depart the City of Rome and be banished all Italy within the Kalends of October Thereupon the Chaldaeans set up an imprecatory and devotory libell threatning that Vitellius Germanicus by the day of the same Kalends should be no where or not in being And yet not that by Fate so much as vaticinall malefice Domitian having decreed the banishment of the Astologers although he much presumed to be an Astrologer or Diviner himselfe they likewise casting his constellation told him what time he should die Ascletarion the Mathematician especially threatned his death to his own face At which Domitian angerly demanded what death found he by his art that he should die himselfe He answered that he himselfe should be eaten up of dogs which saith the story fell out as prodigiously as inevitably Now those dogs being divels without doubt it was easie for the Divell to suggest unto the Astrologer what he meant to effect himselfe so easie is it for Astrologers to predict those things whereof they intend to be the instruments or by their effascinating predictions to instigate others to commit And if they understood not these very things by diabolicall instinct to satisfie their tempting invocations how should Apollonius Tyanaeus disputing in the Schooles at Ephesus stop on a sudden with defixed eyes and distracted countenance cry out at the very instant that Domitian was slaine at Rome well done Stephanus kill the Tyrant that Tyrant Domitian is even now wounded slayne dead Well might a Magician be advised of the act when it was a sooth-saying divination that provoked to doe the deed Iustine Martyr was slain by the treachery of one Crescens a dissolute vain-glorious circulatory sophisticall Philosopher because he disputed against and confuted him in that kind of sophistry Picus Mirandula for writing largely soundly and sharply against Astrology was envyously and imprecatingly told by Lucius Bellantius that according to his Astrologicall judgement upon his Nativity he should die in the thirty fourth yeare of his age yet while he formerly disputed for the Mathematicall sciences at large the Astrologers made the Starres to signifie his stupendous living above his yeares It is recorded of Simon Magus that many even of the Heathens observing his praestigiousnesse and branding him for it he soothed them up and pretended a sacrifice and bade all those that had reproached him or his art to a banquet of which they had no sooner eaten but they were all infested and inflicted with divels and diseases A Magician not far from Ihena being upbraided by a neighbour of his a Carpenter with his unlawfull arts and practises pretended to predict some infortunity of his at hand for railing against the profession but wrought it venefically so that the poore man fell suddenly into a strange disease Whereupon begging pardon for offending him or his Art he implored the help of his skill for his release The Magician promised it and to that purpose gave him a certaine root to take in a potion which he had no sooner done but he was taken with most exquisite torments in all parts of which at length he died 13. Of oraculous arts and divinatory artifices silenced and confounded at the presence and by the vertue of wise and holy men and things IVlian apostatizing from Christianity and being now to be initiated in the Paganish way by the consecration of a praestigious Magician the Divell who was to be present at the solemnity disappeared at the signe of the Crosse which might then be of more vertue because of lesse superstition at which power Iulian was more troubled then he was at the Divels presence But the praestigious pseudomantist excused it and would not have him to think that the divel fled or avoyded the place for feare of it but in hatred to it Iulian again sacrificing to Apollo and no answer being given of any thing whereof he enquired he then demanded of the daemoniacall Priests what might be the cause of such his silence They answered that no answer was given by the Oracle because the Sepulchre of the Martyr Babylas stood so nigh Whereupon he commanded that the Galilaeans for so he called the Christians should come and remove his Sepulchre from thence which they did with great exultation singing even in the eares of the profane Prince Confounded be all they that serve graven Images and that boast themselves of Idols At the incarnation of Christ all the divining Oracles of the Panym gods were shut up as the Oracle of Delphos among others was constrained to confesse and so never spake afterwards Wherewith Augustus being afraid caused a great Altar to be erected in the Capitoll signifying that it was the Altar of the God the first born A jugling impostor carried about a Dragon perswading the people it was Aesculapius saying it would give answers of all that was demanded that whensoever he moved him in any of his circles O yes was made after the manner of Athens in these termes If any mocker flouter or Christian be here let him goe forth for no prankes could be playd while they were by About the time of Constantine Apollo spake this Oracle not out of the mouth of his Priest as formerly but out of a certaine darke cave or denne viz. that the just which were upon the earth meaning the Christians hindred him from his vaticinating or presaging power Valentinian who was at first somewhat favourable to the Christians was afterwards greatly incensed against them by the Magicians Astrologers and Diviners that urged him to forbid them his house to banish them far away and to put them to the Sword because indeed they were obstacles to their incantations and praestigious practices For there were some of those holy professors that with their very sight and voyce represt all that their diabolicall art and efficacy Thaumaturgus with his companions driven by reason of the night approaching and an hasty shower falling into a Temple where divination was wont to be exercised immediately upon their entrance the Divell gave over his answer and departed the place The next morning after they were gone from thence the Priest of the Temple began his sacrifices to adjure the spirit to his predicting responsals againe who cried out that he could not now have accesse to the place as formerly and all because of his entrance that remained there the last night St. Hierome sayes that upon our Saviours entrance into Aegypt all the Idols there fell down and so their divining arts and offices were undone wherewith they had so long deceived the world And therein he takes the prophecy to be fulfilled Isa 19. 1. c. Macarius of Aegypt and Macarius of Alexandria both these holymen were banished into an Isle that had no Christian inhabitant in it They were no sooner entred there but the Devils that had there their Temple or grove and their divining Priest began forthwith to quake for feare Yea the Priests daughter being suddenly obsessed with a fury and crying out why came ye
dreaming the like dream ah quoth the diviner it is to be feared thou wilt come last because this bird pursuing her prey follows in the taile of the other A certain Matron longing to be pregnant dreamt her belly was sealed up this presages barrennesse said one divining expounder because nothing can come forth of that which is sealed up Nay said another this imports fruitfulnesse because no body uses to seale up that vessell or bagge which is empty and hath nothing in it St. Ambrose thus derides their reasons Can any thing be more ridiculous then to say as the prognosticating Astrologers used that if a man be born under the Signe of Aries he shall be wise in counsell And why because the Ram is eminent in leading the flock Item he shall be rich And why because the Ram hath every yeer a rich fleece growing on his back If he be born under the signe Taurus he shall be strong laborious potent in service c. And why because the Bull or the Oxe submits his neck to the yoke He that is born under Leo Scorpio Pisces shall be fierce malicious silent And why because Lyons are fierce Scorpions are poysonous and Fishes are mute c. Upon the Statue of Augustus there was inscribed Caesar now it being thunder-striken it happened that the letter C was thereby blotted out upon which it was answered by the divining Oraculists that Augustus had onely a hundred dayes to live because the letter C notes that number and after that should be translated among the Gods because Aesar in the Hetrurian language signifies a God Livia being great with childe and willing to take the Omen whether she should bring forth a son or a daughter an egge was taken from under a sitting hen and according to the prescripts of divining omination was kept warm in her hands or in the hands of her maids hatching it by turns till at last comes out a Cock gallantly crested or Combed whereupon Scribonius a Mathematician promised famous things of the infant and that he should raign but without any kingly ensign That it should be a male childe he gathered from the Cock chicken but by the same reason why should he be without any kingly ensigne seeing the Cock was so bravely crested or combed Proclus gives an example in a spirit which was wont to appear in the form of a Lyon but by the setting of a Cock before it vanished away because there is a contrariety betwixt a Cock and a Lyon Orus Apollo saith in his hieroglyphicks Dawes that are twins signifie marriage because this animal brings forth two eggs out of which male and female must be brought forth But if which seldom happeneth two males be generated the males wil not couple with any other females nor females with any other males but will alwayes live without a mate and solitary Therefore they that meet a single Daw divine thereby that they shall live a single life The Eagle portends victory but by blood because she drinks no water but blood An Owle because she goes to her young by night unawares as death comes unawares is therefore said to foretel death Yet sometimes because she is not blinde in the dark of the night doth betoken diligence and watchfulnesse which she made good when she sate upon the spear of Hiero. Faustina the wife of Antonius fell in love with a sword-player and fell sick for him her husband how this might be remedyed made his consult with the soothsayers whose advice was to kill the Fencer and let his wife bathe