Vnhcard-of

CURIOSITIES-

Concerning the

TALISMANICAL
Sculpture of the PERSIANS^

The H O R O S C O P E of

the PATRIARKES*

And the

^EADllsig of the S TA^S,

Written in French, J a m a a
G A FFAAEL.

AndEnglijhedby Edwund Chilmbad,

MU of Arts, and Chaplaine <?/Chrift- ,
Church OX 0 N,

l
f lOH DOH,
Printed by G. d, for Humphrey Mofeley, and are
to be fold sit his Shop^t the Princes Armes
in S1. Pauls Church-Yard. 1650,
The Teftimony that Leo ddlta*
r
tins gives, in his Apes Orba*
nfii concerning this Book.

CUriofus hie Liber ^ intrajex mnfes, i erf it-

it edim his Parifijs 5 et jewel alia Gal-
liarum inUrhe innowinata. Stijpicio cjl, nee
fallit Conjettura, Rhotomagenfes Bihliofolas,'
Jpe lucrif Jewel i atcjue iteruw, non fine -
1»m SenptSj cum Sty It Corruptions, edJJiijje

In Englifh thus.

v^unous Booke was printed Thrice,

within the fpaceof SixeMoneths: Twice,
at Fans - and Once, in fomc other City wi
Trancet not named in the Imprellion. And it
is fufpeded, and upon very good Grounds ;'
too, that the Booke-fellers o^Roiien, in hope-
of Gaine, printed it more then Once 5 though;
not without very great Corruption, both of:
the Senfe, and Stile.
To the Worlliipful, my much
Honoured Patronj Edward
^Bysjbe, the Younger>
E s CLU I E ft.

HHH ERE Prefcnrs of this Nature,

what they pretend to j and did
WW® not rather Engage, then G^ari-
fie the Receivers j intitling Them' to
what Errors foever fhalt be there Com-
muted : yet notwith landing could not
This of Mine expcCl to find any fuch
Entertainment, at Your hands. For, I
bring not here a Gift 3 but, pay a Debt •
and, but Rcffcre unto you, what was
your CKvne before; Since this Dedica-
tion is but an Account of fomeof thofe
hourcs, which ought wholly to have
been Other wife employed j in your
Service.
Neither have you a Single Title to it
fy
 Me Bfiftle JDedicttery .

only, as Comming from Me:

Great is your AffeidUpn to Learning 5
and fo Active, in frtcouragingall, that
malccchc leafl: Pretence to It - as that,
werel a.Strangcr to you, I fliould ac-
count ray fclf Obliged to make my Ad-
dredes to You; and fliould thinke, all
ray tndcavors were juftly due to Him,
that dcfcrves fo Wei! of Learning in Ge-
nerall.Be pleafcd therefore, Sr*, to ac-
cept of this Meane Prelent, as a Tcfti-
mobic, not fo much of my Gratitude,
as of your own Merit from Learning;
&fuffcr tncto make my Hearty,though
Wcake Attempts of Dcferving, in fomc
fmal mcafure, thofe many Favours,
wherewith You have notceafcd to Ob-
lige cC-,
Tour mo ft Devoted

Servant^

EDVUND Chilmead.1
 To my Lord Bifliop of

SIR,

Qrefent thefe Curiofnies to your Lord-

||| ill (hi^ as to the mofl Kyotoing Man in
iifaJliS this Ghoice Kind of Learning, in the
World. If airy micem the Suhjett to he of too
Daring a Nature, and Vhfit to prefent a <P««
c
lite with • thofe Profefo» Is onely , To
Know his Makers Croflc j kt themremem*
her i that the mofPPiom among the Ancient Fa-
thers h.i\>s not difdaincd the Curiofidcs of the
Gtutdttik files that. Preaching, wherein
Tm' Lordjfips Excellincyisfuih, as that it ren-
ders You Admired by All, as an Oracle j ought
tobe accompanied with WhatfoeVermay conduce
totheKj}Ott>kdge of God-, out of which numbtr,
Yhefe Choife Pieces of Antiquity may not be ex*
eluded. All • rancc ackndtoledgeth Tour Lord-
Jhip to be as a fecond Saint Paulo/" Our Age,-
feeing that, fince the time of this Qreat Apojlle,
 The Epiftle Dedicatory.

tbtGt/pflkatbmt bfen pmtached mote Lmwfo

ly9 nor 'toithsrsattr Bloqutny, and Ztalt^ by
Aitj i' thep ty Tow Seffe , and Yoitr Eijcipto.
So that the Height of my Dtfires can he but this;
that Theft my Conceptions, Tthich I here pnfent
Ton "Path j may he but received by Tow Lord/hip
44 "peilj as Tho/e that ijfae ficm Tow Lord*
jhips Pious 'Breafi are, by all the World.
Jf I arrive but to This j 1 Jhall ejiceme my
$elfe doubly Happy • having beene already long
fince Jo, in barving the liberty to cadmy filfe,

My Lord,

Your mod Humble, and

Obedient Servant,
 The Author t Aand

■Advertisement to the Reader.

pis not any Itch of wrir j ting polle/Tes

me. Courteous
Reader, that I here prefcnt
thee with thefe Curiofities:
u-QT-j—! tho^ t^at know mc > have
^ found me veiy free from this
foolilh pafllon. But a perion of quality,
)vhoqi to deny any thing , were a great
Crime in mc, hath forced them out or my
Clofet, whence otherwifc they never Ihould
have come : fince I had refolv'd, after fo
many Calumnies indured, never to adven-
ture more into the Publick View, having fo
oftentimes fighed forth thofe words of a
Roman Prince 5 Utinam nefciffem literas!
But in fine, the Intreaties, and Commands
of my friends have prevailed againft my
own Refolutionj and . I am forced, I con-
feire,to this Publication; fince I could not
but forefee well enough, that my Enemies
would not rcllilh atall this other Eflayof
my pen ; notwithftanding after all this, I
have wherewith to comfort my fclf; fince
One of the greatcft Prelates ofour Agc hath
Condemned their Infolcnce. Receive there-
fore favourably this Difcourfe, Courteous
Reader and remember what we all are ;
I will not fay, thou fhalt jSnd all things
perfect here; for I am no Angel : and if
there be any defedh, we muft accufe our
Mortality, which renders all Mankind fub-
jedlto Errour, But above all, know, that
I am no whit obftinatc,or fclf-conceited, nor
never was 5 I take in very good part what
Advertifements foever are given me: nei-
ther doc I account my felfe fo knowing j
but that I lhall be very ready-to learne of
any man ; they are fooles only, and-vain-:
gloripus, that rcfufe to be taught 5 and the
Ignorant only fay, They know all. As for
my part, Courteous Reader , ufe me but
friendly, and I lhall require nothing dfe.
If thou thinke it ftrange, that a man of
the Church, as I am , fhould adventure on
fo bold, and daring a Subjcd, as this fcems
to be ^ confidcr, I pray thee, that many of
my Profcflion have put forth things much
more bold then thcfc • and even fuch as have
been cfteemed Dangerous tpo. Thus TW-
ihmins the Abbot put forth his Polygraphy,
and his Steganography , where the Calling
forth of Spirits is plaincly delivered j not-
\vithflanding he makes other ufe of it, then
our Sorcerers doe. Gtilidmus Bilhop of Pit-
rU hath not only written of N aturall Ma-
gick, but he alfo both perfedtly underftood,
and pradlifd it 3 as the Learned Pie us Mi-.
randuU reports of him. Another Learned
Bifhop alfo, Albertu-s Magnus by name, hath
taught the grounds of it with admiration. Ro-
ger Bacon, and Joannes de Rupejcijfa, both
Francifcan Friers, have done the faine. Pe-
tm Cirvellus, a Spaniard of the fame Or-
der , hath publilhcd to the Chriftian
World a Book in of the Foure Prin-
cipal! kinds of Divination, and all the Ma-
ximes of Judiciary Aftrology. P.de Al-
liacO) a Cardinall, and Bifliop of Cambray,
hath written of the fame Subjeft : as alfo
hath tfunBinus, a Prieft of Florence, and a
Dr. of Divinity. And fince we are fallen
upon the Italians^ have not Aurelius Augu-
r ell us, and Pantheus, both Priefts, the one a
Venetian, the other a Tarvifian, delivered the
Fooleries of the Philofopners Stone, the one
in his Chryfopaa,and the other in his Voar-
chadnmia ? Marfilius Ficims alfo, a Prieft,
how full of Superftition are his writings i
yea what Superftition is there in the World,
that he hath not publifhed to open View ?
Antonius Bernardus Mirandtdanus, Bifhop of
Caferte, hath, after his example, maintained
a world of things, cleane contrary to our
Religion, in his book, De fingnlari certamine.
 The Cardinall Cretan de Vie hath done the
voy fame: and Giovanni ivgegneri^ Bifhop
of Caho d' ijlria, hath newly bufied himfelf
in maintaining the Grounds of Phyfiogno-
jny. And before all thefe, Syntfws, a Chri-
ilian-Biihop, wrote a book of the Jntcrprc-
*acion pf Dreames, commented on afterwardsi
fey Nicethorus Cregoras, a BiHiop aJfo, or
Patriarch ,■ of Constantinople. I omit the
Superflitions of ^oachimus Abbas 5 and of
SavanaroU, a Dominican Frier; with Car-
dinall Rewhus his Git Afolani; tineas Syl-
vius (who was afterward Pope Pius II.)
his Lucrece; the book fo full of all Lewd-
sne/Te of Poggius the Florentine, who was Se-
cretary to the Pope. Neither will I men-
tion the Macaronick Hijlory, .put forth under
the name of Merlin Coccai, but written by Ther
ophilus Folengitts, a BenedidUne Flier; nor
an infinite number of other books, written
fey Church-men, with which, Kind Read-
er , if thou compare this of mine, thou
wilt find , if any blame me, they doit wrong-
fully.
And that thou mayft be fully acquainted
with my purpofe in tliis difcourfc , know.,
that I give no more credit to any of thefe
Curiolities, then the Catholique and Apo-
ftolique Church permits; and that I have
nor publilhed them, at kaft fomeof them Oft
hice andtickliflij but after many Chiiftians
of my Prdfdfllon; as thbu mayft perceive1
by the Sequel. As touching $crohm's
Calves, I ahi not the firft, who hath faid ,
that the makirig of them was Lawfuil> aftd
that this King was no Idolater; the Learn-
ed Genebrard nath led me the way 5 and af-
ter him, Momahs •, and before mem, Abiu-
dan: and I (hall be very ready to withdraw
my fclfout of their company, if I find there
be any datigcr in't. If thou objedl, thatthefe
Curiofities, ought not therefore to be called^
Unheard-offeeing that they have been hand-
led by others: I anfwer, that the greateft
part of them were Fnheard-of^ to GhriftU
ans fince that I have collc&ed them Out
of the writings of the Jewes 5 where they
weredelivertafpobfcurely, that even thofe
of their oWn Nation negle&ed them. AS
for the TalijihaMcaU Figures, they were fo
Vnheard-oftn our Age, that their very name
was not let much as knoWiie. Now that
thou mayft have a more perfect undcrftand-
ing of what is delivered in the. ehfuing
Difcourfe, bcpleafedto adde this WhichfpP
loweth.
In the Fitft Part, Cap. 1, p. 7, I fay^ that
I had not been able to difcover the teafon,
why Plutarch, Strabo, Trogus, Tacitus^ and
Diodorus hadacculcd the Jewes of worfliip-
 ping a Vine : I have fincc found, that it was,
bccaufe they Had heard fay, and even them-
lelves fecn, at leaft foriie of them, that in the
Temple at zferufalem, there was a Golden
Vine, with it's leaves, and clufteis of grapes,
made againft the wall ^ as it is defcribedby
jofeptms. Interior porta, faies, he, tota in art-
rat a erat^ ni dixi, & tireum earn aurat its pa-
ries, defuper autcm hahebat aureds pampiftos,
unde racemi,[tatitra h'ominis, dependehant. I
know very well, that many to underftaqcl
the words of tfojephus, as ifthis Vine were
hot of Solid, Mafly gold, but only gilded,
after the manner of Phrygian work. But
the Other J-ofephtis, the Sonnc of Gorton ,
contradi&s this Interpretation of the words:
for, fpeaking in the fame Hiftofy.(of tH<;
Deftrudion of ^crupdem) both more clear-
ly, and more at large, of this Golden Vine ,
and it's bunches ot Grapes, he faies.; Fecit
infuper Herodes vitem dediiromnridOi '& poju^
it in fummitatem columnar um ,, cnjtts ppndtii
e'rdt niille talentortim dureortm. Erat atitem
'vitis ipfa facia opcre ingenrofo, habens rarnos
perplexes • cujns folia, dfgermindfatfa er'dnt
ex rutildnti auro 5 hdfri autcm ex aurofuly^
& grana ejus, acini, atque folliculifaciierant
ex lapidihus preciofis : iotimfy opus erat far
hrefdftum opere vari'o, tit ejfet miraneftthiJpecfar
enlrtm, & gauditm' cordis omnibus intuentibiis
 ipfam. And prefently after he addes: Mul-
ti quoque fcriptores Romani tefianttir,[e earn
•vidijfe^cnm dejolatetur Templupt- Now; the'
fore-named Authors, Plutarch, Strabo, and
the reft, feeing that the Jewes had in their
Temple a Golden Vine, ft) rich,To preci-
ous, and offo admirable workmanihipjthey
were eafily perfwaded that they worfliipped
it, in honour o( Bacchus, who was the nrft
that Tubdued the Eafl: and this is the Opi-
nion of Cornelius Tacitus, who lived at the
fame time, when this Beautifull Temple was
deftroyed. Sed quia, faith he, Sacerdotes
tfudaorum tibia, tympanijque concinebant, he-
dera vinciebantur, vitijque aurea in Tcmplo
repertd •, Liberum Patrern coli, domiterem Ori-
entis, quidam arbitrati funt •, nequaquam con-.
gruentibus infiitutis : guippe hihzx feftos, Ls-
tojque ritus pofuit 5 Judxoiura mos abfurdus,
fordidufque. But we paffe by this Impious
Author, who makes a mock at the Religion
of the Jeweson all occafions.
In the Second Part, Chap. 4.pag. 2,6.
where I render the Greek words, -fMa/f l-mnws,
by tfiefe French words, Menues Penfees, Little
thoughts, I have tranflated the Greek word,
as it ought to be underftood, which
fignifies properly^ Little, Delicate, and [mall:
as we call one of the Greek letters Tpfilon,
thai is to fay, the Little T. Now the Se-
 cond Thoughts are Small, Fine, and Delicate,
becaufe they ccinfider things abftradted , and
feparatcd from Matter •, whieh'the Firft dOc
not : And therefore We fay in French vtry 6-
legantly , when wee fpeake ofone that nadi
brought fotth any cufioui coriCeit, vtila *uhe
pnjee bien defliie. ■ *
In the following Chap; you may adde thcTe
admirable GaMhes. At Ftfa, in the ,Church
Of $t. yOuhave, on a certainc Aonc,an
T)ld Hc'rfnite, perfeftly draWn by Nature 6h-
ly 5 but with fb much exaftnelle, that there
feemes not' to' be wanting any thing that be-
longs to one of that fort of men. For he is re-
prefented in a Defcrt, fnitable to hispfofeffi-
o'n , and fitting nearc a Broolcs fide : with a
Clock in his hand. This Naturall piece Of
Tidlure, ahnoft fully anfweis That, they de-
liver St. Anthony in; In the Temple pf $» Sv-
fhia, at Conframinople, there is allb fcen,- up-
on a plain white Marble, the Image of S . $ohn
Baptifi, cloathed with a Camels skinne - be-
ing only defcdlive. in this, that Nature bath
drawn him but With one fbottv At Bavtnha^
in the Church bfSt. Vitdk there is to be
feen a Francifcan Frier. naturally drawn, up-
on a ftone of an Alb-Colour. .At Sneibirgiri
Germany, there Was found in the Eartha cet-
tainc little Statlie of a kind of unrefined Me-
tall, naturally made 5 which rcprefented,- in a
 round Figure, a man having a little Child a^
his back :• and whoever hath any where fcAie
the pifturcofSt. chnjtother, may eafily con-
ceive the fhape of this. .. Itis not long fince
there was found, in the ere tut at* Foreff ^ a
Stone that naturally reprefented -the figure of
an old man, with a long beard, and crowded
with a Triple C rowne, asthe Pope oiRom
is. Obferve likewife that many ofthefe Stones,'
or Gamahes, are called all by the fame name,
becaufe they have alwayes the fame figure. So
that, which reprefents the Eyes of a man ^ is
called LeHcophthalmos : that which beares the
figure of a Heart, Encardia: that which hath
the lhape of a T ongue reprefenrcd on it,Gldjfo-
fetra : thatwhich is figured like the Genitals','
Enorchis: and if it reprefent as well the fccret
pans of a man, as of a woman, itis then called
Diphys, &c.
To the figures that arc found in F'lants, and
Flowers, you may likewife addc rhofe which'
reprefent fome kind of fetters, or words; as
the Hyacinth^ on which the Poet fayeS, is
written the Complaint of the fair Pha-hus, for
having killed Hyacinthns •, whom he afterward
transformed into a Flowre of the fame name ;
and this Complaint of his isexpreft in thefe
two Letters, *, which make up tne word, Aiy
, Which we frequently ufeih all kinds of foffow.
 Won fat/s hoc Phabo eji, ( hie enim fuit m-
nor honoris:)
Jpfefuos gemittts folijs inferibit: & Hya
Flos hahet inferiptum , funejlaque liter a du*
&<t ejl.

The Flower alfo that fprung, (according to

the fidlion of the fame Poet,) from the blood
of the valiant Jj ax3 bcares the two fifft letters
of his name, Ai.

Liter a communis medijs puerofy, virefy,

fit. i j. Jnjcripta efifolijs, hxc nomints^ UU qufrela*
As for the diverfe kinds of Figures that wee
meet withall in beafts, (which we have like-
wife examined in the fame Chapter,) I have'
found nothing more worthy our admiration,
then what I have been lately informed of by
Eye-witnelfes: namely, that it is not Ions
fince > that in diverfe parts of Poitou it rained
acertaine kind of little creatures, about an
Inch in bigncfle fome whereof were in the
lhape of Bilhops, with a Rochet and hood,
dofed up in a (hell, or skin, fo admirably, that
, one would have thought it to have been of
burnilhed gold : others were in (hape like Fri-
ers, with a Frockc and Cowle : fome were of
a ceitaine horrid lhape 5 and others like I know
not what. It is a "rent wonder, if this Rela-
tion come among the Djachmen , if wee have
not
 not very fpecdily forpe ftrange Intcrpretatioij
of the Revelatton, fuch a one as Ananias je-
rauctirms, and Raphael Eglinus have given1,'
( as we (hajl fliew hereafter ) of the daft Vifl-
bns of Daniel, by the help of certaiqe Chara-
tters found upon two Herrings, taken up up-
thc coaft of Normj. But to palTe by thefc
Fooleries. . , s •.
In the S ixth Chapter, where I fpeake of di-
verfc fans ofTalifmns, and prove tficir yer-
tue, according to the opinion of the Eafterne
parts*, you muft take heed, that yo.u mixenoc
all forts of Charaders, and figures, indiffe-
rently , with thefe Talifmans. For though'
many of them beare the Figures of the living,
creatures d.efcribcd in the Heavens, which we
ufually call Conftellations, they arc nottherc-'
fore prelcntly to paffe for true Tdifmans *, but
cither fotne kind ofMony*, as that of the Duke
of Bruofwiche, whereon were ingraven all the
Celcftial Signes; and that of Awgnfins Cmfari
On which he cauled the Sign of Capricorn, to be
figured *, for no other realon, but only in me-
mory that he was born under that Signe. Qr
elfc thefc Figures are only fome Myftical Em-
blemes, under which the Ancients couched
fome certaijic Philofophical Secret. Such was
Nejlor's Silver Goblet, in Homer, whereon the
Pleiades were ingraven ; as you may fee
here in the Tranfiation oi,Natalia Comes,
a 2 which"
which is more Poeticall theii that of Gipha-
ttitts.

Poculttm eratpukhrum, domo & idpirtaVt'

ratipfe,
Transjtxum clavis aureis, ac illius aures
<puatn6r: hinc gmin& complex a Livie, at
illas
ix auro circumpnfcuntur, funda duofuM.
Nec facile hoc quifquam poterat extollert
menfa,
Sluumplenumforet: at Neftor nutloipfe la-
hon
Tollebat fenior.-

Whoever therefore JcnOws not the Myftr*

call fneaning of this Goblet, would, without
doubt, feeing the Pleiades engraven on it, be!
apt to conceive, that it was made under fome
ecrtaine Conftellation , as Taltfmans are:
where as there is nothing elfe in it, but a Phi-
lofophical Senfe,thus darkly delivered by Ho-
mer ; as we may fee in Jlciat, who explaines
the meaning of it thus.

Nefioreamgeminis cralera hum accipe'fundis,

. guodgravis argenti majfa pyofundit opus.
Clavieuli ex auro ^ftant circnm quatuor anfa,
Unamquamqt, fuperfuha columba fedet.
Solus eum potutt longavus toUere He for.
Maonidt
 Maonutx doceas quid fihi mufa velit ?
Ejt coekm typhus ip[e,colorqs nr^entens illit
Aureafunt celt Jidera clavicult,
Pleiades (Jfeputant, quus dixerit tile colwtt*
bus:
Umbilicigemini, mag»aymi»orq-: fera ejl.
Hue Nefiorloxgo fapiens intelligitufu.
Be/Ugeruntfortes, callidusajlra tenet.

The Poet Anncmh, who confultcd with

Bacchus^ as often as with his Mufc, makes him-
fclfc merry with this Goblet of Nefior •, and in-
trcats Vulcan to make iiim one, without fuch
adcale of Piiilofophy,,,enough to make one
crackehis.braines: Fqr , whathaye I to doe,
quoth he, with the Pleiades, or bright-fhining
Pooies i Make me therefore, good Vulcan^
neither ArmesJ nor weapons: but make me a
Bowie, as deepc a one as thpu canft; and in-
grave thercqn no Stars, neither Cha^s his
mine, nor the fad Or/on but carve me out 3
Vine, with it's fwclling grapes, and Cupid,
Bacchus, and Bathillas, prdfing them together,
His vcrfes arc thus tran^ated by H. Stephams^
yery elegantly.

Tor no mihi labors

ArgenUm \ & indefnge,
Vulcane, nan quidem arms,
Nam quid Gradivus ad me f
 Sedpoculum mihifac
Quantum pot'esprofundiim,
Ihfculpiiofa in illo
Nun aftra, plauftrave ulla,
Trifiem nec Orionem.
( Nam Pleiades quid ad me ?.
jguid lacidus Bootes ?)
Vitemf'd^ et iacemos
Infculpe, cumq-, Baccho
Uvas (imiil pretnentes
Cupidinm, & Bathiflum.

Thcle verfes have often made ittc douht,

yrliethcr'brno, many of thofc pretious ftoncs
that we ftc in Anderit Rings, which are com-
monly taken fbi- Tilifmdns, ( fuch as was that
df Our Goiintryman Baganis, whereof I make
hrrention • ) on which We find Cupids, Sdcchus,
Vines, biiriehes of grapes, and vine-branches
ihgraven, were not rather the effeds of fome
gallant Humor of fome PhilofopherSjwho de-
lirbd to ftreare on rheir fingers the Hitiblemes
of Wirii, father then any other figures.
I n't he fame Sixth Chapter, where I fpeake
of the power of Refemblance,. I know.not
how,inthe 172. page, the word, France, hath
llipt in, inftead of Italy. For it is in Italy
chiefly, where the Leprofie is ft) frequent,
by reafon of the great quantity of Hogs flefti
that is eaten there, more then in any other
KingdomC: and the i;eafon that in France, we.
fee fome infcded with this difeafe , is, becaufc
that here, next to the Italians, they eate more
hogs flefli3then any where elfe. Neither do
I fay this, but according to the opinion of
Phyficians, without the leaft purpofe of of.
fending any, either Strangers, ortliofe of my
owne Nation. In a word, Courteous Rea-
der, I (hall defire thee to interpret in good
J)art, whatfoever thou fhalt find in this Book*
being that my purpofe is to deale cleardy, as
One exempt from paffion.
In the 77. page of the fame Cfiapter, my
intent is nol to ranke fofeph's gift Or Interpre-
ting, Dreames with the Art of Conjcduring
fit the mining of Dreames: Nor yet to reject
the order of me Commandements, eftablifhcd
by the Church, and to introduce that which is
fet downe, page 291, for I there follow the
$ewes manner of counting them.
Laftly, I muft intreat thee to corred the
faults of the Preffe ; and ufe m?e, as thou
wouldft beufed thy fclf.
 A T A B L E of the Chapters, and
their CONTENTS.
PART. I.
^herein the Jcwes, and other Eaftcrn Men
arc defended.
CHA?. i.

That many things are (alfely impofed upon the Jews,

and the reft of the Eaftcrn men, which never were.
THE COKrENTS.
1. "T'Hf ArgWits brau^ht the Easier*
1. men, whereon grounded.
а. The fewit falfclj accuftd, bj Appion, Plutarch,
!
Strab6,Trogu's,Tacitus, andDiodorus Siculus, if
'■ irorpjipping Afes, Viness and the Clouds,
. ' 3., Whence, thefe Fooler its jprung.
;;, The Syrians falltly faidtovorfiip EiPitf. Xe-
nophon, Cicero, e^£!iao, Ovid,Martial,. Artctnidp-
, rus,/r«d.vjciligcr,rf/»rf<i.
J. The /^a//Dgon, not figured like d Woman, or
Siren ;ai SCali?cr would have it: hat in fhe fqrme of
a Triton. The Fable laid open,
б. Z'he Samaritai s no Idolaters ; no more then Aa-
ron, <r»^Jeroboam,yer having made Calves of gold y
according to Abiudon.
7- The Chi rubiris of the Arkg not rnade in the
forme of Young Men; againfi the opinion of all, both
Greeke, and Lett ine Author s^ and the greateftpart of
the letvifh too,
8. Arguments in defence of the Samaritans.
 ' g. The reaf tas brought bj the Icvves, <w^Cajctan,
iMching thehureof the Cheriabins, of no force.' '
io. The fewes falfelj aecMfed. of burning then-'
Children to the Idoi Moloc : Whente the cnfiome of
tAfing over the Fire of St. J ohft hntb been derived,

CHA P. II.
That puny things ire efteemed ridiculous, and darrg*^
rbns, in theBookcs of the Jewcs., which yecare,
without any blame , maintained by £brdtian
Writers.
THE CONTENTS.

l, ree ought not to reft wj the inre Leiieref

i the Scriptures.
а. Authors that have treated of Ridiculofu Sub,
efts, without beiug reproved.
The books of the Jews lefe dangertiu,then thofe
of the Meuthens, vehietijet are allowed bp the Chri-
ion Fathers.
4.! The Feajt that God is to make for the Ele8t
with theflejb of a Whale, how to be. uuderftood,
5. Ten things created on the Even iefote the Sabr
btth, and what they were.
б. The Opinions of the Ancient, and Modern wri-
ters, touching the. end of the world', what Fathers of
the Church have been of the Jews opinion in this Par*
ticular. 1 '■■■■■ ■ •
7. D herfe opinions concerning the number of pears
from the Creation to our Saviour Chrift; and what
wee ought' to eonclude, as touching the end. of the
world,
8. The Ancient Rabbins are falfelp acenfed, of
[peaking Uitfour Saviour Jefus Chrift.
 "1

ji- The'third Ohieftitii in the pttcedeHt ChafUr

Mfieer 'ed: imi *n Sit'iiriieMtiod tffawe Enttors 6j
gretit Imfcridnce in tiHr twttiBeikes,
.. ■ .Fi jT i i. „ './^ — i— ^
Pa st. II.

Oftht talifmaprfal Sculpture ofthe Perfians*,

or the manner of making FigiireSj and Ima-
Under certain Gonftcllations.
CHAP. JIL
JH AT the Persians are unjuQly blamed., cpncer,
liirig the Ciirioflttcs of their Magickc, ScuTpcure,
.>apd Aerology. '•

. THE CONTENTS.
tV ^P'Kr tvdl cit/iome of bUming the AhtUntt ii
X noted.
i'-'ii The Redfeii) hrmght kpinfi' the Perfianj, .4«l
their Magicke.examinedi attdfettudof no force,fk
Errors of the Counterfet Betofus, Dirion, Cpmejlor,
Gencbrard, Pierius, (jndYenetu?, coucemiHg Zoro
after;.. ■ • .t,
J. The f range Statues e/'Labao, And Micha, calld
Tcr4phim,pfr^wp; aMedofGod,.,.
5. The Erreurs of Bits Levita, Abcn-Efra,, R,,&
Ikzer, R, D. Ghimehi, Cajecan, Saindes, "VataWus,
CUrius, Merccrus, Marinus, and Mr.Sdiw,eancer
ymg tbefe Ttiraphitn. The groffe couceif •/Piilo Id
dzus touching this Particular,
' <f; A ConjeSlnte touchikg thefe Statues , vha
they were ; akdatt infiter to vhat mat be ebvtled *
'&**. ' '•* 7.^
 7* OfcertMne Strange, Prodigious things, which
have foretold Difajlers, which have been feen to come
to paffe; and which do jet foretell ihefkme.
S. 7he ConcUfon of ad before delivered.

CHAP. IV.
Thit for Want of underftanding Ariflotleix\§ht, mefl
have condcdih^d the power oTFi^ufes y ind con^
duded very riiariy tHings, botRagainft thiis ifhilo-
fopher, and Igaintl all found Philolopfiy -
THE CONTENTS.
h C Rrers in Learning, cdHfed hj the fgdoranfe of
L-the j^ahgudges.
a. sfcdhet $pec!i£
3. The reading of Su-rif SySfomQ- froveA tt befklf,
■ Tfisuiao id tranjlated j and hence the JQjftfttih
fl/Univerftls, hoi utfderftood.
5. The proper iranflating of Xaf'^
1 6, The Errort committed in thefe rOords,
ifiat, and riri WfTveu, and ff&'dtiy.'xoiHV. The cotre^
fling ofint*i%t*reje£led, agdinft Cicero.
• 7. It tsfalfelt concluded oat c/Ariftotle, that Fire
it moifi j againjr du Vilion.
. 8. That hribotletsabafedbj Interpreters, bjrea-
fen of their not anderfianding the force of the weri
; and by reading , infiead ef(Zr.
9. Thefalfe Interpretation ef the word ifitif t gfc
vtn by Stapulcnfis.
10. The word mtim, rightly anderjloed, condertt-
neth thofe that deny the fewer ofFignfes. Thepreofe,
*fthk at laroe.
 CHAP.V.

The power of Artificial! Imapes is provpJ, by that of

thofc that arc foundHamrally imprinced on Stones,
and Plants, commonly called Gunuhe, or Camai-
eu, and Signatures.
THE do NTE NTS.
i.^TJ "Hf Divifton of Natttrall Figurest or Itntgts.
I <Camahe,. or Camaieu, drtytn peradvt»tftre
from the Hebrew word rP'Oa Chepiaia,
а. Of divers rare Gamahes.or Stones painted natu-
rally : and why thiy are more frequently found in hot
iSoyntreys, then in Cefd.
3. Of other curious Gamahes not painted, ntentio*
ned by Pliny, Nider, Gefner > Goropius Becanus,
Tkyet, and Mr, de Breves. A new Ohfervation en
fhfiJBffnes of Giants.
■4. Of Gamahes that are Ingrave'n : and wb'iher
thofe places, where ever any Fijh jhels are feuni,h 'avt
been formerly coveredv>ithwaterxor not.
, $. Cert nine admlraith Figures, and Signatures,
that are found in aU the parts of Plants, Manychoyci
inquiriespropofed, on this SubjeS.
б. The power of theje Figures proved j and the Ob-
jeciions anfweredjhat are brought a gainf it,
7. The Secret difcovereditohy a Scorpion,applied to
the wound made by a Scorpions fling, Jhould net hurt
rather, then cure it, '•
8. Of the Figures dfPlants, that reprtfent all the
parts of the body of a,man ; and that cure the fame,
wbenill-ajfetled.
9 The Formes ■fad things admirably prefefved in
^Aeir A fits.
 10. The Gbojh of dendfelkjjhAt appear in Chnfch-
jords, tindafter grent flanghter of drmies, whence
they proceed. Certain choice QuefHoMt propofedt ton*
ching thu Argutnent,
11. A new reafoti given, of the Raining of Pregrj
which hath fometintes happened.
I a. Of figures that are found in Living Cre&
tares j and what power thej have,

CHAP. VI.
That, according to the opinion of the Eaftctn Men,
Figures, and Images may be fo prepared, under cct-
taine Conftelhtlons, as that they thai have the pow-
er, Naturally, and without the aide of any Demon,
or Dive!, to drive away noifomc beads , allay
Winds, Thunder, and Tetnpefts, and to cqre di-
ver fe kinds of l)i(eafes.
TH£ CO NTENTS,
m
I. T'He infupportahle vanity of fame Pretenders to
A Learning, is noted,
i. How thefe Talifmanicall figurei are called in
Hebrew, Qhaldie, Greekf and Arahick. The Etymolo-
gy o/Talifman uncertain, againjl Salmafius.
3. By what tneanes the power of figures is proved:
andwho they are, among the Arabians, that have de-
fended it.
4. Of cert sine admirable TalifmanS,/o«»<l4t Pa-
ris, & Conftantinople: and what happened to thefe
places, after the breaking of them.
5. What the Dij Averrnnci of the Ancients weri,
varniKoi, whence derived: andwhence the cufiome of
fettingup figures, and Images in Ships came,
6. The fable of the font Braftan, in Jurky, difca-
ver'edz
 vered: and a Cori]efime given, concerningthe
Palladium, and the Statues mentioned by Phild
Judjcus.
7. The Golden Calfe, and the Broken Ser^
fem, falfely jaidtofa T^lifean?; and why the
Serpent ivas maflf: of Srajfe^ packer then of apiy
other Met all.
8. The Wonder full Effetts of 3.T alifinans,
fpoken of by Scaligcr 5M.de Breves, and the
Turkifh Annals : and of what vertue thofe o*
ther were, that were made by Paracelfus, M.
Lagneau, anddiyerfe Learned Italians. ;
p. The fower of thefe Figures proved^ by the
power that Refemblance is known to have, in all
ArtS) and Sciences: andfrfl in Divinity. Why
the Ancients placed Images in their Temples.
10. In Phtlojophy. of the Power of Imagi-
nation.
11. in Phyficke. offerhe Animals, Plants,
and Graines, that foe good, and hurt, meerly by
Ecfemb lance.
12. In Afro logy. A Certaine Memes of
foretelling Evils to come, by the Colour of the
Meteors that appease.
13. In Phyfipgnmy. The manner how to
know the Naturall Inclination of any man, ac-
fording to Caiflpanella.
14. In the Art of Diyiyetion of Drepptes.
Examples, both Sacred, and Prophane, tmh-
ingthd Sub']e&,
 I jf./v Tainttyhj our Saviour Chrift k tfyur
figured Sujering upon tfa GrofotheuSifting 4t ff$
fyght hand of hit Father.
16. In M*fickt 0f f"*' Difeafct that art cttrti
bjit.
17. The manner of making tfef/f Talifinans.
18. The lalifounicsUOperationsfetdovntbj Xbc-1
bit Bcn-chomt, Tcichemius, Gocblenius, Albums
Villanoveofis, & Marccllos Ginpiricus. condensntd.
19. tvhat porter the Heavens have, tvpr thingf
here below,
20. The reafon tf the names of the CehjHnfll-
mages.
3i. what Infinencethe Heavens have upon f/frth
feiall things.

CHAP. FJI.
that the Objections which arc made againdTalifm*-
Fibres, make not any thing at allagaihft the?:
Power.
THE CONTENTS.
Ji,X7r 7whence the eujlem ofufng (ertapf verdf,
V V and of apptjiifg certain Charaffersifn the
Cure of Difeafes, hath fprung.
3. An abominable Ceremony ufedbj the Egypti-
ans, for to caafe Haile to eeafe. The reafon of the
Command, given to the fewes, of not Graffing on a
tree of a different kind,
3. The talifimns deliveredb) AntoniosMaaldus,
Condemned,
4. The ObjeEHons brought bj Gnlielmus Parificn-
fis, andGedoQ^nfwered. The power the Snnne hath
within the bowels of the Earth. 5 • •*
 A Foiirtlt Objtttion anfotred. Xhe Storits of
Sorcerers > atd of the Imtges ofof very );lUU
credit' _ ;
C.A Fifth 0bjettieii refuted.Of the tVeMfOK-falve,
that cures the wound, bj being applied to she weapoi
that made it.
7. The Sixth ObjeSlion of no force. A remarkable
Story of two Twins. . .
8. The Operation of theft TaliCmans proceeds net
firom thefecretvertue of the Stone. ,
9. Cajctan, and Pomponatius, defended, agdinfi
Ddrio, touching the power of Figures^
Jo, The vertue of the Stars dtfcends as wed upon *
LiiiingScorpton, as upon its Image.
11. The forcible reafens brought by GalcottUS,}»
defence of Talifmans.
12. TheObjeRion,broughtagainfiFrancifcusKo-
€us, anfwered.
13. The Story of Virgils Talifinanicall Fly, aui
Horfeleech a true one againfi Naudsas.Gervais hi
books not fabulous ; as it commonly believed,
14. Of feme Admirable, and curious Inventions ej
inert, that feem more incredible, then Talifmans.
15 . Ceriaine Objettions,never before.brought, f
gaiftfi the power of Figures ; with their SolritioH.
 Of the Horofcope of the Patriarchs: or the A-
ftrology of the Ancient Hebrews.
CHAT. FIJI.
Thit Idolatry is falfly hid to have fprung from the
Aftrology of the Ancients,
THE CONTENTS.
i.'Y HE ArgBtnentJ agamfi Aftrology, HI ground-
ed. And how, bj the wajes of Nature, it ispoft-.
ftble to give judgment of the Good, or EvHl Fortune^
of a Child.
2. The Refolution of Thomas Aquinas , in the
ieholfe of AftrologJ.
?. Guliclmus Parifienfis, <««^Paracclfus refuted.
Aftrology by whomfound out; the Erroar tf/Plihy in
this Particular.
4- Aftrology both Good, and Evil I j and how.
hloksaSkilfull Aftrologer.
J. Idolatry whence fprung forth, according to
Marfiiius Ficinus,<wf Bechay, a lew. Hanni-Bal,<W
Hafdru-Bal, compounded Names', and why.
. 6. The Opinions of K.lAofeSyaiid the Author of
the bool^ofJhi Wifedome of Salomon, concerning the
beginning of Idolatry. The Conclnfton of all before
delivered.
7. Fires ufcdto be made, by the ^Indents, to the
Sun, and the Moor,; and for what reafon.
■ 8. Reafonsgiven for the praofe of thesfnuocencj
of the Ancients, in thefe Cnriofities
 e JAP. ix.

.Whether .orno, the Ancient Hebrewesmadeufe ol

any Mathematical! Infhumcnc in their Aftroloi
gy : and what the figure cd their Inftomenti
' Was.

THE CONTENTS.

1. C 7\7Hat hftruments the Ancient Afiroltgeri

V ▼ ttfed. The Fable of Atlas difcovered,
а. The Hebrewes Spheredefcribed.
3. Certain Dotthts propofed, concerning the Fa-
bricf^of it. Thefirangeconceit o/R. Moles, tonctr-
tiing the number of the Heavens.
A CoitjeElUre upon the Antiquity of thk
Sphere.
5. 0/ the Diall of Ahaz, and its defcription, not
Jetfeen.
б. Conjeflnres on the figure of our Sun-dials.

CHAP, X.

That the A Urology of the Ancient HehrewetytA-

gjptians, and Arabians, was not fuch, as it is de.
livcrcd by Scaliger,Ai*gufiinus Riccius, Kunrath,
Duret, and p'igenere.

THE CONTENTS,

i.'*p HE Holieft things are often mixt with F#

. bles.
2, Th
 2. The firange Fancies, and Faljhoods a/Du-
ret > touching the Spirits tf the ^Planets j and
touching the Aftrelogicatl Cabale of the levees,
3. The Fooleries of Carlo Fabri, in his nf*
figning of the Angels, proper to the Seven Elcdors
of the Empire.
4. The Strange Tio^rine a/Riccius,
rath, concerning the Planetary Zephirors.
5. The Stars, the cattfe of the diverfitiet in Re',
Hgion, in the opinion of R. Chomer.
6. The Nativity ef our Saviour feius Chrift,
erefled by Bechai, 4WCardan.
7. The Ajlrologicall Tittures, or Figures % at
the ConjunftioHs of the Celejliall Signes, faljly at-
minted to the Egyptians, and Arabians, what
they were • and by whom invented : again]} Sca-
liger,

CHAP. XL

What, in truth, was the courfe the Patriarchs, and

Ancient Hebrewes took, in their Obfervations,
at the crcfting oi a Nativity.

THE CONTENTS.
TH E Celefliall ConfieHations were anciently
marked with Hebrew Charatiers,
2. How the Cetejliall Signes are figured in the
Spheres,and Globes of the Arabians. ThatefVit^
go hath a My fiery in it.
3. A new Obfervation on the Hebrew names
tf the Planets, ' b\ A
 4' ^ Table, bj which the Jewes' ere Ted their
Nativities. The ttfe of it.
5. Dcmoufirative reafens, why the Dayesfol.
h\v not the order of the Planets. A Genethliacdi
Table of the Ancient Hebrews,
6. The difference betwixt the Ancient's man-
aer of giving judgment upon a Nativity, and that
of the Ajlrologers of our times. The Table o/Lll-
cina laid open,
7. The Moon, why called Lunus, and Luna; and
t}>e Heavens, Coelus, and Coelum.
8. A new, and certaine rea/on, why the Poets
report, that Sarurnc eat up his Children,
9. What finalities the Ancients acknowledged
to be in the Celejiialt Signes,
10. The Authors Judgment, upon the Afiro-
logic.dl Writings of R. Abraham Abcm-Arc, tran-
Jlaied into Latin by the Conciliator.
11. What Planets were accounted Benigne, by
the Ancient Hebnwes. What Ceremony the new-
mtried man ssCed, toward his Bride,
12. Thes Ajtrology of the Ancients is proued,
out of the Half Scripture. Re a fans which prove,
that'T Gad. (whici rrat the name of one of the
Ssnt of ]scabis the Planet Jupiter. ^
13. The Egyptians, thefrft that corrupted
this ARrology, It ts falfe notwithftanding , that
they were the Inventers of the Charaflers of the
Planets, Tables introduced into Aftrotogy, by the
Greeks, *
14. Athlon, a word in Nativities, ufedby Mi-
nilim, rightly interpreted^ contrary to Scaliger.
 Part. 1111.

of the Reading of the Stars, and what ever'

elje is feen in the Aire,

CHAP. XII'

Whether it be pofllble to read any thing, in the

Clouds, and in all other Meteors.

THE CONTENT S*

i> TJOw manj yeaies this Reading by the Mete-

O ers may be perftrmed.
2. Battailej, andfeArfull Prodigies feen in the
Aire.
j. The Reafons they give yW ho are of opinion t
that thefe things are Supernatural!.
4. Reafons given to the Contrary. Angels,
and Saints, how they have fomtimts been feen to
appeare in the Clouds.
J. A new, and quaint opinion, touching the di-
vers hinds of figures that appeare in the Clouds :
and aconjeliuretupon the Secret, mentioned by hi'
Chemius, of conveying Nerpes a great difiance off.
The Author's Refolution, concerning Strange
Sights in the Aire,
7. The Raining of Blood, in the Figure of a
Crojfe, not NaturaUi againfi Cardan.
8. The Manna in the wildernefe, marked with
the Hebrew letter Vau, according to fame of the
%d>bmt : And vhat confequence t»e vuy h'nce df
Jttce, agMttfi them.
9. Haile in Languedoc, figured like jirtpeti
$H9v,like Stars injiapejpeken of In Kepler.
10. The Rainbow,theHierofljphickof Sorrow.
11. Diver/e OpinioHSt cmcerning the generate
en of Comets : and whether, thej naturally preface
feme EviH to come, or not.
12. "F^fles to know,what Pillars, Swords, Buck:
lers. Trumpets, and fiery tXrrowes,feeu in the Air,
foretell. Hebrew Letters fometimesfeen in the. Air,
14. fVhat Letters have been devifed, in Jmitati-
en of the Figures made by (prunes in their Flight,
'Prefages of Accidents to come, taken from Birds.

