Book I. The Temple <?/ V Vifdome. i 1 2;

But Co I conceive ic is, that at firft fome faraoufly {earned men, being not fo indifcreetly zealous and fupcrftitious as others, have been miftaken by Idiots^ and traduced for AthieiUy and then ever after fome one yain-glorious Fool or other, hath affefted with what fafety he could, to feem Atheiftical^ that he might thereby forfooth be reputed the more learned^ cap the Jnro founder Naturaliji.
• But I dare aflure any man^that if he do but fearcFi into the bottom of this enormous difeafe of the Soul- as 7rifmegift truly calls it, he will find nothing to be the caufe thereof, but either tfanity of mind or bru- ti(h/>«/*//tf%, and an untamed defire of fatisfyin mans own wil in every thing, an obmxiomConfcience and abafe F^^r of divine Vengeance, ignorance of the fcantnefs andinfufficiencyof fecondcaufes a ) umbled feculency and incompfednefs of the fpirits by reaCoii of perpetual intcmper?nre and luxury, ot elfe a dark bedeading Mellancholy^ that fo ftarves and
killstheapprehenfionsoftheSoul,in divine matters efpecially, that it makes a mai^ as inept forfuch Contcmplations,asif his head was filled with cold Saturne or hot Mars: And M^ri having got upon the Buls back Gallops about the Sky after Venm and fees not the (jf«ii that laugh at his madnef«.
And to fuch flow Conftitutions as tbefe, Ifliall not wonder, if,asthe)^r/^/7/mof my difcourfe muft feem marvellous fubtile, fo the laji appear ridicu* loufly incredible. But they are to remember, that I do not here appeal to theCompIexionai humours or peculiar Rejiftics of men, that arifc out of the temper of the Wj'j but to the known and unalter- able Ideas of the wi«^, to the Tkanomsna of ISlattire and Records of H^^ry. Upon the laft whereoi, if I have fometbing ipore fully infiftcdj it is not to be
H imputed
1 1 4 Ihe Temple ^/Wifdome, Book!.
imputed 1 6 any vain credulity of mine, or that I take a pleafure in telling ftrange ftories, but that 1 thought fit, to fortifie and ftrengthen the faith'of others, as much as I could , being well aflTurcd that a contemptuous misbelief of fuch like Nari-att^fis concerning Sfitits^zn6, an endevour of making t}^^vti all ridiculous and incredible, is a dangerous Pre^ lude to Atheifm it felf^ or eife a mic^re-dofc and craf- ty profeflion and infiiiuation of it. For affuredly that Saying was nothing fo true in Politicks, No JBifljop^ no King '^ asthisis inMetaphyfick, NoSfirit^ no God, 1 could havefaid muchTnore5but 1 think this isfufficienc
I have borrowed a great part of thefe things, of the moft learned menthat ever writ, of Geomancy and lelefmes : and I do k with t4i€ more Confidence in that their Authorities advance my Experiments; Now let us proceed tO xMlromantick and Geoman- tick, Gamahesinorder ; But,
Firft , theGhofts of Dead men, which are often feen to appear in Church-yards, are natural Effeft?, being only the Forms of the bodies, which are bu- ried in thofe places:, or their outward ftiapes,or Figures *, and not the fouls of thofe men, or any f uch like Apparition, caufed by evil Spirits, as the com- mon Opinion is. TheAncientschoiight, thatthefc Ghofts were the Good, and Evil Geniij which atten- ded alwayes upon Armies : but they are to beex- cufed ; feeing they ktiew not how to give any other reafon of thefe Apparitions : it being moft Certain, that in Armies, where, by reafon of their great ^ numbers, many die, you (hall fee fome fuch Ghofts very often, ("efpecially after a Battel 5 ) whichare, as we have faid, the Genii of the Ai>re. 1 have elfe-j where handled the curioBS Hiftory of ^^fim^ j where- in
Boo K.I Tibe Temple ^/Wifdome. Ii5
