and tencu* bits broad, fquare every way : but let there be but one entrance into it, and four windows , on each fide one. Putin this room an Ox, about two or three years old; let him be fat and fleftiy : then fet to him a company of lufty fellows, to beat him fo cruelly, that they kill him with their cudgels, and break his bones withal: but they muft take great heed that they draw no blood of him, neither muft they ftrike him too fiercely at the firft : After this, flop up all the paflages of the Ox, his noiirils, eyes, mouth, and neceffary places of evacuation, with fine linen clouts befmeared with pitch : Then caft a great deal of honey under htaa, being laid with his face upwards, and let them all go forth,and daube up the door and the windows w'nh thick lome, fo that no wind, nor Air can get in. Three weeks after, open the room, and let the light and the Air ccme in, except there where the wind would blow in too violently. And when you fee that the matter is through cold, and hath taken air enough, then (hut up the door and windows as before. About eleven daies after,open it again, and you fhall find the room full of Bees clotted to- gether, and nothing of the Ox remaining, befide the horns, the bones and the hair. They fay that the Kings of the companies are generated of the brain, theo- ther of the flefh, but the chief Kings of all, of the marrow ; yet thofe that come of the brain, aremoftof them greater, handfomer , and better-coloured then the reft. When you open the room firft, you fhall find the flefh turned into finall,white, and unperfect creatures, all of the fame ftiape, but as yet only growing, and not moving. Afterward, at the fecond opening, you may fee their wings grown, the right colour of Bees in them, and how they fit about their Kings, and flutter about, especially toward the windows, where they would enjoy their denied light. But it is beft to let them light by the windows every other day. This fame experiment, firgi/hath very elegantly fet down in the fame manner. Now as the beft kind of Bees are generated of a young Ox, foamorebafe kind of them is brought forth of the dead fkfh of bafer creatures j z/Elianns faith,
"That JVufpes are generated of an Horfe ;
when his carcafe is putrified, the marrow of him brings forth Wafpes ; a fwift kind of fowl, from a fwift kind of beaft. Ovid faith, that Hornets are thence generated ; and Ifiodore derives crabronemacabo^id eft caballoyt hornet of a horfe, becaufe they are brought forth of horfes. Vlinj and Virgil fay, that wafpes and hornets both, are generated of the flefh of dead horfes. In like manner
. - . '.^i.tr'-mulK' • • 3.mx • ' nrvftoh'il usiisO
Dronts cmt of MhIis> :
as
Of the (feneration of Animals. }i
as Ifiodore zfnimcth : and the Drone is called Fuctts quaf Fagos, bscaufe he eats that which he never laboured for. But others hold that Locu(is,and not Drones,are Generated of Mules fkft* So alfo, of the baieft bead cometh the bafeft fowl :
The Beetle is generated of the lAfsy
as Vltnj write?. If odor e faith, they come of fwifc dogs : zAllianus faith, they have no female, buc lay their feed in a clot of earth for 2 8dayes, and then bring forth young out of it.
Chap. III.
Of certain Birds^ which are generated of theTmrcfaclion of Plants.
fllatts Magnus, in the defcription of the North-countries of Europe, reports, thac about Scotland, there be certain birds generated of the fruit of a Tree. Mmfiet faith, there be certain Trees which bring forth a fruit covered over with leaves ; which, if it fall into the water under it, at the right feafon, it lives, and becomes a quick bird, which is called Avis arborea. Neither is this any new tale • for the antient Cofmographers, efpecially Saxo (jrammatictu mentions the fame Tree. Late Writers report, That not onely in Scotland, buc in the River of Thames alfo by London, there is a kind of Shel-fifh inatwo-lcaved (hell, that hath a foot full of plans and wrinkles : thefe fifh are little, round, and outwardly white, fmooth and brittle (helled , like an Almond (bell ; inwardly they are great bellied, bred as ic were of mofs and mud: they commonly flick on the keel of fomeold Ship, where they hang together like Muftirome-ftalks, as if they were thereby nourifhed. Seme fay, they come of worms, fome of the boughs and branches of Trees which fall in- to the Sea ; if any of thefe be caft upon fhore, they die ; but they which axe fwal- lowed ftill into the Sea, live,and get out of their (bell, and grow to be ducks or fuch like birds. (Jcfner faith, that in the Iflands Hebrides, the lame
Birds are generated of putrified wood.
If you caft wood into the $ea,firft after * while there will certain worms breed in it, which by little and little become like ducks, in the head, feet, wings and feathers ; and at length grow to be as big as Geefe: and when they are come to their full growth, they flie about in the Air, as other birds do. As foon as the wood begins firft to be put rifled, there appears a great many wormes,fcme unfhapen, others be- ing in fome parts perfect, fome having feathers, and fome none. Paracelftu faith ; As the yelk and white of an egge, becomes a chick by the heat of an Hen ; fo a bird burnt to afhes, and (but up in a veffel of glafs, and fo laid under the mixen, will become a flimy humour ; and then, if it be laid under a Hen, is enlived by her hear, and reftored to her felf like a Phoenix. Ficinnt reportet b, and he had it out of AlbertusyTaix. there is a certain bird, much like a Black-bird, which is generated of the putrefaction of Sage } which receives her life and quickning from the general life of the whble world.
Chap. IV. Of Certain fifkes which are generated of putrefaction.
HAving firft fpoken of earthly Creatures, and then of Fowlesj now we will (peak of Fifties fo generated. And firft how
Seles are generated.
Amongft them there is neither male or female, nor egges, nor *ny copulation j nei- ther
31 Natural Magick , "Bool^i.
cher was there ever fecn in any etThem,any paffage fit to be a womb.They have bred oft-times in certain muddy pools, even after all the water and mud hath been gone ; only by rain-water: neither indeed do they ever breed wkhouc rain, though they have never fo much water otherwise ; For it is the rain, both that begets and nou- iifhesthem, zsArifietlewint'?. They are alfo generated of putrified things. Ex- perience hath proved, that a deadhorie thrown into a Handing pool, hath brought forth great ftore of Eeles ; and the like hath been done by the carcafes of other creatures. Artftotteii'uh, they are generated of the garbage of the earth, which he faith,arifeth in the Sea, u\Rivers,ar>d in pools,by reafon chiefly of putrefa&ionjbuc it ariies in the Sea by reafon of reeds ; in Pools and Rivers , it arifes by the banks- fide, for there the heat is more forcible to caufe putrefaction. And a friend of mine filled certain wooden veflels with water ,and Reeds, and fome other water-herbs, and fet them in the or/en Air, hav ing 6ift covered them with a weighty Rone, and lo in fhort time generated Eeles. Such is the generation of
Groundlings out of fome and frothy
which fifli the Greeks call Aphya, becaufe rain breeds it. Many of them breed of thefomc thatrifes out of the fandy chanel, thatftill goesand comes at all times, till at laft it is diflolved j fo that this kind of fifh breeds all times of the year, in fha- dowy and warm places, when the foyl is heated ; as in Attica, neer to Salamnia, and in Marathon, where Themiftocles got his famous victory. In fome places, this fifh breeds of feme by the help of the rain ; and fwims on the top of the water in the fome , as you fee little wormes creep on the top of mud. A then aw faith, This fifh is confecrated to Venus , becaufe (he alfo comes of the froth of the Sea,whence fhe is called Aphrodites. t/EUanw faith, Thefe fifhes neither do beget, nor are be- gotten, bnt only come of mud : for when dirt is clotted together in the Sea, ic waxes very black and flimy, and then receives heat and life after a wonderful man- ner, and fo is changed into very many living Creatures, and namely into Ground- lings. When the waves are too boiftrousfor him,he hides himfelfin the cliftol fome rock; neither doth he need any food. And Opptar.w makes the very famedefcri- ptionofthem, and of their generation. There is a kind of thefe fifhes, called a Mullet- Groundling, which is generated of mud and of fand, as hath been tried in many imrifli places, amongft the reft in Gindus ; where in the Dog-daies, the Lakes being dried up, fo that the mud was hard; as foon as ever they began to be full cf rain-water again, were generated little fifhes, a kind of Mullets, about thebignefs of little Cackrels, which had neither feed nor egge in them. And in fome parts of Afia, at the mouth of the Rivers into theSea,fome of a bigger fize are generated. And as the Mullet-groundling comes of mud, or of a fandy lome, as jirifiotle writes ; fo it is to be thought, that the Cackrel-groundling comes thereof alfo. It feems too, that
A C*rPe is generated of putrefaftion,
Efpeciallyof the putrified mud of fweet water: for it is experienced, that in cer- tain Lakes,compafled about with Hills,where there is no Wcll,nor Kiver,to moiften it but only the rain, after fome few fhowers, there hath been great ftore of fifh, efpccially Carps: but there are fome of this kind generated by copulation. There arc alfo in certain particular Lakes, particular kinds of fiihes, as in the Lemane, and the Benacian Lakes, there be divers kind of Carpcs, and other fuch fifhes. Likewife there are certain
Earthly fifhes generated of pntrefaUion.