her in his blood and presently accompany with her himself and so the passion would be allayed Melampus the Augur conjectured at the slaughter of the Greeks by the flight of little birds when he saith thou seest that no bird taketh his flight in fair weather Swallowes because when they are dying they provide a place of safety for their young do portend a great patrimony or legacy after the death of friends A Bat meeting any one that is running away signifies an evasion for although she have no wings yet she flies A Sparrow is a bad omen to one that runs away for she flies from the Hawk and makes haste to the Owle where she is in great danger To meet a Lyon seeing she is amongst animals the strongest is good but for a woman to meet a Lyonesse is bad because she hinders conception for a Lyonesse brings forth but once A Dog in a journey is fortunate because Cyrus being cast into the Woods was nourished by a Dog till he came to the Kingdom Mice signifie danger for the same day that they did gnaw gold in the Capitol both the Consuls were intercepted by Hannibal by way of ambush neer Tarentum The Pismires because they know how to provide for themselves and to prepare safe nests for themselves portend security riches and a great Army Hence when the Pismires had devoured a tame Dragon of Tiberius Caesar it was advised that he should take heed of the tumult of a multitude If a Snake meet thee take heed of an ill-tongued enemy for this animal hath no power but in his mouth A Snake creeping into Tiberius his palace portended his fall Two Snakes were found in the bed of Sempronius Gracchus wherefore a soothsayer told him if he would let the male go or the female escape he or his wife should shortly dye he preferring the life of his wife killed the male and let the female escape and within a few dayes he dyed But Tully tels the story otherwise and reasons better upon it I marvel saith he if the emission of the female Snake should bring death to Tiberius Graccbus the emission of the male Snake were deadly to Cornelia why he did dismisse either of them For the soothsayers answered nothing of any future accident if neither were dismist And that Graccbus his death followed the cause I believe was some disease and not the Serpents dismission Meeting of Monks is commonly accounted as an ill omen and so much the rather if it be early in the morning because these kind of men live for the most part by the suddain death of men as Vultures do by slauhgters Apollonius and his companions according to his advice caused the phantasm of an Hagge to vanish away by reviling it for he knew that was the best remedy against such invasions For so fearful is this kind of spirits that they once moved tremble and are compelled by feigned terror and false and impossible threats So the Hagge of Menippus Lyeius who was the cause of the Pestilence being stoned by his command and the pestilence ceased And was not that because they are afraid of impossible beatings as well as impossible threatnings 21. Of Magicians Astrologers Diviners envying opposing differing contradicting confuting both themselves and one another CAlchas and Mopsus two great Augurs or Astrological diviners meeting together at an Oracle of Apollo Clarius fell to contest about their skill in the
conjecturing art The question was how many Figs there were upon such a tree or how many Pigs there were in such a sowes belly Which Mopsus guest at and mist not a hair but Calchas because he could not do somuch pining with grief or envy took pet and dyed Eudoxus the chief Astrologer of his time affirmed that the Chaldeans are not to be credited in their natalitial prognostications or predictions Panaetius a Stoical Philosopher and yet rejected the predictions of the Astrologers Anchialus and Cassander excelling in all parts of Astrology yet used it not or rather abused it not to predictions Scylax Halicarnassaeus although eminent in Astrology neverthelesse abandoned the whole Chaldaical way of it Servius Tullius sleeping his head seemed to shine or burn some of the Diviners said that signifyed he should perish by lightning others that it was a token he should obtain Regal dignity Darius dreamed that the Camp of the Macedons was on fire and that he saw Alexander coming to him in clothes of the same fashion as his own were and that he was carryed on horseback through Babylon and so vanisht out of sight At this the dream-spellers were divided in their divinations some interpreting it a fortune some an infortune some to the one side some to the other Betwixt the Tyrians and the Macedonians was a semblable prodigie blood on the one part seen in iron and on the other part in bread They of either party interpret it as a token of good successe to themselves But Aristander the most skilful of the Diviners expounded it thus on the Macedonian behalf if the blood had appeared outwardly it had signifyed ill fortune to the Macedons that were without but for as much as it was within it portended the like to them that were within the City which they now besieged Again a huge sea-monster appeared in the sight of both parties and they both made themselves merry in prognosticating according to their Magastromantick teachers good luck to themselves but were both of them deceived in the truth if not both in the event Alexander having left off to consult with his diviners because he found them so various and uncertain had yet again an itch to the superstition and called his Aruspicks to inspect the entrayls commanding that the signification should be be shewed to none but himself Aristander is the man of art and credit but he notwithstanding communicates the matter unto Erigius who takes advantage thereby to disswade Alexanders resolution Upon which he calls for the artist rebukes the betraying of his privy counsels and commands The skilful man is now more amazed then at a prodigie yet gathering his wits together to make some Apology for himself he confessed some difficulty and danger from the inspected entrails but deeply professed his love to and care of his King notwithstanding The King perceiving the flexiblenesse both of the mans nature and of his art wishes him to have a confidence of fortunate successe as well in this as in former things Whereupon the Aruspick pores again and comes in with his second prognosticks and professes to have found signs quite contrary to the first Philip of Macedon dreamed that he did seale up his wives belly and that the seal left behinde the print of a Lion upon it Certain wise men or wizzards told him that this gave him warning to look straightly to his wife and keep her close At which the King was troubled but Aristander to make all good told him his wife was with child and had in her belly a treasure worth the sealing up The same day that Alexander was born the Temple of Diana at Ephesus was burnt This made the distracted Priests and vaticinators prognosticate that some great misfortune was that day born to all Asia But soon after news was brought to Philip of three great victories which made him rejoyce exceedingly now these predictors to make up the triumph praesaged that his son which was born with three great victories should be an invincible Emperour Dion being about to free his Country from the tyranny of Dionysius there happened an eclipse of the Moon which terrified the souldiers not a little Thereupon stood up one Miltas a soothsayer and bad his fellow souldiers be of good chear for the signe imported the impairing of dignity meaning the tyranny of Dionysius But as touching the swarm of Bees that lighted on the Poop of Dions ship he told him and his friends secretly that he was afraid his acts would flourish onely for a while and soon fade away Again Dion getting upon Dionysius his Clock or Diall and thence making an Oration to the Syracusans to promote their own liberty the soothsaying prognosticators liked it wel and said it was a good signe for that he did now tread the sumptuous edifice and artifice and yet an Astrological artifice of the Tyrant under feet But because the hand of the Dyal sheweth the course of the Sun which never leaveth moving they were afraid that Dions affairs should have a suddain change of fortune A certain Noble man of Silesia was very inquisitive with three several Astrologers to know the manner of his own death The first answered he should die of a feaver the second said of a fall the third answered in the waters And to make all good thus they say it fell out First the Feaver forsooth seized on him then the frenzy thereof made him cast himself out of a window and that window was over a Moate and so he fell into the water and there perished The like tale do the Country people tell of our Merlin the the King talking with Merlin about mens fates caused a Faulconer of his to passe by disguised and demanded what kind of death should that man dye Merlin answered he should be hanged The same man comming by the second time in another disguise and the like demand made he answered he should be stabd and the third time it was resolved he should be drowned And thus they say it happened The King being on hawking the Hawke took pearch on a tree hard by a River side the Faulconer climing up to fetch down his Hawke a grayne of a branch got hold of his neck and there he hung that breaking he fell upon a splinter and it stabd him that not holding he fell into the River and so was drowned That the Magastromancers may thus contradict themselves and one another is easily to be believed but that their various praedictions were thus compleated let the faith thereof be with the Authors Iohannes Albertus Archbishop of Magdeburgh had the Moon in Aries in the sixth house which signified health but the Moon was invironed by Mars and he in Aries and by Saturne and he in Taurus and the Sunne and Mercury opposite and those more manifest signes of daily and cruell diseases Tarestius or Tarchetius a great Mathematician who being given to the calculation of Astronomy for the delight of speculation onely was entreated by Marcus Varro to