CHAP. XIII.
»
That the Stars , according to the Opinion of the
Hebrew Writers, are ranged in the Heavens, ia
the forme of Letters: and that it is poflible to
read there, whatfoever of Importance is to hap-
pen, throughout the Univerfe.

the Contents.

t.T HE CelefiiaU Configurations, devifed by thl

Greeks,permitted by the Church,though dange-
row. This New doUrine,of the Reading of the Start,
no whit repugnant to the Chriftian Faith.
2. ■ This Reading, proved out of the Scripture.
Hiverfe paffages of Scripture^ tending to this pur'
foJe,interpreted.
 3. Tht Opinions of the Ancient Hebrejeet,
Greeks, and Latines, in this Particular,
4. The reafoH,whj fo few Authors ofthefe la~
ter times have tnedled herein, What our Modems
Writers, at Reuchlin, Picas Mirandida, Agrippa,
Kunrach, Banclli, and RtFlud, have delivered) of
this SubjeR,
j. Poftell's Intention of bringing it into Earopcl
£, The Stars ranged, not in the forme of Art-
bick, nor Samaritan, but of Hebrew (fharaSers.
The Superflition of the Arabians the reading of
feme kinds of words. Their letters borrowed from
the Hebrcwes.
7. The Hierogljphicall Living creatures of the
.(Egyptians,in the Heavens, are not to ferve
for Letters, The Confiellatianslmperfe d,
S. What things are to hi obferved, that one map
be able to read the Heavens. What the reafon isi
that New Stars often appears, according to the
Rabbins,
A continued Enumeration of the feverall
Meanes that thufi he ujed.for the rendering a man
capable of this Reading. The Star in the Taile of
Urfa Major, thePore-fbewer ofthe Change of Em-
pire f, and how.
10. On which fide we are to begin this Read-'
itig in the Heavens : and how we mnfi interpret
the words we find there,
11. Of tboft Celejliull Letters, that have fore-
Jhowne all the great (JMntations in States. The
Fall of two Power full Kingdomes of the Eafi,read
in the Heavens, by R. Chomer.
12. The Author s Judgment, concerning this
Reading of the Heavens,
fffff ff ft i ff ff f f;

Faults cfcaped,

P^.4. lilt, n.retd, thefc writers.p. 6./.-i8.r. this theirt

^olltry.p. io.'/;ij,y.abttained.f.,3 j. /. 6.r. Chapter an
fttredjand. p. 49it„»5tr.yeares..p.7P. 1.7.r. thcie Terafbia
p.it.l.g.r. havokept ^hemfclvcs. p.n^.i. p.r. wholy BmW
fyi-f-iiz.i.i.rjR4mbiirc.f, a 14.C. zi.r. figmrum,ct lb.l
p.ii?'.;.ij;f.withm ftones.p.ijy,/. ax.r.foolii!
Fables, p. 159./, ry. r. Concbing thefe. p. i6z-l. 4. a*, were Ai
tetfc lb,I, 29. ft ofth^fc, p. 18i.7..y. r for. the curing/ f. iia.)
S.r. againft that of the Sc. p. 2,18. /. i.r. owne nature^.p.ijo.l
aj.?• of God. p. 296./. 28.r. with-the other.p.308./. tfi.i
piny: p. 3 id./. 24.7. it would die. p. J26'. I. it
t, in "in. '

' ■■ ,Ii
 UNHEARDOt

CVRIOSITIES.

be fewes, and other Eaftern

rricn are defended*

Thar many things are falfly impofed upon!

the Jewes, and the reft of tne Eaftcrn
men, which never were.

tHE CONrENTS.

jHe arguments brought againfi,

the Eajiern men., whereon
grounded. ... .
, 2 The tpewesfalfely accufed,
by Appion,. Plutarch, Strabo,1
. . w . . Trogus, Tacitus, and Dio-.
dprus SitmluSj'of worjhiptng 4fses, Vines
and the Clouds.
 3 • Whence thefe Fooleries fprung.
4. The Syrians faljly faid to worjhip Fijhesi
Xenpphon, Cicqfq, ^Elian, Ovid, Martiall,
Ajtemidoru?, ayd Saligcr refuted.
5. The jdol paeon not fgured like a no-
man, or Siren, us Scaliger nould haue it .• bm
intbe form of a T riton. The Fable layd open*
6. The Samaritans no idolaters; no mm
then Aaron,^ Jeroboam,yw having mail
Calves of gold-i according to Abiudan.
7. The Cherubins of the Arke not maden
the form of Y oung men: againfi the opinion
of all, both Greeke and Latin Authors, andthi
great eft part of the feivifh too.
8. Arguments in defence of the Samari-
tans.
9- The reafons brought by the Jewes, aid
Cajeran, touching theftgure of the Cherubim,
of no force.
10. The fewer faljly accufed of burnim
their Children to the idol Moloc. Whence tm
cuftome of leaping over the ftre of Saint John,
hath been derived. .

THey that publiili to the world

new, and Unheard-of Dodrine j
that they may give it the greater Authority,
and make it paffe with the more credit, ftw
hrft of all the Integrity of the Man,,tl$
was thehi'ii Inventor oi it; tliat fp,thc'gPod
opinion
 VHheird-of CHrioJitffS-

opinion tfet is conceived cjf .did Autho^'

iruy. take away alirufpiuon,or jcaieufieafilodi
tk things chat fliall be dcUvei'cdi Tfccnaycc
points of learning which we ^all here , lay
down, are fo new, that I have adventured to.
call them Vnheard-of. It concerns me there-
fore, for the better lecuring them from fufpi-
tioh, to take upon mc the defence of the
Eaftern men, and chiefly ofthe who
arc the Authors of them, and in point of
Curious learning,to defend their ihuoorncy,' :
hitherto fo much injured. . . -i . .
i. This nation is commonly' abhorred Tfte j.
forfoure reafons. The firft is, their Idpla-kft ,0b.
try •, which all Authors make them guilty
of. The fecond is, their foolifli vanityes, fwwtd
that their books are full of. The third is, by |y|^
rcafOn of their blafphcmies, they to this day ingcha^.
vomit up againft oiir Saviour tfefa Ghrijt.
And the Iaftis,for the errors that they rhaiti-
taine,contrary to the Law.The Firift ofthefit
conceits is grounded on a falfe perfwafion:
for, after that it was pnee believed that the
Jewes worlhiped the head of an Afse, Hogs,
and the.Clouds •, it was prefently concluded,;
that confcqucntly their writings could not- be
ftceftenvthcfc impieties. The fecond pro-
ceeds from the little knowledge men gene-
tflly have pfthe bookes of the Jcwcs. The
third, from the hatred men bcare to the
Bz J
 Vnhedrd-of Cmopies.
Jcwill^Authors. And the fourthj from the
! Selftscbnccitcdnefs of thofe that accufethem.
.; /»;!-For the ftrft of thefc Objedtions,^-
fio/!yZi$'ofephus affirmcs, was the fir ft, that
fo'rgeditout of hisownebraineandnot-
•withftandingthat this excellent Author oftht
Jewiih Antiquities hath learnedly confuted
himi •, Yet Plutarch takes it ftill up for a
. Truth, and "Tacitus alfo, after him, brings k
in, imhis Hiftory, as a Prodigious thing: in
fo machjthac the Fable at length pafling foi
a Truth, it hath gone for currant, even witi
theitnbft ferlous Hiftorians. Now this wor-
fhipr of the Jcwes ((ay their Writers) was
after this.manner. .There was an Altar c-
retftcd,;. Under which having performed
fome certaine ceremonies, a Golden Statutj
of anAlfc was fet up upon it, ( fome make
mention of the head bnely) then, the chidt
Prieft having ccnfed it/all the P^eople, put-
ting their hand to their mouth, bowed down
and worfliiped it. The very fame Adorati-
on,- in1 a manner, they ufed (as thefe Au-
thors report) to the.Statue of a Hog.
;
faddus Iket & Porcinum nnmcn adorat.
Sayes Pctromus..- as alfo to a Golden
Vine:-/; but with this difference, C fay^s Pk-
far^fj. Avrth: Straho ^ Ttogas Pomptius ', and
Biodor/n Skulus:) - that the Pliefts, when
 Vnheard-df Curiofitiff. 5
they. Sacrififcd tp Bacchus, were crowned "
with Jv/i and going with Flutes,;"and i
Prummes, founding before them, they
bowed down before,this Golden Tree, which
was religioully preferved within their Tcrn-
ple. Concerning their worlhiping the
Clouds, the opinions are divers ; fopie af-
firming, that the.Jevyes had fome. Figures
ofthem made in their places of Devotion:
others fay, not. But thefe arc mcere Fan-
cies. So that, tp make it appeare more clear
then the Noon-day, that tuis Nation is no
whit guilty of thefe Crimes j even Xaeitiiis
himfclfe, who-had before accufcij |hem of
Jdolatry, forgetting what he had faid before,'
addes prefently after, Nulla fmuUchrd vrbi*
bus fuis, nedum tmflii ejfe: That they have
no Images in their Cities, much lelfe in their
Temples: So farrc are they from worfhip-
ingthe Statues of a Hog, or Vine, or tuc
figures of the Clouds.
And yet fee, what Juvena/t reports of
them.
Ntlprater Nubes, & Caeli mmen adorant. I-16.

Strahowrites the very fame: and in the

Reigne otXheodofius ,3nd of ffujftiniap, they
were generally caQed, CcehcoU ■, and for this
very reafon: as you may fpc in theconftitu- s.&g.iS.
tioris of this Empcrour,
 £ Vtiheard-ifCwiojitiet.

Thefirft But let us ofict teach the1 Ancients, ffncc

objcfti- fhey teve fb 'bften taught us 5' arid pfctbnd;
t0
fwered
were have delivered hothirig over M
; ' us but pure Truthes.'If it be true, that the
JeweS Ihould have given themfelvcs 6vcr
tri the vanities of worlhiping thefe Idols
here fpOken of; how coiries it to palfc, thai
their true God Ihould never, in all the Scrip-
tures which he hath given them, lay this
Crime td their charge as well as any other;
And here we cannot fay of This, as we ule
to fay of our owne bookes ;*That a thing
inay nave been, arid yet not have been fpoken
6f. For, in this Law, which'all acknowlcdgi
t6 be itioft fevere, the cafe is otherwifc:
For, in point of Crimes, not (b much as
the leaft is omitted. Neither can any fay,
that Idrilatry hath fprung up fince the wri-
ting of the Old Teftament: For, befides
that, the enemies of the Jewes would have
•then caftit intheirteetL as moft abomina-
ble The above named Authors affirmc; that
the Law forbidding them the eating of
Hogs flefli, had not been given them, but
-weerely becaufc they had worihiped this
Beaft. But why then doe they not, by the
fame reifOh conclude, that this People had
wOrfliipcd Cbriies,Hares, Camels, O ftridg-
' cs, ana Ravens; Since tile eating , of thefe
was alfo forbidden them ?
3. We
 3. We fay then, that thefe arc meereca?
lumnies; or rather Fantaftitk Opinions,
grounded upon the Jewes fo religious ab-
ftaining from the flelh of this Beait 5 in o-
bedience to the Precept which wa? given
them, for their better prefcrvation from the
Lcprofic ; a difeafe they were otherwife ve-
ry fubjedt unto .- and here you fee theOrigi-
nallofthe Fable. As for the Golden Vine,
and the Honours they are faid to have paid
to Bacchus, I cannot difcovcr, I cdnfeffc, iti
any Author, the rife of this errour: and i
conceive, the firft that fpakc of this, might -
happily miftake the hame of the Jewes. fbp-
fome other People ■ as we fee it ufually napr
pen in Authors, in the like calc. Or elle,
fome Apoftate Jewes having been fcen pra-
(flifins thefeadts of Idolatry, it was confer
quenrly concluded, that the whole Nation
was guilty of the fame.
But an account may more eafily be given
of the caufe of the errour, in the bufinelfe of
their worfhiping the Clouds j which might
fpring from that miraculous Cloud, which
was fight on one fide, and darke on the o*
ther, and was guide to the Children of Ifra-
cll in the WildcrnelTe. Or perhaps this 0-
ther rcafon which I (hall now give, why the
Jewes were called CalicoU, Worfliipers of
the HeavenSj or the Clouds, may be more
 8 Vnheard-of Curiopties,

Satisfying: Namely, becaufe they worihipcii

God, who is often called in the Hebrew
tongue, CDE? Schamam^ a word, that fig-
nifies allb, the Hta-vens.
A s for their being faid to worflrip the head
of an A fie, thofe that impute the beginning
of this error to the great fervicc the Hebrewcs
.had done them by A lies, at their comming
up out of Egypt, fcemenot at all to fpeak
with any probability. And yet Tacitus
feemes to me much more ridiculous, when
he faies, that the Jewes worlhiped A lies, be-
^■''y,Caufc,thpy found them out water in the WiJ-
dcrnefle. Sed nihiltque (faith he) quamino-
paaiftu fatigabat-, cum grex Afmorum agrcjli •
//w, t pajlu, in nip em nemore opacam conceffit.
Secutus Mofcs^conjeHterd h'erbidi foli^ largos
aquarum venas aperit. And then prefently
he adds, that in rccompcnce of this benefit,
Tffgiem animalis, quo monjlrante, errorem,
fitnnque dcpulerant, penetrali facravhe. A
plcafant Fable this *, which yet is confuted,
by what the fame Author himlelle elfewlicre
writes-, as wchave before fliewcd. Ifiiould
therefore rather fay, that the affediion which
every man bcares to his owne Religion, is
fo eager, and violent 5 that in all agos, upon
all occafions, thole of a contrary Belicfe
have been very aptto fall fowie upon each
other. The Jcwcs therefore, either for ha-
 Vnheard-of Curiojtties.

viag been bound up by fo many Com-

mandemenrs •, orelfe, for having Kenfo o-
cdientto their God, might have been called
Aflfes; as Charles the fifth was wont to call
he French, for being fo tamely obedient to
heir Kings. And even the Primitive Chrifti-
ns were not free from this very injury;
or their common Epithetc was, Aftmrij, as
ertulliari reports 5 till the time oftthat Em-
erour, whofe cxcellive hate againft our
Saviour Refits Chrifi carried him on to that
eigth oftunparrallcl'd Malice,as that he cau-
eda ftatue to be eredtcd, bearing the fliape
f an Afle, houlding up a bookc with one of
is hoofes, with this infcriptjpn on it; Dem
Chrifiianorum Ononychiiis. .
4. Nowthejewes were the more readi-
y believed guilty of all kindes of Idolatry,
bccaufe that, befides that they had been ob-
ferved to have runne blindly after fomeTorts
ofit,they dwelt alfo ncare a People,that were
very great Idolaters. But neither is there a-
ny more truth in the imputation layd upon
their neighbours, then in that wherewith the
Jewes thcmfclvcs arc afperfed: So tme it
s, that after a Nation is once cried downe,
their very beft adlions are fufpedled. The
Syrians were indeed, juftly accufed for being
hmewhat guilty in this particular; but that
ncycvcr worihiped the Fillies of the Sea,
 P'Ahmd-df Cmofiiki

iiffi*- nCithci Xepophoh, tlmarth, Cictro^ Diodtn

foCdai- SiculuS, Aelixtt, Ovid, Mattiad, Atttmido
nor ainong the Moderns, the learn
Vt.tia. Scaltger. ( who r6 this purpofe cites foa
vtrfts of.thc f'ttct MiH/wder,) cart, withou
mil." doifie thtfrt irtjury, accufe them,
st.t. ii. Bnttney abftained, fay1
they, from the eating
Fajhir. cjf . and if arty Were fo dating, as to
116.4. of them, they Were immediately punilh
a
ommit ^veiling in their bodies: Whcnc
1^.12. the PoetJffj'jwjroOfeeoccafiontocall Fiflies,
insfbtr, Dij inflames corpora. But, that We may dif
that have been niiflead into this
' perfvvafion, and difepver the true ground p,
this error 5 We tOtlfefle that the Syrians did
indeed abftaine from the vie of fomeccrtaim
Icindsof Fifties, which by reafon of their ve-
nofriouS nature, did Itally caufe fwellingsin
thofe that catofthem. And wc may daily ob-
See Rcff.fervc3 outof ^e Naturaliftsj that astheflerti
deter, in offomc Land-Creatures is dangerous, in like
ft or ^ 0of hianneralfo it is, in thofe of the Sea. Now
Fflhcs, the Fillies which the Syrians did abftaine
, from,werethc Jpua^nAuii Minis- two very
,p<
j^ venemotiskindcS of Fifties,as you may fee in
XMtum. Tlutdrch, and tfohannes T^efas. We mav
*<■_ thciCfofe conclude it meerely fabulous, whicn
C
o.cbrt. tfpp^d of the Syrians; namely, that they
ajj. abftaine not onely from all Sea-Filh, but al-
fo from that of Rivers 5 where the nor
the
 ynhedrd'df Cttriofttts.

he Mcwii, arc at all found.

he Interpreter ofxenophon, fpeakingofthc
ivcr Chaltu') magnis,manfuetisqiiepifci6as
eferttu-, quos Syri pro Dijs hahebMt, tiequt
os locdi patiebanti&yjicuti nec toltmhas. As
or the Dovcsj I /hall examine the truth of
he report clfewhcrc ; but fbt the Fi/hts j
nothing could have been TpokentnOfc falfe.
For, if they would not fiiffer them to it-
ceive any narme, as being the Gods they
worfliipped-, why then did.they carry thett
to %ru.fakm^ and fell them to the J fiWes,
for food < Certainly this had been fo im-
pardonable a Crime, as would have drifct-
yed to haVc been punilhed, not with fivd-
lings only, but even with death. Tyri quo-
que, (faith Nehemas,) hdhitabant in M, in-
fmntes pifccs, & omnia venatia , & vende-
bant flijs tfehitda i»Jpfa tpcritfalem. YOU
may fee other proofes of this, in Mr. Sel-
de»- who hath retracted this Errour, but
not the ground of it: but I lhallfpcake of
this hereafter.
But to fliew the vanity of this Fable yet
another way : I /hall demand of thefe Au-
thors above named , whence they have
learnt, that the Syrians wor/hipped Fi/hes,
inftead of Gods * and for that reafon, ab-
ftained fforh eating of theme I conceive,
the anfwer willbe given in thefc two words:
Common
 Vnhcdtd-of Curioftties.

Common Tradition. We muft therefore ex.

aminc, what this Tradition that we maj
Jbe able to ju^ge, whether it he true or not
Aram^ and Hygwu* report out of the An
jfcWttr-cientSjtbatan cgge of a prodigious bignefs,
^jj^fell from Heaven into the River Euj/hrates,
Piiabos. which the Filhes having by accident caft uj
IB. Fi- upon the fopre, it was to warmed by th(
\£7 Caf' heat of a foght of Pigeons, which fate up;
on it, as upon other eeges, that ap the end
of fome certaine number, of dayes it tvaj
hatched 5 and there came foith Venus
lived on earth fo vertuoufly, that being af-
terwards taken up into Heaven, llieincreat;
cd oi Jupiter^ that thofc Fiflies, which had
preferved the egge, whence foe canje fortli,
from foipwrack, might be placed anjong the
Stars. . Her rcqueft was granted5 and ever
hncCjihe Syrians, whom Authors ufually
confound with the AJfyrians, have had Fifli-
es, and Doves, in great veneratiop. Others
PU. Q- fey5 that the Syrians did hot begin to wor-
ar. nf- fliip them, and to place their iilver Images
in their T emples, till the time that the daugh-
Gmg'i. ter of Venus, falling into the Poolc Boeth,
ytnt.iK. was there turned into a Fifli. And now
aut
' lee, what excellent rcafon we have, to re-
ceive this Tradition for a true one. What
learned people we foould be, had we no Q-
thcr Hiftorians, but the Poets! I know ve-
ry
 Vnhcard-of Cmoftties. Ij

fy well, that the Fable might polfibly have

taken its original frotn the Hiftory : but
where lhall we find thofe can witnene, that
it did To < Whereas, on the other fide, we
know, that thefe. Fables are as ancient with
the Greekes , as Aftrology it fclfe. Wc
may therefore, from this very particular
patfage, conclude , what manner of fpirit
reigned in the writers of this Nation- vAofe
delight it alwayes hath been, to put their
foolifli Fables upon the world, for Truths."
And here I lhall adventure to deliver, what
I have fometimes conceived, touching the
ground of this Errour. Sidon, in the lan-
guage of the Phoenicians^ who are Syrians ^
fignifies a Fifh, as Heumins reports, after
fufiin. 'How Sidon is a part of Syria ^ which BtAsr;
in Arabick fignifies an Inflation ^ or Sml- MiLU
ling, as Kirftenms affirmes. I have there-
fore doubted ,■ whether or no the Greekes, /»
who turned all things into Fables, might
not polfibly have forged this Story, of the'0
Syrians fwelline, by reafon of their Fillr.
5. This other Gonjcdlurc is nor,in my
judgment, very farre wide of the truth:
namely, tliat the Syrians were accufcd of*
worlhipjping Filhes, becaufe they worihiped
the Idol Dagon; which fotne have concei-
ycd^o have been halfc Filh, and halfe Man,
in the formeof a Triton, or Syren; but with
 Vnheard'df Curioftties.

tliis difference, that it had the headofaFifli

Xddlttm Dagotij (faith Lyranus^ after the Rab-
fciqs) quod colebntur a Philiftais^ habebat u-
ft# ttijeis i ideQ vocatur Dagon 5 quia ^dag)
pfcts fignificat. 1 am not ignorant, thai
there are, that are of opinion, it was in figure
like ayoungDamfell, covered all over witli
cares of corne, which they conceive to haw
been meant for the Goddelfe Ceres : For
pi Pagan fignifies ■zMo^FrtmentH>n.'S>m thefc
inens conjedturcs are not fo very welground-
«d,as we fhalj fee hereafter. And fere Sea-
bgvri in his Bookc dt Emendatione Tmfo-
rum, reproves Philo Btbltenfis , for faying
that was as much as SiW 5 and will
have Aayir, by all meancs to fignifie VyhZt,
Pifcater, or pifcojus^ from the Hebrew word
nn Pagah, Pijcts-^ and that, by this Pagan,
is meant the Goddelfe D<%rtto, and not any
God at all. But if one Ih'puld aske Scali-
ger his reafon, he could give no other then
thisj that Pag, or Pagah, fignifies zFiJh.
Be itfo •, but it alfo fignifies Frmmttum,
Corne :fb that it conqernes him to give a
reafon, why we fhould rather interpret Da-
gab ^ Pi[cts, a Fifiij then Pagan, Frumntm',
Corne. If he alledge for himfelfe, that
fome Authors alhrme, that the Syrians
wordiippcd not this Idol for any other rea-
fon, but hecaufe that a ccmine Sca-Monftc^
 Vnhwrd-of Qumfnia, ■

Ivhich was feen to comcdayly frpmthje Red

Sea^ taught them many fecrets in thebufir
nefle of Husbandly •, but, being unable to
endure long out of its proper Element jit
returned ftill in the evening to the Sea a-
gaine j and in the morning alwayescamcup
againe to Babylon : I anfwer, that thi? Sto-
ry, befides that it carries little fhew of pro'
bability with it, is not delivered for a-trutb,
by any Authentique Hiftorian. I am there-
fore inclined tp believe with fielladins, in .
Photius, that this was neither Monfter, nor
Fiih •, but rather a Man, doathed with the
skin of fome Eifh, who made his retire-
ments towards the Red Sea; and by this
meanes gave occafion to this Fable. So
that Scdig&t is manifeftly convinced of cr-
rour, in maintainingthat this Bagon^ was the
Goddefle Benetojvd not a God: for befides
that all Greek Authors make Bagon ofthe
Mafculine gender, and notof the Foeminine •, Ph't,>n'
Uydr 8f isr, Bagon qw e(i; and not,» «"'» qu*
eft: Reafon it fclfe, which all men ought to
fubmit to, ihewes clearely that it was not a
Woman, (whpfe fexe rendred her unapt for
travel!,) but fome Man, that hrft fliewed the
Sjriws the manner of tilling the ground:
(ceing that their countrey, or at leaft that of
their neighbours, was without controsverfic
thefirft inhduted, either .before, or after the
Flood.
 ■i6 Vnheard-of Curiositiesi

Flood. To this, Reafon we way adde the

Authority otMufeiius o'cTi Act>*jc s^hcA; Tvfttl-
Toy, isfJ etfoTfoVjttiAiijit %iCs.dfoifiQ-. Dag ON AUten
FrumhtA invenit, atqite Aratrum : ac i-
dee Jupiter Arktrius mncupatiis efi. You
may alfo fee Annius lib. 6. and Gyral-
sjmga. dtts, in his Sptagm. So thatthis Idol Dagon
if ,I- might be, one halfe in the fliape of a Man3co-
vered'all over witlieares ofCorne^by reafon
of his having taught the Syrians the manner
of Tillage-, and the other halfe in rhefafhion
of a Fim-, becaufe of his wearing a Fillies
Skinnc,' and his retiring towards the Ked:
Sea. Thepaflageof Philo^ which Scaligd
indcavours to refute, is this. Patris regnum
Cahis poffidens^Terram fororerh in matrimoni-
d"*1* ■' fib* quatuor flios peperit ^ $■
■oagj.i.luiu, qticm et Saturnum dicunt ^ Batilum;
c.7- ks-I Aaydygt {51 2»tw, Dagom, qui et FrumentA-
rius appelUtnr ^ ac pojiremo Atlanta. But to
recurne to my defence of the Jewes; For I
fliould not have troubled my felfc in thd
juftification of the Syrians , but onely to let
the world fee,what liberty men take to them-
fclves, wrongfully to aceufethe Eaftcrne Peo-
ple. Nor that I undertake to clcare them
wholy fronierroul:s:' I fliould in fo doing,
lliew my felfe much more blinde, then they:
But onely to iriake it appeareythat of a thbu-
fand crimes which they arc accufed.of,thcy
not guilty of ten.
 Unheard-of Guriojitiis, If
•'T'
6. There is therefore fcarcely any one'
Author, cither Grceke or Latinc ^ (that X
krtoWj) favc oncly G'encbrard^ and Moncxw\
which doth not confidently con^lemnc the
Jewes, of being guilty of Idolatry I mean
thofe that revolted from their iawfull King;
For, what can be more true, (fay thcfc men.)
then that the Samaritans worfhiped Golden
Calves, feeing that God himfelfe reproves
them for it f Who then can cle?rc them, in-
point of Idolatry C Let us now lay downc;
an Antecedent like this, and then fee, ifvvccari
thence deduce a like Conclufion. Sonic
Chriftians have been knownc to worfhip I-
dols, and God himfelfe hath reproved them
for it: Therefore, all Chriftians. arc idola-
ters. What a Confequence here is! I
iliall therefore indeavour to dcarethis mat-,
ter, and make it appeare that the Samaritans
are uhjuftly accufed, in the matter of the
Golden Calves.
i Thc .Hiftory, which is the onely true one
inthe world, teaches usj that after the death c.ii7
of Solomon, (yvhom many very ineonfide-
racely reckon among the Damned,) his Scep-
er was put into the hands of his Succe/Tpr :
vho:being.a young man, was utterly'unac-
quainted with the Rules of Governing well;
which are confiftent with Age pnely..„T,his
ew King therefore comining to the Crown,'
Ei^fubjeft^; defined of hun the diminu.tipn
of fome cei'Rinf great impofitions, wiiicli
HU Father (who could not in this defcrvc
thf name pf ^ wiioman,) had charged them
witbfButtheV were fo far from being relie-
ved, as thattney had lieavier T axes layd up-
on them; thfOMgh the eyill Counfell of the
King, which is the readieft caufe of the fub-
verponof Kingdpmes,' and the beft-groun-
4ed htpnarchies in the World, At lengtfi
his People reyph from him: and that with
fp great heigtbof paalice, and with fo vnani-
mops a confeATj as ilut of Twelve Tribes,
there, continned Onely two tfudah ahd
iien]min , iir their obedience to theii
lawfuJl King ; The reft cledlcd tfm-
bgam for their King 5 who made choice ot
Smariafor the place of his abode-, when
by vfmg i'ucIi .meapes, as might have become
the moft knowing Politicians of the Ancient
Law, he kept this People fo pliant, and obe-
dient to his Comrnands, that they nevci
afterwards acknowledged the Scepter, from
whence they had revolted. ,
Now, one of the principal! meanes that
he made vfe of, was 5 that having conftderd
with himfclfe, that there was nothing mom
likely to draw back the hearts of this .people
towards Rehobom againc, than their con-
verfation which they were to have with tk
Two
 Two Tribes, which continued at tfmfitr
lan : (for they were neceffarily to appeafe.
three times • in the year, before the Lord
in Jerufalem ;) he refolved with himfelfe,
to cftablilli the fame objeft of Adoratioii
in Snmaria, that was attferufalem. No.vV,"
in the Temple; there was the 4^f,and the
Cheruhins, which Mofes had made, accord-
ing to the Patterne which God had flievv-
cd him in the Mount. Jeroboam therefore
makes the fame in Samaria ; it not being
ncceflary to make an Arke alfo: for you
muft note, the Arke was made, onely to
hold the broken Tables of the Law-, as you
may fee in Deuteronomy. But what i you cq. ioJ.
will fay^ were the Cherubins made by Mo*
/«, faihion^d like Calves, then ^ Yes, moft
certainly: fince that thofe which Jeroboam
made, were but in imitation of them." And
had they been of any other figure, he had
then imitated that figure •, ancf had not fo
much as dreamt of making Calves: feeing'
his purpofe onely was,to retaine his people
in their obedience, by the. fame forme of
worfliip, that they ufed at tftrujalem. 0-
thcrwife, how imprudent flrould he have
been, in going about to introduce arrange
■Religion , which they had never before
Jcnowne f This would have been a meanes
rather to have ruined himfelfe, and his de-
C 2 fignes'.
 figncs 5 and to caufe liis new gotten Sub-
jcdls to returnc to their old Allegiance.
7, Now, that the Cherubins,which Mo'
fes made to the Arke, were in the figure
of Calves, that which 4aron made in the
WildernclTe, at the intreaty of the children
of Ifrael, proves fufficiently : for doubt-
leflethis High Prieft did nothing, but what
he conceived Mofes himfelfe would have
done, had he been alive. ( For he tookc
upon him to doc what he did, upoh a pre-
fumption that Mofes was taken away by
God •, feeing he had not come downe from
the Mount, in the fpace of full forty dayes:
whereas, at other times, he had never tar-
ried there above a day.) He made there-
fore a Gherubin indeed -, but it was after
the pattcme that was fliewed to Mofes, as
^X0(li alfo to himfelf, and the feventy Elders. In-
sj. Jp/cc, & facfecundum exemplar, quod tihi'ih
?3£0'^* montc monftratum efi. Now, in this Pat-
l4
' ' temc, they faw tlie glory of God, in like
manner, as it was afterwards feene by £-
Tekiel, and Sz.tfohn : where God appeared,,
fitting betwixt foure Cherubins, whereof
the firft was in figure like a Man 5 the fe-
cond, like a Lion ^ the third, like a Calfc?
and the fourth , like an Eagle : And upon
thefe vifible. Cherubins, as upon a Throne,
were the Children of ifrael to find placed.
 the Majefty ofthe Invifiblc God, in theip
paJfage through the Wildernefifc; according
as he had promifed them, by the mouth of
his fervant Mojes. £cce Ego mittam Angt-
lm mem, qui Jir&cedat tf. And then afteiv
wards, explaining how himfelfe would reft
upon this Angell', called by the name pf
QTtfx, Elohim, Dij, a name common to the
Angels too-, he addes: Eterit nomen metimin
iUo^ & fades men fracedet fe, & requiem da-
bo tibi. Thcfc Promifes therefore having
been fo often made to the People by Mo-
es-, now that they beleeved him to have been
either devoured by fpme wildc beaft, in
fome corner of the Momtaine s or clfe, as
the wifer fort amongft them thoughr5thac he
was taken away by God; they required ac
the hands of his Succelfor, Aaron, the ful-
filling of thefevery Promifes. Surge, faid
they unto h\m, fic nohis Beam Elohim, or,
Beos Elohim, qui prxccdant nos: Moyfi entity
htiif viroqai editxit nos de terra o£gypti, ig-
noramus quid accident : as if they fhould
liavc faid; We know not what is become
of Mofes, that Iftquld have made us this An-
gell, that was to march before us: doe Thou
thy fclfe therefore make it, that fo wc may
enter into the Land of Promife. Aaroft
therefore made them one of thefe Cherubins,
on which they had feene God fitting. N ow.
 why he made this Qherubin in the Ihape ol
a Calf^ rather then in any other-of the thtci
Figures, Abtudan , a Jew , fpeaking ol
this paiticular , (a Manufcript Copy ol
whole Workes Mr. Otho hath brought-om
8f the Eaft,) fayes nothing at all. Bill
Moncsm, who hath likewife written of (hi!
Subjedt, gives the rcaibn out of Dicnyfitu
In Vit. the Areopagite namely, that Aaron niadi
ow.Cap. c{i0ice ofthc Cherubin,that was figured lila
s
' & Calfc 5 bccaufe that being in the appear-
ance more abiurd, then any of the reft, till
Children of Ifrael would not be fo apt to
Worfliip it. This Calfc therefore, or Chc-
rubiti, was made by Aaron 5 not as if he haU
firft caft the gold in a rude MalTc, andthtii
afterwards ihaped it, working it in the fame
manner, as Statuaries doc, in rlidc Stones:
as Moncaris is of opinion. Nor yet, that
this Calfe came out by chance., without any
putpofed defigne of Aaron, irt making it it
fhapc like a Calfc : asmoft of the Ancient!
have been bold to affirme : But having firft
made a Mould, Et project illud (aurum) in
fornacem, egrcjjttfque eft hie Vhtdtts : he call
the gold into it, and there came forth thij
Gklre. If the People afterwards provok '
Cod to Wr'ath thereby, it was hot formaki
t'he Calfe, but for wOrfliippilig it. For a
Hart tall fayes,
 QtiifidgU faros aurojvelmtmfae vultHsy
T
Nonfadt tHe&eos^ qtd rbgM, tllefadt. '

Neither doe we any where-reai j. that Aa-

ron was at all reprOved of ;G6d,fof havnig
made it. ■ ' ^ ^-l-v ,' ■:.)
8. So that the cohdu/tonj ivhich we may
draw from hence ^ is i tliat the Cherubins
which were on; the Arke, were feajly made
in the lhapc of Calvcs : and that acooni-
ing to this Dodrirle,' ^-erehcrdni, in imitating
them, could not in any wife he counted an
Idolater, but onely a Schifmadek, or Sepaw
nrift from thcworlhip, that .was performed
infanfaem: nonVithftanding that-the fame
beicllhim, that had happened tp Aaron bti
fore hini •, namely, that though His Purppfo
was'good, yet neverthclcflethere were among
the People, that; worlliipped them'; and this
is the reafon, they are reproved, by God.
Now that hec had-no intention at all to
fet up Idolatry, by this Ad:, appeares dear-
ly in this 5 that the Kings his SuccefTors,
who all were of the fame Belicfe, are not a-
ny where reproved for.this crime, untill the
Reisnc of wicked AcbabyV/ho was feduced
by his wife tfefyhell, the moft Imperious
woman that ever was. Thus we read in the
Hiftory ;of Kings, thaf ^ehtt did that which
 was right in the fight ofthc Lord 5 Yctnc-
vcnhelcfic, Non fgliquit vitulos aureos, qn
4. Keg- .erant in Befhel -^r ia DaH. And I wouli!
I0,30
' faineknow, if this King ihould have wot
-lliippcd thefe Calves how he could haw
;done that which Was right iri the fight ot
God, who never punifl^ed his people fofe-
vcrely, as-when they had given thcmfelvcs
up to worfhip Idols And how 4fa in lib
manner. King of Samaria, could have walk-
ed in the waves ot David, if he had beent
tainted with this horrible Crime f Et fed
:Afa reftum ante conjpeftum Domini, ficut Bt-
vidpater ejns: and yet notwithftanding3£A'-
cel/a non abfiulit. He took not away the Higt
places,that is to fay,r«»/w,thc Calves. As'if
the Author pf the holy Scnpturcshad purpo-
fed to prevent the Gbjeftion which is ufu-
ally made, concerning the creding of theft
Calves to an cvill End : for thefe words
leemc to: have been fet downe fo exprefly,
meerly fort he confutation of thofe men that
are wedded to their ownc wills, and for tk
clearing of the truth of that, which I have
here delivered : Cor A fa pcrfecium fuit cm
Domino, etji Excel fa non abfiulerit. Which
is an Infallible Argument, that they acknow-
ledged in thele Calves, or Cherubins, the
feme which they of ferujalem did in thofe
ofthe Arke5.namely, thcprcfcnceofthe In-
vifiblc
 ynheardfof Curiofities.

vifible God,'fitting there, as on his Throne-

notwithftanding that many, out of fimplici-
ty,worfhij)ped-the bare ngure of this Work
of Mm hands; And this is that, which God
fo often complaines of. As if this were
the Literall meaning ofthis Paflage^ to wit:
thatxhe Kings ofjjrael had indeed done'that
which was right in die fight of God, and
had lived according tohis.Lawes; yet, that
they might have done better, if they had ta-
ken away thefc Chcrubins, which were the
caufe of the deftrudion of many, who made
other ufc of them, then that for which' they
were intended.. I remember to have read
fomewherc to this purpofe, of a Bifhop of
MarfeiUe-, who feeing,thatmanyof his peo-
ple behaved themfelves toward the Images,
that are ufually placed in Churches, withfo
great refped, as that one day he obferved
Forae of their adions th^t can.e within the
corapaffe of Idolatry y he caufed them all to
be brokento pieces,leaving only a very few in
fomc certain places of his Diocefs.-Sotruc itis,
that we often abufe thofethings, wliichwere
inftituted only to good ends. I fhall only
addc one word more, for the defending of
the Innocence of the Samaritans-, which is:
that, when Salmona^ar had ranfacked their
Country, he lent into it Colonies outofiVr-
w; who falling to commit Idolatry^ as they
215
had ufed to doe in theif own Country^ 6oJ
fent Libns among them, to deftrby them,
Fof rcrtiedy of which calamity, they could
finde'out no better expedient, then to fend
for one, of the Jewjfli Priefts , whom thej
had lead away captives, for to ififtrudthelt
Idblaterk (n the WorHiip of the trhe God-
tvhich beihg dohcj they were freed from that
calamity : which is a certaine Argurtient,
faith Jibiudan, that: all the Samaritans were
not Idolaters. This obfetvation ofMiudan,
Mono am takes no notice of-, yet He hatlulfo
an DbferVatibn, which Ahinaan pafics by j
(out of the hate, I conceave , that he bare to
the True Mejsias^ and becaufe that the Tefti-
mony inadc againft himfelfe',) namely, thai
when dur Saviour Chrifi uttered the Storyj
or -Parable of the TraVailer, that fell among
Theeves, the Samarhm is there faid to have
had more pity .on^him, then the Prieft of
tfirufatem. I lhall adde here, that the fame
God, being become Man, did not at all deny
himfelfe to be zSamaritlin^ when, he was cal-
led fo by way of reproach ; which doubt-
leflc he WoUld have done, ifhehad knowne
this people 16 be wholy. Idolatrous; .:
9 4 But now, inthe progrcfle of this Dif-
courfe^dte Curious Cririck,vvhoufesto leave
nothihg.unfifted, may happily propofe this
QneRkm to tnb. Ir tlxe Cherubins of die
' ' ' Arkc
 rke were made in the-formeoF Calves.^
,vhat (hould move almoil all Writers to
naintaine, that they were in fliape like young
oyes ^ I confellc, I could willingly have
ut off the anfwering this Queftion (which
cither Abiudhn, nor Menaus^ have takena^
y notice of, or elfe have purpofcly pafled it
y,)to fome,other time; But feeingttaji l
vrite to the Learned 4 it ^ohcernes ine 'y/il-
ingly to omit nothing, that makes fpf my
fubjeft-, that fo I be not ranked intlienum-;
Iber of thofc men, that when they write ofa-
ny argument, doe voluntarily flip over- the
cnoycefl things in it* I fay then,, in twp
words, and without making any long .dlf-
couffcon ir, (flnct that I handle this. vety
Queftion in another place,) thatall.the Au-
thors, both Greek, and Latins, and the great-
eft part of the Jewiflr too, as Aben-Efya,
Scelomoh, and the Talmtidijts , who have at-
tributed the forme ot young Boyes to thefe
Cherubins, have done it upon fuch weake
grounds; that we need but onely torehcarfe
them, to Ihew their infufficicncy. There is
nothing; (fay many of thefe laft named Au-
thors, cited by Kimcht^) which more con-
firmes the opinion, of the Cherubins being
made in the figure 'oiToting Men^oxLads,
then the Etymology of their name. For
Cherub) is compounded of the fervile
 Letter 3 Caph> which fignifics anddl
the word NOI Jtaheia which fignifies in
Chaldee, a Young Boy, or Touths and in the
plurall number NQiD Cherahaia, that is to
fay ^ ft cat Adolefcentcs, or Puerj. Very good,
but Mofes fpokenot Chaldee, but Hebreiv:
and therefore, if this controverfic muft be de-
cided by the Etymology of the name, why
cannot I fay with miich more reafon, out of
the Hebrew Etymology of the word, that
thefe two Cherubins were made in theform
of Saddles; feeing that the word 33T whence
Sni Cherub is faid to be derived)by tranfpo-
ling the letters into SIS Cher ah, which fignifics
ctf-1 f. equitare, is in Hebrew, a Saddle: as you may
"•9* fee in Leviticus, and in the firft book of the
Kings* Or elfe wemayfay, that thefe Chm-
bins were made in the form of Raine: fee-
ing that 3,3'-3 cherahib, a word that cometh
very near Cherubin^ fignifies ft cut pluvk.
Let us now examine the Reafons brought
by the Latincs, and fee whether, or nothey
are of anymore weight, then thefe of the
Hebrew writers.
JalJ Cajeian upon Exodus thinks himfclfeto
Ewi, have found out the powerfuIJeft Argument,
that' hath yet been brought by any, for to
prove that their Figure waslikethat of two
Young Men; becaufe that in the Bible,
where the Vulgar Tranflation renders it, re-
pcmtqueje mutuo, thcoriginall founds thus
in the Hebrew, fades eorum vir adfra- " '
mm fuum. Whence he thinks, he hath hit the
nail on the head; and concludes, that for
tertain thefe cherubins were ofhumane/hape:
Butthofethat areskilfull in the Hebrew, will
readily find this condufion to be very innrm,
arid of no force; or othervvife we may as well
conclude, that the ftarres, the curtains of the
Tabernacle, and athoufand other things in
the old T eftament, werelikcwife of Humane
Ihape, fince that ifaiah, fpeaking of the
ftars, where the vulgar Tranflation hath,iVe<£
unmreliquumfuttfhc Hebrew Text fayes,^
vtrnoneft fuoflraftus: and in where
fpeaking of the cunains of the Tabernacle,
the Vulgar fayes,^»/»^, eorttna ftbi inngantHr
muluo, it is in Hebrew, & quinque c art in*
(runt conjunffa, mulierem adjor or cm fnam.So
l^echtel fpeaking of the wings of the Beafts,
where the Tranflationhath, & vocem alarum
mmlitfm> fercutientium alteram ad alter am y
the Hebrew is, Mulierum adfororemfuam.
In Genefis, where mention is made of the
pattsofthe Sacrifice, where the Tranflatidn
\Et utrajqae partes contra[e altrinfecus pofu-
f, in Hebrew itis,^* dedit virum^partem ejus
«rtgioneproxitni Jui. And laftly in ifaiahy I? Lt*k
where it is.Tranflated, Alter altenm non™'
mfvit. Many, other examples of thishind
in itt/-aie colkftedup, by Kmchi^ Mpnlter fa
*"• Jfems, andPagnw. Ifliall qmitwKatfoevi
the reft of interpreters have delivered, con
ccrning thcfc Cbcrubins ^ becaufe tlratyo
may lee in Cajetan, thtt their reafons are ?
weak.'as his own, whatfoevcr Pradm, ?ii
Filhlpandiis aifi rm to the contrary 5 who Is
hour much to . bring in another ienfc, bwtaf
confuted by oletfier. In the mean time
cannot but wonder very much at thefe men
that have taken Co much pains to hunt afo
empty founds to no purpofe* not confide
ring that they might as well atfirft havepo
litivcly alhrmcdftliai: thefe Cherxkins had i
Humane fliape, becaufe that one of thefoi
feen by Mojes^ Aaron, the feventy Elden
E^echkl, and Saint ^ohn^ was in-figure lib
a Man. This Cpnjedure miglit have pafld
for tolerablcyliad not the truth been by us not
brought to light. We may therefore by this
means clear our hands of thcfc doubts; as]
ajfo of that other, concerning the forme a-
the Chcrubin diat was placed at the entr
of Paradife, to keep out Adam, and hispo-
ferity. Foritmay beanfwercdin one wo
that it was that of thefe fourc Cherubins,
which had the fhapc of a Lion; this for
being .the moft proper for fuch a purpofe:
feeing there is nothing in the world morctcr
rible then a Roaring Lion. And thus are.
thofe difficulties cleared , which have Ipng^f^'
fince been brought in by Theodore^ Bar-Ce-
ha, ProcoptM 'G 'a\sm, jacobus Chins , and In j ge-
Theodom Bilhop o{Heracles ^ who, after a r
long and tedious difpute, conclude, though^,
not very rationally;, that this Guard was not
a Chenwitt, but fome other thing of Power,
like a Cherubin •, juft as we dreue up fqpac
frightfull Scar-crowes , and place them in
Gardens, and Hemp-plots, to fright away
the Birds. And their reafon is, becaufcthat
Cherubins being Spirits very highly exalt-
ed^ and ofthefecond Order of the Firft Hie-
rarchy , they are never fent on the Earth ?
but arcalwaycs attending before the Throne
of God: notyvithftanding, the Mafier pf the
Sentences, Scouts, Gabriel. Durand, and Gre- in i.
gorm de Fakntia, affi rm the contrary. Now s.en*-
,0
what the reafon ihould be ofthe Cherubins, *
fcen by Mofes, Efykiel, and the reft, appear-,
ing in fliapcs fo different, and, as it may di^' '*
leem, fo repugnant to the nature of a Bleifed
Spirit, I muft refer you, for fatisfadlion, to
S. Dionyjius, S. Gregory, and the reft of the
Fathers; fince it is fufficient for me to have
here proved, that the Golden Calfc made
inthe Wilderncfte , and thofe other which
Jeroboam made, were fefhioned according
to this Divine Vifion 5 fo that the Ancients
are by this means cleared ofthe Grimes,which
 3i Vhheard-df Cnriofities.

they are injuripufly charged withall.

