Section 92

Another merry conceit remains, that three ?chroles of Paper not touched, (hall change
their places.
This cannot be done but an ignorant man will admire it. Make three long Schroles of Paper, or of linen, and let them be one longer then another, equally; for all of them being made equal at the lower end, and turn'd about equally, chey take one the others place, and change their fituation j put the longeft in the middle or in the firft place, they change their fituation ; if thelongcft be put laft,they hold as they were. No man but will think this to be done by the Divel, yet this proceeds from no ether caufe, but becaufein the end of the revolution, the longer remain?, and the laft from whence it rifetb Hays bchinde. Anftotle in his Problems feems to mean this, why the Section of a Paper , if any man cut it off ftraight from the plain bafis in meafuring, it will be ftraight when ic is turned about ; but if it be bended, it will be twifted? vvhethet this falls out , that when the rounds of another Section are placed on the fame plain, that Section declining, is not equally oppofite,but fomewhat lefs: where- fore when yon part them, thofe rounds that are contain'd in the fame plain, will make a line, that belongs to their own order, &c. Some were deceived, who thought this proceeded from the force of words, and they anfwered all quettions by ic as from an Oracle : for if they changed their places , all fhould go well and profper , otherwife they (hculd have ill fuccefs ; and they would not change their fupcrftitious belief, with reafon and experience , becaufe they had fo believed many years. If you will have
Money to turn about upon a point,
I oft have feen Tmpoftors that to cheat women ufed this fraud , that two Schrolcs of Paper, or fome other light matter upon a plain, fhould lift up themfelves, and move alone. If you fcarch in Barley, you (hall finde a fmall ear of wilde Oates, that is black and wrefted, like the foot of a Locuft ; and if you binde this with wax to the top of a Knife, or point of a Stile, and (hall fprinkle foftly fome drops of water upon them, when it feels the wet, it will twift like a Harp firing, and the Paperwill rife, andfo will Money turn on the point of a Stile. If we will
DiJ cover theft,
we may do it thus, and recover what is loft. There are many fuperftitions for thefc, that ftand by Natural reafons, and Cheaters afcribe them to the vertueof Words. There is the Eagle ftone,fo called, it is as one great with childe ; for (hake the flone, and it rings in the belly: If then any one powder this , and put it into good bread baked upon the Embers, and give it to a Thief, the Thief cannot fwallow it, when
he
The Chaos. ^07
he hath chewed it , but hemuft either be choked, or difcovered for a Thief . for he cannot fwallow it being baked with that, as V.ofcortdes faith. The Natural caufe lor this is, becaufe the powder thac is mingled with the bread is lb dry , that ic makes the bread extresm dry , and like a pumifh, that it cannot be ;waik. wed , wbenic comes into the thioat. Adde 10 this, that he who feeks to finde a Thi;f, mufi fay to the fianders by,whom he fufpe£b that be will work wonders ; whereupon ;5ethat is the Thief, hath his throat very dry, byreafonof the fear and terrour he ij in ; fo thac he cannot fwallow this bread with the powder in it , for k will flick to his throat j for if he were void of fear he could fcarcc fwallow ic. There is another cunning invention : they write the names of thofe thac are fufpefited upon Schroles of Paper, and make themfaft in clay bullet?, and put them under the water, the pel- lets being well wet, open,aod the light fchroles of Paper rife above the water. A nd thiscaufcth the fpc&ators to admire, andcofeppofe it is fome diabolical arr. The clay pellets are made as many as the ftanders by are , and the names writ in the fchroles, are wrapt up in the pcllccs : for the fchroles thac are cot very fail wrapc in the pellets, are not very faft bound in ; buc if you will have chem never co open, you fhall work ic well wich the fchrole, and fo it will never come fotth. If you will have
Flowers to faH from a Tree :
When I faw this firft I was amazed, but I asked the reafon, and he (hewed me it. It is a property of Mullens, that when in the morning ic opens the Flowers, if the Plane be fhaken gently, the Flowers drying by degrees will fall all to the ground ; and one that fees it will think ic comes from Magical Art, if he that fhakes them off fhall mum- ble ibmc idle words. Alfo,
Women are made to caff off" their clothes and go naked: To let nothing pafs that Jugglers and Impoftors counterfeit , They fet a Lamp wi;fi Characters graved upon it , and filled with Hares fat ; then they mumble forth fomc words, and light ic j when ic burns in che middle of womens company, ic conflrains them ail to caft off their clothes, and voluntarily to fhew chemielves naked unto men ; they behold all their privities, that otherwife would be covered, and the wo- men will never leave dancing fo long as the Lamp burns : and this was related to me by men of credit. 1 believe this effect can come from nothing but the Hares fat, the force whereof perhaps isvenemous, and penetrating che brain , moves iberntothis madnefs. Homer faith, The Miffagetae did the like , and that there are Trees whofe fruit caft into the fire, will make all that are neer to be drunk and foolifh ; for they will prefendy rife from their feats, and fall to leaping, and danciDg. There are Thieves abb
Who bore through the head of a 'Pullet with an Auley and jet maintain that {be is alive.