besides the Scriptures but besides all that God hath been pleased to reveal 5 In deserting of Gods known way to invent or prescribe their own way for the cognition acquisition or effection of any thing 6. In tempting the Devill to tempt God 7. In consulting diabolically yea and compacting with the Devill either explicitly or implicitly 8. Interrogating Angels Devils Daemons Spirits Geniuses Souls Dead men Planets Prodigies Sacrifices Carcasses Entrayls Beasts Birds Fishes Serpents Idols Images Figures Characters c. and so making them their tutours and instructers as concerning these things to which they themselves were never instituted by God 9. In assimilating and comparing men to God so mainly for such things as belong to no part of the image and similitude of God in man or else have but the least and most imperfect foot-steps thereof 10. In pretending those arts and acts to manifest and make known God yea and in peculiar manner to conduce and direct to him which in truth serve but to obscure him alien him and utterly seduce from him 11. In pretending to religion devotion conscience even in matters of more impiety and profanesse 12. In being irreverent in the exercise of a true and superstitious in that of a false religion 13. In asserting a true and due religion or adoration as well among Jews and Pagans as among Christian professors 14. In acting without faith or out of a presumption by placing faith upon a wrong object or to a wrong end 15. In having a faith in such things as God hath neither proposed nor revealed 16. In trusting to and being more affected with humane predictions and presages than divine promises and providence 17. In wavering in a truth and doubting of a thing most certain and yet being peremptory in a falsehood and making themselves most certain in things very doubtfull 18. In presuming to have such a knowledge extraordinarily infused which is ordinarily acquisite 19. In placing the deepest knowledge and boasting the highest learning to be in the lowest and meanest matters 20. In neglecting the acquisition of the greater truth and gift through a studious inquisition after a lesse 21. In prying or diving into profound sublime abstruse occult speculations without due application or true relation unto life practice state calling manners vertue conscience religion the Gospell or God himself 22. In seeking only that they may know to know or else for pride ambition vain glory faction contention policy covetousnesse or other sinister ends 23. In not referring the knowledge of the Creatures to their due and necessary ends 24. In referring the information of the intellect chiefly to the indulging and promoting of the sense 25. In being busily inquisitive after thing improper and impertinent and such as directly concern not Gods glory their own sanctification and the edification of others 26. In making professions of such arts and artifices as are neither necessary nor usefull either to Church or Common-wealth 27. In making it their main studies to know those things whereof a man may be innocently ignorant and can hardly be profitably instructed 28. In attributing much or all to those kind of sciences disciplines arts occupations which good men are little acquainted with and in which they that are most versed and occupyed are not good 29. In arrogating to themselves a knowledge above their proper ingenie capacitie facultie education office and so easily putting truth for error and error for truth Insetting up and admiring their own inventions and fancies for the secret gifts and peculiar inspirations of Gods spirit 31. In proclaming themselves for admitted unto Gods counsels ere they can endeavour themselves to be entred into his Court 32. In setting after the book of the Scriptures to the book of nature and of the Heavens 32. In thinking to imitate God and nature in those things for which they have neither precept nor liberty 34. In pretending a search and examination of nature where nature hath really neither being cause effect signes means nor end 35. In elevating and extolling nature as a soveraign deity or else in pressing and torturing her as a servile slave 36. In abusing the creatures to such end and uses as God never ordained them their own nature never inclined them neither is a power extraordinary working or consenting to apply them 37. In asking or requiring a singular sign without any singular inspiration or instinct or any just cause reason or necessity 38. In setting up their own signes and making them to signifie according to their own imaginations 39 In attempting to proove approove purge clear ratify conform find and find out by inordinate and undue explorations and tryals 40. In labouring long and much to make an experiment of those things whose utmost use and profit ends in the experiment 41. In still nothing but making experiment of what they have had already vain experiment enough 42. In making experiment a proof where experiment serves for no use In wasting or hazzarding the losse of time health substance credit conscience for the gaining an experiment of that which is no way reparable or proportionable 44. In expecting answerable effects from unapt and unlikely causes 45. In being sloathfull and impatient of Gods time and means 46. In presuming to attain to the end without the use of ordinary and lawfull means 47. In using inordinate and undue means 48. In looking for extraordinary and miraculous satisfaction where the ordinary means are sufficiently afforded 49. In applying grave and serious means to light trifling intents and purposes 50. In admitting and approving of such means and wayes as they cannot but be convinced must needs be of a diabolicall introduction 51. In acting out of their proper and laudable callings 52 In exposing themselves to Satans temptations 53. In not avoyding the occasion nay urging and exposing to it and neverthelesse presuming to escape the danger temptation infection participation 54. In being superstitiously affected with vulgar and vain observations 55. In attributing vertue and efficacy corporeall or spirituall to bare ceremonies circumstances forms figures words characters ligations suspensions circumgestations c. 56. In imagining discoursing practising against the light of nature sense reason conscience and the Scriptures 57. In an impiety or at least temerity of invoking provoking voting devoting imprecating deprecating execrating consecrating adjuring conjuring perjuring c. 58. In prying into what peradventure may befall others and never looking into what may worthily happen unto themselves 59. In making long discursations to learn strange tongues strange characters strange doctrines strange manners strange habits and then returning home to make long and strange discourses of them 60. In publishing studies and works of a light subject unprofitable use and dangerous consequence and that especially in times of publike calamity and judgments to take up mens minds with vanities when they ought every day to meditate upon and expect their deaths Now let them or any one else that can but read what hath lately been compiled
what they had heard Now when they were neer the fenne no wind stirring Thraemnus looking into the Sea pronounced with a loud voyce as he had heard Great Pan is dead Which being proclaimed there was presently heard many and great and strange groanes As soon as they came to Rome the rumour hereof filled the whole City so that Tiberius sent for Thraemnus to confirme the truth thereof Then Demetrius told his story Beyond Britaine there are many desolate Islands some of which are dedicated to Daemons and Heroes and I sailed said he towards an Isle neere to Britaine where there are few inhabitants but all accounted hallowed by the Brittaines As I was there a great tempest arose in the ayre with stormes and lightnings that made us all afraid which thing the Islanders said fell out because some of the Daemons and Heroes were dead The grave Author gives this note upon them that these things were said and done in the time of Tiberius in which time our Saviour was conversant upon earth and then both silenced and expelled Devils 6. Of the Magicall Oracles and or aculous Magicians the causes of all Idolatry especially that inhumane abhomination of humane Sacrifices or immolations THe Rbodians did sacrifice a man to Saturne which they afterwards willing to mitigate did reserve unto those Saturnials one condemned to death whom being loaden with Wine they immolated at that feast In the I le Salamis which of old time they called Coronea untill the time of Diomedes a man was slaughtered to Agravala the daughter of Cecrops afterwards in the Temple of Pallas Agravala and Diomedes one of the three a man was immolated whom led by youths about the altar at length was smitten by the Priest with a speare and so laid upon the fire and burnt which thing Dyphilus the King of Cyprus in the time Seleâ—cus abhominating appointed that not a man but an Ox should be sacrificed to Diomedes Amongst the Aegyptians in Heliopolis they sacrificed men To Juno they sacrificed three in a day To Dionysius called Omadius by those of Chios a man was sacrificed being cruelly torn in pieces The Lacedaemonians were wont to sacrifice a man to Mars The Phaenicians in the calamities of warre and pestilence were wont to immolate their dearest friends to Saturne The Curetes sacrificed of old their children to Saturne In Laodicea of Syria a Virgin was offered to Pallas The Arabians every yeere sacrificed a child and buryed it under the Altar All the Graecians commonly immolated a man before they went out to warre In the great City of Latinus a man was sacrificed upon the solemnity of Jupiter Not onely in Arcadia to Pan Lyceus nor in Cartbage to Saturne but all men in common upon the appointed day of sacrificing a man did sprinkle the Altar with mans blood It was the manner of the Ancients in great calamities dangers that the Prince of the Nation or City should give up the best beloved of his children to a vengefull divell as a reward of redemption and mystically to slaughter him so delivered up Saturnus the King of that Region which the Phaenicians call Isracl who after he had put off man being brought to the starre of Saturne having a deare and onely sonne of Anobret his new married Spouse called Iâ—ud for so the Phaenicians call an onely sonne because the City was pressed with a most great and dangerous warre Him clad in regall ornaments he offered upon the Altar built and prepared to that purpose Aristomenes Messenius