out of that Desart they fixed their eyes vpon three strange humane shapes of a fearefull and vnmeasurable stature in long loose gownes and habited after the manner of Mourners with blacke and grisly haire hanging ouer their shoulders but of countenance most terrible to behold Who calling and beckoning to them both with voice and gesture and they not daring to approch them they vsed such vndecent skipping and leaping with such brutish and immodest gestures that halfe dead with feare they were inforced to take them to their heeles and runne till at length they light vpon a poore countrey-mans cottage in which they were relieued and comforted Sabellicus deliuereth this discourse The father of Ludovicus Adolisius Lord of Immola not long after his decease appeared to a Secretarie of his in his journey whom he had sent vpon earnest businesse to Ferrara The Spectar or Sylvan Spirit being on horse-backe attyred like an huntsman with an Hawke vpon his fist who saluted him by his name and desired him to entreat his sonne Lodowicke to meet him in that very place the next day at the same houre to whom hee would discouer certaine things of no meane consequence which much concerned him and his estate The Secretarie returning and reuealing this to his Lord at first he would scarse giue credit to his report and jealous withall that it might be some traine laid to intrap his life he sent another in his stead to whom the same Spirit appeared in the shape aforesaid and seemed much to lament his sonnes diffidence to whom if hee had appeared in person hee would haue related strange things which threatned his estate and the means how to preuent them Yet desired him to commend him to his sonne and tel him That after two and twenty yeares one moneth and one day prefixed he should lose the gouernment of that City which he then possessed And so he vanished It happened iust at the same time which the Spectar had predicted notwithstanding his great care and prouidence That Philip Duke of Mediolanum the same night besieged the City and by the helpe of Ice it being then a great frost past the Moat and with ladders scaled the wall surprised the city and tooke Lodowicke prisoner Fincelius remembreth vnto vs That in the yeare 1532 a Nobleman of his country had commanded a countreyman a Tenant of his with whom he was much offended either to bring home to his Mannor house a mighty huge Oke which was newly felld betwixt that and Sun-set or he should forfeit his time and the next day be turned out of his cottage The poore husbandman bringeth his cart to the place but looking vpon the massie timber and finding it a thing vnpossible to be done he sits down wrings his hands and falls into great lamentation When presently appeared before him one of these Spirits in the shape of a laboring man and demanding him the cause of his sorrow he was no sooner resolued but If that be all saith the Diuell follow me and I will saue thee the forfeiture of thy Leafe Which he no sooner said but he tooke the huge Oke boughes branches and all and threw it vpon his shoulder as lightly as if it had beene a burthen of Firres or Broome and bearing it to the house cast it crosse the gate which was the common entrance into the house and there left it The Gentleman returning towards night with his friends from hawking spying the doore barricadoed commanded his seruants to remoue the tree But forcing themselues first to stir it then to hew it with axes and lastly to set it on fire and finding all to be in vaine the master of the Mannor was inforced to haue another doore cut out in the side of his house to let his Ghests in for at the backe gate hee had vowed not to enter hauing before made a rash Oath to the contrarie By the aid of these Spirits as Caspinianus giueth testimonie the Bulgarians gaue the Romans a great ouerthrow in the time of the Emperour Anastasius The like the Huns did to the French King Sigebert defeating him notwithstanding the oddes of his great and puissant Armie Of this kinde those were said to be who when the Poet Simonides was set at a great feast came like two yong men and desired to speake with him at the gate Who rising in haste from the table to know their businesse was no sooner out of the roome but the roofe of the hall fell suddenly and crushed all the rest to pieces he onely by this meanes escaping the ruin Those Spirits which the Greekes cal Paredrij are such as haunt yong men maids and pretend to be greatly in loue with them yet many times to their hurts and dammage Mengius speaketh of a Youth about sixteene yeares of age who was admitted into the Order of Saint Francis whom one of these Spirits did so assiduately haunt that hee scarce could forbeare his company one instant but visibly he appeared to him sometimes like one of the Friers belonging to the house sometimes one of the seruants and sometimes againe he would personate the Gouernour Neither was he onely seene of the Youth himselfe whom he pretended so much to loue but of diuers of the Domesticks also One time the Youth sent this Spirit with a Present of two Fishes vnto a certaine Monke who deliuered them to his own hands and brought him backe a commendatorie answer The same Mengius in the selfe same booke speaketh likewise of a faire yong Virgin that dwelt in a Noblemans house of Bonnonia and this saith he happened in the yere 1579. haunted with the like Spirit who whithersoeuer she went or came stirred not from her but attended on her as her Page or Lackey And if at any time vpon any occasion her Lord or Lady had either chid or strooke her he would reuenge that iniury done to her vpon them with some knauish tricke or other Vpon a time hee pretending to be extremely angry with her catched her by the gowne and tore it from head to heele which shee seeming to take ill at his hands hee in an instant sowed it vp so workeman-like that it was not possible to discerne in what place hee had torne it Againe she being sent downe into the cellar to draw wine he snatcht the candle out of her hand and cast it a great distance from her by which occasion much of the wine was spilt this he confest he did only to be reuenged on them who the same day before threatened her Neither could he by any exorcismes be forced to leaue her company till at length shee was persuaded to eat so often as she was forced to do the necessities of nature and thereby she was deliuered from him Another of these Paredrij haunted a Virgin of the same City who was about the age of fifteene yeares who would doe many trickes in the house sometimes merrily and as often vnhappily
Novemb. 7. 1634. PErlegi hunc Librum cui titulus A Diuine Poëm intituled The Hierarchie of Angels Qui quidem Liber continet folia 287 aut circitèr In quibus nihil reperio quò minus cum publica utilitate imprimi possit ita tamen vt si non intra annum proximè sequentem typis mandetur haec Licentia sit omninò irrita GVILIELMVS HAYWOOD Capell domest Archiep. Cantuar. THE HIERARCHIE of the blessed ANGELLS Their Names orders and Offices The fall of Lucifer with his Angells Written by Tho Heywood Vita scelesta vale coelica vita vent LONDON Printed by Adam Islip 1635 TO THE MOST EXCELLENT AND INCOMPARABLE LADY AS FAMOVS FOR HER ILLVSTRIOVS VERTVES AS FORTVNAT IN HER REGALL ISSVE HENRETTA MARIA Queene THE ROYALL CONSORT AND SPOVSE OF THE PVISSANT AND INVINCIBLE MONARCH OVR DREAD SOVERAIGNE King CHARLES Her Highnesse most lowly and loyall Subiect THOMAS HEYWOOD In all humilitie consecrateth these his well-wishing though vnworthy Labours To the Reader Generous Reader I Shall not need to apollogise before-hand either for the height of the subiect or the manner of handling this Worke when the Argument of euery Tractat can speake for the one and a direct proceeding in the course proposed for the other Remembring the French Prouerbe Qui edefie en publick place Faict maison trop haut on trop basse Who builds i th' way where all passe by Shall make his house too low or hye I haue exposed my selfe a subiect to all censures and entreat the Reader not to vndertake me with any sinister prejudice For my hope is if he shall fairely trace me in that modest and carefull course which I haue trauelled he may say in the conclusion Facilius currentibus quam repentibus lapsus For I professe my selfe to be so free from all arrogance and ostent that Vt caveam timenda tuta pertimesco My Iuvenilia I must confesse were sutable to my age then for being a childe I spake as a childe but Maruritie hath since better instructed me remembring that excellent Sentence of Sophocles Si Iuvenis luxuriat peccat si senex insanit Nor forgetting that of Seneca the Philosopher Ante senectutem curandum benè vivere in senectute benè mori I haue proposed vnto you Good Angels and Bad the excellencie of the one still continuing in their created Puritie the refractorie rebellion of the other damning themselues to all eternity In the reading of which I entreat you to take into your consideration that wholesome obseruation of Saint Chrisostome Natura rerum sic est vt quoties bonus malo conjungitur non ex bono malus melioretur sed ex malo bonus contaminetur sic vnum pomum malum facilè centum bonos corrumpti at centum mala nunquam vnum corruptum efficiunt bonum Further to expect any new conceits from old heads is as if a man should looke for greene fruit from withered branches But as Time the producter of all things though he be aged himselfe is euery houre begetting somthing new sowe on whose heads he hath cast such a snow as no radicall or naturall heate can melt in imitation of him who as sure as he knowes vs borne will as certainly prouide vs buriall will neuer suffer our braines to leaue working till our pulses cease beating But howsoeuer the manner of our working be so the matter which is wrought vpon be worthy the value of the subiect dignifieth the invaliditie of the Vndertaker And thus I take my leaue of thee with this gentle admonition Heu heu dij mortalibus nectunt malum Quando bonum videt quispiam non vtitur Thin◠THO. HEYWOOD The Argument of the first Booke VRIEL A Iove Principium the Creator Of all that liue sole Animator Atheisme and Saducisme disputed Their Tenents argued and refuted A Deitie approv'd by all Gods Creatures in generall Into the world how false gods came And first begun t' vsurpe that name A Quaere made the world throughout To finde this GOD of whom some doubt The Argument of the second Booke IOPHIEL A GOD bee'ng found deny'd by none It followes there can be but One By the Philosophers confest And such as were of Poets best Him not the Oracle denies Nor those the antient World held wise Sage Sybill Mage Gymnosophist All in this Vnitie persist Next That this Pow'r so far extended Can by no Sence be comprehended Neither his Essence most Diuine Be sounded by weake Reasons line And last what names most properly Belong to this great Deity The Argument of the third Booke ZAPHKIEL OF th' Vniuerse the Regions three And how their parts disposed bee How gouerned and in what order In which no one exceeds it's border That Moses Arke in all respects Vpon this worlds rare Frame reflects Both how and when by Pow'r Diuine The Sun and Moone began to shine The day of our blest Sauiors Passion Compar'd with that of the Creation How ev'ry Star shines in it's Spheare What place they in the Zodiacke beare And of the twelue Signes a narration Their influence aspect and station To proue no former worlds haue bin And this must perish we liue in The vainnesse lastly doth appeare Of Plato's Great and Vertent Yeare The Argument of the fourth Booke ZADCHIEL WHat Ternions and Classes bee In the Coelestiall Hierarchee In what degrees they are instated How 'mongst themselues concatinated Angels and Doemons made apparant By Ethnicks and the Scriptures warrant Of Visions and strange Dreames that proue Spirits each where at all times moue Against their infidelitie That will allow none such to bee Discourse of Fauor Loue and Hate Of Poetry of Deaths estate Th' Essence of Spirits how far they know Their pow'r in heav'n and earth below The Argument of the fifth Booke HANIEL THe consonance and simpathie Betwixt the Angels Hierarchie The Planets and Coelestiall Spheares And what similitude appeares 'Twixt one and other Of the three Religions that most frequent bee Iew Christian and Mahumetist Vpon what grounds they most insist Ridiculous Tenents stood vpon In Mahomets blinde Alcaron Where he discourseth the creation Of Heav'n and Angels A relation What strange notorius Heresies By th' Priscillians and Manichees Were held The truth made most apparant By Text and holy Scriptures warrant The Argument of the sixt Booke RAPHAEL THe Heart of Man bee'ng so adverse To Goodnesse and so apt to pierce Things most retruse a course exprest On what it chiefely ought to rest A scrutinie made where and when The Spirits were created Then Of Lucifer the chiefe and prime Of Angels in the first of time His Splendor Pride and how he fell In battell by Prince Michael Their Fight their Armes the triumph great Made in the heav'ns for his defeat The number that reuolted and How long they in their grace did stand Some other doubts may plaine appeare Which to this Argument cohere The Argument of the seuenth Booke CAMAEL OF Gods great Works a serious view For which
prodigalitie was such His exhibition he exceeded much And when his money was exhausted cleane His credit flaw'd and there remain'd no meane Either to score or pawne he walks alone And fetching many a deepe suspire and grone His melanch'ly grew almost to despaire Now as we finde the Diuels ready are And prest at such occasions ev'n so than One of these Sp'rits in semblance of a man Appeares and of his sadnesse doth demand The cause Which when he seem'd to vnderstand He makes free protestation That with ease He can supply him with what Coine he please Then from his bosome drawes a Booke and it Presents the Youth and saith If all that 's writ Within these leaues thou giv'st beleefe to I Will furnish all thy wants and instantly Vpon condition thou shalt neuer looke On any page or once vnclaspe the booke The yong man 's pleas'd the contract he allowes And punctually to keepe it sweates and vowes Now saith the Spectar note and vnderstand What thou seest done Then holds in his left hand The fast-shut booke his right he casts about Then with his thumbe and finger stretched out Meaning the middle of that hand holds fast The charmed Volume speaking thus at last Natat as saliat Aurum and instantly Six hundred Crownes into his pocket fly This shew'd and done he stands himselfe aloofe Giues him the Booke and bids the Youth make proofe As he before did The same order kept The selfe same summe into his bosome leapt They part the youthfull Schollar is surpris'd With ioyes incredible and well advis'd Within himselfe thinks he How should I curse To lose this more than Fortunatus Purse Which to preuent the surest way I 'le chuse Transcribiug it lest I perchance might loose Th'originalll copy Then downe close he sits Shuts fast his dore and summons all his wits From hand to hand the Booke he moues and heaues Weighing and poising the inchanted leaues Then layes it ope But in the stead of Histories Or Poëms he spies nought saue Magicke mysteries First page by page he turnes it ouer all Saue Characters most diabolicall He nothing sees then pausing a good space His eye by chance insists vpon a place At which he wonders namely'a circle that Is fill'd with confus'd lines he knowes not what Their meaning is and from the Center riseth A Crucifix which the Crosse much disguiseth Clov'n through th' midst and quite throughout dissect Aboue an head of horrible aspect Resembling the great Diuels ougly foule Which seemes on his rash enterprise to scoule On the right side two Crosses more appeare That after a strange guise conioyned were And these are interchangeably commixt And vpon each a Caca-Damon fixt Vpon the left that part exposed wide Which modest women most desire to hide Oppos'd as ev'n as iust proportion can Was plac'd th' erected virile part of man At these much wondring and asham'd withall He feeles a sudden feare vpon him fall Which Feuer shakes him his eye 's dull and dead And a strange megrim toxicates his head Imagining behinde him one to reach Ready t' arrest him for his promise-breach He calls aloud his Tutor is by chance At hand beats ope the dore and halfe in â—â—ance He findes his Pupill and before him spies This booke of most abhorrid blasphemies And questions how it came there He tells truth Then he in stead of chiding cheares the Youth And hauing caus'd a great fire to be made Now sacrifice this cursed Booke he said The Pupill yeelds the flame about it flashes Yet scarce in a full houre 't is burnt to ashes Though it were writ in paper Thus we see Though these Familiar Spirits seeming bee Mans profest friends their loue 's but an induction Both to the Bodies and the Soules destruction Explicit Metrum Tractatus octavi Theologicall Philosphicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogliphicall and Emblematicall Obseruations touching the further illustration of the former Tractat. PRide was the first sinne and therefore the greatest It was the Fall of Angels and is that folly in Man to bring him to perdition It striueth to haue a hand in euery noble Vertue as it hath an interest in euerie detestable Vice The Valiant it swells with vain-glory the Learned with selfe-conceit Nay further it hath beene knowne That men of most submissiue spirits haue gloried That they could so far humble themselues as being proud that they haue not been more proud It hath made zealous men presume of their merit wretched men to boast of their misery Come to the Deadly sins It is Pride in the Enuious man to maligne the prosperitie of his neighbor in the Wrathfull man to triumph in the slaughter of his enemy in the Luxurious man to trick himselfe vp and glory in the spoile of his Mistresse in the Sloathfull to scorne labour and delight in his ease in the Auaritious to despise the Poore and trust in his aboundance According to that of Ovid in the fift booke of his Metamorph. Sum foelix quis enim neg at hoc foelixque manebo Hoc quoque quis dubitat tutum me copia fecit Happy I am for who can that deny And happy will remaine perpetually For who shall doubt it Plenty makes me such Bee'ng made so great that Fortune dares not touch Pride saith Isiodor est amor propriae excellentiae It is a loue of our proper excellencie Saint Augustine telleth vs That all other vices are to be feared in euill deeds but Pride is not to be trusted euen in good actions lest those things which be laudibly done and praise-worthy bee smothered and lost in too much desire of Praise Humilitie maketh men like Angels but Pride hath made Angels Diuels It is the beginning the end and cause of all other euills for it is not onely a sinne in it selfe but so great an one that no other sinne can subsist without it All other iniquities are exercised in bad deeds that they may be done but Pride in good deeds that they may be left vndone Pride saith Hieron was borne in heauen still striuing to possesse and infect the sublimest mindes and as if it coueted still to soare vp to the place from whence it fell it striues to make irruption and breake into the glory and power of men which first broke out from the glory and power of Angels that whom it found Copartners in nature it might leaue Companions in ruin From heauen it fell saith Hugo but by the suddennesse of the fall hauing forgot the way by which it fell though thither it aime it can neuer attaine All other Vices seek only to hinder those Vertues by which they are restrained and brideled as Wantonnesse Chastitie Wrath Patience and Avarice Bounty c. Pride onely aduanceth it selfe against all the Vertues of the minde and as a generall and pestiferous disease laboureth vniuersally to corrupt them Now the signes by which Pride is discouered and knowne are Loquacâ—ty and clamor in speech bitternes in silence
that extracted out of Vrsinus Velius his words be these Capturus pisces hamata in littore seta Naâ—fraga fortè hominis calva prehensa fuit c. A Fisher angling in a Brooke With a strong line and baited hooke When he for his wisht prey did pull It happen'd he brought vp a skull Of one before drown'd Which imprest A pious motion in his brest Thinks he Since I such leisure haue Vpon it I 'le bestow a graue For what did vnto it befall May chance to any of vs all He takes it wraps it in his coat And beares it to a place remoat To bury it and then digs deepe Because the earth it safe should keepe But lo in digging he espies Where a great heape of treasure lies The gods do neuer proue ingrate To such as others shall commiserate These are Arguments so spacious that to handle them vnto the full would aske of themselues a voluminous Tractat and rather tyre and dull the Reader than otherwise But for mine owne part in all my discourses I study as far as I can to shun prolixity Omitting therefore all impertinent Circumstances I come to the maine subiect intended Now to proue that there are such Spirits as we call Incubi and Succubae there are histories both many and miraculous of which I will instance onely some few Henricus Institor and Iacob Sprangerus report That a yong Votaresse had entertained carnall congression with one of these Daemons which though at the first it seemed pleasing vnto her yet in continuance of time growing irksome and distastefull shee knew no meanes how to be rid of this loathsome and abhominable societie but long considering with her selfe she thought it the best course to reueale the secret to some one or other and long doubting to whom she might tel it and her reputation which she held deare still preserued she bethought her selfe of one of the same Sisterhood her choice and bosome companion whose name was Christiana and at a conuenient leisure sorted to the purpose told her of all the proceedings as they hapned from the beginning not leauing any particular circumstance intermitted The other being of a milde nature and gentle disposition gaue a courteous and friendly eare vnto whatsoeuer was related and withall bad her be of good comfort and not to dispaire for in this one thing shee would declare her long protested fidelitie not onely to conceale whatsoeuer she had deliuered vnto her but to ingage her owne person for her future content and safety and withall trusting in her owne innocence and integritie she offered to change lodgings and beds for the next succeeding night for shee would for her sake stand the danger at all aduentures This being betwixt them agreed and fully concluded vpon the time came and Christiana was no sooner warme in her bed but the Spirit entred the chamber and opening the sheets began to tempt her with such importunitie and petulancie that she was forced to fly out of the bed and humbling her selfe vpon her knees deuoutly to betake her selfe to her prayers Notwithstanding which she was so vexed and beaten all the whole night after that meeting with her friend next morning she shewed her the marks of her stripes and vowed from thenceforth neuer to attempt so dangerous an vndertaking affirming that with much difficultie she auoided his temptation and with great perill of life We reade also in the Liues of the Fathers of a woman who for the space of six whole yeares together had nightly intercourse with a like vncleane Spirit from whom she vpon great repentance was after deliuered by the prayers of Saint Bernard Caesarius Colonensis writeth of a Priests daughter who was so incessantly importuned by one of these Incubi that her father was forced to send her beyond the Rhine thinking by that meanes to free her from his libidinous assaults But the Diuel missing her in her accustomed place fell violently vpon the Father and so beat and buffetted him that he died within thirty three dayes after Merlin the great Magition of Brittain is reported to be the sonne of an Incubus begot vpon a Kings daughter who had taken vpon her a sequestred life In which solitude he appeared vnto her like a faire yong man and neuer left her societie till he had made her a teeming woman Of these Incubi and Succubae are said to be borne those whom the Mahumetans call Neffe Soglij an impious and accursed generation to whom the Turkes attribute such honour that they hold it a blessednesse but to touch their garments They say their heires are of such vertue that they expell all infirmities and diseases therefore that barbarous people hold them as demy-gods and though their prestigious acts be the meere illusions of the Diuell yet do these miscreants hold them in great adoration and reuerence Iacobus Rufus writeth of a woman who had congresse with one of these Spirits and when her time of childing came after infinite pangs and throwes she was deliuered of nothing saue keyes chips pieces of iron and fragments of old leather Another thing much more admirable hapned saith he in the Diocesse of Cullein Diuers Princes and Noblemen being assembled in a beautifull and faire Pallace which was scituate vpon the Riuer Rhine they beheld a boat or small barge make toward the shore drawne by a Swan in a siluer chain the one end fastened about her necke the other to the Vessell and in it an vnknowne souldier a man of a comely personage and gracefull presence who stept vpon the shore which done the boat guided by the Swan left him and floted downe the Riuer This man fell afterward in league with a faire gentlewoman maried her and by her had many children After some yeares the same Swanne came with the same barge vnto the same place the souldier entring into it was caried thence the way he came after disappeared left wife children and family and was neuer seen amongst them after Now who can iudge this to be other than one of those Spirits that are named Incubi In Brasilia a barbarous woman by accompanying with one of these Daemons brought forth a Monster which in a few houres grew to be sixteen handfuls high whose backe was couered with the skin of a Lisard with big and swolne breasts his hands like the pawes of a Lyon with eyes staring and seeming to sparkle fire all his other members being deformed and horrible to behold Alexander remembreth vs of a woman called Alcippe who in the time of the Marsicke war by companying with an Incubus brought forth an Elephant Aumosius writeth That in Heluetia in the yeare 1278 a woman brought forth a Lion In Ficinum Anno 1370 a woman was deliuered of Cats And at Brixium another of a Dog Licosthenes writeth of one at Augusta who was first deliuered of a mans head wrapt vp in skinnes and parchment then of a Serpent with two feet last of an Hog and
therefore the hundredth day following Caesar should die and be made a god which could not happen to any man whilest he was yet liuing Cardanus speaking of fiery Spectars amongst many others relateth this story A friend of mine saith hee of approued faith and honesty trauelling one night late from Mediola to Gallerata when the Sky was full of clouds and the weather inclining to raine being within some foure miles of his journies end he saw a light and heard rhe voice as he thought of certain Cow-herds vpon his left hand and presently a hedge onely being interposed he saw a fiery Chariot couered with flames and out of it he might heare a voice crying aloud Cave cave Beware beware Being much terrified with this strange prodegie he put spurres to his horse and whether he galloped or rid softly the Chariot was stil before him He then betooke him to his orisons and supplications vnto God at length after the space of a full houre hee came to a Temple dedicate to the memorie of Saint Lawrence standing iust without the gate and there the Chariot of fire herdsmen and all sunke into the earth and was seene no more Cardanus hauing disputed something of the nature of this fire addeth That the Gallaterans suffered the same yeare not only a great plague but diuers other afflictions and disasters To these Spirits of the fire is ascribed that diuination by Pyromancie which some call Puroscopan In which superstition old pitch was cast into the fire with the invocation of certain of these Spirits Sometimes a Tead or Torch dawbed ouer with pitch was lighted and marked with certaine characters If the flame of the Tead gathered it selfe into one it was prosperous if diuided disastrous if it arose tripartite it presaged some glorious euent if it were diuersly dispersed it diuined to a sicke man death to a sound man sicknesse if it made a sparkling noise it was infortunat if it was suddenly extinct it threatned great misfortune So likewise in their sacrificing fires if the flame went streight vpward like a Pyramis it was a signe of a good omen if it diuided and dispersed of a bad There were diuers coniectures also from the colour the brightnesse the dulnesse the ascent the sparkling c. and this kinde of Magicke was frequent amongst the Liâ—uanians c. From the fiery I proceed to the Spirits of the Aire We reade in the sacred Scriptures That Sathan caused fire to fall from heauen to deuour and consume Iobs seruants and his cattell As likewise hee raised a vehement Whirle-winde and tempest which oppressed his sonnes and daughters with the house where they were then feasting with a sudden ruin Remigius telleth a story which is likewise affirmed by Delrius That a countrey-man of the prouince of Triuere setting some Plants in his garden with a yong maid his daughter the father commended her for going so neatly and quickly about her businesse The Girle telleth him that she can do stranger things than these and more stupendious The father demands What Withdraw your selfe but a little saith she and name but in what place of the garden a showre of raine shall fall and water the earth and in what not The countrey-man curious of noueltie withdrew himselfe and bad her vse her skill Shee presently made an hole in the ground into which she poured her owne water and stirring it about with a sticke murmuring certaine magicke words to her selfe presently a showre fel watering only that part of the gronnd which he had named vnto her and in the other fell not one drop of raine Gasper Spitellus writeth That some Indians haue much familiaritie with these Spirits For when they want rain one of their Magicke Priests with a shrill voice makes an acclamation That all the people shall assemble to such a mountain hauing first obserued a Fast which is to abstaine from the eating of salt pepper or any thing that is boiled That done he lowdly calls vpon the Stars and with deuout Orisons entreats of them that they would afford them seasonable showres Then they turne their eyes towards the lower grounds vpon their fields and houses taking in their hands a bowle full of charmed liquour which they receiue from the hands of a young man of their most noble families which they haue no sooner drunke but they lie intranced without sence or motion After being come to themselues they commix honey water and Maiz together and with them sprinkle the aire The next day they chuse out one of the most eminent men of their Nation both for nobilitie and age and lay him in a bed with a soft fire vnder it and when he beginnes to sweat they wipe off the moisture and put in a bason which they mingle with the bloud of a Goose and sprinkling it again into the aire as if they meant it should touch the clouds they then solicit the Starres againe That by the vertue of the old mans sweat the bloud of the goose and the water before mixed they may haue seasonable and temperat showres Which if they haue according to their desires they giue great thanks to the Starres and Planets and the Priest from the people is rewarded with rich gifts and presents Hieronimus Mengius writeth That a certaine Magition in a field adjacent to the tower or citadell of Bonnonia shewed two famous Generals Iohannes Bentivolus and Robertus Sanseverinus a spectacle in the aire in which was heard such a noise of drummes clangor of trumpets clamor of men neighing of horses and clashing of arms that the Spectators were afraid lest the heauen and the earth would haue met at the instant but in all the inuironing grounds saue onely in that place the aire was vntroubled Diodorus Siculus reporteth also That in the Syrtes of Lybia the Spirits of the aire are oftentimes visible in the shape of diuers birds and beasts some mouing some without motion some running some flying others in other strange postures But which is most miraculous sometimes they will come behinde men as they are trauelling leape vp and sit vpon their shoulders who may feele them to be much colder than eitheâ— snow or ice Olaus Magnus in his Historie remembreth That these airy Spirits haue such a predominance in the Circium sea they continually do so exasperat shake and trouble it that scarfe any ship can saile that way without wracke and foundring In the Isle called Island vnder the dominion of the King of Denmarke there is a port called Vestrabor not far from which men are vsually taken and wrapt vp in whirl-winds by the power of these Spirits are hurried many furlongs off Likewise in the Westerne parts of Norway these spirits with their noxious and blasting touch cause that neither grasse nor trees burgeon or beare fruit Likewise vpon the Bothnian continent the roofes are vsually blowne off from