10. If I had not , already exceeded th
juft length of . a Chapter, I mould here an-
fiver to an Imputation, which is yet great
er then all the reft, charged upon the Jewes:
namely, that they,of old burned their.Chil-
dren to the Idol Mbloc. . I lhall referve. the
full handling of this point, till fome othet
snctf. time 5 and lhall only fay this by, the way,
Thn!^' t'iat: R- fofepb Car0 Qbferves, that throughout
tri£ the whole Scripture, where there is mention
£=i13y made of this Idol, and of the Sacrifice that
was done unto it, it never ufes. ,ainy. .wdrd
that lignifics,-ro Burne, Killy or Bit tp death,
but, to Pajfe, and, to offer. And indeed they
did no more, but caufed their Children to
pafte oyer the Fire : which was a kind of
Adoration,.and Service, Ihewed toward this
pMofnh Eic{Hent>and tntrpduccd by wicked Cham.
Barb, in Jgnem^ (faith Heurnius^, in Ur i Chaldsorm
GbM. Urhe, A brah ami f atria, adorandiim fonit-, m-
vipcem. inpertinaces projnulgata : where there
is no mention made of any Command, to
B/trne, nor to ICj//. And for the clearing pf
tmnent t^s Truth, I lhall ;refer the Ciirious Rcid-
inRtg. ' er,(becaufe I mull; not any .longer dwell on
this point) to Kimchi,Salomo. ^archi, Ahm
in Pen. hand, and to Mojes o£gyptius j who knew
taseuch. more of the, Cuftomesofthe Ancients,then
Neb1 Lib an
y othcr Author, that ever wrote. Yet.I
j.c.'ju." deny
 Unheard-of Guriofities,

deny not, but that the Perfian Colonies of

Sefhrvam, who came and dwelt in Santa-
ria , did Sacrifice their. Children to their 17'
Gods, Adramelech, and Anamelech : but, that
the Hebrew^ did the fame to Moloch, wilt"
never be made appeare •, whatfoever Mr.
Seldm fav to tlie contrary. And who can
believe that .Salomn rqntdcKd jittle Chil-
dren, or caft them into the Fire, becaufe.tjic
Scripture fayes of him, Colehat Salomon Aft-
hartcn, Beam Sidoniorum; Moloch, idolum '
Ammomtarum '1 He mull not be Mailer of
Common Senfctliat can have any fuck
thought about him : So true is that, which
we have already delivered 5 that they only
paflfed over the Fire.. And this Unhappy.
Cullomehath lb fpread it felfe ever fioce,
tliroughout the whole World; that even in
America, the Bralilians doe the fame. as ^K ' , ..
Imnes Lerius reports of them : ana among
Chriftians alfo, doe yearely caufe
their Children to palfe over the Fire of Su.
ohttj to this day. ' Which Gullome ought
to be abolillied,feeing it hath been ancient- ;•
ly condemned by a Council held at Cjm-
jtantinople : maTheodoret proves clearely,'64.
that this Cullome of thefe Fires, is Hill a','"^-.,
rellickofthe Ancient Abpnainations. •.
Fjieutur OUmMtfi. in Hiflf. Gotjna.Leo Africvu ill Dcfctipt. Afnc.'Di
IcXkryfoflm- j«i in Hotnil. de Nuthitat* S. lojmx ^solcnccs qM ho-
wiCKciutas air, iffmouc Horn Lampodt aptclliium; > '
D CHAT.
34 Voheard-of Curioftties.

CHAP. IT.

"That many things ate efteemed Ridi-

culous , and Dangerous, in the Bookes
of the forties-, which yet are, without
any blame , maintained by Chriftiair
tVrkers.

THB CONTENTS.

I.' | ^Hat we ought not to refi on the hen

I Letter of the Serif turn.
а. Authors that have treated of Eidictt-1
lout Suhjetfs, without being reproved.
3. The Bookes of the Jewcs lejfe dangt-
rotts, then thofe of the Heathens; which p
Are allowed by the Chriflian Fathers.
4. The Feafi that God is to make for tk
EliH, with the Flejh of a Whale, how to be
underjiood.
5. Ten things created on the Even befit
the Sabbath-, and what they were.
б. The Opinions of the Ancient, and Mo-
derne Writers, touching the end of the World:
what fathers of the Church have been of the
fowes opinion in this Particular.
7. Divers opinions, concerning the Mint'
her ofyeares from the Creation 10 our Saviour
 Chrift: and what w( otight to 'icnclude > at'}
touching the End of the World.:
S. The Ancient Rabbins are faljlj accufcd
offitaking ill of our Saviour Jefiis Chrift.r •
The third ohjeffien in the Prectdiat
chapter, and an Enumeration offom^ Errors of.
great importancein our mneBooks.

be it fo(may fomcf^y^th^t
i t^Tm Jewt;s are "cc fforn^be guilt.'
I ^ ^r'mes? their books
iM jiot polluted vvirhthcfc Aborfti-
" nations •• yet it caonot be dcntedV'
but that they have vented in them many f6p-
fciics, more ridiculous ones, then a man can The id.
imagine ^ and even fomCj that are very dang^ Ohjeftl'
rous too; and that therefore they are Unwor- 0^
thy our reading •, and the Curiofities found
in them, not to be valued at allThis is the '
•fccoiid Objedtion, which was prof ofed in thc ■
1
precedent Chapter. ' , TlieV. .
1
' If 1 were, here to deal only with thofe that fwer,
arc free from Paffion, it would be caficfor
metofatisficthcm in two wb,rds.: butfirtlii
that I may chance to haveto do with opimSK
native, felf-cbriceitcd men s it will conc^tim^
me to convince them by thefqree of Rcafcms,'
hacked with examples. X fay then, ihat'fiap-
ppfe, there, arc many fooleries, and abftird.
things found in the books of'the Icwc? *
 but why dp vye admit of the books of
the Poets, where you have nothing elfef
For, what can be conceived ptore ridiculous,
then-that men ^ ikpuld be transformed into
Rocks, Riyers, Plants, and Trees i or
what more Remote from common fenfej
tlien that Stones Ihould difcourfe ^ Flowers,
leafon, and trees make their moan, andfigh
ouc; their afRidions.c why were the Fables
of tygfdpeevcv received,-which attribute the
ufe of Reafon to all things , even" the
moft infenfible that nature, hath produced i-
And to fay the - u^raofi in prie word; Why
then do we admit .of the Bible, which alip
... make Trees,-as the Vine, and .the Bramble,;
to fpeakr The Trees went forth on a time to
ludic, 5. anoint a King.over them, and they faid unto.
8
- the Olive-tree, Reigne thou over us. But the
Olive-tree Jaid unto them, Jhould I leave/my
fatnejfe, wherewith by me they honour God
and man, and go to he promoted over the
trees ? And this Tree refuiing them,- they
then make their addrelfes to the Fig-tree,-
and -afterwards to the Vine,, apd ..at laft
aijc, cpHfErained to come ..to. the Bramble.
What a ftrange Met amorphofs is here ?-If
it b? anfwerea. thgt • thefe are, Figures , Si-
liiiltfudes., and . Parables,, whicTi loathag
made life of .to exprclfc.tq the people the
tyranny of. Afymlech: and; that in like)
manner
 manner the Antient Poets propofcd their
Fables, under which was aiwaVeS couched
Tome Philofophicall fceret , either Morally
or Divine.* Why lliall not the fame Liber-
ty be allowed to the/ewwalfo ? -Will they .
have them tot be lefle Rationall y then the
reft of Mankind i or more Bratilbythcn vii
ry Beafts < Was there ever the like Peevilh-
ncfte fccn i .:-
2. If the tfewes had bulled. themfelvcs-
in defcribing the War betwixt Frogs and
Mice *, as Homer hath done: or in writing
the Gommendation of a T yrant,' as Polycrt'
tes hath done : the praifc of Irijuftiec, as
Plwvormu : of Nero , as Car din : of art
Alfe, as Apulem, and Jgrippa- .* of a Fly",
and of a Parafiticall life, as Luc tan: or of
Folly, as Erafmus : we then ihould haveb<ve
them hooted at, for Fooles, or Mad-men. ^1'^"
Or had they made Epitaphs, or Funerall done, in
Orations, upon the death of a Cat, an Ape, ^crsof
a Dog, a Didapper, an Alfe, a Magpye, a ^ ^
Flea, as fomeofour Italian Fantafticoes have
done : we Ihould no doubt heare them
charged then, with the finely wittieft, Ido-
latrous Foolery, that ever men were guilty
of. And yet, the Authors ofthefc Trifles,
heare no one word of it. If they Ihould
yet but have taken upon them, to fetdown
the Rules of Divination, as many of our Lar
D3 tine
 tine Chriftians have, done: or to teach the
mahner of Interpreting Dreamcs, as oii?
Bmh. hath done {n. Gochlenm • who tels you, that
ImodM as fo^nc as yOu are awaked, you muft o-
thyftg. pert, a Pfalter and the firft Letter that is
foundj in the beginning of the Page, ftiall
/hew what fliall happen. As for examplciifit
be it fignifics, the Party fliall be or a Frc«
Nature: if 5, he fliall be powcrfull in War:
£, and D, iignifies Sadnefle and Death .vf,
and i7, that he ihall have Cif he be married)
a Noble Of-fpring .* <?, denotes feme fid
accident to befall him : H i forefliewes the
Love of Women : a good and happy
Life; Il3 Folly, and Mirth: andfo forward
of all the refl:*, the very remembrance whac-
of makes me laugh : If the paves, I fey,
fhould have bulied themfelvcs with fuch
Sottifli Impertinencies as thefc, would any
of the Chriflians fo much as have touched
their Bookcs e1 I fliall pafle by a thoufand
Fooleries, avherewiih our owne Bookes are
Hufftd 5 and a thoufand Fopperies, which
fome people give credit to : as, that of
Names, and Numbers, which is copiouily
handled by Raimtindus Veronenfisjn his book
intituled^ Opera del. /' Atttiqm & honmta fci-
vH^a di Nomandia : wherein a man fliall fe
% the Letters of his name , whether he
fliall live'a long timc^ or not : whfcthtr of
the
 the nvo fliall furvivc, the Husband^ or tjic
Wife : Whatp'refcrm^nts one fhall rifetp:
What Death a man {hall dye : and a worid
pfruch like Prppdfitions, which are not
oncly ridiculqus, but dangerous alfq. And
now let any man, if he can, findiault with
the Jewifli {labbins, whofe writings arc free
from any fuch kind of follies, astfiefe.
3. I fhall adde further, that almoft all
the Fathers have been of opinion, that we
might lawfully read the books of the Hea-
then Philofopners 5 and fuchreafons aregi-^^' ^
ven for it,by S. JuguJltKe^^nd Theoderet^ cMji.
as will force the frowardeft Critick to fub-f^-
foibe. Now eveVy body knowes, that the ubTiM
gteateft part of thefc books teach the Mul- CUftt.
uplicity of Gods •, and fomc of thein, Ido-
latry alfo; But as for thofe of the Jewes,
who is he, that hath ever accufcd them of
either of thefe Crimes or that found any
other Doftrine taught in them, then that of
the True God? And why then may not.men
of Learning read thefe, fmce we permit the
other to be read to raw Children , that are
apt to believe any thing ? If there be ma-
ny Fooleries, to be found in them •, as it is;
ooje&ed by thofe, that never read them5
there is yet much IcfTe danger in Thefe,theni
in Apouacy : neither is there any of them
fo Abfurdjbut that fomc Good thing may
D 4
 4^
be dravven from them -, nor yet fo barren,
but that they afford matter, to raife/omc
wholfome Dodlrine upon' Let us, there-
fore take the Truths , and p'aflc by'Jihc
Preames: let us gather the Rofes, and Id
alone the Thornes; let us take iip the Pcarlcs,
iahd caft away the Shels. In a word, let
Lib.A.de us doe what Damascene teacficth usSi au-
tem
* h?, ab his quiforis jum decc'rpm
' quiff iam tittle valuerimm , non ajpernabilt
ejt. Bfjiciamur frobati Trafefyte, legitmum
& furum aurum acervantes, adulterimm ati-
iem refutantes: fumamtts femones of times y
Deos autem ridicalosy & fabuUs aliencis,
wbtii frojiciamus.
■ 4. We will now go another way to work,
andlhew, that many of thofc things' in iht
books of the Rabbins, which arc account-
ed ridiculous, by thofe that have them oiijy
by hearc-lay, have not yet been accountd
lo, by Learned Chriflians, and fuch as
know the Ancients manner of writirg;
and that confequenly, they are not to be
rejeded. We fliall therefore make choice
ol-' fome of the moft Myfticall Palfagcs
that are to be found, in their books and
fhewhow thofe ftrange dodlrines are to be
Underiflood that fo by thefc, the Reader
may be able to, judge of all the refh
If there be any thing, worthy to- be ac-
counted ridiculous ^ and abliird, chat doubt-
leiTc appears to be the- moft likely, which
die Ancient Jeives have delivered, of a cer-
tain Feaji thic God is to make the Saints
hereafter; For they write, that when" God
had created the world, feeing the bigneffe of
a Whale which he had lodged in the Tea,to Oifcerfi
befo prodigioufly vaft, as that he had not
made any thing that was fu fficient to nourilh
him •, hepriefently killed him, and ialted him
up, as weufc toclo Flefli,- purpofingoneday
to feail the Eled therevvim. CoHtribulafii,
faith the Pfalmift, capita, dracomm in aquis,
tuconfrcgijti capita araconis. Po/Tibly this
Text may have given occafion of the Fable
of Python^flaln by Apollo: and if fo; this
later ftory feems much more tollerable>thcn '
the other. For, what madneflfe is ittoima-
gine, that God fhould afterward fait up this .
Dragon, or this Whale called WiO? Levi- v
ithan and that it lliould be afterwards kept,
dllthcLaft Day, to makeaFeaft for thofe, nifiesaifo
that ihould then have no more need to eat ^ ao^ra"
And what excellent entertainment ihould God 8
beftow upon his Children,when their cheare
ihould only be, of the flefli of a Powdered
Dragon e This were one of the grofleft
Fooleries that could be, were there no other.
Dodrinc couched under this Tradition,then
what the bare Letter affords: and who can
 poffibly imagine the Jewes to be a peopk
to voia of fenoc, as firaply to believe tnis,
without looking after any other meaning^
the thing f Let us rather hereafter enteitaia
a better opinion of this people; and cfteem
othcrwifcofthofe men, whoTe wifdome the
Chriftian Fathers have fo defervedly admi-
red. I will not fay, but that the firaplerfort
of peopk among the Jewes, may peradven-
ctirehavc believed, in the Literall fenfe, this
Myftcrious Fable*, as there are among us,
that believe the ftories of Mfofe. For there
are found fome o Id women fo fimple, and I
my fdf have fecn fuch, that lieoring tell,
how the Lion talked with the Fox, and hee
with his companions, that fo he might de-
voure the Acnnes; they really bdicvcd, that
intimcs pall Bcafts did fpeak and difcourfe
of thdr own affitirs; taking occafion from
what they have heard at Church, of the
fpeaking of Baalams AlTc. But as JEfope
is very well known to have couched fomc
myfterious fenfe, under his Fables; In like
manner did thefc wile Ancients, in thofe
which they deviled. Scio (fayes PomIhs Ft-
gins ) vetcres tfudxormn Rabhinos aliud iffj-
** flerwkt hoc de nfrodtre voltdffi > qaalia & *'
hcii lit Afitd Ulos invtnitmutr. And then, that
imprejf. he might take off the vail from thefe Mv*
ijnatiiti. and bring than into the open light,he
fil.Ci,
prcfendy addcs: J», fer convivium, fum-
mimillant) ac aternam falicitatem^ que jufii
nfuture Perfruentur, intellige. Turn nimirum
eJcut, & devorabunt Leviathan Ulum, hoc
efi, Satanam ■, cum viderint ilium, cum omn't-
hsminifiris fuis, in aterna prtcipitari Tarta-
u, Inlbmuch that he muftbe no Man, that
fees not that this Dodrine is very little dif-
erent from that of our Saviour Chrifi,
who fayes: That, in his Kingdoms, theiufi
dl eat and drink at his Table: underftatld-
ing by thefc cxpreflions, Everlajt'mg Bliffe,
j. There is another Tradition found in
e books of the Reives, that appears as ri-
diculous as the fonncr; which is that at the r5< ^
Creation ofthe world, on the Even beforethe mo. w-
Sabbath> there were ten Miracles created. The
lirftwas, That Prodigious Opening of the
Earth, that fwallowed up Corah Sc his Cora-
panions. The fecond, the Well, or Sprine> \fc. 6$.
thafiiFued out of the Rocke, and follotmlme
Children of ifrael •, and which (lay Tney )
God granted unto them, forthc merits ofiiri-
rimy Mofes his lifter: as alfothc Manna, that
went along with them •, and the Miraculous
Cloud, that attended on Aaron and his fel-
lovves afterwhofedeath, allthefe Miracles
ceafed. The T hird was, Balaams Afle: T he
Fourth, the Rainbow. The Fifth, the Man-
na : The Sixt, Mofes his Rod, by which hec
wrought
 44
Wrought fo many Miracles: Theleventh, tli
little Worme, called TBtP Schmir, ^yhid
Solomon ufed , in the hewing, and cuttingol
the ftones, for the building of the Temple,
that jt might be dbnewithout noife, thougl
they were very 'great, and very'hard; as yoii
«Kfg. 6. mky fee inthe ftoiy ofthis ftately Jiuildingi
and alfo in the Commentary that Ben Mjmt
hath made expreflely of this Infe'dh' The
Eigth, the writing ofthe Tables of the Law ;
the Ninth, Mofes his Tomb: and the Tenth,
the Ram that was facrificed, inftead Qi if Aid
Some adde to thefe the Dcvills, andEvill fpi-
rits. Now all thefe things feeme very ridicu-
lous atthefirft fight, which yet are in elftd
very Curious, necefl*aiy3and ufcfull: as I (lull
In nofi- in another place make it more plainly appear,
'c being too long a difcourfe to infert here. Iii
liscc. the mcanc time let us rely upon the judgment
of B,talus Fag jus in this particular, who fayes:
j» P/V/-e H-ec quidein ait quo modo in fpcciem ridicnUffa
jutib. flidta videntnr 5 fed qua certe non carentfu-
lls myfterijs.
6. I will next fhew you a point of Do-
dlrine of the Rabbins, that is accounted a ve-
ry ridiculous, if not a very rafli one. Thcfc
knowing men, having confidered the Order
that God obferved in the Creation of the
world'; and how that ,' having in fixe daics
pcrfeded all his workes, he refted (in thefe-
 Vnhenrd-of Curt oft ties. 45-.
venth ; they .have peremptorily concluded
romhence: that, according .
0 dm Myfl^rious Oria,
hc worldlhould laftbut fix asjjN Uti? .• Q'rpn
rhoufand yeares; and in the DBW mm
ginning of the feventh. all
i; ihould reft. iS/Ar
.IlingS c- cr/
Thou- C[ecfet. Pl't^On DO'
laphim cfoHahbithcltm; feme a-
t.
nod yeares (fay they) is the tyhim tchou! cfaie tUfhim The-
4ae of the world: Two Thou-
tod, Voyd: Two Thoufand
inder the Law; and Two Thoufand under the
itjes of the Mefftas. So that, according to this
iccount, there being One Thoufand fix hun-
dred forty nine yeares pafTed, fince the Nati-.
I'ity till this prefent ; there llibuld
eraaintothc end. of the World, but three;
uindrcd fifty one yeares more ; JUtiod furor
tji cogitarefjilh Malvenda: and GenebrardA-
lo finds tins opinipn to befoftrangc a one,
is that he cannot acquit it of Folly. But fee:
iow, how carefull it concerns a man to be, in
hioughly examining all things, when hec in-
;mds to accuic any one. I. fay then, that if the
tms are to be accufed, as guilty of Folly, for"
laving prefixed a' time for the end or the
World; we muft alfo then in like manner ac-
i(e the moii Learned of bur Chriftians; and
wenfomc tob^thatftiine, like Suns, in thej®.
Church. I fiiali not here lay atiy'thing of.fo- m, in
\dimiis\Abbas3SBrigitta^UbertinusdeCaft-
/f'jkff. 6.
 //, "Telefphonu Her emit a, Pelrtts deAliaco^t-
colas Cufasus, ^fo. Pkus Mirandula , tram
Ifliftt Melet, &c. nor of thofe of whom faneent Fa-
rter fpeaks i who held , that the n umber of
yearcs fronithe death of our Saviour chrifa
to the end of the World, was tobc juft fo ma-
ny , as there be Verfes in Davids Pfalter.
"N either lhalt I here fpeak of the ancient Phi-
Afui ■ lolbphers 5 as of Arifiarchus, who affinnd
cra^r/*. that the world flipuldlaft but Two Thoufani
foure hundred eighty foure yearcs: of Areiti
atp.is. DjrrachinnS) who amgncd for it's Duration,
five thoufand five hundred fifty two 5 offt-
rodotps, and Linus, who allowed it ten thou-
fend eight hundred $ of Dion, who faid it
fhould continue Thirteen Thoufand nint
hundred eighty four ycares; of Orpheus^ wh)
believed it fliouldlaft a hundred and twenty
Thoufand yearcs as Caffander did, .cightcai
hundred Thoufand. I liiall only fliew, wk
the opinion was of the Leamed Fathers of tin
Church, whofc lives are irreprovable : as
namely, of Irenaus^ who, according to th
opinion of the Jcwes,faies, ihx,Qiuotquot dip
lib. 1. bus hiefafius ejt mundtts^ tot et Mi dents anhn
Hatf, t, confummatur • etpropter hoe ait (criptura Cent-
29. feps j et conjummata junt Ctelpm, et Terrs j *
Omnts ornatus eorumy &c. and afterwards
concludes : In (ex autem diehtts confurmttt
funt, quafail a funi^ manifefinm ejt, quonism
cofifwn-
 Vnheard-ef Cmoptiei. 47

nnfmrntto tftoruM, fextus rMllefimtts aitnui

if. So St. fft/ary ^ who, expounding thofe
words of the Evangclilt, Et foft fex dies
twisfguratus efii faith, ctim pofi fex dies gle-
yu Dominic.* habitus of ends fur, namely, in
his Transfiguration upon Mount Ta&y , fex
willim [cilicet annorvm evolutis, r eg n't c deft is
homprafguratur. So St. Ambrefe likevvrte;
who, ha vine the fame conceit with St, Hilary ^ in 17-
cxpitff'etk nimfelfe almoft in the very fame AW**
words. This was the Opinion alfo of Saint
Augtijline, in his bookc de Civitate Dei, lib. In .
zo. cap. 7. of St. Hierome-, on thofe words of
'Davids Quoniam mille anni, ante oculos tuos, U
(km dies hefterna qua praterijt •, who faics:c^'
tgo arbitror ex hoc loco, et ex Epijlola, qua no-
mine Petri inferibitur, mille annos pro una die
olitos appellari : ut [cilicet, quia Mundus in
r
tx diebns fabricatus ejl, Jex tnillibits tantum
tnnorum credatnr fubfiftere-, et pojtea venire
(ptenarium nutnerum, & Otionarium, in quo
verus exercetur Sabbatiftnas, et Circumcifionis
itritasredditur. In a word, itwouldaskcit
felfe a particular Volume, buttofet downc
ill, that the reft: of the Fathers have writ-
fn, concerning the end of the World, con-
ormablc to what the Rabbins had faid be-
ore them. The Curious Reader that
would be more fully fatisfied in this par-
•cular, may have recourfe to GcorgmFe-
netus.
 tietus
i Galatims^ A dr. Finus^ Sixtus S eneitfw.
cm. j.; Paulas Ricctus. Lud. Fives, HieronymasMagi-
wi.7.ct{. us, y *y£?idiiis Column us, and Frtdericus Em-
T.Lib.f. a-
fop. 10, if. . t i\ .. ... v,: . ,
FUg. con . 7. The Objedion tliat miglit; be made in
tniud. this Pbint, would fall heavy , as well upon
Lit'. " the Rabbins, as upon the Fathers, who nave
tAnmt. followed them b .but that wee (liall b? able to
^:;make it appear to be of no weight at iiU. For^
spkinLfay they, if thc; World be to laft but fixe
™'dedci Thoufand yeares •, then by confequcnce, the
d"" Dayof Judgment may be forekniovvne, which
Exuji. * contradids the Holy Scriptures. I anfwer,
Tai' thofe Learned men have not at all ddi-
•Defiu^ ned the dayes, but only the yeares: Now,
rnndi. the number of the yeares, that arepafled lince
the Creation, to this prefent, is uncertain;
therefore are the Dayes air9 uncertaine. Now
that the number of yeares is .uncertaine, .will
appeare evidently, by comparing the divert,
Opinions of thefe following Aqthprs, who
have with all polfible Diligence computed the
yeares, from the Creation, untill Chnjt •, and
yet there is in their Computations, abovea
hundred years differcnccrjudg you then,what
the Copfequchce muft be. Tliofe of the
Jewes th.at have turned ChriftianSj as Hiirc-
nymuskSaficla, Fide, PaulusaSanclaMiiris,
Lyrams, ErugenfiSy and others , which arc
followed by C corgi us Tenet us , Galatmji
 M
Francifc/es Gm£m, and Steuchut, account
from the C rcarion of the Worldto the Na-
tivity of our Saviour Chiift, 3760
Pdttlw F oroj emfronienfiSy 520 i
ArnalHus PoMacw, v ^ 4O88
fereriuSiSellamihe'y and Barmw; 4022
Genthmeli 'I0?0!
Sme^ 4°? 9
Filer a., . 4095?
Omiphriits Fanvmmi
Carolas BoviIIhs, 59S9
Mahenday 4133
fofeph Scaliger, , 3P4S .
Sixtus Senenfts, Majfeus, and many
others.
$0. Picas Miranditla, 395 8 .
Peter Galhfard, 39^4
fannies Lucidus, and many others, 39661
Gerardus Mercator, 3928,
fanjenias, 391&
Paulas Palatius^ ' 4OOQ
Hence tve may fafcly conclude', that nei-
thcr the mihibcr of daics, nor yet of yeafe
pafled iince the Creation ^ can be'exadll^
lenowne, without fomefpeclall Revelation 5
notvvkhftanding the endeavours of the Lear- . , ^
ned Pererius to prove the ebntrary •, whb, ta- InCcn,
king occafion fromthefe words of the Whe ^'I'
mm, dies feculi qttis dimmer at ? affirmetb,
that he fpeakcth not here of die Terns J bi^t.
 ofthe Dates: and that , though the num-
ber of Thefe cannot be knowne , yet tk
Other may. Ergo, fayes he, after a long
Difcourfe, N timer its annorom Munditenertfo-
u(i, dtertm aiitm non potefi. But he ought
to have reconciled thefe Authors amok
themfelves •, and to fliew, how they have erred
m their Computations. And when all is
done ^ the neareft that a man rtiall be able to
Come to the T ruth, will perhaps be about
Twenty five, or Thirty yeares,. over, or un-
der ^ and no other wife,
; 8. The third Objedion, brought by thofe,
' that will not admit the Jewes bookes to k
read, fccmes to have moreReafon in it, then
all the reft. For, if they be indeed full of
fcoffings again ft the Life of Him, whohatb
given Us Ours 5 if they accufe his Adiions,
deteft his Dodrine, and condemne hisMc-
mory, as ignominious 5 in a word, if they
are full of nothing but Blafphemies againfi
tfeftts Chriji\ who is he that could endure to
read them f. And here Sixtus Senenfts tri-
umphs over his Enemies, and reckons up all
the Impieties the Ifraelitcs were ever guilty
of -, and there is fcarcely any one kind onvic-
kednelfe, or villany, that he layes not to thcii
charge. In a word, he numbers up, as veil
all the erroneous points of their Beliefe, 35
their Reprpachfull fpeeches which theyvo*
 Unheard-of Curiofities, 51

raitupagainft the Sonne of God; fo that one

thai had not read their bookes, apd knoiync
the Truth of the bufineffe, would judge them
to have been written rather by Divcls, then
hy Men. But this Author, (who had not TheAn<.
written againft this Nationjbut, as almdit all 'fwet.
others have done j mecrcly Out of the hatred
i$ generally borne, toward thefe Deieides^)
tliought peradventure, that aftcr the burning
fomany Jcvvilh Libraries in Italy ^ and after
that himfelfe had beene an Eye-witnelTe of
Twelve Tlioufand Volumes burnt to Aftes
at Cremona, he thought, I fay, that after lb ■
rigorous an InquilTtion, there could have beca
no more books left, by which wee might have •
been able to fatisftc our felves, in the Truth of
thofe things that are objetfted againft the
Jeives. But he had forgot to burne the wri-
tings of GaUtiwis too, or rather o£Sebo»dits .*
(for I fliall make it appeare in another place,
that Calatine was never the Author of that
Learned Booke, intituled, de Arcanis Catho-
lics f da ; J He had, I fay, foroot tp burne.
thefe Learned writings too, wltich doe make
it deardy appeare, that the greateft part of
thole things that are written in this Particular,
is felfc; and prove , that the Blafphemies,-
which the Ancient Rabbins uttered againft
fe/'M Chrifi) were not meant at all ofchrift,
tor Redeemer, but of another fefus^ very tar,,
E 2 different
 Unheard-of Curiofittes.

different from Ours. And this is fo known

a Truth , that the moft furious among the
lewes dare not deny it, unlefle they deny their
Talmud; So' that this Confeffion being fo
much the more forcible, becaufe it proceeds
from the moutli of our Adverfaries •, it quite
bverthrowes all that , andthofe ofhis
Perfwafion, have brought to'the contrary. I
will not fay , but that the Later Rabbins doe
more perveifely handle the Controverly,
which' is betwixt Them and Us namely,
Whether fefus Chrijl be the true Mefsi.ts^ or
not: and that, among the Heats of fo weighty
a; Difputc, they doe fometimcs fpeake irreve-
rently ofour facred Myftcrics-: But, (which
is a very wondciTull tiling, and which ought
to convince all the enemies to the writings of
thefe men; ) among lb great a number of Ar-
guments that are brought againft us, by R-
David Kimchi , and R. fojeph Alhoni , (nfo
lewifli Rabbins, which were both very lear-
ned , and very zealous for their owne Reli-
gion :) you ihall not find one Opprobrious
fpeech uttered againft fefus Chrifi : as that he
was a feditious perfon, (as he was called in his
life time,) or a Magician, or an Impoftor, or
a Malefador, or any other the like Blafphe-
raous termes: notwithftandingtliere is fcarce-
lyany ofour Chriftian Writers, that have
written againft the Icwes, which give them
not
 Unheard-of Curiofitits. j^
not very hard language. They difpute indeed.
Whether the (jolpelbea Law, or not; but
not, VyMier the Author of it were a Wick-
ed Man, or no. Nay, on the contrary, thev
rather confefle him tonavercligioullykept all
the Commandements of the Decalogue. T hey
fay indeed, that he was butmeereMan, and
not God : being blinded by the Confefllpn,
which this God of Love made of himlelfc: E-
gofum vermif, dr non homo : but they doc not
fay, that he was a Wicked,Perfidious Perfon,
They accufe his Apoftles indeed of Igno-
rance, butnotof Fallehood : as, when S. Paul
faith, that the Ifraelites demanded a King of
Samuel; who gave them the fonne of Cis, oe-
ing about the age of forty years whereas the
Scripture feemes to fay otherwife. As alfo,
when Saint Stephen faid, that thofe that went
downewith facob into tyEgypt, were feventy
five foules in number; whereas in Gene ft s it is
faid, they were but feventy in all. And fo
likewifcin diverfe other Pafuges, which have
been, long fince, often reconciled, and cleared
of Errour. They deny indeed, that in the Eu-
charift, a Great Body, with all its parts, can
polfibly be in fo fmall a Morfellbut they
doe not fay, that the Inftitution, and ufe of it
in the Chriftian Church, is Diabolicall, as the
Hereticks fay. Inaword^ they deny indeed,
that fefus Ghrijiis the true Mefsias •, but they
 Unheard-of Curiojlties.

doc not fay, that his Dbftrinc is againft

God.i Tnofe that defirc to be more fully
fatisficd in this Controverfie, may have re-
courieto a Traft, written by Genebrard^i-
gainft thofc two Learned Jcvves above na-
med. To condude then,both againft Senth-
Jls, and all of his Opinion •, I afiiime, that
the Ancient Rabbins are fo farre from re-
proaching our Saviour fefus Chrifi, as that,
on che contrary^ they allow of his Dodrine,
and contirme the Hiftory,which is delivered
us: as I doe clearly prove, in my Advertise-
went aux Do&es, tonchant U ntcefsite des Un-
gues Ort en tales ^ which I lhall, God willing,
put fonh very iliordy. •
p. I come now to the laft objedion,
^ tvhich is: that the Bookes of the Rabbins
arc, in the Interpretation of the Law rand
that being full of Vainc, and ridiculous Tn-
ditions, and fome that arc dangerous too-,
they ought not to be read bythrillians,
who arc to fecke after nothing,but the true
Traditions offefw C/;/-//, and his Church.
; I lliallnot take upon me to anfwer fully,
and in every particular, to this Objedion
fince that it cannot be denied , but that th(
Rabbins doe crre fomctimcs, and that theii
Interpretations are fometimes wide enougl
. of the matter.. But that therefore they jnw
prefently be burnt, or not read at all, is a
gainl
 gainft all Sencc, or Reafon: for^ptherwife,
we were to proceed in the famfe'ttiinher a^-
gainft our fclvcs, and muft cohdtoihe our
ownc bookes alfo 5 which are fcarce^ to be
found, any of them, without their Errors:
I fpeake even of thofe very bpoke?, chat
are of higheft efteeme, and life; amotig us.
$0 that if theft muft all be commiuTd to
the Flame, we fliould fpeedily lee-o'ir Li-
braries Empty • and,thore which lhall come
after us, to be left to a moft r profound ig-
norance. For, whoknowes not, that the
works of TertuHiap favour the Seft pfthe
MontanifiS) where he (peaks of a new Pard-
clet, and a new Prophefie; as alfo, where he
condemnes Second Marriages ? If we but
diligently perufethe Writings of all the reft
of the Fatners, we (hall find, thatthofc of
St. Cyprian maintain the Rebaptizing of
fuch, as having abjured their Herefie, had
been formerly baptized by Hereticks What
Error is it, that the writings of the Learn-
ed Origen are not polluted with 1 If any
man out of Curioiity defire to fee a Ca-
talogue of them, he may have reepurfe tq
the Learned Epiftle of St. Jerome^ ad Avi-
tum. Doth not Sti Hilary feem to detradl
much from the merits of our Saviour Chrifi,
when he maintaines, that his Sacred Body
was not at all capable of Suffering and
E 4 that
 1

that Hunger, Thuft,'Wearinefle, and the

reft, of Hu inane Infirmities, were not N atu -
rail in.hijnj.but, as the Schppiefpeaks, sih-
fumpte i Neither did Epiphamta fall into
lefs. Errors then thefe, when he writes, upon
thofe words of ChriftjP^^r Mtjor me e/?,tliat
it was true allb of his Divine Nature*,andthar,
in the garden of Olives, he (pake not thcfc
words ferioufly-, Pater, ft fieri potejt, tray-
feat i me Calix ifie •, but dnely by way of
Diftimulation, to deceive the Devill. I |
paft'c ^y many things delivered by him,
touching the death of our Saviour Chrijl,
which the purity of Divinity cannot allow
of; as alfo, when in his diiputation againft
Aeritx, he affiimes. that one of the Precepts
left by the Apoftles, was, thar, during the
fix ciaies immediately before the Pafleo-
y£r,wc muft cat nothing but bread, with
Salt. Sr. JmLrofe alfo , in his Allegories,
in which he exceeds, is not alwayes blame-
lelle: for fomctimes he lets fall Inch things,
fs arc quite comradiding ■ the fenlc offtic
Holy Scriptures. As, for example, fpeak-
ing of Sr. Peter's finne, he holds, that this
Apoftle denied not tfejas, Chrijl as God,
but onely- as Man,: as likewile, when he
makes it Lawful! for a man, that hath put
away his Wife by Divorce, to marry a-
nothcr woman, provided, Ihe alfo had not
been
 linfaard'of Curioftties.-

been divorced. Sc. Jerome runs as farrc

into the other Ext reams; for, pleading for
Virginity, againft jovittian, he doth (o cry
out againft Marriage, that he makes ital-
moft a finnc to marry : -and goes on fo
far, as to account Second Marriages to be
no other then meere Fornication. and a
Trade ofBawdery. St. Augujtinehath al-
fo had his many Errours : As, when he
maintaines, that the Eucharift ought to be
adminiftred to little Children 5 and that,
if they dye without BaptiOne , they are
Damned. You may find many other Err
rors. in the Writings of this Learned Fa-
ther: But they are fuch,as we may truly
call, Happy ones; fince that they gave oc-
cafion to the writing of that Excellent Book
of his Retractations 5 without which, a great
part of the Learning of this moft Know-
ing Father , had been concealed from us.
I could proceed to reckon up fome Errors
of each of the reft of the Fathers, both
Greek and Latine, for the proving of my
Alfertioh : namely, that we have the fame
reafon to forbearc the reading of them, that
we have againft the books of the Rabbins:
fo that, we fhould at length be reduced to
this extremity, of having no other books?'but
only the Holy Scriptures. And yet neither
could thcfc pafte, if we fliould reft only on
 Unheard-of Curt of ties.

the Bare Letter j fincethere are fome things

found there, that fcem contrary to Truth.
> K«- Thus Cajetan hath obferved, that in Kings
uKeg. 2. we read, Michol, inftcad of, Merob : as
c.i». you may perceive, by comparing it with
theFirft Book of the fame Hiftory. And
the Learned have obferved, that in the New
MM&.iy.Tcftamenr, St. Matthew^ forgetting himfclf,
hath written Zachary, for, fperemy : and St.
Mark likcwife, upon the fame miftake, cites
m
' ''a paflagc out of ijaiah, which is written in
Malachi : and*fo likcwife, when he faycs,
our Saviour Chrift was Crucified on the
Third houre; feeing that St. fohn faith,
lea. iy.t'iat was
^ut on^y condemned by PiUt,
"the Sixth houre. So likcwife, where Sr.
Luke faith, that Cainan was the Sonne of
Gev. jj. Arfhaxad, and Saltc, the Sonne of Cainan,
he contradids the place in Cenefts, where
it is faid, that Salec was not Arphaxd's
Grandfonnc, but his Sonnt, no otner Ge-
neration intervening betwixt thefe wo.
And when he fayes alfo, that the Cave,
which Abraham bought, was in Sic hem-,
gcv. 11. which was indeed in Hebron; and that he
bought it of the Sons of Emor^ the Sonne
of Sichcm; whereas Mofes fayes, it was, of
Ephron the Hittite. And fo likcwife, when
he fayes, that Emor was Sichcm s Sonne,
when as it is faid in Cenefts, quite contra-
r
ct. 3 j. y5
 Unheard-of Curiofities.

ry, that Emor was Sichems Father, and not

his Sonne. I (hall not here undertake to
juftifie all thefe Paflages; many great Pcr-
fonages, of former Ages, have already done
it very happily : fo that we cannot any
longer, without manifeft Injury, fay, that
there is any Errour at all in them. As
for the Errors of the Fathers, I fhould
rather think charitably of them, and fay;
that, as St. ferome complairtedin his Time,
that the Writings of Origea hadbeene cox-^cita.
ruptcd by fomc Impoftbr •, as St. Augufiine
likewifc complines, in thofe of St. Cfpri-
an ; fo poflibly, thofc of the other Fathers
may have bcenc cormpted too. But this
Excufe, which my Charity hath fuggefted
to me, hinders not, but that we are torejedl
Their workes, fuch as now we have them,
ifwearenotto read any of thofe, that have
erred.
6o Unheard-of Curioftties.

Part I I*

OJtbe Talifmanicall Scttlptm

0/the Ferhaas : or, the man-
ner of malyng Figures, and
Imageiy under certaine Con-
flellaeions.

CHAP. HI.

That the Pcrfians arc unjuftly blamed, con-

:
cerriing the Giiriofities of their Magick,
Sculfture^ and Afirology,

THE CONTENTS.

He Evtll Cnjlome^ of blaming the And-

ents, is noted.
2. The Reafons brought againfi the Per-
fians, and their Magic k, examined, and found
of no force. The Errors of the Counterfeit Be-
rofus, Dinon, Comeltora Gcncbrara, Pieri-
 Unheard-of Curiofities.

us, and Vtnetus, concerning Zoroafter.

5. His Magick, what it was.
4. Thefirdnge Statues c/Laban, and Mi-
cah, called, perhaps allowed by
Cod.
y. The Errors of YiXns Levita, Aben-Efra,
R. Eliczcr, R. D. Chimchi, Cajetan, Sain-
des, VataBlus, Clatius, Mcrccrus, Mari-
nus, and Mr. Selden, concerning th'efe Tcra-
phim. The groffe conceit ofPhilo Judaeus,
touching this Particular.
6. A Conjeflure, touching thefe Statuesy
what they were: and an Anftvcr to what may be
objefted againft it.
7. Of certaine frange. Prodigious thingsy
which have foretold HJfafers , which have
beene feen to come to pajfe ; and which doe yet
ore tell the fame.
8. The Conclufton of all before delivered.

