Book I.

The ftone called iris, which is like cryftai in colour, being- found with fix corners, when held in the Ihade, and the fun fuffered to Ihine through it, re- prefents a natural rainbow in the air. The Hone heliotropium, green, like a jafper or emerald, befet with red fpecks, makes the wearer conftant, renown- ed, and famous, and conduces to long life ; there is, likewife, another wonderful property in this ftone, and that is, that it fo dazzles the eyes of men, that it caufes the bearer to be invifible ; but then there mull be applied to it the herb bearing- the fame name, viz. heliotropium, or the fun-flower ; and thefekind of virtues Albertus Magnus, and William of Paris, mention in their writings. The jacinth alfo poflefles virtue from the fun againtt poifons, peftilences, and pefliferous vapours ; likewife it renders the bearer pleafant and acceptable \ conduces, alfo, to gain money ; being- Amply held in the mouth, it wonder- fully cheers the heart, and ftrengthens the mind. Then there is the pyrophilus, of a red mixture, which Albertus Magnus reports that zTfculapius makes mention of in one of his epiftles to Oftavius Csefar, faying, “ There is a certain poi- fon, fo intenfely cold, which preferves the heart of man, being taken out, from burning ; fo that if it be put into the lire for any time, it is turned into a ftone, which ftone is called pyrophilus it poflefles a wonderful virtue againft poifon ; and it infallibly renders the wearer thereof renowned and dreadful to iiis enemies. Apollonius is reported to have found a ftone called pantaura, (which will attract other ftones, as the loadftone does iron) molt powerful againft all poifons : it is fpotted like the panther, and therefore fome na- turalifts have given this ftone the name of pantherus : Aaron calls it evan- thum *, and fome, on account of its variety, call it pantochras.
CHAP.
Chap. IX.
NATURAL MAGIC.
41
CHAP. IX.
OF THE MIXTURES OF NATURAL THINGS ONE WITH ANOTHER, AND THE PRODUCING OF MONSTROUS ANIMALS, BY THE APPLICATION OF NATURAL MAGIC.
MAGICIANS, ftudents, and obfervers of the operations of Nature, know how, by the application of a6tive forms to a matter fitly difpofed, and made, as it were, a proper recipient, to effedt many wondeiful and uncommon thing's that feem ftrange, and above Nature, by gathering this and that thing bene- ficial and conducive to that effect which we defire ; however, it is evident that all the powers and virtues of the inferior bodies are not found comprehended in any one fingle thing, but are difperfed amongft many of the compounds here amongft us ; wherefore it is neceffary, if there be a hundred virtues of the fun difperfed through fo many animals, plants, metals, or ftones, we fhould gather all thefe together, and bring them all into one form, in which we fhall fee all the faid virtues, being united, contained. Now there is a double virtue in commixing : one, viz. which was once planted in its parts, and is celeftial ; the other is obtained by a certain artificial mixture of things, mixed amongft themfelves, according to a due proportion, fueh as agree with the heavens under a certain conftellation ; and this virtue defcends by a certain fimilitude or likenefs that is in things amongft themfelves, by which they are drawn or attracted towards their fuperiors, and as much as the following do by degrees correfpond with them that go before, where the patient is fitly applied to its agent. So from a certain compofition of herbs , vapours , and fuch like, made according to the rules of Natural and Celeftial Magic, there refults a certain common form ; of which we fhall deliver the true and infallible rules and experiments in our Second Book, where we have written exprefsly on the fame.
We ought, likewife, to underftand that by how much more noble and ex- cellent the form of any thing is, by fo much the more it is prone, and apt to receive, and powerful to adt. Then the virtue of things do indeed become wonderful ; viz. when they are applied to matters, mixed and prepared in fit S°0K I* F feafons
NATURAL MAGIC.