Tliny reports, that in Paphlagonia, they dig out of deep ditches, certain earthly fifhes very good to be eaten • and it is fo in places where there is no (landing wa- ter- and he wonders that they (hould be generated without copulation : but Aire-
Of the (feneration of ^Animals. jj
ly it is by vertue of fome moifture, which he afcribes co the Wells, becaufe in fome of them fifhes are found. Likewife
Shel fijk are generated of the frothy mud,
.or elfe meerly of the falt-water ; for they have neither feed, nor male, nor female; thehardneffe and clofenefle of their fhels, hindering all things from touching or rub- bing their inward parts, which might be fit tor generation, Anfiotle faith, they breed all of themfel?es; which appears by thi<, that oft-times they breed in ships, of a forthy mud putrified : and in many placeSjWliere no fuch thing was before,many fhel-fifhes have bred, when once the place waxed muddy,for lack of moifture.And that thefe fifhes emit no feed or generativ e matter, ic appears, becaufe that when the men of Chios had brought out of Lesbos many Oyfters, and caft them into Lakes neer the Sea, there were found no more then were caft in ; onely they were feme- what greater. So then Oyfters are generated in the Sea, in Rivers and in Lakes, and therefore are called Limnoftrea, becaufe they breed in muddy places. Oppiaws mites alfo, that they have neither male nor female, but are generated of themfelves and their own accord, without the help of any copulation. So the fifh called Orti- ca , and the Purple, and Mufcles, and Scallops, and Perwinkles, andLimpins, and all Shel-fifh are generated of mud: for they cannot couple together, but live only as plants live. And look how the mud differs , fo doth it bring forth different kinds of fifties : durty mud genders Oyfters, fandy mud Perwinkles,the mud in the Rocks breedeth Holoturia, Lepades, and fuch-like. Limpins, as experience hath fhewed, have bred of rotten hedges made to fifh by j and as foon as the hedges were gone, there have been found no more Limpins.
Chap. V.
That new kinds of living Creatures may be generated of divers beafis , by carnal copulation.
\\^E have (hewed that living Creatures are generated of putrefa&ionrnow we will fhew,that fundry kinds of beafts coupling together, may bring forth new kinds of CreaiUres, and thefe alfo may bring forth others ; fo that infinite monfters may be daily gendred : for whereas Ariftotle faith, that Africk alwayes brings forth fome new thing j the reafon thereof is this, becaufe the Country being in moft places dry, dners kinds of beafts come out of fundry quarters thither , where the Rivers were, and there partly for luft,and partly by conftraint, coupled together, and fo gendred divers monftrous Creatures. The Antients have fet down many fuch generations, and fome are lately devifed, or found out by chance ; and what may be hereafter, let men of learning judge. Neither let the opinions of feme Philofophers ftay us, which hold that of two kinds divers in nature, a third cannot be made, unlike to either of the parents; and that fome Creatures do not gender at all, as Mules do not : for we fee, that, contrary to the firft of thefe their pofitions, many Creatures are gene- rated of kinds divers in nature, and of thefe are generated others, to the perpetual confervation of this new kind ; as hath been tried in many Villages,that divers kinds coupling together, have brought forth other new kinds, differing from their proge- nitors every day more and more, as they multiply their copulations , till at length they are fcarce in any thing like the former. And againft their fecond Pofttion, we muft not think that the one example of Mules not gendring, fhould prejudice the common courfe of other creatures. The commiftionsor copulations, have divers ufes in Phyfick, and in Domeftical affairs, and in hunting : for hereby many proper- ties are conveyed into many Creatures. Firft, we will rehearle thole experiments, which the Antients have defcribed, and then thofe which new Writers have recor- ded, and our felves have feen in divers Countries. And by this, the ingenious Rea- der may find out others. But firft I will relate certain observations, which Arifto* tie and others have prefcribed, that this kind of generation may be more eaftly
H wrought,
34. Natural Magick, 'BooJ^z.
wrought. Firft, the creatures thus coupled, mutt be of an equal pitch j for if there be great oddes in their bigneffe , they cannoc couple: a dog and a wolf, a Lion and a panther, an Affe and a Horfe, a Partridge and a Hen, are of one bignefle, and therefore may couple together ; but a Horfe and a Dog, or a Mare and an Elephant, or a Hen and a Sparrow cannot.Secondly, they muft have one and the famefpaceto bring forth in : for if one of them bring forth in twelve rrioncths, and the other in fix, then the young will be ripe by one fide, when it is but half ripe by the other. A dog mult have two moneths, and a horfe muft have twelve : and the Phiiofopher ftith, no creature can be born, except he have his full time. So then a deg cannot be born of a man, nor a Horfe of an Elephanr, becaufethey differ in the time of their bearing. Again, the creatures which we would thus couple, muft be ore as iuftfui as the other : for a chafte creature, that ufeth coition hut once a year, if be have not his female at that time, he lofeth his appetite before he can fancy any ether mate : but thole which are full of luft, will eagerly couple with another kind as well astheirown. Among four-footed beafts, a dog,a goat, a iwine, anafs, bemoftla- fcivious ; among birds, partridges, quailes, doves, fparrows. Moreover, they muft be coupled at fuch a time as is fit for generation : for Nature hath prefcribed certain limes and ages fit for that work. The common time, is the Spring ; for then almoft all Creatures are prone to luft. The ages of them muft likewife be&c : for the ge- nerative power comes to creaturcs,at a fet age. Neither of them muft be barren, nor weak, nor too young ; for then their feed is unfit for generation : but both of them, if it may be, in the prime of their beft age and ftrength. If any creatures want appe- tite thereunto, there be many fligBts, whereby we may
UWake them eager in luft.
And if the female do caft out the feed, there be means to make her hold in it. Pro- vokements to luft there are mar.y let down by Writers, and fome ufual with us e/£- Uanu» writes, that keepers of fheep, and goats, andMare^, do befmear their hands with fait and nitre, and then rub the generative parts of them in the time of their coition, for their more luftful and eager performance of that action. Others be- fmear them with pepper, others with nettles feed, others with myrrh and nirre ; all of them kindle the appetite of the female, being well rubbed therewith, and make her ftand to her male. TheHe-goa^s,if you befmear their chin, and their noftrels with fweet ointmenr,are thereby much enclined to luft ; and contrariwife, if you tie a thred about the middle of their tail, they are nothing fo eager of copulation. Jib- fyrtm fheweth,that if you wipe off fome nature or feed of a mare, and therewith belmear the noftrils of a Stallion horfe, it will make him very luftful. Djdimus faith, that if Rams, or any other beafts, feed upon the herb Milk-wort, they will become both eager to luft, and ftronger for the aft of copulation. Pliny fheweth, that Onions encreafe defire of copulation in beafts, as the herb Rotchet doth in men. The She- afs, holds the feed within her the better, if prefently after copulation fhe be well beaten, and her genitories befprinkled with cold water, to make her run after it. Many fuch helps are recorded by thofe who have written the hiftories of living creatures.
Chap.VI.
How there may be Dogs of great courage, and divers rare properties, generated of divers ki»ds of Beafts.
\^/"E will firft fpeak of Dogs, as being a moft familiar creature with us, and fuiting with many beafts, in bigneffe, in like time of breeding ; and befides, being al- wayes ready for copulation,and very lecherous, oft-times coupling with beafts of a far divers kind, and fochangeth his fhape andfafhion, leaveth the bad qualities of his owakind,andis made fitter to hunt,to keep any thing from fpoii,to play or make fport,and for divers other ufes. And firft, how
Of the (feneration of Animals.
A flrong Indian-do* may be generated of a Tygre.