1
• gSS Here is nothing in the whole
vDIKn BufinefTc of Learning, which
SSkS aftoniflies mce more, then to
SSnaBi fee, how many of the moft'
Excellent Wits of this our Age, make ittheir
bufinefle, to find fault with the Ancients, and,
to load them with injurious fpeeches: as if
this evill cuftom had now grown into a Max-
ime with them, that one can never pafie for
an Able man, nor appearcto be Any Body,
without
 without reprehending thofe which have gone
before us, and from whofe Learned writings
we have derived the moft Curious , and
Choyfe Points of Knowledge that we have;
The Perjiaiis, or, if you plcafc, the Bahjlom-
anS) that bordered upon the River Euphrates,
were the Firft, as Rabbins report, that found
outthe fecret power of Figures. The won.
dcrs that have been effefted by them, have
been acknowledged by all the Ancients, and
approved of throughout all &gypt .• info
much that, thofe, who wercthe firft that have
written of them, have maintained,' that there
was not any thing of more Excellency, and
Admiration / within the cbmpafle of the
whole Univerfc: Thefe firft Writers have
been fcconded by all thofe that have come af-
ter them ; even down to Ourowne Daics.and
the Dates of our Fathers; wherein we have
at length feen this Secret condemned, and
the Perfians acculcd ofSorcery: f(>thar,tothc
end I may free from ftifpicion, whatCoeverl,
fhall borrow from Them, it will'Concern me
to ftiewTheir Innocence here, asThaveal-,
ready done for the $ewes their N cighbour s:
and lliall ground my Defence of them, upon
what I have found written, in the Preface of
acertaine Per [tan ylflrologer, tranflated into
Hebrew by Rabbi chmer, a Modem Au-
thor ; and I lliall adde to his Reaforis, what
other
 Unheard-of Curiofities.

other I fhall be able to find, amongthc Wri-

tings of both Grcclcsi and Latines, to render
them the more powerfull,
2, The Curiofities therefore ofthcPerfians,
that Is to fay, their Figures, and Magicke, arc
ufually condemned, for foure Reafons. The
firft is, becaufc they arc faid to have been dc.-
rived from the molt Wicked^pcrfon, next to
Cain, that ever was that is, from Cham, o-
therwife called Zoroafier. The fccond is,
becaufc the Learned men of this Nation ac-
knowledged no other Deity, lave that of, the
Heavens, and the Stars-,and, by confcqucncc,
their Dodhinc muft therefore meceffarily be
veiy Dangerous.Thcthird is,that they teach
the worlhipping of Spirits, or Dlvels, that
convey themfclves into Statues. The fourth
is, that they made certain Figures,and Images,
from whence they received Benefits or all
forts, by the ufc of Witchcrafts,and Inchant-
ments.
To the Firft of Thefe , Hamahal^el, the
Author of the Aftrology above-named, an-
fwers, in one word, and fares 5 thatthe conftant
and unanimous Tradition in Pcrfia, is, that
Zoroafier was fo Good a Man, thatthe moft
Religious fort of people of that Country are
daily converfant in the reading of a Pious
Tract, that is faid to have been of his Com-
pofing ^ the Title whereof is, Memlecheti Ha-
 laali that is tO fay, The Kingdome of Cod. tint
fuppofe, he was not the Author of this Book ;
it is very falfe however, faith R. chomer, that
bifi.CK, be was Cham^thc fonne of Noahajid it is ve
ty Probablejwhich" he faycs for if wd inquire
butaftertheOriginallofthis Fable, we (hall
find it to have had no other Author, but even
ihc Counterfeit. Berojus^ that Annius hath foi-
fted in upon the world. And that this is not die
T rue Berofui, and therefore not to be belie-
ved, befides
fide many other reafons that arc
brought to confirmed,this following is none
of the worft; namely, that he makes Mention
as well of the Libyans, A Imans^ and Italians,
mtr.Ap- as o^the Chaldeans, or Babylonians : whereas
pm.Apo- the True Berofus delivers thchiftory only of
lyg-19^ thefe Laft, in three bookes; as you may ob-
TfwPS ferve outoffofcphits, Tertullian, Clemens A-
tib.ig. Uxandrims, and Vitruvius. ■ In a word, for
LibVj.t.a fuller fatisfaftion, that this is not that itofl-
37. fus, to whom , Ob dtvinas praditticneS&oxh
lib. 1. pliny} Athenienfes publice inGymnajio,jlaium
ji.Hiyf. inaurata lingua pojuhe : you need but red
scboUft. the Ccnfure that Gajpar Valerius hath givenof
^bis Bookc. This Forgery of Annius hath
miu.cat. alfo lead Genebrard, and Comejtor, into the
v'toert ^anie errour' believing Zero after to be the
gi.49.foi ihtue, that Cham. Georgisis Venetus likewife,
3 r ♦. and Pierius wrong themlelves very much, iii
maintaining,thatne was no other, then the'fon
JO ' of
 6fch/tml and Gfarid-fonneto ahdthfe
fame that is cajletfiivtheholy Scriptures, Mijf-
rtim. And indeed-ifitwere fo, hoiv comes
it to paffc, that Pliny, fpeakit^ fo often Of
him, makes no mention' or it at all if Hee faics
indeed , that the fame day he carae into tH6
world, he laughed •, and that his Braine s bcate
(b ftroHgly,that if any laid their bandupp'n hii
head, tins motion itruck it backagaine ait the
fame inftant: vfliich wasj.fai thhcy a fign,that
he would be a very Knowing mam But that,
he was ei therc/w», orthefohne of cham^ is
more then Plmy had ever met with i and witi|
him concurre-in o'pinidn, the two fujlins^ St.
Augufiine, Epifhahitu , and in a manner all
the Fathers $ that have madeiany mention of
him. But fuppofe him, ma y fome one fay,
tohave been net xhexCham, nor the Tonne of,
Cham; yet it cannot be denied, but that hee
was a Magician, and a Sorcerer. If Natid<e~
«fhad not already Learnedly anfwered this
Ohjedion lihould inthisjilace have exa-
mined it r-butl fha 11 now den re the Reader to
fee the Reafons he hath fee do'vvne, in his
learned and exquifite Apology , which may .
hereafter fcrye for a Pattern to all Demonogra-
fhnrs. IconfelTe, that Wife Perjlattzddi-
ded himfelfc to the Contemplation of the
Starres •, but woffliip them he did not ■ al-
though Dimn^ in Biogeries hmtm, endea^.
F i vdurj
- ,
 vours to prove it, after a ridiculous manner.
£>inon 7 fairh he 7 in quinto Hifioriarutn likri,
Zoroaftrcm, ex interprewione nominis fut,
Ajlrorum. affcrit fuifie cult or em. I have tur-
ned over the Perlian Di&ionary, with all
poifible diligence j and yet could not meet,
neither with this word, nor any like it, that
can ft^nifie that which Dinon would have.
Peraclvcnture hee derived this Etymology
partly from the Grecke, and partly from tnc
Latine : but , who can hold laughing at
ki
3. Tothe fecond Reafon Uamahatyl an-
fwers, that the Perjians wcrefo far from wor-
fhippingthe Heavens, and the Starres tliat,
on the contrary , they taught all men to ac-
knowledge One God, by cbferving the juft
Motion of the Heavens, and the Starres:
and, that if he were at all acknowledged by a-
ny of the Ancient Philofophers, it was, for
the very fame reafon: as you may learne out
of ManiliurS) Diogenes Latrt 'm> RoftHtis^ and
Lib. I'. Ptcus MiranduU. Heurnim addes , that this
Fbrid. their Oblerving of the Starres was fo Holy,
j« Trif- jjjgj ^ jhat add idled tliemefclves unto
m s
'' it, were therefore call'd, Magi, that is to fay,
Wife men : from whence the word, Magkktfi
alib defcended; which lignifies only, a PerftR
Knowledge of the Workes of God, and their £f-
fefts ; which appeare more vifibly in thefc
Ccleftiall
 Unheard-of Curiofnies.

Cclcltiall Bodies-, by which the Magi un-

derftood, (fayes Scaltger, )tl4at One, that
;was God, ■ was to become man. HUc Maria^ comh
faith he, liom'mum fejum fniffe promijsum c'Jr^
R eg em cognovermt Magi-, tjui ad eum aderan- 3 7'
dm longifsimis e regiontbm profetti funt.
And that wee may no?omit anything, if
this Magicke, by which men came to a fall
knowledge of the Heavens, and the Starres,
were fo black and damnable a piece of Know-
ledge , as it is given out to be j why then
did none of the Ancient Philophers ever
condcmne it C or rather, why did they take
fuch long Journeys upon them , for the at-
taining to this Knowledge ? It will bean-
fwcred peradventure, that wee are as defi-
rous to learne that which is cvill,. as that
which is Good ; Well, but ajl men of Lear*
ning have ever affirmed, that this Magicke
was the Fountainc of all Good Dodbine.
Animadverto (faith Pliny,) fttmrnam Liter a-,
rum claritatem , gloriamf , ex hac fcientia
mitjuittis, & penes Jemper petit am. What
can be more expreirely laid, in the defence
ofits Innocency •t As likewife, what heprc-
fently addes and wliich is knowne even to.
children Pythagoras , Empedodes, Demo-
trittis, Plato , ad ham dijeendam naviga-
vere exilijs verius, quam perignnationibns.
fifcept/s. Ham revcrfi pradicavere, ham in
 Arcanis hahuere. And, to conclude, fincc
all Antiquity commends the Affeftion of
ihefc Mdgi, which followed the ftrangc ftat;
why then fliould their Dodhine be condem-
ned i Why did they not, out of their zeale,
inVm. fall downe and worlhip this Starre, whict
t-.1'- appearcid more Bifght , and Wonderfull
Li.c/. then any of the reft ? but rather, on the con-
cemmet. trary, onely followed it, as knowing well,
v&h' jt was MeHenger of him , whom
dt fitu they afterwards worlhippcd in a Stablei
trhkiib. You may fee this Truth, proved at large,
Vdlb'.zi by St' Jerome, Socrates, Eufiathius , Ah-
Lib. ti. thias^ Pliny, Ammums Marcellinus, Caftu-
ton, Prijjonitfs, Duret, andEullinger.
Nm.i. TJercgn. Pcrf l.i.En l'hi(i.desLsngs. qg.'Ectog.c,?.
4. The third reafon is refuted ,■ faith//<(-
ma/jalfyl, in faying no more but this, that
our adverfaries cannot name one Per fan A-
frologcr, that ever worfliipped a Static.
They had indeed, faith he, ceitain Wonder-
full Images , or Statues: but fincethcy were
fuch, as were allowed by the ^Egyptian Lav-
maker, C he meancs Mojes,) why might they
not make ufe of them ? Now that they were
tfud. 17.' allowed of, appears by that of Micab, and
his mother , who allotted two hundred
pieces of filver to make one of: Qua uiltt ,
( faith the ftory, ) ducentos argenteos , d*
itifi
 Jpfit eos Argentario, utfaceret ex ehfcuhti- Cmf'-
le, & conflatile & fecit Efhod, & Tera- c™£
fhim. Neither do we finde, that they were urgm-
reproved by God for this-,, no more then
Uban was, for doing the like : but rather Uieh,.
on the contrary, Nunc fcio, quod benefaciefv*> V*
mihiDeus, ( faith Micah^) alter that he had rnm^lb'-
gotten him a Levite to be his Pricit 3 and to
nave the charge ofthefe Tcraphim 3 or Sta-
tues : which are often callod by the name of
God ; cither bccaufc they were confecrated
unto him: or elfe, bccaufc there appeared in
them the Wonderfull EfFedls offome Parti-
cular Refidence offome Power, whichfer-
ved inftead of Oracles. Quiadiesniultos,
(faith Hofea,) Sedehuntfit] jfrael, fineRege, 0fe- J*
(jr fine Trineipe, & fne facrifcio, & finev'*
Alturi, & fine Bp hod, & fine Teraphim:
chat is, as if he had faid : neither Ephod, no.r
Teraphim, Hull give any anfwere.
5. And here we arc to take notice of the
Errors of divcrfe Authors, concerning thefc
Teraphim ^ and firft, of Elias Levita. •, who Inrblr
reports, that they were made after this man- u. 1
ner. They kQlca a man., that wasthe firft
borne, and wrung off his Head ^and having
imbaulmed it, they placed it upon a plate of
gold, on which was firft written the name
ofthe unclean Spirit, that they would call
upon ; and fb, hanging it up againfta wall,
F 3 and
 'ftnheard-of Curiofities.

and placing Lampes, and Torches about it,

they vvorlhipped it. A very fubtle Invent
tion, this-, but fomething a difmall ont
And who can imagine the People of God
UGcv. ever guilty ofit i The conceit of Men-Ejra li
2u
altogether as falfc, though not fo fcandalous:
for He fayes, that the Seraphim were cer-
taine inftrumentsmadeofBrane , like Sun-
dials by which tlicy knew the particular
Houre, and minftte, that they were to pra-
ftifc their divinadon in. Rnbhi Eliefer, fur-
named '-,1-13, Gadol, that is to fay, the Great,
jvqr, in his book intituled, itx'Sn'jFQ, B/rriu
VenM. Elie^er^ i. e. CaptnU R.Elie^er: is of opini-
c^6. on,that they were certaine Statues, made in
forme of a man, under certaine Conftella-
tions; whofc influences, (which they were
capable of receiving,) caufcd them to fpeake
at fome certaine houres, and give an anfwere
to whatfoever was demanded of thepi. And
the reafon, faitli he, why Rkhel ftole away
her father Lahans Imageswas j for feare
that Labdn, liaving rccourfeto them, might
learne which way J-acob, with his Family,
^ had taken. Some Writers have affirmed,
iicGcjt' thattheufeofthefe Images hath bccncfomc-
av?-- times pradiifed ,:by one of the moft pious
yt'fio, podlors, and moit learned Bifliops of our
' Ghurch ;But thefcare Fooleries. R. David
Chimeht is alfo deceived, when he faies?
that
 Unheard-of Cwhfitiesi

that thcfe Teraphm were certaiine Images*

(whofe figure is yet unknown,) by wliicn
the ancients were inftruded concerning Fu-
ture Events:being, as it were, likethofe
Grades , which oftentimes fpake by the
mouth of the Devill. This Falfe opinion
ofhisis taken tip. by Cardinal Caktan, San-
ftes, Vatahltis , Clarius , Selden , and Ma-
rims , in his Area No<e, Mercerus allbgoes
along with the Streame of Interpreters, and Itt
fayes,thatthefe Images were, as the Houfe-
hold Gods of the Ancients : Ut Penates>
faith he, & Lares fompfertm, Philojudaus
is yet farther out of the way , then all the
reft; for the account he gives of them is fo
Groffea one, as that any, the moftfimple
Old women would be able to judge it fit to
be accounted Fabulous. For, fpeaking of the
Story mentioned in the 17.of fudges, he
fayes: that Micah made, of fine Gold, and
Silver, three Images of young Lads, and
three Calves, and one Lion, one Dragon,
and one Dove : So that if anyone had a
mindc to know any fecrct concerning his
Wife, he was to have recourfe to the Image
ofthe Dove, which anfwered his demands
if concerning his children , he went to the
Boyes: if concerning Riches, to the Eagle:
if concerning power and ftrength , to the
Lion,; if it any thing concerned fonnes, or
 -7 2 Unheard-of Curio ft ties.
Daughters, he went then to the Calves :an4
jT it. were a^xjut Length of Yeare? , and
Daies, he was to confiilt the Image of the
'Dragon. A very pretty Fi<5Hon,intruih.
But leaving theft: people to their owne Ig-
norance, and Errors, we lay, with St. Je-
3n iXeg.rome, an Author more worthy of credit, in
Kfe/e. mat:ters the Old Tdlamcnt, then any
xo.' ' Interpreter what ever, either Greek, or Li-
tine, that thefe Teraphim, werc facrcd Ima-
ges belonging to the Pricft. Teraphim,
(faith he, with AquiU,) proprie appellantw
id efiifgur# & jimulachray qua not
peffumus^ in prajenti duntaxat loco, Cherubim
& Seraphim, Jive alia, qua in Templi orni-
mcnta Jien)ttJj(tJ/int, dicerc. This Opinion
of his is lb [bund, and fb true a one j that
hee rauft be no Rationall man, that pre-
ferres it not before, any other. You have
k alfo againe, expreffed in other tearmes, in
his Epiftlc ad Marcellam. In Teraphim \
Ep. ijo. Claith this Learned father) vel figuri>\varii
opera, qua Teraphim vocantur , inrelliguniHr,
(Jxc. fuxta igitur hunc fenfum & Mich a,
cum vejle Sacerdotali, cat era quoque, qua a'd
S acerdot alia pertinent ornament a, per Teraphim
fee iffe monfirath. • ■
, 6. Now feeing that the Images of 5*-
retphims, or Cheruhins, are by a Gcnerall
name called' Teraphim -, who can accufc.lhc
Eaftern
 Eaftnin people of Sorcery, for ufjng thcni}
any more then Laban, who did the like?
Certainly the Holy Scriptures , which, re-
prove fo fliarply all manner of Vice, (as
we haye already faid,) never reproves Him
at all for doing it: neither is it at all cre-
dible, that Jacob would have ferved an, I- '
dolater fo long a time, and at length marry
his Daughters too. It-may be alfo proba-
bly conjectured , that David made ufe of
thefe Images; feeing that it is ftoriedjthat
liis Wife Michd TW/V Teraphim, & pofuit
em fuper Leftttm; ufiugthis fubtle Dcyifc,
to fecure her Husbands life. If fo be that
Michd hcr.fclfe onely made ufe of it, though
an unlawfull thine ; Why did David then
fuffer it C Or why was it not at all repro-
ved by God i If it be objected, that Ja-
fni commanded all his Houihold, to put
away all the ft range Gods; Jbijcite (faith
he) Beos alienos : and that He himfelfalfo
hid them in a pit, covering them with Earth,
under a Turpentine tree : I anfwer, that
there is nothing more cleare, then that he
there fpcaks of the Houihold Gods of Gold
and Silver, which his Sons took from the
Sichemites, as a rich booty, when they fpoil-
cd and ranfacked their City, for having ra-
vilhed their Sifter : Omia Vaflantes, qua Geu. 34.
in domibtts^ & in agroerant. And that this
 Unhenrd-of Curiofities.

is fo, appearcs by this ; that though thij

bldTcd1 Patriarch had bccnc fb lone a time
fojofirning in tliis Country ^ yet he never
made any mention at all of Falfc Gods,
till the time of this Pillaging of the Ca-
naanites , who were a People given to all
manner of Idolatry : vydlich was the reafon,
(lay the moft Learned of the Rahhins^) that
Abraham made his Servant fwearc unto him,
not to take a Wife for his Sonne ifaack out
of This People : Adjuro te (faith he) pi
Domimm Cceli & Terra , ut non accipu
Uxorem filio meo defiliabm Chana»aorm\
becaufe he knew that they were Idolaters.
The fame Charge did ifaack give his Son
Jacob. Hamahaf^el therefore concludes with
this Truth ; that certainly, in the time of
thefe Patriarchs, there were fome ccrtainc
wonderfull Images, or Statues, by which
God made known his Will to his People.
Thofe; chat lliall have the happinelfe to fee
the, Traft, which None a us faics,lie hath writ-
ten of. this Subjcdt will be ready to con-
fefle, that they arc not Dreamcs, which are
here delivered by this Perfian Author of
ours. If it be demanded 5 why then did
not Mojes make a particular dcfcription of
thefe Images < I anfwer, that this Wife
Law-giver, knowing how cxtrcamly incli-
ned- to Idolatry, the People,-which he con-
 Unbenrd-of Cftriofnies. 75
dufted, was •, makes no other mention of
hcm,fave only inpalfaee; bein^ unwilling
0 forget them wholy, left any thing of the
Hiftory fliould have been left out.
7. I doc the more boldly propofc this
Doftrine, after this Perfian Writer-, bccaufc
1 fee, that in all Ages, God hath made known
his Wonders, and what ever Accident of
Importance was to happen, throughout the
Univerfe, by Come Senfible thing •, and will
yet doe the fame hereafter, when he fliall
come to Judge-the Quick and the Dead -
giving a Signe of his Comming, by the
Falling of the Stars, and the Darkening of
the Sun and Moon, and by a Deep Afto-
niihmcnt caft upon all Mortals. If you
pleafe but to look back upon all Ages paft,
you fliall not find any one, (where accord-
ing to this Truth) fome new Prodigie did
not forefhew the Good, or the Evill Acci-
dents , that were to comc. Thus we fee,
that a little before the time that Xerxes co-
vered the Earth, with his Million of men,
there appeared horrible and drcadftill Me-
teors, as Prefagcs of the Evils that after-
ward happened; as there did likewife in the
time of Attila, who was called Flagelltm
Dei. And, to goe higher, was not poore
J-entjalem forewarneaof her Approaching
Miferie, which made her the moft wretched
 Unheard-of Curiofities.

of all Cities, by many the like Prodigies;

i;Qr there was often feen, in the Aire, At
inies of men in battell array, feeming to h
ready to charge each other ; and one day
at the Fcaft of Pentecoft, the HighPriel
cntring into the Temple, to offer the Ufa-
all Sacrifices, which God regarded now no
more 5 there was heard a Suddainc Noifc.
and a Voice immediately following it, wbio
(aid: DJD TWyl Naavour Mi^eh^Let m de^n
hence. I lhall not fpeake of the Brazti
Gate which opened of it fclfe, without be-
ing touched by any body; and all theothti
Prodigies, which are fpoken of by fofephm.
Appian hath reckoned up, what miraculous
things were feen,and heard, before the break-
ing out of the CiviH Wars; as namely, Fear-
full Voices; and, ftrangc running up and
dovvne of Horfes, which no body could fee.
Phny hath hkewife fet down thofe, that were
heard in the fame manner, before the Cp;
brian War - and among the reft, divcric
Voices that were heard from Heaven, and
dreadfull Alarmes, founded by certaine ter-
rible Trumpets. Before the Lacedemonim
were overthrowne , at the Battell of Lttt-
tfra, the Armes, in the Temple were heard
to make a noifc of their ownc accord : and
about the fame time, at TMw, the Gates of
the Temple of Hercules opened of diem-
 Unheard-ef Curiofities. 77

elves., without any man touching them.5

nd the Aimes that hung againft the wall,
were found caft on the grouna C as Cicero re-
ports the ftory) not without the great Afto-
"Ihmcnc of the beholders. - At the timp that
Milmdes went againft: the. Per funs > diverfe
ftrange fights forelhewed, what the Event
would be: and, that I may trouble my felfe Maiuu.
in reckoning npthefe Wonders no longer^
you may have recourfe to Livy •, who ^ for pc«ar.
naving bcene fo copious in his ftories of this kpafc
nature, is thought fit, by fome Authors, to be 0^'
ftiled,aTraaeaian, rather then an Hiftorian.
If we come downe to the Ages, not fo far re-
moved from our Owne •, wefliall find, that in mtg. l«-"
the Reigne of TheodoftUs, there appeared a
Starre mooting forth beames in the flrape of a fi
fword; and in the time of Sultan Selim, an in- 16. & a
finite number of.Crofles appeared, fhining in 17•
the Aire ; whichforelliewed the Loffe he af-
terward received by the Chriftians. And
who knowes not, that the Emperour Perti-
nax was forewarned of his death, three day es
before, by a certaine Vifion that he faw in a
pond, that feemed to threaten him with a
drawne Sword in his hand f That cer-
taine Spirits foretold the death of Confians
fonneto CONSTANT IN E the Great 1
That Alexander 3 . King of the Scots, was
likcvvifeadvertifedofhis,. by aSpetfre* that
danced
 danced publiquely with Him ina Maske'TIt
another fad; ghaftly, leane, disfigured Ghol
foretold Julian the Apofiate, and the Ein
perour Tacitus, Theirs •• That the Etnperou
Henry 111, was forewarned of his, by a Yili
on, in the fliape of a Horfeman, who feemcs
to make his Horfe bound, and curvet 5 andal
fo by two other, that fought a Duel in A
Baf? Court of a PalaCe in Millaine ? The (ilii
to thefe', you may fee defcribcd by Vir#{
Ceorgk. L 1.

Armorum fonitum toto Get mania calo

Audijt, infolitis tremuerunt motibus Alfes.
Vox tjuoque per luces vulgb eXaudit a filenttl
Jngens; et fmulachra, modis pallentia mm,
Vtja fub obfcurum nottis : pecudbfque letuti

And without borrowing Examples abroad;

Cardan allures us •, that in the City Pami]
there is a certain Noble Family, out ofwhidi
when, any one is to dye, there is alwaiesat
Old, llrange, unknown Woman feen, fitting
in the Hall, in the Chimney- corner; and this
fo certainly, that it never failes. And even in
Our Dais,tnerc is to be feen at A-vila^z Won'
derfull Bell, that, when any difalter is to betal
Chrilichdome, fometimc before it happens,'
is heard to found, withoutany body touching
it. The Authors which amrmcj thatthey
 U»hmd-of Curioftties. yp

hayc knowflc thisof tlicii owne Experience,

are offuch Integrity , as that we cannot but
believe tbcm i and This Miracle was feeneby
Ten Thoufand, a little before tlie Overthrow
given to the Grnmuns, But what fliall wc
fay to this Prodigious thing, which the Ex-
ecutioners of Juftice upon Malefactors
(whom vvee cannot name, without horror)
find to be true too often: namely, that when
any MaleClor is to be delivered into their
hands,the .Sword, or Fauchion, that they are
wont toufe inthis bufineffe, removes itfelfe,
no man commingfo much asnearc it - as ir is
at large difoouiicdof, by Lav at em ^ in his
book de Speciris, and Natalis Taillepied, in his pm im
Treatifc De I' Apparition des Efprits ? Wee cq. 17-
may here adde that dircfiill Maffacre of the
Huguenots) on St. Bartholomew's day which
was foretold by the White-Thome, that blof-
fomedthe night before. Befides, it is oHTer-
ved, that if, on Michaelmas day, which is the
2.9. of September 1 there be found a certain lit-
tle Wormein the Oakc-.apple^ the ycare will
then certainely be very plcafant, and feafona-
ble; if there be found a. Spider, it will be a
barren yearc, and there will be great fcarfity
of all things: if a Fly, it is a fignc of a mode-
rate feafon; if there be nothing at all found in
it, itisafiene that very fore difeafes (hall
rtigne all that yeare. ' Somecimes alfo God
 8o

Ips us know j what ihall come to" paflc, bj

foine inward ligne, cither in Steeping,1 or W$
Louitat. Jdng. So Camerarius affirmes , tliat fofnt
people have an Apprehenfion, and knowldf,
of the Death of their Friends, and Kindraj,
either before, or after they are dead, by a ot
taine.ihange,and unufuall Rcftlefhcfle witliiii
tlicmfelvcs, thopgh they be a Thoufami
Leagues off. My mother, Lucrece de Btr-
Mondj when fhec was living, had fomefiict
ligne alwaies given her; for there, never dyed
any of our Kindred^; but, a little before, /bet
dreamt either of Haire, or of Eggeg y or of
Teeth, all mingled together with Earth 5.and
this figne w«as an infallible one : and Imj
fclfe, when I had heard her fay lire had any
fucli Dreame, obferved the Event alvvayes to
follow.
8 . Mypurpofe is not to make'this Volumf
fweH, by reckoning up all thefc examples!
one only of them would have been fufficient;
to the Learned, to have confirmed the Truth
of what I havedeliv,ered:and in adding more,!
I doe it but the more powerfully to enforce
the Indudion, upon the fpirits ofthofe Ob-
ftihatc Men , that will hardly be induccdto
thebelicfe of the truth of this my Affertion;
Ifliallthercforedrawthis Conclulion, front
all that which Ibefore delivered; thatyfeeing,'
that God hath formerly Miraculoufly fore-
 Unheard-of Curtoftiies.

Ihewcd, and doth (till, at this very day, fore-,

(hew, by diverfe fignes, and in very many
things, what Events (hall follow: he may
then as well have (hewed if heretofore, by
One only. Particular Meanes; fuch, perad-
venrure, as was that of Labqn's Im3ges5\yhich',
wee may probably gueflfe, to have been the
Tiraphim, fpoken Or by Hofea. And then, if ,
the Ancient Perfians, as Zoroafier, having Lw.cltiu'i
kept themfclves to the ufe of one kind only of
thefe Figures; following the Example of the
Firft Fathers, who inhabited their Country;
are they prefently to be condemned, as Magi-
cians C This is all one,: asifwcdiouldaccufe-
of Sorcery all thofe, that, by the founding of
the Bell at Avila , or any other the like Pro-
digy , conclude that fome Calamity is to fol-
low.
The Laft Reafon, for which the Perfian
Magicians are condemned, is thus anfwered,
by Hamahai^el.. I deny not ( faith he ) but
that our Ancient Ajlrologers did make certain 1-
muges , under ftcb and ftich Conjtellations^
both of Gold, Silver, Wood, Waxs , Earth,
and Stone-, from the ufe of which , they did al-
oreape much benefit. But, that it was cither
by way of Enchantments , or Witch-craft 5
there is no man will ever be able to proves
Thefe are his very words, tranflated So
hat it no w remaines, that wee fct dawne.
how 3 or in what manner , the Vcrtuc (
thefe Images could be Naturall ; which
fhall endeavour to doe , after I have firl
ftievved, how our Modeme Philofopha
have erred, in this Particular.

CHAP. IV.

That for want of underftanding Arijtotl

aright, men have condemned the Powo
of Figures 5 and concluded very manj
things, both againft this Philofopher,an(l
againft all found Philofophy.

THE eONFENrs,

i . 1 ] Rrors in Learning, caufed by the IgM

ranee of the Languages.
2, zi't.ofjignifes Specimen, and not Spe-
cies.
The reading of *rtse{V&'} prwii
to he falfe.
4. Tfiewtf, ill tranflated ; and hence th
Qnefiion tf/Univerfals, not underfiood.
5. The improper tranflating ofx"**
6. The Errors committed in thefe work
niy& vfieti, Cf t3 ri ac tTcta , & vaii
The correcting of ye] etied, agato)
Cicc.ro,
7.1
 Unhedrd-of Curiofities.

7. It is falfly concluded out of Arifto-

tlc, that Fire is moif-, agaiufi du V illon.
8. That Adftorle is ahufed by Interpre-
ters, If reajon of their not tmderfianding the
force- of the word*1** s and by reading &QV>in^
pad of C2"' '
9. The falje Interpretation of the word
"w, given by Stapulenfis.
10. The word 'a0J°Tt's' rightly under food,
condemneth thofc that deny the power of Fi-
gures. The proofe of This at larg e.

THe Ignorance.of the Langua-

ges ' hath been the Occafion.
of fo many Errors, not on-
ly in Learning, but even in
Religion too •, that it is not.
without caufe, that Learned men complainc
hereof. For what can be imagined more
ridiculous, then for a man, not knowing the
force of the word V'pl Rachaiah, which fig-
nifies no more but the ^ire, or the Extent
of any thing , ) to fancy .
a Cnriftallinc Heaven f
W hat G roffcr C onceit can »««, ab iji qu* (uper Fimu-
therebe,? then, for want of w*™"
j n j- 1 t- • queefupct Cmlosluut 1 it nafn
underltanding the Equivo- gen concluded, either th«
call meaning of the word there' were waters above the
m which fignifies
both %Horne,am Light, or Heavens.
 U »h(ard-of Curiofities. .

Brightnefte, to paint Mofts with Homes;

which hath beene the caufe of great alto-'
niflimcnt, amon^ many Chrillians, and of
Laughter to the Jewes, and Arabians?
But my purpofe here, is not to Ihcw, what
Abufcs are crept into our Religion, mcer-
ly for want ot the knowledge of the He-,
brew, or the Holy Tongue, as we ufually
call it: I have difcourfed at large elfcwhete
upon this Particular 5 and thofe that defire
more full latisfaftion herein, may have re-J
courfe to my Book intitled, Advis nnx Bo-
ties, touchant b nscepte des lahgues Orient*
ies. I lhall only at prefent mew fome of
thofe feverall Errors, with which our Books
are full, only for want of underltanding the
Text of Ariflotle aright.
2. And of thefe 1 have heretofore ob-
ferved above a Thoufand ; but, becaulcl
would avoid Tedioiuhcire, Illiall bring in
only fome few and that, only to make k
appearc,that Figures arc condemned without
caufe : and that many Condulions arc de-
duced, which Sound Argumentation could
in iR n0t ^care- Thus, Uo begin our Enumerati-
Tcrffi." on,) all Interpreters have rendred the Greek
word S^of. Species ^ whereas it ought to be
rendered Specimen. For it cannot be denied,
but that lignifics the Spectes^ or Sampler,
and the Copy, or Extraft: unlcHe wc
Ihould
 fliould give Plato the lye, who alwayes takes
tJVi©- in this fcnfe 5 as it we fliould interpret
it, in our Language, The Copy of the Great
Paitcrne, or Sampler.
3. Next, it is a manner offpeaking, ve-
ry frequent with Plato-, that when he (peaks
of the idea of a Man, or of a Horfe, he faies,
euTaDM^a'aQ-fO.lTai'amt: which almoft all In-
terpreters have corredcd,though very falily,
and read wfor the idea of
a Man is properly called afouajtepaw®-! on
the contrary, every particular man may be
piled ewVSf av-JpoiT©-; as in Latine, every Par-
ticular man may be called, Ipfe homo but
when we would expreile the idea, we can-
not doe it, but in tnefe Termes, Ipfi Homo,
if ft Equtts, tpfi Ccelum, &c. If I wrote to
alLforts of men indifferently , I fliould ex-
plaine my felfe more fully in this particular:
out feeing I write not, but to the Learned
only; I may prefumc of their underftanding
me fufficiently, in two words.
4. Another Error, that is committed intthe
Interpreting of Arijiotle, is in the word
the fcnfe whereof is ufually exprefled thus ;•
Utrum Univerfalia cadant in rertm naturam ?
Namely, Whether there be any Univerfals in
the World, or not ? whereas' they fhould
rather fay , Utrum rcaliter fubjijlant ? or
dfe ; Utrtim fmt realia. ? that is to fay,
 8d> Unheard-of Curiofties.

whether they have an exiftcnce really and

of themfdves ■, or nor. There being no
fmall difference betwixt thefe two Propo-
fitions •, Utrum umverfdut exifant < and,
ftrttm jubfiftant per fe < which was the Opi-
nion otPlato. And upon the fame fubjed,
there is likewife another Error committed in
vttm thefe words: Vm h piovaif 4i■ which is
fjUfcin lendcrcdxivhether llmverjals have their hew
vhOsuv- onelj in Little thoughts. Whereas in found
"Zim'h Philofophy, and according to the Text, it
luspjiti fhould have been ^ropofed in thefe words:
(
r whether llniverfals exijl only by the Rejlcclm

faun-"' 0f de nnderfanding ? Which is f:iid to be, i

dm h- Fine, Small Thought : and fo the qudlion
rr:
liter jhvC is,
A J^n Jfmt realiter y ,aut Jr.,
per intelleftun'.
fer (ahm And we are to note, that wnwau.is vc-
coptitio- ry properly rendred , Small Thoughts; or
Ticmmk Conceptions •, becaufe the fccond Thoughs
are Lcfler, and Finer then the Firft.
5. Interpreters have likewife rendered the
Greek word^/srf, Avulfa, et difiraftf.
as if we were not to feek after the Propriety
of language in all things 5 and difcourfing ot
a Philofophicall point, were not to handle it
in Philofophicall Termes. Who can then
imagine otherwifc, but that this Greek word
^p/sa, fhould be rendered in Latine , Abjtn-
eta % and that fo much the more happily too,
in that it is a Terme fo frequent botn among
Philo-
 Unheard-of Curiof ties,

Philofophers, and Divines i Adde to the

Former , this other Error alfo ^ that the
Common fort of Philofophers fay , that,
Autdens dicitur in Q.uale : whereas Porphy-
rins afHrmes, that it is not onely fpoken in
but in wSt Qomodo Je res habet.
Certainly it would mew very ftrangely, if"
when it is demanded, ^ttalis efi Imperator i
What manner of man is the Emperor f it
fhould be anfwered •, Benefe habet: He is in
very good health. Neither is there any Lan-
guage in the world, that can bearc this con-
ftmftion.
6. Againe, where Arijlotle, in the be-
ginning ofhis Predicaments, and elfewhere,
fayes/i}'®-Birw, the Interpreters generally
render it, though extreamly ill, Ratio fun-,
fiantu :for, Ko/ctfignifies , Ejfentia ^ fothat
they ought to have laid" Ratio Ejfentia, that
is. The reafonoftheEffence, or. The Defi-
nition 5 which is the true, and onely Reafon
of every thing ^ and the Learned know, that
tire fubuance onely of any thing is not defi-
ned , but the Efience of it. This Excellent
Philofopher hath another manner of Phrafe,
which we frequently meet with , in his
writings, which is 5 tsti wiW , which is al-
wayes tranflated, Jpuod quid erat effe-, but fo
Obfcurcly,that,befides tmtit is no very good
Latiae, it is a tranfiation that was nevet
 Unheard-of Curioftties.
yet undcrflood by any man. 11 is therefore
an intollerable Overlight, that is here Coro-
mittedinthe Greek Text , in not taking
this Verbe of the infinitive Mood, ( cfpcci-
ally where the Article is expreffely adcledto
it,} for a Noune fubftantiye. Sothat I ap-
peal to all Learned men,whether thefe Greek
words ought not rather to be rendered thus;
JQuid ejl Effentia. 1 for tc t nm, is as much as,
Effentia and riTw, Sluideft 1 And although
that SI', fignifies crat this manner of fpcak-
ingis nocwithftanding very Elegant, toufe
the Preterimperfefl Tenfe, for the Prcfent:
in like manner, as in French we may ufcthe
Infinitive Mood, with an Article, in Head
of a fubftantive, thus Ce cjae eft I' Ejlre k
la chose: That which is the Eflcncc of the
Thing. It is allo a very confiderable Error
which is comitted in thefe two words,"®?1"^,
& which are tiled by the Philofopher
, in the fixt of his Mor alls; lor, almolt all our
Modernc Philofophers confound them : and
becaufc that each of thein may fignifie both
Agere^ and Faccre, this Conclulion is drawn
from thence, namely, Artes effe Practicas:
Notwithftanding that Anfiotle teacheth us
exprelfely, that is ufed oncly , in dif-
Hh 6. courfing of Morall A ft ions, of Vertues,
.vmI. or Vices, In the fame chapter , you may
obferve alfo another Error our Philofo-
phers
 phers are fallen into 5 whothinke, that xmu
fmnifies onely, an Exterior, fenfiblc Work:
wiereas Jrijtotle bimrelfe fayes, that, -mm
is onely to do Tome Worke, that hath an
Externall End. Neither is this Error IciTe
rcmarkeable , that whereas he fayes 2. dej
that the foule ; Cicero, and
a great number of others have corredled it,
and read 5 that is as much as to fay,
thatthcfoulcis, J Contimall motion : which
is Falfc. For the Soule is not this Conti-
nmll motion, but onely, The PerfeSiion from
whence this Motion proceeds :and this is the
meaning of the Word, "irivAXM.
7. And now of late, another new Error,
as great as any of the reft, is fprung up,
from the mifundeiftanding of another T ext
of Arifiotle-, and it is grounded on the Word 4>
hiemt. For whereas* Arifiotle, in the Cap. c..
4. lib. ^.Meteor, fayes, Hnmidnm ficillimk
alieno termino tcrminari, or is, 'ivlztsw : there
arefome, that conclude from hence, that
Fire is moift, bccaufe it is £4/?/^bounded
by another Thing. The difcourfe intitled,
Les Thefes Curie tips, publiflied fomeyeares
fmcebyone that wasafouldicr of Provence
in Prance, andbefides, an Excellent Philo-
fopher, hath fulheiently confuted this Pofiti-
on. We fay therefore only here, that which
is moft true ; namely, that where Arifiotle
 99 Unheard-af Curiofmes.

ufeeh the word, , which Interpreters

render, Perfacil*>ihouldbe tranflated,
Natural her. Now t"at Fire cannot Natural-
ly be Terminated by A nother thing, is moft
certainly proved by the experience of Ca1
nons, and other Fire-Engines: for the Fire
being Ihut up, or Terminated by thcm,eithcr
breaks them in pieces, or is broken itfclfc,
So true it is, that one onely word, mif-ua-
derftood, is oftentimes the caufe of the de-
ducing of moft Abfurd Confequences.
8. Let us now returne backe againeto Iiis
Mot.c.4. Morals, where, as in divers other places, we
t-detif-meet with the word^jf, which is ufually tran-
fneatii. flared, Deus^ or Bij: doing hereby no fmall
Injury to Arifiotle, in making him feem guil-
ty of Admitting a Compofition in God. But,
what man of fenfe is there, that fees not; that,
according to the meaning of this Knowing
Genius of Nature , the word , /hould K
rendered, Angcli,orSpiritits •, or elle, Men-
tesy or IntdligentiA ? And this is plain , be-
caufe that in his Phypc. lib. 1, and elfe-vvherc,
hce expreflcly faies; that the nature of God
admits not of any Comfojition: but that An-
gels indeed are compounded of a Spirit, and
a CoelcftiallBody ; according to me Opini-
on of the Platonifts; or rather, as the Pcripa-
teticks will have it, Exgenere^ & different^ •
which is moft true. Now whereas lie faies,
in
 91

in the Chapter de Differentia^thsx. stif is c6in-

pounded of Parts 5 and, that he is in the Pre-
dicament otSubJiance j I leave it rb any man
to judge, vvhetner, or no, he fpeahs not there
cxpreflely of the Angels. Out of this Er-
rour, have fpruns two other •, which gave bc-
cafion to the Ancient Chriftians, tocon-
demne this Philofopher •, faying firft, that hee
affirmed, that God was. Animal: But they
miftooke the place in Arijlotle j and inftead
of reading fa, that is to fay, Vivens •, they
read fa, Animal. The Firft of thefe two
Appellations is moft proper to Godbut the
other is fo farre from the T ruth, that it never
entered fo much as into the Thought of this
Excellent Philofopher 5 who utterly denied,
that therc'was any Cvmpojition in God (as wee
have already feyd : )efpecially, that of Ani-
mal as you may fee in the Firft of his Poli- ?«/«. u
tides j where he dtfdains all thole, that attri-
bute to God, the Form of a Man. The O-
ther Error proceeds, from their not under-
ftandine the Force of the Greek word ufed
by Arijlotle, when they fay,that Arijlotle con-
ceived, that he had demonftrated the World
to have been from all Eternity •, which is very
far from the Truth. For he affirmes, that L^-
to make a Propofitionto be Demonftrative, C1p, 4',
it is neceftary that itbc*^' dfa that is to fay,
per/e,ofitfelfe. Now, in his Metaphyjicks,
and
 92 Unheard-of Curiofities.

and in the Eighth book of his Phyjicks, he de-

mpnftratcs, that, Exiflence of it felfe^ is ondy
proper to, God. Judge youthen, what mull
be tne Confequence from hence. Belidcs,
if any ipan but examine the Writings of this
Philofopher throughout, and his manner o(
ufingthis Te.xme,fer[e-, he will find,thatthe
Worlds Exifience is not a Propofition ftr
fi-
9. I lliall addejto thefc Obfervations, on-
iVtii- ly one more, which is, that where Ariftotle'm
tie. c. 2, h|s Politicks (ties, that in Ancienttimes they
were wont to give Warriers fo many Lilycs,
as they had obtained Viftorics, Stapulenfa
to the great Difparagement of the Antiquity
of the Armes of France, in dead of KpiW, li-
lyes, correfts the Text, and reads Kpfow, Rfngh
Contra ( as he faies himfelfc) antiqttam inter-
pretationem. But feeing that KpiW was the
Old Word, by his owne confelfion, let any
man judge, whether this Capr/ccioorhis beto
be endured, or not.
Let us now fee whether the Judgment of
the world hath been more upright inthis Par-
ticular Point we now treat of ; and whether
our Modern Philofophers have had any good
ground for their endeavouring to overthrow
the power of Figures, which all the Ancients
allowed them, or not.
They therefore firft of all urge this Max-
me, wliichis indeed generally received by all
Learned men 5 namely chat, Slvantitas. per ft
mn agitQuantity, of it felfe, is a Dead
Thing, and Workes not at all. Thus a ftonc
takes no care to move it fclfc; unle/Te fomc
body elfe move it: Othenvife Arifiotle had
not fled to his Intelligences^ to give motion to
the Heavens. We confdfe therefore, that
Quantity of it felfe, Operates notat all: but,
to proceed in the fyllogifme, and conclude,
that, Tigure is Quantity t, is fuch a thine, as
Philofophy will never endure, I muft tncre-
forc ncccflarily lay downe this Pofition,
(without troubling my felfe to prove it,) that
Figure is a Quality, and not Quantity: and
this being prefuppofed, I lhall examine, whe-
ther it hath any Power to Operate at all, or
not.
The Conduflon which I (hall here lay
downe, and on which the whole difcourfe,
contained in the two next Chapters fhall
move, is this : That Figures , ofthemjelves.
Operate not at all: but being apply ed^ or if they be
Modificative, (asthe School fpeaks,) tlxy
my doe [omethmg. And this is the fenfe of
Arifiotle^ which none of his Interpreters hath
hitherto badthe good Fortune to apprehend.
Let us fee what himfelfe laies, and what his
manner of fpeaking is, on this Particular.
10. There is nothing that more po werful-
ly,
 ly confutes thofc, that maintain, that thefe Fi-
gures arc of no force at all, then the Greek
Text it felfe, (if but rightly underltood,)
where'this Philofopher fpeaks of Quality Jot,
he calls it tsro/oTiflei} that is to fay, Facultattm)
feu fucilitatem faciendi: the word comming
from •nvitlf, which fignifies, Facere, to doe.
And Ariftotle himfelfe faies, that, ntioni, ren-
ders us,4rt5f; that is to lay. Apt to doe, or effdl
fomethin^.-ov, as the Learned interpret it, A-
tiwos, & Ejfetti'vos: for which reafon, Po-
ets are alfo called minldi, Faff ores Fabuk-
rum.
Seeing therefore thatthere are Four Kinds
of Quality : Habitus, & Difpojitio: Patibilis
qualittu, & Pafsio : Potentia Naturalis, fa
Impotentia : Forma, & Figura : and that it is
moll certaine, that the reft ofthefe are proper-
ly faid to Operate, or as the Philofopners
Ipeake, ad agendum cundueunt : as for exam-
ple, a Habitude of Singing, a Bifpofttion ti
Leaping ^and fo of the reft: which the Rea-
der may better underftand, by the Table fol-
lowingjwhich cannot fo conveniently be trail-
flated into our Language.