sacrificed three hundred at once to Jupiter whom they call Ichometes among whom Theopompus the King of the Lacedaemonians was a Noble and Regall Hoste The Tauroscythians whatsoever stranger they took and they took many driven thither by tempest they were wont forthwith to sacrifice them to Diana In Pella a City of Thessalia a man of Achaia was sacrificed every yeere to Peleus and Chirou The Cretians did immolate a man to Iupiter The Lesbians to Dionysius The Phocensians to Diana Hereâ—hteus the Atticke and Macharius the Roman one sacrificed his daughter to Proserpina the other to a Daemon his defensor Jupiter and Apollo is said to have brought great calamity upon Italy because the tenth part of men was not sacrificed to them The Pelasgi and the Aborigenes the earth being fruitlesse vowed to sacrifice to Iupiter and Apollo the tenth part of all that should be born The Celti and almost all the more Easterly people did sacrifice by homicide Saturne was angry with the Carthaginians because whereas formerly they had sacrificed to him the more excellent of their sonnes afterwards they immolated to him infants privily bought and obscurely educated instead of their children whereupon to appease him they publiquely sacrificed to him two hundred of their most Noble young men The Athenians being afflicted with famine because of the slaughter of Androgeus and flying to the Gods for helpe Apollo did not answer that the Gods were to be pacified with righteousnesse humanity repentance or contrition but he adding death to death and plague to plague and cruelty to cruelty commanded that seven males and as many females not infants but men grown should every yeere be sent into Creet and there sacrificed Cepheus King of the Aethiopians and â—assiope his wife had one onely daughter named Andromeda in his time a huge sea monster infested the Countrey whereupon they consulting the Oracle for remedy answer was returned that could not be till Andromeda was exposed to that monster to be devoured Thus cruel were the Stars to those that afterwards were made Stars themselves Tiresias promised victory to the Thebanes but upon this condition that the sonne of Creon should be sacrificed as a victime for his Countrey Chalcas did vaticinate or prognosticate the destruction of Troy but upon the successe enjoyned that Iphigenia the daughter of Agamemnon should be immolated The Delphian Oracle being consulted about a great plague grassating among the Ionians it was answered that it could not be remedied unlesse Menelippus and Cometho and not onely so but unlesse a young man and a mayd were yeerely offered up at Diana's altar The Messenians consulting about some issue of their long warre with the Lacedaemonians it was predicted that theirs should be the victory but upon this condition that they should sacrifice an incorrupted virgin of the Aepytidaean family unto their God whereupon Aristodemus to gratifie his Countrey destinated his onely daughter to the immolation After the death of Julian the apostate there was found in Antioch sundry heads and carcases of men women and children hidden in chests wells pits and other secret holes all which he had idolatrously and barbarously caused to be slaine for Necromancy and divinations sake Especially in Carras in the Temple where he had performed his execrable abomination immediately before his going into Persia and had straitly commanded that the doores should be kept lockt and none to enter in till his return There was found a woman hanged up by the
that he fell to the ground some doubted of the omen but one of the souldiers said wisely this did but signifie his taking possession of England Christophorus Columbus after that he saw the Indians turne treacherous and grow implacable towards him told them having some skill in Astronomy to foresee an Ecclipse that within few daies they should see the Moon his friend and portending terrible things to them because of their breach of hospitality Now when the Ecclipse hapned accordingly they ignorant of the cause took his prediction to be ratified and fearing the sequel used him with all curtesie and ladened him with gifts 19. Of Magicall and Astrologicall Artists and their Arts wittily derided wisely rejected and worthily contemned THe Army of the Romanes being deadly smitten by the darts and arrows of the Parthians and Cassius labouring to preserve and order such of the dispersed as repaired to him for another assault a certain Chaldaean advised him to protract the time a while til the Moon had runne over Scorpio and attained to Sagitarius Oh quoth he I feare Sagitarius or the Archer more then I doe Scorpio or the Serpent himselfe Spurina admonished Caesar to take heed of some perill that was towards him which could not be deferred beyond the Idâ—â— of March When the day came Caesar derided Spurina saying the Ides of March were come and yet he saw no hurt Yea quoth the Augur they are come indeed but for all that they are not past Thus they jeared one another but ere the predicted time was compleat the conspiracy of Caesars death took effect And thus the Astrologers jeare what got Caesar by jearing their Art But have they not read that Cicero derided Spurina as well as Caesar did And if they compare Authors they shall read that Caesar himselfe had noted that the Ides of March would be ferall to him because of Scorpio's declining So then it is easie to be observed that the effect followed because of his superstition rather then his derision It is well noted of the same Caesar that for no religion that is fatidicall superstition he could be deterred or retarded from any enterprize When the hoste escaped from the Immolator a direfull omen for the sacrifice to avoid the Altar he notwithstanding would not deferre his expedition against Scipio and Iuba In his profection into Africa as he went out of the ship he chanced to fall flat upon the ground an ill omen yet he presumed it for the best sign and said I now hold thee fast O Africa Yea he carried a Baffoon Jester along with him on purpose to â—lude the invincible name of the Scipio's in that province and though he went on against the admonitions of the greatest Augurs yet he the rather prospered for his own resolution Pyrrhus was wont to say merrily that he conceived himselfe to be born under Hercules his Star because the more victories he had gotten against the Romans the more sharply they still rose up against him Cato used to say he wondred how one Astrologicall diviner could look upon another and not laugh so that they had so neatly agreed together to delude all others But the world is turn'd since Catos time and they must now give it leave to laugh at them and their delusions A certaine Astrologer telling it in or to an Assembly that he had there drawn in a Table the erratulae or wandring Stars Lie not friend quoth Diogenes for the Starres erre not nor wander at all but they that sit or stand here to no purpose I adde but they that study and practise an art to as little The same Cynick askt another talking familiarly of the Stars when he came from Heaven Thales as he went on looking up to the Starres fell into a ditch of water whereupon besides the jest his mayd made of him at the present others said of him afterwards that if he had lookt down into the water he might have seen the Stars but looking up to the Stars he could not see the water Bion said the Astrologers were very ridiculous who boasted they could see the Fish afarre off in the Heavens and yet could not see the Fishes hard by swimming in the River Dion one of Plato's Scholars and friends an Ecclipse of the Moon chancing at the same time that he was waighing up his Anchors to saile from Zacynthe to make warre with the Tyrant Dionysius disregarded the vaticinall portent set to saile notwithstanding came to Syracuse and prevailed to drive out the Tyrant One shewed Vespasian a strange hayry Comet thinking to put him in some feare of the portent whereat he merrily replyed that prodigie betokened nothing contrary to him but the King of the Parthians his enemy who wore a bushy head of haire After the death of Iulian the Aâ—tiochenians even in their sports thus derided Maximus the greatest Magician and chiefe of those that had seduced him by their predictions and praestigious operations where are now thy divinations O foolish Maximus God and his Church have now overcome viz. the Divell and Magicians St. Augustine confesses his Nebridius would often deride his study of Judiciary Astrologie and he was ready to deride him again for ignorant in that art till at length convinced of his own ignorance he prevented the others smiling by his own bewayling Nearchus admirall to Alexander arriving neere the Isle of Nosala consecrated to the Sunne was told of a prophecy that no mortall man might land there but at the instant he should vanish away and be no more seen This made the Marriners refuse but the Admirall forced them to goe ashore and landed there himselfe to let them see how vaine and contemptible were all such predictions Cato observing one to have consulted a Soothsayer upon a Rat gnawing his hose what an ominous portent said he would the man have suspected if his hose had gnawne the Rat When one wondred at the Snakes winding about his doore bar what a wonder said another would it have been if the bar had twisted about the snake Polydamus conjecturing an ill omen to the Trojanes from the flight of an Eagle holding a Serpent in his talons Tush quoth Hercules the best augurizing is to fight valiantly for our Countrey Prusias refusing to fight because the Diviners had signified to him that the inspected intrailes forbad it as unlucky What said an Athenian Captaine wilt thou give more credit to a piece of calves flesh then to an old Commander Cicero reciting the Diviners prediction of some dreadfull portent from the Mice gnawing the Souldiers Targets or Belts then quoth he may I feare the decay of the Common-wealth because the Mice gnaw'd Plato's politie in my study And if they should likewise gnaw Epicures book of riot and voluptuousnesse might we not thence dread a presage of dearth and famine At Pericles his setting out to the Peloponnesian war the master of the ship being somewhat dismayed because of an ecclipse of the Sun at that instant Pericles cast
