Book II.

A (lone it taken out of the bead of a Carp*
Levit. 19, Deut. 13.
)
Codfometime fends dreams.
Natural dreams to be obfei ved.
\
t>e divintf*
but by an imbred property, whereby they dilcufle and dilfipate the collection of humours. The triangular (tone of a Carp pow- d red , will flop the blood that runs out of the nod rills, by its great attrition, which you may perceive alio by tall.
CHAP. XXXI.
Of the events of dreams, and how far they ought to be offer-
ved, and believed,
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Since of old time men were wont to obferve dreams with incre¬ dible vanity and fuperftition, and tocredit and believe them j The great and good God that would have no man troubled in un- doubtfull and uncertain things, that difturb the tranquillity of the mind, forbad that no man fhould be curious in obferving them, and make rafh interpretations upon them, and fain doubtful! events. For by thefe impoftures,many have fallen from God, and turned to falfe worfhips. And if God when we arc afleep, doth warn our minds that are dull to feek out what his will is, and doth put into our fouls fuch things as were good for the falvation of them, and are agreeable to his word and doCtrine; thefe things muft needs be of great concernment, and to be received with great reverence : for by them he (hews unto us what he requires, and what he would have us do concerning his glory or our own profit, and the good of our neighbour. But it is fit to examine and obferve them, and no law forbids fuch things as are within the compafle of natural reafon,yet fo that we mult not fatten and reft firmly up¬ on them 5 for oft-times our conjectures have not the defired end. For Imaginations and fuch reprefentations as we fee in dreams, are rayfed from the concourfe ofthefpirits and motion of vapours, which if they be grofie, thick, and many, either we dream not at all, or the mind difeerns and perceives them very confufediy, and darkly. As we fee in men that are drunk, or fuch as deep, deeply after they have been much wearied. Hence it is that dreams are oft troublcfome and obfeure. For when, as Cicero ar¬ gues from the opinion of Plato, that part of the mind that partakes of reafon is faint and fall afleep, and the other part is ttupified with immoderate drinking or eating : we fee in our flcep filthy terrible and horrid vifions, as if we were at copulation, or killing beads or men, or to be wickedly defiled with bloud, and to da many impure, rafti, and impudent actions. But they that lye down after moderate eating, that part of the mind wherein reafon confifts, and counfel, being chearfull and ready, and the body not being dejcCtcd with too little meat, nor oppreded with too much, then will it come to pafle that the mind will fhine forth, be live¬ ly and (harp in dreams, and peaceable and true dreams arc re- 3w.v» • prefented
C ha p. 3 1 . Of the events of Dreams, 1 4 1
prefented unco it. For what work foevcr man is bulled about in the day, when his body falls afleep, that the mind will be intent upon and run over again , which Claudian in an elegant copy of verfes expreffed .
1
On what by day our fenfes chance to light,
When that we fleep , tee fee the f ame by night .
The Huntf-man when he refs, his mind then roves Of Hiils and Dales, offhady woods and G roves .
Lawyers plead caufes. Coach- men Coaches drive, j. • •
And the night Horfesfeem to be alive .
The Sea-man loads his wares , the Lover comes byfealth C A od M by day the mif er. hunts for wealth.
And he that thirfis as jtandingon the brink Of %ivers, then believes that he doth drink.
And I in file nt night am wont to mufe9 Of d ivers A rts that in the day / ufe.
And indeed when the body is in a good temper, we fee in our fleep no other vi lions and apparitions, then fuch actions and things that we are bufied about in the day time. But if our fleep be in¬ terrupted, and not quiet, but unequal and troublelome, we are: then perplexed with fuch dreams and vilionsthat are troubleforrtc andunulual; and this fhews that our bodies abound with grofle - . • humours* as Plutarch faith, or the fpirits within are troubled. ?*Juen*' vaic"
So drunken and feavourilh people ufe to be difquicted with ab- furd dreams, fo that many think they fee terrible vifions, hobgob- DrtamfVtc\ lins, Gholls^fcritch-Owls, Harpies, and what is peculiar to me- ™dsT *** lancholique people, dead men, and forrowfull and fowre faces.
But they that abound with yellow choler conceive they fee fire- Dreams areva- brands, (laughters, burnings, fightings, brawlings, and fcolding, rwusastbebiL as fanguin people dream of dancing, finging, fporting, laughing, mwiaxe* : and all lafeivious matters 5 and flegmatique people dream of abundance of water.
Wherefore Phyfitians fhall not lofe their labour, ifxhey enquire .now and then of lick pebple how they flept in the night ; and what they dreamt of. For dreams (hew the difeafes and affeds of the body. For if any man dream that he rol6s in filth and dirt, it fhews that his body is full of corrupt naughty humours \ but if he dream he hath been in gardens amongft fweet flowers and hearbs, it is a figinha* the humours of his body arc very pure and dean.' . .. i;.tJ i ... • v ,Y.
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Chap.
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4»
142
Of the Clima&crick andgyadu all year.