in 1 have propounded thefe following queftions, touching thefe ghofts: n^mt\y^Whether orno^we mayy by thefe ^ ex f I nine all the Vifjcns^ that are mentioned by iVriters ? Whether thofe wonderful effeds^ which we attri* hute to Demons, or Spirits^ may proceed from thefe Figures or not ? And then^ whether they have any Fower at all^ of not^^vxd iffoy whence they have it ? And if it be granted they have zny:Paracelfui is of Opinion^ that Mummy hath in it all the Vercue rom.iJik 4- of Plants, Stones, &c. And that it dccmf.mmr. hath an Occult, Magnetique Vertue, ^'^""^fi^' which draws men totheSepulchersof thofe, whom they account to huve been holy men j whereby the Vcrtue of the fame Mummy, there are thofe eftefts wrought, which we call Miracles : which are obfer- vedf faith hc^ to be much more frequent in the Summer, then in any other Seafon of the year, by reafon of the heat of the Sun, which aw^akens^ and excites the humour that is in the Mummy. But thefe are meer fooleries ; which we there refute, by fuch princip!e>;j as the Rabbins have drawn,from the Secrets of this fo Famous, and Renowned Mum- my, After thofe other queftions^ thefe follow : namely. Whether or no^ thefe wonderful fory}:es^ which proceed from the Bloody the Benes^ or the Ajhes of dead Bo- dieSy may ferve for an Vndeniable argument of the Refur* ^tedion-y a thing unknown to mod of the Philofo- phers ? Whether y after they are raifed «p, tksy can in any thing befervicealle unto us ^ And whether by their meanes^ Kve may be Naturally able to attaine to the k^owledg ef diverfe fecretSy which areVnkjtown to Vs ? Diverfe o- ther like queftions are there propofed^md difcufled, plainly, and throughly ; as I /hall let the World fee, in a (hort time : In the mean while, we may fafely accouac th.e Objection before propofe to be H :a invalid^
1 1 6 7 he Temple (?/ Wifdome. Book I.
Invaiida andof no Force; feeing that, though the body be reduced into Aftics, yet neverthclefs the Figure IS not thereby deftroyed.
In the firft place therefore let us confider their Namrs. And now let us fptak ciTelefm,
They are calJed in Hebrew t JlO Magben^ that is to fay^a Scutcheon, orSheild ; inChaldie5i$)qyptian, and Perfian, t^'^JD'^V, 7filmenaia^ which fignifies a Figure^or Image : in Arabick C^DOV'^ri, lalitfman^ ^»' dDQ^y, Tfaliman : and in Greek s-oix^let. 1 he Hebrew word Maghen^ though it lignifiea Scutche- on, or i?ny other thing, noted with Hebrew Ghara- ^^ers^theVertucwhereof^isnot like to that of a Scut- cheon; and although thefc Ch iraders, according to the Opinion ofthofe that are moft verfed in thefe Thrological Mylteries, are fome kind of im- perfect Images*, yet notwithftanding the word in this placfjis not properly taken for an Image^thatis Graved,' arvedjOr Painted ; bccaufethat thejewes, in making any fuch, fliou^d have finned againft the Commandement ; Ihou jhalt not wak^to t}?yfelfany Craven Image. Maghtn thcrc^ovc fignifies properly any piece of Paper, or other the like matter, mar- ked, or noted with certaine Charafters drawn from the Tetragrarnmaton^ or great Name of four Lecter.s or from any other, as we fhall (hew hereafter. This word fignifies alfo, though improperly, thefe very Figures alfo, and Images, which we fpeak oft becaufe that thefe al (o as well as the Characters of the T^- tragrammaton^ do ferve, as it were, in ftead of a Buck- ler, or Shield of defence, againft Difeafes, Lii^ht- nings, and Tempefis. The Chaldicword, 7filnte- naid^ comes from the Hebrew \ — i^^^j Jfelem^ which fignifies an Image ; and the Arabick word lalitfmany may like wife have been derived from the fame root 5
Book. I. The Temple g/Wi(dome. 117