proscribed the use of all such yet neverthelesse had his deaths wound given him in a City of such a name others say the hilt of the sword that killed him had a Chariot engraven on it Nero heard news from Apollo at Delphos that he should take heed of the seventy third yeere of age which made him very secure being then but about the age of thirty three But he understood not till it was too late that it was meant not of his owne but of the age of Galba who shortly after succeeded him Hannibal was foretold that he should not die but in the land of Lybia and when he thought himselfe secure as farre enough from that he took his death in a little village called Lybissa Iulian deluded by an Oracle in the ambiguous word thera signifying a beast and a river dreaming of nothing else but victory in his Persian war was there slain Caligula consulting about his geniture Sylla the Mathematician affirmed that his death was approaching The Antiatine Lotts admonished him to take heed of Cassius For which cause he caused Cassius Longinus then proconsul of Asia to be slain unmindfull that Chaerea the man that did the deed was so called Zeno the Emperour was told by his vaticinating prognosticators that he of necessity should be shortly in Constantinople he presumed it of the City and that he should goe thither in triumph and state but his men being beaten and fled he casually retired into a castle which the inhabitants thereabouts called by that name where he had leisure to see and bewaile his delusion Alexander besieging Tyrus dreamed he saw a Satyr The Diviners expound it Satyrâ—s sc Tyrus is thine Commodus being about to give battle to the Saracenes dreamed he was going to Thessalonica the Soothsayers thus interpret it Thes allo nikin sc leave the victory to another and so he did Appius consulting the Pythian Oracle about the event of the civill warre betwixt Caesar and Pompey was answered that warre was nothing to him he should obtaine the cell of Eubaea He now supposing that Apollo admonished him not to imbroyl himselfe in that danger withdrew himselfe to that place presumed a place of quiet and honour but there he got a disease and found a grave Daphida or Daphâ—s a Sophister would needs make himselfe merry with Apollo's Oracle or some of his vaticinating Priests and consulted how he might finde his horse when as he never had one it was answered him he should finde his horse but it should dash out his braines At length Attalus against whom he had rayled got him and threw him headlong against a stone or rock so called This end he had for abusing the authority not deriding the Oracle Pope Sylvester the second inquiring at his brazen head how long he should live in that Papall dignity the divell answered out of it he might live long if he came not at Hierusalem now when he thought himselfe most safe he was suddenly stricken whith a deadly feaver in a Church at Rome called by that name Pope Alexander the sixth who was himselfe addicted to Necromancy was inquisitive how long he should continue in the Popedome It was answered nineteen which he understood of yeeres but it was compleated in ten yeeres and nine moneths as some say or as others in eleven yeares and eight daies A certain Bishop was forewarned by an Astrologer to beware of a fall from a high place he hoping to avoyd the threatning of the Starres kept continually in low roomes At length newes being brought that he was put out of his Bishoprick wretch that I am said he that I could not think on this before for I could not have fallen from an higher place A great Mathematician was consulted who should be the successor to Stephen King of Poland he wrote Deus They were glad of so good a Governour but soon after came in the Suedian And the Astrologer being challenged upon his praediction replied he meant they should read the word backward and then it was Sued Peter the Hermit a Soothsayer prophecied that King Iohn should be no more King of England after Ascension day which he would have made good in his resignation of his kingdom into the hands of the Pope and receiving it again upon other conditions But all his equivocation would not save him from the Gallowes Thomas of Ersilton a Scottish Soothsayer being askt by the Earle of March what kind of weather they should have on the morrow answered that on the morrow before noon should blow the forest wind that ever was heard in Scotland The morrow proving faire and calme the Earle told him he was much mistaken in his marke To which he answered no more but that it was not yet past noon Then came news of the Kings death upon which the Wizzard replied that was the wind he meant The Earle of Athol trusting to a wizzards or witches prediction that before his death he should be crowned openly in the sight of the people trayterously conspired the death of Iames the first King of Scotland For which he was in the beginning of his execution brought into an open place and there crowned with an hot Iron Iunius Brutus going to Delphos with the sonnes of Tarquin whom he had sent thither to honour Apollo with sacrifices and gifts was fain for feare of envy to offer his Gold to the divining God in an hollow staffe And the young men consulting which of them should raigne it was answered by the Oracle he that before other should kisse his mother Then Brutus seeming to slip by casualty purposely cast himselfe groveling and kissed the earth as common mother of them all Tully thus bespeaks Apollo A whole volume hath Chrysippus filled with thy Oracles some partly false and some true by chance as it often proves in any kind of speech some so obscure as that the interpretation needs an interpreter and the lot may very well be referred to a lot again and some so ambiguous as that they may justly be imputed to a subtile sophister rather then to a divining answerer Hamilcar the Carthaginian Captaine as he besieged the Syracusans in his dream heard a voyce that told him he should the next night sup in the City At which he was glad promised himselfe the victory and prepared for the assault But the Syracusans upon advantage of a tumult amongst his men surprized him and so carried him with them into the City and there he supt as a captive but not as a conquerour as he was made to suppose Cambyses warned by Apollo's Oracle to beware of Smerdis who set lime-twigs for his Crown supposed it to be meant of his brother and so berest him of his life but after this another Smerdis who was nothing of the blood and whom the Destinies concealed in the Duke accomplished the prophecy The same Cambyses being advised to beware of a Town called Ecbatana would never come at any of those which were in his own Dominions but light by
he presumed himselfe most secure was taken captive by Ostanes And Hading such another of them after all his presumption was forced to hang himselfe Guido of Flanders was deceived by a Necromancer of whom he had learnt the Art by which he had promised him that whensoever he would he should passe invisible out of any perill But that immutation little availed to the safety of his life Fredericke Stupbius who maintained his army with magicall money was notwithstanding taken by Rudolph of Habspurge and burnt Reatius a praestigious operator being therefore convented confessed his circulatory frauds and afterwards was slain by one whom he had deceived by those his delusory waies Methotin an idolatrous Magician his frauds being detected was slain by a concourse of people and his body nayled to a stake And Hollerus such another was cruelly murdered by his own aemulators A great Calculator confesses that Sebastian Castalio shewed an Astrologer to his great admiration the genesis of his little sonne who died in his infancy and yet that genesis had all the aphaeticall places safe and sound which might promise a prolonged life or direct any judge for to pronounce thereupon An Earle of Aspremont would seem to entertaine all comers with all kind of dainties but they were no sooner out of his house but that horse and man was ready to die with hunger and thirst A curious inquisitor was carried out of his own house into a very pleasant place as it seemed but in the morning found himselfe laid upon thorns and almost starved One Mendoza would present his banquets but they proved nothing but coales and ashes Hamilear the Carthaginian Captaine led on by the Ariolists sacrificed all the while he was in fight in hope of better successe but finding it in the discomfiture of his party to fall out on the contrary he cast himselfe as a desperate sacrifice into the fire to quench it with his blood that had put him in so great hopes and stood him in so little stead Rhadagusus a King of the Gothes in warring against the Romans did nothing almost but immolate or sacrifice for auspication or divinations sake so that they began boastingly to spread abroad Rhadagusus who had reconciled to himselfe the protection and assistance of such Gods was sure to overcome But nevertheless he was taken and slain with above 100000. of his army Papyrius Cursor oppugning Aquilonia the Pullarian Auspicator would needs be presaging clean contrary to his tokens whose fallacie being found out the Consul praesumed a good omen notwithstanding and beginning the fight caused the lying Augur to be placed in the front and the first dart that was cast by the enemy struck him stark dead Eudemus being foretold by a cunning dream-speller that although he was now in exile yet he should return to his own Land within five yeares within which space he notwithstanding dyed in Syracusa but to make his prediction good he said he meant his grave which is every mans own land Constantia an honourable dame of Rome having received assurance from Astrologers of a long healthfull and most happy life fell sick within five daies after of a burning feaver and finding that there was no way but death she strained her husbands hand and concluded both her speech and life with these complaining words Behold what truth is in the vain pregnosticates of fond Astrologers Ninus who detested all Astrologers with their deceipts suppressed Zoroastes who would deale in nothing without their encouragement Pompey with his guard of prophets lost his head and Caesar by contempt of Oracles subdued his enemies Iustinian exiling all sorts of false Prophets