•This is called by fome,a Maftive ; by others a Warrior, or a Hircan-Dog/yfr//?^/* calls them Indian-dogs, and laith, they are generated of aDog-and aTygce ; and el.ewhere, of adog and another wilde beait, but henames .it not. Tim) write?, that the Indians intending to generate dogs of Tygres, fie the She-tygres in the woods about rutting time ; and dogs coupling with them engender young: but the firft and fecond births they care not for, as being too fierce ; but the third they bring up, as being milder and fitter for their ules. zAZliantts relates the ftory of this kind of Dogs, out of Indian Writers : that the ttouteft Bitches, and fuch as are fwifteft to run, and beft to hunt, are by the fhepherds tied to certain Trees within the Tygres walk : as foon as the Tygres light upon them , ' if they have not before met with their prey, they devour them; but if they be full of meat, and hot in luft, then they couple with the Bitches • and fo gencfate,nota Tygre,but a dog, their feed degenerating into the mothers kind. And thefe dogs thus gendred, fcom to hunt a Boar, or an Hart j but a Lion they will fet gallantly upon. A Noble man of In- dia made trial of the valor of thefe dogs, before Alexander the Great, on this manner: firft, he fet an Hart before him; but the Dog (coming the Hart, Bir- red not at him ; next, a Boar, but neither ftirred he at the Boar ; after that a Bear, but he fcorned the Beartoo: laftof all,aLion ;then the Dog feeingthat he had an even match in hand, rofe up very furioufly , and run upon the Lion, and took him by the throat, and (lined him. Then the Indian that fhewed this fport, and knew well this Dogs Valour, firft cut off his tail; but the Dog cared not for'his tail, in comparifon of the Lion which he had in his mouth : next, he cut off one of his Tegs; but the Dog held faft his hold ftill, as if it had been none of his legs: after "that, he cauied another of his leg? to be broken ; but the Dog flill kept his hold : after that, his third leg, and yet ftill he kept his hold : afifer that, his fourth leg, and yet the Dog was ft'll as fierce upon the Lion, as at the firft : Nay, when laft of all his head was cut off from his body,yet ftill it ftiickfaft by the teeth in the fame place, where he took his firft hold. Alexander feeing this, was much grieved for' the Dogs death, and greatly amazed at his valour, that he would rather feffer his life, then his courage to be taken from him. The Indian perceiving that, gave to Alex- anderfour fuch Dogs ; and he received them as a great Prefent, and accepted them gladly and thankfully : and moreover, rewarded the Indian that gave them, with a Princely reeompence. This fame ftory Fhiles alfo writes. But Diodorta Siculm and Strata, (ay that Sopithes a King, gave Alexander an hundred and fifty ofthefc Dogs, all very huge and ftrong, and ufually coupling with Tygres. And 'Pollux writes the fame. And Vlmark^ defcribes the Indian-dog, and his fight before Alex- ander , as it is before related : Pliny writes, that the King of Albania gave^ Alexan- der a great Dog, wherewith he was much delighted : but when he brought the Dog, firft Bears, then Boars, and then Deer, andfawhe would not touch them, being much offended that fo great a body fhould have fo little courage, he caufed him to bekilled. The King that gave him, hearing this, lent him another, and withal char- ged the Meffenger, that he fhould not be tryed in fmall matches, but either with a Lion or an Elephant. So then, Alexander caufed a Lion to be fet before him, and prefentlv the Dog killed him: afterward he tried him with an Elephant ; and the Dog briftled and barked at him, and affaulted him fo artificially every way, till the Elepha^ was giddy with turning abour, and fo fell down and was killed. (Jratius writesof this kind of dogs, thus generated of a Bitch and aTygre. There is alfo another kind of Dogs x
generated
\6 Natural Magick, Hool^i.
Generated of a Lion,
And thefe are ftrong Dogs, and good Hunters. 'Pollux faith, that Arcadian Dogs firftcame of a Dog and a Lion, and are called Lion-dogs. And Ceelittt writes the fame : and Oppianus commends the Arcadian Dogs, and thofe of Tegca, which is a Town of Acadia. This is alio
A firong and fwtft Dog, gendred of a kind of Wolf called lhosy
which, as Arifiotle writes , is in all his entrails like a Wolfs ; and is a firong beaft, fwift, and is wont to encounter the Lion. 'Pliny faith, it is a kind of Wolf ; Hefychituiiuh, it is like a Wolf • Herodotm, that it is gendred in Africa : Soltnnt calls them Ethiopian Wolves : Nearchtu calls thefe beads Tygres, and faith there be divers kinds of them. Wherefore Gratiut faith, that dogs generated of thefe Thoes, are ftrong, and fit to hunt ; and calls them halt-iavage, as coming of a tame Dog, and a favage kind of Wolf. There is alio a
Dog called Crocutay gendred of a 'Dog and a Wolf
Pliny faith, that thcfe Dogs break all things with their teeth, and prefently devour them. As the Indians join Tygres, fo do the Gaules join Wolves and Dogs together ; every herd of Wolves there, hath a Dog for their Ring-leader. In the Country of Cyrene in Libya, Wolves do couple with Dogs, as Artftotle and Pollux write. Galen in his book concerning the ufe of Parts, writes, that a Bitch may conceive by a He- wolf, and fo the She- wolf by a Dog, and retain each others feed, and ripen it to the bringing forth of both kinds. Diodorw faith, that the dog which the ./Ethiopi- an calls Crocut a , is a compound of the Nature of a Dog and a Wolf. When Ni- fhtu was hunting, one of his dogs eagerly purfued a (he-wolf, and overtaking her, began to line her, changing his fiercenefTe into luft. Albertus faith, that the great Dog called a Maftive, is gendred of a Dog and a Wolf. I my felf faw at Rome, a dog generated of a wolf ; and at Naples, a (he-wolf of a dog. Ovid, faith, that the dog Nape was conceived of a Wolf j and Ovid and Virgil both, mention the dogLycifca, which, as ///Wor? write?, are generated of wolves and dogs coupling together. Ccelitu call* thefe dogs Cbaonides j being gendred of a kind cf wolf called Chaos, as fome fuppofe, whence they have that nunc, Eut if we would ge- nerate fwift dogs, as Grey-hounds, we muft join dogs with fome fwift beafts. As , couple dogs and foxes together, and they will
Gender fwift Dogs} called Lacedamoman Dogs.
AriflotBy and out of him (jalen, report, that bcafts may couple together, though they be of a divers kind ; fo that their nature do not much differ, and they be of a like bigneffe, and thereby futabie for their times of breeding and bringing forth, as it is betwixt dogs and wolves ; of both which, arc gendred fwift dogs, called Lacedzmonian dogs : the firft births are of both kinds ; but in time, after fundry interchangeable generations, they take after the dam, and follow the kind of the female. 'Pollux faith, Thcfe arc called Alopecidz, fox-dogs i as Xenophou alfo writes of them, and makes them to be hunting dogs : and furely the beft and fwift eft hunting dogs, as Grey-hounds, are long-headed, and (harp-fnourcd, as foxes are. Hefychiw and Varintu call them Dog-foxes. But now, if we would genc« rate a kind of
Swift Dogs, and firong withal,
we muft make a medley of fundry kinds of dogs together ; as a Maftive and a Grey- hound gender a fwift,and withal a ftrong dog,as Arifiotle writes:or elfe couple a dog with a wolf, or with a Lion j for both thcfe mixtions have Hunts-men devifed ; the
former
Of the (feneration of aAnimals. 37
former, to amend certain natural defers in ope kind; and the latter, to make their dogs ftronger for the game,and craftier to efpie and take advantagesjas corrmonly,to- gether with the properties of the body,the qualities of the mindare derived into the young ones. Ovid mentions fuch mungrels amongft dttaons dogs : and Oppiantu in his book of Hunting, counfels to join in the Spring-time, divers dogs together, if we defire to have any excellent parts in any ;| artbe dogs of Elis, with them of Arca- dia j the dogs of Crete, with them of Pannonia ; Thracians, with them of Caria ; Lacedaemonians, with them of Tufcia ; and Sarmatian dogs, with Spanifti dogs. Thus we fee, how to generate a dog as ttomackful as a Lion, as fierce as a Tygre, as craf- ty as a fox, as fpotted as a Leopard, and as ravenous as a Wolf.
Chap. VII. How to generate pretty little dogs to play with,
BEcaufe a dog is fuch a familiar creature with man, therefore we will (hew how to generate and bring up a little dog, and one that will be play-full. Firft of die generation
Of ItttU Dogs.
In times paft, women were wont to eftcem little dogs in great price, efpecially fuch as came from Malta the Ifland fituate in the AdriiticalSea, neer to Ragufius. Cal- Umaehus terms them Melitean dogs. And Artfiotle in his Problems, fliews the manner of their generation ; where he queflioneth, Why amongft living creatures of the fame kind, tome have greater, and fome have fmaller bodies ; and gives thereof a double reafon: one, is the ftraightneffe of the place wherein they are kept ; the other, is the fcarcenefle of their nourishment : and fome have attempted to leffen the bodies of them, even after their birth ; as they which nourilh up lit- tle whelps in fmall cages : for thereby they (horten and lelfen their bodies; bat their parts are prettily well knit together, as appears in Melitaean dogs : for nature performes her work, notwithftanding the place. Athentus writes, that the Syba- rites were much delighted with Melitaran dogs, which are fuch in the kind of dogs, •s Dwarfes are among men. They are much made of, and daintily kept , rather for pleafure then for any ufe. Thoie that are chofen for fuch a purpofe, are of the fmalleft pitch, no bigger at their beft growth then a moufe, in body well fet, having a little head, a fmall fnout, the nofe turning upward, bended fo for the purpofe when they were young ; long ears, fhort legs, narrow feer, tail fomewhat long, a fiiagged neck, with long hair to the (houldcrs, the other parts being as it were (horn, in co- lour white ; and fome of them are fliagged all over. Thefe being fhut up in a cage, you muft feed very fparingly,that they never have their fill; and let them couple with the lcaft you can find, that fo lefle may be generated ; for fo Hippocrates write*, that Northern people, by handling the heads of dogs while they be young, make them leffe then, and fo they remain even after they are come to their full growth : and in this flupe they gender others, fo that they make , as it were, another kind. But if you would know the generation of a
Dog that will do tricks and feats9
one that will make fport of himfelf, and leap up and down, and bark foftly, and gnaw without biting , and ttand upon his hindermoft legs, holding forth his other legs like hands , and will fetch and carry 5 you muft firft let them converfe and com- pany with an Ape , of whom they will learn many fportful tricks ; then let them line the Ape ; and the young one which is born of them two, will be exceeding pra&ifed to do feats, fuch as Juglers and Players are wont to (hew by their dogs. Albertns faith, that thefe kind of dogs may very well be generated of a dog and a fox.
