Part II.

which are moft abounding’ with this fpirit. For thofe things in, which the Ipirit is lefs drowned in a body, and lefs checked by matter, do much more powerfully and perfectly afit, and alfo more readily generate their like ; for in it are all generative and feminal virtues. For which caufe the alchymift endeavours to feparate this fpirit from gold and filver, which, being rightly feparated and extracted, if it (hall be afterwards projected upon any metal, turns it into gold or filver ; which is no way impoflible or improbable, when we conlider that by art that may be done in a fhort time, what Nature, in the bowels of the earth (as in a matrix), perfects in a very long fpace of time.
CHAP VIII.
or THE SEXES AND CHARACTERS IMPRESSED BY CELESTIALS UPON NATURAL THINGS.
ALL ftars have their peculiar natures, properties, and conditions, the feals and characters whereof they produce through their rays even in thefe inferior things, viz. in elements, in Hones, in plants, in animals, and their members i whence every thing receives from an harmonious difpofition, and from its flar Ihining upon it, fome particular feal or character ftamped upon it, which is the lignificator of that ftar or harmony, containing in it a peculiar virtue, different from other virtues of the fame matter, both generically, fpecifically, and numerically. Every thing, therefore, hath its character impreffed upon it by its Jiar for fome peculiar effeCt, efpecially by that ftar which doth principally govern it 5 and thefe characters contain in them the particular natures, yirtues, and roots of their ftars, and produce the like operations upon other things on which they are reflected •, and ftir up and help the influences of their ftars, whether they be planets, or fixed ftars and figures, or celeftial conftellations, viz. as often as they fhall be made in a fit matter, and in their due and accuf- tomed times ; which the ancient wife men (confidering fuch as laboured much in finding out occult properties of things) did fet down, in writing, the images of the ftars, their figures, feals, marks, characters, fuch as Nature her- felf did defcribe by the rays of the ftars in thefe inferior bodies : fome in * ftones,
TALISMAN IC MAGIC.
Chap. IX. TALISMAN IC MAGIC. 89
ftones, fome in plants, fome in joints and knots of trees and their boughs, and fome in various members of animals. For the bay-tree, lote-tree, and marigold, are folary herbs, and, their roots and knots being cut, they fhew the characters of the fun ; and in ftones the characters and images of celeftial things are often found. But there being fo great a diverfity of things, there is only a tradi- tional knowledge of a few things which human underftanding is able to reach ; therefore very few of thofe things are known to us, which the ancient philofophers and chiromancers attained to, partly by reafon and partly by ex- perience •, and there yet lie hid many things in the treafury of Nature, which the diligent fludent and wife fearcher fhall contemplate and difcover.
CHAP IX.
TREATING OF THE VIRTUE AND EFFICACY OF PERFUMES, OR SUFFUMIGATIONS, AND VA- POURS; AND TO WHAT PLANETS THEY ARE PROPERLY AND RIGHTLY ATTRIBUTED.
IT is necelfary, before we come to the operative or practical part of Talifmanic Magic, to fhew the compofitions of fumes or vapours, that are proper to the liars, and are of great force for the opportunely receiving of celeftial gifts, under the rays of the ftars — inafmuch as they ftrongly work upon the air and breath ; for our breath is very much changed by fuch kind of vapours, if both vapours be of the other like. The air being alfo, through the faid vapours, eafily moved, or infeCted with the qualities of inferiors, or celeftial (daily quickly penetrating our breaft and vitals), does wonderfully reduce us to the like qualities. Let no man wonder how great things fuffumi- gations can do in the air ; efpecially when they fhall, with Porphyry, con- fider that, by certain vapours exhaled from proper fuffumigations, aerial fpirits are raifed *, alfo thunder and lightnings, and the like : as the liver of a cameleon, being burnt on the houfe top, will raife fhowers and lightnings ; the fame effeCt has the head and throat, if they are burnt with oaken wood. There are fome fuffumigations under the influences of the ftars, that caufe