Habitus p CCanendi.
■dr v ut c
Difpdjiuo:^ LSahandi.

Patibilis
 Unheard-of Curiofities. 95
Patihilis ") CCalor.
flualitas s- ut<
& Pajsio:\ Lira.

Potent/a n cRifihilitas.
naturalist Debilitas ad ridtn-
Imfotentia: S C dum.

Why fhould Men go about to deprive Fi-

^«rf,ofthis Propriety, and make it lefle Able
and Apt to operate, then the other Kinds of
quality are i And what reafon can there then
be given, why it Ihould be called, minif: that
istofay, that it is, Effeftrix ? Ineameft, I
cannot fee what other reafon can be given.
Befides, it is moft certaine, that afquare piece
of Wood, is not fo Apt for Motion, as a
Round ; and a Blunt piece of Iron will not
pierce fo eafily, as a Sharp one will doc. It
is the Figure therefore, that makes the one of
thefe Apt to rowle about, and the other to pe-
netrate ; and if the (hare of a Plough were
made round, in form of a bowle, it would
never enter the ground. A thoufand other
Inftances might be brought, out oftheMe-
chanicks.
$>6

CHAP; K

The power of Artificial! Images is proved,1

by thatofthofc that arc found Naturally
imprinted on Stones, and Plants , com-
monly called, Gamahe, or Camaieu, and
Signatures,

THE CONTENTS.

i, ' | ' He Divifion of Naturall Figures, ot

^ Images. Gamahc, or Camaieu,
drawne peradventure from the Hebrew mi l
Cnemaiah.
2. Of diverfe rare Gamahes, or Stand
Painted Naturally : and why they are more fie-
quently found in Hot Countries, then-in Cold.
3. of other Curious Gamahes-wtf paintd,
mentioned by Pliny, Nider, Gefner, Goropi-
us Bccanus, Thevet, and M. dc Breves, d
new Obfervdtion, on the Bones of Giants:
4. of Gamahes that are Ingraven : and
whether thofe places, where ever any Fijh jhtlls
are found ^ have been covered with water, M
not.
5. Certaine admirable Figures, and Signa-
tures, that are found in all the parts of Plants.
Many Choyce Inquiries propojed, on this fib-
jell.
 ' 6. The power ofthefe Figures.proved: and.
the Objeliions aufwered, that are brought d-
■gainfiit.
7. The Secret dtfcovered, why aScorpiofy
applied to the Wound made by a Scorpions Jlingi
jhetild not hurt, rather then cure it.
8; oft he Figures of Plants, that reprefent
all the parts of the Body of a Man 5 and, that
Cure the fame, when IU-affe£ied.
9. The Formes of all things admirably pre-
ferved, in their Afhesi .
i 0. The Ghpjrs of Dead Folkes, that appear 6
inChunh-yards, and after great Jlaughter of
Amies, whence they proceed. Certaine Choyce
Suejlionspropofed, touchingtbis Argument.
11. A New Reafon given , of the Raining
of Frogs,which hath fometimes happened.
12. Of Figures that are found in living
Creatures •, and what power they have.

Hen I confider the wonderfull Ef-

fects that are found, not onely in
Plants, and in the moft ftupid of
Living Creatures •, but , alfo even
in ftoncs, and the moft rude, and unpolidied
Flints that are found : I confcfle I find my
felfe very miich inclined to the beliefe of that,
which our Halfe-brained fmatterers in Lear
ning account Ridiculous, and Fabulous. For,
.Who would ever have thought ^ that brfides
 thofc many Wonders, which have been if
covered to be in the Load-ftone, but in the
daies of our Grandfathers, there lliould yet
in Our Timealfobe found out This, ina cer-
tainc Jdnd of Load-ftone, which is of a Mixi
Colour, betwixt white andblacke, and fomc-
thing refembling that ofIron-7that, if a Knife,
or Needle he touched with it, it will cut,- and
enter into a man's body , without the loll
fenfc of paihe at all i Which'hath given oca*
fiontoa very Learned man, who himrelfeal-
cud.de f0 had tried the Experiment, to fayjthatoiif
fuitii, i. Mountebanks, which We fee.to cut, and flalli
6
- 7' themfelves upon their Stages in fuch manner,
without the leaft change of countenance, doe
jnakeufe of this Experiment. But my pur-
pofeHereisnoti, to fetdownc indifterently,
what ever wonderfull efferfts there are foundy
in Stones, and in Plants; Their feverall Fi-
gures, the power whereofwe now undertake)
is the only fubjedl, which at prefent t jiavt
propofedto my felfe. It is neceffary tfe
tore, for the avoyding of all Equi vocation,
that I make a Divifion ofthcfc Figures jthdi
Generall name being already known.
i. They are therefore either Natural
Accidental!, or Artificiall : of which, this
Laft fort lhall be the fubjeft of the Enfuing
Cliapter, and the two Former Kinds, (3
This. Now, both the Nfltufall; and Acci-
 dcntall, as they are ofihree {brts ythiii^ lrh-
boflfcd, or nfina up • hollowed, Of N^rtUrajfy
ingraven 3 ancTonly Pairtted fd a^e they
found alfd in three forts of things-, 7 ri^tniily,
in Stones chiefcly 3 in' Plants, and. in tiv.itig
Creatures: which neither AlhertaX ',rior Ca-
millus have obferved. Now there is this
Difference bctwixtthe Naturally arid the Ac-
cidental! : that thefeLater (fay Writers) are
not made to any End Propofed 5 tyhereaSj dn
the Contrary 3 thofe other arc never pfddu-
ced without fome Reafon, or other. : The
Accidental are produced after fome fuch man-
ncr, as was that Adt of the Painters whOj
being not able to expreffc, to his mind, the
Foaming of a Horfc, in a fury threw his
Spung at his Piece, with a purpofe utterly
to deface it: bitt it fo happened, taarj what his
PcnciJI coiild not doe, ms Spunge perfumed
fo rarely, that it was irapoflible for any har^l
to mend it. This Foame then was made,
withoutany Intention ofthc Painter td make
h. But if I fhould fay, there is no fricb mat-
ter, in the Worlcs of Nature 5 I fhould fay
nothing, but what were Juftifiable. FOri if
we are taught even by Divinity it fclfe I and
Reafon alfo confirmcs itj that there isa. Ccr-
taine Providence, which leads on all things to
their End; and which makes nothingbut to
fome purpofc; why fhould we-then aferibeto
H 2 Fortune,
Forcunei any thing that caufeth us to admitc
the PojvcKiof God^and, to impute to Chance,
tilings that are of greatcft Admiration 1 fee-
ing :that ., ^mong lb many Leaves that are
found in a Forefl, there is not one of them
falls, withput the Will and Pleafure of Him,
that created them, But fuppofe we Ihould
admit,.that there are fomc Figures Acciden-
tal! : we; (hall notwithftanding endeavour to
prove the .power of a gciod number of fuch,as
mull needs be confeft to be N aturall. Let us
now ih Oi'dcr confidcr, both the onej and the
other.;
We have already faid, that they are found
in three forts of things • in Stones, in Plants,
and in Living Creatures. Thofe that arc
found in Stones, are called Gamahes *, a word
derived, ,. in my opinion, from CamaiCH\
by which name, in France, they call all Figu-
red dgais: fo that fromtliis Particular name,
there is now made a Generall Appellation,
ferving to exprelfc all forts of Figured
Stones.To give an aecountnow ofthis word,
and toltell whence it is Originally defcended,
is fomethinga difficult thing: no one Author
that I have met with, having refolved this
Dpuht , joj: indeed fo much as propofedit:
only this,onething;I do alfurcdly know, that
it is no French word, but a Stranger. And
I have fometimes thought j that, 55 the Jcwes,
 Unheard-of Curiofities* ffr

who lived along time in Franceleft

us many of their' Words 5 (as I prove elfc-
where:) they might perad venture'have left
us this alfo : anci this Conjedure Teemes
tjie more probable, in that this People tra-
ficks much in precious Stones.Now the word
m'Oa chamateUy may have beene corrupted
from n'^3 Chemaijay which fignifies, Js the
Waters of God : becaufe that you lhall fee
fome Agats ftrcaked in fuch manner , as
that they perfeftly reprefent the Figure of
Waters: and the word, God, is here added,
according to an Idiotifme, frequent in the
Hebrew Tongue • which, when it is to fpeak
of any thing of Excellence, ufually addes
this Holy Name after it. Thus, fpeaking
of a pleafant Garden, it calls it, Paradifus
Domini: of a great Army, Exercitus Domi-
ni ; of tall Cedars, Ceari Dei : of high
Mountaincs, Monies Dei : and fo of the
reft. The Figures then, which are repre^
fenced on Stones, are,as we have formerly
faid, of Three forts alfo; either Painted, Em-
bolfed, car Ingraven.
2. The Painted ones are of two forts;
cither Coloured', or without Colour: the
Coloured, arc all fuch as are found on A-
gats 5 fuch as was that of King Pfrrbtts,
where the Nine Mufes^ richly apparrelled,
were reprefented dancing, with Apolloin the
93 midft
 inidft of them j playing upon a Harp.. Car-
dan cinnot believe, that this Figure could
cxtL rf«cver be fo exactly dravvne,by meere Acd-
ifafci 7- £}enc. but rather is of opinion, that it was
made after this manner. Some Painter,
(laies be) had, long before, pi ftured, upon
a piece of Marble, Apollo amid ft the Mtfts,
and afterward, either by Chance, or upon
fet Piirpofe,this Pidlure being buried in the
ground j,'in foine place where Agates wck
generated ^ the Marble was turned into
Agare^and yet ftill retained the very fame
Lineaments, which had beene formerly
drawne upon it. A very pleafant Con-
ceit, this I But what would he have faid, if
he had feen that which M. de Breves hath
obferved, in his Voyages into the Levant]
of a Crucifixe reprefented Naturally, on a
Marble Stone f I have fecnc (faith this
great Inquirer after Cimofitics,) anothct
the like Wonder at St. George's in rewe-,
Be/Mm where the Figure of a Crucifixe was reprc-
fit. 137. femed upon a Marble Stone but withfo
much Life, as that you might there plain-
ly diftinguifh the Nailcs,the Wounds,die
Drops ofBloud, in a word, all the parti-
culars, that the moft curious painter would
have cxprcfTcd. This Crucifixe nowfac
cording to Cardan) muft needs have bccne
drawne upon fome other kind of Stone,
 which was afterwards cojivei tled into Mar-
ble 5 which is very ridkiildiis: or fuppofe,
that this was not feme other Stone turned
into Marble $ but that it had, by foide Ek-
raordirtary Meanes, only received, and re-
tained the Figure of foiiie Cnicifike, which
had been applied unto it : Wt muft thert
be forced neceifarily to fay, that allothef
Stones have received thofe Figures, which
we fee perfectly reprefented upoil thehi, by
the like ApplicatioU : which Opiiiiori
re wider of Common Senft, fheii the
Former. M. de Breves either had ribtob-
fcrved, or clfe had forgot to fpeake of that'
other Garnahe^ Or Wonderfull Figure, meer^
ly Naturall, which is to be fceniri thcfairid
Church, upon an Altar of Jalber-cOfoilred
Marble. This Figure is a Peath's' Head,
fo exaftly drawne, that you cannot fihda-
ny part ofitdefetlive. HowprodigiOufly
full of Wonder the Effeds Of Nature arc,
wliich fliewes her felfc Aditiirable in all her
waies!
And here we arc to take notice, that thefe
Figures are more frequently found,toward
the Eaftern,and the Southern Countries,
then in any other; by reafon of the Heat, ^
by which they are generated, and the Virtue c^M'
of the Stars. In India (faies Alhertus Mag-
nus) flares quam hie Gamahe, qui^frtenti-
 Unheard-of Curiofities.

era afira. In Italy there are alfo mote of

them feen, then in France, for the fame tea-
Ton: and even in France, at Limans, a Vil-
lage in Provence, about a League diftantfroni
Forculquier, a City of jgood Note, there
Jiath been fomctime foiind, in a certain Mine
of a kind of Reddifli, foft ftone, a great
number of thele Gamahes,. or Painted Fi-
gures, of Birds, Mice, Trees, Serpents, and
Lett(ersa fo exadly lhaped,that little Chil-
dren could tell what they were: and olthougli
I had purpofed, at my returne out of lu-
ly, to have gone to fealch for ibme of thenii
yet a Fever, which hindred me from en-
joying the fweetneffe of'my Native Soile,
made me alfo forget to inquire after thele
Curiofities ; yet, I have fpme while fincc
written for fomc of them •, thatfo I may be
. able to Jet my Friends fee the Raritie of
this Wonder. Three leagues fromXww,
which is a Country hotter yet then This,
there are found , on the Coaft of iferon >
tib.de grea,: fioreof Stones, which divided in two,
Miub, yeild many of thefe Gamahes, exadly fimi-
n
- red. You may adde, to thefe Painted Fi-
gures, that which Albertus Magnus -faw at
Collen, on the Tombe of the Three Kings;
which was, the Heads of two Young Men,
Vcry. white, drawne by Nature upon a Cor-
naline; but fo ordered; as that the one was
placed upon the other ; fo that there ap-
peared, of the undermoft, only the Nofe,
and a little of the other parts of the Face:
in a manner like to thofe Medals of Gold,
and Silver, which were made at the Marri-
age of the Laft French King; where His
Face was figured, upon that of his Queen.
There was likewife feen, upon this Gorna-
linc,a Black Serpent, that encircled the two
Heads: in manner of a Garland 5 and thai
with fo much perfedion, that Albertus could
not believe , that it was the work-
manfliip of Nature : Probavi autem (faies
he) quod mn eft v/trumjed lapis ; propter ^ i
quod puftmpji, Pifluram illam ejfe a natttrS,,
& mn ab arte. The fame Author alfo 1.
favv at Venice one of thefe Gamahes, upon
a Marble Stone, that had been fawed alun-
dcr: and this was the Figure of a Kings
Head, with a Crowne upon it •, and there
was fo much perfedlion in this Naturall
Peice of Pidure, as that the skilfulleft Paint-
er in the World would have found it a ve-
ry hard Task, to have copied it: Such was
the Majefty of his Countenance, Eyes,*and
Moufh; that it filled with AftomThmentall
that beheld it. In a word, it was in no-
thing dcfedive,fave that the Forehead was
fomevvhat greater then the Life ; and the
rcafon of it was, faith he, becaufe that the
 jo6

hot Vapour, whereof this ftone had bcenc

formed, being too vehement , it mountfll
higher then it Hiould have done, in the for-
ming of this Figure. Cardan tels alfo of an-
other ofthefe Gamtthes^ on an Agate 5 where
was reprefented the Hemifphere of the Hea-
vens, with the Earth placed in themidlh
and as- it were upon the waters : and many
other the like wonderfull Rarities hee makes
mention of; as the Reader may fee, in the
abbve-dtcd Book of his.
5. Thofc Figures, which are nor painted
at all, cannot be knowne otherwife, then
by the ending of the Lines : and yet dq
they nbtwithftanding perfectly exprefle
thait which they rcprefent. Of this fort, in
En fit myiudgement, is that,Af. de Breves fattat
Bethtehem, upon one of the Tables of Mar-
' ble, that adorne the place, where the Cratth
is: upon which you nave, reprefented, an
Old man, with a beard , and a long Gown,
with a Covvje fitted to it rand all meerly,
by the meeting together, and Cafuallcor-
refponding of the Lines of the Stone. M-
f.f.t. reports, that in Mauritania, neer to the
city of Sefta, there is a Fountaine, where
there is found a cenaine kind of ftones, that
naturally rcprefent all the words of the -Ave
Maria. As for example, in one you fhall
have Ave Maria, written at length: in ano-
-V thcr
ther, Gratia f lena : and ih cfthers, Bominiu
teem. Neither will this Story fecme lb
incredible, to any man, tliat fliall but confi-
der; that the late King of France was fome-
timc preftntcd with a company of little
Flint-ftones, that, by the Letters naturally
figured on them, did make up his Name at
large. Now if Nature dothpibduce, a-
mong thefelitle Flints, fome that bear One
Letter, and many alfo thathavc Two, or
Three 5 why may Ihe not as well produce
One greater ftonc, where the word Maria
may be found at length < And if any man
have a minde to impute this, to fome extra-
ordinary Working of God, I lhall not hin-
der him : as it is in like manner faid of the
fore-mentioried Old man at Bethlehem;
which is conceaved to be the Portraiture of
St. tferome ^ which was thus wonderfully
reprefented upon the Marble,by reafon of the
great Devotion he bare to the Cratch: And
in this fenfe, I lhall be able much more eafily
to make good the Power of Figures, which
I have undertaken to maintaine: although
I lhall nbtwithftanding endeavour hereafter
to produce fuch natural! Reafons, as lhall
confirmc the truth of my Aflertion. The
fame Nider reports alfo, thattheMarquefle
de Bade had,a Precious Stone, that, on which
fide fo ever you looked on it. it alwayes re-
pufented
 1

prefentcd a Crucifixe, naturally figured oq

it. As for that other firange Effedt which
Was obferved in it,. it was rather External],
then particularly Appropriate , cither to the
Stone, or to the Figure. For they iky,
that if -a woman, that had her Monetlily
Courfes upon her, chanced to look on it,
it inftantly covered it fclfe with a little dark
Cloud •, which afterwards vaniihed by little
and little. Peradventure it was polilhed,
and made as fmooth, as Looking-glalTes
are, which are often obferved tqbefullid,
and loofe their Luftre, when women in that
Condition have looked upon them.Gonyw
Secams alfo affirmes, that he himfclfe faw in
I* m- England, a Pearch-nfli fo perfeftly figured
on a ftone , that you might diftinguilh
's' both every part of the body, and every little
Scale. This Stone was taken up, upon one
of the higheft mountaines in the Kingdome:
So that Cardan may learn from hence, that
this ftone could not poifibly have been thus
figured, by the touch of any Fiili of the
Sea •, neither was it a Pcarch , which had
been turned into a Stone : for, who Ihould
Pfo i carry it (faith he) to the top ofan unhabitable
Mountain t" Plinie reports, that there was
the Image of a Satyre found, in a Marble
ftone fawed in two: and Gefner,a very lear-
ned Smtty, makes mention of another Ca-
 Unheard-of Uurhfities.

mhe) which reprefented two Rofes 5 and

of another, that was full offtarres. You
may have recourfe to the Tradf which hee L&.ie
hath written of this fubjedl, divided intoj^V,
Thirteen Chapters; where he tclsyou, of«g«n?'
many Gamahes, which reprefent, fomejCo- msr-h
raets j others, Plants, Fruits, Filhes, Living®*'
Creatures of the Land 5 and fome Actificiafl
things too. I wonder notwithftanding, that
he (hould forget to fpeake of Embofled Ga-
mahes , which the earth produceth : fuch as
tvas that of the Virgin Mary, holding heir
Sonne in her armes ^ which was, Katutally
reprefented in a piece of a Rockc, and with
very great Rcliefe and was found, in one
of the Ifles of the Archipelago ■, as Thevet
teftifies, in his Cofmography. And in the Lm (.:
Caves that are found in a ceitaine Defatt, in ta!
Provence in France , called /' Hermitage
Sainii Manrin , diiftant two leagues from
and from Moufiiers : a Defart, that
is indeed a very horrid one, by reafon that
it is encompalTed with Rocks, but which is
much more to be admired , then that of the
Grand Chartreufe: whether you confiderthe
Aireofit, which is, for the moft part, fc-
reene, and pleafant 5, or its Chriftall Foun-
taines, whofe Originall is wondcrfiill: ox
the beauty of its Caves, which feem to be a
Palace, fit fof Nature to inhabit: or the
Flowings
 Flowings of its Verdon 5 which being pen
up by too fmali a Channell, makes a noyfc
which caufeth a Honor (iiitablc to thofc lio
ly Solitudes: in thefe Cavcs,I faVjare found
good ftore of thefe Camahes 9 Emboffcd;
which reprefent almoft all the fevcrall fons
of Figures, that can fall within a rtians
Imagination. You fhallfeefome ofthem,
as hanging on high \ others appeare , as
placed fide-wayes $ as you fee Images placed
|n wals; as if Nature had not forgotten any
thing, that might ferVe to render a place com-
mendable. About feven .leagues from A-
xernjn thofc Caves which they call. Mm-
tioirs, there are foynd almoft the very lanit
Camahes, or Figures: and both the one,and
the other, have all of them a little hole in
thefti, running along through them from
the top to the bottome: and my judgement
of thefe Figures is ? that they arc nothing
clfc but water petrified , or congealed to
ftone : for they hang downe, (at leaftthc
grcateft parr ofthem) as ifthcy were faften-
cd to a Roofeabove.
Goropm Pecanus, {peaking of this kind of
Gamahey afliircsus, that he hath fecn Bones,
that have beene produced Katurally within
the bowels of the Earth y which were cfa
very Prodigious magnitude,' though they
were generated of other Matter, Ana of this
 Unheard'of Curiofities.

Kind peradventufe arc thofe Bones, ^ofc

Vaft bienefle hath caufed people vaineljrto
conduoe, that there have becne heretofore
Gyants in the World : Sotmeitis, that for
want of the true knowledge of the Secrets of
Nature, men ufuallyfall into moft groffc
Brrors. Nowthcfe Emboflcd Figures that
are found in ftones, are of two forts : the
firft, are whole Emboficd round 5 as was the
Piece of Rockc in forme of the Virgin
Mary •, and thefe Bones, that the Earth Natu-
rally produceth; the Other arc only in Re-
liefe, or only halfe-embofTed-, fuchaswerc
thofe Rocks, which Ortelm makes mention
of, fcituate in the entrance of the mpft We-
ftcrn parts of Tartary •, on which arc to be feen
the Figures of Camels, Horfcs, Sheep, and
many' other things 5 the MarvdloufnelTe"
whereof this Geographer being not able toinFM
comprehend, he Cues: Hac faxa, hominum,
camtlorum , fecoruthque^ c<tterarumque rerutn
formas referentk, HordaJ>oj>ulfgregis pafcen-
tis amentaq-^fuit : qua Jcupenekquadam Me-
tmorphofi repenti in faxa riguit , priori parts
ndlk in part e dmimta. And then, to make
the ftory pafle for a Truth, headdes: Evenit
hoc proaigium, anniscirciter 300. retro elapjis.
But leaving him to go along with the herd of
ordinary writers^ (who, when they cannot
give the Reafon of any thing, arc rainc pre-
 112
fcntly to flye to Miracles : ) I fay, thai
thefe Tartarian Rockcs ( if there be any
Truth in the Relation,) are only Gamahts,
generated by Nature: Otherwifc, weefluH
he forced to forge new Miracles, for all the
Places, where ever any of the like Efftds are
produced •, which would be molt ridiculous,
feeing that we [hall by and by make it appear
out of the Writings ofoneofthemoft Pious,
& Learned Men, the Ages paft have brought
forth, that thefe Effeds are the Workman-
Hup of Nature only, who produceth them no
otherwife, then [hee doth Flowers. , Of this
fort of Gamahes were thofe three Serpents, fi-
gured within the hollow of an Oifter-M,
which were found, by the King of Cajiilis
Gookes, inthebellyofa Fifli. Thefe Scf-
'pents were figured with their Head Relieved,
or fwelling up-, and that fo naturally, as that
they feeraed to be alive, T he upper part of
the Shell alfo afforded pretty Variety oftlic
like Figures: and, whidi was moft of all to
be admired ,> there was not one of them , but
had a Hole running along through it, from
the very Mouth to the Taile, though it were
indeed but a very fmall one. TherFore feith
Uc. ci- dlbtrtus Magnus, Confiat per illttd expermen-
tx.. tim, etiam Figures devatas fupcr lapides all'
quandh fieri a Naturd.
4, Thofe Figures that are Naturally In;
gravcii
 Unheard-of Cwtofities.
graven upon-StoncsrarceithergravedSup^iv
ficially only j or Tranfparemly', fo asihe
Graving pafles tlirough the body . Of this la-,
ter kind you dial! oftentimes mea with fomc,
among the hcapes ofholloW- ftones, that arc-
found in the fields •, wherein"you may obferve:
the form ofa Head, by the little Holes, which'
rcprcfent the Eyes 3 the Noftrils-, and the-
Mouth: and fomtsimes alfoyou.ihall have of
them, that have the forme of a Death's head,
cither of a Man, or a Horfe. As for thofeo--
ther, which are only fuperficially graved, yoir
may have ftorc of them, araong : the little,
ftones on the Bankes of Riversyand upon the.
Sca-lhore: where yon lliall light upon fomeii
fo exadtly reprefenting the figure of lhells,
that you would think they were the Naturall
Aids of Fifties : and this fort ought rather to
be reckoned in the number of Embofed-Gama-
htS) then thofc that are Amply Graved. ■ My
Brother hath fomctime been very diligent in
fcarchina on the Sea Ihore, and gathering to-
gether wnat Shels, or other Stones of any ra-
rity, he could meet withj and he hath prefen-
tcdone to Mr. Frey, which perfedlly refem-,
blcth a.Goat's Home; and I am of opinion,?
that it is one of thofc, which'the Ancients,
called,, Coma Ammonis 5 as you may fee in;
Gearg. Agricolafmhia Lihi j.de Watura Fjjf-
Vim. I thought at firft whenl fawfome.4;'
 of thefc Scones figured like fliclls, that they
had been at firft Reall Ihels of Fiflics, which
had afterward been Petrified, and turned into'
Stone, bythc Vcrtue of fome kind of water*
they were fo perfeftly, and cxa^ly fofmd.
But I have fince cOnlidered, that, feeing that
there are found of them upon the tops of the
higheft Hills., theymuft necclfarily beCj4«M-
and the Workmanfliip of Nature ; whicfr
without doubt hath not produced them, but
to fome end; as wc fhall fee hereafter. From
Jn hence you may judge, whether, or no, Gott-
itfi. ' f***5 hath not good reafon to reprove thofc,
that confidently affirme, that v£gyj>t, and
:retofore been cove-
becaufe that there
are fome of thefe ihels frequently found in
thofc Parts. For we may as well conclude,
by the fame Argument, that the Jpennine, tJic
Alpes, ztidthePyrenean Hils, have been forae-
time alfo overwhelmed with the Sea •, which
is moft Abfurd runlelfcthey meane , at the
General! Deluge: but this is not their Inten-
tion. Let us now come to the Figures of
Plants:
y. The moil Learned among the Natu-
rali fts divide them thus. A Plant, fay they,
is either Arbor, or Cremium, or Frut ex, or
Htrba. A Tree is a Plant, that hath a great
Trunkey or body : tlte Cremium hath but a
little
 Unhenrd-of Curiojittes.

httk one: the Fnttex hath many.'and the Her-

he, is that, which at its firft Appearing Out of
tlic<groiincl, pilts forth only two little leaves.
I find thcrt, that in all the feftfall Kinds,
there is art Infinite Number of Admirable
Figures, which art called by the PhilofO-
phers, SigmtkrA rerwn: no\V, One Part on-
ly of a Figured Plant, and not the whole
Flint, is called SigmtutA:or you may fay, the
Signature^ is fome certain thing in that Part. 1
foeakc not here of Inter nail Signatures 5 the
Dpetrinc ofthiife belong to Cnymifts ; My
purpofc only is , in this place, to difcourfeof
thole tliat we meet withail in Plants, which
the Ages paft have taken very little notice of.
I/hallbeginthen to lhew,inorderto the patts
of Plants, what Signatures, or Marvellous Fi-
gures, Nature hath produced in them.
. And firft, the Root of diverfe forts of
Plants, rcprefcnteth diverfe parts of Our Bo-'
dy; as, that of the Hcrmodatfil, refembles a
man's Hand.
The Body, or Stocke'iis yet more Admi-;
rable: for wnechcr it be tn grcat Trees, .orin
fmall Plants, you fhall find Figures, tha,t re-
prefcnt the Parts- of-Living Creatures. A-
mong thefe later, the Serpent arid major per-
fectly refembles the skinne of a Serpent •, aS
doth alfo the Dracuncuhts , and the Ophiofco-
wdw ; among the Former , .wee multconfi- ;
Il6

der either the Wood 3 or tht Barke of

them.
In the Barke you fhall many times fee, cf-
pecially in that of O Id Trees, many Figures,
repi efemingdiverfe Kinds of things, by the
Varidus Cranies and Clifts that arc in it. In
young Trees, where the Barke is dofer, it is
figured with many little Streakcs, and Lines,
inthenaturc of Painting : and I havefomc-
tirne obferved, upon the Barke of a young
Cherry Tree, the figure of Little Trees laden
with fruit,fo naturally expreft, as if it had
been done with a Pencill.
The Wood is yet more Admirable, then
the reft 5 feeing that in many Trces, there is
the very fame Variety found, that is in A-
gats: and it is not many dales fincc I was in-
formed, that there was a Tree lately found in
Holland) which being cut in pieces by a wood-
cleaver, they faw, in one part of it, the Figure
of a Chalice-, in another, that of a Pncfts
Albc -, in another, that or a Stole 5 and, in a
word, there werereyefented very near all the
Ornamentsbclongii.j,to a Pricft. Ifthe Re-
lation be true, we muft needs confclfe, that
thefe Figures could not be there Gafually, or
in La. by chance. But, to come to a kind of wood
tine, a- that is more Common; in boards of Maple,
F("n- which is a wood fufficicntly known to every
t.tiia, body, you fhall often find the figure of a Ser-
vnfirot. n{nr,
pent, of a Bird, ofa Fly, See. peffedly ex-
preflcd, by the ftreakes of this variegated
Wood. Irhere arcalfo fome other forts of
Wood, that rcprcfent fome of thefe Figures,
but iiot Painted, but Imboiled. So, at what
time I was a Student at 4t)t, a City in Ao-
vence: very famous fQr tnc Reliclts of Saint
A me, mother to the Bleflcd Virgin, vvhich
arefaid to be kept in this place ; Tfawthe
Trunke ofa Vine, which rcprefented a Man's
Face, as far as the hairc of the Head, fo live-
ly, as that you might pcrcievcthc Fore-head,
the Eyes , Nofe , Eares, Mouth, Chin,
allcxadly formed, and in very good propor-
tion. It was brought by a Vincyard-kccpcr,
to the Ihop of M. JRoulet, a Surgeon.
The Branches of Plants are lefle Gonfide-
rablc, in matter of Figures, then alTtHe reft;
(though it were in Wood:) nevcrthelcrtc
you may oftentimes obferve in them fome
kind of Refemblanccs of the Fingers of a
Man's hand; and of the Bufhineffe of his
Haire. And this is the reafon, in my opi ni-
on, why the Poets, when they difcourfc,
in thm Metamorphofes , of the Transforming
ofMen into Trees, they fay that their Fin-
gers, and the Haire of their Head, were chan-
gedinto Branches. In the Branches of Co-
rail youUiall often meet with many Curi-
ofides', and the thing is not fp Rare, orfca/ce,
I but.
 Ji8

but that any man may eafily fee the Experi-

ment: =' '
The Leaves fceme to furpalTe all the otlier
Pans •, being divided into fo many Figures,
that there fecmes not to be anything in. Na-
tare, the Image whereof is not to he found
among them. If the qucftion be made of the
mparts of Mans Body ^ they are here rcprcfcn-
ted : if you vyould nave a Rcprefcntation of
the Waters , you fliall find among thefe,
fomc that are Waved: if you would have
the Living Creatures of the Land ^ you llwll
have fome, that have their Feet, and Walkc,
as They doe •, fuch as arc thofe , which arc
found in the great Ifle of Burner, which arc
dcicvibed by Antemo figafetu: if the Birds
of the Aire, and the Filhes of the Waters-,
you (hall find fomc that arc sk3led,and which
have Fir.ncs: and fome, that have both a Bill,1
and Wings, and vs hich doc in a manner Fly-
tih m-1 refer you, for the truth of thefe R elations,
fe- to Baptijta fort a, Barthol. Chaffantu*, ?"•
Iib.de & Tvnjuemada , Thevet, Cardan, Si align >
give. ScGuil. Rovilliits.
mmd. ^ ■ Neither are the Flowers leffe Admirable,
then Thefe; for They likewife rcprefentthc
1,6. Figures of Living Creatures,both Bcafh, P'"
rieTi. & Birds, the Stars aUb, the Rainbow,
pe iubt. and sl.moft all the other Kinds of Meteors.
lib. 10.
hxc.at, in. Hifl.IudJ.ii.e.Si.
 Unheard-of Curiofties,

Fruits alfo are equally to be admired,

for their fcverall Formes, artd Figures: and
although they doc not reprefeht the 'figures
offo many Various Things, as Leaves,
and Flowers doc j yet they doe rcprefeat
very many, and very confidcrable ones: as
you may obferve in fome Gourds, Peares,
Apples, and other Fruits. That fort of
Peafe, which the Latincs call 4rietini^ rcfem-
bles the head of a Rammc : as another fort
ofthem, (which are for the fame reafon cal-
led Columbini)) doth a Pigeons : having
each of them this Quality, agreeable to their
Figure, that they are both equally hot. So
Beans like wife, ware, on one fide, the Form,
and Figure, of a Mans Privy Parts; and,
on the other, of a Woman's. And perhaps .
it might be for this only caufe, that Pytha-
goras gave that Precept to his Schollafs,
(which hath yet been rightly underfiood by
no man;) A Fahis ahfiineio.
Neither is the Seed, which is the Part bf
Plani's that is brought laft to Perfcdlion,
(ts being of the Greateft Importance, altoge-
ther deprived ofthe Beauty of thefe Figures.
For that of the hearb Echion^ or wild Bug-
lolfe, rcfcmblcth the Head of a Serpent,
with it's Mouth, and Eyes ; and for this
caufe alfo it is obferved to be very Soyi-
raigne, againft the biting of Serpents; ac-
I4 cording
 cording to Bioftorides. That of Hue is
made in the faihion of a Crofle ■, and this
leomi. pcradventure is the rcafon, that it is of lo
Yertiie,.in the cure of thofc that arc
pu'nt. jPofleiTed j and that the, Roman Church u-
Ctfp.ioj. fcrfi it, in their Exorcifmes. You may al-
fp obfervc fome kind of Rcfcmblancc of
tjic Privy parts, both of Men, and Women,
in a Graine of Wheat, and in the ftonesof
Grapes .• and my Opinion is, that but of
Mofc.^Ve ^ Qblervatlon, may be raifed a Philofo-
Vdxiajc. phicaU Interpretation, far above that which
. is ufually given, of this P roverbiall fcy-
isT"' ing •' Sfw Cerere,,& Baccbo friget Veous.
s'.tries ir,,';fter you haye confidered all the parts
fe erril
y> y. y0111 ^ut ta^c Whole. Entire
n.y Plant altogether 5 you will yet meet .with
pim. 1. fome fuch rare' Figures, as, would feem In-
credible 5. did not fuch Excellent ttiftorians
"Edn.fgi. confirme us in the beliefe of the Relation.
tL'ke fort is the Boramet, which grower
rlrhips fh Scytkia, having a perfebt Retemblanccof
tiiis is a Lamb, having a Head, Eyes, Eares, "Jjeetb,
XlZw and the reft ojTthe parts of, the body pro,
plant, portionablc. This Plant crops, and ftrfs
which's uPon ah the graffe that grovves iound about
cali'td Tn h; and when there is no more left, it dirs
Hebrew, with famine, "You may fee the ftoryofit,
ZfdHnfi. jjj * SigiJptutiefus^CardanjSc'al^er^Vigeneriitt,
Ciul.Bovillm^ Dutei, andin one of the mod
 1^1

Excellent of the French Poets, who fpeaks

ofitinthcfcvcrfes. '

Teh cftte Us Boraracts, qui chfijts Scjthts

fiaijftnt,
D'unegraine ment/i^ de Plantes fepaiffent:
Bien qtx du corps, desyeux, de la ooitcfse, &
■ da ne^.
I Is fembleat des Motttons quifont n aguerts
■ Mi- •
Bnglifhed thus, by
fof Silvejler.
\.
Such as thofc Boramctjin Scythia bred.
Of flendcr feedstand with green fodder
fed: '
Although their Bodies, Nofcs,Mouthc5,
and Eyes, '
Of new-yean'd Lambs hJvc full the form,
and guife.