CHAP*
iijc'f oJifn oj el9))ti *Si Kb* ; baial obo nt *l:>tab kufitn msrro bosrnt •>/ ,1901101 '
n, 8«- 9- • ' • / ' ••Ji; ' '» % tic 'llwljlfcl , \ :tti» • 9fIJ5Ct1'i'^' i;l *9ob .
Chap. VIH.
Hi?w amend the defetts and lackj that are in dogs^ by other means, ^ , - , • <.?.rrii- :rwiq* r>\ >•■ [O) r o ~>v rV" ?n .-'jd gint.*;
\A/E may alfolupply the lacks that are in dogs, by other means, and teach them new qualities, even by their food and nourifhment : for we have (hewed oft~ times, that qualities are drawn in together with the milk and nonrflfhment where-' bywelive. filumeilafhewshovt
to make Dogs fireng and fwift s
• If you would have them full of ft out fpirits, you muft fuffer them to fuck the breads of fome other beafts ; for alwayes the milk, and the fpirits of the nurfe, are much available , both for the quality of the body, and the qualities of the foul. Oppia- nm bids us to keep hunting dogs from fucking any ordinary Bitches, or Goats, or Sheep ; for.this, faith he, will make them too lazy and weak ; but they muft fuck a tame Lionefle, or Hart, or Doe, or Wolf ; for fo they will become fwift andftrong, like to their nurfes that give them fnck. And ty£lianui gives the very fame precept, in the very fame words : for, faith he, when they (hall remember that they had fuch ftrong and fwift nurfes, nature will make them afhamed not to refemble their quali- ties. Pollux faith,that for a while,the Dams milk is fitteft meat for whelps jbut after, let them lap the blood of thofe beafts which dogs have caught, that by little and little they may be acquainted with the fweetneffe of hunting. Ctefias 10 his book of Indian matters, writes, that the people called Cynamolgi, do nourifti and feed many dogs with Bulls blood, which afterward being let loofe at the Bulls of India, overcome them and kill them, though they be never fo fierce: and the people themfelvcs milk their Bitches, and drink it, as we drink Goats or Sheeps milk, as i&lianut reports : and Solinus writes, that this is fuppofed to make that people flap-mouthed, and to grin like dogs. We may alfo make
an Afs become cottragiousy
if we take him as foon as he is brought forth into the world, and put him to a Mare in the dark; that fhe may not difcern him ; for her own Colt being privily taken from her, (he will give fuck to the Afleasto her own foale: and when the hath done thus for the fpace of ten daies, flic will give him fuck alwayes after wil- lingly, though (he know him to be none of hers. Thus (hall he be larger, and bet- ter every way.
"/."..*. . .. j: •...!./-,'■>'• .!um no,
Chap. IX. How to bring forth divers kinds of Mules,
\7i7 E will fpeak of the commixtion of Affes, Horfes, and fuch like : though it be a ^ known matter, yet it may be we fhall adde fomething which may delight the Reader. <j£lianm writes out of Democrittts^ that Mules are not Natures work, but a kind of theft and adultery devifed by man : firft committed by an Affe of Media, that by force covered a Mare, and by chance got her with foal ; which violence men learned of him, and after that made a cuftom of it. Homers Scholiaft faith, that Mules were firft devifed by the Venetians, a City of Paphlagonia. It is written in G<?»<r//V,chap. 36. v. 24; that Anah^ kin fman, feeding his fathers Affes in the wildcrneffe, found out Mules. Now
A Mule cometh of a, tMare and an Afs:
They have no root in their own kind; but are graffed as it were, and double-kin-
ded,
Of the (feneration of <iA nimah. %p
ded,as fcirro faith. If you would have a Puong and a big Mule, you m:;ftchufe a Mareof the largeft aflize, and well-knit joints, nor regarding her fwiftnefle, but her ftrength. But thsrc is another kind of mule called Hinnus, that cometh
of a Horfe and a She-afs.
But here fpec'ul choice muft he made of the Afle, that fhe be of the largeft affize , ftron°!y jointed,and able to endure any labour,and of good qualities alfojfor howfo- ever it is the bire that gives the name to the young one,and it is called Hinnus,of the Horfe ; yet it grows altogether like the Dam, having the main and the tail of an Afle, but Hories ears ; and it is not fo great of body as the Mule is, but much flow- er, and much wilder. But the beft She-mules of all, are generated
of a wilde Afs, andofa She-afs^
and thefe are the fwifteft too ; for though the Mule that is begotten by the He»afle, be both in fhape and qualities very excellent in his kind,yec that which is begotten of the wilde Afle, comech nothing behind the other,butonly that it is unruly and ftub- born,and fomewhat fcammel,like the Sire.Thefe Mules thus gendced of a wilde Afle, andaShe-afle,if they be males, and put to cover a Mare, beget excellent young ones,which by little and little wax t2me,refembling the fhape and mildcefle of their Sire, but the ftomack and fwiftnefle of their Grand-fire; and they have exceeding hard feet, as Columella writes. Thefe happily are the Mules which Ariftotle writes, are only in Syria, (vvift, and fertile, called by the common name of Mules, becaufe of their fhape, though their kind be of a wild Afle. But there is a more common kind of
Strong Mules gendred of a Ball and an A fs>
which is a fourth fort of Mules, found in Gratianopoli?,and called by a French name, Jumar. Gefner report ?, that at the foot of the Hill Spelungus in Rhetia, was feen a Horfe gendred of a Mare and a Bull. And I my felf faw at Ferraria, certain beafts in the fhape of a Mule, but they had a Bulls head, and two great knobs in (lead of horns i they had alio a Bulls eyes, and were exceeding ftomackful, and their colonr was black : a fpedacle, wherewith we were much delighted. I have heard, that in France, they be common; but I could fee none there, though I parted through the whole Country.
Chap. X.
How to mingle the Sheep and Goats together^ by generation.
IF we would better any qualities in a Ram, we mud effect it by coupling them with wild beafts, fuch as are not much unlike>either in quantity or in kind. There is a beaft called
Mufymu, gendred of a Goat and a %^m.
Tlinj faith, that in Spain, but efpecially in Corfica, there are beafts called Mufimones not much unlike to Sheep, which have Goats hair, but in other parts, Sheep : the young ones which are gendred of them, coupling with Sheep, are called by the AntientSjUmbri: Strabo calls them Mufimones. But Albertus calls them Mufini or Mufimones. which are gendred of a Goat and a Ram. I have heard that in Rhe- tia, in the Helvetian confines, there are generated certain beafts, which are Goats in the hinder parts, but in the former parts, Sheep or Rams ; but they cannot live long, but commonly they die, as foon as they are born : and that there the Rams be- ing grown in years, are very ftr©ng and lufiful, and fo oft-times meeting with goats,
^,0 Natural Magick, TZook^i.
do run over them : and that the young ones which wilde Rams beget of tame Sheep, are in colour like the Sire, and fo is their breed after them - and the wool of the firft breed is foaggy, but in their after-breed loft and tender. On the other fide, there is a beart called
Cinirtu, generated of a He-goat) and an Ewe,
as the fame Albert™ writeth. But the beft devifed adultery is, to couple in gene- ration, and thereby to procreate young ones, of
A wilde and a tame Coat.
Writers affirm, that whatfoever kind hath fome wilde, and fome tame, the wi'de- neffe of them, it" they ccuple with the tame of the fame kind, is altered in the fuc- ceeding generations ; for they become tame. Columella writes, that many wilde Rams were brought out of Africa into Cales, by feme that fet out games before the people; and Columella, the Uncle of this Wjirer, bought fome of them, and put them into his grounds ; and when they were fomewhat tame, ne let them co- ver his Ewes: and thefe brought lambs that were rough, and hadthe colour of their Sire: but thefe then afterward coupling with the Ewes of Tarentum, begot lambs that had a thinner and a fofter fleece. And afterward, all their fucceeding generations refembled the colour of their ^ires, and Grand- fires, bnt the gent le- neffe and foftneffe of their Dams. The like is experienced in Swine: for we may bring forth
Of a wild and a tame Swine, the beaft called Hebrides :
for a Boar is exceeding hot in luft, and wonderfully defires coition ; infomuch,th t if the female refufe to couple with him,either he will force her,or kill her.And furely howfoever, fome wilde beads being made tame, are thereby unfit for generation, as aGoofe, a Hart brought up by hand from his birth ; and a Boar is hardly fruit- ful! in fuch a cafe : yet there is no kind fo apt for generation, the one being wilde, and the other tame, as the kind of Swine is. And thofe which are thus gendred, thefe half-wilds, are called Hybrides, happily becaufc they are generated in re- proachful adultery : for fignifies reproach.