elsewhere further striues t' extend Thus speaking The first Mouer's One and He Euer Eternall we conclude to be Of Diuine Plato 't is recorded thus Who writing to King Dionysius Onely saith he by this note shall you know Whether my purpose serious be or no You shall obserue how I my Letter frame If one sole God I inuocate and name What 's weighty I intend but if the rest I nominate thinke then I sport and jest Orpheus of Poets the most antient And in that noble Title eminent He that is said to giue each god his name And to deriue the off-spring whence he came Yet in his best and deepest Theory Left to the world as his last Legacie That there was one sole God Omnipotent Immortall and for euer Permanent Invisible common Parent vnto all Mankinde and other Creatures great and small Author of War or Peace whose Prouidence Gouerns the World and whose high Eminence Hath in th' Emperiall Heauens a golden Throne Whose Foot-stoole is the Earth to tread vpon Who stretcheth his right hand beyond the vast Vnlimited Oceans bounds The First and Last Before whom each high Mountaine and low Vale Mov'd at his presence tremble and looke pale The Worlds sixt Columes at his anger shake And the Seas bottomlesse Abysses quake And elsewhere thus We may from Reason gather Ioue is sole King the vniuersall Father And Parent of all things alwaies the same One Power one God o're all that we can name And ouer them great Lord hauing besides One Regall Bulke or Body which abides To all Eternitie In which what 's being Hath revolution no way disagreeing Yet maintaines Contraries In Him you may Finde Fire and Water Earth Aire Night and Day As much as this Phocilides confest There is one potent God sole Wise sole Blest Th' AEgyptians in their curious inquisition A Nation the most giuen to superstition And to Idolatrous worship and yet they In all their Hierogliphycks did pourtray But one sole Iupiter whose picture was Plac't o're their ports and gates in stone or brasse So likewise in their Temples in his hand A trisulâ— thunderbolt or fulminous brand And as the Writer of their story tels Him they as God acknowledge and none els Saith one The God of Nature I will sing Infus'd in Heauen Sea Earth and euery thing Who this great Masse by'impartial cov'nant swayes Whom in alternate peace the World obeyes By which it liues and moues since but one Spirit Dwells in each part and doth the whole inherit O'reflying all things with inuisible speed And giuing shape to all that therein breed Vnlesse this Frame of Members neere ally'de And well context were made and had one Guide And Lord thereof the Vast to mannage still But were to be dispos'd by humane skill The Stars could haue no motion th' Earth no ease Time would stand still and a cold stiffenesse seise On agitation Planets would retaine No influence but slothfully remaine In their tyr'd Spheres Night would not fly the Day Nor Light giue place to Darknesse at a stay All things should stand the soft shoures should not dare To cheare the Earth nor the coole Windes the Aire Racke should not chase the clouds flouds should not feed The Sea nor the Sea Riuers at their need Nor should the soueraigne Part o're all parts stand Order'd and sway'd by ' an equall Parents hand For now neither the Waters nor the Stars Be vnto vs deficient nothing bar's The Heav'ns in their dispose whereby to ghesse They alter in their Gyring more or lesse Motion doth cherish but not change for all We see the world containes in generall Are mannag'd and dispos'd by faire accord And still obedient to their Prince and Lord. He therefore is the God that all things guides Who in his Diuine wisedome so prouides That Creatures here below meerely terrestriall Haue pour'd into them by the Signes Coelestiall A strength infus'd to honour or disgrace Not hindred by the distance of the place Stars haue a power in Nature ministring Fate To Nations priuat persons and each State Which operation we do hold as sure As the Heav'ns giue the Fieldes a temperature By which they in their seasons spring and grow Or are the cause that the Seas ebbe and flow Hee 's only God that is vnchang'd by Time Nor yong nor old but euer in his prime Who suffers not the Sun backward t' inuade The transuerse Arctos or runne retrograde And steere a new course neither from the West Returne the same way to his last nights rest Nor shewes the same Aurora to stronds new Nor lets the Moone an erring course pursue Beyond her certaine Orbe but to retaine A constant change in her encrease and waine Nor lets the Stars aboue impending fall To circumvolve the Earth the Sea and all Thinke now you heare this God long silence breakâ— And to a meerly Ethnicke man thus speake Thou slighting me hast to thy selfe deuis'd A thousand gods and equally vs pris'd Thinking to minch me into parts and fleece Me of my right But know no part or peece Can be from me extracted no forme ta'ne That am a simple Substance Then in vaine Thou think'st to parcell me by thy decision Of compound things 't is eath to make diuision But I was made by none nor therefore can I piece-meal'd or dissected be by Man All things from nothing were first made by me Then part of mine owne worke how can I be Therefore to me alone thy Temples reare And worship me in honour and in feare As those of Marble so the Minde I praise Where stedfast Faith a rich Foundation layes On golden piles and when the Buildings rise In snowy Pietie to daze mens eyes With vnsway'd Iustice rooft to keepe o utraine And where the walls within chast Blushes staine In stead of Vermil and the whitenesse cleare Proceeds from palenesse bred by holy Feare The Oracles that from the Sybels came Who in the former world were of great fame Though 'mongst the Learn'd it be a question still Whence they inspir'd were with Prophetique skill The good or the bad Sprite er'd not to say There is but one sole God Him we obey These be their words In this we all agree There 's one true God aboue all Maiestie Omnipotent Inuisible alone Vnborne All-seeing and yet seene of none Apollo askt by one Theophilus How many gods there were made answer thus His Vnitie not daring to deny There 's only one true God Potent and High Begotten by Himselfe Sufficient Able Vntaught and without Mother solely Stable To speake whose Name no Language can aspire Or reach into whose dwelling is in Fire And such is God of whom I and the Rest Am a small portion as being profest His Ministers and Angels By which Name The Diuell exprest himselfe to haue an aime To Diuine worship which ' He that did create All things so
Potencie Protection Power to guide With all such things as are to these ally'de His Nosthrils by which he is said to smell Doth vnto vs his Acceptation tell Of Sacrifice and Prayer His Incenst Ire Againe it notes when thence fly sparks of fire His Eyes emblem to vs that choice Respect And Fauor which he beares to his Elect. Sometimes they'import his Prouidence Diuine Sometimes they wrathfully are said to shine Against the Wicked By his Feet are meant Stabilitie and Power Omnipotent By th' Apple of his Eye he would haue knowne Th'Indulgence that he beares vnto his Owne The Diuine Wisedome knowing how dull and weake Mans heart and braine is taught the Text to speake To our capacities The Prophets they Did not of this great Deity display The absolute perfection but so leaue it That by a glimpse we far off might conceiue it His Eyes being nam'd it must impresse in me That God doth euery thing at all times see Or if his Eare then must I presuppose That hearing all that 's spoke he all things knowes That hauing wings to mount himselfe on high In vaine can Man his incenst vengeance fly O whither from thy Sprite shall I depart Thou that in euery place at all times art Fly thee none can but vnto thee repaire All may in their humilitie and prayer Appealing to thy Goodnsse For What place Can shadow me when I shall fly thy face If soare to Heauen thy Presence doth appeare Or if to Hell diue Thou art likewise there There is no way an angry God to shun But to a God well pleas'd for refuge run Now to proceed The Scripture Phrase doth reach No farther than our stupid sence to teach That by corporeall things we may prepare Our hearts to know what things spirituall are And by Inuisible make demonstration Of what 's vnseene beyond mans weake narration And for this cause our passions and affects Are in the Scriptures for some knowne respects Confer'd on the Almighty when 't is said God did repent him that he man had made Or when hee 's wrathfull herein is not meant That He is angry or He can repent But 't is a Figure from th' effect arose And that the Greeks call Metanumikos The Names the Scriptures attribute to Him Sometimes Iehouah sometimes Elohim And when the glorious Trinitie's proclaim'd The Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost are nam'd More appellations the Text affords As The Great God of Heauen The Lord of Lords The Lord of Armies and of Hosts the God That in the Highest Heauen hath his aboad The God of Abraham Isaac Iacob and He that brought Israel from th' Egyptians land God of the Spirits of all Flesh and he Lord God of Israel is knowne to be Him by the name of th' Hebrewes God we praise God of our Fathers Th' Antient of all dayes And Dauids God Yet further denomination The God of gods of Iustice Ioy Saluation These titles it ascribes to Him alone Israels Redeemer Israels Holy one Protector Father Shepheard then we sing To Israels God to Iacobs the great King So to the Euerlasting King and than King of all Worlds before the World began Whose Power whose Goodnesse shewn to euery Nation c. Extracts from me this serious Contemplation Soueraigne and holy God Fountaine and Spring Of all true Vertue the Omnipotent King Of whom by subtill search in things to'acquire Is not in Mans conception a thing higher Than his weake faculties can comprehend Yet not to know this God he should offend For how can it with reason consonant be One Godhood should remaine in persons three And they in such a firme connexure linkt To be although in separat yet distinct Thou art without beginning and againe Thou shalt to all Eternitie remaine Knowing no end The Onely and the Same Whom Time cannot impaire nor Age reclaime The space of things Thou do'st in space exceed And art contain'd in none How shouldst thou need That which thy Selfe hast made Or how should Sence Allot thee place who only art Immense Nor is it in Mans frailtie to deuise How Thee in the least kinde to ' annatomise Or tell what thou art like thy Image being A thing excluded from all mortall seeing Vnlesse thou of thy most especiall Grace Wilt shew some shadow of thy glorious Face No part of thee thou hast presented here Saue what doth in thy maruellous Works appeare No Strength can moue Thee of the Land or Ocean By whom we are and in whom haue our motion Thou art the Mind and Substance of all pure And holy minds Thou art the Reason sure And stedfast whence all other Reasons flow That are from perfect Wisedome said to grow Thou art that Vertue of all Vertues head Thou art the Life it selfe and thou art read Father of Life as being knowne to giue Breath with their Being to all things that liue The Light it selfe and yeelding Light to all The Cause and Strength of things in generall Beginning it 's beginning had from thee And whatsoeuer first began to be Vpon the sudden out of Nothing shin'd Which fil'd with thy great Power were so refin'd That either strength of knowledge they retaine Or excellent shape such as doth still remaine The sacred Scriptures are sufficient warrant By many Texts to make the Trine apparant As from the first Creation we may proue God did Create God Said the Spirit did Moue Create imports the Father Said the Sonne The Spirit that Mov'd the Holy-Ghost This done Come to the Gospell to Saint Paul repaire Of him Through him and For him all things are To whom be euerlasting praise Amen In which it is observ'd by Origen Throughâ— and For three Persons to imply And the word Him the Godheads Vnitie Let Vs in Our owne Image Man create Saith God which Salomon doth thus explicate Remember the Creators in the dayes c. Which word those well verst in the Hebrew Phrase Reade in the plurall So when God did frowne On Babels Tower he said Let Vs go downe When Sodom was consum'd 't is said againe The Lord that fire did from the Lord downe raine So when Christs Glory Isay would declare To'expresse Three Persons in on Godhead are He Holy Holy Holy nam'd To show We might a Ternion in an Vnion know Come to Christs Baptisme you againe shall see In the same Trine the perfect Vnitie The Father the first Person is compris'd By sending downe a Voice The Son 's baptis'd By Iohn in Iorden and then from aboue The Third descends in figure of a Doue So likewise when Duke Moses went about To comment on the Law lest they should doubt Of this great Mysterie Hearke to my word O Israel
place to relate for they would require too large a circumstance Concerning the name of God it is generally obserued That none can properly be conferred vpon him because he is onely and alone And yet to distinguish the Creator from the Creature needfull it is that it should be done by some attribute or other which ineffable name in the Hebrew language consisteth of one word containing foure letters i. Iehovah which descendeth of the verbe Haiah fuit which is as much as to say He Was Is and Shall be Which declareth his true property for as he hath bin alwaies so hee shall be eternally for Eternitie is not Time nor any part of Time And almost all Nations and Languages write and pronounce the word by which the name of God is specified with foure letters onely foure being a number euen and perfect because hee hath no imperfection in him For besides the Hebrewes the Persians write the name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Wisards and Soothsayers of that countrey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Arabians Alla the Assyrians Adad the AEgyptians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Latines Deus the French Dieu the Spaniards Dios the Italians Idio the Dutch and Germanes Gott the English and Scots Godd with a double d as hath been obserued in all Antiquities He is likewise called Alpha and Omega which are the first and last letters of the Greeke Alphabet His Epithites or Appellations in Scripture are Almighty Strong Great Incomprehensible Vncircumscribed Vnchangeable Truth Holy of Holies King of Kings Lord of Lords Most Powerfull Most Wonderfull with diuers other Attributes Some define him to be a Spirit Holy and True of whom and from whom proceeds the action and agitation of all things that are to whom and to the glory of whom the end conclusion of all things is referred Iustine Martyr in his Dialogue with Tryphon the Iew defineth God in these words I call him God that hath essence in Himself and is continually permanent in one and the same kinde without receiuing any change and hath giuen beginning to all the things that are created Cicero calleth God a certain Intelligence or Spirit free and ready separate from all mortall mixture or concretion knowing and mouing all things and hauing in himselfe an eternall motion So much many Ethnyck Authors haue acknowledged as in their Workes is to be frequently read Dionysius in his booke de Divin Nominib is of opinion that all things which denote perfection and excellence are in God most eminent and on Him deseruedly to be conferred On the contrarie all such things as are subiect vnto imperfection or defect because they do not fall within His nature are to be remoued and banished from his description Therfore in these words Ens Infinitum i. Infinite Being he includes the prime chief and soueraign Truth Soueraigne Goodnesse Soueraigne Mercy Soueraigne Iustice Wisedome Power Benignitie Beneficence Clemency Intelligence Immortalitie Immobilitie Invariabilitie Amabilitie Desiderabilitie Intelligibilitie Stabilitie Soliditie Act Actiue Mouer Cause Essence Substance Nature Spirit Simplicitie Reward Delectation Pulchritude Iucunditie Refreshing Rest Securitie Beatitude or whatsoeuer good laudable or perfect thing can fall within the conception or capacitie of Man But when all haue said what they can let vs conclude with Saint Augustine Solus Deus est altissimus quo altius nihil est Onely God is most high than whom there is nothing higher And in another place Quid est Deus est id quod nulla attingit opinio id est What is God Hee is that thing which no Opinion can reach vnto There is no safetie to search further into the Infinitenesse of the Diuine Nature than becommeth the abilitie of finite Man lest we precipitate our selues into the imputation of insolence arrogance For God saith in Iob Comprehendaem sapientes in Astutia eorum Which is as much as had he said I will make it manifest that the wisedome of all those who seeme to touch Heauen with their fingers and with the line of their weake vnderstanding to take measure of my Nature is their meere ignorance let them beware lest their obstinacie without their repentance and my mercie hurry them into irreuocable destruction Augustus Caesar compared such as for light causes would expose themselues to threatning dangers to them that would angle for small Fish with a golden hooke who should receiue more dammage by the losse of the bait than there was hope of gain by the prey There is reported a fable of an Huntsman who with his Bow and Arrowes did vse to insidiate the Wilde-beasts of the Wildernesse and shoot them from the couerts and thickets insomuch that they were often wounded and knew not from whence The Tygre more bold than the rest bad them to secure themselues by flight for he onely would discouer the danger Whom the hunter espying from the place where he lay concealed with an arrow wounded him in the leg which made him to halt and lagge his flight But first looking about him and not knowing from whom or whence he receiued his hurt it was the more grieuous to him Him the Fox meeting saluted and said O thou the most valiant of the beasts of the Forrest who gaue thee this deepe and terrible wound To whom the Tygre sighing replied That I know not onely of this I am sensible to my dammage That it came from a strong and a daring hand All ouer-curious and too deepe Inquisitors into Diuine matters may make vse of this vnto themselues Sentences of the Fathers concerning the Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie AVgustine lib. de Trinitate we reade thus All those Authors which came within the compasse of my reading concerning the Trinitie who haue writ of that subiect What God is according to that which they haue collected out of the sacred Scriptures teach after this manner That the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost of one and the same substance in an inseparable equalitie insinuate one and the same Vnitie and therefore there are not three gods but one God though the Father begot the Sonne therefore he is not the Sonne being the Father The Sonne is begot of the Father and therefore he is not the Father because the Sonne The Holy-Ghost is neither the Father nor the Sonne but onely the Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Sonne and to the Father and the Sonne coequall as concerning the Vnitie of the Trinitie Neither doth this infer that the same Trinitie was borne of the blessed Virgin Mary crucified vnder Pontius Pilat buried and rose againe the third day and after that ascended into heauen but it was onely the Sonne who died and suffered those things the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost as they are inseparable so they haue their vnanimous and vnite operations And againe Lib. 1. de Trinitate Neither more dangerously can a man erre neither more laboriously can
be assembled he told them the whole circumstance before related Who vpon no other euidence summoned the party to make his appearance who after strict examination confessed the fact and made restitution of the Vessell For which discouery the Temple was euer after called Templum Herculis Indicis Alexander the Philosopher a man knowne to be free from all superstition reporteth of himselfe That sleeping one night hee saw his mothers funeralls solemnised being then a dayes journey distant thence and waking in great sorrow and many teares hee told this apparition to diuers of his Familiars and Friends The time being punctually obserued certaine word was brought him the next day after That at the same houre of his Dreame his mother expired Iovius reporteth That Sfortia Anno 1525 in a mornings slumber dreamed That falling into a Riuer he was in great danger of drowning and calling for succour to a man of extraordinary stature and presence such as Saint Christopher is pourtrayed who was on the farther shore he was by him sleighted and neglected This Dreame he told to his wife and seruants but no farther regarded it The same day spying a child fall into the water neere vnto the Castle Pescara thinking to saue the childe leaped into the Riuer but ouer-burthened with the weight of his Armor he was choked in the mud and so perished The like Fulgentius lib. 1. cap. 5. reporteth of Marcus Antonius Torellus Earle of Cynastall who admonished of the like danger in his sleep but contemning it the next day swimming in which exercise he much delighted though many were neere him yet he sunke in the midst of them and was drowned not any one being at that time able to helpe him Alcibiades Probus Iustine and Plutarch relate of him That a little before his death which happened by the immanitie of Tismenius and Bagâ—as sent from Critia dreamed That he was cloathed in his mistresses Petticoat or Kirtle Whose body after his murther being throwne out of the city naked and denied both buriall and couerture his Mistresse in the silence of the night stole out of the gates and couered him with her garment as well as she was able to shadow his dead Corps from the derision and scorne of his barbarous enemie No lesse strange was the Dreame of Croesus remembred by Herodotus and Valerius Max. Lib. 1. Cap. 7. Who of Atis the eldest and most excellent of his two sonnes dreamed That he saw him wounded and trans-pierced with steele And therefore with a fatherly indulgence sought to preuent all things that might haue the least reflection vpon so bad a disaster And thereupon where the youthfull Prince was before employed in the wars hee is now altogether detained at home in peace He had of his owne a rich and faire Arcenall or Armorie furnished with all manner of weapons in which hee much delighted which is shut vp and hee quite debarred both the pleasure and vse thereof His Seruants and Attendants are admitted into his presence but they are first vnarmed Yet could not all this care preuent Destiny for when a Bore of extraordinarie stature and fiercenesse had made great spoile and slaughter in the adiacent Region insomuch that the king was petitioned to take some order how he might be destroied the noble Prince by much importunitie and intercession obtained leaue of his father to haue the honour of this aduenture but with a strict imposition that he should expose his person vnto no seeming danger But whilst all the Gallantry that day assembled were intentiue on the pursuit of the Beast one Adrastus aiming his Bore-speare at him by an vnfortunate glance it turned vpon the Prince and slew him Valerius Maximus telleth vs of one Aterius Ruffus a Knight of Rome who when a great Sword-play was to be performed by the Gladiators of Syracusa dreamed the night before That one of those kinde of Fencers called Rhetiarij which vsed to bring Nets into the Theatre and by cunning cast them so to intangle their aduersaries to disable them either for offence or defence gaue him a mortal wound Which dream he told to such of his friends as fate next him It happened presently after That one of those Rhetiarij was brought by a certaine Gladiator being then Challenger into a Gallery next vnto the place where Aterius and his friends were seated as spectator Whose face hee no sooner beheld but hee started and told his Friends that hee was the man from whose hands he dream'd he had receiued his deadly wound When suddenly rising with his Friends to depart thence as not willing to tempt that Omen in thrusting hastily to get out of the throng there grew a sudden quarrell in which tumult Aterius was transpierced by the same mans sword and was taken vp dead in the place being by no euasion able to preuent his fate Cambyses King of Persia saw in a Vision his brother Smerdis sitting vpon an Imperiall Throne and his head touching the clouds And taking this as a forewarning that his brother had an aspiring purpose to supplant him and vsurpe the Crowne he wrought so far with Praxaspes a Nobleman and then the most potent in the Kingdome that by his practise he was murthered Yet did not all this avert the fate before threatned for another Smerdis a Magition and base fellow pretending to be the former Smerdis and the sonne of Cyrus after enioyed the Kingdome and Cambyses mounting his Steed was wounded with a knife in his hip or thigh of which hurt he miserably died Many Histories to the like purpose I could cite from Aristotle Plato Hippocrates Galen Pliny Socrates Diogines Laertius Themistocles Alexander Aphrodiensis Livy AElianus and others As of Ptolomeus besieging Alexandria Of Galen himselfe Lib. de venae Sectione Of two Arcadians trauelling to Megara Of Aspatia the daughter of Hermilinus Phocensis who after was the Wife of two mighty Kings Cyrus of Persia and Artaxes whose history Elianus de Varia Historia lib. 12. writeth at large As also that of Titus Atimius remembred by Cicero Lib. de Divinat 1. By Valer. Maxim Lib. 1. Cap. 7. By Livy lib. 2. By Macrâ—b Saturn 1. with infinite others To the further confirmation that there are Spirits I hold it not amisse to introduce some few Histories concerning Predictions The Emperor Nero asking counsel of the Diuell How long his empire and dominion should last Answer was returned him from that crafty and equivocating Pannurgist To beware of 64. Nero being then in youth and strength was wondrous ioyful in his heart to heare so desired a solution of his doubt and demand presuming that his principalitie should vndoubtedly continue to that prefixed yeare if not longer But soone after â—alba who was threescore and foure yeares of age being chosen to the Imperiall Purple deposed and depriued him both of his Crowne and life The like we reade of Philip King of Macedon and Father to
