Part 5

Now concerning Charmes, Characters, and such like trumperies that are vsed in these dayes, I adiudge them to bee all false and doubtfull. For some are without all shewe of reason, whereof the Philosophers haue made mention in the woorkes of Nature and Art, to the ende they might conceale secrets from the vnworthie, as if it were altogither vnknowne, that the Load-stone could attract Iron: and one desirous to woorke this feate before the people, shoulde make Characters, and pronounce Charmes, that by this meanes he might bring it to passe, this worke of his should be erroneous and deceitfull. After this maner there are many thinges hidden in the Philosophers bookes, wherein a wise man must beware, that neglecting the Charmes and Characters, he onely attend and make tryall of the worke of Nature and Art. And then he shall perceyue things liuing, and without life, to concurre and agree in Nature, for the conformitie and likenesse of their Natures, and not by vertue of the Charme or Character: whereas the simple people suppose manie things to bee wrought by Magicke, which are nothing else but the secretes of Art and Nature. Yea, the Magitians themselues doo vainelie repose such confidence, in theyr Charmes and Characters, as though they should receyue power from them, that in the meane time they forsake the woorke of Arte and Nature. And by this meanes both these kinde of men are depryued of the benefite of Wisedome, theyr owne follye so constrayning. Neuerthelesse, there are certaine deprecations long since, framed and instituted by faithfull men, or rather ordained by God himselfe, and his Angels, that may retaine their pristine and ancient vertue, as it is yet to bee seene in many Countreyes, where they make certain prayers ouer Iron red hot, & ouer the water of y^e riuer, & suchlike, thereby to approue the innocent, and cõdemne the guilty: and these things are thought to be brought to passe by the authority of the prelates. For euẽ the priests themselues do vse Exorcismes, as we may reade in the consecration of blessed water, and the old law of the water of purification, wherby adultery & breach of wedlock was sifted out. And ther are many other such like things. But as for those things that are contained in the Magicians books, we must vtterly reiect them, though they bee not altogether deuoyde of truth, because they be so stuffed with fables, that the truth cannot be discerned from falshoold. So that we must giue no credit to such as say, that _Solomon_ and other learned men made them: for these bookes are not receiued by the authoritie of the Church nor of wise men, but by Seducers, that take the bare letter and make newe books themselues, and fill the world with their new inuentions, as daily experience teacheth vs. And to the ende men might be the more throughly allured, they giue glorious titles to their workes, and foolishly ascribe them to such and such Authors, as though they spake nothing of themselues: and write base matters in a loftie stile, and with y^e cloke of a text do hide their own forgeries. But as for Characters, they are either words vnder the forme of some letters, containing in them the matter of a prayer, or else they are made for the seruice and worship of certaine Stars at speciall times. Of Characters, in the first sence, we are to iudge in the same sort, as we did of prayers: but as for these latter figures and Characters, it is well knowne that they haue no vertue nor efficacie at all, vnlesse they be framed in their proper seasõs. For which cause he that maketh them as he findeth them, in the books, obseruing only the figure wherein he followeth his sampler, is judged by al wise men to do iust nothing. But contrariwise, he that worketh according to the aspect of the heauens, in due constellations is able not onely to dispose of his Characters, but euen of all his works, as well artificiall as natural, agreeable to the influence of the heauen. Neuerthelesse, for so much as it is very difficult to perceiue the certainty of heauenly bodies, many are ouertaken with grosse errors, & few there are that can truly & profitably order any thing. And hence it is that the common Mathematicians iudging and working by Magick Starres, and by workes, as it were iudgements at choyse times, become nothing famous, although they bee right cunning, and throughly acquainted with the Arte, and are able to bring many things to passe. But it must not bee forgotten that the skilfull Phisition and any other, of what profession soeuer may to good purpose vse Charmes and Characters, though they bee fained after the opinion of _Constantinus_ the Phisition: not as though Charmes and Characters coulde worke any thing, but that the Medicine might bee the more willingly and readily receyued, and that the minde of the patient might bee excited to become more confident, and bee filled with ioye: for the Soule thus affected, is able to renue many things in his owne bodie, insomuch that it may recouer his former health, through the ioy and hope it hath conceiued. If therefore the Physition for the magnifying of his worke, doo administer any such thing, that