Chap. XI.
Of fome other commixtions, -whereby other bea(ls of divers kinds are generated.
will fpeak yet farther of the commixtion of divers beafts differing in kinde ; as alfo of other mixtions derived from thefe, fo to find out all fuch kinds : and moreover we will fhew,that of their ycurg, leme take after the Sire moft,and fome after the Dim. Andfirft,that
A Leonard is gendred of a Libard and a Lionefs.
The LioneCTe is reported to burn in luft ; and becaufe the Lion is not fo fit for copu- lation, by reafonof his fuperfluity of heat, therefore fhe entertains the Libard in- to the Lions bed : but when her time of bringing forth draws neer , (he gets away into the Mountains, and fuch places where the Libards haunt : for they bring forth fpotted whelps, and therefore nurfe them in thick woods very covertly, making fhew to the Lions, that they go abroad only to feek fome prey ; for if the Lions at any time light upon the whelps, they tear them in pieces, as being a baftard brood, as Thiloflratm writes. In the wilde of Hircania, there are Leopards, as it were, ano- ther kind of Panthers, which are known well enough, which couple with theLio- nclTe, and beget Lions but they are but bafe Lions,as Solintts writes. Iftodert faith,
Of the (generation of Animals. 4.1
that the Libard and the Lionefle coupling together, procreate a Leopard, and to make a third kind. Tliny faith, Thac thole Lions which are generated of Li- bard?, do wane che mones of Lions. And Solwut faith, that the Lion can find cut by his fmell, when the Lionefle hath played the Harlot; and leeks to re- venge it upon her with all his might : and therefore the Lionefie wifhes h^r felf in fome River, or elfe keeps aloof from him, till the lcent be wafted. Now as there are two fores of Mules, one of a Horte and an Afle, the other of an Afie and a Mire; io there are two forts cf Leopards, one of a Li- bard and a Lioneffe, the other of a Lion and a Panther, or She-libard : that is in body like a Lion, but not in courage; this is in bedy and colour like a Libard, bac no: in ftomack : for all double-kinded creatures , take aloft after their mother, efpecially for frnpe and quantity of their bodie?. Claudi*rmi faith , true there is a kinde of Libard, which he calls a Water-libard , that is gene- rated of a mingled feed, when a ftrong and vigorous Lib5rd meeteth with a Lioneff*, and happily coupleth with h;r: and this kinde of Libard is like the Mre for his fpots, but his back and the portraiture of his body is like his Dam, Now there is another copulation of the Lionefle, when the
Hyana, ani the Ltoneffe gender the beafi Crocuta ;
for the Lionefle is very furious in !uft, (as we fhewed before) and couples with divers kinds of beafts: For Plmy writes , and Solimts writes the fame „ That the Hyaena and the Lionefle of /Ethiopia, gender the beaftCrccuta. Like- v ifc the Panther is a moftluftful beaft, and fhe alio couples with beafts of divers kinds ; with a Wolf efpecially : of both which, the i
Hycopanther^ or beaft called Thoesy is gendred ;
for the Panther, when her facoting is ccme, goeth up and down, and makes a great noile, and thereby aflembles many, both of her own kind, and of o- ihe: kinds alfo. And amoegft the reft, the Wolf oft-times meets and cou- ples with her, and from them is generated the beaftThoes, which refembles the D^m in the fpots of his skin, but in his looks he refembles the Sire. Ojianm faith, That the Panther and the Wolfe do gender this Thoes, and vet he is of neither kinde : for, faith he, oft-times the Wolfe couieih to the Panthers Den, snd couples with her ; and thence is generated the Thoes : whole skin is very hard, and is meddled with both their fhapes; skinned like a Panther, and headed like a Wolfe. There is alfo a
Thoes gendred of a Wolf and a female JJy&na.
This medley, Uefychim and Varinns have defcribed ; That of them comes this Thoes, as the Greeks call it. The Scholiaft upon Homer faith, Thatic is like to the Hyaena: and feme call it Chaos. Plmy faith, That this Chaos, which by the French is called Rapbium , was firit let forth for a fhew , in the psmes of Tcmpey the Great: and that it hath fpots like a Leopard, but is fa- ftiioned like a Wolf. But the Greeks nuke mention cf a very flrangc adul- tery, thac
The BiMrian Camel is gendred of a Camel and a Swine ;
for Didjmtts , in his workes called Geoponica, reporteth , that . in certain Moumaines of Jr-dh , Boares and Camels feed together, and fo fall to co- pulation, and gen er a Camel: and this Camel lo gendred, hath a dcuble nfing, cr two butches upm his back. Eut as the Mule which is generated of a Horle and an Afs, is in many qualities like the Sire , fo the <£*mcl which
I is
Natural Magick, TSooJ^i.
is begotten of a Boar, is ftrong and full of ftiffe briftles like a Boar - and is not lb foon down in the mud as other Camels are, buc hi lp.; himfelf out Judily by his own force ; and will carry twice fo great a burthen as others. But tbereafon of their name, why they are called Ba&rian Camels, is this; Becaufe the firft thac ever was io generated, was bred in the Country of Ba&ria.
Chap. XII.
Of fundry c ovulations ^whereby a man genders with fundry kinds of Beafis.
IAm much afhamed to fpeak of it , that Man being the chief of all living Crea- tures, fhould fo foully difparage himfelf , as to couple with bruit beafts, and procreate fo many half-favage Monfters as are often feen; wherein Man (hews himfelf to be worfe then a beaft. I will relate lbme few examples hereof, thereby to make fuch wicked wretches an oblo-quie to the World, and their names odious to others. Plutark. faith, That bruit beafts fall not in love with any , but of their own kinde ; but man is fo incenfed with luft, that he is not afhamed mod villanoufly to couple himfelf with Mares and Goats , and other Beafts ; for Man is of all other Creatures moft leche- rous, at all feafons fit and ready for copulation; and befides, agrees with ma- ny living Creatures in his time of breeding : all which circumHances make much for the producing of monftrous, and half-favage broods. And howfoever the matter we (peak of is abominable, yet it is not fruitleffe, but helps much to the knowledge of fome other things in the fearching out of the fecreciesof na- ture. Plutark ya his Tract, which he calls the Banquet of the wife men, fheweth, that a fhepherd brought into the houfe of Periander,
A Babe gendred of a Man and a Mare,
which had the hands, and neck, and head of a Man, but otherwife it was like a Horfe ; and it cried like a young child. Tkales, as foon as he faw it, told Periander, thac he did not efteem it as a Grange and monttrous thing, which the gods had fent to portend and betoken the (editions and commotions likely to enfue, as Diodes thought of it ; but rather as a naturall thing: and therefore his advice was , that either they fhould have no Horfe-keepers • or if they had, they fhould have wives of their own. The fame Author in his Parallels , reportcth out of Agefilatu his third book of Italian matters, thac Ffflvius Stella loathing the company of a woman, coupled himfelf with a Mare, df whom he begat a very beautiful maiden-child ; and (he was called by a fit name, Epna. And the fame P/«wr^reporeth alfo of
A maiden that was generated of a Man and an Afs ;
for Arifionymns Epbejitts, the Son of 'DemonftratM , could not away with a womans company , but made choice of an Affe to lie with ; and (he brought him forth after a certain time , a very comely maiden , and in {hew exceed- ing beautiful: fhc was called Onofcelis , that is to fay, one having Affes thighes : and this ftory he gathered out of Arifiotle , in the fecond of his Paradoxes. But Galen cannot think this poffible; nay, it is fcarce poflible in nature, feeing a Man and an Affe differ fo much as they do: for if a man fhould have to do with an Affe , her wombe cannot receive his feed, becaufe his genitories are not long enough to convey it into her place of conception » or if it were , yet (he would prefently , or at leaft not long
Of the (feneration of Animals, 4.3
a'ter, tmrre hi; feed. Or, if (he could fo conceive, and bringherbirt.fi to per- fection , how , or by what food fhould it be nourifhed after the birth ? Bur, though this can hardly be, yet I do no: think it altogether impoflible , feeing all men are not of a like complexion, but feme may be found, whofe complexion doth not much differ from a horfes ; and lbme men alio have longer and larger genito- rics then others ; as alio fome Mares and Affes have leffe and fhorter genitories then others have : and it may be too, that fome celefiial influence hath a ftroke inir, byenliving the feed, and caufing the Dam to conceive it, and bring it forth in due time. And becaufe all theie things do very feldom concur together, there- fore fuch births are very feldom fecn. tAZlianus writeth another ftory, That there was once generated
A half-beaft of a Man and a Coat.
