Book II.

16
Therefore the fpirit and will of the blood fetched out of -the wound, having intruded itfelf into the ointment by the weapon being anointed therewith, do tend towards their treafure, that is, the reft of the blood as yet enjoying the life of the more inward man : but he faith by a peculiar teftimony, that the eagle is drawn to the carcafs, becaufe flue is called thereunto by an implanted and mummial fpirit of the carcafs, but not by the odour of the putrifying body : for indeed that animal, in affimilating, appropritates to himfelf only this mummial fpirit : for from thence it is faid of the eagle, in a peculiar manner/* my youth fhall be renewed as the eagle’s.”
For truly the renewing of her youth proceeds from an eftential extraction of the mummial fpirit being well refined by a certain fingular digeftion proper to that fowl, and not from a bare eating of the flefh of the carcafs ; otherwife dogs alfo and pies would be renewed, which is falfe.
Thou wilt fay, that it is a reafon far-fetched in behalf of magnetifm ; but what wilt thou then infer hereupon ? If that which thou confefieth to b^ far remote for thv capacity of understanding, that fhall alfo with thee be ac- counted to be fetched from far. Truly the book of Genefis avoucheth, that in the blood of all living creatures doth their foul exift.
For there are in the blood certain vital powers *, the which, as if they were foulified or enlivened, do demand revenge from Heaven, yea, and judicial punhhment from earthly judges on the murderer ; which powers, feeing they cannot be denied to inhabit naturally in the blood, I fee not why they can
* This fingular property of the blood, which Helmont calls Vital Powers, is no lefs wonderful than true, having been myfelf a witnefs of this experiment while in South Wales. It was tried upon a body that was malicioufly murdered, through occafion of a quarrel over-night at an alehoufe. The fellow who was fufpefted of the murder appeared the next day in public feemingly unconcerned. rIhe Coroner’s Jury fat upon the body within twenty-four hours after this notable murder was committed; when the fufpefted was fuddenly taken into cuftody, and conveyed away to the fame public-houfe where the inqui- fition was taken. After fome debate, one Dr. Jones defired the fufpefted to be brought into the room ; which done, he defired the villain to lay his left hand under the wound, which was a deep gafh on the neck, and another on the bread; the villain plainly confeffed his guilt by his trepidation; but as foon as he lightly laid his finger on the body, the blood immediately ran, about fix or feven drops, to the admira- tion cf all prefent. If any one doubts the truth of this narrative, however learned and profound he may think himfelf, let him call perfonally upon me, and I will give him fuch reference, and that truly fefpe£lable and fair, as fhall convince him of the faff. Irancis Barrett, #
MAGNETISM.