Now in all the parts of Plants, the Fi-

gures are cither Intcrnall, or Extcrnall on-
ly; or both Intcrnall, and External! alfo.
the Intcrnall are,fuch as the Fruit of Pa-
lellinc •, tyliich bcares the Figure of Allies
within- and likcwifc all the forts of Figures,
that are found in favving of Marble. The
Extcrnall are, all fuch as are Painted, and
Coloured on ehe Outfidcof the Fruit, but
 not at all Within-, in like manner as the Ap-
ple, called in France, the Fambure, is -, which
is all fpecklcd with red fpots, like drops of
bloud,but only on the Outfide, or Rind.
Thofe that arc both Internally, and Exter-
nally Figured, are (uch as the Maple Wood;
and many forts of Stones. The Intcrnall
Figures are likewile difcovered, either by
Any Manner of Cutting Indifferently -, or
elfc, by one cenain Particular Way only.
That which appcafes after Any Manner of
Cutting indifferently, is, as in that kind pf
infws.Apple,which,asNider reports, hathbeene
lecii ar Granada, which being cut any manner
of way, did ftill ncverthclclTc reprefene the
Figure of a Crucifixe. That which requires
One only Particular way of Cutting, is,
as in the Root of Fcafnc; which beingjeut
One way only, reprcfents an Eagle perfeft-
ly. 1 nave often obferved, that an Orcngc
likewifc fo cut, not a-croffe, butlong-waies,
reprcfents, with its kernels and little skins,
an Orenge Tree laden with Orenges. Itis
alfo obferved, that the Kernels ofan Apple
rcprcfent the Tree.
Thefe Figures doe yet confift, either in
the. Colour or in tnc Divifion of the
Parts; in the Colour; as in the flowrc of
rher Hearb Eye-bright, which reprcfetiteth
thofc of an Eye ; in the Divifion of the
•' -■ Parts
Parts; asnamelyjin thofe we hayd already
fpoken of. ' '
Thus have we fecn the Divifion of Fi-
gures: itrcmaincs now, that we prov^thafc
the/ have fome Power to operate y ahd^
that it is not in Vainc, that they arc perfeftly
icprcfcflted both in Plants, and Stones., Pro*
cecd we therefore, in the fame Qrder we
iiavc obferved in our Divifion, beginning
with the Fir ft.
6. I fay then, that the Naturall Figures,
which arc found in Stones, have Naturally a
Power to Operate, if they be Applied; and
this I Hull prove, by two Reafons. The
Firft is, bccaufc they arc called Ejfe&rices:
and the Second is, bccaufc we fecit by Ex-
perience : For we daily fee, that fome of
thcfc Figured Stones do Operate upon the
Same Things that they reprefent; as for Ex-
ample, that Stone which we call Heliotroft-
um, which is all fpeclded as it were with
Drops ofBloud, if applied _to the part that
bleeds, it ftops the Bloud.* Others there
are, that worke upon the Wound that is
made by the Image they beare. So Pliny
affirmcSjthat thercis a kind of Marble cal-
led ophites yby reafon of its refemblingthc
Figure of Serpents, whofe name it beares:
which, if applied to the wound caufed by
die biting of 'thofe Vencmoiis Creatures,
 m
ithcalethit. See his own words: Genus Mar-
ij*. i6. m0Yis ah ophite dictum, quod imagfnem ho-

rum Serpentum reprafeatet; molle, candidum-,

mgrdnjque ^ durum ; dicuntur amho Serpen-
tum itfusfedare.J^nd here we may ipake This
Divifion of the Figures that are foundin
Stones •, and fay, that they are of two forts.
The one are found in fdme certaine ftones,
and are alwaies the fame; and thefe are Natu-
rally endued with very admirable Vertues.
The other, arefuchas arcnottyedtoany
certaine fort of Stones •, but are indifferently
found in all and are not indeed of fo great
Desab. Vettue, as the Former,. And this is the
tii.i.7. divifion that Cardan makes ofthem Verm,
fayes he, mire quifpiam duhket, vndefgurs
ha ifi Geipmis, & lapidihus proveniant i
neque enim credthdtm efi omnem figurm
cafii contingere, cum lapides multi ex eodem
genere eafdem retineant figuras. Itaqac ma
Judicio, dicendttm efi, duo efic Figuram&
Imaginttm genera : altenm , quod Jemper in
eifidem lapidibtts apparct, et hoc a NaturU
pronjenit - qua non feciis ac in plant is ^ folio-
rum et fruit urn mmerumfervat crrationem.
Hoc figurarurn genus vim habet, & aliquid
fignificat) efic. And fo going on, he makes
mention of a Stone, which Alhertus Magnus
had; that, being naturally marked with the
figure of a Serpent, had this adthirablc
Venue, that if it were put in a place that
was haunted with Serpents, it drew them
all unto it. Hcfpeaks alfo of divcrfe others,
that would cure the biting, of S erpents, . and.
expell their Venom. You may feedivcrfc;
ofthefe admirable Gamahes, in Georgius Lih. i.
Agrkola ; who reckons up., what, ftones^*^
there are, that reprefent all tne parts of mans
bpdy s as well.as thofe rare Fruits, and
Plants do, which we Ihall hereafter fpeak ofv
And here it is commonly obje&ed,. that,
it is not at all the Figure, that producethany
fuch efftdi 5 butfome occult Quality, wherc-
wifh the ftpnc is' endued. For otherwife,
ifthe Figure were Operative, one drop of.
Blood would flop Others and a living
Scorpion Ihould cure, the flinging of another
Scorpion: forafrauch as there is much more
conformity,' and nearneire of Refemblance,
bmvixt two Reall drops of Blood, or two
living Scorpions, then betwixt one Pi&u^
red, and oneliving One, &c. And this is
the ftroneeft Objection, that our modernc
Philofophers do bring, and by which they
do conceave themfelves to have overthrown, •
(though they haue litle reafon fo to; do,) the
Power, which the Ancients attributed to
Figures.
, Firft therefore, to anfwere thefe Objedti-
ons, it is true indeed, that the bare Figure;
 i^refeitid OA ftones, hath not of It Selfe
any poWcr at all to operate, though applied;
except there be fome Inretnall, or Extcrnall
Agent, that may co-operate , arid alfift the
JigUtc or unkfle the matter be Proper, and
Apt to operate : as, for example, a Pointed;
Tigure wil never be ableto Penetrate,though
it be applyed-, if it he either of foftWaxe,
Of Of Butter < beciufe that the Matter is npt
at all proper to Penettatiort r but the fame
Figure in Wood , IfOn, Braffe, or any
other hard Matter ^ will very calily pene-
trate. Inlikemamlerjifa Stoftchave not,
cither from the ftarres, or from its own Na-
ture; feme Quality proper to fuch , orfuch,
an effect; as for ftoppirtgof Blood, fotnc
Reftringcnt Quality and fo of the reft :m
vaine fliould we exped to finde any perfeft
power in the Figure. To fay then , thatit
is f for example) this onely Refttingcnt,
Quality, that ftops the Blood; and that the
Figure of the drops Of BlOod, wherewiththe
Stone is fpottcd, and painted, is Of no Con-
cernment at all in die bufineife^s to fall back
intothe former Error: For, to whatpur-
ppfc then hath Nature beftowed this Figure
on the Stone ? there muft nedeffarily be gi-.
ven fome kind of reafon for it. If it bean-
fvvcrcd, that Nature had no purpofedEnd,
ingiving-this Figure; this were to deny that
Principle
Princip^which is generally receaved by all;.
U now fruflrkfit, quod Natura femjpr fgcit,
velplurimum.
There wore indeed very good Reaiba to
doubt of this Power, if the Marble Called
ophites, (which reprefents the Fieures of
Serpents, by whofe name it is callcd,)wouid
cure the biting of a Dog,or of a Horfe only :•
But feeing it cures the Hinging ofSerpents
oncly, and of no other Beaft; why Ihould we
not attribute fomething to the very Figure?
But to prove more forcibly,diat thefcFigures
havefome Power to Operatcjagainft thcpcr-
verfcnefleof thofe thatdifputc againft it ; if
thofc which reprefent Scorpions, S'crpents,,
Toads,do find the nature orthe place Proper,
and aptly difpofed for the fupplying of the
Stone, or other Matter on which they are
found,with a Quality, and Nutriment, agree-
able to the Nature of the Thing, .whofe I-
mage they beare $ thcfc Fieures will then cer-
tainly be turned into Rcall Serpents, Scor-
pions, and living Toads, and into no other
land of Creature. So that our Philofo-
phcrs need not now vexe thcmfelves any
moreto find out, how, or by what meancs a
Toad fhould come to be generated in the
midftofa great Hone-,as was that, dcfcri-
bed byGeorg/us AgricoU, which was found VeAni-
withina Mil-ftone, when it was,crack, or • 'ui'
 broken in pieces, either by the force of the
Venom, or elfc by the Violence of the Mo-
tion : and alfohowthat Other was generated,i
which Goto ft us Becantts faw axAnvetsjvhich
was fbu nd in the Sawing i n two. of a vciy
thickc Marble Stone, that hadnicither Hole,;
nor Rift in it. For , the Figure ofa Toad
having beene iirft rcprefented within thefe
Stones, '\t fo came, to' pafle, that by fome
Propeity ofthe Place,it was afterward chan-
ged into a NaturalULiving Toad. And the
very felfc fame may happen in any other
, Figures, except that of Man * whofe Fa-
■bncke is from the hand of God alone. We;
may conclude therefore that thefe Figures
arc not reprcfcnted in vain, both on Stones,:
and on other things: feeing, that if they be
Rightly Applyed,:they affurcdly have forac
Secret Power, . according to the Principle
before laid down, i Andherc Ihadahnoft
forgotten to informe the Reader, that, withr.
out fearchina after any forraine Examples,
we'may dayfy fee, at the. Plaiilcriesat^r.
gentueil, the like Toads, and other fnch
Creatures, engendred with.Stones, and
the very hart ofthe hardeft Rockes, • I can-
ceavc therefore, that after the very fame,
wonderfull manner of Generation,thofe filh-
fhels alfo, which are found on the tops of,
Mountaines, ate produced ; not in theSea,i
(as
 Unheard-of Cnrhjtths. lap
(asfome Ridiculoufly have imagined 0 but
upon the very place where they are found :
which gave occafioft to that Curious Inqui-
rer into the Secrets of Nature, to draw from
hence this Condufion-: Ubicnnque igitur Gmp. in
humor, five liquor invenitur, ad Tejlaceorum
uitm idoneus, viva Teftaceagenerantur. He
fpeaks this in difcourfing of diverfe feverall
Figures, or Gamahes, that he had feen, in di-
verfe places: and then he goes on,and fayes
funher •, Of if ex enim frogeditur eb, quoad
(jus materia f at it it r, ultra frogreffurus , ft
loci & materia inopia non excluderetur. If
a Figure then have fo much Power, as to
change it fclfe into that Living Creature
that it reprefents, ( provided that it meet
with no Impediment-,) how can it be de-
nied, but that theyalfo have the Power to
Worke, by fomc fecret Sympathy, (ifap-
plcd,') upon the Wound given by the Crea-
ture, which they rcfemble 1
7. Now, why the fame Figure Ihould
not rather hurt, then heale a wound fo given-,
feeing that the Living Creature it fclfe be-
ing Venomous, its Figure alfo, Ihould by
Sympathy be Venomous, rather then Hea-
ling : the Rcafon, Iconferfe, is very Darke,
and hard to be given : neverthelcllc I ihall
here adventure , the Firft, on this difcove-
' >7 * no man, that I know of, having as yet
Undertaken it. K
 Wttdve therefore (aid beforcj that^vhen
tlic Figure of a Scorpion, ( for example,")
being reprefented On a Stone, findes inthc
place wfeeit is, any Nutriment, orHuf
inour, agreeable to dve Nature of a Living
Scorpion it by little and little acquires Pti-
feclion, and having at length dravvnfofli
nil that which was proper for a Scotpioh, it
be^mes a Living Scorpion. Wee do alfo
fuppofc , that wheii this Vertomous Crea-
ture , or a Serpent, Dog, Or iany odicr
Beaft chanceth to bite any ; they leave an
fmprclTion of fome Particular Qgality bc-
fend : as we fee in thofe that are bitten by a
VarnttuU ) who prefendy fall intoacond-
ijuall Agitation j (not that they cominiiily
Dauricc, as the g'cnerall T alkc is;) this Ve-
nomous Creature having this Quality that it
is alw'ayes in continual! motion -, and though
it be cut into many fmall pieces, yet itwll
not leave ftirring a long time after. And
•fo like wife PomfonactHs, and CampweM-
firme, that if a Mad Dog bite a Woman
war. with child, if there be not fpcedy "Remedy
-ufed, the Fruit of her Wombc will be for-
r
"' med in the fbape ofa Dog, and it will after-
wards come into the World, With ail tht
Bihifcmftits of a Dog, So true it is, that
ifwc 'Ihould but inquire into the Effcds of
Nature;, and /hould bc -ableto yecld the tea-
 fpns of them; we would fcorne all that we
think wc now know. Now I fay, that the
figure of a Scorpion, that is Naturally re-
prefented on a Stone, is ftill endeavouring
its.own Perfection *, and where ever it meets
with any fuch Qualities, as are Proper to it
felfe, it attraCls, and draws them to it. If
therefore the Figure of a Scorpion , be ap-
plied to a Wound made by a Scorpion :
it there findes the Iraprelfion offomecer-
tainc Quality, made by a Scorpion: which,
finding to be Proper and Agreeable to its
own Nature, it attracts and rctaines with it
felfe: fo that the Wound, being thus de-
livered ofthefe Qualities that envenomed it,
prefently heales up, and growes well again.
In a word, the Stronger here prevailesa1-
gainft the Weaker e fothat inthe Figure of
a Scorpion., which nature hath reprefentecf
on a Stone, there being greater Store found
ofthe Qualities proper to this Creature, then
there is in the Wound which the Scorpioii
made *, thofe which are here, are drawn forth
by thofc other, which are in the Stone, as
being the ftronger, and of greater Vertuc,
Upon this Principle alfoitis, thataScor-j
pion bruifed to pieces, and applied to the
Wound, cures it ; as doth alib its Oyle.
Thehiting ofthe Serpent is alfo healed, by
fhe a plying of hs bead, beat in pieces oc
 elfe, by the Serpent it felfe, rednmi int6
Powder5asCyo///'/^ j and Af. dtiChejm^s.
sim' ^ ^ v*ol.eU* > affirmc : as likcwifc that ofa
Enhke* Crocpdile, is cured by its Tat: that ota
fcrmtim Ratby its Flcfh made into Powder i that
ritjuei. pfa ^08 > by its Haire, or Skinnc : the Ve-
nom of a T oad is cured by a cer taine Stone,
that is found in its Head : And if wefhould
tosis' fearch after the Properties of other Living
fiom. Creatures, we (hould doubtleffe findethe
iame thing in all of them. UpOn this Prin-
ciple alfo it is,' that if an'Egge that is frozen,
be put into Cold Water, it will be thawed
in a very ihort fpace; arid Hands, that are
benummed with cold, willprefently become
unbenummed, if they be put into cold Wa-
ter, or into Snow-broth.' For, the Grea-
ter Cold, which isin rhe Water, finding
the Lefle, which is in the Hands jit draws
it forth, and fwallows itnp juft as a fmall
Candle is loft, if it be placed neer a great
Fire, or a Red-hot Furnace. But if the
Cold, that is in the Hands , were greater
then that in the Water; and the Venom,
that is in the Wound made by a Scorpions
Sting, were more Powcrfull, then that
of the Scorpions Figure applied to it; wee
iliould then fee a clean Contrary Effetft.
• To go on then in our Anfwer to the Ob.
jedlion propofed, I fay thus: We deny wt,
; , ■ - but
 Unheard-of Cumfitief,

but that there is a greater Correfpondenetf

betwixt tvvo.Reall, Natural! drops bfBIctocfj
and betwixt.Two Living Scorpions; then'
betwixt a living one, ana a Painted. Yea,
we rather, on the contrary, acknowIcdg'e;that
the great Analogy , and Refemblancc that
there is betwixt them,.is the caufethat Blood,'
either broken into little pieces by ftirringj or
i're/hly drawn, and applied to a Wound, f!ops
the bleeding of it; as Experience teftifies ,lif
we ihay believe. Ctollitis : and the Oylc Ot
Haires diftilled, keepes the Haire from falling
off: fo Earth-wormes, made into a Powder,
deftrojr thofethat.arebred in Our Bodies:,
and the GmVellofthe Urine wee make, is at*
excellent Medicine againft the Stone: and;
many other Properties there are obferyeci
to proceed from this Analogy, or ncareneife.
of Refembknce. But to rcturnc to our Fi-
gures again ^
j. 8. The Power of thofe, that are found in
Plants, and their parts, fecmes to have fomc
Affinity with that of the Figures .in Stones
feeing that they alfo Operate on the fame
things that they reprefent: as, for Example,1
the,Gitrull Cowcumber,, which in fome fore
rffembles the figure of a Man's Head, is a y e-
ry foveraigne remedy,"as Porta afhrmes', a-. "
gainft the. Difeafes of the Head.. ..So ^ the ?'
ncaths Argmon-y Seris, -and iellieidfis
 which rcprefent the Figure of an Eye, doc
likewife cure the difeafes of it. Dentam-
which hath the forme of Teeth, cures the
Tooth-aeh: Palma Chrifii , and ijchxmon^
tvhich grow in the fhape of a Hand, arc cures
for the Wounds of that Part 5 as the hearbe
Geranof odium is, for thofe of the Fectjbecaufc
it bcares the Relemblance of them. Crottm
proceeds more Methodically, in reckoning;
up the wondeifull effefts of this Refem-
blance, betwixt the feverall forts of Plants,
and the parts of Man's body ; and the Order
he obferves, is this.
The Head, faith He, is reprefentcd by the
Root of Squils, which is of the fame figure:
and therefore alfo itispropcrlyapplica, in
thedifcafcs ofthe Head.
The Haire is reprefentcd by that Hairy
Molfc, which growes upon the Oakes, and is
Called, Tilt Sjtercini; and by Thiftle-downe,
the Juyce whereof being diffilled^ makes the
haire to grow.
The Earcs, by the hearb Afarum, or Ajt-
rabacca , which is excellent againft Dcafc-
nelfe.
TheEyes, by the flowre of the hearbe Pt-
lliaiit. c. teKtdh> a word, faith Fuchfius, unknowneto
137. the Ancients, and which is called with us,
WtldTanfie the water whereof is of fingular
vcrcue for the Sight.
 UnhearJ-of Curiofitiete
. The Nofe j by Water,--Mints the w^fer
whereof recovers the SmeH, vvi^enit is loft.,.
The Teeth, by the hearb , \vHic^
aueth the Tootb-ach to ceafc. ' . ^
The Raads, by the Root of HettotodnBik
which is good ag^inft Chops in the hands. /
The Heart,1 by the Citron 5 and the hearbc
called 4^lt(ja, which is very ioveraigne for
it. . . " ■ ,
The Lungs, by the hcarbc Langvorti
■ The Liyer, by Hefauca, or Livcr-wori;
which is pfgood \ife, inthe DiCcafes o'fthe LlV
vcr. . .■ ;
You may fee all the Qther Simples, in the
fame Author, that rcprefent the reft, of the
Parts of Man's body j as the Rreafts. Ventrf-
clc,NaveU, Spleen , Entrals , Bladder^
Rfieins, Privy parts, Matrix, Backbone,
Flelh, Bones, Nerves, fores, Veines, and
venasfar as the Privities ^ as the Phaflw Hot-'
Urtdica, \vhichis particqlarly defcribed by A-
iaianus fiwifts. .
. 9, A'ndhereit may be Objected,'that the
greateft part ofthele plants, though they be
reduced into Aftjes, yet do they not faile tp,
Workethc fame Effc(fts, and tp have the fame
Quality, that they had before :,and that there-
fere this Power is to be attributedto the Na-
ture of the Plant, and aot at all to the Figure-,;
which it now no longer retaines, when it is
K 4' once
 Unheard-of Curiofities.

once reduced into Powder.

lanfwcr, that though they be chopt in
pieces,brayed in a Mortar, and even burnt to
Allies*, yet dotheyneverthelcfle retalhe;(by
a certaine Secret, and wonderfull Power of
Mature,) both in the Juyce, andinthcAlb-
cs, thefelfefanie .Forme,and Figure, that they
had before.: and though it be not there Viu-
ble, yet it may by Art tc drawne forth, and
made Vifible to the Eye, by an Aftift. This
perhaps will fcem a Ridiculous ftory to thofe,
who readc only the Titles of Bookes: but,
thofe that pleafc, may fee this Truth confir-
med, if they but have reqourfe to the Workes
of JW. da Chefne, S. de la Violette^ one ofthc
beliChymijfls that our Age hath produced}
who affirmes j that himfelfe faw an Excellent
Polifli Pfiyfician of Cmovia , who kept, in
ClalTcs, the Allies of almoft all the Hearbs
that are knownc; fo that,, when any one. out
ofCuriofity, had a defireto fee any of tnem,
as (for example,)" a Rofe, in one of his Glaf-
fes, he tooke That where the Allies of a Rofe
were preferved} and holding it over a lighted
Candle, fo foone as ever it began to feclctbe'
Heat, you lliould iprefently feethe Alhes be-
gin to Move } which afterwards filing up, and
difperling themfclves about the Glalfe, you
lliould immediately obferve a kind oflitde
Dark Cloud; which dividing itfelfc into ma-
ny
 Unhidrd-of Curioft ties. 157

ny parts, it came at length to reprefent a

Rofe •, butfo Faire, fo Frclli, and fo Perfect
a one, that you would havethouaht it to have
been as Subftantia], & as Odoriferous a RoTc,
as any growes on the Rofc-trcc. This Lear-
ned Gentleman fayes, that Himfclfe hath of-
ten tryed to do the like: but riot finding the
fucceUe, to anfwer all the Induftry hcc couicf
ufe, Fortune at length gave him a fight of
this Prodigy. For, as he was one day pra&i-
ling, wither, deLitynes,called otherwife De
Fmentieres, Counfcller to the Parliament,
to fee the Guriofity of divcrfe Experiments,■
having cxtra&cdthe Sak ofcertainc Nettles
burnt to Alhes, and fet the Lye abroad all
night in a winter Evening ; in the Morning
lie found it all Frozen •, out with this Won-
der attending it ; that the Nettles them-
felves, with their Forme , and Figure,
were fo Lively and fo perfedfiy rcprcfen-
tcd on the Ice , that the Living Nettles
were not more. This Gentleman , being
as it were raviihed at the fight, fent for,
the faid Counfcller , to be a Witnclfc of
this Secret, the Rarity whereof he cxprcft
in thefc Vc'rfcs.-

Secret,
138 Unheard-of'Curiopies.

Secret, dont on Go'mfwid, que, quoy que k

corps meurei
Les Formes font, pourtant asix .cendres leur
dtmeare. In HngHfh thus:

This Secret proves, th^t, though the Body

die.
The Forme doth Still within it's Aflies
lie.

- But now this Secret is not fo Rare: for

M. de Claves, one of the moft Excellent
Chymiils of our Times,Jhqwes the Experi-
cut every day. , -
10. From hence we may draw , this
Conclufion; that the Ghofts qf Dead Men,
which arc often feen to appearc in Church-
yards, are Naturall EfFeftSj heipg only the
Formes of the feodies, which are buried in'
thofe places-, or their Outward fhapes,or
Figures ; and not the Soiils oiFthofe Men,
or any fuch like Apparition, caufed by E-
vill Spirits; as the Common Opinion is*
The Ancients thpught, that thclc Ghofts
were the Good, and Eyill ? which at-
tended alwaies upon Armies; but they arc
to be excufed feeing they knew not h6\y to
give any other rcafon oftfiefe Apparitions:
it being moft Certain, that in Armies, where,
by rcafon of their great numbers, many die,:
; y™
 Urthtdrd-of Cmojities. 139,

you fliall fee fomc fuch Ghpils very bfteji,

(efpecially after a Battell ^) which are, as
we have faid, only the Figures of the Bo-
dies , excited , and raifed up , partly
by an Intcrnall Heat, either of the Body, or
of the Earth; or clfeby fome External] one;
as that of the Sun, or of the Multitudes of
the Living : or, by the Violent Wolfe, or
Heat of great Guns, which puts the Airc
into a Heat, I have elfcwhere handled I* Crtiu
the Curious Hiftory of Spirits •, wherein
j have propounded thefe following Quefti-
ons, touching thefe Ghofts : namely; Whe-
ther or no we may, by The fa extlaine all the
Vifmsy that are mentioned by Writersi Whe-
ther thoje Wonderfull Ejfelfs, which we at-
tribute to Demons , or Spirits, may proceed
from thefe Figures, or not ? And then,
ther they have ani Power at <1//, or not? And
iffoi whence they have it ? And if it be
granted they have any; Whether they have
greater Power, then the Dead Body it felfe,
whence they proceed ? Or, Whether the Dead
Body is of more Power, then when 'twas Li- Tm.f.
vmg ? as Paracelfus is of Opinion ■, who,
faies, that Mummie hath in it allthe Vcr- ^r. mi-
£uc of Plants, Stone?, &c. And that it hath h-
an Occult, Magnetique Vertue, which draws
Men to the Scpukhers ofthofe, whom they
account to have been Holy men ; where,
by
j^o Unheard-of Curiojtties.

by tfic Vertue of the fame Mummie, there

arethofe Effefts wrought, which we call Mi-
racles: which are obferved (.faith he) to be
much more Frequent in the Summer, tlien
in any other Seafon, of the Year, by rea-
(bn of the Heat of the Sun, which awakens,
and excites the Humour that isxntheMum-
mie. But thefe are mecre Fooleries-, which
we there refute, by fuch Principles, as die
Rabbins have drawn, from the Secrets of
this fo Famous, and Renowned Muramie.
After thofe,other Queftions, thefe follow;
^namely ; Whether or no, thefe Wonderfd
Formes^ which proceed from the Btoud, the
Bones , or the Ajhes of Bead Bodies , mj
fervefor an Undeniable Argument of the Re-
furreftion ^, a thing unknown to moft of die'
Philofophers < Whether, after they are Ruf-
fed up) they cart in any thing be JerviceMe
unto us ? And, Whether by their Meants,
we may be Naturally able to atiaine to the
Knowledge of diverJe Secrets} which arelln-
knowne to Us ? DIverfe other like Quefti-
ons are there propofed, and difcufled, plain-
ly, and thoroughly; as I lliall let the World
fee, in a fliort time : In the meane while,
we may fafely account the Objedioh be-
fore propofed to be'Invalid,and of no Force;
feeing that, though the Body be reduced
into Aflies, yet nevertheleflfe the Figure is not
thereby deftroyed. if. And
 Unheard-of Curiojities. 141

i r. ' Arid this peradventure is the Rca-

fon, why it oftentimes raineth Frogs: for3
the Sun drawing up Vapours out of fomc
Modrifh place, where thefe Frogs, after fix
Moneths fpace (fay the Naturalifts) are
changed into Slime 5 it may fo come topaflc,
that thefe Vapours, which afterwards be-
come thick" Clouds, may produce, by the
Concurrence of the Heat of the Sun, the
Forms of Frogs •, which meeung there with
Qualities proper for their Generation, receive
Life, and fo become Living Frogs.
12. After the Figures ^ that are found in
Stones, and Plants, our Divifion leads us to
thofe that arc found in Living Creatures ,
bodi Rational!, and Irrationalls eucn downc
1
toFilhcs. ' ' ' ' '
Thofe then that arc found in Fifties, are,
Charadlcrs, Ciphers, or all kinds of Arraes:
fuch as were figured not many years fince,
upon a Fifti, whofe Pidlure was publickly
fold up and down, though it was infinitely
corrupted from the true lliape of the Fifh it
was made for. There are fomc other
Marks, or Figures, that are lefle corrupt-
ed, which have been found upon Fifties;
fuch as are thofe, which are fet down in a
Book, intitled Prophetia Halieutica, the Au-
thor whereof was one Raphael Bglin, Mini-
fkr of Zurich. Of the Three Fifties then,
that
 Utihitrd-of Curiefitits.

that he there treats of, which were marled

with thefe kinds of Figures, two of them
were taken on the Coaft of Norway, An.
13(87. November 21. and the other, on the
Coaft of Pmerknh) An. 1596. Mai. it
And the Figures, which he there fets dowrt,
arc truly worth Our Confideratipn: but, to
gbc about to make them fuit with the Pro-
fhefies Of Daniel, and of St. John, as A-
lianias tferancurws hath heretofore endea-
voured, to doc, is to make ones fclf appear
Extravagant, and to talk more idly,then men
in Fevers ufe to dp.
. The Figures, that are found upon Beads
of the Land, are better known, then thofc
upon Fifties : for it hath been often obfer-
ved, that the Homes of Deer have been
Marked with certain Charaftersj and fome-
timcs too, even with the lhapes of Living
Grcntuves, which have been perfedly re-
prcfcrited by them. So we have fometimcs
icdn Cats, and Horfes, which have had upon
their skins fuch fpots of White,Red, or
Black, that by the intermixing of the ftreaks
of the fevcrall-eoloured hairc , there hath
been rdprefented the Figure of another
Cat, or Horfe. And if we did not de-
fpife, whatfocvet We account to be either
Ridicdlous, or of Little Confidcration-, we
/hould not be put to the trouble of making
 Utthturd-of Cwipfitiis.

(o many ftrange inquiries 5 which arc Oftcn-

times more Vainj tnen PrpHtiablc,
Laftly> the Figures which are found upon
Rationall Creatures, are fiich as the Ima-
gination of the Mother, during the tiliie of
ncr Going with Child , hath imprinted
there. Aiid here I could enter into a Latge
Difcourfe > coiicdrning the Secrets of thefe
Figures 5 which are not Gomfnonly knbwn;
but, for brevities fake, I iball only give the
Reader here one or two Rcmafkablc Imp-
amples, which prove very powerfully tht
Venue, which we attribute to all Figures.
A Sifter of mine had the Figurfe!ofa Filh
upon her Left Leg, caufcd oy the dclirc
my Mother had to eat Filh,Wnen foe was
Great : and it is reprefented with fo much
Pcife&tdn, and Raritie, that you would take
it to be drawn by fome Excellent Maftcr.
Now That, wherein the Wonder lies, is,
that when ever the Girle eat any Fifli,ThaC
upon her Leg put her to a fenfiblc pain.
And I had a Friend , that had a Mulbery
growing upon his Forehead •, caufed like-
wife by his Mothers Longing after them:
and he never eat Mulberies, but that his
own on his Forehead .put him to pain -by it's
Extraordinary Beating.
This other Story, which I lhall now re-
late, to the fame purpofe, is very well known
to
144 Unheard-of Cmofities.
to all in iVtf, that are Curious Inquirers
after theft things. The Hoftcffe of the
Inne in the Suburbs of St Michael^ at hois
de Vmenm. who died about two years fincc,
had lilcewift 'a Mulbery growing upon her
Lower Lip; which was fmqoth, and plain,
all the year long, till the time that Mulbe-
ries begin to ripen at which time, Hersal-
fo began to be red, and to fwell more and
more, obfervingexaftly the Scafon,and Na-
ture of other Mulberies, and coitiming at
length up to the Juft Bigneffc, and Redncfs
of other ripe Mulberies. But, that I may
not trouble my fclf any further, in recko-
ning up any more qf theft kinds of Fi-
gures , I fhall delirc the Reader, to draw
from hence a Conftqucnceofthc Powcrof
them by thefetwo, or three Examples,which
I have here fct down.

CHAt,
 Unheard-of Curiofitiis.

CHAT, VI.
: I .i
Tkt according to the Opinion of the Eaftcrrf
■ Men, Figures, and Images may beio pre-
pared , under certainc Conflcllations, a?
that they (hall have the power, Naturally^
andwitnout the Aide of any .-Dfwwi, or
Divell to drive away Npyfomc Beafts^ al-
lay Winds, Thunder, and Tempcfts, and
tocure diverfe kinds of Difcafes.

THE CONTENTS, .

i. ' I'He iitfufportable Vanity of fome Pre-

j tenders to Learning, is noted: ,
2. How thefe Talifmanicall Figures are calf
lidin Hebrew^ Chdldie, Greeke, and Arabicke.
The Etymology o/Talifinan uncertaine, againfi
Salmaliu's. . .. ;
3. By what meanes the Tower of Figurei
is proved; and who they are, among the Arabi-
m, that have defended it, ■.
4. Of certain admirable Tali.fma05)/(#«W dt
Paris, and Conftantinople: and what.happe-
iiidto theje Places; after the breakingofthemi ,
. 5. What the Dij Averrunci of the Ancients.
wre.xi&TiUMi whence derived: and whence th^
(dome of Jetting up Figures, arid Images in
Slits, came; . r -
L i,Tl/i
 Unheard-of Curiojitits.

6. The fable of the Stone Bradan, in fur.

ky, difcovered: and a Con]e£iure given, con-
cerning the Palladium, and the Statues mentio-
ned by Philo JudaruSi
7. The Golden Calfe , and the Brazen Sit'
fent, faljely faid to be T alifrnans; and tohj tit
Serpent ivds made of Brajfe, rather then of at]
other MetaU.
8. The Wonder full Ejfefts of 3. Talifmans,
fpcken of by Scaligcr, M. de Breves, andtk
Turkilh Annals : and of what vertue thife e-
ther were, that ivere made by Paracelfus, M.
Lagneau, and diver fe Learned Italians.
9. The Power ofthefe Figures proved, ly tin
power that Refemblance is known to have, in A
Arts, and Sciences : andfirfl in Divinity. Whj
the Ancients placed Images in their Temples.
10. In Philojophy. of the Power of imft-
nation.
11. In Phyftcke. Offome Animals, Pldotti
and Graines, that dot good, and hurt, meerfyt]
Refemb lance.
12. inAfrology. A Certaine Meanes tj
foretelling Evils to come, by the Colour of tk
Meteors that appeare-
13. In Phyfiognomy. The manner hitoti
know the Natural/ Inclwation of any man, &•
cording to Campanella.
14. In the Art of Divination of Drema.
Examples, both Sacred, and Prophane, touch'
ingthisfub']etf. ij./s
 Unheard-of Ctimfithsl

ij. In Painting. Why oier SdvioHr GhHft

'is oftAer piftkYed S uffering HpOfi 'the Crdfe, theh
Silting dt the Right hand dfnti Fathttr.
16. in Map eke. Of fm Bifeafe's j thdt
are cuYed iy it.
17. The manner of nidking thefe Talif-
dians. , _ . , ^
18. The Talirmanicall jeidotiohe
kf Thebit Bert-Cho rat, t nthimlus. Cochlfc^
nilis, Albinus Villartoveiifis > rf»iMatcellus
Emplriclis, condemned.
19. What Potver the Heavens hahje btrir
Things here below.
21. Thereof on of the N antes of the Ctelejli-
dll Images.
21. PThdt influence the Heavens havi ttpin
Artifciall things.

Here is nothing In the wh614

bufineffe pfPhilofdphy, that
hath, more perplexed out
New Philofophcrs, then this
Subject, concerning Images,'-
or Figures, made under fqmd
certaine Conhcllatiorts. The greatcft patii,
of them therefore have rejected the Pradtiee
ofthefe Operations, as Vaine, andSupcrfti-
tious:yet foraeothers, who are not fo oVer-;
fwayed with Palfion, have both allowed, and
defended it •, though thejr have, I eOnfefle,';
L 2 jTufcrcd
 Ufiheard-of Curio ft ties.

futf cred for it, in their repute: infomuchthat

Caleotm 5 who is acknowledged by Paulm
ifovius to have been one of the moft Learned,
and Knowing men of his time 5 only for ha-
ving undertaken the Defence of this Truth.,
( as we lhall make it hereafter appeare,) hath
been handled by fome, like any bafe, Incon-
Jiderable Fellow •, and Camilla accounted no
better, then an Atheifticall Wretch. And
this is the ufage they beftow upon all the A-
bleft-Men : whereas they ought rather Wan-
fwer their Arguments pertinently, and to
fliew the Infufficicncy of them, if they can:
but fee the Mifchiefe of it. If any of thefe
men chance to be in company, where there is
any mention made of the moft Able Schol-
lers, or there be any Queftionftaned, con-
cerning any of thofe Choyfc Points of Lear-
ning , for which thefe men have been Defer-
veoly ranked above the Herd of Vulgar
Braines you fliall have fome giddy-headed
fellows, that will not ftick to fay 5 without
blufhing, that they never wrote any thing
of any worth at all, nor ever underftood the
matter they handled. -1 my felfc have heard
one fay, that Marfilius Ficintts undcrflood
not any thing of Plato's Doftrine; nor Avtr-
roes ot Arijtotles; and that the Wits of thefe
T imes are much quicker, then thofe of the A-
ees paft. And now, Reader, thou maift
judge,
 Unheard-of Cumftttes.

judge, whether this. Vanity of theirs be to be >

indured, or no. But to leave thefe men to
enjoy their ownc Ignorance, and referring
thcfe Gonfiderations to fome other time, we
lhall only in this place prove, (againft allthofc
that have condemned them,) that the making
of thefe Figures we here fpeak of, is Lawfull;
and the Power they have, is Naturall, Con-
ftant, and Certainc. In the firft place there-
fore let us confider their Name.
2. They are called in Hebrew ua Maghen^
that is to fay, a Scutcheon, or Sheilddn Chal-
dic, Egyptian, and Perfian, , Tfilme-
nnia, which fignifies a Figure, or Image : in
Arabtcke sax^n > Talitjman, or
Itnuw • and in Greek, The Hebrew
word Maghen, though it fignific a Scutche-
on, or any other thing, noted with Hebrew
Charafters, the Vertue whereof is like to that
of a Scutcheon ; and although thefe Chara-
dcrs, according to the Opinion of thofc that
arempftverfcd in thefe TheologicallMyfter
rics, are fome kind of Imperfedl Images; yet
notwithftanding jhe word in this place is not
properly taken for an Image that is Graven,
carved, or painted •, becaufe that the Jewcs,
inmakingany fuch, lliould have finned a-
gainft the Commandement : Thou jhalt not
make to thy felfe any graven Image, Maghen
therefore fignifies Properly any piece of Pa-
L 3 per,
 —— — Try- .jjp

? JO UnJmrel'of CHriofuies.

P'fJj 9^ other the like NJattfr, parked, or no,

Ud vWh ccrtaine Chvadters drawne from the
XeWgrmmaton, or Great Name of Fowe
Letters •, or from any othev; as we fhaP flie\y
hereafter. This word fignifiesalfo, thoush
Improperly, thefe very Figures alfo, and %
pi ages, which we fpeak of; bccaufe tliat thefe
alfo, as well as the-Charaders of the Tetra-
gr/onmaton, do fcrve, as it were, inftead of
a Buckler, orfhield of Defence, againft Dlf-
cafcs , Lighrnings, and Tempefts. The
£hsldie word, Tftlmenaija, comes from thf
Hebrew Lr;^", T/sUvt, which fignifies anl-
jpage : and the Arabick word , Taltfm4.11,
may likewife have been derived from t|ic
fame root • Taltfmam, being corrupted from
tAi* Tjitlmamjoy the Tranfpolition of one
qjJt ft letter only: But the truth of this Conjedlnrt
F/m. is yet uncertaine. The Learned Salmafm
rofifc. gives it another Derivation: for he takes ?n
Oca lion to fall fowle upon Scaltger, who
derives it from the Arabick, for not confidc-
ringjthat Tdtfman is derived from the Grceli;
word hoc ejt> laith he, titiasj^Vw v ,"(
funt ji-nwA'Qi aauli. But how cap the truth
of this Derivation be proved r and how IhaU
we b,e allured , that Talifimp, comes from
v'zuwfr and not rather from the Gfheri?
for the laft name that thefe Imaged
called by, whjich there is no Pi^cpl-
ty
 Unhmd'Hf Cumfitfth': HI

tv at all in the word; fothat it retnaines nowf,

tnatwe remember, conccmingthefc Names,
that when \vc fpeake of Figures, w.c do not
mean thofe,that are properly figcufied by drg
Hebrew word, Maghen, which, are nothing
but Scutcheons noted with Chara^urs, fuch
as many have fecn in Paw at the Prince of
Soruigds •, the like whereof you have inO/a
Fdri his Scudodi Chrifto, and in dgripjta : lib., u
we have elfewhere overrhiQwnithe POvver of dJPic,cu-
Thefe Kinds of Characters, and Htewed the '
vanity of thefe Fooleries , which ate the
IlTucoffome Ignorant Cabaliits Fantafticall
Braine. Neither Htah I fpeak at all of thofe
Images of Waxe , which Soveexers are wont
tabaptize, in the name of thefe
arc Abominations, which we.abhor, although
kt me tell you by the way, that the ■ greateft 1
pan of thofe things our Demonographcrs
lluffe their writings withall, are nothing but
mecr Fables, as ridiculous as the Dreamcs of
the Jlceran. Our Difcourfe flrall onely
be, what Natufall Power Images, that are
made under ccrtaine ConftellatiQns , may
have sbaaiihingfrom hence all O perations of
Pmws^Qt Spiriis,and all fuperftitious Pow-
crs what ever.
I flrall prove theieforc this Power of Fi-
gures, and Images, three manner of wayes:
by tk lnfluenceof the Stars: by the PowCr
L 4 of
15? Unheard-of Curiofties,
"I — ■■ ■■ -■% — , . .. - ^
pfRefemblance 5 and by Experience. I lhall
begin with the laft of tnefe.
3. Fitft then, it is Certain, and we cannot
deny it, wixhout denying the moft Authentick
Hiftoriographers that are, that there have
been (eeri, both in Our dayes, and in the daics
of our Fathers, fome of thefe Talifmans, or
"talt [mantc all Figures ( for fo wc fhall now
call them,) that have cured thofe, that have
been bitten by Serpents, Scorpions, Mad
Dogs, and divers other Mifchances, that atc
but too frequent with us. The Ancient A;
rabians , as Almanfr , Mejfahala, Zdd^
Alboha^en , Holy Rhodoam , Albategnius^
Hontar, Zachdtr , Hah anted ^ and Serapm
give us many examples of this kind *, which
gave Haly occafion to conclude, that, Utilan
Jerpentis tmaginent effcipojfe, quando Lum
Serpent em Cceleftem fubit, aut faliciter affi'
ctt Similiter Scorptonis effigiem efpcacen,
quando Scorpi] figmtm Luna tngreditur, &c.
Neither did he deliver this Dodtrine, without
having had Experencc of the Effedts: for he
alfirmes, that mmfelfd, being in Mgypt, had
in his hand oneof thefe Images of a Scorpion,
which did cure thofe that Were ftung by this
Venomous Beaft .-and itwasingraven upon a
Be^ahar, or, as it is commonly called, a Be-
Xar- ftone. It will be objedked perhaps, that
thefe Arabians are Trifling, Vainc Writers-,
 f Unhenrd-of Cmofmts. ijs
:
*. — — ;
and therefore that there is little credit to
be given to them. But I lhall elfewhcrc
undertake the Vindication of them from this
Calumny-, and foall at prcfcht, for the fatis-
faftion of Self-willed men, forbear to cite
them any further-, but lhall content my fclf
with Examples borrowed from fuch among
the GreeksVand Latines, as are accounted
moft Authentique.
Gregorm Turonenfis 3 befides an infinite Iu
number of Rarities which he reports of frm.
France, faies -, that when they were fome-
time digging in the bridge at Paris, there
was found a pcice of Copper3 whereon was
to be fecn the Figure of a Rat,, of a Ser-
pent, and of a Fire: which being afterwards
negledled, and peradventure either broken
to pieces, or fome way or other fpoiled 3
there was obfcrved,in a very ihort time af-
ter, a great number of Serpents, and Rats to
haunt the. City 5 and they doc greatly an-
noy k ftill : and we cannot, without grief,
call to mind, the many great LolTcs the Ci-
ty hath fince that time endured by Fire:
all which Sad Accidents were never heard
of here, before the taking up of this Strange
Plate of Copper.
Itisalfo reported, that,after that Maho-cmettr.
met the Second had poltelfcd himfclf of^-j-wp-
Gmfimincyle, the breaking of the Lower10'-
Jaw
 IJ4 Unhmd-of Cmopks,
Jaw of a iraaen was th? caufcof
tb? incmfing of Serpents in thofi? Parts,
3<p tme it is, that tnefe Talifmm bavq
Power to divert many of tbofe Calamities,
that Mankind. And who knowes
not, that by the mean? of T hefe, the team-
ed men of the Ages paft have oft-times
chace<f away Infers out of their Cities, and
chit- 3. fields 5 as Gnats, Locufts, and C aterpillcrs?
ctfl'ggjf any defire to fte fome of theft Exam-
wfio. pies, he may have recourfe to the Chilitdi
of tfohn T^et^es 5 where this Greek Author,
(who lived about the time of that Excellent
Hiftorian -^nm Comnem, daughter to the
Emperout AUpius Comntnus3 ) reports,
that Apdomw, by making a Talijmn of
8 Stork, kept theft Troublefome Birds from
comming into Conjtantinofle •, and by ano-
ther he drove away all the Gnats
Out of Antioch. You may alfo fee Pt9l>
Jtict.9. w*(s ^entdoqaium^ and the Commentary of
AdhUri Akre Gefar^ falfly attributed to Hal), as it is
rsif. E- o^ferved hyScahger.
{y 'lV®. Furthermore, I am of Opinion, that the
EtwAM-pipft Gods of the Latincs,which theycal-
^ led Avenmci, or Dij Tutelares^ were noo-
ther then thefe Talijmanicall Images : and
I ground this my Conjedure from hcncc,
that there are fome HUlorians that affi®,
that they made fome of thefe tutelar Gods,
under
 Unkwrd-rf Qmofmes. 155

ntnifr certain Conftellatioiw s but t^e poy-

fon of Idolatry having infedted the heft of
Sciences, was the caufe, that, thefe Images be-
ing afterwards taken for Gods, the true.,
and legitimate manner of making thcin
was fmothered, and quite loft, They were
wont alfo to fet up fome of thefe Tattftmns
upon the Prow of their Ships, to prcfifrve
them from Shipwraek : and all tpis to. be
done Naturally too-, feeing thata74///J»4»
may be made, under the Sign QfPx/cw, that
may, for fome certain time, render'the Wa-
ters Calm, and free from Tempefts. The
Greeks, (as Hefychius^ and Herodotus, called
thefe Figures,) fet up in Ships, wnwetifj a
word, no doubt, borrowed from the Hebrew
P'n na Pitochim, which ftgniftes as much
as CxUturs : and therefore the Chaldie Pa-
raphrafc renders it, by this our N'OD*?* Tfil-
menaija. Now we are to take notice, that
thefe Figures were not at all of any Humane
form, but of fome Coeleftiall Figure, or o-
thcr; which confirmes me in the Beliefe,
that they were rcall Tdifmans. Neverthe-
leffc the Mariners had alfo their Statues of
fome Deity or other, as of Mars, A folio,
Venus, Mercury, and the like j which they
placed atthe Poop, or hinder part of their
Ships: whence Virgil faics:

Aurato
 15^ Unheard-of Curiojities.

■ Aarato fulgebat Apolline puppts.

And Perfms ;
facet ipfe in littore^ & uni
Ingentes de puppe Dei.