There was a certain young man in Sybaris, who was called Crachis, a lufter after Goats ; and being over-ruled by his luff , coupled himfelf with a fair Goat , the faireff he could light upon , and lived with her as his Love and Concu- bine, beff owing many gifts upon her, as Ivy and Rufhes to eat; and kept: her mouth very fweet, that he might kiffe her; and laid under her foft graffe* that flic might lie eafie, and flsep the better. The He-goat , the Ring-leader of the Herd, efpying this, watcht his time when the young man was on flcep, and fell upon him and fpoiled him. But the She-goat, when her time was come,brought forth an infant that had the face of a man, but the thighs of a Goat. The fame Author writcs,That
Women lie with He -goats, and with the Cynocephali ;
for the He-goats are fo lecherous, that in the madneffe of their luff, they will fet upon Virgins, and by force ravifh them. Herodotus in his fecond book, writeth of a He- goat , that had to do with a woman openly, and in the fight of many men (fandingby. Strabo faith, that in the Mediterranean Sea, a little without the mouth of a :River neer to Sebenis and ^Pharnix, there is an ifland called Xoas, and a City within the Province of Sebenis, and the Citiel Hcrmopo- lis and Mendes, where Pan is honoured for a Gpd, and with him is likewife honoured a He-goat ; and there , as Pindaru* reports , He-goats have to do with women : In the utmoft corner of the winding of the River 'Kilns , faith he, are fed certain Herds of Goats; and there the lecherous He-goats are mingled with women. */£lianust\(o writes of the Indians, that they will not admit into their Cities any red A pes, becaufe they are oft-times mad in luff towards women ; and if at any time they find fuch A pes, they hunt and deftroy them, as be- ing adulterous beafts. Tliny writes alfo, That
Man couples with divers kinds of beafts ;
for fome of the Indians have ufual company with bruit beafts ; and that which is fo generated, is half a beaff, and half a man.
Chap. XIII.
That divers kinds of birds may be generated of divers birds coupling together,
BEfore we come to fpeak of the commixtion of birds , it is meet to prc- fcribe certain obfervations for the mote eafie effecting thereof • that if we have need to fnpply any defects in any birds, wc may be the better
I 2 inftrufted
4.4- Natural Mag ick, Eoof^z.
inftru&ed how co perform it readily, to make them fitter for oar ufes. We (hewed before out of Anftotle^tx. if we would mingle Creatures of divers kinds, we muft fee that they be of like bigneffe, of a like proportion of time for their breeding, of a like colour; but efpecUlly, that they be very lecherous ; for otherwife they will hardly infert themfelves into a ftrange ftock. If a Falconer be defirous to pro- duce fighting Hawks, or Cocks, or other birds, he muft firft fcek out good lufty males, fuch as be thong and ftomackful, that they may derive the fame qualities in- to their young ones. Next, they muft procure ftrong and couragious females: fcr if but one of them be ftomackful, the young ones will rather take after the dulneffe and faint-heart of the one, then after the quicknefle and courage of the other. When you have thus made choice of the belt breeders, before their copulation, you muft keep them together within doors, and bring them by little and little ac- quainted with each other ; which you may beft do, by caufingthem to feed and to live together. Therefore you muft prepare a pretty little cottage, about ten foot loag,andten foot broad ; and let all the windows be made out toward the South, fo that there may good ftore of light come in at the top of the houfe. In the mid- dle you muft make a partition with lattifes or grates, made of Oficrs : and let the rods ftand fo far afundcr, as that the birds head and neck may go in between them : and in one fide of the room, let that bird be alone by her felf , which you would make tame; in the other fide, put the other birds which you purpofe to join in co- pulation with the ftrange bird. So then, in the prime of the Spring, (for that is the time wherein all Creatures are molt eager in luft) you muft get you fruitful birds, and let them be of the fame colour, as is the bird which you defire to become tame, Thefc you muft keep certain daics at the fame boord as it were, and give them their meat together, fothat the ftrange bird may come at it through the grate : for by this means (he will learn to be acquainted with them, as with her fellows, and will live quietly by them, being as it were kept in prifon from doing them any wrong : whereas otherwife (he would be fo fierce upon them, that (he would fpare none, but if fhe could, deftroy them all. But when once by tra& of time, and continu- al acquaintance with his fellows, this male-bird is become fomewhac gentle, look which of the females he is mort familiar witb,let her be put in the fame room where he is ; and give them both meat enough. And becaufe commonly he either kills, or doth am. care for the firft female that is put unto him, therefore, left the keeper (houldlofe all his hope, he muft keep divers females for fupply. When you perceive that he hath gotten the female with young, prefently you muft divorce one of them from the other,and let him in a new mate,thac he may fill her alfo:and you muft feed her well till fhe begin to fit upon her egges, or put the egges under fome other that fits. And thus fhall you have a young one, in all refpe&s like the Cock : but as foon as the young ones are out of the fhell, let them be brought up by themfelves, not of their mother, but of fome other Hen-bird. Laftof all, the females of this brood, when they be come to ripeneffe, that they ftand to their Cock, their firft or their fecond brood will be a very exaft and abfolute kinde.
Chap. XIV. Divers commixtions of Hens with ether Birds.
WE will begin with Hens, becaufe they are in great requeft with us, and are houfhold-birds, alwayes before our eyes j and befides, they may be very pro- fitable and gainful, if we can tell how to procreate and bring up divers kinds of £hera. Cocks are of all other moft lecherous $ and they fpend their feed, not only atthe fight of their Hens, but even when they bear them crake or cackle ? and to reprcffcWir luft, they are oftentimes carved. They tread and fall to their fport, almoft all the year long. Some Hens are very lufty, and withal very fruitful s info- rauch that they lay three-fcore egges before they fit tohatch them: yea, fome that ; arc kept in a pen, do lay twice in one day 5 and feme bring forth fuch ftore
Of the (feneration of (tdmmals. 4.5
o? egges , that they confume themfelves thereby, and die upon it. We will firft foew
How to couple <• Partridge with a Hen,
Partridges are much given to luft, and very eager of coition, and are mingled with other birds of divers kinds, and they couple betwixt themfelves, and fo have young ones ; as firft with Hens, of whom they procreate certain birds, which partake of both kinds in common, for the firft brood ; but in procefle of time, when divers generations have fuccefltvely paffed,they take meerly after the mother in all refpe&s, as Artfiotle writeth. The field-cocks are ulually more luftful then houfhold-cocks are, and they tread their Hens as foon as ever they are off the rouft ; but the Hens are more inclinable to coition, abouc the middle of the day, as Athenam writes,ouc of tAlUanm and Theophraftui : of which circumftances we may take our beft advan- tage in coupling them with Partridges. After the fame manner
A Hen and a Phetfant may gender together ;
for, as Florentitu writes, the Pheafant and the Hen agree both in their time of lay- ing, either of them bringing forth egges one and twenty daies after conception. And though (he be not fo wanton as other birds are, yet in their treading time they are glad of coition, and not very wilde, efpecially thofe that are of the fmaller fort : for thefe may cafily be made tame,and iuffered to go amongft Hens ; but at their firft taking they are very fierce, infomuch that they will not only kill Hens , buc even Peacocks too. Some men bring up Pheafants to make a game of them : buc fome breed them for delight and pleafure, as I faw at Ferraria in the Princes Court, where was brought up very great ftore, both of Hens and Pheafants too. And this hath been an old practice : for in Athentttt we find a faying of ftolomy^ that not on- ly Pheafants wercfent for out of Media, but the Country Hens, they alfo afforded good ftore of them, the egges being conceived in them by the treading of a Cock- pheafanr. Firft then, you muft take a Cock-pheafant,and be very careful in keeping of him tame amongft your Hens: after that, you muft feek out Country-hens of di- vers colours, as like the colour of the Hen-Phealant as you can, and let them live with the Cock-Pheafant, that in the Spring-time he may tread the Hens ; and they will bring forth fpeckled egges, everywhere full of black fpots,far greater and good- lier then other egges are. When thefe are hatched, you muft bring up the chicken with barly-flour, and fome leaves of fmallage fhred in amongft it; for this is the moft delightful and nouriflhing food that they that they can have. There is alfo
A Chick,gendred of 4 Pigeon and a Hen :
the Pigeon muft be young, for then he hath more heat and defire of copulation, and much abundance of feed ; for if he be old, he cannot tread : but young Pigeons do couple at all times, and they bring forth both Summer and Winter. I had my f elf at home a fingle Pigeon^c a Hen that had loft her Cock : the Pigeon was of a Urge fize, and wanton withal; the Hen was but a veryfmall one: thefe lived together, and in the Spring-time the Pigeon trode the Hen, whereby foe conceived, and in her due feafon laid egges, and afterward hatched them, and brought forth chicken that were mixc of either kind, and refembled the ftiape of them both. Ingreatneffe of body, in fafliion of head and bill,they were like a Pigeon • their feathers very white and curled, their feet like a Hens feet , but they were overgrown with fea- thers ; and they nude a noife like a Pigeon : and I took great pleafure in them j the rather, becaufe they were fo familiar, that they would ftill lit upon the bed, or nuzzle into fome womans bofom. But there i%yec another mixture, when
A
Natural Magic k. £oo\i.
