Part II.

the King his matter, and killed whomfoever he thought flood in his way ; and in thefe villanies nobody could fee him ; and at length, by the benefit of this ring, he became King of Lydia.*
CHAP. XII.
THAT THE PASSIONS OF THE MIND ARE ASSISTED BY CELESTIALS AND THAT CON-
STANCY OF MIND IS IN EVERY WORK NECESSARY.
THE paflions of the mind are much helped, and are helpful, and become moft powerful, by virtue of the heaven, as they agree with the heaven — either by any natural agreement, or voluntary election ; for, as Ptolemy fays, he who chufeth that which is the better, feems to differ nothing from him who hath this of Nature. It conduceth, therefore, very much for the receiving the benefit of the heavens, in any work, if we fliall, by the heaven, make our- felves fuitable to it in our thoughts, affe&ions, imaginations, elections, deli- berations, contemplations, and the like. For fuch like paflions vehemently flir up our fpirit to their likenefs, and fuddenly expofe us, and our’s, to the fuperior fignificators of fuch like paflions ; and alfo, by reafon of their dig- nity and nearnefs to the fuperiors, do partake more of the celeftials than any material things ; for our mind can, through imaginations or reafon by a kind of imitation, be fo conformed to any ftar, as fuddenly to be filled with the virtues of that ftar, as if we were a proper receptacle of the influence thereof. Now the contemplating mind, as it withdraws itfelf from all fenfe , imagina- tion, nature , and deliberation , and calls itfelf back to things feparated, effeCts divers things by faith, which is a firm adhetton, a fixed intention, and vehe- ment application of the worker or receiver to him that co-operates in any thing, and gives power to the work which we intend to do. So that there is
* We have above fliewn the power and virtue of magical rings; but the particular chara&ers, infcriptions, and images to be made in, or upon them, we refer the ftudent to that chapter treating of “ The Compofition of various Talifmacs in which we have defcribed exactly the exprefs methods of perfe&ing them.
made,
Chap. XIII. TALISMANIC MAGIC. 97
made, as it were, in us the image of the virtue to be received, and the thing' to be done in us, or by us. We muft, therefore, in every work and applica- tion of things, affe£t vehemently , imagine, hope, and believe ftrongly, for that will be a great help. And it is verified amongft phyficians, that a ftrong belief, and an undoubted hope, and love towards the phyfician, conduce much to health, yea more fometimes than the medicine itfelf ; for the fame that the efficacy and virtue of the medicine works, the fame doth the ftrong imagina- tion of the phyfician work, being able to change the qualities of the body of the fick, efpecially when the patient places much confidence in the phyfician, by that means difpofing himfelf for the receiving the virtue of the phyfician and phyfic. Therefore, he that works in magic muft be of a conftant belief, be credulous, and not at all doubt of the obtaining of the effect ; for as a firm and ftrong belief doth work wonderful things, although it be in falfe works — fo diftruft and doubting doth diffipate and break the virtue of the mind of the worker, which is the medium betwixt both extremes ; whence it happens that he is fruftrated of the defired influence of the fuperiors, which could not be enjoined and united to our labours without a firm and folid virtue of our mind.
CHAP. XIII.
HOW man’s MIND MAY BE JOINED WITH THE MIND OF INTELLIGENCES AND CELESTIALS,
AND, TOGETHER WITH THEM, IMPRESS CERTAIN WONDERFUL VIRTUES UPON INFERIOR
THINGS.
THE philofophers, efpecially the Arabians, fay, that man’s mind, when it is moft intent upon any work, through its paffion and effects, is joined with the mind of the liars and intelligences, and, being fo joined, is the caufe that fome wonderful virtue be infufed into our works and things ; and this, as be- caufe there is in it an apprehenflon and power of all things, fo becaufe all things have a natural obedience to it, and of neceffity an efficacy, and more