his patient may not dispayre of his health, it is not to bee abhorred if wee will credite the sayde _Constantinus_. For hee in his Epistle of those things which may be hanged about the necke, graunteth that Charmes and Characters may thus bee vsed, and in this cause defendeth them: for the soule hath great power ouer the body through his strong and forcible operations, as _Auicenna_ sayth in his Bookes of the Soule, and in his eight booke of liuing Creatures, and in this poynt all wise men agree: and for this cause sicke folkes are suffered to see playes, and pleasaunt thinges are brought vnto them: yea, oftentimes following theyr humour, wee giue them many contrary thinges, because the affection and appetite of the soule ouercommeth sicknesse. [Sidenote: The quantitie is called by the Logitians Passion, or passible qualitie, An example of a passible qualitie, is sweetnesse in hony, or coldnesse in yce: of passion when we blush for shame, and waxe pale through feare.] Nowe forsomuch as the truth must in no wise bee empayred, wee are diligently to consider that euery Agent (not onely substances, but likewise Accidens of the third kinde of Qualities) worketh a vertue, and maketh an apparance in the outward nature, and that there are certain sensible vertues in things. This therefore may worke a vertue and kinde out of it selfe, and the rather because it is more excellent then other corporall things, but cheefely for the worthinesse of the soule. And men do not exercise only through heat, but their spirits are stirred vppe within them, as they likewise are in other liuing creatures. And we see that some creatures are changed, and do change such things as are obedient vnto them: as for example: The Basiliske slaieth a man if it doo but beholde him, the wolfe maketh a man hoarse, if it spie him first: and the _Hyena_ (as _Solinus_ reporteth in his wonders of the worlde and other Authors) will not suffer a dog to barke within his shadow. Yea, _Aristotle_ sayth in his booke of Vegetables, that the frutes of the female Palme trees wax ripe by the smell of the male Palmes: and in some regions, Mares conceiue with yong through the very sent of the horses, as _Solinus_ recordeth: and many such things happen through the kinds and vertues of creatures and plants, euen many strange & wonderfull things, as _Aristotle_ affirmeth in his booke of Secrets. Now if plants and liuing creatures cannot attaine vnto the excellencie of mans nature, they shall much lesse be able to worke vertues & kinds, and sende foorth colours for the alterations of bodies without them: whereupon _Aristotle_ saith in his booke of Sleep & Watching, that if a menstrous Woman beholde her selfe in a looking glasse, shee will infect it, so that there will appeare a cloude of bloud. And _Solinus_ reporteth, that in _Sythia_ there are women which haue a double Ball or Apple in one eye (which caused Ouid to say, _Nos quoque pupilla duplex_) who when they are angry, slay men with the very looking on them. And we know that a man of an ill complexion, hauing some contagious disease, as the leprosie or falling-sicknesse, or a sharpe ague, or very bad eyes, and the like, poysoneth and infecteth others that are in his company: but contrariwise, men of a good and healthie complexion, especially yong men, do comfort others, and make men ioyfull with their presence, which commeth to passe by reason of their delicate Spirits: theyr holsom and pleasant vapours: their kindly & natural heate: I say it is by meanes of the spirits and vertues which proceede from them, as _Galen_ teacheth vs in _Techin_. And these things become hurtful, if the soule be corrupted with many grosse sins, beeing coupled with a diseased body of an euill complexion: and in like case is it, if there be a feruent appetite, and vehement desire to hurt and mischiefe. For then the nature of the complexion and soundnesse woorketh more forcibly by the cogitations of the soule, and longing desires that it hath. For which cause the Leper that earnestly wisheth, and with exceeding carefulnesse intendeth to infect some body that standeth before him, doth both more speedily and dangerously infect him, then he could haue done if he had not before hand thought hereof, desired and purposed in. For Nature (as _Auicen_ teacheth, in the foresayde places) obeyeth the thoughts, and vehement desires of the Soule: yea, there should bee no operation at all in men, if the natural vertue in the members did not subiect it selfe to the thoughts and desires of the soule. For (as _Auicen_ teacheth in the thirde of the _Metaphysickes_) the first moouer is a thought, and the next a desire conformable to the thought: And last of all, the vertue of the Soule in the members, which yeeldeth obedience to the desire and thought, and that both in euill and good. Whereupon when these thinges are to bee seene in a man, a good complexion, health of bodie, youth, beautie, comly proportion of the members, and a Soule free from sinne, an earnest thought and vehement desire to some worke, then whatsoeuer may be effected by the kinde and vertue of man, by the spirits and naturall heate, it