with their bag and baggage did flourish as a Conquerour whereas Iulian admitting them with all their packs of falshoods and blasphemous lies did perish as a castaway At such time as Brittanicus waited for the great lot of the Roman Empire by the comfort and encouragement of a vaine Astrologer he lost both life and all by the rigour of a bloody Tyrant Thraâ—illus the Mathematician whom Tiberius had taken into familiarity presaging good things upon the sight of a ship but things falling out contrary to what he predicted Tiberius was purposed as they walked together to cast him down a praecipice for a falsary and an intruder into his secrets Seneca by a pretty fancy bringeth in Mercury perswading with the Gods that they would abridge the life of Claudius if not for any other cause yet even for pitty and compassion of the poore Astrologers who had already been taken with so many lies from yeare to yeere about this point as if the destinies were not more favourable then their grounds were sure the credit of Astrology would decay for ever St. Ambrose telleth of one that prognosticated great store of raine to fall after an exceeding drought but none was seen till it was obtained by the prayers of the Church Galen writeth that none of all those Prophets and Astrologers whose skill was commended and their depth admired in his time at Rome gave any perfect judgement either as touching the disease the continuance or cure thereof Manfredus a rare Doctor of Astrology assured Ordelaphius a Prince in Italy that that very yeere wherein he died if there were any certain knowledge by his art he should not end his life before extremity of age had made him lame and unweldy Paulus Florentinus lived till 85 yeeres of age and yet he would assure his friends in private that he never found one comfort that might promise long life in the figure of his birth but sudden death with many tragicall and most lamentable accidents The great dearth of Cattle which was so certainly expected by the Calculators Anno 1558. turned to a wonderfull encrease of all kinds of sustenance At the same time that the fond Bobemians were affraid to be consumed with sudden fire that should come down from Heaven as some preachers gave warning they were almost drowned with a second Flood by means of excessive showres spring-tides and store of land-waters that ranne down with immoderate abundance as if God had resolved to descry the falshood of their jugling At another time the people were so scared with an universall feare of waters scattered aboad by prophets of this kind as a certain Abbot seeking to prevent the worst built him a Tabernacle upon the top of Harrow on the Hill but the conclusion is that before Summer was halfe spent all the ditches were drawn dry and the castle perished for lack of water Paul Flerent noting two constellations under which the State of Florence was refreshed after long and bloudy warres findeth them so crosse and opposite one to another as himselfe is forced to confesse that small light of assurance may be taken from the blaze of this Beacon Peucer prognosticated upon the last Comet that our bodies should be parched and burned up with heat but how fell it out Forsooth we had not a more unkindly Summer for many yeeres in respect of
the Queen went withall upon this they without delay layd the Crown upon the Queens belly and proclaimed the child scarce conceived to be their King according to their Countries rites and laws Augustus and Marke Anthony were playing together and what a businesse of caution a mathematicall Aegyptian presager made upon it advising the one as concerning their after earnest to take heed of the other as whose genius was too strong for him or his daemon afraid of his As Pope Eugenius sung Masse in the Church of Rheimes some drops of the consecrated wine chanced to be spilt and what prognosticating was upon it And no lesse was there upon Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury his singing a Requiem the same day he was reconciled to the King 27. Of the treasons treacheries conspiracies seditious ambitions usurpations turbulencies and busie medlings of Magicall and Astrologicall diviners against Princes Magistrates Kingdomes and States CAmbyses having added Aegypt to his fathers Kingdomes could not endure their magicall religion but abominating their superstitious ceremonies caused the Oraculous Temples of Apis and others to be pulled down At length he was murdered by means of two Magicians who concealed his death and usurping upon his Kingdome raigned in his stead and name But their boldnesse being detected they were apprehended and suppressed by Darius who therefore by the consent of all was chosen King Cobares a man of magick art if an art it be and not a vaine mans deceit yet what ever it be he was more notable for his profession of it then for his knowledge in it He at a feast would needs be counselling Bessus the weaker to yield to Alexander the stronger which medling of his was so ill taken that he hardly escaped his throat cutting and he likewise took so ill the rejection of his counsell that he defected and fled to the contrary part Now what unhappy politicians are such as these both to themselves and others that if they may not be accepted for busie counsellors turn malecontented â—ugitives Alexander being about to scale the walls of a City Demopâ—on the diviner would needs disswade him from some apparition of unfortunate signs Of whom the King demanded if it would not trouble him to be interrupted in his Science which he acknowledging the King replyed upon him again avouching that in his greatest affairs he found alwaies no greater distraction and disturbance then that of a superstitious pragmaticall Soothsayer Nicius the Athenian Captain kept a Soothsayer continually in his house pretending it was to consult with him about the great affaires of the Commonwealth when as it was onely to inquire about his own businesse or to promote his owne ambition Alcibiades to promote his own ambitions suborned certain predicting Soothsayers to presage happy successe and honour to the Athenians in their Sicilian warre although his end served it fell out clean contrary Meton the Astronomer very politickly feined himselfe mad and fired his own house pretending a mislike of the celestiall signes as touching the common successe in that warre but his end was to himself sc to release his sonne engaged in that voyage and so to ease himselfe let the Commonwealth sinke or swim of the charge of maintaining him there While Fadus governed the Province of Iudaea a certaine Magician Theudas by name perswaded the people to follow him to the River Iordane taking their substance along with them and he would divide the waters as heretofore and so work their deliverance But Fadus pursued them dispersed the seduced multitude took the Magician and cut off his head Another time an Aegyptian comming to Ierusalem feined himselfe to be a Prophet but was a Magician he perswaded the popular multitude to goe along with him to Mount Olivet and he would there shew them strange things for their freedome but Faelix followed upon them and slew hundreds of them onely the Aegyptian escaped by vanishing out of sight Another Mâ—gician seduced the people leading them out into the Wildernesse promising them safety and rest from their evils but Festus followed streight after them and slew both the Seducer and many of those whom he had seduced Many Soothsaying Astrologers grudging at the least increase or ease of the Church had gathered themselves together to consult about the praenotion of Valens his successor and having tryed all kind of divination at length they made a wooden Treuet of Lawrell and used such execrable and diabolicall incantation that they observed a conjunction of these letters THEOD which they expounded of one Theodorus a Pagan and usefull to their purpose presuming on the power of their constellation or constellated figure to depose or set up whom they thought good But Valens understanding it slew both the diviners and the party they had divined upon Yea his fury was so implacable that it extended to all either of that sect or name Eugenius a Schoolmaster by the means of Arbogustes a treacherous officer and of Hyparchus a politick presager having strangled young Valentinian usurped the Empire presuming he should attain to what he went about being thereunto induced by the word of those that took upon them to predict things future from the immolation of victimes inspection of entrailes and observation of the Stars Thrasyllus the Mathematician having predicted certain joyfull things to Nero and they falling out quite contrary he determined to cast him headlong into the sea as a falsarie and rash intruder into his secrets Yea the same Nero had an odde way of exploring his Magicall predictors and if there were found the least suspition of vanity or fraud in them he would cast them as they walked upon a precipice headlong into the Sea and many times would doe it lest they might be the bewrayers of his secrets for he who knew their treacheries durst trust none of them The ancient Brittains deeply drencht in superstition by their magicall Druides were so enslaved to them as that they usurped the determining of all controversies publique or private concerning all matters or causes criminall or reall so that they took upon them to award recompences or penalties as they pleased and who ever he or they were that refused to stand to their judgement him or them they presently interdicted forbidding all commerce with them It is recorded that in France the Magicians Astrologers Sortiaries Sorcerers Wizzards and Witches were so numerous that they began to boast themselves not only for a society but for an Army and to professe that if they could but get some one in authority to be their Commander or leader they durst wage warre with any King or State and doubted not of the victory through the vertue and power of their art Like as the Hunnes by those very means had formerly done against Sigebert King of France Peter of Pomfreit that hermeticall Wizzard by buzzing his prophecies into the peoples eares sought to make the commotion against King Iohn And in Ketts commotion one main promotion of it was upon the false prophecies that