lalitfman^ being corrupted from dDO^V ifali^fian, by the Tranfpofition of one letter only : But the truth of this Conie6ture is vet un- ^-^f- i^ certaine. The Learned Sdmatm gives ic ^^^^^ another Derivation: forhe cakesanoccafi- on to fall foul upon Scaliger^ who derives it from the Arabkk, for not conlidcring, that Talifman is derived from the Greek vvor.^ '^^^2^/^-*, hoc eji^ faith hc^ TiTiMjfj^ov T/ , ut funt 7iTi\i7(j^Qt anuU, But how can the truth of this Derivation be proved > how (hall we be afllireJ, that lalitfman comes from Tk\i7yLA^ and not rather rUsj^ftct from the other ? As for the laftname, thatthefe Imagewic called by, which is ro/x^/A, there is no difficulty at all in the word : fo that it remaines now, that we remember, concerning thefe Names, that when we fpeak of Figures, we do no^ mean thofe, that are properly iignified by the Hebrew word, Maghen^ which are nothing but Scutcheons noted with Chara£^ers,ruch as many havefeen in Paris at the Pnnce of Port ugals 5 the like whereof, you have in Carlo Fabri his Scudo diChrifto, and in Agrip Lib. t. ds pa : We have elfewhere the power of Occult, vh'iL thefe kinds of Characters, advanced. Neither fliall I fpeak at all of thofe images of Wax, which Sorcerers are wont to baptize, in the name oi Beelzebub J thefe are Abommations, which we abhor, although let me telyou by the way5that the greateft part of thofe things our Demonographers ftufFe their writings withall, are no hing but meer Fables, as ridiculous as the Dreams of the Alc:ran, Our Difcourfe dial! only be, what natural Power, Images, that arc made under certaine Confteilati- ons, may have; banifliing from hence all Operati-^ ons ciVejnofts^or SpiritS;and all fuperftitious powers whatever. H 3 I (hall
Mt6 * i^e lempIe^/VVifdome. BookI
1 ihall prove therefore this Power of Figures, and Images, three manner of waies: by the influence of the Stars: by the power of Ptefemblanccj and by Experience. J fhall begin with the laft of thefe three.
Firfl: then, it is certain, and we cannot deny it, without denying the moft Authcntick Hiftorio- graphers thatarc, that there have beenfeen, both in our day es, and in the daies ofoitrFatherF, fome of thefe TelefmSy 1 alt f manic all ^ lelefwaticall ov Fi^ gures ffor fo we ihall now call them) yet all is one^ that have cured thofe, that have been bitten by Serpents, Scorpions^ mad Dogs, and divers other Mifchances, that are but too frequent with U9. The Ancient Arabian?, as Almanfor ^ Meffahala^Zahel^ Al - hohazen^ Haly Khodoam^ AlbategniUSy Hontar^ Zachdir^ Ha^battfed ^LwdSerapm^givc us many examples of this kind ; which ^ave Holy occalion to conclude, that Vtilem ferpentis imaginem effici foffe^ quando Lnna^ Ser-^ fentem ((zleilem fuUt^ aut fdkitsr- afpicit : Similiter Scorpionis effigiem efficacem^ quando Scorpij fignum Luna mgreditur^ &c. Neither did he deliver this Do^rinej Without having had Experience of the EfFefts : for •iieatiirmes, that himfelf, being in Mgypty had in iiis hand one of thefe Images of a Scorpion, which (Ck'A cure thofe that were ftung by this Venomous Scaft : and it was ingraven upon a Bazahar^ or, as it h commonly called, a Bezar-^owt. Jt will be ob- '■■€itd perhaps, that thefe Arabians are trifling, vain wnterb'^ and therefore that there is little credit to be given to them. But I (hall elfewhcre undertake the Vindication of them from this Calumny ; and fhall at prefent, for the fatisfaftlon ofSelf-willed nicn> forbcai' to cite them any further; but fnall co'ntent myfelfwith examples borrowed from fuch
among
Boo K.I. 3^/&cTeraple^/VVifdonie. 119
aipon^cheGre^'ks, and LaciueSj as are accounted iBoft '\uchentiqiie. , ^ :
..Eug^nhiSj befidcs an infinite number of Rariciesj vihich he rcl^oxt&oi Egypt^Cdiemhat when they Were fomecinie digging in the bridge at Afami/tthevQ was found a peic^ of Copperj whereon was to be (een the Figure of a Rat, of a Serpent, and of a Fire: which being afterwards negie^^kcd, and peradven- ture cither brcyken to pieces or fome way or other (polled, thcr^vvasobferved5in a very fliorttimeaf- tpfis ^ great ni>n>ber of ScrpentS5and Rats to haunt rhe-City, and they do greatly annoy it ftill 5 and wecannor, w it hput grief, call to mind, the many great Loffes t,U^ City hath (ince that time endured by Fire : all which fad accidents were never heard of :htre, before the taking up of t bis ftrang^ Plate of epppef. ?
