Book 2. Jhe Temple oflVifdome. 2 1 7

vately (the brain being imploycd and taken up with other thoughts) aflfcds the perCons wherein it is, with an unexpeded joy or ladnels , according to the con- dition of what is imminent • if it be in the night, the brain being exempted otits dayly imployment,the faid-^ faculty moves prsefaging Pnantafms , ( Peuc. lib. dedi- vin. per. fontyi^p a^a. 2)6 ) whereof we have thefe ex- amples in our Book called Regio Lticis,
A certain man told aConjcdor that he had dreamed he faw an egg hanging by a ftring of his bed ; the Confedor aniwers, that there was a treafurehid under his bed ; he fcarches and findes a parcel of gold , cora- paded with Silver. He fent the Interpreter what filver bethought fit ; but faycs the other, will you give me none of the yolk? for that doth as well fignifie the gold, as the white did the filver.
So when Ptolomu^ Alexanders favourite, was hurc with a poyfoned dart in a fight , and lay in grevious pain (l.k of it,- Alexander {\ cting by him fell afleep , and faw a Dr-igon which his inothcr Olympias kept, carrying a little toot ia his mouth , and (hewing the place where it grew, faying it was of fuch vertue rhac it would cure Ptolamie : Alex^inderbQing awake,told his dream , and fent to feck that root, (for the place was not far off) which having founds it cured, not only Ptolomie y but many other Souldiers that were hurt with chofe kind of darts.
Many holy p:rfons have the Society of their Guar^ dian Genius by which they have the apprchenfion and knowledge of the death of their friends and kindred either before or after they are dead^ by certain monito- ry Dreams,or by a ftrange and unufual reillcfsnefs with- in themfelves, though they be a thoufand Leagues di- ftaot. My mother , Mary fIeydo»i now living , hath
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2 1 8 The Temple ofWifdome. Book 2-
fome iuch fign always given her , tor there never died any of our kindred, but a little before (he dreamt either of Hair, or of Eggs, or of Teeth, all mingled together with earth; and this fignwasan infallible one , and I my felf, when I heard her fay (he had any fuch dream, obferved the event always to follow. And my fifter Ame He) don the 10. day of ^pril i66i* Dreamt Goehdd an z/^ngel came to her and [aid Jhemufl not ac- ce^t of any of thofe Qentlemen that de/trcdto ??;arry her , bmgo along T»lth himy and he gave her a white horje rea- dy fhrnifhed^ and bid her follow him to heaver^ ^ She fent me her dream, but before my anlwer came to her, flie was dead ; and as it proved, this Virgin (upon the next May- day in the morning ahem 4 of the Clock) teok^ her journey, T write thi;s the more powerfully to enforce the indudioa upon the fpirits of the obftinate men, vtz., thofe confident Coolers, and talking troubleiome Taylors that have lately appeared in Almanacks and other parts of Aftrology, oppofing ComeltHs Agrippa Knight, and other learned men, whom they do not underhand , and it is a doubt whether they can read thefe Authors, who they fo impudently ignorantly, yet confidently abufe. Let thefe inconfiderablc men pafs unregarded 9 I hope thofe ingenious Gentlemen that are learning thefe Arts, will be induced to believe the truth of the Examples of thefe Books, and the cxperi- , inents we will infert in our Third,
By all thefe examples , it is evident that there are few dreams are followed by their events ; that many fail, many arc vain^ and but the fports and images of a bufie Nature. For which reafon (excepting thofe Phyfical dreams) we deny them any end : for if we believe not a Lyer though he fpeak truth , how fliall wscrcdiccur dreams, which are only Ideas proceeding
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