A Cockjt And a *Pe a, gender the (jallo-Pavm ;
which is otherwife called the Indian-hen, being mixt of a Cock and a Pea, though the fhape be liker to a Pea then to a Cock. In body and greatneffe it rcfembles the Pea, but it hath a combe and chackels under the chin like a Cock : it hath the voice of a Pea, and fpreads forth her tail, and hath iuch varietie of colours as fhe hath. The talk of her flefh relifhes like a compound of them both ; whereby it ap- pears, that both kinds are not unfitly matcht together. But afterward, when the ihe Gallo-pavus and the Pea-cock were brought up tame together, we had of them very fruitful egges, which being hatcht, yeelded very goodly chickens, whofe feathers were of a molt orient and glittering colour: and thefe young ones after- ward growing bigger, were mingled in copulation with Pea-cocks and Pea-hens, and the brood which was fo generated of them, were in a manner all of the kind andfafhionof the Pea. The like a man may conjs&ure of other kinds of birds.
Chap. XV. How to generate Harvkes of divtrs properties,
■^^E will d>ew fome cemmixtions of Hawks, by the example whereof, you may imagine of your felf the like in other birds : and hereby it fhall appear how we may amend divers faults and defects in Hawks, and engraffe in them fome new qua- lities to be derived from their fundry progenitors. And firft, how
The bird Iheocronus is gendred of a Hawk^ And an Eagle \
Hawks are exceeding hot in luft ;and though there be divers kinds of them, yet they all couple together among themlelves without any difference , as Anftotle writeth : they couple with Eagles, and thereby engender ballard Eagles. Eagles are moft le- cherous : and whereas among other creatures, the famale is not alwayes ready and willing to yeeld to the male for coition ; yet the Eagles never refufe it : for though they have been trod never foofc , yet Mill, if the male dtfire copulation, the female prefently yeelds unto him. %/Ehamu accounts ordinary and common Hawks in the kind of Eagles. Oppianm in his Ixeutio faith, that there is a bird known well enough, called Theocronus, which is generated of a male Hawk, and a female Ea- gle. There is a kind of Hawks fo wholly given over to luft, that in the Spring-time they lofe all their ftrength, and every little bird maps at them ; but in the Summer, having recovered her ftrength, fhe is fo lufty, that (he flies up and down to revenge her felf upon thofe little birds ; and as many of them as (lie catches, fhe devours. If the male of this kind do but hear the voice of the female Eagle,prefently he flies to her,and they couple together : but the egges which fhe conceives by this bafe copu- lation, fhe fcorns to hatch and fit upon • and that fhe may not be known of it to the male Eagle, fhe flies faraway from him: for the male Eagle, if once he perceive that fhe hath played the harlot, div orces her from him, and is throughly revenged upon her. Thefe birds are now commonly called Sea-eagles . There is alfo a com- mixtion, whereby the Hawk mingles himfelf
with a Faxlcon, and with a Buzzard, and the Eagle Nifa •
for Hawks do not onlv couple with their own kind, but with Faulcons, Buzzards, and Eagles of divers kinds, as alfo with moft of thofe fowles that live upon the prey and fpoil of other birds ; and according to the diverfity of thofe kinds, divers kinds of Hawks are generated. Befides, they couple with flrange Faulcons of other Countries, and other kinds: for as foon as they be hatcht and Pen-feather- ed, if their parents fee that they are not right Faulcons,piefently they beat them a- wty; and fo partly becaufe they cannot endure their parents rage, and partly to
Of the (feneration of lAnimais. 47
get their living, aiey flic ^ 'vay into Grange olaces ; and there finding no rrmes of their own kird,ihey <eek cut a mate of another kind, the like - tn her own kind that fiie car meer with, and couples with them. Sothen, if you haveHawk^. that deicend rom t^e right and belt kind, art may more eafily work upon them, then upon fuch as come of the baler fort. In like manner there may be generated of divers kinds of Eagles divers fowles, as
The Ofprej) the fowl called Offifragtu^ and Ravens alfo.
Tliny difconrfing of the Ofprey, faith, That they have no proper kinde of their own $ but are defcended from divers forts of Eagles mingled together: and that which cometnof the Ofprey, is of the kind of Oflifragi ; and that which cometh of the Offifragijis a kind of little Ravens, and of thefe afterward is generated a kind of grcar Ravens, which haveno».ffue at all: the Author of which affertions before *P//«7, was Ariftotlein his book of Wonders. Oppianm faith, that Land-eagles are a baltard brood, which their parents beat out of their nerts, and fo they are for a while nourished by fome other fowles, till ac length they forfake the Land, and fcek their living in the Sea.
Chap. XVI. Of the commixtion of divers kinds of fijhes.
IT isa very hard thing for a man to know, whether divers kinds of fiftiesbe min- gled together or no ; becaufe they live altogether under the waters, fothatwc cannot obferve their doings ; efpecially fuch as they praftife againft the ordinary ccurfeof nature. But if we rightly confider that which hath been fpoken bctore,we may eafily cfFed their commix? ion, namely, if we take fuch fifties as are much given to venery, ana match thofe together which are alike in bignefs ; in time of breed- ing, and in other fuch conditions as were before required. Anftotle in his book cf living Creatures, faith, that divers fifties in kind never mingle their feeds to- gether: neither did ever any man fee two fifties of divers kinds couple in generati- on, excepting only thefe two,
"the Skate and the Ray^ which engender the Rhinobatos J
which is fo called of both his parents names compounded together. And out of Arifietle^ TUny report eth, that no fifties of divers kinds mingle their feeds, fave only the Skate and the Ray ; of both which is gendred the fifh Rhinobatos, which is like the Ray in all his former parts, and hath his name in Greek anfwerable to his nature; fork is compounded of the names of both his parents. And of trjis kind of fiih I never read nor heard any thing befides this. Theodoras Gaz>a tranflates the word Rhinobatos into Sqaatim-raia in Latine, that is, a Skate-ray: and though: fotne deny that there is any tuch fifti, yet furely it is found in the Sea about Naples; and Simw Firttes, a very learned Philofopher of Naples, did help me to the fighe of one of them . and the pi&ure thereof is yet referved, and it is to be feen.
Chap. XVII. How we m*f produce new and firange Lfflon/lers.
STringe and wonderful monfters, and aborfements, or untimely births, may be geadred of living Creatures, as by thofe wayes of which we fpake before, name- ly, the commixtion of divers kinds; fo alfo by other means, as by the mixture of divers feeds in one wombe, by imagination, or fuch likecaufes. Concerning Ima- gination, we will fpeak hereafter. Now at this time let us fee the wayes of ca- gendring fuch monfters, which the Ancients have fet down, that the ingenious Rea- der
4$ Natural Mag icl 'Boofe.
dec may learn by the confideration of thefe wayes, to invent of himteif other wayes how to generate wonderful monfters. Democntxiy zsAnftotle faith, held that the mixture of many feeds, when one is received into the w ombe before, and another not Jong after, k> that they are meddled and confounded together , is thecaul'eof the generation of many MoDliers, that fometimes they have two heads, and mere parts then the nature of their kinde requires. Hence it is that thole birds which uic often coitions , do oftentimes bring forth iuch births. But Impedocles, ha\ing forecaft all lcruples and doubts within himielf, ieems to have attained the truth in this cafe : for he faith, that the caufes of the generation of monhrous Creatures, Ere thefe ; either if the feed be too much, or if it be too little, or if it light not in the light place, or if it be fcattercd into many parts, crif the congredienrs be not rightly affected to procreate according to the ordinary courfe of nature. And Stm- ton afSgnes many realms, why iuch monfters are generated ; as, becaufe feme new feed is call upon the former, or fome of the former feed is diminifhed, or fome parts trar.ipoied, cr thewombe puffed up with winde. And fome Pnyfitians alcribe ic principally to the place of conception, which is eft-times mifplaced, by reafonof irfl.ik ns. Anftotle faith, that fuch Creatures as are wont to bring fcrth many y ung ones at one burthen, elpecially fuch as have many ceils cr receiprs for feed in t'neii wombe, do moit commonly produce m?nHers .• lor in that they bring forth feme that are not fo folly perfect, thereby they degenerate moreeafily itto mon- fters: elpecially of all other, the tigs that arc not farrowed to their due time, but fomecei aiodayes after the reft of the litter ; for thefe cannor chufe but be mon- llers in one part or other becaufe whatsoever is either more or lefs then that which the kind requires, is monftrous,and befides Nature. And in his bock cf Problems he faith, that kmil four-footed Creatures biing forth monfters : but Man, and the greater forts of four-fcoted beafts, as Horfes and i ff <=, do not produce them fo of- ten. His reafon is, becaufe the fmaller kind^, as Bitches, ^cw -, Goats, ard Ewes, are far more fruitful then the greater kinds are; (or, of thofe, every one brings forth at leaft one, and fome bring forth for the moft part, many at occe. Now Monfters are wont to be produced then, when there is a commixtion or conful:on of many feeds together, either by reafon of fundry copulations, rr becaufe of feme indifpofition in the place of conception. Hence it is, that birds alio may brirg forth monfters ; for they lay egges fometimes that have a double yelk : and if there be no fmall skin that keeps both the yelks afucder, then the corfnfon cf thtm caufeth the breed to become monftrcus. Nature is earneft in the fefliioning of a living Creature j and firli fhapes out the principal parts of the body: afterwards ' fiic wcrketh fometimes mere, fometimes kffe, as thematrercan rfford which fhe works upon, Bill framing her felf thereunto : whereby it c< meth to psffe, ihat if tte matter be defective, then fhe cannot have her forth ; if it be overmuch, then is na- ture overcome, and fo both wayes hindered of her purpofe , ard thereby brings forth mcnflrcus broods, as in artificial births hath been ofteD feen; feme being defective, as having but one leg,or bur one eye ; fome exceeding the ordinary cour'e, as having four eyes, or four arms, or four feet, and femetimes having both fexes in them, which are called Hermaphrodites : and fo, look how ycur art difpofes and layes things together, and after the fame manner, Nature muft needs accc mnlifh her work, and finifh your beginnings. But whofoever wculdlt bring forth any mon- gers by art, thou muff learn by examples,and by fuch principles be directed as here thru mayeft find Firft,thoti mufi cocfider with thv felf, what things are likely and poffibie to be brought to p^fl; : for if ycu attempt likely matters, Nature will aflilt you, and make good your endeavours, and the work will much delight you : for you flull feefuch thirgs effected, as you would not think of ; whereby alfo you may find the mems to procure more admirable tS.As. There be many reafons and wayes, whereby may be generated
KMonfiers in Man.