•k iis alfo reported, that after that Camrar.Ub.i^ fAahontet the fe felf oi' CoHjiammpley the breaking of the lower J iw of a Erazen Serpent, wasthecaufe of the increajingiof erpcnts inthofe Parts. So true it is, that thcfelrlefmam have Power to divert many of thofe Calamities, that affli\^ Mankind. And whokoowsnot, that by the means of thefe, the Learned mcnxj)fthe Ages paft, have oft-times chan- ced, away Infcds out of their Cities, and fields 5 as Gnats, Locu'ts, and Caterpillars? If ' ^
tiuy deiire to fee fome of thc^t Exam- cML\,- c. 66.' pies, he may have recourfe to the c.^v.t. ^t 1160. chiliads of John Tzetzes -^ where this Greek Author, fwho lived about the time of that excellent Hiftorian Anna Gonmem^ daughter to the Emperour Alexins Comnenus^ reports, that Apollonim^ by making a jcleftmn of a Sto k, kept thefe Trouble-
H 4 ^ome
lao TAe Temple ^/Wifdome. Book I.
fome Birds from coniLoing into Conftantinople -^ and by another T^/ que oiAntioch You may alfo fee Ftolonties Contilo^ quium^ and che Commentary of ^^re G^//«r, falfely attributed to Haiyy as itis obierved by Scaliger,
Fuichermore, I am of Opinion, that theFirft gods of tbeLatincs, which they called Averrunciy or P/j Intdara^, were no other t i»crt thefe Talijnsam^ callmages^ ind I ground this my Conje£lcure fiom hence, that there are fome Hiftorians that affirm, that they made fome of thefe Tutelar gods, under certain Confteliations: butthepoyfon of Idolatry having infected the beft of Sciences, was the caufe, that, the.e Images being afterwards taken for god?, the true and legitimate manner of making them was fmothered, and quite loft. They were wont alfo to fet up fome of thefe ielefntans upon the Prow of their Ships,tQprcferve them from Shipwrack : and all this to be done Naturally too ; feeing that a Telefman may be made, under the Sign of VifceSy that inay,forfome certain time, render thcWaterscalmj and free from Tempefts. The Greeks, Q^sHefy- chiusy HiYodoWyCzWcd thefe Figures)fet up in Ships, fffATumli ', a word, no doubt, borrowed from the jHebrew cZD^HinQ Titochim^ which fignifies as much as CoeUturu : and therefore the Chaldie Paraphrafe x-endcrs it,by this our l^"" JQ^:; Ifilmenaia, Now we are to take notice, that thefe Figures were not at all of anyHuqiane form,but offomeCcsleftial Figure^or others v/hichconfirm«»s me in the Belief, that they were real Telefmans, Nevertheiefs the Mariners had alfo their Statues of fome Deity or other, as of Mtfrx, JpoJlo^ Venufy Mercury^ and the like ; which they pla- ced at %\\t Poop, ox header part of their Ships: whence F^7g«V fdies.
AhYHtO