Which gave occalionto the Poets to feign,

that fapiter ftole away Europa, under the
lhape of a Bull becaufc the Ship of the
vii' Cretians, who ftole her away, had,for it's
Hj™1- Talijman-, the Figure of the Coeleftiall Sign
Parb. Taurusy and, for it's Deity, a Statue of^
piter. The like Originall might, probably,
that other Fable of Gammed nave hadj who
is faid to have been carried away by an Ea-
gle, the Bird Proper to the fame God.
You may fee further, concerning this Par-
ticular, in Sextus Pompeiits? lib. de Europa,
Cif.n.l and Lattantiusjib. de Falfa Religione. This
cuftome of Mariners fetting up ofthefefa-
HfmanSjOr Images, in their Veflels, againft
Shipwracks, isfo Ancient, that they fay,
that among thofe that came with vEneas
from Troy, there was One that had the Fi-
gure of two Lions : that the Gadareties
had one, with the Image of a Horfc: and
that the Ship of Alexandria, which St. Pmii
failed in, had the Images of Cajlor and Pol-
lux, or, according to the Arabians, the Gemini
graved on it; and that which carried Hip-
pocrates, when he took his journey to Ab-
dent
 Unheard-of Cur toft ties. JS7

i/errfj for the curing of Democritus^ bare the

Figure of the Sun. Now all thcfc Talif-
mns were not made fo much for the avoid-
ing of Shipwrack only, as for the turning
away of forne other Difaftrous Accidents,
or the procuring of forae good Fortune,
or other. Ana from this praftifc of the
Andents have the Ghriftians taken Exam-
ple, though in a Chriftian way, of having
Images in their VefTels, and Piduring in
them the Saints whofe names they bear.
6. But fincethat lam unawares fallen
upon this Choife Piece of Antiquity, I (hall
here further adde, that thefc Taltfmans were
not fet up in Cities only, and Ships, but
alfoin the plaine,open Fields too: and it may
be, that, that Stone fo much famed among
the Turks, which they call Braftan, and is
fet up at Mecha, being four foot long, and
two foot broad, as Snidas reports, was only
a Talifman. For othcrwifc we ituft even
content our felves with Turkilh Fables, and
believe, that it would never have beenfo
highly prized by them, but for that it fer-
ved ihftead of a Bed to Abraham^ when he
had knowledge of his Maid Hagar : For,,
befides that this is ridiculous, the Turkes
will never acknowledge themfelves to be Ba-
ftards, and dcfcended from a Servant-maid;
but from Sarah: and this is the reafon, that
 ijS Unhenril-of Ckriejitits.
th^y Ate fo much delighted in Being raM
SaVafinSi Others faythat the reafodwh?
the Turks have this Stone in fo tttiich Vcrtc-
tAtidrt j is j becaufe that Abraham tyed his'
Cafneil to it, When he went up to the top of
the Mouhtaine to facrihce hisfoiine ^ as e*.
inp<r- ihjnilUs Zigabehns affirmcS : or, as fomS
*&' ofhets of the more T rifling fort of the Afa-
biUrt Writers Will have it, becaufe it Was
efefited in memory of a cettaine Holy Wo-
man, whb Was taken up into Heaven, aiid
afterward honoured Upon EarthasaGod-
dclfc ,• fbr having Very charitably •en-
tertained the Angels Arot , and Mm.
That which moved thefe later to fbrge theft
Fables j Was the Figure of Fcwii, whithis
iftgfaVed Upon this Stdhe, With a Crefcent:
and this is that which makes me believe, that
it was a talifrnan of tills t'lanct, which, is
sWf. Mr- Sildeti fayes , was anciently takeil,
i.e.4. throughdht all AJla, for the Moon. And !
for this cauft it is, tliat this People hath
Friday in the farrie VerieratlOn ,that Stmdij
is With Us: and that in memory of this
Statre, which all the Afiafa wotlhipped, the
ridges of their HottfeSj and tops of their
Temples were adorned with litle chfcetitsj
as ours are With Ctiffes. Now it tanitotbe
thought, that this Stone was onely a bare,
fimpre Image, eredted in honour of Venus:
 Unheird-of Curioftties. typ

for, belides that it was placed in the Open

Fields, and not within any Temple 5 it had
that Vcrcuc, which no other Image of this
Goddelfc ever had. For it drave away,
faith Zachdtr, all Venomous Beafts, and
rendered all the neighbouring Fields bhtft
Happy,and F ruitfulf: which is fo farre from
being obferved in them at this day , that,on
the contrary, they are all utterly barren. And
thisagrees excellently well with the Nature
ofthefe Talifmns, whofe Operation lafteth
but for fomc certainc fpace oftime',as Ak
krtus Magnus aflurcs us. Non htm nos3
faith he, quod fttut viriutes NuturaUs perdu- '
rant in quodam tentpore, & non ultra 5 iu
itiant efi de 'virtutibus irnaginunt. Nonenint
infiuit alt qua 'Virtus-de ccelo , niji quodatft
Untfore ptriodi 5 pojlea cafft & imtilis ntna-
Het Imago frigida & mortv.a. Et hxc efi can*
fa, quare quadam Imagines non operantar hoe
tempore , quod fecerunt tempore • antique.
From the divcrfity of Opinions concerning
this Talifinanicall Stone, it may be judged
how many Fabulous Stories have been rai-
led touching thofe Artificiall Images 5 as
namely,of thofe which were called
which were broken to pieces by the Eatines,
at their entring into GOnfiantinople: of the
Palladiumi of which there are fo many Won-
ders reported, and which perhaps was no-
 '1(50 Unheard-of CuribfitkL

thingelfe hm&Talifinan: of.thofe Imagcsof

the Amorhiics^ which, asPhilo fudsusre-;
ports, were ailed Nymphs facra . which
fhewcd to their flaveshourcly , what foe-
BMc. ver they were to do: and, which being at
laft quite dcayed, an Angel of the Lord,
(feeing they could neither be broken to pit
ces , nor burnt in the Fire) tooke, and call
into a BottomclelTe Pit. Fine fooleries thefe-
And here. Reader, thou art to take notice,
that the Greeks were the firR , that turned
thefe Truths into Fables; for having lighted
on fome of thefe Images, that had Bcenc
made long before, and leeing them to have,
fuch Admirable, Strange Yertues inthem;
being unable to apprehend the • rcafon of
thefe thingsthey prefently betook them-
felves to forging of Old, Ridiculous ftories
of Thefe, as they have doneof All Other
things, the truth whereof they underftood
not. .
7. And here, two Queftions maybeas-
ked: the Firft is, whether the Holy Senp-
turesmake any mention of thefe Talifmm-
call Figures, or not i and the Second when
they, were firft Invented •, and by whom i .
T o the Firft of thefe I anfwere;, thatas in
none of the Tranflations, fo neither in (he
Originall Hebrew is the name of thefcTrf-
lijmans found : although there are ofthofe
men
 Unhuri'of Curiofitik. t6i
men that attribute .all things to. the Powec
of" Nature onely; as Atheifts do, who ftick
not to affirme, that the Sra[e» Serpent, fee
up hy Mofes in the. WildernefTe, was but a
mecrc Tal/fman^v/hkh drove,away Scr-,
pents, and healed , the bitings of them. But
this their Opinion is confuted by this •, that
the Mattery of which z Talifman is made,
niuft not be any whit contrary to the Na-
ture of the Griefc which itisto cure. Now
all the Rabbins, who have treated upon this viL
Hiftory,affirme;that, according, to the O- '
pinion of allthc Naturalifts, there is"nothing colj,
more contrary .to thofc that arc bitten by Vi-'»^
persj then to tolich >' or look upon Copper;
lb that this, fhquld have added to the Ilrac- '
litcs Tormentand more invcnOmcd their
Wound, rather then have cared them. And
this was the rcafon pcthaps, why Gpd com-
manded Mofes to make a Serpent ofBralfe^
rather then of Any Other Mctall-, that fo
this Incredulous People might know, that
feeing that Godcurda them by a.Remedy,
quite contrary to their Difeafe he was able
as.well to bring them fafcly into the place,
to which they defpaired of ever, arriving.
And here by the way,-1 cartnot cxcufc Mar-
flits Ficihus , who wilho.ut any ground at
ill hath charged the with having a.
'cliefc, that their Forefathers'madc the GqI-j
M den'
 |£j Unheard-of Curiofties.
' denCalfe in the Wlldcrneffc j, to no other
end, then to ferve as a Talifman, for the
diverting of the Influences of Mars, and
Scorpio, which are Adverfe to them. He.
toewt. brat quoc/tie, faith he ^ tn Egypto mtriti,fim-
cmif 13 ere Mteum didicerant, tit cortmdsn
c. jj. * Afirologi piitant , ad aucupandum fetieris,
Lumquefavorem, contra Scorpionis, am
Martis infiuxum , fudais infefium. But
this is idle.
To the fecond Queftion,! anfvveiCj that it
will require the Spirit of Divination, to
afligne the firft Invention of thefe Taltfm-
nicall images to its rmht Author: yet it can-
not be denied but that the Perftans or, if
you will , the Babylonians., or Chaldm
were the Firft that found them out, as you
flnay fee in R. Mofes his Dutfor Dubiorm,
where he tels us, that the ^Egyptians, and
their Neighbours,whom hecalsj(7e»j zdit-
rum, Ca^edim, & Aranim, learnt this Do-
drine of them. And though wee had no
other teftimony but this, that throughout
the whole Eafternpart of the World thctc
are yet to be feen lome of thefc Talijmn^
which are very Ancient ones 5 it wouldb:
an undeniable Argument, that the Eaftctnt
Men were the Firft Invenrcrsofthem.
8. Sonic of thofc Tahfmans have now
quite loft their Vertue -7 as namely , that
" ' Leaden
 UntieAr4-Qf CuriofiUeSi H&j
'■ JUl' I ■ ■llll«i n- iii
Leaden one, \yfaich was madeY^y. ^jhXed
hn-Tobti? Caliph. oFEgypt^ Hyh^h'i^a^e . . ,
away Crocodiles ^ as Julius SftklJ^r 'halh Exejciti
obierved I'as alfo thofc that 'llliyfi beche l8^
comrttunicated unto Me hy 'MK'd^'al^ a.:
man very excellently well skilled fn thlffc
Curiofities, and-whole Glofe ^ifbrds a
vaft number of them. I am rtoWUipOift eaii-
lingthe choyfeft Of his TdifynAm tb be cut
in Braffe 5 and ithad been done long^td this.
Ltd I not expefted fobe which ifr.t/r
M promifed me. I am informed allo, ■
that M. Pont its of £yon hath ibrtie feW: 'of
thefe; which I lhall alfo endekvOlirto proi-
mre, that I may joyne them With- thofd,
which are promifed to be ftnt nice, dtlt df
Italy, and Germany : and if I (hall firtde that
they are right, I intend to publilh them
to tne World, and to difcover Thia'Secret',
which all the Learned do either bewail { as
a thing Loft to the World^or etfe,hsof kx<-
treame Difficulty: and lhall alfo Ihevv, how
that all thofe, that have made arty bf thefe
Figures, have mixed fuch SuperftitiohsWith
it, as are indeed juftly condemned.
Now fome of thefe faltfmans are yet of
as muchVertuc, as they were atfirft; wit-
tidfe that which is fpoken of hj tktArabicke
Cofmograttier f ( who is a yety Authehticke _ ,
Writer, )and is Cited, by fo/efti Sialiger..
M" z This
 1

Utikeard-efCuriofttiesi

• This v7W//ww, he faith , is to bee feen in the

Coui^ry '.of Hampt^ in a City bearingthe
fame Name; and it is bncly the Figure of a
Scorpion,, graved upon one of the Stones
in a certain Towerj Which is of fo great Ver-
tiiCj, as thatitfuffcrs notanyjeither Serpent,
or Scorpion, to come within the City. And
if any one, for Experiment Sake, bring one
ofthefeout of the Field into the city 5 it is
nofooner atthegatc, but that it dies rndden^
ly. This Figure hath this Vertue befides-,
that whcnAny one is flung by a Scorpion,
or bitten by any other Serpent-, they need
but take the Image of the Stone with a little
Clay, and apply it to the Wound, and it
isinftantly healed. If any one doubt of the
P'S- 3 3' cre^'t "US Cofmograjher, he may yet ad-
venture to beleevc Mr. dc Breves, as having
been an Eye-wimcfTeof the like experiment:
„ Who fayes, in his Travels, that at Tm-
„//, a City of Syria, within a Wall, that
4 rcacheth from the Sea-fide tothegateof
,,the Gitie, there is a certaine Incnantca
j, Stone 5 on which is figured, in Relicfe,or
,,by way of Imboffemcnt, the figure ofa
„■ Scorpion; which was there placed, by a
„ Magician, for to drive away Venomous
„ beafts,which infefted this Province; as the
.j Serpent of Braffe, in the H/pppdrewus j at
„ Corifianthiople ,■ did. And aiiftlc above
 1
Unhwd-of Curipfitks* 155
: :
r— —
j.thc City 9 there is a certaine Cave, which
' is full of the GarkalTes 3 and bones of
"Serpents, which dyed at that time.
Thefe are his ownc words , tranllated.
Mow whereas he calls this an Imhanttdftone,
and faics, that it was placed there by a Magi-:
(W*;you muft note, that he there fpeakes
accoraing to the Senfe of the Inhabitants>
who knew not how to give any other account
pfthe thing-, as not underftanding any thing
at all of the Naturall reafon of it; as we have
fayd. At Byzantium, which is now Con-
fiminople, there were many of thcfc Talifm-
nkall Figures to be feen but the fury of
War ham demohlhcd them all, to the great
Prejudice of the Inhabitants. Sultan Mahu-
met alfo caufed one of them to be broken to
pcices, which was a Brazen Horfe, with a
Horfeman upon him which is certainly re-
ported to have preferved the City from Pe-
llilence, and all Contagion of the Aire: but
lince that time, this Difeafc hath raged 'fo
fiercely, as that in the fpacc of foure Months,
LemcUvinsy who was prcfent, affirmes, that
there died a Hundred and fifty Thoufand vimu
pcifons: and every yeare, in the Months
July, and Auguft,tnc like Effeft, in a man- tjoti.ijq
tier, is to be feen. In a word, all Afia was
full of thefe figures; the Ufc whereof was
at length, knownc to the Euto^ans alfo:
M 3 for
 Unheard-of Cfmjities.

In Jus fbr the Druides, as the learned fruy reports,

mdt' Talifmhs vyith good fucccffe \ an(l
Gaiikr. even our Grandfathers have aflured us j' that
^ehis ic was an Ancient Tradition f that where the
which he Ptiries, the Druides Wives, inhabited 5 there,
cals^tt- neither Haile, nor Stortncs ever fpoiled the
Bruits. And the reafon , in my opinion,
imm was j becaofe they ufed to make of thefeT^
jpbiifo. mans, Nowpflatc, many Learned men
fog.ctf. feve rcfcued from Oblivion thefe Figures-,
Ae Vmi- and Putfacelfus did take fo much paines herein,
mZo- flSthathe madediverfcof themi andthofepf
gjf fiich Vertue, as that they preferved thofe
that wore them, from the Peftilcnce 5 as, ma-
ny inGemany have had experience ofr And
that I may not wander far abroad, lam in-
■formed that fof certaine, Mr. Laneau prefer-
ved from this Difeafe, all thofe to whom he
gaveany of thefe Talifmans •, which he made,
according toThofejdefcribed by Marftlius Ft-
cintts. T hofe alfo which Paraceljus cak Zt-
vex ton, by a Made N ame, (it being the cu-
ftome of this Author , to devile New
Words,) are made with exceeding great Ait.
Jn one of them there is a Scorpion, and a
Serpent figured: and he faith it miift be made,
when the Sun, and the Moon enter intQthc
Signe of Scorpio, In another you have a
great number-of little Holes, within an O val.
Y ou may fee the Figures of them, in the Chi-
 Unhetrd'of CwiofttUsl xGy

jnicall worlces of Crollius. -

It may be here Objedtcd, that this Au-'chm%
thor, whof? pradice we hayealleadged, was
aSufpedlcd perfon^ and rfiat his Writings arc
not free from Magick. This Objedhon I
(hall take occafion to anfwer, at another time 5
and fliall at prcfent produce fuch Figures onr
ly, as have been made by men , that are be?
yond all Exception. /
fanciin, upon the Sphear of Sacro&ofe^ -?•
affirmcs, that his Mafter, who was a Canxre-
lite, named tfultAptu Rtfioritp aPrato, one
that was not any whit fuperftitiqus, was in-
treated by a F riend of his, to jnake one of
thefe Images , for the cure of the Cramp,
which he was very much Ibbjedfe to. Tms
hdrned mamrcfenting his Friendsfufferingg,
taught him the manner how to rtjake one: fo
that He, not content to make only one; made
divers ofthem, when the Moon . was in the
Sign Cweer 5 and that with fo good fuccelfe,
and with fuch cenainty, as that he immediate-
l/foundthe benefit of it. Confecit^ faith he,
jlms imagines, profe, & amkis fttisqui-
ks ejfefiis ■, nnam profe accepit, & liberatus
eft. The fame he reports of a certain Flo-
rentine , a very Pious man 5 who made one
of thefe TalifmaHs -, for to drive away the
Gnats; which he did with good fuccelfe.
Wocolatti Flmntims, faith he, vif religio-
M 4 ftusx
 i6S Unheard-of Cariofmes.
fci i' ." .i f . i —-—— —:
Jus, fecit in una confiellatione annulum, d
expe/Unditm Culices , quas vulgo Zanzaras
■dicimus , fuh certis et dcterminatis imagini-
bus 5 et ufus fuit con ft el/at tone Saturni in-
fortunati, ■& expulit Cidicei. ' What more
can be faidboth for the Innocertcc, and
Power of thefc Figures I Let who will
condeinne thofe that defend this Truth, and
cry down thefc Tcftimonics .-for my part;
I lliall ever acknowledge them to be both
Certain ^ and'Naturall; and do withall pro-
tell, that I fee nothing in it, that is above-the
Power of Nature.
The Second Meanes which I have pto-
pofed to my felftoufc, for the proving of
the Power of thefe Figures, is, the Power
and Vertuc of the Refemblancc that there
is, betwixt the Scorpion, and its Image, and
the Conllcllation that bears the name ofthis
Living Creature. I /hall then prove this
Vertuc, by an Indinflion of that, which Re-
femblancc alone producetli, throughout all
Arts and Sciences, as Divinity, Pmofophj,
fhyjicke , - Afrology , Phyfiognomy , Divt-
nation of Dreames, Paintings Sculpture, Mn-
ficke, (jrc,
9. Thole then, that are well skilled in the
Secrets-of the Theology of the Andcnts,
oaut. ^tire usj that thofe that firft fet up Ima-
gesin their Temples, refcmbUng thelliapes
of
 Unheard-of Cnriofit/eii '

of Angels that have appeared upon Earth,

had no other dijfign in fo doing, lave' only
the more caflly ta iovitc down thofe BlelTcd
Spirits, by the force pftHe Refcgiblaicc.
And I know not whether or no, by the ve-
ry fame Vcrtuc of Rcfcmblancc, which is
found betwixt God and Men *, (Faciamus ho-
minem ad imagimm , & ftmilitudinem lio-
jlrm:) it hath not rightly been affirmed
by Tome Divines, that theSoninc of God
would neverthelefs have become man, (yetr
without fuffering death, y though Adam nad
never fallen. But fpcakirig of things jas they
are now at prclent, we know, mat fefus
Qhnft is found in the midft of thofe, thai
fpeat, with Faith, of his Name: becamethat
when wefpeak with Affeftion of any One,
we reprefent him to our felvcs in our Ima-
gination. When therefore, fpcaking of fe-
jus Chrifi, we fancy him as he is 5 he is in-
ftamly prefent with us, appearing to our
Hearts at that very Inftant,that we There
frame his Iriiage by our Imagination. So
true it is, that Rcfcmblancc hath the Pow-
er to work Wonders, even upon him that
hath Dcpcndancc upon no other, and is not
under any Power, or Law. But fuch Con-
ceptions as thefe arc to be entertained with
all Piety, and Humility 5 andpropofed with
fuch Sanftity, as becomes thofe that fpcakof
fo Adorable a Subjeft. 10. Phi-
^ ^79 Unhwdtff Curiofities..

."10. . FhiloJofhydSo lets us fee the Vet?

rueioftbis ReftjnWwf, in t^ie bnfineflc Qf
the litoagination,.: For if a woman \vit&
Child ojp but ftjpngly fix jjfer I<naginati:
oa upibn anyi Objedi, during , the Aft qf
Copulation, theGbild will, aflurcdly bear
the pcrfcft Image of the iamc. Every
Child knowes the Story of thc .Piinceffe,
diac conceived aud brought forth a Black-
Moorc •, though. her feif and her husband
were both of them Fair j only, becaufe there
tvai a Moore pifturcd on the Tcftetn
of the Bed. So, if the Mother in the Ad,
either ftrongly Fahcjf Robbing, Killing, or
Love, the Child will be either a ThceCc,
Munherer, or an. Amorous perion : if (he
fancy Travelling, he will be a Traveller;
if Dancing, or playing on the Lute, he will
be.very Apt for Thefe Things and fo of
the reft. And we fee by daily experience,
the Efieftsoftheftrong Defires, and Long-
ings of Mothers, during the time of their
being with Child, upon their Children-, on
whom the ftrength ofthcir Imagination iiatli
imprinted the Refcmblanceofthcfamc thing
that they have defircd. And hence they
fay it is, that die Children that are got
upon a Married Woman, by fome Other
Man then her own Husband, fhall notwith-
ftanding have the Perfcft Refcrabknce of
 Unheard'of Cumjititi, 171'

her Husband ^ becaufe jthir, during the' A (ft

of Generation, her Mind ftUl runs on Him,
fearing left he Ihould <;ome, and catch them
at it. See what we have laid, at the end of
the precedent Chapter,touchingthefe Marks,
caufed by the Imagination 5 and how they
were prcfendy affefted jupon the Parties eat-?
ing that,1 which they bare the Refemblance
of. You may further fee the wonderfull
effedts caufed by the power of the Imagina-
tion, learnedly difcburled on, by Paracelftx,
Marfilm Tkims, Ficus Mirdnduta^ TtftaMt,
Vdefiusj zn&Mcdtrtay '■■■' ■
11. Hyfick likewife bbferves the Ad-^
mirable Etfedls , (^red-'^ Rdftmblance
wimc-fsthofe Herbs, wMchaUwasethe-iriefes ufe'i j.'
of thofe , parts ; of our b'bdy, \wofe Image rfe.
they bear,'( as rye have already faid :) or ps
clfe which cu re thofe Difeafes, whofb figure, gim.
or colour they bear. Thus Lentills, and I^G"'
Rape-Iced cure the fmall pox in Children-, j)es<ic.
becaufe tliat the Grains arc like tothefpots Phif.c.
of this Dilcafe, And Rhubarb, which is ofpe'ttlfjn
a yellow colour, expels Choler, which is of Dem
the fame colour. In a word , thofe Plants 7*
which are Barren, or Fruitfull, as Port* faith,
do render thofe that ufe them, Barren j or
Fruitfull; the Faire, makes them Fairejthc
Deformed, make them Deformed j the Im-
petfedi, make them imperfed : fo that he
con-
 ;
lf% Unheard-of Curt of ties.

conc u
^ ^!csJ vtkhTheophraftus Jccedant jtjr-
m a
*>&.& P tyuot genera defcientium, velfolif,
ioi <vd radtce, vel alijs partibus, eadfrnqne mi-
one mewbris Hits noftri cor for is refbndenti-
bus, infefta, poxiaqt/e Junt. The fame he
alfo anirms of Living Creatures. Eackm
ratione ad anmalta. tranjeundo, ft aliquibus
membris defdjfe videmus, eadem metairis no-
firis adverjantyr. For which rcafon, tlie
eating of tbofc Creatures which nave
no blQud , docs waft ours *, and fp of all
the other parts. And it is obferved, that
in France there arc more Lepers, then iit
any other Kingdome.by rcafon of the great
fiore of Hogs-ftdh tnat is eaten there: So
true it is, that our bodies become like unto
that, which we ufe to feed on. And for
this reafonalfois Hercules faid to have been'
very ftrong, bccaufc he fed upon the Mar-
row of Lions, the ftrongeft among Beafts.
12. Afirology alfo flicwes the Yertuc
of Refemblance, judging of the Qualities of
the Child, by thofc of the Stars. For Mars
cafting forth a glittering, red light, makes
the Child that is borne under its Influence,
of a red colour alfo, Saturn , who is of a
pale , faint colour , makes him pale, and
wan. fupiter , and Venus , which call
forth bright, clcare, andpleafant beames,
makes the Child bcagtifull, and plcafant.
 Unheard-of Cumfttiisl ijj

The like is obferved alfo in other Qualities;

fothat, if the Signes be High, and in their
Afogsum the Cmld (fay the Arabians) ihall
be in like manner of a Tall, and Great Sta-
ture : if they arc Low; he ihall be Low, and
of a little Stature. As concerning Motiorr,
Smrne, which hath a flow, and Heavy one>
makes the Child likewiie Heavy and Lazy:
the Moon, which hath a Swift Motion, makes
him Light j and Inconflderate. You may
have the fuller profccution ofthis Difcourfe,
inthofctwo Learned Italians, Cardan, and Do ent.
Porta: who confidently affirmc, that a
may likcwife foretell certainly ,■ any other the
like Qualities that a Child ihall be iiibjeft to,
by the Figures, and other Qualities of the
Meteors. Thus a man may conclude, that
wc Ihall fee Armies, Battels, and-Wars break
forth, after that Launces of Fire, Swords,-
Trumpets , and Bucklers have bedn fecn to
ajjpearc in the Airc: And chiefly , when a
Comet hath appeared; of whichitisufually
faid , ftunquam impune vifus Cometa. And
fo likcwife wc may conclude, there will be
great Effufion of Blood, if all thcfc Meteors
areRcddcr then Ordinary: or, when the Sun *
and Moon, in the timcofanEdipfc, fecmc
bloody. And if they be Pale, and.Wannc,
and ofa dead colour, wc may conclude there
will follow great Mortality day-.The aPcfti-
 . UHhm&of Cmojltks.

lencc^ which makes thofe, that are infect^

with it, pale, Wartnq and colaurleiTc.,
i%. Phyfiognomy. likewife ihews us moll
Prodigious EnFeilfe 6f R efemblancc 3 and of
Figures. For if3 man endeavour' to coun-
terfct any other mans Countenancej and that
hc ikncy himfclfc to! have His haire , eyes,
nofc, •mouth , aild all other parts >like Him j
and i in a woid, if ht imagine hlmfelfeto be
Hkc! ten dn his Phyfiognomy ;. he iriay by
this mearids come to. know, what his Naturall
Inclinadons i and what his Thoiighcs ate, by
die lame, ;ivhkh he finds in Himfelfc j. during
the time of this his; Makirtg. of Faces. This
Opinion is grounded upon the. Jaiipetiencd
Eefaju of CmfanelU^ Avh^'exprelTcth feimielfc in'
rmtno' thcfie words. Cttmqm hommitii'vidtt, p-
ttw iinagitt/ffi ofojletyfo. najuml'.hahite^ st
aher et filum y & njultim. y ijrfhit-
Urn, locutionem r et tune qni ajfecim, a
cogitdionu in hd. cbgitAtione H& .okepunt,
juatcat /jomini Uli eftepafrios, quim m im-
gindhdo contuetUr. Hoe.non abfque rationed
Experientia. Spiritus enimformat corput, el
juxtd affeffus intoates ipjum fngity- eXptitnit-
que. I alwaics thought, thattheopinio/i of
CampUne/IavjaSy that a man Ihould only ima-
gine himfclfe to havethefame Cohntcrianee
with the Other ; as his words fcem to mead :
but when I was atiJ^w y Underftanding that
V- - - • - Ln
 Unhefird-rf Cutiofittesl

he was brought into the Inquifition. Ixfidj

but of Curiofity to be fatisfied in this Par-
ticular , talce the paines to vifit hinti there.
Being therefore in the company of fome
Abbots, we were brought to the Chamber
where he was; who, as foorfas he perceived
us,came to us^and intreated us to have a litde
patience,til he had ended a little Note,which
nee was writing to Cardtnall Magdlotk
When we were fate down, we obferved him
Oftentimes to make certain \Vry which
we conceived to proceed, either ftom folljr,
or elfc frbm fomePain, chat the Violence
of the Torments, which he had endured,
put him too: the calves of his Legs being all
beaten black and blew, and Jus buttocks ha*
ving hardly any Flclhon them-, it having
beene tome from him piece-meale, to the
end they might force him to confeffe the
Grimes that he was accufed of. But a Lear-
ned German will fliortly publiih the Hiftory
of his Life, and Misfortunes. To returne
then to our purpofe, one of our company,
amongft other difcourfc, asking him, if^e
fcltnopain: He, fmiling, anfwered, No.
And fuppofing that we had been fomething'
troubled at the Wry Faces which he made,-
he told us 5 that, at our cOmming in, he fan-
cied him felf to be Cardinal Magaloti, as he
M head him defcribed : and he asked Us
•' withal!.
X yg Unheardrof Curioftties..

tvithall, if he were not a very hairy mani

Now, I, who had before read that Paflagc
in hfe Book,< which ,1 have before fcp downj
preferitly conceivedthat thefe Wry Faces
are altogether NccelTary, for to. be able,to
judge aright of another mans Namralllnr
dination. I (hall not here filt down what
paflfed betwixt us, in this Interview •, be-
faiife it is wholly belides myprercncSiibjc^i
I ftiaU now. therefore rerurne to the Efleds
■which are found in Phyfiognomy* and ate
produced by the force of Refcmbjance. Wc
lee then by experience ^ and-all knowing
Phy/iognomifts have obferved it •, that'lf
airiari have a Round Forehead, he is very
fubjeftto Folly, and Lightneifc, being very
eafily moved any way-in like manner as a
Round Figure is the moft apt for motion i
and the Naiurall reafon of tjiis, is b'ccaufc
that the Spirits afccndiog up, and meeting
with a place of a Round Figure, they are ve-
ry eafily moved any way.lt is alfo obferved^
that thofe that have a Sharp Ghin,that ftartds
fonvard, and a little Forehead, are very
Brutiih, and Stupid ; irta Word, they are
•cjualited like a Hog, whofe image they in a
manner bear. And widiOut troubling my
fclfe any further with bringing in Ijnftanccs
of this nature you may have rccourfetothe
Phy fiognomifts, who will furniih you with
 Unheard-of Curiojities. iyj

good ftore of them; by. which you willbe

able,to judgehow great the Veituc, arid
Power is of Refcmblancej and Figures.
. 14. The Art of Divination of Dreams -
is alfo grounded upon Refemblance,. as may
appear out of the Holy Bible j where fbfeph Gtn, 40].
foretold the Cupbearer, that within three
dayes he fhould be reftored to his office a-;
gain': bccaufc he had-drcamcd ,• that he pref-
ied three clutters of. grapes into Pharaohs
Cup.: But he foretolcfthc Baker, that after,
three dayes he fhould be banged, and his
Fldh Ihould be eaten bv the birds of the Ait;
bccaufe that He alfo had dreamedthat he
baretfiree baskets full; and that the' birds cat
up all that was in diem. He foretold alfo
the feven years of Plenty, and thc .fcven
years of dearth, by the ftven Fat Kine, and
the feven.Lean Ones;. and by the feven Full
earsof Com, and the feven Thin ones-, ac-
cording as Pharaoh had dteanied., P rophane
Hillories alfo aflbatd us many.Examples of
his kind, proving the power of Similitude?,
'or Hecuha, being with Child , dreamed
hat (he was delivered of a Firebrand, which
wrnt up her KingHpme: and this wte Poftit
who, was afterwards thc.caufe of the burning
of Troy down to tbe.ground. , I lhalllvere
Jde moreover j jchat .this Refemblance,af
3rcamcs hath oftentimes been fo powerful^,
N as
 178 Unheard-of Ciimfttiis.
as that, what one hath dreamed^, he hath
afterward fecn really come to pafif^ Thus
Pint lib. Come lim Rujfus, dreaming tliat he,had loft
7i t
- ' 1°' his fight, became Ihordy after qiiiteblind.
A like ftory to this is related by Galen, in
. his book, -De Praijag. ex Infomn. Andthc
Reader may have rccourfe to thofc. Authors,
that have written of this Subjefi •, as Niu-
f horns , Salomon fudaus, Synefius, Pltti,
Cicero , Valerius Maximus , Cardan , and
Artemidorus who have examined all that
ChryJippKS) Antipater, Anemones^ famlli-
thus, Ariftides, Apoma^ar the Arabian, and
Scirnachan the Indian have faid concerning
this Particular.
15, Painting and Sculpture do alfowon.
derftilly conffrmc this Power of FiauitSi
for as much as thofe that are Sad, and Wee-
ping Pieces, do make us fo fad, as that they
fometimes draw Tears from our Eyes sand
the Merry, and Cheerfufl Pieces, make us
Joy full, andcaufeustolaugh. Andthisis
the reafon, why thele Later arc very feldom
made ufe of in Holy matters j and the For-
mer Sort arc To Frequent- inour Chutcfaes,
• where we lhall bftner find fefus Chrijl pido-
fed on the Gtoflc, then Riling ftom' the
Dead; or , Sitting at ihefight hand ofhis
Father: becaufe that, bc'fidcs that the l&n-
ring him in that Pofture ■, puts Us in ^
 Unheard-of Curkfitiesl

both of our Redemption, and of his Love. •

towards us, who being ImmortalL, would . /
yet become Man, that fo he might be ini.
Capacity to Die for Us 5 it alfo moves- usa by, '
the Vertue of Refcmblance, to be fad, as It is:
fo great is rhe power it hath over us.9 £/?. e-r
him Similitudo^ faith Porta^fiftusfermo, •vet.
fitfura loquens, quA quovis femone^ quihufve
nottsValentior cjl.
16. Laftly5thefecrct Vertues of Refcm-
blance, and of Figures, appear as well in Mu-
jicke, as in any other of the Sciences. Thus
itisftoried of Timotheus the Mufician , that
by the Diyerfity of Voices, and Tones, which
he ordered, according tp the fcvcrall kinds of
Humors, He was able to raifeup in a man any
fortofPaflionthathe pleafcd. And we find
by daily Experience, thatMcrry fongs make y/j. se~
Us Merry, and fad ones , make us Melan- ncc.ub.
Choly. The Mufick of the Lydians, as Plato
repoits,' being very Effeminate , made the
Hearers alfo Effeminate : on the contrary, cm.
that of the Phrygians made men Couragi-
Ous, Manlike, and Undaunted. I fhall not
hcrefetdowne, what foirie have delivered, of
the Power that Mufick hath in the Curing of
Difeafes, only by the Harmony , and Proper- •
tipnable mixture of Tones; as it is rcpo rtcd of
Pythagoras, who is faid to have cured Mad
ihcii j as Terpander did, thofe that were Deaf;
N z and
 . - 1
x8o Unheard-of Curiofities. ,

See the an(^ Dam0»> chofc that were Drunke, As for

learned Muficall Inflrumcnts, it is moft Certain,
Ferwi- we may diverfc of thdm found to.
cumi:. gcther, without touching them provided that
tainm they be all Exadlly Tuned to the fame Pitdi,
ffcmeri- and that That other is, which a man
fhall play on: And although the found of the
others will be very Faint, and hardly percei-
vable to the fenfe; yet you (hall plainly per-
- ceive the Motion that the Strings do make, if
you lay buta feather, or fome other fuchligfct
thing upon theni. How Admirable then is
this Refemblance, which doth every where
produce fuch wondcrfull Effedfs ! JftaJhin
hie effcit, faith Mar ft I jus Ficiriusy ut Cithsn
fuhitopatiatur d Cithara , nijifttus aUquis, it
quadam Figura conformis ?
If then Refemblance hath fo great Power,
in all thofe things which we have now /lim-
ed we may very fafely conclude, that it can
have no lefle in that of Talifmanicall Figurci-,
and this we may be the more Confident of,
fince we arc confirmed herein by Experience
it felfe.
It now remaines, that we prove this Pow-
er to be Naturall, by the Third means which
we propo/ed ^ namely, by the Vertneoftht
Stars. And this we /hall very ealily be able
to doe, after we have firft/hewed the man-
tier , which the more Learned fort do ob-
ftrvc,
 Unheard-of Carioftttes.

fcrve, in preparing thefe Images: I lay, the -

more Learned fort ^ becaufe I know yerywel,
that many are not fo Accurate in their Ob-
fervations j as we lliall llieyv hereafter 5 al-.
though they doe notwithftanding fomerimcs
find the Effed anfwer their delires but it is,:
after a longer time, then othcrwifc it would
be.
17. Firft of all then, they ufually propofc
tothemfdves, what EfFcd they would have.
tliefe Images produce 5 whether to chafe away
fome Hurtfull Bcaftsior, toallay the vio-
lence of Winds i to prevent Lightnings, and
Hailc ; to cure certain Difeafcs, and the like. ,
Tips being firft propofed", they then feafch,
afterthe Meanes, that may be proper for the,
attaining to the End Propofed as, for Ex-,
ample, for the Cure of the Dropfie, ft is to
be conlidered, that the Difeafe conlifts in
Moifture; they are therefore not to take any
Matter indifferently , for to ingravc, and
forme, under fuch and fuch Conftcllations 5
but it muft be fomething, that is of a fub-
fiance Naturally Hot, and Dry, Secondly^
they muft take, for the Afcendentjfonxe Sign
that is likewife Hot and Dry as Aries, for
inflance, is faid to be. In die Third placej,
they muft make choyce of fome Starrc, to
which this Malady is fubjedt-, fuch as Satifrne
is faid to be: hut there beingnced alfoof fom?
N 5 Star
 Unheard-of Curiofities.

Starrc that is very moyft, (tothc cndthat

Sympathy, which is fo powcrfull in all
things, may afllft alfointhis particular^they
may take the Moon in her Wane. For, as
the Curing of the Biting of a Viper, they
mixe fomc of Its flefh, with the Antidote •, in
like manner, for theexpelling of thefe Wate-
rilh Humors, we muft make ufe of that Star,
which hath the greateft Affinity with the Wa-
ters. Yoti muft alfo obfcrvcthe Sign, which
relates to the part of the body that is ill-affe-
fted : and this is theCounrell of a learned
^bFtr'a- ^hyfician, who faies, that • Oportet Mediem
gtm. ahfJjuedefettu Jctre , uhicauda Draconisfitin
htitnine, ubi Aries , ubi Axis Polaris , di
Jit linea Meridionalis, ubi Oriensy ubi Oct 't-
dens, &c. Now that the Signes have more
Agreement with, and have ftronger Influence
upon one part ofthe body, then another, wc
arc certainly taught by daily Experience, in
the curing of Wounds. W c muft alfo have
rcgard,ifit bepoflible, to the Stars to which
the Sickc pcrfon is fubjedt: and then in the
laft place, we muft above all things take care
fO begin our Work, under fomc ccrtaine Af-
pefts, which arc only ulcful in the Operation,
ibmc fortoflied their Influences with more
Heat, or Cbld- and others, with leffb, as oc-
cafion fliall require. So that all things being
thus diligentlf bbferved, the Bcamcs of the
 li nheardrof Curiofities. iSj

Stars, finding a Figure aptly difpofcd for the

receiving them, do make fuch anlmprelfion
in it, by the, Refcmblahce and Harmony that
they there find , as that being ©nee taken in,
they doe afterwards Operate on that which
they finde to be fcmblable. In all the other
Operations, they procccde after the fame
manner: as, for Example, to chafe away
Scorpions out of any place, they take the
Signe, with which they have fomc Corrc-
fpondencc; fuch as is the Signe Scorpio: then
doc they take fomc Malignant ftarrc, which
is Advcrfc to them; it being not fo necelfary
to obferve fo many rules in Beafts, and o-
therlrrationall Creatures, asiiiMen. Now
when the Figure of a Scorpion is thus pfe^
pared, the Living Scorpions feding natu-
rally the Offcnfive Influence, tvherevviththe
Image is indued 5 they prefently avoid the
place, for their owne prefervation • or clfe,
if they be too ncarc it, they prefently dye. If
it be thought by any a Hard thing to con-
ceive, how thcfc Living Creatures fhould
have any fenfc -of this Influence ; let them
but confidcr, that there arc fomc Perfons
that bcarc fo ftrangc a hatred to Cats, or o-,
thcr like Bcafts, .as that if there be any with-
in the houfo wliere they are , they doc pre-
fently fall into a Sweating, and Trembling,
.although they feethdn nqt. It is reported
N 4 alfo.
184 Unheard-of Curiofitiis. :
alfp, that there, is a certain Hearb, that Cats;
will fcnt at a very great diftance; infomuch
that, iF one lay it upon tlie top of a Houfe,
or in a Chamber, you ljiall have them come
from very far, to tumble, and roulc thein-
ftlyes on it. Many things are delivered bjr
the- Naturalifts , which are in appearance
much more Incredible then Thefe. Itthcrc-
fore now remains only, that I anfwertbiec
Doubts which are prop ofed 5 namely, Wht-
iher the Starres have anj Influence upon things
here helow^ or not ? Whether they have an) St-
jtmblance with them ? And, Whether drliji-
ciall Figures can retaine their Influences, m.
afterwards Operate by them i as we have
faid.
18. But firft of all I muft lay down
this , for a moft certain Conclufion, and
Foundation •, That the Stars, and their In-
fluences 'in thefe Figures, have no Power 4
all over our Wills. And therefore do lac-
count, as Ridiculous, Damnable, and Scan-
dalous , thofe Operations, which Albinos
ViUancvenfls faies, may be effcdled by means
in Msgji. of thefe Images:
Ajir.
Adfugandos latrones.
. lit Mulieres tranfeuHtesfuper intagtntm, ri:
'■ d^artt <jr cantent. ....
fHinfti Jdfiflendim eqmm ineurfu. J
 Unheard-of Curiofitiei. f 8y
rL.
'Adreciftendam fubfiantiam ablatam.
Ad exjiugnandos hofies, &c.
and many
others: to which \yc may adde thofe of The- imtgm'.
hit Ben-Chorat 5 and the grcatcft part of
thofe of TrithemiuS) and oiGochlenitts j the
Invention whereof we doc utterly rejeft, and pu.
condemn the Praftife, as being yain, and of ®f5',jsa"
no Eftcd at all as wjll as thofe of Mfar- ''
cillns EmpiriciiS) who faics, that to .cure the •
Pain that is bred in the Gut, which is called
Colm, which pafleth from the Right Kid- com-"
ncy to the Left, and goeth along by the monlr
bottome of the Stomack , you muft makc^^6
a Talijmn of a thin plate of Gold, and in-
grave on it thele following Charadlers. But
lirft,if you have but a mind to be merry
a little, take notice of thefe his Oblervati-
ons. The plate of Gold muft be graved
with an Inftrument pointed with the fame
Mcttall, and when the Moon is twenty daies
old. And when it is graved, it muft be
put into a little pipe of Gold, covered at
the top with goats skin 5 and then it muft
be tied with a thong of the fame leather to
the Right, or Left loot of the Patient, ac-
cording to the fide he is pained on. And
he that is to ufe this Remedy , muft not
have any knowledge of a Woman, efpeci-
allyof a woman with Child; and he muft
be
 Igtf Unheard-of Curioftties.