of issue the Saturnine to dissuade from all things that be euill Such was that Socraticum Daemonium or Genius of Socrates which still continued and encouraged him in the studie an practise of Vertue whose condition was to dissuade him from many things but to persuade him to nothing Of this Daemonium strange things are reported in Historie as that it was euer at his elbow to diuert him from doing euill and to aduise him to shun and auoid danger to remember him of things past to explaine vnto him things present and reueale vnto him things future Socrates himselfe confessed that hee saw it sometimes but seldome yet heard it often He dissuaded Charmiades the sonne of Glaucus from going to the Groues of Nemaea and to excuse himselfe from that journey who despising his counsell perished in the aduenture Vpon a time sitting at the table of Timarchus where a great banquet was serued in Timarchus offered twice to rise from the boord but was held by Socrates Yet watching his opportunitie while the other was in serious discourse hee stole away priuately and met with Nyceus whom he slew For which fact being condemned and led to death he confessed vnto his brother Clitimachus That if he had been swayed by the double aduertisement of Socrates hee had not vndergone so sad a disaster The same Socrates in a great defeate which the Athenians had flying from the victorious Enemie with Lachetes the Praetor and comming to a place where three wayes met he chose one path to himselfe contrarie to the aduice and counsell of all the rest And being demanded the reason wherefore he did so he made answer That his Genius so persuaded him Which they deriding tooke a contrarie course and left him abandoned to himselfe Now when the Horsemen of the Enemie made hot pursuit after them they tooke that path which Lachetes and all his people had taken who were all put to the sword and onely those few which followed Socrates escaped He presaged the great strage and messacre which after hapned in Sicilia As also of the deaths of Neon and Thrasillus in their Expedition against those of Ionia and Ephesus Saint Augustine in his booke De Cognitione verae vitae is persuaded That Spirits by Gods permission can raise stormes and tempests and command raine haile snow thunder and lightning at their pleasures As also That by the instigation of Spirits wild Beasts become either rebellious or seruiceable to mans vse In another place hee ascribeth the operation of all things seasonable or vnseasonable vnto them but not as Authors and Makers but Ministers and Seruants to the Diuine Will and command According with that in Ecclesiasticus Cap. 39. vers 28. There be Spirits that are created for vengeance which in their rigour lay on sure strokes in the time of destruction they shew forth their power and accomplish the wrath of him that made them Fire Haile Famine and Death all these are created for vengeance the teeth of the wilde Beasts and the Scorpions and the Serpents and the Sword execute vengeance for the destruction of the Wicked They shall be glad to do his commandements and when need is they shall be ready vpon earth and when their houre is come they shall not ouerpasse the commandements c. To this strict rule of Gods commandement both the good and bad Spirits are limited and beyond that they haue power or abilitie to do nothing Otherwise those that are malignant euill would in their rabies and fury destroy all Gods creatures in a moment Moreouer as the same Author affirmeth the Diuell hath power to tempt and entice man to sinne and wickednesse but he cannot compell him These be his words Serm. de Temp. Potest Diabolus ad malum invitare non potest trahere Delectationem infert non potestatem c. Rabbi Avot Nathan a learned Iew affirmeth That Spirits haue three things common with men namely Procreation Food and Death Porphirius as Proclus witnesseth of him held all Spirits to be mortall and that he amongst them who was the longest liued did not exceed the number of a thousand yeares Plutarch in his booke De Oraculorum defectu reciteth a story That about the Islands called Echinades newes was brought to one Thamus being then a ship boord that god Pan was dead and this happened iust at the birth of our Sauiour Christ. But because I haue made vse of this Historie heretofore in a booke commonly entituled The History of Women to insert the same here likewise might be tasted as Cibus bis coctus But to answer that learned Rabbi and Porphyrius like him opinionated Not possible it is That Spirits created by God immortall and incorporeall should be any way obnoxious to extinction or death More credible it is that these were meere phantasies and illusions of the Diuell by such prestigious sorceries persuading vs that Spirits are mortall to make man distrust the immorralitie of the Soule and so possesse him with an heresie grosse impious and damnable Here likewise a most necessarie consideration may be inserted to giue answer to the Sadduces and others who obstinately affirme That Moses in his Booke of the Creation made no mention at all of Spirits or Angels When as Saint Augustine contrarie to them in beleefe saith That vnder the words of Heauen aud Light though not by their proper and peculiar names they were specified and intended And that Moses writing to a People whose obstinacie and stupidity was such that they were not capable of their incorporeall Essence he was the more chary to giue them plaine and manifest expression Moreouer it may be supposed That if the discreet Law-giuer had told them of their Diuine nature it might haue opened a wide gap to their idolatry to which he knew they were too prone of themselues For if they were so easily induced to worship a golden Calfe and a brasen Serpent both of them molten and made with hands how could so excellent and diuine a Nature haue escaped their adoration Yet doe the words of Moses allow of Spirits though couertly where it is said Genes 3.1 Now the Serpent was more subtill than any Beast of the field which the Lord God had made c. By whom was meant the Diuell as appears Wisd. 2.24 As Satan can change himselfe into an Angell of light so did he vse the wisedome of the Serpent to abuse Man c. I had occasion to speake in my discourse of Dreames of the one brother Sleepe something shall not be amisse to be discoursed of the other Death and to amplifie that in the Prose which in the Verse was onely mentioned Cicero calleth Death the yonger brother of Sleepe which being a thing that cannot be auoided it ought therefore the lesse to be feated One demanding of a noble Sea Captaine Why hauing meanes sufficient to liue on land hee would endanger his person to the perills and frequent casualties of the Ocean
The Muses ruin Exiguo reliquis quae dantur tempore restant Quae data sunt vatis munera semper habes What thou on others dost bestow Doth a small time perseuer What thou to Poets giv'st thou hast And shalt possesse for euer That forrein Authors haue not onely complained of the great scorne and contempt cast vpon the Euthusiasmes and Raptures as also that no due respect or honour hath been conferred vpon the Professors thereof whosoeuer shall call to minde the all praise-worthy and euer-to-be-remembred Spencer shall finde that hee much bewailed this inherent and too common a disease of neglect which pursueth the Witty and inseparably cleaueth to the most Worthy Witnesse his Teares of the Muses his Collen Clouts Come home againe and diuers other of his Workes but more particularly in the tenth Eclogue of his Shepheards Calender in the moneth entituled October you may reade him thus Pierce I haue piped erst so long with paine That all myne Oaten Reeds are rent and wore And my poore Muse hath spent her spared store Yet little good hath got and much lesse gaine Such pleasance makes the Grashopper so poore And ligge so laid when Winter doth her straine The dapper Ditties that I wont deuise To feed Youths fancie and the flocking Fry Delighten much What I the bett for thy They hau the pleasure I a slender Prise I beat the Bush the Birds to them do fly What good thereof to Cuddy can arise And after in the same Eclogue Cuddy thus proceeds Indeed the Romish Tyterus I heare Through his Mecaenas left his oaten Reed Whereon he erst had taught his Flockes to feed And labored lands to yeeld the timely eare And eft did sing of wars and deadly dreed So as the Heav'ns did quake his Verse to heare But ô Mecanas is yâ—ladd in clay And great Augustus long ygo is dead And all the Worthies lyggen wrapt in lead That matter made for Poets on to play For euer who in daring doo were dead The lofty Verse of hem was loued aye But after Vertue 'gan for age to stoupe And myghty Manhood brought a bed of ease The vaunting Poets found nought worth a pease To put in preace among the learned Troupe Then 'gan the streames of flowing Wit to cease And Soon-bright honour pent in shamefull Coupe And if that any buds of Poësie Yet of the old stocke 'gan to shoot againe Or it mens follies mote to force to faine And rowle with rest in Rymes of Ribaldry Or as it sprung it wither must againe Tom Piper makes vs better melody c. Heare Faustus Andrelinus an excellent Poet to another purpose Nomina doctiloqui non sunt spernenda Poetae Nomina non viles inter habenda viros Rebus in humanis nil est pretiosius illo Qui sua Gorgoneis or a rigavit aquis Cui tantum Natura favet cui spiritus ingens Cui furor aetherea missus ab arce venit c. ¶ Thus paraphrased The names of learned Poets should not be Contemn'd or scorn'd by men of base degree 'Mongst humane things there 's nothing held more deare Than he who doth his mouth rinse in the cleare Gorgonian Waters Nature him alone Fauors and seemes to grace as being one Of a great spirit on whom from their high Towre The gods Coelestiall Diuine raptures powre His fame by Vertue'acquir'd shall neuer dy Before whom bee'ng offended his Foes fly His substance is not great I must confesse Yet is his glory to be pris'd no lesse Than are those glistring shores as we be told Whose pebles are bright Pearles whose sand is Gold Little he hath for all his generous wayes Aiming at others profits his owne praise He holds Coine in contempt bee'ng of condition To vilifie the Vulgars swolne ambition Their grosser humors hauing well discern'd He holds them no way to beseeme the Learn'd The Wood the Den the Countries devious path The Riuer Groue and Well his presence hath A sought-for silence and remote from men Is best agreeing with his thought and pen Whilest confluence and noise delights the rude From the grosse manners of the Multitude Hee 's separate he knowes no idle houre To redeme Time is solely in his power He searcheth out th' originall of things And hidden Truths from darke obliuion brings Grosse-mettal'd Arts his Chymicke wit refines He Phoebus can direct how through the Signes To guide his Chariot Coursers And againe Teach dull Boötes with his loitering Waine What tract to keepe who indulgent of his ease His tyr'd lades neuer waters in the Seas The Gyants wars against the gods he sings And high facinerous acts of Dukes and Kings You Worthies then who by true honour striue To keepe your Vertues and your Names aliue And what an after-Life's would vnderstand Support the Poet with a liberall hand What 's elsewhere giv'n is throwne into the graue But what 's so spent you still in future haue I cannot here omit a Spanish Prouerbe with which I purpose to conclude this argument now in speech which is Canta la Rana Y no tiene pelo ni lanaâ— The Frog will still be singing though she Haue neither haire nor wooll vpon her backe The French come neere it in another frequent amongst them A fant de Chapon Paine oignon For want of a Capon Bread and Onions Qui cum pauperte convenit diues est Hee may truly be called a rich man that is content with pouertie vivitur exigno melius Pauper enim non est cui rerum suppetit vsus Peu de bien peu de soncy That is Small Ware little Care Deis proximus qui eget paucissimis With the gods hee 's held most blest Who hauing little needeth least Is satis est dives cuisatis est quod habet He hath enough that thinkes he hath sufficient To which Quintilian seemeth to comply where he saith Satis devitiarum nihil amplius velle But of the former Prouerbe Cant a la Rana c. I make this and most sure I am no vnproper application Vnto the Frogs we Poets may compare Who sing though hauing neither wooll nor haire And so much of Poets and Poetry Pertinent it is to this discourse to enquire Whether Spirits as with all quicke velocitie they can moue themselues so haue the abilitie and power to remoue others and transport the bodies of men beasts and the like Which is not to be questioned but that both the good and bad Angells can without difficultie performe Neither are their faculties bounded within any limit as to beare only this weight or carry such a burthen but they haue an vncurbed strength according to their owne will and purpose insomuch that one Spirit by Gods permission is able to shake remoue or demolish a Mountaine a City or a Prouince as shall hereafter be more plainely illustrated It is also obserued That the neerer any spirituall Substance is vnto the Creator in place it is so much the more swift strong and those that
necessaries wanting or if he intended that voyage he could not go in better company At which words the bold Centurion leapt into the empty saddle and was presently hurried away from the sight of his seruants in a moment and the next euening at the same houre and in the same place he was found by his seruants and friends who were there seeking and enquiring after him To whom he related his journey and what he had seene in the Holy City describing punctually euery Monument and place of remarke which agreed with the relations of such Trauellers and Pilgrims as had beene there and brought Certificate and assured testimonie from thence He shewed vnto them likewise an hand-kerchiefe which that Cooke his seruant or rather Diuell in his likenesse had giuen him stained with bloud but told him if at any time it were foule or durtie he should cast it into the fire for that was the onely way to make it cleane He shewed them likewise a knife and sheath which he bestowed vpon him which hee said was the guift of a gratefull remembrance but gaue him a great charge thereof for said he the mettal is poysoned and euery blow giuen therewith is present and immediate death Alexander Alexandri relateth a story of a poore Captiue shut vp in a darke dungeon but by a Spirit taken from thence and transported into diuers Infernal places where hauing spent three entyre dayes and nights being mist all that time by the Gaoler he was after brought backe into the same and lodged in his irons though the place was double barred locked and bolted Who made relation of many strange sights seen in Hell and with what seuerall insufferable torments the Soules of the Damned were inflicted persuading all them that came to visit him to haue more care how they lead liues dissolute and wicked least after death they should be made partakers of such infatigable Torments Boccatius writeth the historie of a Nobleman of Insubria who vndertaking a journey or rather Pilgrimage to Ierusalem to accomplish a Vow before made at the parting with his wife left her a Ring with a constant condition and couenanted vowes betwixt them That if he returned not to claim it before the expiration of three yeares she should haue free leaue and liberty to bestow her selfe in marriage to her owne liking but vntill the last prefixed day to keepe her first nuptiall Faith inviolate After his departure it so happened that in the way he was set vpon by Outlawes and Robbers rifled taken prisoner and after carried into AEgypt where in processe of time being brought before the Emperour and examined he told him and truly too that he was son to a Nobleman of such a Country who when he himselfe in person disguised trauelled to discouer some parts of Christendom at his owne house gaue him courteous and honorable entertainement Which the Sultan remembring gratefully acknowledged his fathers great generositie and bounty and not onely restored him to present libertie but soone after created him Visier Bassa and made him the second person in the kingdome In which honour and greatnesse he continued till the date of three yeres were almost fully expired when remembring the last contract made betwixt his wife and him he grew into a sudden and deep melancholy which the Sultan perceiuing earnestly importuned him to know the reason of his so strange distemperature Who to shorten circumstance disclosed vnto him all the former passage betwixt himselfe and his best affected wife Which passionately apprehended by the Sultan he presently caused a skilfull Magitian to be called and sollicited him with the vtmost of his skill to further the desires of his Friendâ— The Necromancer caused instantly a rich bed to be prouided and layd him thereon which the Emperor caused to be furnished with an inestimable treasure both of coine and jewels The Insubrian was no sooner at rest but by the helpe of Spirits he was immediatly transported vnto Fycina his owne city and there left in the Cathedrall Church neere to the high Altar This was in the night Now early in the morning when the Sexton entred to prepare the Church for Diuine seruice he cast his eye vpon the glorious bed which shined with stones and gems and withall espied him layd thereon and as yet not fully awake At which vnexpected sight being extremely terrified he ran out of the Church and to all that he met proclaimed the prodigie By this time the Nobleman began to awake and recollect himselfe and then rising vp and walking forth of the Temple for the Sexton had left the doore open hee met with those who made toward the place to partake the wonderment Some of which notwithstanding his long absence and strange habit knew him and saluted him with a friendly welcome From thence hee went home longing to know how the affaires stood with his wife and Family but the time of their former vowes being now expired he found her newly contracted and the next day to haue been married to another husband which his seasonable arriuall most fortunately preuented Now touching the transportation of Witches by the assistance of the Diuell though I might select and cull out many histories both from Bodinus and Wyerius yet because they haue passed thorow the hands of many I will rather make choice of some few gathered out of Authors lesse read and not altogether so vulgarly knowne Bartholomaeus Spinaeus Master of the holy Pallace recordeth this Historie There was saith he a yongâ—Maid who liued with her mother in Bergamus and was found in one and the same night in bed with a cousin german of hers in Venice who being found there in the morning naked without linen or so much as a rag to couer her yet being neerely allyed to them they gently demanded of her how she came thither where her cloathes were and the cause of her comming The poore Guirle being much ashamed and mixing her blushes with many teares made answere to this purpose This very night said she when I lay betwixt sleep and awake in bed I perceiued my mother to steale softly from my side thinking I had not seene her and stripping her selfe from all her linnen she tooke from her closet a box of ointment which opening she anointed her selfe therewith vnder the arm-pits and some other parts of her body which done she tooke a staf which stood ready in a corner which shee had no sooner bestrid but in the instant she rid or rather flew out of the window and I saw her no more At which being much amased and the candle still burning by me I thought in my selfe to try a childish conclusion and rising from my bed tooke downe the said box and anointing my selfe as I had before obserued her and making vse of a bed-staffe in the like manner I was suddenly brought hither in a moment where I was no sooner entred but I espied my mother in the chamber with a knife in her hand and
quae Caeptis conscia nostris Adnutrixque c. Thou three-shap'd Hecate with me take part Who guilty of my vndertakings art Teaching what spels we Witches ought to vse And what rare Herbs out of the earth to chuse Thou Aire you Winds Hils Lakes and Riuers cleare Gods of the Winds gods of the night appeare By whose strong aid I when I please can make The fearefull and astonisht bankes to quake To see the streames backe to their heads retyre If on the seas a tempest I desire The troubled waues in mighty mountaines rise Threatning to spit their brine-drops in the eyes Of the bright Stars and when th' are most in rage I with a word their fury can asswage Blacke threatning clouds if I but speake appeare And with a becke I make the Welkin cleare The Windes I from their brasen dens can call To blow downe hills or not to breathe at all The Vipers jawes I with my spels can breake The stedfast rockes remoue whâ—n I but speake The grounded Okes I by the roots vp rend Woods I can shift and mountaines that transcend My Charmes can shake The groaning Earth help craues From me whilest Ghosts I summon from their graues And thee ô Moone my Incantations can Draw this or that way make thee pale and wan Through feare or red with rage Aurora knowes I from her blushing cheeke can teare the Rose c. Here I might introduce many to the like purpose but I return where I left and thus proceed That this swift transportation of Bodies though it seeme strange is not altogether impossible Which will the better appeare if either wee aduisedly consider the velocitie of Spirits or the admirable celerity of the Spheres from whence it comes that Magitions haue such speedy intelligence almost in an instant of things done in the farthest and remotest places of the world To approue which if wee shall but examine Historie there be many examples extant When Antonius the great Captaine made an insurrection in Germany against the Emperor Domitian and was slain in the battel the death of that Revolter was confidently reported the same day in Rome with the manner of his Armies ouerthrow though the places were distant as some account it little lesse than fifteene hundred miles And Cedrenus writeth That when Adrianus Patricius was sent by the Emperour Basilius to war against the Carthaginians before he had ouercome halfe his way and whilest hee yet stayed in Peloponnesus with the greatest part of his Nauy by the help of such Spirits as it seemed he was certainly informed That Syracusa was taken and destroyed by fire the very selfe same day and houre that the disaster hapned Panlus Diaconus and Nicephorus haue left to memorie That one Calligraphus of Alexandria walking late in the night by certaine Statues erected without the city they called vnto him aloud and told him That the Emperour Martianus with his Queene and princely Issue were all at that very instant murthered in Constantinople Which when he came to his house he told to some of his Familiars and Friends who seemed to deride his report as a thing not possible but beyond Nature But nine dayes after came a Post with certaine newes of that barbarous and inhumane act which by true computation happened the very same houre that it was deliuered to Calligraphus Platina in Dono telleth vs That Partharus sonne to the King of the Longobards being expelled from his Countrey by the vsurpation of Grinnaldas shipt himselfe for England to be secured from the sword of the Tyrant and hauing beene a few dayes at sea hee was sensible of a loud voice which admonished him to change the course of his intended journey and instantly to return backe into his owne Countrey for the Tyrant hauing been troubled with the Plurisie and aduised by his Physitions to haue a Veine opened in the left arme the flux of bloud could not by any art be stopped but that he bled to death Vpon this warning the Prince Partharus returned and finding it to be true within three months after his arriuall he was inaugurated and freely instated in his proper inheritance Zonarus and Cedrenius affirme That the same day in which the arch-Traitor and Regicide Andraea slew the Emperour Constantine bathing himselfe in Syracusa his death by voices in the aire which could be no other than Spirits was not onely noised but proclaimed openly in Rome the same day Zephilinus in Domiti and Fulgâ—t lib. 1. cap. 6. haue left remembred vnto vs That Apollonius Tianaeus being in a publique Schoole in the city of Ephesus and disputing at that time with diuers Philosophers in the midst of his serious discourse was on the sudden mute and fixing his eyes stedfastly vpon the ground remained for a space in a still silence but at length erecting his head and casting vp his eyes hee suddenly broke forth into this loud acclamation Stephanus hath slaine an vniust man And after hauing better recollected himselfe he told vnto those which were there present That at that instant the Emperor Domitian fell by the hand of one Stephanus The circumstance being after examined it proued true according to his relation Olaus Magnus lib. 3. cap. 16. of his Gothicke History writeth That Govarus King of Norway being resident in his owne Court knew in the same houre of all the machinations and plots intended against him in Normandy though he was distant by land and sea many hundred miles Fulgotius relateth That in the wars betwixt the Locrenses and the Crotoniatae two spirits appeared like two yong men in white vesture who when the Locrenses had woon the battaile left the field and vanished and in the selfe same houre were seene both in Athens and Corinth in both which places they proclaimed the newes of that great victory though these places were distant many leagues one from another And so much for the Velocitie of Spirits The Emblem IT figureth an Hedge-hog who insidiates the silly field-Mice playing about her den and fearelesse of any present danger who the better to compasse her prey wrappeth her selfe into a round globe-like compasse appearing onely a ball of pricks contracting her head within her skinne where nothing is seene saue a small hole for such a little creature to shroud her selfe in and thus she lieth confusedly vpon the ground without any seeming motion The apprehension thereof is borrowed from Greg. lib. 13. Moralium from whence this Motto is deriued Abiecta movent The words of the reuerend Father be these Prius complexionem vnius cuiusque Adversarius perspicit tunc tentationis laqueos exponit alius namque laetis alius tristibus alius timidis alius elat is moribus existit c. i. Our Aduersarie the Diuell first looketh into the complexion and disposition of euery man and then he layes the snares of tentation for one is of a merry and pleasant constitution another sad and melancholy
did great things and in the comming of Antichrist the Pseudo-Christiani i. false-Christians before him with him and after him by the aid of the wicked Spirit did maruellous things And in another place commenting vpon the same Euangelist As when a man telleth thee a Tale which thou art not willing to heare the more he speaketh the lesse thou bearest away Or trauelling in haste when thy minde is otherwise occupied though in thy speed thou meetest many yet thou takest not notice of any that passe thee so the Iewes dealt with our Sauiour for though they saw many signes and maruellous things done by him yet notwithstanding they demanded a signe from him because they heard such things as they marked not and saw such things as they tooke no pleasure to behold Hugo De Operib 3. Dierum speaketh thus Res multis modis apparant mirabiles c. Many wayes things appeare maruellous somtimes for their greatnesse sometimes for their smalnesse some for their rarietie others for their beauty First according to their greatnesse as where any creature doth exceed the proportion of it's own Kinde so we admire a Gyant amongst Men a Leviathan or Whale amongst Fishes a Gryphon amongst Birds an Elephant amongst foure-footed Beasts a Dragon amongst Serpents c. The second for their smalnesse as when certaine creatures are scanted of that dimension proper vnto their Kinde as in Dwarfes small Beagles and the like or in Moths small Worms in the hand or finger c. which how little soeuer yet they participate life and motion with those of larger dimension and size neither are they any way disproportionate in their Kinds but the one as well declareth the power and wisedome of the Creator as the other Consider therefore whether thou shouldst more wonder at the tuskes of the Boare than the teeth of a Worme at the legs of a Gryphon or a Gnat at the head of an Horse or a Locust at the thighes of an Estrich or a Fly If in the one thou admirest the greatnesse and strength in the other thou hast cause to wonder at the smalnesse and dexterity as in the one thou maist behold eyes so great that they are able to daunt thee in the other thou mayst see eyes so small than thine are searce able to discern them and euen in these little creatures thou shalt find such adiuments and helps of nature that there is nothing needfull or defectiue in the smallest which thou shalt finde superfluous in the greatest c. We wonder why the Crocodile when he feeds moueth not his lower chaw how the Salamander liueth vnscorched in the fire how the Hedgehog is taught with his sharpe quills to wallow and tumble beneath the Fruit trees and returne home laden with Apples to his resting place who instructed the Ant to be carefull in Summer to prouide her selfe of food for Winter or the Spider to draw small threds from it's owne bowels to insidiate and lay nets for the Flies All these are infallid testimonies of the wisedome and power of the Almighty These are only wonders in nature but no Miracles Chrisostom supr Math. saith thus Quatuor sunt mirabiles imitatores c. There be foure miraculous Imitators made by Christ A Fisherman to be the first Shepheard of his Flocke a Persecutor the first Master and Teacher of the Gentiles a Publican the first Euangelist a Theefe that first entred into Paradise And further That of three things the World hath great cause to wonder of Christs resurrection after death of his ascention to heauen in the Flesh and that by his Apostles being no better than Fishermen the whole world should be conuerted But if any thing strange or prodigious hath beene heretofore done by Mahomet or his associates they haue been rather imposterous than miraculous Or admit they were worthy to be so called yet do they not any way iustifie his blasphemous Religion For you may thus reade Iustine Martyr De Respons ad Quest. 5. fol. 162. As the Sun rising vpon the Good and Euill the Iust and Vniust is no argument to confirme the euil and injust man in his wickednesse and injustice so ought it not to confirme heretiques in their errors if at any time miraculous things be done by them For if the effect of a miracle be an absolute signe and demonstration of pietie God would not then reply vpon the Reprobate and Cursed at the last day when they shall say vnto him Lord haue we not in thy Name prophesied and cast out diuels and done many Miracles I neuer knew you depart from me ô ye Cursed c. Christ was miraculous in his Incarnation his Natiuitie his Life Doctrine Death and Resurrection as will easily appeare but first it shall not be amisse to speake a word or two of his blessed Mother Petrus Chrisologus writeth thus Vnexpressible is the sacrament of the Natiuitie of our Lord the God of Life which wee ought rather to beleeue than to examine A Virgin conceiued and brought forth which Nature affourded not Vse knew not Reason was ignorant of Vnderstanding conceiued not This at which Heauen wondred Earth admired the Creature was stupified what humane Language is able to deliuer Therefore the Euangelist as he opened the conception and birth in an human phrase so he shut it vp in a Diuine secret And this he did to shew That it is not lawfull for a man to dispute that which he is commanded to beleeue And againe How can there be the least dammage vnto modestie where there is interessed a Deitie Where an Angell is the Messenger Faith the Bride-maid Chastitie the Contract Vertue the Despouser Conscience the Priest God the Cause integritie the Conception Virginitie the Birth a Maid the Mother Let no man therefore iudge that thing after the manner of Man which is done by a diuine Sacrament let no man examine a coelestiall mysterie by earthly reason or a secret nouelty by that which is frequent and common Let no man measure that which is Singular by Example nor deriue contumely from Pietie nor run into danger by his rashnesse when God hath prouided saluation by his Goodnesse Origen vpon Mathew moues this Question What was the necessitie that Mary the blessed Virgin should be espoused vnto Ioseph but either because that mysterie should be concealed from the Diuell and so the false Accuser should finde no cauil against her chastitie being asfied vnto an husband or else that after the Infant was borne he should be the mothers Conduct into AEgypt and backe againe For Mary was the vntouched the vnblemished the immaculate Mother of the onely begotten Son of God Almighty Father and Creator of all things of that Sonne who in Heauen was without a Mother in Earth without a Father in Heauen according to his Deitie in the bosome of his Father in Earth according to his humanitie in the lap of his Mother Gregorie the Great saith Though Christ Iesus be one thing of the