Hob Dic and Hic meaning the rusticks with their clubs should fill up the valley of Dussindale with the bodies of the dead Leoline Prince of Wales rebelled against Edward the first upon a prophecy of Merlin that ginne of errour how he should be shortly crowned with the diadem of Brute But his head was cut off and crowned with Ivy and there was his end The Persi in Magi were not onely contented to be honoured by their Kings but usurped the Kingdom to themselves The Aegyptian Priests or vaticinators arrogated great honours for their praevision and praediction of future things both by their sacrificings and by their skill in the starres Numa Pompilius Liourgus Solon Minos Zamolxis pretended their Laws from Iupiter Apollo Mercury Minerva and other predicting Oracles that so they might the more easily impose upon and domineere over the slavish people Aristocrates King of the Arcadians ayding the Messenians against the Lacedâ—monians they so corrupted him with gifts and besides he was so blinded with the unprosperous signification of the intrayles that upon the joyning of the battell he disheartned his own souldiers and fled and so basely betrayed his old friends the Messenians While Servius Tullus reigned one had a very faire Cow of which the oraculous predictors gave out that whosoever should offer that Cow to Diana he his Countrey and kindred should attaine to great authority and rule over the whole world Now the owner of it bringing it to Rome to offer it in behalfe of himselfe and his the presaging Priest of the Temple commanded him not to offer it till he had washt himselfe and while he went forth so to doe he sacrificed it for the advantage of himselfe and his like Libo Drusus a loose rash young man was encouraged by Firmius Catus through the confidence of Chaldean promises magicall mysteries and interpretations of dreams to make insurrection against Tiberius Caesar but in the end was driven desperately his servants refusing to lay violent hands upon himselfe Immediately upon this the Senate consulted for the expelling of the Mathematicians and Magicians out of Italy and L. Pitnanius one of their number was cast down a Rock In Catilines conspiracy Lentulus was accused both by his letters and speeches which he used out of the Sybils books that the Kingdom of Rome was presaged to three of the Cornelian family viz. Cinna and Silla and himselfe the third to whom it was fated And moreover that now was the twentieth yeare from the burning of the Capitoll concerning which the haruspicks by their prodigies had given answer that civill warres there should be rife and bloody The haruspicks portended great and wonderfull things for the promotion of Caius Marius his ambition In the second Punick warre besides a tumult and distraction in the State such a confusion there was in religion as the cause and continuance of the other that men women young old noble plebeians all sacrificed and prophecyed as they listed and he or she was no body that could not presage of one disastrous event or another Apollo gave such perplexed answers to the Lacedaemonians in their troubles that a Pagan Philosopher was provoked to tell him plainly If thou hadst answered thus in quiet times it had seemed frivolous to all only thy ignorance lurkes under our feares and distraction because such things are most impressing and credited in such kind of times Apuleius saith St. Augustine an Affricane and therefore best known to us Affrieanes for all his magicall arts could not attain to a Kingdom no nor yet to any judiciall power in a Commonwealth for all his judiciary Astrologie Did he modestly contemn these things as a Philosopher Nay did he not hunt and hire and contend with the Citizens of Choas where he marryed a wife about the setting up of a Statue to him So that if he arrived at no greatnesse it was not because he had no will but no power A certain prophecy given out and published at Rome at the removing of the Emperour Tiberius that he should never return any more occasioned the death of many well disposed Citizens who ventring too farre upon this little ground to discharge their Countrey from the clog of servitude were cut off by cruelty About the same time Furius Scribonianus was exiled because he had enquired after the Princes death by Chaldeans or Astrologers Mahomet and Sergius both of them by magicall and praestigious tricks set up themselves the one for a King the other for a Prophet Fredericke Barbarossa leading an army against them of Millaine they sent an Arabian magician to play the veneficke and take away his life by poyson which being discovered and he apprehended notwithstanding he threatned that he could doe it with words and would doe it unlesse he were dismist yet this moved not the King to feare his malefice but he therefore inflicted on him the sharper punishment Pope Iulius the third gave a Cardinals hat to a youth whom he favoured and being askt the reason of it said That he found by Astrongly that it was the youths destiny to be a great Prelate which was impossible except himselfe were Pope and therefore that he did raise him as the driver on of his owne Fortune Certaine rude uncivill clowns under a colour of a prophecy that they should conquer and subdue the holy Land raked a sort of vagabonds and bankrupts together who falling forth with to spoyle and robbery were hanged upon Gibbets almost in every Countrey as they past The young Duke of Viseo in Portingale having once been pardoned by Don Ivanel Grande at the suit of the Queen his sister was encouraged by the Mathematicians and Astrologers to rebell again with assurance that he should obtaine the Crown whereof he not onely failed but besides was deprived of his life by the course of ordinary justice My Lord of Northampton tels the story of two Countreymen of ours one sometimes professing Greeke in Cambridge the other of the same calling one contriving treason sedition or faction from the starres but clapt under hatches when the planets promised most fortunate successe the other undutifully taking armes against his Soveraigne and often confessing he had never dealt in that attempt but by encouragement of a certain prophecy that he should prevaile against his Prince by popular devotion 28. Of impostorous Magicke and Astrologie the causes of preposterous villany or the Magastromancers instigating to those execrable acts which otherwise had never been invented or intended And other cursed consequents CAracalla remaining in Mesopotamia sent to Maternus whom he had left Governour of Rome to assemble all the Astrologers and Mathematicians and procure them to give their opinions secretly whether there were any conspiracies on foot against him and to give their judgements how long he should live and what death he should die Maternus did so and as the Astrologers had advised wrote that Macrinus his prefect was the conspirator and therefore did warn him to see Macrinus dispatcht out of the
way As the Letter came to Caracalla he was at that instant upon a sport which he would not intermit so committed the Letters to Macrinus to read over and make report of their contents to him afterwards Macrinus in perusall of them finding himselfe accused of such treason as he never thought of and doomed or necessitated to it by Astrologicall judgement and considering the Emperours jealous cruelty and Maternus his envy thought there could now be no safety for him either in excusing or delaying and so set Martial a discontented Centurion whose brother he had caused to be put to death to murder him Among the other prodigies that were said to prognosticate Domitians death there was seen a crown encircling about the Sunne Now because Stephanus signifies a Crown the Astrologers would have the Crown to signifie Stephanus and he must be the man thus destinied to dispatch Domitian and this very thing was it that heartned him to doe the deed Dioclesian because a Druid or Sorceresse had foretold him that he should be Emperour after he had slain a Boare he not onely killed all the Boares he could but slew all the men he knew that had the name of Aper or Boare Valens understanding by a constellated figure that one should succeed him whose name began with 〈◊〉 or Th. thereupon caused divers to be slaine whose names began after that manner Edward the fourth wrought the death of George Duke of Clarence his brother instigated thereunto by a foolish prophecy that one whose name began with a G. should succeed him It was upon a prophecy or prediction that Mackbeth slew Duncano King of Scots and likewise Banquo his chiefest friend because of a prophecy that his posterity should succeed in the Kingdome Again upon a Wizards prophecy or prediction that he should never be slain by any man born of a woman nor vanquished till the wood of Bernane came to the Castle of Dunsinane this made him give up himselfe securely to all kind of wickednesse Niseus tyrant of Syracuse being foretold of his death by a Soothsayer thereupon riotously lavisht away all his wealth beforehand So did a rich man of Lions upon the calculating of his Nativity but lived and beg'd along time after Natholocus King of Scots desirous to understand somewhat of the issue of his troubles sent a trusty servant of his to enquire of a Witch who consulting with her spirits told him the King should be murdered not by the hands of his enemies but by one of his most familiar friends The messenger demanding instantly by whose hands Even by thine said she Whereupon he defyed her and bad her goe like an old witch and trusted he should see her burnt ere he should be drawne to doe so villanous a deed intending to signifie it sincerely to the King himselfe But by the way as he returned many fears and suspitions arose in his mind especially that the Kings jealousie would not be satisfied with his innocency so that he thought it the surest way for himselfe to doe the deed and thus induced he did it Gambyses dreaming that his brother Smerdis should raigne because he thought he saw him fitting in a regall Throne contrived his death by the means of one Praxasâ—es a magician who peradventure had either magically sent that dream or else interpreted to that purpose From an old orientall prophecy that about that time such as came out of the land of Iudaea should obtaine the whole government