must of necessitie be more forcibly and throughly wrought by these & such like Spirites, Vapours, and influences, then if anie of these were wanting, especially if there bee an earnest desire and forcible intention. So then many straunge matters may bee brought to passe by the woordes and workes of man, when all the fore-named causes doo concurre and meete together: for wordes proceede from within by the thoughts of the Soule, and desire, commeth by the motion of the Spirites, heate and vocall arterie-And the generation of these thinges hath open wayes, through which is a great passage of Spirits, heate, euaporation, vertue and kindes, which may bee made by the Soule and heart. By reason whereof, there are alterations and chaunges made in thinges spirituall (other things being answerable) by words according to that naturall power which is due vnto them. For wee see that by reason of these and such like arteries, gaspings and yawnings, and many resolutions of the Spirites, and of heate arise from the heart in the inwarde partes: which sometimes hurt vs, when they proceede from a crazie body: that is, of an euill complexion: and againe they greatly profite and comfort vs, when they come from a pure and sound bodie of a good complexion. In like sort therefore, there may be some naturall operations in the generation and pronunciation of woordes, with an intent and desire of working: so that not without good cause we vse to say, that a liuely voice is of great efficacie, not because it hath that vertue, which the Magitians dreame of: or that it is able to make and alter as others thinke, but because it is as nature hath ordained. We must therefore be verie circumspect in these things: for a man may easily tread awry, and many erre in both partes. Some denie that there is any operation: but others exceede and flie vnto Magicke. And hence it is, that there are so many bookes in the worlde of charmes, and characters, praiers, coniurations, sacrifices, and such like, that are meere Magicke: as the booke of the offices of Spirits, the book of the death of the Soule, the booke of Art notorie, and infinite more of the same kinde, that containe not in them the power of Art or Nature, but are wholy stuffed with the idle deuises of vaine magitians. Yet it must be remembred, that many bookes are ascribed to Magitians, which in truth are not such, but containe in them the excellencie of wisdome. Now amongst these, which are suspected, and which not, euerye mans particular experience shall instruct him. For if in any of them wee can meete with a worke of Nature or Art, let vs make choyse of that: if not, let vs leaue it as suspicious, and ill beseeming a wise man. It is the part of a Magitian so to handle thinges needlesse and superfluous: for (as _Isaak_ iudgeth in his booke of Feuers) the reasonable Soule is not hindered in her operations, vnlesse it be detayned by ignoraunce. And _Aristotle_ sayeth in his booke of Secretes, that in such matter a sounde and healthy person may doo any thing that is expedient for men, though not without the influence of diuine vertue: & in the third of the Meteors, he saith, that there is no vertue, but it cõmeth from God: and about the latter end of his _Ethicks_, he affirmeth, that there is no vertue, neither Moral, nor Naturall, endued with a celestiall vertue, without a diuine and celestiall influence. So that when we speake of the power of particular agents, we do not exclude the regiment of the vniuersal agent, and first cause. For euery first cause hath a greater influence in the thing caused, then the second cause, as it appeareth by the first proposition of causes.

Now will I begin to recount vnto you strange things, performed by Arte and Nature, and afterwards I will shew you the causes and manners of things, wherein shall bee nothing Magicall, so that you shall confesse all Magicke power to be inferior to these, and vnworthie to be compared with them. And first of all by the figuration of Art it selfe: There may bee made instruments of Nauigation without men to rowe in them: as huge Shippes to brooke the Sea, onely with one man to steere them, which shal saile farre more swiftly then if they were full of men. And Chariots that shall mooue with an vnspeakeable force, without any liuing creature to stirre them: such as the crooked Chariots are supposed to haue beene, wherein in olde time they vsed to fight, yea instruments to flie withall, so that one sitting in the middle of the Instrument, and turning about an Engine, by which the winges being artificially composed may beate the ayre after the maner of a flying bird. Besides, there may bee made a small Instrument in quantitie, to lift vppe, and let downe things of great waight, then which there is nothing more commodious to weigh with. For by an Instrument of three fingers high, and three fingers broad and lesse quantitie, may a man ridde himselfe, and his companions from all daunger of imprisonment, and lift them vp, and let them downe. Yea such an Instrument may easily be made, whereby a man may violently draw vnto him a thousand men, will they, nill they, and any other thing.