rnrft,thi5 "may come by reafonof inordinate or unkindly copulations, when the
feed
Of the (feneration of Animals. 4.9
feed is not conveyed into the due and right p aces : again, it may come by the narrowncfle of the wembe, when there arc two young ones in it, and for want of room, are preflcd and grow together: again, it may come by the maning of thole thin skinnes of partition, which nature hath frJmtd in a womans wombe, to diftinguifl* and keep afunder the young ones. Pliny writes, that in the year of Caitu L<e/itu and Lucius Domitix* Confulflhip, there was born a maid-child that had two heads , four hands , and was of double nature in all rel'pefts : and a little before that, a woman fervaoc brought forth a child, that had four feet, and four hands, and four eyes, and as ma- ny ears , and double natured every way. Phtlofiratus in the life of Apollonius writes , that there was born in Sicily, a boy having two heads. I my felf faw at Naples, a.boy alive, out of whofc breaft came forth another boy, ha- ving all his parts , but that his head only ftuck behind in the other boyes breaft } and thus they had Ricken together in their mothers wombe, and their na\ Us alfo did cling each to other. I have alfo feen divers children having four hands and four feet, with fix fingers upon one hand, and fix toes upon one foot, and monftrcus divers other wayes, which here were too long to rehearfe. By the like caufes may
UHonJlers be generated in Beafts.
We fliewed before, that fuch beafts as brin^ forth many young ones at one burthen, efpecially iuch as have many cells or receits in their wombe for feed, do of- tencft produce Monfters. Ntcocreon the Tyrant of Cyprus, had a Hart with four horns. o£lianus faw an Oxc that had five feet; one of them in his fhoulder , fo absolutely made, and fo conveniently placed , as it was a great help to him in his going, Livj faith , that at Sefla-Arunca a City in Italy , there was eaned a Lambe that had two heads j and at Apo\is, another Lambe having five feetj and there was a kitling with but three feet. Rhafes re- ports, that he faw a Dog having three heads. And there be many other like matters which I have no pleafurc to fpeak of. But it may fecm that
LMonflers in Birds maybe more eafily produced %
both in refpe& that they arc more given to luft, and becaufe alio they bear in their bodies many cggesac once, whereby they may ftick together, and eafily cleave each to other: and bclides this, thofe birds that are by nature very fruitfull , arc wont to lay egges that have two yelkes. For thefe caufes. Co- lumella and Leontiuus the Greek , give counfel to air and purge the houfes where Hennes are, and their nefts, yea and the very Henncs themfelves, with Brimftone, and pitch, and torches; and many do lay a plate of iron, or fome nailes heads, and fome Bay-Tree boughs upon their nefts ; for all thefe are fuppofed to be very good prefervatives againft monftrous and prodigious births. And Columella reports farther , that many do ftrew graffe , and Bay- Tree boughs , and heads of Garlkk, and iron nails, in the Hens nefts ; all which are fuppofed to be good remedies againft thunder, that it may not marre thcic egges • and thefe alfo do fpoilall the imperfect chickens, if there be any, before ever they grow to any ripentiTe. */£liarw reporteth out of Apion , that in the time of 0*««wKingof the South, there was feen a Crane that had two heads; and in another Kings daics, another bird was feen that had four heads. We will fhew alfo how to hatch
A chickgu -with four wings and four fecty
which we learn out Arifiotle. Amongft egges , fome there are oft-times thtc have two yclkes , if the Henncs be fruitful : for two conceptions cling
K and
50 Natural Magick y Soo^ z.
and grow together, as being very near each to other ; the like whereof we may fee in the fruitsof Trees , many of them being twins, and growin* into each other. Now , if the two yelks be diliinguifhed by a fmall skinne^ then they yield two perfect chickens without any blemifli: but if the yelks be' med- dled one with another, without any skinne to part them, then that which is produced thereof, is a Monger. Seek out therefore feme fruitful Hermes' and procure fome of the perfected; egges that they lay : you rmy know which are for your purpofe, by the bignefle of them ; if not , then hold them againft the Sun , and you (hall difcern, both whether there be in them two yelks, and alio whether they be difiingnifhed or no: and if you finde in them fuch plenty of matter, that you fee they are for your turn, let them be fitten upon, their due time, and the chickens will have four win°s and four legges: but you mult have a fpecial care in bringing them up. And as fome egges have two yelkes, fo there arc feme that have three : but thefe are not fo common ; and if they could be gotten , they would yield chickens with fix wings and fixs legges, which would be more wonderful. There hath been feeri a fmall £>uck with four feet, having a broad ihin bill, her fore- parts black, her hinder-parts yellow, a black head, whitifh eyes, black wings, and a black circle about her neck, and her back and tail black, yel- low feet, and not (landing far afunder •, and fhe is at this day kept to befeen at Torga. No quefiien but fhe was generated after the fame manner as wc fpake even now of chickens. So they report of a Pigeon that was feen which had four feet. And many fuch monflers we have oft-times batcht at tome for pie afure lake. So alio are Serpents generated, having many heads and ma- ny tailes. Jrifiotle writes of certain Serpents , that they may be generated after the fame manner, to have'many heads. The Poets, and the ancient de- vifers of Fables, do fpeak much of that Hydra Lerna?a, which was one of Hercules labours to overcome : which Fiction was without all queftion occa- fioned by thefe kinds of Mongers. And whilft I was imployed about the writing of this prefent work, there was in Naples a Viper feen alive, which had two heads, and three cloven tongues, and moved everyone of them up and down. Imyfclf have feen many Lizards that had two or three tails , which the common people moll foolifhly efteem to be a jeft ; and it cannot be but thefe were generated of fuch egges as had two yelks.
Chap. XVIIT. Of certain other waies how to produce mtnflrous births,
tX/E may alfo produce Monflers by another way then that which we fpake of before ; for even after they are brought forth , we may fafhion them into a monflrous fhape, even as we lift: for as we may fhape young fruits as they grow, into the fafhion of any vcfTel or cafe that wc make for them to grow into; as- we may make a Quince like a mans head, a Cucumber like a Snake, by ma- king a cafe of that fafhion for them to grow in; fo alfo we may do by the births of living Creatures. Hippocrates in his book of Air, and Water, and Places, doth precilely fet down the manner hereof ; and (Tieweth how they do it, that dwell by the River Phafis, all of them being very long-headed, whereas no other Nation is fo befides. And furely Cuftcm was the firft caufe that they had fuch heads ; but aftciward Nature framed her felf to that Cu- flome ; infemuch that they etfeemed it an honourable thing to have a very long head. The begirnirg of that Cuftcme was thus. As focn as the child was new born, whiles his head was yet foft and tender, they would pre- fently crufrv it in thtir hards, and fo caufe it to grow out in length; yea they wculd bindit up with fwathing bands, that it might not grow round, but all in lergth: ar.d by this cuflcm it came to p»fle, that their heads afterward
grew
Of the (feneration of Animals* 51
grew fuch by nature. And in procefs of time, they were born with fuch heads, io that they needed not to be fo framed by handling ; for whereas the generative feed is derived from all the parrs of the body, found bodies yielding good feed, but crazie bodies unfound feed ; and oftentimes bald fathers bef etbaid children ; and blear-eyed fathers, blear-eyed children ; and a deformed father, for the moft part a deformed childe ; and the like alfocomeih to paffe concerning other fhapes: why fhould not alio long-headed fathers generate long-headed children ? But now they are not born with fuch heads , becaufe that pra&ife is quite out of ufe ; and fo nature, which Was upheld by that cuftom , ceafeth together with the