Emerald the Carbuncle with Gold The Timbrel and the Pipe were celebrated For thee in the first day thou wert created Thou art th' anointed Cherub made to couer Thee I haue set in honour aboue other Vpon Gods holy Mountaine placed higher Thou walked hast amidst the stones of fire At first of thy wayes perfect was the ground Vntill iniquitie in thee was found Thy heart was lifted vp by thy great beauty Therein tow'rds God forgetfull of thy duty By reason of thy Brightnesse being plac't ' Boue them thy Wisedome thou corrupted hast But to the ground I 'le cast thee flat and cold Lay thee where Kings thy ruin may behold In thy selfe-wisedome thou hast been beguild And by thy multitude of sinnes defil'd Thy Holinesse A Spirit still peruerse Stain'd by th' iniquitie of thy commerse Therefore from midst of thee a fire I 'le bring Which shall deuour thee into ashes fling Thee from thy height that all the earth may see thee This I haue spoke and who is he can free thee Their terror who did know thee heretofore Most Wretched thou shalt be yet be no more In this the Prophet as these would allude Striues in this first-borne Angell to include All Wisedome Pow'r Gifts Ornaments and Graces Which all the rest had in their seuerall Places God this precelling Creature hauing made With all the Host of Angels some haue said He then began the Vniuersall Frame The Heav'ns Sun Moon and Stars and gaue them name Then Earth and Sea his Diuine Will ordain'd With all the Creatures in them both contain'd His last great Workemanship in high respect Of Reason capable and Intellect But to the Angels natures much inferior Who with th' Almighty dwell in th' Heav'ns superior To all Eternity sounding his praise Man whom from Dust he did so lately raise Subsists of Soule and Body That which still Doth comprehend the Vnderstanding Will And Memorie namely the Soule Partaker Of those great Gifts is th' Image of the Maker The nature of the Body though it be Common with Beasts yet doth it disagree In shape and figure for with Eyes erected It beholds Heav'n whilest Brutes haue Looks deiected This compos'd Man is as a ligament And folding vp in a small continent Some part of all things which before were made For in this Microcosme are stor'd and layd Connexiuely as things made vp and bound Corporeall things with incorporeall Found There likewise are in his admired quality Things fraile and mortall mixt with Immortality Betweene those Creatures that haue Reason and Th' Irrationall who cannot vnderstand There is a Nature intermediate That 'twixt them doth of both participate For with the blessed Angels in a kinde Man doth partake of an intelligent Minde A Body with the Beasts with Appetite It to preserue feed cherish and delight And procreate it 's like in shapes and features Besides Man hath aboue all other Creatures That whereas they their Appetites pursue As solely sencible of what 's in view And gouern'd by instinct Mans eminence Hath pow'r to sway his Will from common Sence And besides Earthly things himselfe apply To contemplate things mysticall and hye And though his Excellence doth not extend To those miraculous Gifts which did commend Great Lucifer at first in his Majoritie Yet in one honour he hath iust prioritie Before all Angels to aduance his Seed Since God from all eternitie decreed That his owne Sonne the euerlasting Word Who to all Creatures Being doth afford By which they first were made should Heav'n forsake And in his Mercy humane Nature take Not that he by so doing should depresse The Diuine Majestie and make it lesse But Humane frailtie to exalt and raise From corrupt earth his glorious Name to praise Therefore he did insep'rably vnite His Goodhood to our Nature vs t' excite To magnifie his Goodnesse This Grace showne Vnto Mankinde was to the Angels knowne That such a thing should be they all expected Not knowing how or when 't would be effected Thus Paul th' Apostle testates 'Mongst the rest Without all opposition be 't confest Of Godlinesse the mysterie is high Namely That God himselfe apparantly Is manifest in Flesh is iustify'd In Spirit by the Angels clearely ' espy'd Preacht to the Gentiles by the World beleev'd Into eternall Glory last receiv'd With Pride and Enuy Lucifer now swelling Against Mankinde whom from his heav'nly Dwelling He seemes in supernaturall Gifts t' out-shine Man being but Terrene and himselfe Diuine Ambitiously his Hate encreasing still Dares to oppose the great Creators Will As holding it against his Iustice done That th' Almighties sole begotten Sonne Mans nature to assume purpos'd and meant And not the Angels much more excellent Therefore he to that height of madnesse came A stratagem within himselfe to frame To hinder this irrevocable Deed Which God from all eternitie decreed And that which most seem'd to inflame his spleene And arrogance was That he had foreseene That many Men by God should be created And in an higher eminence instated Of place and Glory than himselfe or those His Angels that this great Worke ' gant t' oppose Disdaining and repining that of Men One should be God Omnipotent and then That others his Inferiors in degree Should out-shine him in his sublimitie In this puft Insolence and timp'anous Pride He many Angels drew vnto his side Swell'd with the like thoughts Ioyntly these prepare To raise in Heav'n a most seditious Warre He will be the Trines Equall and maintaine Ouer the Hierarchies at least to raigne 'T is thus in Esay read I will ascend Into the Heav'ns and there my Pow'r extend Exalt my Throne aboue and my aboad Shall be made equall with the Stars of God Aboue the Clouds I will my selfe apply Because I will be like to the Most-Hye To this great Pride doth the Arch-Angell rise In boldest opposition and replies Whose name is Michael Why what is he That like the Lord our God aspires to be In vaine ô Lucifer thou striv'st t' assay That we thine innovations should obey Who know As God doth purpose be it must He cannot will but what is good and iust Therefore with vs That God and Man adore Or in this place thou shalt be found no more This strooke the Prince of Pride into an heate In which a Conflict terrible and great Began in Heav'n the Rebell Spirits giue way And the victorious Michael winnes the day Thus Iohn writes of the Battell Michael Fought and his Angels with the Dragon fel The Dragon and his Angels likewise fought But in the Conflict they preuailed nought Nor was their Place in Heav'n thence-forward found But the great Dragon that old Serpent bound They Diuell call'd and Sathan was cast out He that deceiueth the whole World about Ev'n to the lowest earth being tumbled downe And with him all his Angels headlong throwne This victorie thus got and he subverted Th' Arch-Angell with his holy Troupes directed
By Gods blest Spirit an Epiniceon sing Ascribing Glory to th' Almighty King Miraculous thy Workes are worthy praise Lord God Almighty iust and true thy waies Thou God of Saints O Lord who shall not feare And glorifie thy Name who thy Workes heare Thou onely holy art henceforth adore Thee All Nations shall worship and fall before Thee Because thy Iudgements are made manifest This Song of Vict'rie is againe exprest Thus Now is Saluation now is Strength Gods Kingdome and the Power of Christ. At length The Sland'rer of our Brethren is refus'd Who day and night them before God accus'd By the Lambes bloud they ouercame him and Before Gods Testimonie he could not stand Because the Victors who the Conquest got Vnto the death their liues respected not Therefore reioyce you Heav'ns and those that dwell In these blest Mansions But shall I now tell The Weapons Engines and Artillerie Vsed in this great Angelomachy No Lances Swords nor Bombards they had then Or other Weapons now in vse with men None of the least materiall substance made Spirits by such giue no offence or aid Onely spirituall Armes to them were lent And these were call'd Affection and Consent Now both of these in Lucifer the Diuell And his Complyes immoderate were and euill Those that in Michael the Arch-Ange'll raign'd And his good Spirits meekely were maintain'd Squar'd and directed by th' Almighties will The Rule by which they fight and conquer still Lucifer charg'd with insolence and spleene When nothing but Humilitie was seene And Reuerence towards God in Michaels brest By which the mighty Dragon he supprest Therefore this dreadfull battell fought we finde By the two motions of the Will and Minde Which as in men so haue in Angels sway Mans motion in his body liues but they Haue need of no such Organ This to be Both Averroes and Aristotle agree It followes next that we enquire how long This Lucifer had residence among The blessed Angels for as some explore His time of Glory was six dayes no more The time of the Creation in which they I meane the Spirits seeing God display His glorious Works with stupor and amaâ—e Began at once to contemplate and gase Vpon the Heav'ns Earth Sea Stars Moone and Sunne Beasts Birds and Man with the whole Fabricke done In this their wonder at th'inscrutabilitie Of such great things new fram'd with such facilitie To them iust in the end of the Creation He did reueale his blest Sonnes Incarnation But with a strict commandement That they Should with all Creatures God and Man obey Hence grew the great dissention that befell 'Twixt Lucifer and the Prince Michael The time 'twixt his Creation and his Fall Ezechiel thus makes authenticall In midst of fierie stones thou walked hast Straight in thy wayes ev'n from the time thou wast First made as in that place I before noted To the same purpose Esay too is quoted How fell'st thou Lucifer from Heaven hye That in the morning rose so cherefully As should he say How happens it that thou O Lucifer who didst appeare but now In that short time of thy blest state to rise Each morning brighter than the morning skies Illumin'd by the Sunne so soone to slide Downe from Gods fauour lastingly t' abide In Hells insatiate torments Though he lost The presence of his Maker in which most He gloried once his naturall Pow'rs he keepes Though to bad vse still in th' infernall Deepes For his Diuine Gifts he doth not commend Vnto the seruice of his God the end To which they first were giuen but the ruin Of all Mankinde Vs night and day pursuing To make vs both in his Rebellion share And Tortures which for such prepared are Of this malignant Spirits force and might Iob in his fourtieth Chapter giues vs light And full description liuely expressing both In person of the Monster Behemoth The Fall of Adam by fraile Eve entic't Was his owne death ours and the death of Christ. In whose back-sliding may be apprehended Offendors three three ' Offences three Offended The three Offendors that Mankinde still grieue Were Sathan Adam and our Grandam Eve The three Offences that Sin first aduance Were Malice Weakenesse and blinde Ignorance The three Offended to whom this was done The Holy Spirit the Father and the Sonne Eve sinn'd of Ignorance and so is said Against the God of Wisedome to haue made Her forfeit that 's the Son Adam he fell Through Weakenesse and 'gainst him that doth excell In pow'r the Father sinn'd With his offence And that of hers Diuine Grace may dispence Malicious Hate to sinne did Sathan moue Against the Holy-Ghost the God of Loue And his shall not be pardon'd Note with me How God dealt in the censuring of these three He questions Adams Weakenesse and doth call Eve to account for th' Ignorance in her fall Because for them he mercy had in store Vpon their true repentance and before He gaue their doome told them he had decreed A blessed Sauiour from the Womans seed But Sathan he ne're question'd 't was because Maliciously he had transgrest his Lawes Which sinne against the Spirit he so abhor'd His Diuine Will no mercy for him stor'd Moreouer In the sacred Text 't is read The Womans Seed shall breake the Serpents head It is observ'd The Diuell had decreed To tempt our Sauiour the predicted Seed In the same sort though not the same successe As he did Eve our first Progenitresse All sinnes saith Iohn we may in three diuide Lust of the Flesh Lust of the Eye and Pride She sees the Tree and thought it good for meat The Fleshes lust persuaded her to eat She sees it faire and pleasant to the eye Then the Eyes lust inciteth her to try She apprehends that it will make her wise So through the Pride of heart she eats and dies And when he Christ into the Desart lead Bee'ng hungry Turne said he these Stones to Bread There 's Fleshly lusts temptation Thence he growes To the Eyes lust and from the Mountaine showes The World with all the pompe contain'd therein Say'ng All this great purchase thou shalt win But to fall downe and worship me And when He saw these faile to tempt him once agen Vsing the Pride of heart when from on hye He bad him leape downe and make proofe to flye And as the Woman yeelding to temptation Made thereby forfeit of all mans saluation And so the Diue'll who did the Serpent vse Was said by that the Womans head to bruse So Christ the Womans Seed making resist To these seducemeâ—ts of that Pannurgist Because by neither Pride nor Lust mis-led Was truly said to breake the Serpents head Angels bee'ng now made Diuels let vs finde What place of Torment is to them assign'd First of the Poets Hell The dreadfull Throne Where all Soules shall be sentenc'd stands saith one In a sad place with obscure darkenesse hid
voluptuousnesse and pleasure yet was neuer knowne to be either diseased in body or disquieted in minde by any temporall affliction whatsoeuer Which being related vnto the Emperour he made this answer Euen hence we may ground that the Soules of men be immortal for if there be a God who first created and since gouerneth the World as both the Philosophers and Theologists confesse and that there is none so stupid as to deny him to be iust in all his proceedings there must then of necessitie be other places prouided to which the Soules of men must remoue after death since in this life we neither see rewards conferred vpon those that be good and honest nor punishments condigne inflicted vpon the impious and wicked Cicero in Caton Maior reporteth That Cyrus lying vpon his death bed said vnto his sonnes I neuer persuaded my selfe ô my Children that the Soule did liue whilest it was comprehended within this mortall body neither that it shall die when it is deliuered from this fleshly prison Anaxarchus being surprised by Nicocreon the Tirant of Cyprus he commanded him to be contruded into a stone made hollow of purpose and there to be beaten to death with iron hammers In which torments he called vnto the Tyrant and said Beat batter and bruise the flesh and bones of Anaxarchus but Anaxarchus himselfe thou canst not harme or damnifie at all The excellent Philosopher intimating thereby That though the Tyrant had power to exercise his barbarous and inhumane crueltie vpon his body yet his Soule was immortal and that no tyrannie had power ouer either to suppresse or destroy it Brusonius Lib. 2. Cap. 3. ex Plutarc Of lesse constancie was Iohannes de Canis a Florentine Physition of great fame for his practise who when out of the Principles of Mataesophia he had grounded the Soule to be mortal with the Body and in his frequent discourses affirmed as much yet when his last houre drew on he began to doubt within himselfe and his last words were these So now I shall suddenly be resolued whether it be so or no. Iohan. Bapt. Gell. Dialog de Chimaerico As ill if not worse Bubracius lib. 28. reporteth of Barbara wife to the Emperour Sigismund who with Epicurus placed her Summum Bonum in voluptuousnesse and pleasure and with the Sadduces beleeued no resurrection or immortalitie of the Soule but God and the Diuell heauen and hell equally diuided From the Philosophers I come now to the Poets Ovid lib. Metam 15. saith Morte carent Animae semperque priore relicta Sede novis domibus vivunt c. The Soules can neuer dye when they forsake These houses then they other Mansions take Phocilides the Greeke Poet Anima autem immortalis insenesibilis vivit per omne tempus i. For the Soule is immortall not subject vnto age but surviveth beyond the date of Time And Menander Melius est corpus quam Animam aegrotare i. Better it is for thee to be sicke in body than in Soule and howsoeuer thy Body fare be sure to physicke thy Soule with all diligence Propert. 4.7 Sunt aliquid manes let hum non omnia fiunt Luridaque evictos effugit vmbra rogas Sp'rites something are Death doth not all expire And the thin Shadow scapes the conquer'd fire The ingenious Poet Tibullus either inclining to the opinion of Pythagoras or else playing with it who taught That the soule after death did transmigrate and shift into the bodies of other persons and creatures we reade thus Quin etiam meatunc tumulus cui texerit ossa Seu matura dies fato proper at mihi mortem Longa manet seu vita c. When these my bones a Sepulchre shall hide Whether ripe Fate a speedy day prouide Or that my time be lengthned when I change This figure and hereafter shall proue strange Vnto my selfe in some shape yet vnknowne Whether a Horse of seruice I be growne Taught how to tread the earth or Beast more dull Of speed the glory of the herd a Bull Whether a Fowle the liquid aire to cut Or into what Mans shape this Spirit be put These Papers that haue now begun thy praise I will continue in those after-dayes Manl. lib. 4. de Astronom is thus quoted An dubium est habitare Deum sub pectore nostr◠In coelumque redire Animas coeloque venire Who doubts but God dwells in this earthly Frame And Soules returne to Haev'n from whence they came And Lucretius we reade thus Cedit enim retro de terra quid fuit ante In terra sed quod missum est ex Etheris oris Id rursum Coeli fulgentia templa receptus c. That which before was made of earth the same Returnes backe vnto earth from whence it came But that which from th' aethereall parts was lent Is vp vnto those shining Temples sent I haue hitherto spoke of the two distinct parts of Man the Soule and the Body A word or two of Man in generall Homo Man is Anima Rationalis or Mortalis A Creature reasonable and mortall Not so denominated ab Humo as Varro would haue it for that is common with all other Creatures but rather of the Greeke word Omonoia that is Concordia or Consensus Concord or Con-societie because that Man is of all other the most sociable The Nobilitie of Man in regard of the sublimitie of his Soule is expressed in Genes 1. Let vs make Man after our owne Image and similitude c. The humility which ought to be in him concerning the substance whereof he was made Genes 2. The Lord made Man of the slime of the earth The shortnesse of his life Psal. 102. My dayes are declined like a shadow and I am as the Grasse of the field The multiplicitie of his miseries Gen. 3. In the sweat of thy browes shalt thou eat thy bread c. Gregory Nazianzen in Oration 10. vseth these words What is Man that thou art so mindefull of him What new miserie is this I am little and great humble and high mortall and immortal earthly and heauenly the first from this world the later from God the one from the Flesh the other from the Spirit Tertullian Apollogetic advers Gentil cap. 48. hath this Meditation Dost thou aske me how this dissolued Matter shall be again supplied Consider with thy selfe ô Man and bethinke thy selfe what thou wast before thou hadst Being Certainely nothing at all for if any thing thou shouldst remember what thou hadst beene Thou therefore that wast nothing before thou wert shalt againe be made nothing when thou shalt cease to be And why canst thou not againe from Nothing haue Being by the wil of the same Workeman whose will was That at the first thou shouldst haue existence from nothing What new thing shall betide thee Thou which wast not wert made when thou againe art not thou shalt be made Giue me if thou canst a reason how thou wert created at first and then thou
Moone He likewise made in substance cleare According to the Season to appeare That it should be a future declaration Of Time and the Worlds Signe to ev'ry Nation Feasts are by it appointed the Moneths claime Proper denomination from her Name Waining or growing be she bright or dull In her continual Change shee 's wonderfull Shee 's a lampe plac'd aboue our heads and thence Sends downe her shining beames in excellence The beauty of the Heav'ns perceiv'd from far Is ev'ry great or lesse refulgent Star These lustre to the Firmament afford And shine in the high places of the Lord. From whose command they no way dare rebell But all night long keepe watch and sentinell Looke on the Rain-bow in it's mixed hew Obserue how beautifull it is in view What sev'rall colours with what cunning layd And praise Him who so great a Worke hath made He into such a spacious arch extends it It is the hand of the Most-High that bends it At his command the Snow makes haste from hye The Lightnings of his judgements swiftly flye When He vnlocks his Treasure Clouds repaire And like so many Fowles soare in the aire His Pow'r doth giue them strength When he but speaks The mighty Hail-stones into small he breaks At his dread sight the mountaines skip like Roes 'T is at his pleasure that the South winde blowes His Thunders sound the trembling Earth doth beat As doth the stormy North the fields entreat The Whirle windes like so many feather'd Fowle Scatter the Snow the white flakes downeward rowle As if so many Grashoppers together Should light-on th' earth brought in by stormy weather The Eye admires the whitenesse and the Braine Cannot conceiue the beauty of the Raine The Frost like Salt vpon the ground he powres Which hardned stickes vpon the Herbs and Floures When the bleake North winde from his Quarter blowes A congeal'd Ice vpon the Water growes Vpon the gath'ring of the waues it rests And with a chrystall couering armes their brests The Mountaines it deuours the Desaâ—ts burnes And like the Fire what 's greene to nothing turnes Yet by a melting Cloud and timely Raine These seeming dead are soone refresht againe He by his Word the blustring Windes doth still The Seas rough Surges All obey his Will He in the vnknowne Deepes foundations layes And in the midst thereof doth Islands raise They that the Ocean saile which hath no bound Tell of the wonders that are therein found Which so miraculous to vs appeare When they are told we stand amas'd to heare For there be his rare Works of Beasts and Whales Begetting terror from their sinnes and scales Through Him all things are aim'd as blessed ends And his establisht Word his Worke commends When we haue spoken most yet all ' â— but raine We neuer to their knowledge shall attaine This is the sum of all That He alone Must be the sole All and besides Him none Of his true Praise how can we giue account Since He we know doth all his Works surmount The Lord our God is terrible and great Who shall his Pow'r and marv'lous Acts repeat Praise laud and magnifie him all we can Yet doth He far exceed the thoughts of Man Exalt Him in our strength and be not tyr'd Yet shall not his â—east fully be admir'd Who is 't hath seene Him that his shape can tell Or who can praise him as He doth excell For greater things haue yet escapt our view And of his rare Works we haue seene but few The Lord hath made all things in Earth and Heav'n And vnto such as feare Him Wisdome's giv'n The Orders Names the Qualities and Charge Of the blest Angels we haue spoke at large It followes next to touch the true condition Of those malignant Sp'rits whose proud Ambition Cast themselues head-long both from the blest Place First made for them and from th' Almighties Grace Nor is it to be doubted but that those Who in their peruerse malice durst oppose Their glorious Maker and against Him war But that they likewise still intentiue ar ' And their peruersenesse totally enclin'd To Gods contempt and ruine of Mankind Now since those disobedient Sp'rites that fell With their grand Captaine downe from heav'n to hell Were out of all the Hierarchies extruded It therefore as a Maxime is concluded Not to be question'd That as th' Angels blest Who still inhabit their faire place of rest So likewise those by Lucifer mis-guided Are into sev'rall Ternions diuided And haue amongst them Orders and Degrees And though the benefit of Grace they leese Yet still that naturall pow'r and force retaine At first bequeath'd them bee'ng reduc'd againe To Order and their Offices still keepe As once in Heav'n so in th' infernall Deepe To this the Fathers with one voice agree For one writes thus In the great Hierarchie Of the blest Sp'rits some are employ'd to tell Things futurely to come others excell In working Miracles for no portent Is done on earth but by some Angell sent Some ouer others haue predominance Employing them Gods honor to aduance By executing Mysteries Diuine Others in greater pow'r and eminence shine Hauing vnnumber'd Armies in their sway Vnto whose Hests the lesse degreed obay Some are so plenteously endu'd with grace That God himselfe in them hath chus'd a place In which t' enhabit and these haue profest His secret judgements to make manifest Others are with so sacred links entir'd Vnto their Maker and withall inspir'd With such re-pur'd zeale there appeares not much Place intermediat betwixt Him and Such By what degrees they do precell the rest In ardent loue so much more interest They challenge with acutenesse to behold His Wisedome Iustice and Grace manifold Now as these sev'rall Functions are aboue With Those that still persever in their Loue So 'mongst the Disobedient is remaining Like order still their naturall pow'rs retaining For till the World be quite consum'd and gon It is a Maxim to be built vpon Angell o're Angell which none alter can Diuell o're Diuell Man shall rule o're Man Of the Rebellious Lucifer is prime Captaine and King who in the first of Time From out the seuerall Classes had selected Legions of Angels with like pride infected Against Iehovah and with expedition Hurld them with himselfe headlong to perdition And as in his Creation he was fram'd More glorious far than others before nam'd More goodly featur'd beautifull and bright And therefore had his name deriv'd from Light So since his Fall there 's nothing we can stile So ougly foule abominably vile The putred Fountaine and bitumenous Well From whence all Vice and malefactures swell Whose horrid shape and qualities infest Are by the Poet Dante 's thus exprest L' Imperador del Doloroso Regno Da mezo l petto vsciva Della Gliaccia Et pin eli ch'un Gigante iâ— ti conuegno