Moreouer instruments may be made wherewith men may walke in the bottome of the Sea or Riuers without bodily danger, which _Alexander_ the great vsed, to the ende he might beholde the secrets of the seas, as the Ethick Philosopher reporteth: and these haue bin made not onely in times past, but euen in our dayes. And it is certaine that there is an instrument to flie with, which I neuer sawe, nor know any mã that hath seene it, but I full wel know by name the learned man that inuented the same. In a worde, a man may make an infinite sort of such things: as bridges ouer Riuers without postes or pillers, and instruments and engins neuer heard of before.

But physicall figurations are far more strange: for in such maner may we frame perspects and looking-glasses, y^t one thing shall appeare to be many, as one man shall seeme a whole armie, and diuers Sunnes and Moones, yea, as many as wee please, shall appeare at one time: for in such wise sometimes are the vapours figured, that two or three Sunnes, and two Moones appeare together in the ayre, as _Plynie_ witnesseth in the second booke of his naturall History. For by the same reason that one thing may seeme to be many things, it may likewise seeme to be infinite things because that when once it hath exceeded his vertue, there is no sette number to be assigned: for thus _Aristotle_ reasoneth in the Chapter _De vacuo_. So that by this meanes a man may strike infinite terrors into any citie or army, insomuch that either through the manifolde apparitions of stars, or of men gathered together against them, they should vtterly perish, but in especiall, if there follow such an instrument wherwith at the first they may be had. For so may the perspects be framed, that things most farre off may seeme most nigh vnto vs, and cleane contrarie. So that we may reade verie small letters, an incredible distance from vs, and beholde things how little soeuer they bee, and make starres to appeare wheresoeuer wee will. And it is thought that _Iulius Cæsar_ did from the Sea coastes in _Fraunce_ marke and obserue the disposition and situation of the Castles and Citties of the lesser Brytannie by the helpe of great glasses. Bodyes also may so bee framed, that the greatest things shall appeare to be the least, the highest to bee the lowest, the most secret to bee the most manifest, and in like sort the contrarie. Thus did _Socrates_ perceiue that the Dragon (which destroied the Citie and countrey adioyning with his noysome breath, and contagious influence) did lurke in the dens betweene the mountains. And thus may all things that are done in cities or armies be discouered by y^e enemies. Again, in such wise may bodies be framed, that venimous and infectious influences may be brought whither a man will. And thus it is reported, that _Aristotle_ instructed _Alexander_: through which instruction, the poyson of a Basiliske beeing lift vp vpon the wall of a citie against an armie, brought it into the Citie. And besides all these, we may so frame perspects, that any man entring into a house, hee shoulde indeede see golde, and siluer, and precious stones, and what else he will, but when he maketh haste to the place, hee shall finde iust nothing. But it appertaineth to higher powers of figurations, that beames should bee brought and assembled by diuers flexions and reflexions in any distance that wee will, to burne whatsoeuer is opposite vnto it, as it is witnessed by those perspects that burne before and behinde, according as certaine authours teach in their bookes treating of these matters. But the greatest and cheefest of all figurations and things figured, is to describe the heauenly bodies according to their length and breadth in a corporall figure, wherin they may corporally moue with a daily motion. These things are worth a kingdome to a wise and discreet man. Let these things suffice for examples of figurations, though many other wonderfull things might be produced. Now hereunto there are certaine other, to be annexed without figurations. In any distance that wee will, wee may artificially make a burning fire of Salt Peeter and other things, as also of oyle, red Petrolium, and such like: and moreouer of Amber, of Naptha, white Petrolium, and the like: according to that which _Pliny_ reporteth in his second booke, namely that in a certaine Citie hee defended himselfe against the Romane armie: for hee burnt an armed souldior with diuers things which he cast at him. The Greeke fire is not much vnlike these, and many other burning things.

Besides, there may be made perpetuall lights, and bathes burning without end, for we haue knowne many that are not burned, but purified. But ouer and besides these, there are other things of Nature that will amaze and astonish vs to heare of them: for noyses may bee made in the aire like thunders, yea with greater horror then those that come by Nature: for a little matter fitted to the quantitie of a thumbe, maketh a horrible noyse, and wonderfull lightning. And this is done after sundry fashions, whereby any citie and armie may be destroyed, after the manner of skilfull _Gedeon_, who hauing onely three hundredth men, discomfited the hosts of the Madianites, with broken pitchers, and lamps, & fire issuing out with an vnspeakeable noyse. These are maruailous things, if men knewe how to vse them effctually in a due quantitie and matter.