And they fay it is done by conjuration, and they promife to make a man hard by this, thac he cannot be wounded; for with Jbme Characters ':raudulently invented and bound under che wiags , theythrufl through the head of the Cock with a Bodkin, and ftaying awhile , they pull ic forch again , and the Pullet flics away without any wound, or lofs of blood. When I confidered of this, and opened the Pallets head, I found it to be parted in the middle, and the Knife or Bodkin paffing through that place, hurts not the brain , and I have often tried it, and found it true. There is alfo
A remedy for the Sciatica, Great Cato9 the chief man for all commodity, and the Matter Gf all good Arts, as VU- kj faith, In his Books of Husbandry he ufed fomc charms agaicft the pains of the Sciatica , faying , that if any thing be diflocated, you may charm it whole again by this means. Take a °reen Reed four or five foot long, cut it in the middle, and let two men hold th ta duries dardaries ajlatanes dtfunapiter^ .until fuch time as they joyn together , and fhake about your i word, when they come together, and one ccuchcth the other, take
4.08 Natural Magick. 200^20.
that in your right hand , and cut it afunder with your left ; bind it to the place diflo- cated or broken, and it will be whole. See how fo worthy a learned mm brake forth into fuch madnefs; nor did he know by his great learning, that without the force of Words,grcen Reeds cut long-ways, will turn round of tberafelves and meet, if they be pendulous, as the wands of Willows , and brambles will do. Jheophra- fitu gives the reafon why they turn round, in his Books Ve Cattfs PUntarttm. More- over we reade in Viiofcorid.es , that a Reed with Vinegar applied to the hucklcbones will cure the Luxation of the loins, without words or fupcrftition.
Chap. IX.
Offome Experiments of a Lamp*
I Much rejoycedwhen I found amongft the Ancients, that Anaxikm the Philofo- pher, was wont to make fport with the Snuff of a Candle and the Wick, and by fuch delufions would make mens.heads fliew like Monfters, if we may believe Pliny : By taking the venomous matter comes from Mares newly having taken Horfe, and burning in new Lamps , for it will make mens heads feem likeHorfheads, and fuch like : but becaufe I gave no credit to thefe things , I never cared to try them. Br take thefe for truth.
To make men feem like to BlacknforcS)
Take Ink, but the beft comes from Cutles : mingle this with your Lamps, and the flame will be black. Anaxilattt is reported to have done this , for oft-times by min- gling Cutles Ink, he made the ftanders by as black as Ethiopians. Simeon Sethi faith , That if any man fhall dip a Wick in Cutles Ink , and Verdigreafe, thofc that and by will feem partly Brafs-colour, partly Black, by reafon of the mixture. And we may imitate this in all colours ; for fetting afide all other lights that might hin- der it , for elfc the other lights will fpoil the fport, and if you do it by day, (hut the windows left the light come in there and deftroy the delufion. If the Lamp be green Glafs and tranfparent , that the rays coming through may be dyed by the colour of the medium ( which is of great confequence in this ) and green Coppras be mingled with the Oyl,-or whatmoyfture it burns with , and they be well ground together, that the liquor may be green ; make your Cottcn of feme linnen of the fame colour, crbombaft; this being fmeered with it , muft burn in that Lamp: the light that is oppofite againft you,will fhew all faces of the beholders and other things to be green.
To make the face feem extream pale and lean}
This is eafie ; pour into a large Glafs very old Wine, or Greek Wine, and caft a hand- ful of Salt into it: fet the Glafs upon burning coles without flame, left the Glafs fliould break, it will prefently boil ; put a Candle to it, and light it j then put out all other lights, and it will make the faces of the ftanders by to be fuch, that they will be one afraid of another. The fame falls out in (hops , where Bells and Metals are melted, for they feem fo ftrangely coloured in the dark, that you would wonder at it , their lips look pale, wan, and black, and blew : Alio let Brimftonc , when it burn?, be fet in the middle of the company , and it will do the fame more powerfully, Anaxilam the Philofopher w. 4 wont to work by fuch delufions. For Brimftonc put into a new cup, and fet on fire, and carried about , by the repercufllon of it when it bum?, makes the company look pale and terrible. That oft-times happened tome when at Naples I walked in the night in the Leucogcan Mountains ; for the Brimflone burning cf it lelf, made me look fo.
Chap.
The Chaos.
Chap. X.