For diuers Authors are in this agreeing Mans generation hath been multiply'de Aboue all other Animals beside Saith Daniel Thousand thousands Him before Stand and 'bout him ten thousand thousands more Which Thousand he thus duplicates to show Their countlesse number which our dull and slow Nature wants facultie to aphrehend As likewise when he further would extend Their Legions Miriads he to Miriads layes Noting to vs of those that sound his praise The infinite Armies like a Circle round The number ending where it first was found In Iohn 't is read A mighty voice I heard Of many Angels and their Troupes appear'd To be of thousand thousands Iob said well The number of his Souldiers who can tell 'Mongst others one much daring his bold Pen Seem'd to out-strip his Vnderstanding when He would confine each Chorus to containe The meere Chimaera of an idle braine Saying To each belongs in these blest Regions Six thousand six hundred sixty and six Legions Each Legion too doth bee'ng exactly told Six thousand six hundred sixty six Angels hold But of their number let no man discusse Further than sacred Scripture warrants vs. It followes that I next make inquisition Into the Angels motion a Position Needfull to be examin'd Know then He Is not contain'd in place as Brutes and we But Place it selfe he in Himself containes Bee'ng said to be still where his Pow'r remaines And though it passe our weake ingeniositie Yet He is knowne to be of strange velocitie And without passing places can with ease Or go or come at all times when he please From heav'n to earth He can descend and bee Aboue and here in space vnmomentarie Hence thence He vndisturb'd hath passage faire Through both the elements of Fire and Aire Without incumbrance or the least molest And though it sinke not into th' Ethnycks brest Hee 's without circumscription vnconfin'd For if these Spirits Places had assign'd And so from one into another shifted How could they then so suddenly be lifted Into the vpper Heav'ns or thence apply Themselues to th' earth in twinkling of an eye It is agreed vpon the Good and Euill The blessed Angell as the cursed Diuell Haue all those faculties and without aine Or passing intermediat things can gaine To what they purpose in one instant round The spatious world and where they please be found Those that the Mathematicke Art prosesse Tell vs That 'twixt th' eight Heav'n and earth's no lesse Than one hundred and sev'nty millions 100 and three Of spacious miles mete by Geometrie By which account the mighty space extending Is from the watry and tenth Heav'n descending Ten times so much at least for if a stone Should from the starry and eight Heav'n be throwne And ev'ry houre passe without intermission One thousand miles in it's swift expedition In motion still without stay or re-calling It must be sixty fiue yeares in it's falling To amplifie what hath before been said Some Sectifts haue their ignorance betray'd Affirming Angels are not If they were They with the Soule of force must likewise beare Bodies about them too and so to bee Subiect vnto our visibilitie How vaine this is it may be eas'ly ghest When none that hath Philosophy profest But hold That there are Substances Diuine Intelligence call'd which neuer did incline Into commixtion or knowne to require Substance from th' Earth the Water Aire or Fire A second thing th' object That if so great Their number be as that the Aire 's repleat With infinit Armies 't must be needs confest That they should hourely whole Mankinde molest But these consider not He that created All things out of meere Nothing hath instated Them in such order distance and consent One to another's no impediment Neither is any of his great Works found That hath the pow'r to passe beyond his Bound As in the Waters element though far It'exceeds the Earth yet keepes within it's baâ— And though the proud waues with curl'd billowes rore Threatning as if to swallow vp the shore Yet by th' Almighties hand their pow'r is stay'd No Inundation or great Deluge made Vnlesse his Wrath some sudden vengeance brings Opening Heav'ns spouts and letting loose the Springs No maruell then that Spirits be in number So many that the very Aire they comber And they to vs and we to them so odious They neither hurtfull are nor discommodious Their Malice not bee'ng able to withstand Those bounds prefixt by the Almighties hand For so much in Iobs Historie is found When Sathan saith he hath compast the earth round He doth not say In his large progresse hee Hath done to Man least discommoditie Or harme at all not that he wanted Will But in himselfe the Pow'r to hurt or kill Nor durst he touching Ioâ— make inquisition Till he from God himselfe had free permission Who gaue him limit and his fury sâ—aid Vpon his outward Fortunes when he said Lo all he hath now at thy â—â—â—cy stand Onely against his person 〈◊〉 hand Againe when He 〈◊〉 Body to him gaue Captiue his Life he did command him saue Whence we may ground Though this rebellious Prince Great Lucifer with his Adherents since Their Fall retaine th' abilitie and pow'r To measure th' Earth in least part of an houre Yet without leaue they neither dare nor can Vse the least violence on Gods creature Man Next touching the rare knowledge which insists In them by nature Some Theologists Affirme them pregnant in Theologie Philosophie Mathematicks Astrologie In Musicke they are skill'd expert in Physicke In Grammer Logicke and Arithmeticke Nay he that is among them the most low Contemn'd and vile more than weake Man doth know Nor are their reasons vaine for in respect A Spirit is but a meere Intellect Not burden'd with a body of agilitie Nimble and quicke therefore with much facilitie In all materials he acquainted is From the Earths superficies to th' Abisse He knowes such vertues as in Stones abide Gems Minerals creeping Wormes and Beasts for hide From him you nothing can for he doth vant Still in the Marble Porphyre Adamant The Corall Pumice and the Chrysolit The Smarage Topaz and the Margarit The Onyx Carbuncle Gold Siluer Lead Brasse Iron and Sulphur He is likewise read In the proprieties of Creeping things Ants Toads Snakes Serpents all that the earth brings Of all the sev'rall Fishes he hath notion Bred in fresh waters or the briny Ocean Of Beasts the sundry qualities he findes Lions Beares Tygres Camels Horses Hindes The Elephant the Fox Ape Asse Mule Cat Sheepe Wolfe Hare Hedge-hog with each other that The Earth produceth So in Herbs and Trees Plants Leaues Fruits Roots Seeds juices Liquors these No Artist hath like skill in He can tell The sev'rall qualities of Fowles and well Distinguish them as such and such belong To the Earth Aire or Water He is strong In further knowledge of the Elements As in their pow'r their natures and extents
Of the prioritie and degrees that Diuels haue amongst themselues of their Fall number motion and excellencie of knowledge so much hath beene spoken as may with safetie and without prophanenesse be held sufficient And to proue that there is Daemoniacall Magicke needs not be questioned as may be gathered by the antient Philosophers Tresmegistus Pythagoras Plato Psellus Plotinus Iamblicus Proclus Chalcidius and Apuleius And of the Perepateticks Theophrastus Ammonius Philoponus Avicenna Algazel and others Saint Clement witnesseth That this Art was deuised before the Floud and first by Diuels deliuered vnto the Gyants and that by them Cham the sonne of Noah was instructed For thus he writeth They taught That the Diuels by Art Magicke might be obliged to obey men which was done by charmes and incantations and as out of a forge or furnace of mischiefe all light of pietie being substracted they filled the world with the smoke of that vngodly practise For this some other causes was the Deluge brought vpon the world in which all mankinde was destroyed sauing Noah and his family who with his three sonnes and their wiues were onely preserued Of which sonnes Cham to one of his sonnes called Nisraim taught this Diuellish Art from whom the AEgyptians Babylonians and Persians deriue their progenie The Nations called him Zoroaster in whose name diuers Magicall bookes were divulged c. It is said that hee comprehended the whole Art in an hundred thousand Verses and after in a great whirle-winde was hurried away aliue by the Diuell from the middest of his Schollers as Suidas reporteth Apuleius ascribeth to the Persians the inuention of two-fold Magick for they beleeued in two gods as the Authors Lords of all things one good whom they stiled Ormusda and thought him to be the Sunne Another euill whom they called Arimanes or Pluto From these they deriued a double Magicke one which consisted altogether in superstition and the adoration of false gods the other in the inuestigation and search of the obscurities of hidden Nature to acquire the secrets thereof Hence some diuide this abstruse Art into Theurgia White Magicke and Goetia Blacke Magicke or the Blacke Art otherwise called Necromantia The effects of the first they conferre vpon the good Angels and the effects of the other vpon euill affirming the one to be lawfull the other vnlawfull for so Scotus Parmensis with diuers other Platonickes haue affirmed But that they are both most blasphemous and impious heare what Cornelius Agrippa an Archimagi himselfe writeth these be his words This Theurgia vnder the names of God and his good Angels doth comprehend and include the fallacies of the euill Daemons and though the greatest part of the ceremonies professe puritie of minde and bodie with other externall complements yet the impure and vncleane Spirits are deceiuing powers and vndermine vs that they may be worshipped as gods To which he addeth The Art Almadel the Art Notarie the Art Paulina the Art of Reuelations and the like full of superstitions are so much the more pernitious and dangerous by how much they appeare to the Vnlearned Diuine and gratious Hence came that Decree in the Parisian Schoole That for God by Magicke Art to compell his Angels to be obedient to Incantations this to beleeue is an error That the good Angels can be included in gems or stones or shal consecrate or make holy any figures Images or garments or to doe any such things as are comprehended in their wicked Arts to beleeue is an errour For by what can these Spirits which they vse in their exorcismes be thought or called good when they desire to be adored as gods and to haue sacrifices made vnto them than which treason against the Diuine Majestie there is nothing in them more alien and forrein they as much abhorring and detesting it as the euill Angels pursue and seeke after it Goetia in the Greeke tongue signifieth Impostura or Imposture euen as Necromantia commeth of Nechros Mortuus which is dead and of Manteia which is Diuinatio as much to say as a diuination from the Dead But from definitions I will proceed to historie In the yeare 1558 in a Village belonging to Thuringia not far from the towne â—ena a certaine Magitian being apprehended and examined confessed publiquely that hee learned that hellish Art of an old woman of Hercyra and said that by her means he had often conference with the Diuell and from him had the skill to know the properties and vertues of diuers herbes and Simples which helped him in the cure of sundry diseases and infirmities Artesius a grand Magitian so speaketh of the Art as if there were no difference at all betwixt white and blacke Magicke first he proposeth the Characters of the Planets Rings and Seales how and vnder what constellation they ought to be made Next what belongs to the art of Prediction and telling things future especially by the flight of Birds Thirdly how the voices of brutish Animals may be interpreted and vnderstood adding the Diuination by Lots from Proclus Fourthly hee shewes the power and vertue of Herbs Fiftly what belongs vnto the attaining of the Philosophers stone Sixtly how things past future and present may be distinguished and knowne Seuenthly by what rites and ceremonies Art Magicke may be exercised Eightly by what means life may be prolonged where he tells a tale of one that liued one thousand twenty and fiue yeares c. The mention of these things are not that the least confidence or credit should be giuen vnto them but to shew by what cunning and subtill snares the Diuell workes to intrap and intangle poore Soules in his manifold deceptions and illusions In this Goeticke and Necromanticke Magicke it is obserued by D. Thom. Gulielmus Parisiensis Scotus Gerson Abulensis Victoria Valentia Spinaeus Sprangerus Navarra Grillandus Remigius and others That it is the foundation of a secret or expresse compact with the Diuell by the force of which miserable men pawne and oblige their soules vnto him He interchangeably submits himselfe to them as their Vassall he is present as soone as called being asked he answers being commanded hee obeyes not bound vpon any necessitie but that he may thereby intricate and indeare vnto him the soules of his Clients to destroy them more suddenly and vnsuspectedly For the Magitian hath onely a confidence that he hath empire ouer the Diuell who againe counterfeiteth himselfe to be his seruant and Vassal Eutichianus Patriarch of Constantinople recordeth this Historie In the time of the Emperour Iustinianus saith hee there liued in Adana a city of Cilicia one Theophilus who was by office the Steward of the Church hee was so beloued and gratious in the eyes of all men as that hee was held to be worthy of an Episcopall dignitie Which notwithstanding he most constantly refused and afterward being vnmeritedly accused by such as emulated his honest life sincere carriage
of victorie and such indeed was the euent of that War for of those three Captains two perished in the battell and the third grieuously wounded with the small remainder of his Army got with great difficultie into his Countrey Nicetas affirmeth That Euphrosine the wife of Alexius Angelus Emperor of Constantinople was much deuoted to this kind of Magicke The Count of Vestrauia by a Concubine of his whose companie before his lawfull Nuptials he had vsed was alike effascinated She by the aduise of an old Witch had cast an inchanted pot into a deepe Well which was in a backe yard belonging to the Pallace of the said Earle by which he was made incapable of all congresse and therefore out of all hope of any Issue to succeed him Which continued for the space of three whole yeares after which season meeting with this gentlewoman of his former acquaintance after a friendly salutation had past between them she asked him how he fared since his mariage how his wife and hee agreed together and how many children they had betweene them The Earle out of those words gathering some cause of suspition dissembling his discontent answered That he thanked Heauen all was well at home and that God had blest him with three sweet and hopefull children and that his wife at the present was as great as she could well goe with the fourth At which answer he perceiued a change of colour in her face when shee in a great rage said And may I beleeue this Then euill betide that cursed old Hag who persuaded me That she had so wrought with the Diuell that you should neuer haue child nor haue the abilitie to be the father of any The Count smiling at this desired to be satisfied from her what she intended by those words To whom she disclosed all the circumstances How being much grieued that he had so vnkindely forsaken her shee had dealt with a Witch who had promised vnto her c. telling him of the inchanted pot Which the Count vpon her words causing to be searcht found and after burnt his naturall vigor and vertue returned and he was after the father of a numerous Issue One neere to this but of greater malice Niderus reporteth to haue hapned in a towne called Boltingeu A famous Conjurer called Stradelin being conuicted of sundry malefactions among other confessed That for malice he bore to a man and his wife for seuen yeares together hee had strangled seuen children in her wombe insomuch that all hir births were abortiue In all which time all their Cattell in the same sort miscarried and not one of them brought forth a liuing and thriuing Issue And all this was done by burying a Lizard vnder the threshold of his doore which if it were remoued fruitfulnesse and fertilitie should come again both to her and to their herds of cattell Vpon this free confession the threshold was searched but no such Worme or Serpent found for it is probable that in that time it was rotten and turned to dust But they tooke the threshold and all the earth about it and caused them to be burned and then the Ligature ceased and they were all restored to their former increase of progenie The same Author speaketh of one Oeniponte a most notorious Witch who by making a picture of wax and pricking it with needles in diuers parts and then burying it vnder the threshold of her neighbours house whom she much hated she was tormented with such grieuous and insufferable prickings in her flesh as if so many needles had beene then sticking at once in her bodie But the Image being found and burned she was instantly restored to her former health and strength But to leaue these and come to other kindes of Sorceries and Witchcraft such as we finde recorded in Historie Grillandus is of opinion That euerie Magition and Witch after they haue done their homage to the Diuell haue a familiar Spirit giuen to attend them whom they call Magistellus Magister Martinettus or Martinellus and these are somtimes visible vnto them in the shape of a Dog a Rat an AEthiope c. So it is reported of one Magdalena Crucia That she had one of those Paredrij to attend her like a Blacke-More Glycas telleth vs That Simon Magus had a great blacke Dog tyed in a chaine who if any man came to speak with him whom he had no desire to see was ready to deuoure him His shadow likewise hee caused still to goe before him making the people beleeue that it was the soule of a dead man who stil attended him These kindes of familiar Spirits are such as they include or keepe in Rings hallowed in Viols Boxes and Caskets not that Spirits hauing no bodies can be imprisoned there against their wills but that they seeme to be so confined of their own free-wil and voluntarie motion Iohannes Leo writeth That such are frequent in Africke shut in caues and beare the figure of birds called Aves Hariolatrices by which the Magitions raise great summes of mony by predicting by them of things future For being demanded of any difficulty they bring an answer written in a small scroll of paper and deliuer it to the Magition in their bills Martinus Anthoniâ—s Delrius of the societie of Iesus a man of profound learning and iudgment writeth That in Burdegall there was an Aduocate who in a Viol kept one of these Paredrij inclosed Hee dying his heires knowing thereof were neither willing to keepe it neither durst they breake it and demanding counsell they were persuaded to go to the Iesuits Colledge and to be directed by them The Fathers commanded it to be brought before them and broken but the Executors humbly besought them that it might not be done in their presence being fearefull lest some great disaster might succeed thereof At which they smiling flung it against the walls and broke it in pieces at the breaking whereof there was nothing seene or heard saue a small noise as if the two elements of water and fire had newly met together and as soone parted Philostratus telleth vs That Apollonius Tyanâ—us was neuer without such Rings And Alexander Neapolitanus affirmeth That he receiued them of Iarcha the great Prince of the Gymnosophists which he tooke of him as a rich Present for by them he could be acquainted with any deepe secret whatsoeuer Such a Ring had Iohannes Iodocus Rosa a Citisen of Cortacensia who euery fift day had conference with the Spirit inclosed vsing it as a counsellor and director in all his affaires and enterprises whatsoeuer By it he was not onely acquainted with all newes as well forrein as domesticke but learned the cure and remedie for all griefs and diâ—eases insomuch that he had the reputation of a learned and expert Physition At length being accused of Sortelige or inchantment At Arnhem in Guelderland he was proscribed and in the
thither and entertained into his wonted lodging Philemium his Beloued came into the chamber spake with him supt with him and after much amorous discourse she receiued of him as a gift a Ring of iron and a Cup guilt and she in interchange gaue him a Ring of gold and an hand-kerchiefe which done they went to bed together The Nurse being very diligent to see that her new ghest wanted nothing came vp with a candle and saw them both in bed together She ouer-joyed runneth in hast to bring the Parents newes that their daughter was aliue They amased rise from their bed and finde them both fast-sleeping when in great rapture of ioy they called and pulled them to awake At which shee rising vpon her pillow with a seuere looke cast vpon them thus said O you most cruell and obdurat Parents and are you so enuious of your daughters pleasure that you will not suffer her for the space of one three dayes to enioy her deere Machates but this curiositie shall be little for your ease for you shall againe renew your former sorrowes which hauing spoke she changed countenance sunke downe into the bed and died at which sight the father and mother were both intranced The rumor of this came into the city the Magistrats caused the graue to be opened but found not the body there only the iron Ring and the Cup giuen her by Machates For the same Coarse was then in the chamber and bed which by the counsell of one Hillus a Soothsayer was cast into the fields and the yong man finding himself to be deluded by a Specter to auoid the ignominie hee with his owne hands slew himselfe Possible it is that the inferiour Diuels at the command of the superiour should possesse the bodies of the Dead for a time and moue in them as by examples may appeare Eunapius reports That an AEgyptian Necromancer presented the person of Apollineus before the people But Iamblicus a greater Magition standing by told them It was not he but the body of a Fencer who had before been slaine When whispering a stronger charme to himselfe the Spirit forsooke the body which falling down dead appeared to them all to be the stinking carkasse of the Fencer before spoken of and well knowne to them all The like is reported of one Donica who after she was dead the Diuell had walked in her body for the space of two yeares so that none suspected but that she was still aliue for she did both speak and eat though very sparingly onely shee had a deepe palenesse in her countenance which was the only signe of death At length a Magition comming by where she was then in the companie of many other Virgins as soone as hee beheld her hee said Faire Maids why keep you company with this dead Virgin whom you suppose to be aliue When taking away the Magicke charme which was tied vnder her arme the body fell downe liuelesse and without motion Cornelius Agrippa liuing in Louvaine had a yong man who tabled with him One day hauing occasion to be abroad hee left the keyes of his study with his wife but gaue her great charge to keepe them safe and trust them to no man The Youth ouer-curious of noueltie neuer ceased to importune the woman till shee had lent him the key to take view of his Librarie Which entring he hapned vpon a booke of Conjuration hee reads when straight hee heares a great bouncing at the doore which hee not minding readeth on the knocking groweth greater the noise louder But hee making no answer the Diuell breakes open the doore and enters and askes what he commands him to haue done or why he was called The Youth amased and through feare not able to answer the Diuell seiseth vpon him and wrythes his neck asunder Agrippa returneth findeth the yong man dead and the Diuels insulting ouer him Hee retyres to his Art and calls the Diuels to account for what they had done they tell all that had passed Then he commanded the homicide to enter into the body and walke with him into the market place where the Students were frequent and after two or three turnes to forsake the bodie Hee did so the body falls downe dead before the Schollers all iudge it to be of some sudden Apoplexy but the markes about his necke and jawes make it somewhat suspitious And what the Archi-Mage concealed in Louvaine being banished thence hee afterward feared not to publish in Lotharinge Don Sebastian de Cobarruvias Orozco in his treasurie of the Castilian Tongue speaking how highly the Spaniards prise their beards and that there is no greater disgrace can be done vnto him than to be plucked by it and baffled reporteth That a noble Gentleman of that Nation being dead a Iew who much hated him in his life stole priuatly into the roome where his body was newly layd out and thinking to do that in death which hee neuer durst doe liuing stooped downe to plucke him by the beard at which the body started vp and drawing his sword that then lay by him halfe way out put the Iew into such a fright that he ran out of the Roome as if a thousand Diuels had been behind him This done the body lay downe as before vnto rest and the Iew after that turned Christian. Let these suffice out of infinites Hauing discoursed in the former Tractat of the Astrologomagi it shall not be impertinent to speake something concerning Astrologie which is defined to be Scientia Astris a knowledge in the Starres of which as Pliny witnesseth in the 57 booke of his Naturall Historie Atlanta King of the Mauritanians was the first Inuentor Of this Art the sacred Scriptures in diuers places make mention As in Deutron 4.19 And lest thou shouldst lift vp thine eyes to heauen and when thou seest the Sun and the Moone and the Stars with all the Host of Heauen shouldst be driuen to worship them and serue them which the Lord thy God hath distributed to all people vnder the whole heauen Againe Esay 47.13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels let now the Astrologers the Star-gasers and Prognosticators stand vp and saue thee from those things that shall come vpon thee c. Now wherefore God created those blessed Lights of heauen is manifest Gen. 1.14 And God said Let there be Lights in the Firmament of the heauen to separate the day from the night and let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and yeares Againe Cap. 8. vers 22. Hereafter seed time and haruest and cold and heat and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease so long as the earth endure Esay 44.24 Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer and hee that formed thee from the wombe I am the Lord that made all things that spread out the heauens aboue and stretcheth out the earth by my selfe I destroy the tokens of Sooth-sayers and make them that
without feare His study is to compasse and inuade We ought to watch there be no entry made XVII As oft as we resist we do subdue The great Seducer Then the Angels sing And Saints reioyce those that are still in view Of the Creator Heav'ns almighty King That GOD who to this Battell doth persuade vs And looks vpon vs when we enter list Still as he spurres vs on doth likewise aid vs Against that old and crafty Pannurgist Supports the Weake the Willing doth defend And crownes such as continue to the end XVIII O giue me courage then make strong my hand Thou that dost teach my fingers how to fight And lend me pow'r their fury to withstand Who would depriue me of thy glorious Light That I who all my life time haue oppos'd My selfe 〈…〉 my selfe and against Thee May by thy tender mercies he inclos'd And so be 〈◊〉 they shall not ruin mee That 〈…〉 â—is Body is confin'd to Dust My 〈…〉 yet finde place among the Iust. Vt Pila concussus resurgeâ— S. MICHAEL ARCHANGEL Ex Sumptib Harbottel Grimstone Armig Ia droesheâ—t sculpt THE ARGVMENT of the eighth Tractat. OF Sathans Wiles and Feats praestigious Appearing wondrous and prodigious Confirm'd by Histories far sought Of Novels by bad Daemons wrought And first of such is made expression That still with Mankinde seeke congression To whose Fall they themselues apply Call'd Succubae and Incubi To finde those further we desire Of Water Earth the Aire and Fire And what their workings be to know As well aboue as here below How Authors 'mongst themselues agree What Genij and Spectars bee Faunes Syluanes and Alastores Satyres with others like to these With Stories mixt that grace may win From such as are not verst therein The second Argument MIchael whom Sathan durst oppose Can guard vs from inferior Foes The Arch-Angell THose Sp'rits call'd Daemons some haue apprehended Are with mens iniuries oft times offended And when againe they humbly shall submit They are soone pleas'd all quarrels to forget They after Diuine worship are ambitious And when fond Men grow vainly superstitious As thereto by their ignorance accited In their idolatrous Rites th' are much delighted To them belongs the Augurs Diuination And such coniectures as by th' immolation Of Beasts are made whateuer did proceed From Pythia's raptures or hath been agreed To issue from vaine Dreames all Calculation By such like signes came first by th' instigation Of Daemons Homer therefore gaue them stile Of gods nor doubted in the selfe same file To number Iupiter But we whose faith On Gods knowne workes more firme assurance hath By sacred Scriptures title Daemons those Who by him first created dar'd t' oppose His Diuine Will and being ill affected Were for their Pride headlong from heav'n dejected Some in their fall still hanging in the aire And there imprison'd till they make repaire To the last dreadfull doome and such await Mans frailties hourely to insidiate Prone to his hurt with tympanous pride inflam'd Burning with Enuy not to be reclaim'd Deceitfull from bad purpose neuer chang'd Impious and from all justice quite estrang'd And with th' inueterat malice in them bred Inuading Bodies both aliue and dead But whatsoeuer war they shall commence Against vs whether vnder faire pretence Or hostile menace do well and not feare He that the Soule created will appeare In it's defence and if we boldly fight Put their strong forces and themselues to flight Plato acknowledged one God alone The rest whom others in the heav'ns inthrone He Daemons calls and Angels Thermegist Doth likewise on one Deitie insist And him he names Great beyond all extension Ineffable not within comprehension The other Sp'rits lye vnder Statues hid And Images whose worship is forbid And these the breasts of liuing Priests inspire And from the Intrals e're they touch the fire Pronounce strange Omens These the Birds flights guide And mannage such things as by Lots are try'de The doubtfull Oracles they lend a tongue Prounouncing Truths with Lies Lies Truths among Confounding them all things obvolved leaue Deceiv'd themselues they others would deceiue They waking trouble vs molest our sleepe And if vpon our selues no watch we keepe Our bodies enter then distract our braine They crampe ouâ— members make vs to complaine Of sickenesse or disease and in strange fashion They cause vs to exceed in Ioy or Passion And making vs one vniuersall wound Pretend to loose what they before had bound When as the wonder-seeming remedie Is onely their surcease from injurie For all their study practise and delight Is but to moue vs to proue opposite To the Creator as themselues haue bin That guilty of the same rebellious sin By their accitements being made impure We with them might like punishment endure Let 's heare how Apulcius doth define them Saith he these proper adjuncts we assigne them Of a thin Airy body they exist And therefore can shift places as they list Of rational apprehensionâ— passiue minde Eternall and no end can therefore finde Another writes These Spirits are much joy'd At Bloud-shed when man is by man destroy'd At riotous Feasts they 'bout the tables stalke Prouoking to vaine words and obseene talke Persuading Man in his owne strength to trust Deuise Confections that stirre vp to lust And when their pow'r on any Wretch hath seis'd Persuade That with the sin God 's not displeas'd Th' assume the shape of such as are deceast And couet to be counted gods at least Surcharg'd with joy these are not to behold When troubles and afflictions manifold Pursue the Saints of God and his Elect As hauing in themselues a cleare inspect By persecution such and tribulation Are lab'ring in the path to their saluation But when they finde our hearts obdure and hard To Pietie and Goodnesse vnprepar'd Or when they see vs deviat and erre And before Vertue Vanitie preferre Then are they merry they clap hands and shout As hauing then their purpose brought about The Hunter hauing caught vs in the Toile Seiseth his prey and triumphs in the spoile We do not reade That Sathan did once boast When patient Iob had all his substance lost Nor seeing by th' aduantage he had ta'ne His Sonnes and Daughters by a Whirle-winde slaine When hauing lost all he could lose no more And now from head to heele was but one fore Not all this mov'd him Had he made reply To her that bad him to curse God and dye By vtt'ring any syllable prophane Then he and his would haue rejoc'd amaine Nor in Pauls thirst or hunger was he pleas'd Nor when he was by cruell Lictors seis'd And hurry'd to the Gaole there gyv'd and bound Or shipwrackt in great perill to be drown'd The Barke beneath him bee'ng in pieces torne Nor when the bloudy Iewes his death had sworne Scourg'd buffetted and bandied vp and downe They knew this was the way to gaine a Crowne To them 't was rather torment