42
feafons to give them life, by procuring life for them from the ftars, our own fpirit powerfully co-operating therewith ; for there is fo great a power in pre- pared matters, which we fee do then receive life, when a perfefl mixture of qualities do break the former contrariety ; for fo much the more perfeft life things receive, by as much the temper and compofitiOn is free from contrariety. Now the heavens, as a prevailing caufe, do, from the beginning of every thing, (to be generated by the concoftion and perfe£t digeftion of the matter) together with life, bellow celeftial influences and wonderful gifts, according to the capacity that is in that life and fenfible foul to receive more noble and fublime virtues. For the celeftial virtue otherwife lies afleep, as fulphur kept from flame ; but in living bodies it doth always burn, as kindled fulphur, which, by its vapour, fills all the places that are near.
There is a book called, “ A Book of the Laws of Pluto,” which fpeaks of monftrous generations, which are not produced according to the laws of Nature. Of thefe things which follow we know to be true ; viz. of worms are generated gnats ; of a horfe, wafps ; of a calf and ox, bees. Take a living crab, his legs being broken off, and he buried under the earth, a fcorpion is produced. If a duck be dried into powder, and put into water, frogs are foon gene- rated ; but if he be baked in a pie, and cut into pieces, and be put in a moift place under ground, toads are generated. Of the herb garden-bafil, bruifed, and put between two ftones, are generated fcorpions. Of the hairs of a men- itruous woman, put under dung, are bred ferpents j and the hair of a horfe’s tail, put into water, receives life, and is turned into a moft pernicious worm. And there is an art wherewith a hen, fitting upon eggs, may be generated the form of a man, which I myfelf know how to do, and which magicians call the mandrake, and it hath in it wonderful virtues.
You muft, therefore, know which and what kind of matters are either of art or nature, begun or perfected, or compounded of more things, and what celeftial influences they are able to receive. For a congruity of natural things is fufficient for the receiving of influence from celeftial becaufe, nothing hin- dering, the celeftials fend forth their light upon inferiors ; they fu»ffer no matter to be deftitute of their virtue, Wherefore as much matter as is perfe£t and
Chap. X. NATURAL MAGIC. 43
pure is, as we before faid, fitted to receive celeftial influences ; for that is the binding and continuing of the matter of the foul to the world, which doth daily flow in upon things natural, and all things which Nature hath prepared , that it is impoflible that a prepared matter thould not receive life, or a more noble form.
CHAP. X.
OF THE ART OF FASCINATION, BINPING, SORCERIES, MAGICAL CONFECTIONS, LIGHTS, CAN- DLES, LAMPS, &C. &C. ; BEING -THE CONCLUSION OF THE NATURAL MAGIC.*
WE have fo far fpoken concerning the great virtues, and wonderful efficacy, of natural things ; it remains now that we fpeak of a wonderful power and faculty of fafcination ; or, more properly, a magical and occult binding of men into love or hatred, ficknefs or health ; — alfo the binding of thieves, that they cannot fteal in any place ; or to bind them that they cannot remove, from whence they may be deteHed ; — the binding of merchants, that they cannot buy nor fell *, — the binding of an army, that they cannot pafs over any bounds ; — the binding of fhips, fo that no wind, though ever fo firong, fhall be able to carry them out of that harbour ; — the binding of a mill, that it cannot, by any means whatfoever, be turned to work ; — the binding of a ciftern, or fountain, that the water cannot be drawn up out of them ; — the binding of the ground, fo that nothing will bring forth fruit, or flourifh in it ; alfo, that nothing can be built upon it ; — the binding of fire, that, though it be ever fo ftrong, it fhall burn no combuftible thing that is put to it ; — alfo, the binding of lightnings and tempefts, that they fhall do no hurt ; — the binding of dogs, that they cannot bark ; — alfo, the binding of birds and wild beafts, that they fhall not be able to run or fly away *, and things fimilar to
* The latter part of this Chapter ferves as a rule to be obferved in the corapofition of all kinds of mixed experiments ; and it is as appropriate to the materials collefted for talifmans, feals, &c. treated of in our Celeftia) Magic, Book II, F. B.
F 2 thefe.
i
44
NATURAL MAGIC.