Of fome mechanical Experiments,
TT Here arc fome Experiments that are witty and not to be defpifed, and are done A by Simples without mixture, which I thought not unfit to communicate to in- genuous Men, and Artificers. There is an Art, called
"The flying Dragon,
or the Comet : It is made thus • Make a quadrangle of the fmall pieces of Reeds, that the length may be to the breadth, one and half inproportion ; put in two Diameters on the oppofite parts, or Angles, where they cut one the other, bind it with a (mall cord, andof the fame bignefs , let itbejoyned withtwo othersthac proceed from the heads of theEngine.Then cover it with paper or thin linnen,that there be no bur- den to weigh upon it : then from the top of a Tower, or fome high place, fend it out where the wind is equal and uniform , not in to great winds , left they break the workmanfhip, nor yet to fmall, for if the wind be ftill, it will not carry it up, and the weak wind makes it lefs labour. Let it not flye right forth, but obliquely, which is effected by a cord that comes from one end to the other, and by the long tale which you fhall make of cords of equal diftance, and papers tied unto them : fo being gently let forth , it is to be guided by the Artificers hand, who muft not move it idly orfluggifhly , but forcibly j fothis flying Sayle flies into the air. When it is railed a little (for here the wind is broken by the windings of thchoufes) you can hardly guide it, or hold it with your hands. Seme place a Lanthorn upon it, that it may (new like a Comet : others put a Cracker of paper, wherein Gun- power is roled, and when it is in the air, by the cord there is fenc in a light match, by ariBgorfome thing that will abide j this prefently flies to the Sayle, and gives fire to the mouth of it, and the Engine with a thundring noife , flies into many parts, and falls to the ground. Others bind a Cat or Whelp, and fo they hear cries in the air. Hence may an ingenuous Man take occafion, to confider how to make a man flye , by huge wings bound to his elbows and breaft ; but he muft from his childhood, by degrees, ufe to move them, always in a higher place. If any man think this a wonder , let him con fider what is reported, that Archytas the Pythagorean did. For many of the Noble Greeks, and Favorimts the Philofopher, the greateft fearcher out of Antiquities,have Written affirmatively, that the frame of a Pigeon made in wood, was formed by Ar- chytttyby fome art , and made to flic ; it was fo balanced in the air by weights, and moved by an aireal Spirit &ut within it.
Soli Deo (jloria*
FINIS,
lii A
A TABLE containing the General Heads of NATURAL MAGICK.
0 I
The firjl "Book \
Treating of wonderful things.
Chap.
'VTXTHat is meant by the namey Magickj.
* Ihe'Hgtureof MagichC 2 Inflrutlicn of a Magitian , what he ought to be 3 Opinions of the Ancient Tbilofophers touch
Earthy Creatures generated ofpmrefatlion 2 Birds which are generated of the put'efattian of Plants 5 Fifhes which are generated of putrefaction 4 New kinds of living creatures may. he gene- rated by copulation of divers beafls 5 Dogs may be generated of great courage^ and with divert rare properties 6 Pretty little dogs to play with 7 Amend the defers in dogs 8 Divers kinds of Mules . 9
ing the caufes of flrange operations , and j fidingle Sheep and (joats by generation I o firft of the Elements 4 fimmixions whereby Beafls of divers kjnds
Divers operations of "Hature, proceed from j are generated II
the. effenttal forms of things 5 Whence the form cometh : of the Chain that Homer faigned, and the %ingthat Plato mentioneth 6 Sympathy and Antipathy \bj them to finde the vertues of things 7 From Heaven and the Stars things receive
Copulations of a man with divers kmdes of Beafls 1 2
"Divers kindes of Birds generated by divers Birds coupling together 1 3
Commixions of Hens with other birds 1 4 Harvhes of divers properties generated IJ ('ommixion of divers kind of Fifhes 1 6
their force , and thereby many things are 'Hjiw and flrange Mongers 1 7
•wrought 8 Wayes to produce flrange and monftrom
Attracl the vertues of fuperior Bodies 9 j births 18 Knowledge of feci -ets dependeth upon the fur- Wonderful force of imagination, and how to -. vey 0] the World 10) produce party coloured births ip
hikenefs of things (heweth their fea et ver- Women to bring forth fair and beautiful chil- dren 20 Either males or females to be generated 2 1 Experiments ^prc.Bi fed upon di vers Jiving creatures - 22
tues 1 1
Compound things by their Ukenefls 1 2
Particular creatures have particular gifts ; fame in their whole body, others in their parts 1 3
Properties of things while they live, and aftir death 1 4
Simples to begotten and ufed in their fea- fons 1 5
Where they grow, chiefly to be confldered 1 6 'Properties of Places and Fountains commo- dious for this work^ 1 7 Compounds workjmore forceably ; and how to ,
The third Soofa
Of the produ£Hon of new Plants.
Chap.
compound and mix thofe fimples which we j kindes of Plants may be generated
■would ufe in our mixture t 1 8 | *■ ^ of putrefaction
Jufl weight of a mixture Prepare Simples
p I Plants changed , one degenerating into the
20
form of the other 2 One fruit compounded of many 3 A fecond means 4 A third way 5 Fruits made double^ the one contained within the other 6 Strange fruits may be generated and made either better or worfe 7 HtrefaEiion) and of a flrange manner of \ Ripe fruits and flowers before their ordinary producing living creatures 1 Hi ^ feafons