in such great adoration Okumanteia call'd seemes to haue sprung As likewise those by th' antient Magi sung Onichomanteia Libonomantia Capnomantia Piromantia And Thurifumia But I cannot dwell On circumstance their sev'rall Rites to tell Spirits of th' Aire are bold proud and ambitious Envious tow'rd Mankinde Spleenfull and malicious And these by Gods permission not alone Haue the cleare subtill aire to worke vpon By causing thunders and tempestuous showr's With harmefull windes 't is also in their pow'rs T' affright the earth with strange prodigious things And what 's our hurt to them great pleasure brings Of their so rare effects Stories are full Amongst the Attribates it rained wooll In good Saint Ambrose time two armies â—ought In the aires Region and great terror brought Vnto all France Hugh Capet making claime Vnto the Crowne if we may credit Fame And Histories which are not writ in vaine There fell from heav'n great store of Fish and Graine Philostratus in whom was found no flaw Writes Apollonius 'mongst the Brachmans saw Two Tombes which opened windes disturb'd the aire But shut the sky was calme the season faire Eunapius and Suidas both record How Sepater could with one Magicke word Command the Windes and was adiudg'd to dye Because he kept them fast when as supplye Of corne vnto Byzantium should be brought But to spare these had we no further sought Than sacred Historie In Iob we finde How Sathan did stir vp a mighty winde Which where his sonnes and daughters feasting were Did the whole house demolish rend and teare The Finnes and Laplands are acquainted well With such like Sp'rits and Windes to Merchants fell Making their cov'nant When and how they please They may with prosp'rous weather crosse the feas As thus They in an hand-kerchiefe fast ty Three knots vnloose the first and by and by You finde a gentle gale blow from the shore Open the second it encreaseth more Fo fill your sailes When you the third vntye Th' intemperat gusts grow vehement and hye Of Ericus the King of Goths 't is said That as he turn'd his hat the winde he stayd Nor did there euer any neere him know The piercing aire vpon his face to blow It is reported of learn'd Zoroaster Who of art Magicke was the first Art-master That by such Spirits in a stormy day And mighte whirle-winde he was borne away And from this kinde that diuination springs Call'd AEromantia by which thousand things Haue been conjectur'd from the conjur'd Aire When mustring Armies in the clouds repaire Chariots and such to iudge what shall befall From them they Terotoscopeia call A third there is I almost had forgot Ornithomanteia when by Birds they wot Spirits that haue o're Water gouernment Are to Mankinde alike maleuolent They trouble Seas Flouds Riuers Brookes and Wels Meeres Lakes and loue t' enhabit watry Cels Thence noisome and pestiferous vapors raise Besides they Man encounter diuers wayes At wrackes some present are another sort Ready to crampe their joints that swim for sport One kinde of these th' Italians Fatae name Feé the French We Sibils and the same Others White Nymphs and those that haue them seen Night-Ladies some of which Habundia Queene And of this sort are those of which discusse Plutarch and out of him Sabellicus Numa Pompilius who did oft inuite The best of Rome to feast with him by night Neuer made vse of market to afford Rich choice of dainties to his sumptuous bord Each tastefull Delicat that could be thought Without all cat'ring or prouiding ought Did of their owne accord themselues present To giue th' invited ghests their full content To all their admiration Which is said Was onely by the Nymph Egeria's aid With whom he had conuerse and she we finde Of force must be a Spirit of this kinde Scotus Parmensis but few yeares ago As some report his Magicke Art to show Practis'd the like inuited mighty States And feasted them with princely Delicates And yet these seeming viands were of all That tasted them merely phantasticall Though they rose sated yet no sooner thence Departed but they had no feeling sence Of feeding Hunger or of quenching thirst But found themselues more empty than at first And with such banquets as Philostratus Writes was Apollonius Tyanaeus Receiued by the Brachmans With like cheare Petrus Albanus and Pasaetis were Custom'd to feast their Ghests And of this sort Namely White Nymphs Boëthius makes report In his Scotch Historie Two Noblemen Mackbeth and Banco-Stuart passing then Vnto the Pallace where King Duncan lay Riding alone encountred on the way In a darke Groue three Virgins wondrous faire As well in habit as in feature rare The first of them did curtsie low her vaile Vnpinn'd and with obeisance said All haile Mackbeth Thane Glâ—vius The next said All haile Caldarius Thane The third Maid Not the least honor vnto thee I bring Mackbeth all haile that shortly must be King These spake no more When Banco thus reply'de Ill haue ye done faire Ladies to diuide Me from all honors How comes he thus growne In your great grace to promise him a Crowne And I his sole companion as you see Yet you in nothing daigne to guerdon mee To whom the first made answer Yes we bring To thee much happier Fate for though a King Mackbeth shall be yet shall he reigne alone And leaue no issue to succeed his Throne But thou ô Banco though thou dost not sway Thy selfe a Scepter yet thine Issue may And so it shall thine Issue do not feare Shall gouerne Scotland many an happy yeare This spoke all vanisht They at first amas'd At the strange Nouell each on other gas'd Then on they road accounting all meere fictions And they vaine Spectars false in their predictions And sporting by the way one jeasted thus Haile King of Scotland that must gouerne vs. To whom the other Like salutes to thee Who must of many Kings the Grandsire bee Yet thus it happen'd after Duncan slaine By Mackbeth he vsurpt and 'gan to raigne Though the dead King had left two sonnes behinde More seriously then pondring in his minde The former apparition casts about How Banco of the Scotch Peeres the most stout Might be cut off doth solemnely inuite Him and his sonne Fleanchus one sad night Vnto a banquet where the Father dies But shadow'd by the darknesse the Sonne flies Now the small sand of Mackbeths glasse bee'ng run For he was slaine by Malcolme Duncans son In processe the Crowne lineally descended To Banco's Issue and is yet extended In ample genealogie remaining In most renowned CHARLES amongst vs reigning My promis'd brevitie be mine excuse Else many stories I could here produce Of the like nature purport and condition For we may reade Ollarus the Magition Commanded like Familiars who 't is sed With his inchanted
them there Where seemes no want of welcome or of cheare The table drawne and their discourse now free Iohn asks of them if they could wish to see Their fathers present they desire him too 't Prouing to finde if he by Art can doo 't He bids them to sit silent all are mute When suddenly one enters in a suâ—e Greasie before him a white apron ty'de His linnen sleeues tuckt vp both elbowes hide He stands and eyes them round and by his looke None there but needs must guesse him for a Cooke Which of you know this fellow now saith Iohn What say you Sir whom he so gaseth on He soone reply'de on whom he fixt his eye Aske you who knowes him Mary that do I Hee 's of my fathers kitchen Nay Siâ— rather Iohn answer'd him this is your owne deare father For when that noble Sir whose name you beare Was trauel'd on some great affaire else-where This well fed Groome to whom you ought to kneele Begot you then all ouer head to heele It seemes your mother knew not drosse from Bullion That in a great Lords stead embrac'd a Scullion He chases the Sp'rit doth vanish in the while The rest seeme pleas'd and in the interim smile When suddenly in middle of the roome Is seene a tall and lusty stable-Groome A frocke vpon him and in his left hand A Curri-combe the other grasps a wand And lookes vpon a second Here I show him Amongst you all saith Iohn doth any know him I must saith one acknowledge him of force His name is Ralfe and keepes my fathers horse And kept your mother warme too doubt it not The very morning that you were begot Her husband bee'ng a hunting The Youth blusht The rest afraid now were with silence husht Then to the third he brought a Butler in And prov'd him guilty of his mothers sin A Tailor to the fourth So of the rest Till all of them were with like shame opprest Teutonicus this seeing Nay quoth hee Since I am likewise stain'd with bastardie You shall behold my father Soone appeares A well-flesht man aged some forty yeares Of graue aspect in a long Church-man's gowne Red cheekt and shauen both his beard and crowne By his formalities it might be guest He must be a Lord Abbot at the least Who disappearing This man I confesse Begot me of his smooth fac'd Landeresse Saith Iohn and somewhat to abate your pride Iudge now who 's best man by the fathers side Some vext and other turn'd the jest to laughter But with his birth did neuer taunt him after Of many such like things Authors discusse Not only sportiue but miraculous We reade of one in Creucemacon dwelling In this prestigious kinde of Art excelling Who by such Spirits helpe could in the aire Appeare an Huntsman and there chase the Hare With a full packe of dogs Meaning to dine A teeme of horse and cart laden with wine He eat vp at one meale and hauing fed With a sharpe sword cut off his seruants head Then set it on his shoulders firme and so As he was no whit dammag'd by the blow In Saxonie not from Torgauia far A Nobleman for raising ciuill war Had been confin'd and forfeiting his wealth Was forc'd to liue by rapine and by stealth He riding on the way doth meet by chance One of these Sp'rits submisse in countenance In habit of a Groome who much desires T' attend his Lordship Who againe requires What seruice he can do I can quoth he Keepe an horse well nothing doth want in me Belonging to a stable I for need Can play the Farrier too So both agreed And as they rode together ' boue the rest His Lord giues him great charge of one choice beast To tender him as th'apple of his eye He vowes to doo 't or else bids let him dye Next day his Lord rides forth on some affaire His new-come seruant then to shew his care This much lov'd Iennet from the stable shifts And to a roome foure stories high him lifts There leaues him safe The Lord comes home at night The Horse of his knowne Master hauing sight Neighs from aboue The Owner much amas'd Knowing the sound vp tow'rd the casement gas'd Calls his new seruant and with lookes austere Asks him by what means his good Steed came there Who answers Bee'ng your seruant I at large Desirous was to execute your charge Touching your horse for since you so well like him Loth any of the rest should kicke or strike him I yonder lodg'd him safe But little said The Nobleman and by his neighbours aid For to his house he now must ioyne the towne With cords and pullies he conuey'd him downe This Lord for some direptions being cast Into close prison and with gyues bound fast In vnexpected comes his Groome to see him And on condition promiseth to free him If he forbeare to signe him with the Crosse Which can saith he be to you no great losse Likewise refraine t' inuoke the name of God And you shall here no longer make aboad This bee'ng agreed he takes vpon his backe Gyv'd as he was and chain'd nothing doth lacke His noble master beares him through the aire Who terrify'de and almost in despaire Cries out Good God ô whether am I bound Which spoke he dropt the pris'ner to the ground Ev'n in an instant but by Gods good grace He light vpon a soft and sedgy place And broke no limbe Home straight the seruant hyes And tells them in what place his Master lies They to his Castle beare him thence forth-right Which done this seruant bids them all Good night Arlunus a more serious tale relates Two noble Merchants both of great estates From Italy tow'rd France riding in post Obserue a sterne blacke man them to accost Of more than common stature who thus spake If to Mediolanum you your journey take Vnto my brother Lewis Sforza go And vnto him from me this Letter show They terror'd with these words demand his name Both what to call him and from whence he came I Galeatius Sforza am saith hee And to the Duke deliuer this from mee So vanisht They accordingly present The Letter to the Prince The argument Was this O Lewis of thy selfe haue care The French and the Venetian both prepare T' inuade thy Dukedome and within short space From Millan to extirpe thee and thy Race But to my charge deliuer truly told Three thousand Florens of good currant gold I 'le try if I the Spirits can attone To keepe thee still invested in thy Throne Farewell The Letter was subscribed thus The Ghost of'thy brother Galcatius This though it seem'd a phantasie vnminded With selfe-conceit Prince Lewis Sforza blinded Soone after was by all his friends forsaken His City spoil'd himselfe surpris'd and taken One other to your patience I commend And with the close thereof this Tractat end A Youth of Lotharinge not meanly bred Who was by too much liberty mis-led His boundlesse
their houses and carried a great distance off And in the fields of Bonaventum and Narbon as Procopius writes men armed wagons laden or whatsoeuer comes in the way are snatched vp into the aire and whirled about like a feather and after let fal vpon the earth not onely bruised but broken to pieces So that they doe not onely vncouer houses demolish buildings ruin turrets and towers blow vp trees by the roots snatch vp men in whirl-winds and prostrat whatsoeuer standeth before them but as Vincentius witnesseth they teare vp cities from their foundations somtimes and strew the fields adjacent with their ruins In the Councell of Basill certaine learned men taking their journey through a forrest one of these Spirits in the shape of a Nightingall vttered such melodious tones and accents that they were all amased and stayed their steps to sit downe and heare it At length one of them apprehending that it was not possible that such rarietie of musicke could be in a bird the like of which hee had neuer heard demanded of it in the name of God what or who it was The Bird presently answered I am the Soule of one that is damned and am enioyned to sing thus till the last day of the great Iudgement Which said with a terrible shrieke which amased them all she flew away and soone vanished The euent was That all that heard those Syrenicall notes presently fel into grieuous sicknesses and soone after died Of this sort of Spirits was that no doubt of which Aventinus witnesseth Bruno the Bishop of Herbipolitanum sailing in the riuer of Danubius with Henry the third then Emperour being not far from a place which the Germanes call â—en Strudel or the deuouring Gulfe which is neere vnto Grinon a castle in Austria a Spirit was heard clamouring aloud Ho ho Bishop Bruno whether art thou trauelling but dispose of thy selfe how thou pleasest thou shalt be my prey and spoile At the hearing of these words they were all stupified and the Bishop with the rest crost and blest themselues The issue was That within a short time after the Bishop feasting with the Emperor in a Castle belonging to the Countesse of Esburch a rafreâ— fell from the roofe of the chamber wherein they sate and strooke him dead at the table Of the Watry Spirits next and of them some briefe stories The manner how the Duke of Venice yearely marrieth the Ocean with a Ring and the originall thereof though it haue nothing in it belonging vnto magicke yet will it not much mis-become this place therefore I begin first with that The Duke in the Feast of Christs Ascention commeth to a place named Bucentaur without the two Apostle gates â—eituate at the entrance of the Gulfe and casteth a rich Ring into the sea which is no argument of superstition or inchantment but onely a symbole or emblem of Domination and Rule which by this earnest the Senat of Venice makes a contract with the Ocean The ground and first beginning of this ceremonie came from Pope Alex. the third whom Otho the soone of Fredericke AEnâ—barbus so persecuted that he was forced to fly and to shelter himselfe in Venice in the Monasterie of Saint Charitie where he liued for a time secretly and vnknowne But after notice being giuen to the Venetians what and who he was they brâ—ught him thence with great honour and obseruance He also found both their land and sea Forces ready for the seruice of him and the Churchâ— insomuch that in a great Naâ—all conâ—â—ict Otho was by the Venetians taken prisoner and presented as a Vassall to the Pope For which the Pope tooke a Ring from his finger and gaue it to Sâ—hastianus Zianus General for the Fleet speaking thus By vertue of my authority whilst thou keepest this Ring thou shalt be Lord and Husband of the Ocean and annually thou and thy posterity on this day in which thou hast obtained so glorious a victorie for the Church shalt espouse the Sea that all men may know that the dominion of the Sea is granted vnto thee because thou hast so prosperously vndertooke the study care and defence of the Sea Apostolique And be this a presage of thy benediction and thy happy successe in the future for euer Thus Villamontinus sets it downe Lib. 1. Peregrinat cap. 34. And Sabel Dec. 1. lib. 7. out of whom the former Author extracted it This following Historie you may reede in Olaus Magnus Hotherus King of Suetia and Dacia being hunting and by reason of a thicke dampish fog wandred or strayed from his company hee hapned vpon a Syluan den or caue which entring he espied three faire and beautifull Virgins who wiâ—hout blaming his intrusion called him by his name and â—ad him welcome doing him that obeysance and obseruance which his state required At which he wondring courteously demanded of them what they were To whom one replied That they were Virgins into whose power all the Auspices and euents of war were giuen and they had abilitie to dispose of them at their pleasure and that they were present in all conflicts and battels though vnseene to conferre vpon their friends honour and victorie and to punish their enemies with disgrace and ouerthrow Exhorting him withall that as he tendered their fauours hee should by no meanes trouble Balderus with war who by his genealogie might claim allyance with the gods Which words were no sooner deliuered but the den and they disappeared together and he was left aloâ—â— in the open aire without any couering Blame him not to be much amased at this so vnexpected and sudden a prodigie notwithstanding after some recollection he winding his â—orne his seruants came about him by whom he was conducted to the Court not reuealing this Vision to any Some few yeares after being vexed and prosecuted with sharpe and vnsuccessefull war he was forced to wander thorow forrests groues and thickets and seeke out by wayes and make vntrodden paths the better to secure himselfe At length he light vpon another remote and desolaâ— Vault where sate three Virgins who notwithstanding vpon better aduisement he presumed to be the same who at their last departure scattered a garment which he tooke vp and found by experience that all the time he wore it his body was invulnerable They demand of him the cause of his comming thither He presently complains vnto them of his infortunat euents in warre adding withall That all things had hapned vnto him aduerse to their promise To whom they answered That he accused them vniustly for though hee seldome returned an absolute Victor yet in all his enterprises he did as much dammage and made as great slaughter on his Enemies as he had receiued strage or execution from them and bad him not to dispaire for if hee could by any exploit or stratagem preuent the Enemie of any one dish of meat which was prouided for his dyet and table hee should without question in
his next expedition gaine an assured and most remarkable victorie Satisfied with this their liberall promise hee tooke his leaue recollected his dispersed Troupes and tooke the field The night before the battell being vigilant to suruey his Enemies Tents and see what watch they kept he espied three Damosels carying vp three dishes of meaâ— into one of the Tents whom following apace for he might easily trace them by their steps in the dew and hauing a Citharon about him on which he played most curiously he receiued meat for his musick and returning the same way he came the next day he gaue them a strong battell in which the enemies were slaine almost to one manâ— Pertinax as Sabellicus witnesseth a little before his death saw one of these Spectars in a fish-poole threatning him with a naked sword Of the like nature was that Bore which Zonarus speaketh of who meeting with Isaaccius Comnenes who was hunting neere vnto Naples and being pursued from a promontorie cast himselfe headlong into the sea leauing the Emperor almost exanimate and without life In Finland which is vnder the dominion of the King of Sweden there is a castle which is called the New Rock moted about with a riuer of an vnsounded depth the water blacke and the fish therein very distastefull to the palat In this are Spectars often seene which fore-shew either the death of the Gouernor or some prime Officer belonging to the place and most commonly it appeareth in the shape of an Harper sweetly singing and dallying and playing vnder the water There is a Lake neere Cracovia in Poland which in the yeare 1378 was much troubled with these Spirits but at length by the prayers of some deuout Priests the place was freed from their impostures The Fishermen casting their nets there drew vp a Fish with a Goats head and hornes and the eyes flaming and sparkling like fire with whose aspect and filthy stench that it brought with it being terrified they fled and the Monster making a fearefull noise like the houling of a wolfe troubling the water vanished Alexander ab Alexandro maketh mention of one Thomas a Monke who in an euening seeking an horse and comming neere vnto the brinke of a Riueâ— he espied a countrey fellow who of his voluntarie free-will offered to traject him ouer on his shoulders The Monke is glad of the motion and mounts vpon his backe but when they were in the midst of the floud Thomas casting his eye downe hee perceiued his legs not to be humane but goatish and his feet clouen Therefore suspecting him to be one of these watry Diuels hee commended himselfe to God in his prayers The Spirit then forsakes him and leaues him well washed in the middle of the Riuer to get vnto the shore with no small difficultie Sabellicus hath left recorded That when Iulius Caesar with his army was to passe the riuer Rubicon to come into Italy and to meet with Pompey one of these Spirits in the shape of a man but greater than ordiâ—arie sate piping vpon the banke of the Riuer Which one of Caesars soldiers seeing snatched away his pipe and broke it when the Spirit presently swimming the Riuer beeing on the other side sounded a shrill and terrible blast from a trumpet which Caesar interpreted to be a good and happy omen of his succeeding victorie Of the Spirits of the earth there are diuers sorts and they haue diuers names as Genij Lares Dij domestici Spectra Alastores Daemonia meridiana as likewise Fauni Sylvani Satyri folletti Fatuelli Paredrij Spiritus Familiares c. Of some of these I haue spoken in the preceding Tractat. Servius Honoratus and Sabinus are of opinion That Man consisteth of three parts but most ignorantly and aduerse to truth of a Soule a Body and a Shadow and at his dissolution the Soule ascends to heanen the Bodie inclines to the earth and the Shadow descends ad Inferos to hell They hold the Shadow is not a true body but a corporeall Species which cannot be touched or taken hold of no more than the winde and that this aswell as the Soule doth oft times appeare vnto men liuing and the soule after it hath left the body is called Genius and the Shadow Larva or the Shadow infernall These Genij are malicious Spirits of the earth who when they most promise health and safety vnto mankinde do then most endeauour their vtter ruine and destruction Constantine the Emperor marching from Antiochia said That he often saw his own Genius and had conference with it and when he at any time saw it pale and troubled which he held to be the preseruer and protectour of health and liuelyhood hee himselfe would much grieue and sorrow By the Spirits called Lares or Houshold gods many men haue been driuen into strange melancholies Amongst others I will cite you one least common A young man had a strong imagination that he was dead and did not onely abstaine from meat and drinke but importuned his parents that he might be caried vnto his graue and buried before his flesh was quite putrified By the counsell of Physitions he was wrapped in a winding sheet laid vpon a Beere and so carried toward the Church vpon mens shoulders But by the way two or three pleasant fellowes suborned to that purpose meeting the Herse demanded aloud of them that followed it Whose body it was there coffined and carried to buriall They said it was such a yong mans and told them his name Surely replied one of them the world is very well rid of him for he was a man of a very bad and vitious life and his friends may reioyce he hath rather ended his dayes thus than at the gallowes Which the yong man hearing and vexed to be so injured rowsed himselfe vp vpon the Beere and told them That they were wicked men to do him that wrong which he had neuer deserued and told them That if hee were aliue as hee was not hee would teach them to speake better of the Dead But they proceeding to depraue him and giue him much more disgraceful and contemptible language he not able to endure it leapt from the Herse and fell about their eares with such rage and fury that hee ceased not buffetting with them till quite wearied and by his violent agitation the humors of his body altered hee awakened as out of a sleepe or trance and being brought home and comforted with wholesome dyet he within few dayes recouered both his pristine health strength and vnderstanding But to returne to our seuerall kindes of Terrestriall Spirits There are those that are called Spectra meridiana or Noon-diuels In the Easterne parts of Russia about haruest time a Spirit was seen to walke at mid-day like a sad mourning Widow and whosoeuer she met if they did not instantly fall on their knees to adore her they could not part from her without a leg or