of affairs the Jews slew their governour and rebelled but to their own miserable destruction Vespasian being admonished by the Mathematicians to take heed of Metius Pomposianus because he had an imperiall Genesis whom though he wiser then to give credit unto such things neverthelesse preferred yet Domitian was drawn to put him to death upon the selfe same occasion 29. Of Magastromancers eluding Authority and deluding themselves in a presumption of impunity CLeomedes for many portentous malefices being fast shut up in a close sepulchre or coffin with a cover that many men could hardly lift laid upon it to keepe him safe against the day of triall when the day came he was vanished thence and not there to be found neither alive nor dead When they consulted the Oracle about his portentous escape it commended him for it as one of the last of the Heroes Apollonius Tyanaeus being convented before Domitian when he thought to take punishment of the Magician he forthwith vanished out of his presence Apuleius accused for magicall Arts and practices before Claudius a Christian Magistrate instead of confessing his fault fell to calumniate and traduce the very Laws for exhibiting the same under such penalties One Diodorus or Leodorus a most portentous Conjurer being therefore condemned and led to execution by his enchantments slipt out of the executioners hands and conveyed himselfe in the ayre from Catana in Sicily to Constantinople At last the Bishop of Catana caught him at unawares and caused him to be burnt in a fiery furnace At Cullen a certain Damsell being cited for playing of prestigious tricks she did many jugling feats before the Nobles as rending of towels breaking of glasses and presently making them whole againe c. which made them vain sport and they conclude them to be but joculatory pranks and so she escaped the Inquisitour David Ebroy a magicall Jew made those of his Nation believe that he was the Messiah come to free them from the servitude of the uncircumcised The King of Persia apprehending him he by his sleights escaped out of prison crossed a broad river and could never be overtaken One Caesarius Maltes a praestigious Jugler being taken at Paris escaped prison by his circulatory tricks for which being questioned again in another place and condemned the Governour by his power and against Law reprieved him as much taken with his feats of Leigerdemaine But nothing prospered after that in his government and he died not long after In the territories of Berne one Scapbius boasted that he could scape invisible when he pleased and so had oft times avoyded the hands of his capitall enemies At length when he grew ripe both for divine and humane vengeance he was espied by those that laid wait to apprehend him through a window and was so slain with a speare when he least dreamt of his death Caius Marius a man ignoble and a cruell author of civill warres after the first fight wherein he was vanquished by Sylla being taken naked and muddy by the enemy he was brought to the Minturnians and delivered to the Governour of the City who sitting in councell upon him gave sentence that he should be put to death presently and seeing none of the Citizens would undertake the execution they committed it to a Cimbrian horsman or some say a Frenchman who about to dispatch the businesse heard a great voyce out of a dark place Thou man darest thou kill Marius at which the man affraid let fall his weapon and ran away crying he durst
not doe the deed and so he escaped At Venice a certaine maleficall Sorcerer being condemned made all the locks fall off and doors fly open onely by a confection of certain herbs and mussitation of certain charms and so went his way 30. Of God and the Starres and men blasphemed accused calumniated defamed by or by the means of Magicians and Astrologers ALexander in a distempered mood having slaine Clytus his plaine but trusty friend afterwards ashamed of so foule a fact and having no other way to excuse so vile and dishonourable an action he urged his eligion sp ellers to try their fatidicall arts and to enquire whether it was not the ire of the Gods that had necessitated him so to doe and in conclusion after much calculating inspecting consulting the Gods are made to bear the blame in fatally enforcing so foule an act A certaine fatidicall Philosopher beating his servant for a fault the servant cried out of his masters injustice for punishing him for doing a thing that was not in his own will or power Seeing he himselfe had taught that men are fatally necessitated to doe either well or ill St. Augustine reports of a Mathematician in his time who was wont to say It was not men that lusted but Venus not men that killed but Mars not men that stole but Mercury It was not God that helpt or favoured but Iupiter c. Iustin Martyr Marullus Symeon Athanasius Eusebius Emissenus were calumniated and slandered by Magicians and Astrologers as if they had been the worst of them themselves Kunegunde they say was defamed for a whore by a diabolicall wizzard So was Turbula In the time of Frederick the second there was a German sorcerer that did use to defame men by reproaching them publikly with their most secret sinnes Blanch wife to Peter of Castile had presented her husband with a rich Girdle unwitting that it was enchanted by a certain Iew so that still when the King put it on it appeared like a snake Maria de Padilla the Kings Concubine and the Iews Proselyte having herselfe a chiefe hand in it most calumniously charged the vertuous Queen with her own sorcerous act instigated thereunto by the envious Iew or Magician because the Queen had justly wrought the whole sect of them out of power and favour at Court But now the King being so imbittered by the prodigious apparition and other magicall predictions the Concubine was so imboldned that she prosecuted the poore innocent Queen to her death And after that so bewitched the King that she got into her place Elianor wife to Humphrey Duke of Glocester was impeached of sorcery by one Bolingbrooke an Astronomer who being himselfe apprehended accused her as accessary when as her greatest guilt in that art was her superstition in consulting not practising of it The prefect of Galatia missing his sonne certain servants of his were accused by the false divination of a pseudomantist as if they had slain him but no sooner were they executed but the young man returned safe home again Alexander being admonished by the divining lots that he should command him to be killed that first met him as he went out of the gate by chance an Asse-herd met him and he commanded it to be done accordingly But the poore man complaining of the injustice that he should being innocent be adjudged to such capitall punishment answer was made that must be imputed to the gods who had advised the King to slay the first that met him If it be so quoth the Asse-herd the lot means another and not me for my Asse which I drave before me met the King before I. The King delighted with this answer the Asse was executed and so the Gods the King and the Asse-herd were all excused by wit more then by Lot â—hea Sylviâ— the daughter of Numitor a vestall being compressed and found with child both she and her parents agreed to excuse it saying that she had suffered force not from a man but some God or Genius he that had done the deed had like-wise predicted that she should bring forth twins which though it so fell out yet by the sentence of the Councell the Law in that case was to be used against her A concention arising betwixt Cleomenes and Demaratus about the Kingdome of Lacedaemonia Cleomenes accused Demaratus as not the sonne of Ariston and therefore ought not to succeed The Lacedaemonians to be resolved in the businesse consulted the Delphian Oracle which Petiatis the Priest thereof being corrupted by Cleomenes gave answer that the party enquired upon was not Aristotis sonne Whereupon Demaratus conjuâ—ed his mother from the infernals to answer for him who replied that it was a God or an Heroe that deluded her and begat him And thus they accused one another Tertullian Iustin Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Atbenagoras Arnobius Minutius Foelix Lactantius Augustine and so many as have written against the Idolatrous and magicall immolations of the Heathens have had much to doe to apologize for the Christians against all those false calumnies wherewith they impudently burdened them In simulating the Christians to be given to chuse wickednesse which they themselves were guilty of and to be the cause of those judgements which their own impieties had provoked Iulian and Maximinus were not onely satisfied to have them thus defamed and slandered but took occasion to determine their persecution and extermination During the Popedome of Benedict the third in the City of Mentz a Daemoniacall Familiar that lay lurking under a Sacrificulists Pall as he was sprinkling of holy water accused him publiquely that he had that night layn with his Proctors wife A certain Praetor or Judge having sentenced divers malefactors to death at the accusation of an Ariolist or Pythian vaticinator at length he took upon him to tell him of one more if he would not take it ill the Judge earnest to know who it was he insimulated his own wife and prefixt an houre wherein he would shew him her in the convent of other Witches But he knowing his own wives integrity and mistrusting the others calumny at the time appointed had invited unknown to the Ariolist a many of his kindred and friends to suppe with his wife and him And as they sate at supper he took an occasion to rise and goe with the Ariolist to the place where he shewed him in a spectrous apparition his own wife in the company of other Lamian hagges Enough to have deluded him had he not returned and found his wife at the table where he left her with the testimony of all those at the table that she had never stirred thence Whereupon he caused the Ariolist himselfe to be executed 31. Of praestigious Magicians and Astrologers prodigiously practising their arts for the promotion of their own and others filthy lusts NEctanebus an Aegyptian King and great Magician coming into Macedonia in King Philips time so practised it as to make Olympias Philips wife to dream that she should be married to