an arme broken or some other as great a mischiefe Wherein may be obserued That these Spirits of what condition soeuer aboue all things aime at Diuine worship which is onely due vnto the Creator Not that they are ignorant that it belongs solely to him but that in their inexpressible malice knowing themselues to be Rebels and quite excluded from Grace they would likewise draw Man to accompany them in eternall perdition Therefore all the Saints of God since Christ established his Church here amongst the Gentiles haue endeauoured to draw the Nations from Idolatry It is read of Saint Iames That when many Diuels were sent vnto him by one Hermogenes to assault him hee returned them bound and disarmed That Saint Bartholmew destroied the Idol of Asteroth who was worshipped in India and shewed moreouer that their great Alexikakon was a meere figment and imposture So the Apostles Simon and Iude strooke dumbe those Spirits that spake in the Oracle to Varada chiefe Generall ouer Xerxes his Armie and after restoring to them their liberty of speech they caused that their deceit and vanitie did easily appeare For Vâ—rada demanding of them What the euent of the war would proue they answered him That it would be long and dangerous and not onely vnprofitable but full of dammage and great losse to both parties On the contrary the Apostles deriding the vanitie of the Idoll informed him That the Indian Embassadors were vpon the way humbly to desire peace of him vpon any conditions whatsoeuer Which finding â—o be true Varada commanded those lying and deceitfull Images to be immediatly cast into the fire and burned and had then slaine an hundred and twenty of those idolatrous Priests had not the Apostles earnestly interceded for them I could here cite many examples to the like purpose but let these suffice for the present The Alastores are called by Origen Contra Celsum Azazel by Zoroaster Carnifices or Butchers and Alastares No mischiefe is hid or concealed from them and these are neuer seene but they portend some strange disaster As in the time of the Emperour Iustinian such Spirits were seene openly in humane shape to intrude into the society of men after which a most fearefull pestilence followed and whosoeuer was touched by any of them most assuredly died By which contagious Pest the great city Constantinople was almost vnpeopled and as Paulus Diacon witnesseth the people saw an Angell in the dead of the night go along with them compassing the city and walking from street to street and from dore to dore and so many knocks as the Spectar by the Angels command gaue at the doore of any house so many persons of that family were vndoubtedly found dead in the next morning Cardanus reporteth That there is an antient family in Parma named Torrelli to whom an old Seat or Castle belongs which for the space of an hâ—ndred yeres together was haunred with one of these Alastores who so oft as any of the houshold were to depart the world would shew it selfe in a chimny of the great hall A noble and illustrious Lady of the same Family reported That a yong virgin lying dangerously sicke in the same house the Spectar according to custome appeared and when euery one expected hourely the death of the Virgin shee presently beyond all hope recouered and a seruant who was at that time sound and in health fell sicke vpon the sudden and died Some few dayes before the death of Henry the seuenth Emperor he being feasted in a castle at Mediolanum belonging to one Viscont Mathaeus at mid-day there appeared before them a man armed of a mighty gyantly size to the great amasement of them all and three days after in the same place and at the same houre two armed champions on horse-backe who performed a braue combat for the space of an entire houre and then suddenly disappeared to the wonder and terror of all the Spectators To Cassius Parmensis lying in his bed appeared a man of an vnusuall stature with staring haire and a rough and disordered beard terrible in aspect at the presence of which being strangely troubled he started out of his bed and asked him who he was Who answered I am thy Malus Genius and so vanished Cassius knockes calls to his seruants that attended without asks them if they saw any to go in or come out of his chamber They protest Not any He museth to himselfe and lyeth downe againe The Daemon appeares the second time but with a countenance much more horrible Againe hee knockes and commands his seruants to bring lights They enter nothing appeares The rest of the night hee spends in doubtfull and sollicitous cogitations The dawning of the day scarse appeared when Lictors were sent from Caesar to apprehend him and take away his life Of the Lamiae or Larvae I ghesse that to be one which appeared to Dion of Syracuâ—a who looking out at his chamber window in the night by reason of a noise he heard spied an old hag habited and lookt as the Poets describe the Eumenides or Furies with a great broom sweeping the Court. At which being wonder-strook he called vp some of his houshold and told them of the Vision desiring them to accompanie him in his chamber the remainder of the night which they did and neither saw nor heard any thing afterward But ere the morning one of Dions sonnes cast himself out of a window into the same court who was so sore bruised that he died of the fall and hee himselfe within few dayes after was slaine by Callippus Drusus being Consull and making war in Germany a seeming woman of extraordinary aspect met him one day vpon his march and saluted him with these words O insatiate Drusus whither art thou now going and when dost thou thinke thou shalt returne since thou art now at the period both of thy life and glory Which fell out accordingly for within few dayes after Brutus expired of an incurable disease Iacobus Donatus a Patrician of Venice as Cardanus reporteth from whose mouth he receiued this discourse sleeping one night with his wife in an vpper bed where two Nurses lay with a yong childe his sole heire in the lower which was not a full yeare old he perceiued the chamber doore by degrees first to be vnlocked then vnbolted and after vnhatcht one thrust in his head and was plainly seene of them all himselfe his wife and the Nurses but not knowne to any of them Donatus with the rest being terrified at this sight arose from his bed and snatching vp a sword and a round buckler caused the Nurses to light either of them a taper and searcht narrowly all the roomes and lodgings neere which he found to be barred and shut and he could not discouer where any such intruder should haue entrance At which not a little wonder-strooke they all retyred to their rests letting the lights still burne in the chamber The
GOD of Truth At this he stay'd Then all the people cry'd aloud and sayd With publique suffrage Truth is great'st and strongest Which as it was at first shall endure longest This is that Truth in quest of which we trade And which without invoking Diuine aid Is neuer to be found Now lest we erre Concerning Sp'rits 't is fit that we conferre With sacred Story Thus then we may read Where of the fall of Babell 't is decreed Saith Esay Thenceforth Zijm shall lodge there And O him in their desolate roofes appeare The Ostriches their houses shall possesse And Satyrs dance there Ijim shall no lesse Howle in their empty Pallaces and cry And Dragons in their forlorne places fly Againe The Zijm shall with Ijim meet And the wilde Satyr with his parted feet Call to his fellow There shall likewise rest The Scritch-Owle and in safety build her nest The Owle shall lodge there lay and hatch her brood And there the Valtures greedy after food All other desolate places shall forsake And each one there be gath'red to his Make. Some moderne Writers speaking of this Text Because that they would leaue it vnperplext Say That by these strange names be either meant Mis-shapen Fowles or else it hath extent Further to wicked Sp'rits such as we call Hob-goblins Fairies Satyrs and those all Sathan by strange illusions doth employ How Mankinde to insidiate and destroy Of which accursed ranke th' appeare to bee Which succeed next in this our Historie Subterren Spirits they are therefore flyl'd Because that bee'ng th' vpper earth exyl'd Their habitations and aboads they keepe In Con-caues Pits Vaults Dens and Cauernes deepe And these Trithemius doth hold argument To be of all the rest most pestilent And that such Daemons commonly inuade Those chiefely that in Mines and Mettals trade Either by sudden putting out their lamps Or else by raising suffocating damps Whose deadly vapors stifle lab'ring men And such were oft knowne in Trophonius den Likewise in Nicaragua a rich Myne In the West-Indies for which it hath ly'ne Long time forsaken Great Olaus writes The parts Septentrionall are with these Sp'ryts Much haunted where are seen an infinit store About the places where they dig for Oare The Greeks and Germans call them Cobali Others because not full three hand-fulls hye Nick-name them Mountaine-Dwarfes who often stand Officious by the Treasure-deluers hand Seeming most busie infinit paines to take And in the hard rocks deepe incision make To search the mettals veines the ropes to fit Turne round the wheeles and nothing pretermit To helpe their labour vp or downe to winde The full or empty basket when they finde The least Oare scatter'd then they skip and leape To gather't thriftily into one heape Yet of that worke though they haue seeming care They in effect bring all things out of square They breake the ladders and the cords vntwist Stealing the workmens tooles and where they list Hide them with mighty stones the pits mouth stop And as below the earth they vnderprop The Timber to remoue they force and striue With full intent to bury them aliue Raise stinking fogs and with pretence to further The poore mens taske aime at their wracke and murther Or if they faile in that they further aime By crossing them and bringing out of frame Their so much studied labor so extreme Their malice is to cause them to blaspheme Prophane and curse the sequell then insuing The body sav'd to bring the soule to ruin Of these that to mans hurt themselues apply Munsterus writes in his Cosmography Such was the Daemon Annebergius who Twelue lab'ring men at once did ouerthrow In that rich siluer Mine call'd to this day By Wtiters Corona Rosaica The like where choicest mettals they refine Snebergius did in the Georgian Mine These are the cause the earth doth often cleaue And by forc'd crannies and deepe rifts receiue Robustious windes her empty cavernes filling Which being there imprison'd and vnwilling To be so goald struggle and wanting vent Earthquakes thereby are caus'd incontinent Such as remoue huge mountaines from their scite And Turrets Tow'rs and Townes demolish quite In Arragon Alphoâ—sus bearing sway In Brixim Apulia and Campania Happen'd the like So great an earthquake chanc't When Bajazet was to the Throne advanc't In Constantines great City that of men Full thirty thousand in one moment then Perisht th' Imperiall pallace quite destroy'd In the same kinde Dyrrachium was annoy'd Vnder Pope Foelix and great Rome together Three dayes so shooke the people knew not whether The latest day was come Like terror strooke The World when most part of the East was shooke In Hadrians reigne Like terror did encroch Vpon the famous city Antioch When Valentinian and Valens bore Ioint scepter what was neâ—er knowne before Then hapned for by an earths mighty motion The waters were diuided in the Ocean And those concealed channels appear'd bare Which till then neuer saw the Sunne nor Aire Ships riding then in Alexandria's Bay Are tost on tops of houses and there stay With as much swiftnesse bandied from the seas As balls at Tennis playd and with like ease Illyria Pannonia and Dalmatia Morauia Bauaria and Dacia Were with the earths like-horrid feuers shaken And many townes and cities quite forsaken But in Bauaria as my Author sayes One of these Tremors lasted forty dayes When six and twenty tow'rs and castles fell Temples and Pallaces supported well Two great vnited hills parted in twaine And made betweene them a large leuel'd plaine It beasts and men in the mid fields or'ethrew But that which aboue all things seem'd most new Of bodies fifty not inhumated Were to mans sight miraculously translated To statues of white salt Then dwelling neere Of this strange prodegie eye-witnesse were Conrad of Medenberch a Philosopher And the great Austria's Arch-Dukes Chancellor These Spirits likewise haue the pow'r to show Treasures that haue been buried long below By Gods permission all the veins conceald Of gold or siluer are to them reueald Of Vnions Stones and Gems esteemed high These know the place and beds wherein they ly Nay ev'ry casket and rich cabinet Of that vnrifled rocke wherein th' are set But to dispose these some are of opinion It lies not in their absolute dominion For God will not permit it as fore-knowing Such auaritious thoughts in mansheart growing His corrupt nature would to Mammon bow And his Creator leaue he car'd not how Others yeeld other reasons Ev'ry selfe Spirit is so opinion'd of this pelfe I meane those seruants of God Plutus that The least they will not part with no not what They might with ease spare Some thinke they persist To keep 't to the behoofe of Antichrist Inprejudice and dammage of th' Elect. Nay to their owne sonnes whom they most affect Either their bounty is exceeding small Or else the substance meere phantasticall
them Fairies In solitarie roomes These vprores keepe And beat at dores to wake men from their sleepeâ— Seeming to force locks be they ne're so strong And keeping Christmasse gambols all night long Pots glasses trenchers dishes pannes and kettles They will make dance about the shelues and settles As if about the Kitchen tost and cast Yet in the moruing nothing found misplac't Others such houses to their vse haue fitted In which base murthers haue been once committed Some haue their fearefull habitations taken In desolat houses ruin'd and forsaken Examples faile not to make these more plaine The house wherein Caligula was slaine To enter which none euer durst aspire After his death till 't was consum'd by fire The like in Athens of which Pliny writes In his Epistles As Facetius cites In Halberstad saith he there is a Dwelling Of great remarke the neighbour roofes excelling For architecture in which made aboad A mighty rich man and a belly-god After whose death his soule gon Heav'n knowes whither Not one night fail'd for many moneths together But all the roomes with lighted tapers shone As if the darknesse had beene chac't and gone And Day there onely for his pleasure stay'd In the great chamber where before were made His riotous feasts the casements standing wide Clearely through that transparance is espy'de This Glutton whom they by his habit knew At the boords end feasting a frolicke crew Of lusty stomacks that about him sate Serv'd in with many a costly delicate Course after Course and ev'ry Charger full Neat Seruitors attended not one dull But ready to shift trenchersâ— and fill wine In guilded bowles for all with plate doth shine And amongst them you could not spy a guest But seem'd some one he in his life did feast At this high rate they seem'd to spend the night But all were vanisht still before day light Of Bishop Datius a learn'd Clerke thus saith He for the true profession of his Faith Sent into exile in his difficult way Opprest with penurie was forc'd to stay In Corinth nor there lodging could he haue In any Inne or place conuenient saue A corner house suppos'd to be inchanted And at that time with sundry Diuels haunted There taking vp his lodging and alone He soundly slept till betwixt twelue and one When suddenly he knew not by what cranny The dores bee'ng fast shut to him came a many Of Diuels thronging deckt in sundry shapes Like Badgers Foxes Hedge-hogs Hares and Apes Others more terrible like Lions rore Some grunt like hogs the like ne're heard before Like Bulls these bellow those like Asses bray Some barke like ban-dogs some like horses ney Some howle like Wolues others like Furies yell Scarse that blacke Santus could be match'd in hell At which vp starts the noble Priest and saith O you accursed Fiends Vassals of wrath That first had in the East your habitation Till you by pride did forfeit your saluation With the blest Angels you had then your seat But by aspiring to be god-like great Behold your rashnesse punisht in your features Being transhap'd into base abject creatures This hauing spoke the Spirits disappeard The house of them for euer after clear'd One thing though out of course it may appeare Yet I thought fit to be inserted here The rather too the Reader I prepare Because it may seeme wonderfull and rare Receiue 't as you thinke good or if you please To beleeue Plutarch then his words are these One call'd Enapius a yong man well bred By the Physitions was giv'n out for dead And left to his last sheet After some howers He seem'd to recollect his vitall powers To liue againe and speake The reason why Demanded of his strange recouerie His answer was That he was dead 't was true And brought before th' infernall Bar. They view Him o're and o're then call to them who'haue charge The spirit from the body to inlarge Whom Pluto with the other Stygian Pow'rs Thus threat Base Vassals can we thinke you ours Or worthy our imployment to mistake In such a serious errand Do we make You Officers and Lictors to arrest Such as are call'd to their eternall rest And when we send for one whose dismall fate Proclaimes him dead you bring vs one whose date Is not yet summ'd but of a vertue stronger As limited by vs to liue much longer We sent that with Nicander you should meet A Currier that dwells in such a street And how haue you mistooke This Soule dismisse And fetch his hither to our darke Abisse With that saith he I waken'd His friends sent Vnto the Curriers house incontinent And found him at the very instant dead When he his former life recouered And though meere fabulous this seeme to be Yet is it no impossibilitie Fiends should delude the Ethnicks and on them Confer this as a cunning stratagem To make them thinke that he dispos'd mans breath And had the sole pow'r ouer life and death At nothing more these auerse Spirits aime Than what is Gods vnto themselues to claime Others there are as if destin'd by lot To haue no pow'r but ouer goods ill got For instance One long with the world at strife Who had profest a strict religious life And taken holy Orders at his booke Spending his spare houres to a crafty Cooke Was neere ally'de and at his best vacation Findes out a time to giue him visitation And greets him with a blessing The fat Host Is glad to see his Vncle Sod and Rost He sets before him there is nothing fit To bid him welcome wanting downe they sit The good old man after some small repast More apt to talke than eat demands at last Of his Lay Nephew since he toiles and striues In this vaine world to prosper how he thriues The Cooke first fetcheth a deepe sigh then sayes O Vncle I haue sought my state to raise By ev'ry indirect and law lesse meane Yet still my couetous aimes are frustrat cleane I buy stale meat and at the cheapest rate Then if my Guests complaine I cog and prate Out-facing it for good Sometimes I buy Beeues haue been told me of the murrain dye What course haue I not tooke to compasse riches Ventur'd on some haue been found dead in ditches Bak'd dogs for Venison put them in good paste And then with salt and pepper helpt their taste Meat rosted twice and twice boyl'd I oft sell Make pies of fly-blowne joints and vent them well I froth my cannes in ev'ry jug I cheat And nicke my Ghests in what they drinke or eat And yet with these and more sleights all I can Doth not declare me for a thriuing man I pinch myne owne guts and from others gleane And yet though I shew fat my stocke is leane The good old man though at his tale offended No interruption vs'd till he had ended First hauing shooke his head then crost his brest Cousin said he this lewd life I detest Let me aduise
As Mice in walls the Diuell so Into our brest doth venter Where either he findes hidden paths Or makes new wayes to enter Notwithstanding which I propose one Distich more for our generall comfort Si Sathanas Christi sine nutu invadere Porcam Non potis est Christi quomodo laedat Ovem If Sathan without leaue of Christ A Swine could not inuade How can a Sheepe of Christs owne flocke By Sathan be betray'd But as a remedy for these and the like temptations let vs heare that worthy and learned Author Gregorie Nazianzen in Tetrasc Vinum Libido Liuor Daemon pares Hos mente privant quos tenent hos tu prece Medere fusis lachrimis jejunio Medela morbis haec enim certa est meis Wine Enuy Lust the Diuell are alike These where they rule the minde with madnesse strike Therefore to pray to fast to weepe be sure For These of my Diseases are the cure Concerning those Daemons wee call Lucifugi or flying light we may reade Prudentius Cathemerinon Him 1. thus Ferunt vagantes Daemones Laetos tenebris noctium Gallo canente exterritos Sparsim timere caedere c. They say The loose and wandring Sp'rits Take pleasure in the shade of nights But when they heare the Cocke to crow Th' are frighted and away they go The neerenesse of the light they feare And dare not stay till day appeare Before the rising Sun they spye They into close darke cauerns flye Which is a signe they know the scope And crowne of our re-promis'd hope That when sleepe hath our eyes forsooke We for Christs comming wait and looke Additions to the Premisses OF the Sylvans Faunes Satyrs Folletti Paredrij c. all included within the number of such as wee call Familiar Spirits there are diuers stories extant as That they can assume the shapes and figures of men and eat drinke sit at table talke and discourse after the manner of our fellowes so that they may be easily tooke for some friend or acquaintance Macrobius writeth That in the mountaine of Pernassus these Sylvans and Satyrs yearely keepe their Bacchanalian feasts where they meet in great companies singing and dancing to rurall musicke which may be easily heard at the foot of the mountaine and their trouping and skipping together easily discerned In Silesia a Nobleman man hauing inuited many Ghests to dinner and prepared a liberall and costly feast for their entertainment when all things were in great forwardnesse in stead of his friends whom he expected he onely receiued excuses from them that they could not come euery one pretending some businesse or other occasion that he could not keep appointment Whereat the Inuitor being horribly vexed broke out into these words saying Since all these men haue thus failed me I wish that so many Diuels of hell would feast with me to day and eat vp the victuals prouided for them And so in a great rage left the house and went to Church where was that day a Sermon His attention to which hauing tooke away the greatest part of his choler in the interim there arriued at his house a great troupe of horsmen very blacke and of extraordinarie aspect and stature who alighting in the Court called to a Groome to take their horses and bade another of the seruants run presently to his master and tell him his Ghests were come The seruant amased runneth to Church and with that short breath and little sence he had left deliuers to his master What had happened The Lord calls to the Preacher and desiring him for that time to breake off his Sermon and aduise him by his Ghostly counsel what was best to doe in so strict an exigent hee persuades him That all his seruants should with what speed they could depart the house In the meane time they with the whole congregation came within view of the Mansion Of which all his seruants as well men as maids had with great affright cleared themselues and for haste forgot and left behinde a yong childe the Noblemans sonne sleeping in the cradle By this the Diuels were reuelling in the dining chamber making a great noise as if they had saluted and welcommed one another and looked through the casements one with the head of a Beare another a Wolfe a third a Cat a fourth a Tygre c. taking bowles and quaffing as if they had drunke to the Master of the house By this time the Nobleman seeing all his seruants safe began to remember his sonne and asked them What was become of the childe Those words were scarce spoke when one of the Diuels had him in his armes and shewed him out of the window The good-man of the house at this sight being almost without life spying an old faithfull seruant of his fetcht a deep sigh and said O me what shall become of the Infant The seruant seeing his master in that sad extasie replyed Sir by Gods helpe I will enter the house and fetch the childe out of the power of yon Diuell or perish with him To whom the master said God prosper thy attempt and strengthen thee in thy purpose When hauing taken a blessing from the Priest he enters the house and comming into the next roome where the Diuels were then rioting hee fell vpon his knees and commended himselfe to the protection of Heauen Then pressing in amongst them he beheld them in their horrible shapes some sitting some walking some standing Then they all came about him at once and asked him what busines he had there He in a great sweat and agonie yet resolued in his purpose came to that Spirit which held the Infant and said In the name of God deliuer this childe to mee Who answered No but let thy master come and fetch him who hath most interest in him The seruant replied I am come now to doe that office and seruice to which God hath called me by vertue of which and by his power loe I seise vpon the Innocent And snatching him from the Diuell tooke him in his armes and carried him out of the roome At which they clamored and called aloud after Ho thou Knaue ho thou Knaue leaue the childe to vs or we wil teare thee in pieces But he vnterrified with their diabolicall menaces brought away the Infant and deliuered it safe to the father After some few dayes the Spirits left the house and the Lord re-entred into his antient possession In this discourse is to be obserued With what familiaritie these Familiar Spirits are ready to come being inuited Of the Sylvans Alexander de Alexandro makes this relation A Friend of mine of approued fidelitie saith he called Gordianus trauelling with a Neighbour of his towards A retium they lost their way and fell into desarts and vninhabited places insomuch that the very solitude bred no small feare The Sunne being set and darknesse growing on they imagin they heare men talking and hasting that way to enquire of them the readiest path to bring them
for it would breake stone vessell and make strange noise and vprore in the night time as vntiling the house and flinging great stones in at the windowes whistling and hissing in the cellar and lower roomes of the house And though it did not indanger any ones life yet oftentimes it made them breake their shinnes faces with other displeasures as flinging dishes and platters and somtimes dogs end cats into the Well Neither could this Spectar be remoued from the house till the said Maid changed her seruice To this kinde of Spirits that superstitious kind of Diuination is referred called Onomonteia which is a coniecture made by anagrammatising the names of those that come to aske counsell of the Magitian by which they take vpon them to foretell either good or bad hap There is a second kinde of Diuination called Arithmomanteia and that is two-fold one is By considering the force and vertue of the Greeke letters and in a combat to know who shall be Victor by hauing the greater number of letters in his name By the which means they fable Hector to be subdued by Achilles The second is vsed by the Chaldaeans who diuide their Alphabet into three Decads and by the section of their names and intermingled with some letters out of one of these Decads vnto certaine numbers and then refer euery number to his Planet Allyed to this is a third called Stoicheiomanteia that is When suddenly opening a booke wee consider the first verse or sentence that wee cast our eye vpon and from that coniecture some future euent So Socrates it is said predicted the day of his owne death And so Gordianus Claudius Macrinus and other Roman Emperors calculated both of their empires and liues We shall not need to call in question Whether Spirits can speake from the mouthes and tongues of others seeing we haue histories to the same purpose many and frequent Philostratus writeth That the head of Orpheus foretold to Cyrus King of Persia That he should die by the hands of a Woman The head of a Priest before dead as Aristotle witnesseth discouered Cercydes the Homicide Phlegon Trallianus writes That at the same time when the Consul Acilius Glabrio ouerthrew Antiochus the King of Asia in battell the Romans were terrified and forewarned by the Oracle from entring into Asia any more and Publius Acil. Glabrio's head beeing left by a Wolfe who had deuoured his body as if re-animated deliuered to his Army in a long Oration the discourse of a great strage and slaughter which should shortly happen to the Romans Valerius Publicola being Consull and warring vpon the Veintans and Hetruscians out of the groue Arsya one of the Syluans was heard to clamor aloud whilest the battel was yet doubtful One more of the Hetruscians shall fall and the Roman Army shal be Victors Valerius preuailed and the slaine of either part beeing numbred they found it to be iust so as the Sylvan had predicted as Valerius Maximus reporteth Who writeth further That the Image of Fortune in the Latine street was heard to speake So also an Infant of halfe a moneth old in the Ox-market And an Oxe at another time All which were the presages of great misfortunes It is reported That a Spirit in the shape and habit of Policrates was created Prince of AEtolia who tooke to wife a beautiful Ladie of the Locrensians and lay with her three nights onely and then disappeared and was seene no more He left her with child and when the time of her deliuerie came shee brought forth an Hermophrodite of a monstrous and prodigious shape at which the parents of the Lady much astonished calling the Senatours together in the market place caused it there to be publiquely shewen and then demanded of them What should be done with the Monster Some gaue their censure That they should burie it aliue others That it should be consumed with fire and some againe That the mother with it should be banished and excluded the confines of AEtolia Whilest they were in this deliberation Polycrates appeares in the midst of them in a long black garment and first with faire intreaties and then with rough menaces demands of them his sonne Whom they denying to surrender he snatcht it from the armes of the Nurse which held it and eat it vp before them all saue the head and then instantly vanished The AEtolians at this horrid spectacle strooke with feare and wonder fell to a second Counsell amongst them to send to the Oracle to know what this portent might signifie When suddenly the Infants head in the market place began to moue and speake and in a graue sollid speech predicted a great slaughter to ensue The which happened not long after in a great war continued betwixt the AEtolians and the Acarnenses A Question may arise Whether a Spirit hath the power to take away a mans sence of feeling so that hee shall not shrinke at torture but as it were sleepe vpon the racke c. Or Whether they haue the power to cast men into long sleepes as wee haue read of some who haue not onely slept moneths but yeares and afterwaked Of the first there is no question for many Witches and praestigious Magi haue endured torments beyond the sufferance of man without the least sorrow or complaint sigh or grone Some vsing naturall Vnguents Oiles extracted from Opium Nightshade and other herbes and mineralls of wonderfull operation by which the humors are disturbed sound sleepe is begotten the Sences stupified and the feeling hindred Some haue this power from a Contract made with the Diuell vsing medicines or applications made of the small bones the ashes or fat of Infants or of men slaine or executed or by swallowing a King of the Bees who is prime Ruler of the Hiue and bigger than the rest or by binding about certaine parts of their body scrolls of parchment inscribed with diabolicall characters or by the muttering of some inchantment Of which diuers Writers haue from their knowledge giuen sufficient testimonie as Grillandus Paris de Puteo Hippolitus de Marseilis Dodimus c. Now concerning long sleepe and first of those seuen brothers of Ephesinum commonly called the seuen Sleepers These vnder the Emperor Decius in the yeare 447 endured many and cruell torments for the profession of the Christian Faith Their names were Marcus Maximilianus Martinianus Dionysius Iohannes Serapion and Constantinus Who after examination and torment were shut into a dark caue there to be famished but hauing commended themselues in prayer vnto God they laid them down to rest and awaked not till two hundred yeares after Which time being expired and the doore of the Caue by Gods prouidence being opened they waking rose and walking forth began to wonder at the change and alteration of things as not knowing any place or face they looked on at length they were brought before the Emperor Theodosius and gaue sufficient testimony of the Resurrection to many
Christians who in that point doubted Somwhat like this is that which Paulus Diaconus writeth That in the vtmost parts of Germany towards the North and neere to the sea side there is a great mountaine and beneath it a darke and obscure Cauerne in which fiue men were found sleeping their bodies and garments in no part consumed but sound and whole as at the first who by their habits appeared to be antient Romans Certaine of the inhabitants had often made attempt to waken them but could not Vpon a time a wicked fellow purposing to dispoile and rob one of them of his garment he no sooner toucht it but his hand withered and dried vp Olaus Magnus was of opinion That they were confined thither to some strange purpose that when their trance was expired they might either discouer strange Visions reuealed vnto them or else they were to teach and preach the Christian Faith to Infidels who neuer knew the Euangelicall Doctrine I spake before of certaine notes or indubitable marks by which the good Spirits or Angels might be distinguished from the bad Genij or euill Daemons It shall not be amisse to amplifie that point somewhat more by Circumstance and illustrate it by Historie The good Angels are imployed in nothing saue the honour of God and the profit and preseruation of good men When on the contrarie the Caca-Daemons aime all their enterprises and endeauours to derogate from Gods worship and assume it to themselues and by their flattering deceptions and oily insinuations with man to worke the vtter subuersion both of soule and body For as Sathan hath the power to transforme himselfe from an ougly Diuel to an Angell of Light therefore ought we to haue the greater care both to distinguish him in his shape and discouer him in his nature For all apparitions whatsoeuer which persuade to blasphemie superstition lying man-slaughter luxurie or any other thing execrable doe infallibly proceed onely from the Diuell Againe that Spirit that coueteth to be adored or that prompts vs to desire knowledge in things curious and vnnecessarie or that counterfeits it selfe to become a subiect or seruant to man by the vertue of any herbe stone mettall wood or other creature he is a Diuell Those also that put themselues vnder any certain constellations by which to beget rare and prodigious effects whereby the worke is taken from the Creator and attributed vnto his creatures the Starres those are Diuels In briefe all those operations Conjurations Incantations Abjurations Murmurations all those Conuenticles and nightly assemblies in places desart and remote of Witches Sorcerers Magitions Conjurers and such like haue the great Diuell himselfe for their Authour and Abettor In a Chronicle belouging to the House of the Frier Minors in Auergne this historie is related This Couent hauing liued long in contented pouerty and peace of minde as Saint Francis their Founder had left them the Diuell enuying theit abstinence and strictnesse of life takes vpon him the shape of a seruant and insinuateth himselfe into a Noblemans family whose house was not far from the Monasterie to whom he was so diligent and appeared so obseruant in all things that hee made him his Steward committed all his affaires vnto his charge and gaue him the gouernment of his whole house and family Hauing crept into this great credit and fauour and obseruing that his Lord and Master was of a penurious and gripple condition and although this poore religious Brotherhood was placed neere him yet he neuer at any necessitie relieued them with any charitable largesse or almes Of whom when mention was made in any discourse betwixt his Lord and him this subtill Impostor began exceedingly to commend their sanctitie and asperitie of life and persuaded his master That he could performe no one act so acceptable vnto God and profitable for his soules health as to relieue this Fraternitie with a free and boâ—ntifull hand His words proued so effectuall with his Lord that thinking to do a meritorious act hee sent them dayly full dishes from his table vpon the open dayes flesh of all sorts and vpon their dayes of fast of fish the most curious and delicate that could be prouided so that in a short time the good Friers had left the care of their bookes to take charge of their bellies and neglected their deuotions to feed high and drinke hard Which being obserued by one of the Seniors of the Societie who much grieued that they had fotsakeu their former austeritie to embrace such a dissolute life and perceiuing whence they grew to be such Libertines he tooke with him one of the same Fellowship a man of his own strict conuersation with purpose to giue the Nobleman a visit Who making them friendly and courteous entertainment this Frier amongst other discourse demanded of the Lord the reason why he being so many yeares together so sparing and close-handed toward his Brethten was of late grown so profusely bountifull Who answered That it was at the great intercession of his iust and faithfull Steward whom he much loued and no lesse trusted The Religious man desired that he might be acquainted with this good seruanr To which motion the Nobleman was very willing and caused him to be enquired for and called into his presence Who after much delay being forced to shew himselfe the Deuout man by some secret marke or other before spoken of knowing him to be a wicked Spirit hee instantly disappeared and was no more seene Thus the Impostor being discouered to the great wonder of the Nobleman the good Frier returning backe to the Monasterie told to the Brotherhood what had happened by which hee reduced them to their former deuotion and austeritie of life Against these subtill temptations of this crafty and deceitfull Pannurgust there are no such profitable and wholsome preuentions as fasting and prayer as appeareth by that of Antonius Laverinus the vnblemished authoritie of whose name we haue vsed before the better to countenance some former Histories He comming by godly meditations to heale a Daemoniacke or one possessed with a Diuell after he had vsed certaine holy and deuout prayers such as are vsed in the like Exorcismes the obstinat Diuell began to menace him and told him that hee would be with him that night to his great terror and affright and therefore wished him to prepare himselfe against his expected comming To whom he againe as confidently answered that if he failed of his word and kept not his promise he would hold him for one of the basest and most abject Diuels that fell with their arch-Captaine Lucifer That night Anthon. Laver. heard him knocke three seuerall times at his chamber doore and suspecting him to be the Diuell betooke himselfe to his deuotions and prayers commending his safetie to the protection of God and his good Angells and made no other answer The Diuell went then to the top of the house and began to vntile the roofe as if hee purposed there
ibid. The Golden World 275. The concordance betwixt the Dominations and Iupiter ibid. Of the Vertues with Mars 276. The maleuolent aspect of Mars 277. Of the Potestates with the Sunne 278. Of Starres that receiue names from the Sun ibid. The Trinitie in Vnitie figured in the Sunne 279. Concord betwixt the Principats and Venus ibid. The Arch Angels and Mercury 280 Betwixt the Angels and the Moone 281. The Premisses illustrated 282. Three Religions most profest 283. What the Iewes say for themselues 284. Wherein the Mahumetan opposeth the Christian ibid. Mahomets imposterous Miracles Saints and Reliques 285. The Creation of things according to Mahomet and of his Paradise 286. The first Sow according to Mahomet and why Sowes flesh is not eaten in Paradise 287. The first Mouse the first Caâ— and the joyes of Heauen according to Mahomeâ— 288. His palpable and absurd ignorance with his opinion of Angels 289. Aridiculous tale in Mahomets Alcaron 290. Of the Priscillians and Manichees exploded Heretiques 291. Wherein blessednesse consisteth according to the Manichees 292. Of Truth 293. The Philosophers and Fathers of Truth 294. The Poets of Truth 295. An exceâ—lent discourse of Cardinall Pascalis of Truth 296. Truth constant and subiect to no change 297. Religion grounded vpon Truth 298. Religion defined against those that make it a cloake for hipocrisie 299. Three opinions concerning Christ 300. Iosephus Pontius Pilat c witnesses of Christ 301. An Epistle of Pliny to Trajan the Emperor concerning Christians 302. Diuers Ethnieke Princes who fauored the Christians 303. Caesar Maximinus his oration concerning Christians And of Cublay Emperour of Tartaria 304. What a Miracle is 306. Wonders in Nature 307. Of Christs Miracles 308. Origen Greg. Chrisost. c. of the Virgin Mary 309. Christ miraculous in his birth life doctrine and death 310 c. Twelue grieuous sufferings of Christ 315. Of the great Eclipse at his death 316. The life and death of Mahomet 319 c. Beza his Epigram of Religion 322. Pope Greg. of Christs death 323. An Emblem 324. A Meditation 327. THE CONTENTS OF THE SIXTH TRACTAT A Discourse of the Heart of man 331. The inconstancie of Mans Heart 332. How many wayes the Heart of man is insidiated ibid. How it may be reconciled to the Creator 333. Sundry opinions concerning the creation of Angels 334. Angels created with the Light 335. Lucifers glory in his Creation 336. He is figured in Tyrus 337. The creation of Man the Soule the Body and what Man is 338. The Incarnation of Christ reuealed to the Angels 339. Lucifers Rebellion the cause thereof The Battell betwixt Michael and the Diuell 340. The Fall of Angels and the weapons vsed in the Battell 341. How long Lucifer remained in Glory 342. The power he hath since his Fall ibid. The Fall of Adam his offence and punishment 343. Of Hell according to the Poets Tibullus 344. Virgil Seneca Valer. Flacchus Lucretius c. 345. Of Hell according to the Scriptures and Fathers 346. The torments of Hell 347. The seuerall denominations of Hell ibid. Lucians Dialogue called Nycio Manteia i. an Answer from the Dead 348. The cause of Menippus trauell to Hell 350. The Ciuill Lawes compared with the doctrines of the Poets ibid. The vanitie of Philosophers and their wranglings discouered 351. Lucians meeting with the Magition Mithrobarzanes 352. His superstâ—tionsâ— and Incantations discouered and derided 353. A description of his passage to Hell 355. Of Minos the Iudge with his proceeding against the Prisoners 355. Diuers great men arraigned and sentenced 357. A description of the torments 358. Of the Heroes and demy-gods 359. The equalitie that is in Hell 360. A comparison of the life of man ibid. Great men on earth how vilified in Hell 361. The estate of Socrates Diogenes and the like in hell 362. A Decree made in Hell against rich men ibid. Tyresius his counsell What life is safest to leade on earth 363. Menippus his passage from hell 364. Further discourse of the Heart of man 365. Manlius of the ambition of Mans heart 366. The instabilitie and corruption thereof 367. Further of the Creation of the Angels when and where 368. The Angelicall nature how vnderstood 369. Diuers questions and difficulties concerning Angels reconciled 370. The order that God vsed in the Creation 371. Angels immutable and that no Soule but hath an Angell to attend it 372. What best pleaseth the Angels They gouerne Nations Angell a name of office not of nature 373. Nazianzen of the Angels 374. Of the forming and fashioning of Man ibid. The three dignities of the Soule and the end why Man was created 375. Three great gifts bestowed on Man in the Creation ibid. Three opposit euils 376 A iust measure of mans body ibid. Three sorts of liuing Spirits created by God 377 Of the Soule of man 378. The Philosophers concerning the Soule 379. Iohannes de Canis a Florentine Physition 380. The Poets of the Soule 381. Of Man in generall 382. Against such as deny the Resurrection 383. Difference betwixt the liues of Beasts Men and Angels ibid. Of the birth of Man 384 The Ethnicks of Man ibid. Homer with other Poets of Man 385. Adages and Emblems of Man 386. Hierogliphycks of Man 387. Ethnicks of Hell 388. The Rabbins of the locall place of Hell 389. The figure of Moloch 390 Lucians Dialogue intituled Nyciomanteia with Sir Thom. Mores Argument thereupon 390 c. The acts of Alexander Hannibal and Scipio 392 c A discourse of hell fire 397. Reasons prouing the perpetuity of the torments 398. An Emblem 399. A Meditation 401. THE CONTENTS OF THE VII TRACTAT VVIsedome contemplateth the wonderfull works of God 407. The Sun 408. The Moone Stars Rainbow Snow Lightning Haile Mountains Winds Thunder Raine Frost Ice c 409 c. The quality and condition of malignant Spirits 410. Diuels retaine their first naturall faculties 411. The degrees among Diuels of which Lucifer is prime 412. Lucifers figure and description 413. Prioritie obserued among the Diuels with necessarie obseruations 415. The Diuels striue to imitate God 410. An excellent historie expressing the instabilitie of Fortune ibid. The originall of Idolatry illustrated from the former historie 435. Nine Classes of Diuels with their seueral Orders 436. The sundry names of Diuels and what they signifie 437. Of the number of Angels that fell more Angels than men more men than Angels 438. Of the motion of Angels ibid. The distance betwixt the eighth heauen and the earth 439. All intelligent Substances are incorporeall 440 Sathan and the euill Daemons bounded in their malice ibid. The admirable knowledge f Spirits 441. How and wherein their knowledge is limited 442. Their equinocating answers in the Oracles ibid. Good Angels cannot erre 443. Of Contracts made betwixt man and Sathan ibid. The manner of the diuels temptations set down the better to aâ—oid them 444. Pasetis a great Magition ibid. Seueral Magicke books fathered vpon good and godly men ibid. Seuerall mettals ascribed
to euery sundry Planet 445. The vainnesse of these superstitions discovered 446 All Magicke condemned at Paris 447. Of wilfull ignorance 448. Salomon of wilfull Ignorance 449. The excellencie of Knowledge 450. Of the Knowledge of our selues 451. The Poets of Selfe-knowledge 452. The difference betwixt knowledge and wisdom 453. The etymologie of Wisedome ibid The excellencie of Wisedome 454. The wisedome of the Iust ibid. The Poets of Wisedome 455. Wise and witty sayings 457. Ianus Vitalis of antient Rome 459. Sundry Apothegmes of Orators Captaines and Emperors 460. Of things prodigious 462. Of Prodegies hapning before the death of Princes 463. God made not death 464. Adam Eve and the Serpent 465. Of Spirits that challenge to themselues Diuine worship 466. The Sarronides of Gaul 467. Humane Sacrifices performed at Rome 468. The antiquitie of Magicke as being before the Floud 469. The seuerall sorts of Magicke ibid. Of the Witch Hercyra and the Magition Artesius 470. All Magicke includes a compact with the diuell 471. A strange historie of one Theophilus ibid The manner of homage done to the Diuell 472 Of Pythagoras and the Magition Iamnes 473 A story of the Count of Vestravia 474. The Witch Oenoponte and others 475. Of Spirits called Paredrij inclosed in Rings and of such as vsed them 476. Of women that haue changed their sex 477. Histories to that purpose 478. The history of Machates and Philemium 479. Spirits that haue possessed dead bodies 480. A discourse of Astrologie 481. Philosophers concerning it 482. Against Iudicatorie Astrologie 483. Of Mathesis or Mathema 484. An Emblem 485. A Meditation 488. THE CONTENTS OF THE EIGHTH TRACTAT OF Daemons in generall 495 Homer Tresmegistus and others of Daemons 496 Their power and practise 497. Powers and Potestates of the aire 499. Spirits called Incubi and Succubae 500. A story of an Incubus and a Succubus 501. Spirits of the foure Elements 502. Spirits of fire and strange prodegies 503. Of Ignes fatui Ambulones c. 505. Spirits of the aire strange prodegies wrought by them 506. Spirits of the water 507. A strange historie of two Scottish noblemen 508 Of diuers great Magitions 509. Spirits of the earth Genij Lares Larvae Lemures c. 510. Discourse of Spectars 511. Further of Paredrij or Familiar Spirits 512. A pleasant story of Iohn Teutonicus ibid. A strange story of a familiar Spirit 514. Of Galeatius Sforza and others 515 c. Of Pride 519. The effects of Pride 520. Of Pambo and the pride of Domitian Caesar 522. Of Sapor King of Persia and others 523. Of Ingratitude 525 c. Of Michael Traulus and others 528. Scripture and the Poets of Ingratitude 529. Of Humilitie 530. The Fathers of Humilitie 531. The Poets of Humilitie 532. Of Gratitude 534. Histories of Gratitude 535. An Hierogliphycke 536. An Emblem 537. The Poets extolling Gratitude 538. The story of a Votaresse called Christian 539. Of the Mahumetan Neffesoglij 540. A strange accident hapning in the Diocesse of Cullein 541. A strange and miraculous Birth ibid. Diuers other strange relations ibid c. Spirits haue no power of the heauens nor starres 543. A strange tale of Spectars 544. Stories of the Spirits of the aire and of the Indian Magi 545. Strange prodigious things in the aire 546. Of Bruno Bishop of Herbipol 547. The manner how the Duke of Venice yearly marieth the Ocean ibid. A strange story of Hotherus king of Suetia and Daciae 548. Strange things of watry Spirits 549. Diuers sorts of Spirits of the earth 550. A strange disease as strangely cured 551. Of Spectra Meridiana or Noone-Diuels ibid. Discourse of Alastores 552. The Lamiae or Larvae and stories concerning them 553. A desperat aduenture of two Bohemian knights 554. An Emblem 555. A Meditation 558. THE CONTENTS OF THE NINTH TRACTAT THe power and strength of Wine 564. Of the King ibid. Of Women 565. Of Truth 566. Of Zijm Ohim Satyrs Ostriches c. 567. Of Subterren Spirits called Cobali 568 Spirits the cause of earth-quakes 569. Of treasure kept by Spirits 570. A strange attempt of a Botcher 571. A strange story of Cabades King of Persia 573. Of Spirits called Luci-fugi Hob-goblins Robin Good-fellowes Fairies c. 574. A strange story reported by Fincelius 575. Of Dacius Bishop of Mediolanum ibid. A strange story of one recouered to life 576. A pleasant story of a Spirit of the Buttry 577. Certaine marks to know good Spirits from bad 580. What shape Diuels may assume and what not ibid. How euill Spirits may be knowne 581 Of Musicke and the velocitie of the heauens and Planets 582. The ambition of man to search into hidden secrets 583. Seueral opinions of Philosophers touching God ibid. Their opinions of the Soule 585. And the immortalitie thereof 586. Of Couetousnesse 589. The Poets of Couetousnesse 590. The sordidnesse thereof 591. The power of Gold 592. The Fathers of Auarice 594. Historicall examples of Auarice 595. Couetous Emperors 596. An Hierogliphycke Emblem c. of Couetousnesse 597. The Witches of Warboys 598. Of seuerall kindes of Spirits 599. A strange story of a Nobleman of Silesia 600. Diuers stories of Sylvan Spirits 601 c. The seuen Sleepers 606. A strange story of a Spirit 607. Anton. Laverinus and the Diuell 609. Miserable ends of sundry Magitions 610. Empedocles Michael Sidecita and others 613 614. The miserable end of Cornel. Agrippa 615. An Emblem 616. A Meditation 619. FINIS Errata PAg. 9 Lin. 21. reade effect p 12 l. 4. r. one p. 14. l 13. r. Theognis p. 30. l. 4. r. summus p. 51 l. 18. adde puella p. 61 l. 20. a mistake in the star p. 148. l. 16. r. tenent p. 188. l. 1 r. Vrbem p. 190 l. 30. r. blessed p. 200 l. 7. for two r. three p. 203. l. 26 r. the other p. 212 l. 20 r. or p. 242 l. 1. then r when p. 263 l. 35. r globus p. 264 larco r. lurco nique r inque ni r. in p. 283 l. 28. r. symptoms p. 297 lâ— 31. r. flouds p. 349 l. 22 r. tye p. 382 l. 18. r. terram p. 400. l. 30. r. Acherontis p. 433 l. 10. alasâ—e r. a losse p. 439 l. 19. aine r. paine p. 485 l. vlt. r. cupessas p. 506 l. 11. r. tunnes p. 538 l. 17. r. rependere l. 24. r. medullis p. 557 l. 4. r. meus p. 574 l. 3 adde sends God in the Conscience In the Stars The Sun The Moon The Earth The Beasts Riuers Fields Seas The globe of the Earth Man Homo microcosmus Hermes Tresmâ—gist Cicer. de Nat. Deor. lib. 2. Arist. Metaph. The Poets concerning God Tit. Calphur. Eglog 4. Hor. lib. 3. Od. 4. Lucan lib 3. de Bel. Ciuil Metamor lib. 8 Petron. Arbit in Fragm Stat. Sylv. ti 5. Meaning the Angels Arist. ad Antip. AEneas Numa Pompil Virg. AEnead Epirus Brennus Sacriledge punished Religion from the beginning The multiplicitie of gods among the Gentiles * As twice borne Priap god of
Rules to know faire weather or foule by the Sunne Apollo Why a god The names of the Horses of the Sunne Luna The Philosophers concerning the Moone The Poets of the Moone The senerall denominations of the Moone Why shee is said to loue Endimion Conjecturâ— of weather by the Moone Of Folly Diuersities of Fooles The effects of Folly Excuse for sinnes Customes not commendable are not to be kept Angeli in quot Choros diuiduntur The first Chorus The Seraphim and his office The Cherubim The Thrones Dominions Vertues Potestates Principates Arch-Angels Angels The Offices of the three Ternions Quomod Angel Chori sunt Concatinati Of such as hold there are no Angels or Spirits The opinion of the Peripateticks Natura Intelligilis Their opinions confuted And these Creatures the Angels Angels and Spirits proued from dreames The Dreame of Simonides Sylla a noble man in Rome Sabellicus Calphurnia the wife of Iulius Caesar. Caesars dream Amilcars dreame Paâ—sanias of Socrates Examples from the Old Testament Examples from the New Testament * If the later Herod were called a Fox the former who slew the young Infants may carrie a worse title Angels Angels visible Evill Spirits Digression The opinion of Rhabbi Achiba concerning Spirits The opinion of two learned Rabbies concerning Amor Odium Their reason of this Antipathie The Effect of these exprest in King Ferdinand The Effect proued in Iudges This is alleadged by Doctor Strozza lib. de Natur. Mag. of some particular men whom he had obserued in Italy in his time The Effect proued in Princes A true story Of Poets and Poetry A Meditation of Death Thersites deformed and Nereus the faire Greeke whom Homer loued The honour due vnto Poets The honour done to Poets of old A Satyricall poet An Epick poet A Tragicke poet Rob. Greene. Christ. Marlo Thomas Kid. Thom. Watson Thomas Nash. Francis Bewmont William Shake-speare Beniam Iohnson Iohn Fletcher Iohn Webster c. In his Elegy intitled quam misera sit conditio docentiuÌ„ literas humaniores c. Poenia is Paupertas or of pouerty Read Aristophanes in his Lenady called Platus Apollo who kept Admetus his Cattell Epigram eiusdem inscrip ad amicos Nemomeos ciâ—eres violis fragralibus ornet c. A reason giuen of the premisses Spirits Saturnine Iovial Mercuriall Spiriâ—â— Of the essence of Angels Arist Ethiâ— cap 9. The Platonists difference betwixt gods and Demons Psal. 8. Minuisti eum paulo minus ab Angelis Tertullian lib. de carn Christ. Orig. periarc cap. 2.3 Gen. 6. Psellus Apul. Philoponus Meruâ—a Olimpiodor Gaudentius c. The Fathers who opposed the former in this point Reasons to proue Angels incorporeat Two Arabian writers The solution of the former doubts This Councel was held vnder Pope Innocent the third Iohn Cap 4. The number of a Legion S. Gregory expounded A returne to thâ— first position Zach. 1.2 S. Aug. de Cognitione veritatis cap. 8. Dr. Strozza Lib. de Natur. magia Apocal. 7. Arist. Intellig. planet Tobit 6.12 Apoc. 8. These they call the Anâ—â—â—â— of the Zodiacke The first Quaternion The second Quatern The third Quatern The fourth Quatern Foure Angels ouer the foure Elements The sentence of the Councel against the Schismaticks Atheisme confesseth a sole Deity The object of Gods will in the Creation Homil sup Psal. 44. The Imployment of the Angels Coloss. 1.16 Meaning Saint Peter Lib de Somn. Vigil The Definition of Dreams Laert. lib. 6. Lib. 19. de Animalibus Eudemus his Dreame Galen Quint. Catulus Sophocles Alexander the Philosopher Sfortia M Antonius Torellus Alcibiades Croesus Aterius Ruffus Cambyses his Dreame Aspasia Titus Atimius Histories concerning predictions Nero. Philip K. of Macedon The Emperor Dioclesian Henry King of France Plato's opinion concerning Spirits The Academiques Pherecid Cyrus A Rhodian Porphirius SocraticuÌ„ Demonium Charmiades Strange opinions concerning Spirits The Sadduces answered Of Death Charon Mercury Charon Merc. Menippus Merc. Charmeleus Merc. Lampichus Merc. Lamp Merc. Lamp Merc. Lamp Merc. Lamp Merc. Lamp Merc. Damasius Merc. Damas. Merc. Damas. Merc. Crato Merc. Crato Merc. Menip Merc. Philosopher Menip Merc. Philos. Merc. Menip Merc. Menip Merc. Menip Merc. Menip Philos. Merc. Rhetorician Merc. Philos. Menip Merc Menip Philos. Menip Mercâ— Menip Mere. Menip Max. serm 36. Of Constancy in death Alian de var. hist. Plutar. in Laconic Apo. Seneca Content of Life Of Poetry Honour conferred on Poets from Antiquity Of Poets Scipio The Greeke Poets Euripides Sophocles Aratus Archias Cherilus Samius Gorgius Manilius Lenaeus Menander Homerus Iunior Oppianus Poetr miseria Homer Virgil. Ovid. Horace Hesiod These were Antiphon and Chlimenus Lynus Apollo sagip Antipater Sydon Bassus Cesius Lysimachus Plautus Calisthenes Quintus Lactantius Catulus Ibichus AEscilus Anacreon Petronius Arbiter Sapho Cuddy the Sheepeheard speaketh That Spirits haue power to transport men or beasts The great power of Spirits Daniel 14. Histories of strange transportations Apoll. Tyan Iamblicus Iohannes Teutonicus Euchides Platensis A strange History A noble man of Insubria The transportation of Witches A strange History of a maid of Bergamus Antonius Leo Captaine Antonius Adrianus Patricius Calligraphus Prince Partharus The Emperor Constantine Apoll. Tianaeus Govarus Caueats againg Temptation Objects are main motiues Of Deceit * The Hedgehogge Gods Power Wisedome Goodnesse Diouys Areopag de Celest. Hierarch The Concordance betwixt the Seraph and the Primum Mobile 1 Primus Motor * i. Pri. Mobile The Concordance betwixt the Cherub the starry Heauen The Concordance betwixt The Thrones and Saturne The Goulden World The Concord betwixt the Dominations and Iupiter Pythagoras The Concordance of the Vertues with Mars S. Mathew Ptolomaeus Hermetes Firmicus Alcabilius The malevolent Aspects of Mars The Concord of the Potestates with the Sunne Stars receiue names from the Sunne So Ptolomaeus and Firmicus write The Trinity in Vnity figured in the Sonne The Concord betwixt the Principates and Venus Orpheus in Testamento Amâ—r creauiÌ„t Mundum Dionysius Hocretheus Iamblicus The Concord betwixt the Arch-Angels and Mercury Ptolomaeus Firmicus Ovid. Meâ— The Concordance betwixt the Angels the Moone The various Influences of the Moone Averroës The former illustrated by a familiar example The three Religions at this day profest How the Iewes approue their Religion Wherein the Mahumetan opposeth the Christian Religion Meaning the second Person in the Trinity Their Abstemiousnesse Imposturous miracles Mahomâ—it Saints This Relique is a paire of old stinâ—king shooes Schollers adâ—mitted to read controuersies The Creation of things according to Mahomet These are all Principles in Mahomets Alcaron That the Earth was inhabited by Diuells 7000 yeres by Angels 1000 yeares Mahomets Paradise Mahomets reason why Sows flesh is not eaten in Paradice The first Sow according to Mahomet The first Mouse The first Cat. The Ioyes in heauen according to Mahomet Alcoron lib. 3. cap. 19. Alcaron lib. 3. cap. 6.276.34 A necessarie obseruation Mahomets Lapable and absurd Ignorance Mahomet of the Angels One of Mahomets Ridiculous Fables Adriel Mahomet Angell of