•be fure not to goe among Tombs , or

Graves. And laftly, he muft above all,
tal<e care to put on his left fliooc, before hi?
light. You Oiall hear this Author fpeak in his
own words; and that more impertinently,
and foperftirioufly, then any that ever hand-
led this fubjeft, which hatii been To much
cried down, (meerly lor the many Fooleries
that have been mixed with it,) by people that
Would never take the pains to make choyfeof
lib, it the Good, and let the Bad alone. S(ddm)
PtofcT' ^e' ut'tur I™ ^oc pdigww dftint-
at Venere ; & netnulierem, aut frsgnantm
contingat^ nec Sepulchrttm ingrediatur, mm-
no fervare debehit. dd ifjum autcm Cili
doUrem penitus evttandum, ut finifiram p-
detnfemper pnus qalciet obfervabit. The reft
is too long, and too ridiculous to be inferted
here. The Chandlers of this Superftitious

L. M0RIA
L. M0RIA

L« M0RIA

L- M0RIA

which I produce for no other tea-

fon,
 Unheard-of Curiofities. 187

"on , then that the Reader may be able to

diftingiihh, with me, betwixt the Falfej and
tiie True ortcs, are Thefe, here fet down.
And now it is no hard matter to conceive^'
how the Power of Talijmans comes at this
day to be fo undervalued 5 for thofe that
have written of this Subjeft , have rtnked
fo many both Confufed, and Dangerous
things together1 in their wriring^, that peoJ
pic making no diftindion ht' ^ll betwixt the
Good and the Bad, do equally abhor all,
whatfoever bearesbut the v^iy ;jiame ofpi-
gurc, or Talifman. But vif fhall, in the
proftcution of this pifcourfd,' ' fever the good
Com from the Darnell-, ana lhall fhew, that,
in the Making of thefe Figures, all wpids
are indifferent; and that they fcrve but to
amnfc the Ampler fort of people. As, .
when Alhimts VilLnovenfts faies, that for
to cure the Tertian, and Quartan Ague, the
pain of the Nerves, Ventricle, and Privy
pans, you muff.grave the Image of a Scor-
pion upon a piece of Gold, or bilver, when
the Sun is in his proper Houfc , and the
Mom in Capricorne : and while you arc
graying it, you muft Gty thefe words: Ex-
urge Botuine, gloria mea 5 Exurge Pfalteri-
, & Cithara • exurgam dihcnlo : and
then rehearfe this Pfalme 5 Miferere met Dens,
wiftrere met; qttia in te comdit anima mea.
From
 i88 Unheard-of Curiojities.
. y,
Erom hence it thatfp many Superftiti-.
onshave fprung 5 and that people at lengt|i
begun to undertake the curing ofDifeaicd
perfons, meerly by the bare Rearing of Cer-
tain Words 5 without any regard had, ci-
ther to the Stars , or any thing elfe. Let
us now come to the Firft gutre which wc
arc to prove,for the Eftablifliine of the Pow-
er of Figures : namely, Whether the Sum
have any Influence upon^and doe caufe any Mi-
Trim* tWm things here below.
Macn. [ 19. endeavouring to prove the
A ffirmative, brings a moft Excellent Argu-
ment, and worthy offo great a Philofopher;
which is this. That, (aith He, from whom
Motion took its beginning, the lame hath no
doubt given to alfother things the Powa
of Self-motion : now, without all Difputc,
the Motion of the Heavens was the Fitft in
Nature ^ therefore , whatfoever Moves,
Moves by the Morion of the Heavens.-In-
fomuch, that if the Motion of thefe, (hould
ceafe, both Growth, and Motion would alfo
j/i^rr.ccafe in all things here below. ftinRli
brings here an Example of a Man's heart;
which, as it is the beginning of Life, and
Moti on , fo doth it communicate. Life)
and Motion to all the reft of the
bers: So that, if it once be wounded, P
bnely. the Motion ccafcth in all the pi1'5.
 Unheard-of Curiefitksl i8p

of nc body , but even Life alfo. Ybii

may fee this Pbfition Confirmed by Hip-
ocrates j ivho backs it with Id rxiznf tfi-tib.ie
ions, and fo ftrongly aflerts thd truth
thefc Ccleftiall InfluenccSj as that he co'nfr-
dcntly affirmes, that, by the rifin'g and fa-
ting of the Starrcs, a man may foretell TCiti-
pelts, rainc, Stormcs, ana other changes
of weather ; through the ncglcdt ofwhich
Obfcrvations , Phyfitians arc very often
deceived in their Cures and Difcafcs.
Cm temporum mutationes , faith he, tJ?
■djlrorum ortus dr occafus obfervaverit niedi-
itts, ({umadmodum fmgula horum evenian't,
franofcit utiqae & de anno, qualis hie fit fti-
iurits, &c. And then, afterwards Ihewing,'
what time, and what Scafonsarc dangerous
for Sick People , by rcafon of themverfe
motions of the Starres, he prcfcmly addes:
tericulojifsimd fdrit amho Soljlitia, maxim):
mo ajtivum periculdfitm: etiam JEquinoffi-
um utrumque, niagis verb Autumnale. - •Opor-
tet autem & Ajtrorum ortnfeonfiderare, p'rd-
cipue Cants : deindt Arftwri^ & Plejadttm
eccaftm ; Morbl enini in hii maximh diebus
judicantur ^ aliique perimunt, alij verp deji-
tiimt, ant in aliam Jpeciem, dliumque Jidtiim
tranfmutantur. It would-bc'but loft tifne,
if I mould ftand longer upon the Proof of
this fa dear a Truthwhich' all men ought
to'
 ipo Unheard-of Curio$ties.

to confefle to te fo, were there no otter

Afguixientforit, but this-, that ithathbeen
conftantly obtcrved, ever fince the firft be-
ginning of Aftrpnomy in the World, that
me Rifing and Setting of the Fixed Starres
paye been the caule of very great changes
here on Earth : and he muft either be a Very
Ridiculous, fenrdeflc man, of elfea very
Ignorant, thatlhouldgo about to deny,that
Tk& Hyades, and the Plejades^ are not Wa-
try. Cloudy Cpnftellations that is to fay,
dp caufe Rainy, Cloudy, Dartc weather;
as iw, and the pog-jtarre^ bring Heat,, and
Drowth: and a Wet, and tempeilu-
oys feafontand foofthe reft. And after
all , do we not obferve, that there are foroe
iifil' certain Flpwers, that turn about as the Sun
Plant, docs; and otherSj that appear above the Wa-
ter ^at his Riling; vtnd when He fcts, linke
dpwne againc, and hide thcmfclvcs , asit
were, bewayiiog his abfence t Neither arc
the Influences of .the Stars Ihed upon He^bs
ajohe j but eveo! upon Stones alfo; Some
wherofdo fo obferve the motion of
thole, particular .' Starres, whofe Influences
they bear, as that they change their Afpcfts
with them. An Example of this T ruth you
have id the Stone called Lmwa, whichis
indued with fucfa wonderful! qualities V as
that itchangeth its AppearancCj in like man'
net
 Unheard-of Curiofities, • .191

her as the Moon doth, whofename it bca-

reth. In a word, do not the Humours in
our bodies increafe , with this , Planet, and
dccreafe, when It decreafeth ? If any man
ycc defire to have more of thefe Inftanccs,
backed with Convincing Reafons •, he may
have recourfe to the Aftronomicall Prxdi^-
dions of ftolowj rand heihalltherefindej
that the truth of thefe Influences is coo cldf,-
to be called in queftion.
20. The other Point , concerning the
Rcfemblanceof the Heavenly ConftdladonS
to Sublunary things^s fomethine more Dif-
ficult to prove , though not lefle True:
Ncvcrthclelfe this objection is brought
againft it. If the Conftellations of the
Ramme, the Bull ^ the Twins, &c. do re-
femblc thefe Living Creatures; it is either
Really, or elfc by Imagination. If Really;
they are then,either in the Eighth s phear,or
clfc in fome other : but they are notin thc
Eighth. For, in the Conftellations of the
Awwwcjthe Bull foe. there is no figne at all of
thefe Beafts being figured, or reprefented by
the Stars : neither are they inthe Chriftaliiic
Heaven; nor yet in any ofthe.Sphears of
the Planets .-for we ihould then fee them,
as we do the other Starres; iioryctina Ninth
Heaven; as fome have thought; If they are
onlyby Imagination, then are their Efle.&s
 Unheard-of Curtofities.

dlfo lifiaginary, and have no Truth in thentj'

and fo, by confequence, the Power of Tt-
lifinans, or Figures, is'Vaine.
, We anfwere then, according to the ludge-
ment of the moft learned Afirologersthat in
truth thefe Images are not at all Reall: fbrin
the Starres that make up the Conltellarion
of the Ramme, a man may as well fancy a
Uorfe there, as a Sh'ccp^ as I have fomecimcs
made trial!. Neither yet are they altogether
linaginary, in the fame fenfc asa Cbimtrn
'is Imaginary , which never had Being in
Nature : but they are fo ordered in the Hea-
vens by our Imagination, becaufe thatthe
: Conftellattonr which we. call Aries, or the
Jhnwwfjhath a ftrong Influence upoii lliecp;
as Taurus hath uponBuls j and fo of the reft.
Orelfethe Geleftiall Ramme is fodalleid^ be-
caufe there is not any bead: upon the Eatth,
that is more like in Nature to this Conftcl-
lation, then the Ramme : For it renders him
that is born vnder if fo Pious, fo Meek, lo
Gentle, fo Couneous, that herefemblcth
in all things the Innocent Lambc.' . He will
alfo have a Hard Head y, and thick, HIuit,
cul e
rurp6(cr; "I d in rings, like a fleece of Wpoll. .■ Vi-
1.1., . dimus entm ( frith funftin) complures huj# I
JignihominesyCupitema/liari^Spijsis cri.ntbm I
■ ad modum veHeris^ d'fuprafrontemfilevAW) I
quafi capite certarent. And thefe arc the Na-1
turalll
 Unhmd-pf Cumfttits] ipj.
— 7 j" L
turaUrcafons, why thffc GeleiUall §ignes
are called by the names ofLiving Creatures.
One may adde to this, with yttnftin, that
when the Moon is in the Signe of Aries^ this
Signc hath then the ftronger Influence upon
the Head of Man, and renders it ftrong as
tbatofthisBeaft: and this may be anomer
rcafqn, why this Gonfteljation is called by
the name ofthis beaft, rather then of any o-
ther. So in like manner, when the lame
'Planet is in the Signe of Taurus, it hath 3
ftronger Influence upon the Neck •, wherein
confifts the chicfelt ftrengthof a5«//; when
it is in Gemini 1 chc Influence is ftrong up-
on the Armes 5 and for this caufc, this Signc
is reprefented by the Image of two children,
embracing one another ; When it is in the
Crab) the Breaft is then iharerinits Influ-
ences ■, hecaufe that this Crcaiiure alwayes
goeth upon its Breaft: and when it is in Zw,
the Signc Iheds its Influence upqnthe Heart;
from whence the tiop is faid to be a Gene-
rous and Couragious beaft. Yog may fee
the reft of this chfcourfc, in the fame Au-r
thor •) which I fltall not here trouble my fclfe
to fee down, becaufe the reafonsdonotat
all fatisfic me. I do therefore beleeve, that
thefe Signes do caft forth their influences*
ppon the fcverall Members of the body,
though not for thefc Reafons hcre delivered;
1
9 ' ' Tfhii
 Unseat d-if Cmopits.

which often prove to be very Impertinent <

but onely , becaufe we dayly fee the'Em
ricnce of it. They do therefore vifioly
work by thdr Influences, upon thofc Beafts,
whofe names they are called by: for, Dogs
run mad, in the Dog-daycs •, and Lions arc
very furious, under the Signe of Leo: ahd
this was the Only Rcafon, which moved
the Firil Pliilofopnef s to call thefe (Jonftcl-
lauons, by the names bfthefebeafts .- and
all the other reafons that are brought, arc
but of Later ftanding, arid have been inven-
ted by the Later Aftrologers. Thefe Con-
ftellations 'then are callccrby the names of
theft Living, Creatures, becaufe that tliey
are dbftrveato have great power over them.
And that I may trouble my fclfe ho further
in this Particular, you may fee the Abridge-
jhtl riient of all that tfunttin hath written hereof,
PVM* in 'Henrnius, Cardan^ and Galeottus^ who
hath a Particular Chapter upon this Quc-
Vedclfr. Ilion • £>11 are Signa Zodiaci animdim
fmiifc. -ftiifia habtnt •: where he concludes thus; L
rtts emm, Hi Oves $ Taurus, in bmei \ La,
in Leones 5 Scorpio, in Scorpiones 5 Pifcis,it
Pijces •, Virgo, inVitginei, drfteriles -, etfi
de t&teris, imperium habent. ' .
As for'the reft of the Forty eightConftd-
lations,, I fliall not hem fpeak any thing of
Them i becaufe thatfome,who have undena-
hen
 Unheard-of CurioJIties, ipy
.. 1
ken to defend the Power of Figures, have ,
faid, that the Signes of the Zodiack only are
of power to Worke Eift dually,and General-/
ly ^forafmuch as they ii)ake their Circuit, or
atleaft the Sun in them, over the whole Earth; eAibu-
whereas the others refped but one Pan only. ^
Notwithftanding we could very well be able 'mu'c *•
to give an account of all of them •, as I lliall
fhevvat another time, ifl fee that This Dif-
courfe find but favourable acceptance among
the Learned ; and I fliall alfo difcovcr the
Principall Reafons , which have hitherto
lain hid under Fables, why the Ancient A- ,
ftrologcrs impofedfuch Extravagant Names,
as they feemed to be, upon all the reft of tfaofe
Conftellations. At this pre lent Tihall only
content my felfe in fliewingjhow thofe ofthp
Zodiack may have power to Operate upon
Figures ftdraed by Arc : and this is the
Tmrd Point, which I have undertaken tq
prove.'
21. The Queftion then is. Whether the.
Starres doe fiea their Influences , as rvcllon
Artijkiall, as Naturall Things, or not ?
I anfwter, in two words, that the Affirma- Cmfi
rive is fo Certainly True, that neither Tho-^gm.ti.f,
mas, Aquinas, (who left nothing unexamined'^'6'^
InthisQuellion,) nor Albertus Magnus could:^/.^.
poffiyydeny it.1 And even Experienced^'-
tcacheth.us, that die Sun warmeth as well "^"^
O a thej.
9^1 tinheird-of Cmoftties.

theAitificiall Image of a Man, as the Man

himfclfe :noW, if this Planet work indiiFercnt-
Jy upon Both, why ihould not the reft doefo
too i In a word, why' fhould hot the Stars
as well Operate on Artificiall, as 6n Naturall
things 5 feeing that, in their Eftence, they are
All Natural Should we exclude Gold
from the number of things Natural, bccaufe
it is falhioned into i Ring ? And are Stones
rendered lelfe N atufal, when they are framed
intoaHoufef1 If it bcobjefled, that, howe-
ver , they Ihould not acquit c thereby More
yertue , then they had before. I anfwer,
that the Contrary is manifeftly proved by
twoReafons. The firft is, becaufc that the
(different Figure renders them more apt to 0-
perate, to fuch, or fuch an Adion, then they
were before: as for Example, ifa piece of
Wood, or Stone, were unapt to hold water,
by making of it Hollow, it prcfcntly becomes
Fit for fuch a purpofc : and fo in other Fi-
gures. The other Reafon is V that thefe
tnings, when they come under thc Workc;
man's hands, are wrought under certain Con-
ftellations which communicate fuch Influ-
ences and Qualities unto them, as they never
bad before: as we fee by Experience in Bisltct
bread one fort whereof will keep a very long
time , and the other , that was baked either
before, or after h, will be fubjedto Wormes.
 Uhbeird-bf CuriofiHesI l&y.
!'■ ■■ ■*
5nd Cormption, although kept in the fame!
place, and made of tliefaiiie Come, and knea-
ded up with the fatne water ^ arid with all o-
thcr imaginable, .conditions;. Bur; to kcepe
pur felvcs to the buiinefle of Figures only,'
we lliall here conclude; that, if they, arc'pre-
pared, with all thefe Circumftances obferyed,
which we have before delivered, and ingraven
upon fome Matter that is Proper for the re-
ceiving of the Influences of the Starrest they,
toay Naturally recaine them, and work thofc
wonderful!. Effedls, which we have before fet
downe. This Condufion will receive both
more Confirmation, and more ClearnefTc,
by the Anfwcrs.tothc following Objections
in the meane time, for you r fatisfadion in the - . w
truth ofthefe Influences of the Coeleftiall bo- ,
dies upon Artificial things you may have re-
cpurfe to Tertnllinn^ Origep, S. Irtmus ,■ S. H&ef.L,
AugupnC) Thektl, or the Author of the book, '
intituled, Liher Lapidum jilioruni ifrael: Ar-
mldus Abbas Luhecenfis , ArnobiAs^ Oiympio- '-}]-
dom in Photiut^uiiut Fimkus, and Leun- scu^bl
ckvius. You may fee alfothc little. Panir 14. Coa-
phlec, written by Barnerio^ an Italian T the
Title whereof is, Regolt fopra U Cam Mari- So '.- ']
where he proves learnedly , ,and by Ex-oeErrtrj
perience,thatmany,Cottons,' and. Wools of^ £'
theEaftern Countries, and even of our Own ■
Countries alfo, do laft longer, or a lefs While,
0 3 if i'lioit. 4,
ipg Unheard-of Curiojities.

ifthcy be wrought in diverfc Kingddracs,

and under cercaine Conftellations •, as it is alfq
obferved in Ships. Vitruvm proves the
fame to be fo in Buildings alfo, notwithftan-
ding that both the Stone, and Mortcr, be as
good inthe one place, as in the other.

CHAP. Vlli

That the Objections which are made againlt1

TalijmanicalLFigures, make not any thing
at all againft their Power.

THE CONTENTS.

I, T II 7 Hence the Cujlome ofnftng cert mi

\ \ Words, and of applying ctrtsm
Charatters, in the Cure of Hifeafes , hath
fprttng.
2. An Abominable Ceremony ttfed by the £■
gyptians, for to caufe Haile to ceafe. The Rea-
jon of the Command^ given to the femes, of
not Graff ng on a tree of a Different Kind.
3. The Talifmans, delivered by Antonius
Mizaldus, condemned.
The objeHions brought by GulielnWS
Parifienfis, & Gerfon, hytvered. The Pomt
• the Sun hath, within the bowels of the Earth.
5. A Fourth Objelfion anfwered, Thefio-
rits
 Unheay&ef: Curiofiti'ts,

rtes of Sarcerers^nd of'images of Waxe, of ve-

ry little Credits
6. A Fifth Objeffion refuted. OftheW&r
pon-Salve, that cures the Wound 7 by being of-
find to the Weapon that made it.
7. TheSixt Objetiion of no Force. A rcmar-
kdle ftory of two Twins.
8. The Operation of thefe Talifnians, pro-
ceeds not from the Secret Vertue of the Stone. [
9. Cajctan, and Pomponatius defended^
againfi Delrio, touching the Tower of Ft-
gures.
10. The Vertue of the Starrer defends us,
mil upon a Living Scorpion > as upon its J-
mge.
11. The Forcible Reafons brought by Galc-
W&^mDefencepfTdftimzns.
12. The Oh]eaion brought againfi Fraacif-
cus Rueus, anfmred.
13. The Story of Virgil's TalifraanicaU
Fly 5 andHorfe-leech, a True ones againfi
Naudseus, Gervais his booke not Fabulous»
!
as is commonly believed. .
14. Of fame Admirable and Curious inven-
tions of men , that feeme more Incredible the ft
Talifmans.
15. Certaine Objections , never befort,
brought, againfi the Sower of Figures j iritk
their Solution.

6 4- ' THe
 ■ 1
ibO Unhenrd-of Curioftttes.
He Wonderful Efl-c(^s> whidi
have been alwaies obferved

lifmanicali Figures, have fo

perplexed the minds ofthofc
men, who account every
thing to be Magicke, which themfelves are not
able to comprehend; as that, without mi-
king any Dirtindionat all, betwixt Power
which is Naturall, and Lawfull; and that
which our Faith permits us: not to meddle
with *, they have boldly publilhed, that, what
Vertue focver proceeas.from Figures, is ut-
terly Diabolicall. But when they perceived,
that Knowing Men would hardly lit downc
fo 5 and that it concerned them to produce
fomc Reafons, to prove that thefe Figures can
have no Naturall Power at all • they have at
lengthbrought Thefe following ones; though
they are built on very weake foundations, as
We lhall make it appeare.
i. The Firft is, that Reafon it felfe tcls us,
thatthefe Operations cannot be Totally Na-
turall, but rather fuperftkious and Dange-
rous; feeing that,-to reduce them to a full,artd
entire Efftd, there are fomecertaine words to
be ufed; which have no Power at all, cfpcci-
ally over things which have no Senfc-, and
that Therefore, the Making of them ought to
be forbidden, and reiedlcd, as the Cnuich
hath ordained. To
 Unheard-of Ctfiojities. iot

Taanfwer fully, and in Order, both to

This Objedion, and to the reft that follow,
I fay that, in the Fir ft place, we are to take
notice •, that, in the matter of thefe Figures,
we have already cbndciffned all Words ^ and
all other Supcrftitions: lb that, to avoid a
Tedious Repetition-, the Reader muft call to
mind, what hath already been faid to This*
As for the Church , it never yet rejeded the
True, and Lawfull Power of Figures, fuch
as we have defcribcd it: as may appearc out:
of the Writings ofthofc two Learned Men:
Tho. Aquinas, and Cardinall Cajetaa, And
if die Fathers have fometimes condemned it;
it was not till they faw that it was fo mixed
with fuperftition (that I fay not, Abominati-
ons) that they conceived they Ihould never o-
thcrwifcbcablcto divert men from the Pra-
ftice of it, but by condemning it utterly: as
Mofes likewife did, in forbidding abfdlutely
the Graffing,on a T rec of a different kind, on-
ly to keep tnem from that finne, which was
ufually committed at that Adion •, as wc lhall
Ihew hereafter.' And that it may appear that
the bare Figures have not been ufcd alwayes,
without any Application of Words and Ce-
remonies ; fuch as were not only Vaine ,• but
Ridiculous alfo 5 we may take notice, that In
when they would caufe Haile to
ceafe, which might have been effeded by the
Vcrtue
 ■ • 1
iOi Unhtard-of Cumfmesl

Vertue of a bare Talifman oncly j it was

thought Neceffary, that Fbure Naked Wo-
men fhould lye along upon the ground on
their backs ^ and lifting up their feet on high,'
they were to pronounce fome certaine words,
and fo the Haile would ceafe. Sluatuor Mali-
tres (laid they, as R. M/jfes reports,) fmnt
in terra fttper dorfum funm nude, et. erigwt ft'
des fuos, et dicant talia verba, et operenter i-
find: grando, defcendens fuper locum iUmjt-
cedet ak eodem loco. This Ridiculous Cere-
mony was taken from the Pqllurc of fomc
i» Gee. Talijmanicall Figure, which fet ved to divert
ftormes of Haile ^ whereon, faith chomr,w
graven the Image oH Venus lying along. Be-
fides, fome Ignorant perfonshavingliglntd
upon forac of the Charadters, which the An-
cients had invented, thatfo they might con-
ceale their Philofophical Secrets, from the un-
worthy Rabble -, (fuch as are thofe wherewitl
the Chy mills bookes are full;) not knowing
the QnginaH of them, and believing that tbey
had fome fecret Ycrtue in them, they gtavd,
them on Folifmans. Such perhaps was tk
^Egyptians Serapis, which had on its brajl
the fo much Celebrated Letter Tau. . Tliis
infcribingofCifres,and Charafters,brouglit
alfo along with it this Bcliefe; thatfemng
there were Letters written upon Taltfotti
they might certainly then be read alfo: and
 Unbedrd-of Curiofities; 20j

hence did this Superftition take Rife, offpea-

Icing Words in the making of thefe Figures j
and'aftenvatds, of letting alone the Figurc-j
and ufing the bare Words only: as it is re-
ported of T"raltiams, who ufed thefe Words fI?*
For the Cureofthe Collick j ptig^peu^tjlaT QdJjf'i.
And Homer writes, that the bleeding ofUHJfes ig-wjt.
his. wound was flopped , by ufing certaine
Words; as likewifc that of Omndates was, (?«?•'•
k Heliodortes; who, with Strabo, affirraes, '*•
that the Indians, and Ethiopians, ufc no other
way of curing their Difeafes. Froiffart af-
.furesus, that he hathfeen thefe Ceremonies
praflifed in His time : and even in Our dayes
they are ufed but too often, efpecially by Su-
perftitious Women. But at laft mere were
lomethat made more Efteemeof Characters,
then of Plain Words, confidering with them-
felves what thepower of Figures was. Thus
Pliny reports, that M.Servilius madeufe ofifj. 18.
thefe two Letters, M, and J, to keepe him- «*?• »• .
felfe from being bleare-eyed : and Hudoxia
the Emprefle, being in Travell with a Child,
defired, (as Cedrea reports^) to have certaine
Letters applyed to her Belly, for to bring
forth the dead Child: but it. was all in vaine;
for it coft her her life. T0 conclude, thefe
things having been invented only for the con- vc ficret.
cealing offorac Secrets, as we have faid, (af- ofer.An.
tciRoger JBacopj who faith, Jgft* Philofofhi
ad
264 Unheard-of Curiojitiif.
adinvenerant in oftrihus grtis et Naturs^ \
fecreta occuharent ab indignis 5) they were af-
terwards turned into Superftmpn, by tho!^
who mixed them with the Images, and .irinlc
life of them bcypnd the power of Natur«j
and that too with fp Damnable Ceremonies,
as that the very Thought of them is Itl-
fomc. .
, 2. Now that the Pradice of making tficft
Figures vyas.neycr forbidden, but only to
kecpe us off from thofe Abominations, that
wcrcufually hereby committed, ( thclnvw-
tion being neveitneleffc Naturall as vyek
have iliewed and the Things thcmfelvB
having, bcene very Innocently ufcd by
Gpoa Men 3, without the alfiftance of any
other Power, favc that of Nature 5) wet
may perceive by a like Example , inibc
Command that was given f of not Grafting
on a tree of a Different kind.. For it was
given for no other Rcafon , ( that ,I may
ere paffc by thofe , which arc brouglit
by Interpreters, both Gfecke and Latine,
which arc many times very wide of the Text;
hut only to turnc away the Jcwcs from thofe
Filthincffes, and Abominations, which they
ufually committed at this kind of Engrafting.
The Latine words will in fomc fort hide
the Undcanncffc of the difcourfc of .thcfe
Villanies! you ihall have them therefore out
 Unheard-of Curiofties. aOJ,

pf the above-named Rabbi Mofes^ a man of

very great knowledge in thefe Traditions;
Dixertint ergo, quod in hora qua inferitur una Um^
flecks in aliam, oportet ut ramm ihferendus
fit in manti dicu\us mulieris pulchra, & quod
vir aliquis carnaliter cognofcat earn prater
morem naturalcm. Et dixerunt, quod in tern-
fire illftts aftus deket mulier inferere ramum
in arbore. From hence a man might con-
clude it was, that God, to fet. a Mark upon
the FouIencfTe of thisv Crime, would have
the very Trces themfelves alfo to have fomc
Senfc of it. For, if a Whore planted an
Olive Tree, (faith one of the Lcarnedeft Pre-
lates of France, according to the Opinion of
the Naturalifts,) it would never bearc any
Fruit, oliva, faith he, a Meretrice plant at a,
vel infiuttttofa perpttub manet, vet omninb
srefcit. Now, to Engraffe any Tree what GuL Pa-
ever, is a thing both Naturall, and of it "fftv'
felfIndifferent: ncverthcleiTcit was forbid-^;"*
den, medrly to avoid the Sin which Nature
abhors. Propter hoc igitur, is the Conclu-
fioi) of the fore-cited Jew, prohibitafuerunt
cm)nixtiones,fcilicet incifio arboris in aliam
tfeciem, ut elongemur a caufis Idolatria, &
formationum: •Arid the like caufe hath al-
fo moved thofe men, that have condemned
Figures j though They are both Naturall,
and the making of them Lawfull 5 as we
 ti6 Mnheard-cf Cftriojities.

have already Ihewed. Now the rcafon

why they have been alfo rejeded by fomeoJ
the more Learned fort, was either to give ray.
_ to the Rigour of the Inquifttion 5 as die/.
iabms, ztA Spaniards \mt done : or clfc,
for .want of having taken the paincs to
' amine them; as Gul. Parifienjis, Gerjen, and
divcrfe others^ whofe Objedlions alib, which
they conceive to be Invincible ones, wcM
Hkcwifeanfvver.
3. The Second Objeftion is grounded
upon the FooliflinclTe, and Impertinence of
die words that:are ufed about thcfc Talif-.
mafts; at the making whereof. Ignorant peo-
ple doe Hill ufc fomc cenain Words, which,
fay they, are very neer bordering upon I-
dolatry.
But we have already anfwercd, in the pre-
cedtnt Chapter, that we doe not at all de-
fend the Follies of the Superftitious; but do
rather freely condemn Their Obfcrvations,
andallvvords,that tend toSuperftition. In
the fame Chapter alfo we have rejeded part
of the Fooleries, delivered by ViHanovtaju'-
and, that we may not have any Scruple un-
fatisfied, we doe alfo here condemn thofe,
cem Mt- whioh are brought by Antoriim MjS{aldm :
C
n^b. zi namely, where he affirmes, according to
Ptdlomy^ that for to drive away Sirpents,
you mull prepare a fquare Plate of Copper,
and
 Unheard-sf Curiofitie$. 267

and graying two Serpents on it, when the

Second Face of Aries is Afcendent, you
muft fay thefe words ; Ligo Serpattes per
hm JmnginemyUt ttmini nbceanty nee quen- ji,
pm impedianty nec diutm, uhi[epulta fnetit',
fcrmmeant. As alfo where he feies, accord-
ing to the fame Pitlmyy that, to drive aWay
Rats and Mice, you muft grave the Image
of them upon a Plate of Tin, or Copper,
when the Third VzctotCapricorne is Afcerv
dent; faying: Ligo omnes MteresperhaheI~Apb^i*
muginem, ut mllw, in loco uhi faerit, m/tnere
fofsit. So likcwifefor to gather together,
and catch FifheS, you muft Engrave the I-
mage of a Fifli,upon a peifce of Lead > or
Tin, when the Firft Face pf AqtiariuS y 6r
of Pifces is Afcendent, faying : Ligo & ad-
juro omnes Pifces qui f/ent in Fhmine Cwith-
all naming the River,) ad traiium balijhe,
«t ad hanc Imaginem vent ant, quotiefcunquein
ejtts aquapoftta ftier it. And foalfofor the
driving of Wolves away , either out of a
Wood, or from a Sheep-coat, you muft
grave upon a Plate of Copper, or of Tin,
me Image of a Wolfe, with his Feet Tied,
and two Maftives feeming to bark athim,
when the Second Face of Sagittarius is Af- cm .
cendent; and you muft withiall fay thus:
Exteminj) per banc Imaginem omnes Lupos,
qui fun t in hac Villay aut nemorey (calling the
Wood,
 ioS Unheard-of Cumfitietl

Wood, bir the Sheep-houfe by it's name,*)

ut Ron remaneat aliquis eprqm in illo. As.
fikewifc, in the laft place, to render a Huntf-
man foitunatc in his Game, you muft grave
iipon apeicc of Tin, Silver, or Copper,
the Image of a Huntfman , haying in his
hand a Bow bent, and ready charged with
an Arrow 5 graving it under the Signe of
Sagittarius, vyhofe Image he reprcfentcth,
and faying: Per hanc Jmaginem ligo omm
cep.j. feras Silvefres, cervos^ apros, lepores^ ut rntl-
jfbaoo mearn 'venationem fubterfugiat, quin opu-

tarn fortionem & pradamnihi [emper rtlin-

quat. I have fct down fo many of thefc
Talifmnsy that Men may take notice of them
to avoid them, and to give warning of them
»-»- tothofethat are Curious Inquirers after fuch
things 5 who might happily have lighted
on them in th^ Authors own writings, which
are full of Superftitions. For, befidesthaj
the Manner of making them is Ridiculous,
itisalfoasfar different from the true way
that is to be obferved in making thcra, as
Hell is from Heaven, So that I cannot
much wonder, at the III Luck pf a friend
of mine 5 who faics, that of above a hun-
dred of thefe Talifmansthat he had made,
according to thefc Yaine Rules here ddi-
yered, he never faw any One of them an-
fwer his Expeftation, But I deftring him
to.
-4 •
 Unheard-of. Curiojitth. i6p

tomakeone,' accoi'ding totheDirejSibnsI ; '>

gave him ^ne-prerendy fiw-the-EffeiafoI- 'j .
low. And M. (the Learned .Rff-
(rim Profejfor in tile Mathematicks, who is
yet living, and may be askt the Qiitfton,)
iiathfwornto me ^ that hehathcijrcda moft '
Intollerable Paine in the Reins,1 by pneof
thefe true Talifmans : fo much doth: it con^
ccrne us to be able to diftinguilh, betwixt
the True, and Falfe ones,. We reject there-
fore this Foppilh Way of making them, de-
livered by the faid as well in the
places above-cited, as in fomeothers fas
namely in the 44. ^ ^3. Afhorifmcs ofthei:
Second Century; the 58. Aphdrifnie of the
Third Century,, and the 47. Aphorifmc of
the Ninth : in which places he makesufeof
words both vain, and ouperftitious, and alfp
of moft Falfc P rinciples: which is the Rea-
fon, why no man could ever, by ufing them,
attainc to the End he propofed. Now I-
have formerly faid, that we condemncall
Figures and Words, that are mixed vyith.
Superftition, in thefc T"difmankall FigtHres
oniy: for3as for thofe Ceremonies & words,'
which are pioufly ufed y as for example j'-tO
caufe a Storme of Hailc to ceafe.v a man may
ufc them without any fiifpicion at all", ac-
cording to the Judgement of fome,Divineso,
The manner is thus .defcribed by
P timng
 Mnheard-ofCmoftms.

fit'fie Having fifft made the figncof theCroffc

Sm agaipil the Lightning, Haile, Thunder, or
Tempeftj you muft take three Haileftones,
ofthofediat firft fell, and caft them into the
fir?.,iin:thenameofthc Holy Trinity. and
having iiepfatcd the Lords Prayer two or
three.nraes over, you muft read the Gofpcl
of S. ^fohn: which being ended, you muft
make mcfignc of the Crolfe, overagainft
the GJouji, and the Thunder, on every
fidej. & make the fame alfo upon the ground,
toward,the foure quarters of the World:
and; after that the Exerctfi Ihall have laid
three times, Verbum carp faftum eft, adding
to it as often thefe words ; Per Evangtlict
diffa faght tewpejlas tfia; if the Temptft
were rmfed out of malice, Ciith Wtms,it
vVill ceafc. But let us leave the determina-
tion of.this matter till fomc other time ;one-
Jy pbftrving at prefertt, that there Jwth crept
in Superllirion Here alfo, as well as into ttic
Bufinelfc,, we now t rcat oft
The Third Objcdlion is grounded, upotr
the Impotency of the Matter Ingraved*
For, how can an Image, which is dead, and
without,Motion, giveMotion to others^nd
lb}i have fuch Operations, as arc attributed un-
to it ? Thus it is argued by Gultelmas Peri'
/e»/?j,'.againft thae Figures, gumtthi
Imago mortua, et mni mdo inapprehenfa
. - ' " omnitpt
 Unheard-of Cmgfities. lit

mntqtie modo imriiohilis, moverel viventes ?

'Mt pahter pr^fiat Scientiam , audtnnecha-
iuit, hecactie, nec potenfiaeam bahet cerfifsi-
mm efi ? G erf on fayes the fame, and brings
in a manner, allthe very fame Arguments,
in a Booke that he hath writce« aeainft a
certain Phylitian of Montpelkr, who gra- Lib.fuu:.
ved upon a piece of Gold , the Image ofa^' ^-
Lion, for the Cure of the Sforic." fff ^
4. To this I anfwere, that the Image of
Itfelfe, is dead, and without any Motion?
but that by, the Vertue of the Stars, under
which it was made, it hath acquired new
Qualities, which it had not before: or elfe,
that the Matter being before indued with
Ibrae Qualities that were Proper for fuch an
Efhd, it is difpofed for fitch anEtfedl by a
Scmblable Figure , and its Qualities arc ex-
cited. Itaque ars, faith Marcilius Ficim^ Bevit.,
[fcitat inchoatam ibi virtutem , ac dum adfl'u^-
C,I
famm redigii, fimilem fua cuidam ccelefii
fam , tune jua illic idea frorfus expo-
fit 5 quam fie expofitam Ccelum ea perpcit
mute qua caperat, exhthens qttaji {ulphuri
fmmam. Thus many things , if they are
not excited, work not at all; as for Inftance,
fo make fome Hearbs tofmell, you muft
cnifli them betwixt your fingers.' So Jm-
itr, which hath received from the Heavens,"1
Property of drawing' StraWes'to it • yet"
P 2 unlcfie
iii Unheard-of Curiofities,

unleflc it be a while rubbed, and chafed, itis

hot able to do it; The Befyar, or Be^ehut
Stone, (which Marciltus Ficinus faycs, fig-
nifies as much as, A mom liberans: though
this be an Etymologic as Vnknown,as Vn-
true:) which is Naturally indued with the
Power of Expelling Po'yton, becomes alfo
a very Soveraigne Remedy againft it. That
of the Scorpion,if there be fuft graved on it
the Figure of a Scorpion, under the Influ-
ence of the Celcftiall Conftellation of the
fame name. The Flint Stone gives not its
Fire , unleflc you ftrike it: in a word, there
is fcarcely any thing, but requires to be
Excited, and Awakened up to its workej
even as low, as Artificiall things •, many
wherofappear not at all, unleflc therebe
Artufedto difcoverthem : as we may fee,
for Example, in Letters written withtht
juyce of Citrons, Firs, Onyons, Salt Abac-
niche, and many otner things 5 which muft
be either held before the Fire, or elfc dip-
ped in Water, that they may be read. la
like manner alfo is it Neceflary, thattii
Venue of Metals, and of Stones, Ihould bt
excited by the Gelcftiall Raics, for the Ren
dering them Aptto effeft that which we dc
fire. Now that thefe Raies are lb Power-
fiill,as that they are able to penetrate Stones,
and into the bowels of the Earth, we havi
 Unheard-of Curhfltief, a

already proved; and /hall here confirme it,

by the teftimony of tomventure: Dicunt
fhilofophi, quod corpus calefte , medtante
flip /mine, influit tifque ad profundam ter-
n, tibi miner alia corpora genefari habent: et, Ljb-».
mntmadhoC) verum dicunt. When Te-^^,
lliraonies, are grounded upon Experience;, ht.' f
they cannot poflibly then be denied rand
we know that the Sun penetrates very farrc
into the Earth, and there gives life to Plants,
and Living Creatures too •, which, when we
fee taken up, aitoniih us very much : as ap-
pcares out of Georgius Agricola , and the
learned Ltcetus, who is ftill Profc/Torat
}tka. As for Subterraneous Fiflies,we find
them but top often enlivened by the Stars,
to our great Difadvantage : as you may
obferveout of the Third book of Seneca's
Nut. quafi.e. 19. Who alfo,in another place,
fiyes, that Philip having fent men downe
into an old Gold-mine, to fee if the Cove-
toufneiTe of Man had yet left there any thing
Undifcovered •, they perceived Rivers, run-
ning along thofe deep Cavernes, and many
pthcr Prodigious Sights : by which we may
b? certainely afflired, that the Heavensdo
operate through every part of the Univcrfe.
Dejcendijfe illos, fayes this Learned Author, ^ f
cm multo lumine, dr multos duraffe dies: de- cm.
inde longa viafatigatos, vidiffe fiumina in--
P 5 gentia.
214 Unheard-of Cmofttks.
gefltja, & cmceftus aquanm inertium vajtcs,
pares nojiris; net comprcfm qttidem terra In-
permimnte •, fed libers laxitatis , mn fine
horrore vifos. And thofe, that write oftlie
TLi,ches oiAmerica^ affure us, that the Mine
of Ttoft , where Gold is generated ? is fo
hojlow, and fo deep, that nodiing can more
fitly reprefent the Dreadfull Image of Hell.
If then the Starres do operate, within the
bowels ofthe Earth,upon Living Creatures,
Plants, and Metals, why not upon Stores
alfo < I do therefore account the Conclufion
of Uieron, Uangeft, an Ancient, Learned
Sorbonift, to be moft True 5 who,fearc(ung
after the Realon of Gamahes, concludes,
(after a long difpute;) that the Figure, or
Painting on them, proceeds from two Cau-
fesjfrom the Starres, and from theP-ro-
lib- it petty ofthe Earth. See here his own words.
st?1' Qu'd tgitur dicendumfit < refpondeo^exd*-
plici radipe pojje contingere. Urn modo ex M-
dice Siderea , fecundttm Afirologomm aatho-
ritatem, multis expermentk comprobatam-
Alto modo , ex radice inferiore ,
Now this Power, or Vcrtuc ofthe Starres,
works Indifferently upon All Things-,which
Conlideration hath moved many, that ftand
up for the Power of Figures, to believe,that
all forts of Stones, Mctalls, or other Mattel
indifferently, ifit be graved, and wrought,
according
 llnheard'of Curiofiues.'' iiif

according to the Rules before delivered^

would worke the fame Effe«fL For, as Fire
heatcth all things that are fet before.it; in like
manner do the Stars Operate, fay they, upon
All Things Indiffcrerttly. But I hold the
Firft Opinion to be the T ruer, and-more cer-
taine: not,that this Later is Falfe •, but, be-
caufe the Effedi: Here is Slower. For, the
Fire will indeed heat all things, that arc placed
neare it: but ifthe Matter be Indifpofcd, the
Heat will not worke fo fpeedily ; as we fee in
GreenWood 5 and in a Pibble ftone, which
requireth a longer time to grow hot in, then a
Brick doth; and fo in all otner things. It 1$
required then, to the end that the Stars may
Operate the more Ealily . and m lelfe time,
that the Matter be before hand indued with
fome Quality , that is proper to the Effedfc
which we have propofed to our felves 5 and
have alfo fome Sympathy with thofe Cele-
ftiall Signes, which we intend to make ufc of.
You may fee this Sympathy , and the
Wonderfull Corrcfpondence that there is,
betwixt Stones, Mineralls, Herbs, Plants,
Flowers, Tafts, Smels, Colours, Beafts, Fi-
/hes. Birds, and all things elfe, and the Stars,
in Georgius Vemitu his booke, De Hamoura c^k4",;
Mundi^ and in the Learned Gomment of M. c. 31.
Moreau, a Phyfician, upon SchoU S demit a- i .
»<»•, the reading whereof, in all forts of books
P 4 what (jr ftp
 Unheard-of Curtojiriej,'

yvhat ever, is truly very Admirable.

5. The Fourth Objection , which
brought by the above-named Authors, is (
that ir this Art oFprcparjng Images be Cer-t
taine, and their VertuC fo greatj as is faid-,tlie
Egypt tans, Arabians, and Per fans, who were
the Firft Inyenters of them, would thenhavc
made themfclves Lords of the whole Eaitli,
in fubduing all their Enemies : which thing
they have hot done * but contrariwile nave
themfelycs all been Conquered.
- To this I anfwer, thatno Image, or TW/J-
manicaU Figure can poflibly be Capable of 0-
peratingfo Great an Efftd : they may indeed
poflibly excite, in fome fmall meafure, the
courage of Combatants, and make them klfe
fearefull of the Terrors of Warrc; but theft
Qualities alone will never be fufficient, for
the obtaining of a Vidory. If any here urge
againft me the Story of Neftanaho, who is
laid to have drowned all his Enemies Ships,
by making certaine little Veflels of Waxc,
and then drowning Them: I anfwer,that tht
Story lookes very Doubtfully •, neither doe 1
give any more Credit to it, then to thofi
Flams we heare reported of Sorcerers, in oui
pwnedaies, who are laid, byprickirtg alitth
.Image ofWaxe in any part ofit, to wounc
the lame part of the body in the pcrfon whon
it
1 rcprcfcnts, Butfuppofe Thefe Things wen
 Vnheard-of Cumjltk$. 117
: yet it could not be fi pm hence concluded,'
that thefe Effedls were wrought by the Vcr-
tue of the Stars; but rather by fomeEvill
Angels, to whom God may have given fomc
fuch Power. Gulielmus Parifienfis utterly dc- Lib.a-
nics thefe ftones to be True; as indeed they "te.
are meerly Fabulous: neither do I believe
there is any one of them that hatji any T ruth
init, Ifit be returned uppn us, that there is
nothing in them, but a man may believe, fincc
Poiribly they Might be True1 anfwer, that
Many Things Might have been, which never
yet Have been ; as, for inftance, there might
bve been more Sunnes, and more Worlds
then one.
6. TheFiftOBjedlionis, thatitisNecer-
fary that Naturall Agents fhould, fqme way •
pr other, Touch the thing they arc to O peratc
upon: but a Figure, which cureth the Stone,
Collicke, or any other Dileafe, touchcth not
at all the Part Affcdled ; the Vcrtue of it
therefore cannot be Naturall.
The anfwer to this Objc&ionis foeafic,
that, without troubling our felvesto reckon ^ J7
up, withScotkf, the feverall wayes of Touch- msm.'
ing, we need no more but give an Inftance in
zHot Erich. For as a Bricke receives heate
from the Fire, without touching either Cole,
or Flame in like manner doth an Image re-
ceive the Influence of the Stars, without T ou-
ching Any Part of the Heavens. In a word.
 2i8 Unheard-of Curiofities.

all the Touching which is here found, is only

a Firtnail Touching as vvc lee in the Sunnc,
which though it Be fo farrc diftant from the
Eanh, dotn nevertheleflfc warme it by Its
Vertue. And as a Bricke, heated either by
the Sun, or by the Fire, doth afterwards ope-
rate upon any other body , communicating
its Vertue to it, if it be applied unto it: in the
lame manner doth a Figure, or Image ope-
rate upon Another Body, communicating
the Influences, which it hath received from
the Stars, unto It, ifitbe in like manner ap-
plyed, cither by a Corporeall, or by a Virtu-
all Touching only. I lhall not here produce
the Miraculous Operation of the Weafon-
falve, which cures a Wound, at a hundred
Leagues diftance, if it be but applied to the
Weapon that made it 5 and that you drelfe it,
TnH deas you wouW docthc Wounded Perfon :as
vngu. it is proved by Rhodolphtes Gochlenm\ and
^iwar. Bapjjta Helmontm. If I fhould have made
Malm. u^e 0f this Example, I lliould never have
beene quiet from having it throwne in ray
T eeth, that the Operation of this Magneticd
Unguent is Superftitious, and Diabolical).
This is the whole Burden of the Ignorant
Rabble, who impute, whatever they find to
carry Wonder with it, to the Operation of
Evill Spirits: and yet I have been allured by
M. Loyfel, Phylician to the late King of
Fmce,
 Unheard-of Curiofuies. zip

France, that this very Operation was Natu-

rall-,ancl that Himfelfe had made ufeofitj
with Good Sacccfl'e, and on a very Good
Man. Now if Gulielmus Parifienfis deny,
that the Operation of a T.tlifmamcttll Image,
which is buried under ground , can be Nacu-
roll •, bccaufe that it is kept in by the Earth,
which covers it: hee may as well conclude,
that the Operation ofa Needle touched whh
aLoadftone is alfo Diabolicall feeing that,
although it be a hundred fathoms deep within
the Earth, yet will it ahvayesturne it (elf to-
wards the Pole. This Comparifon is fo
much the more Prehing,becaufe thatthe inoft
ofthe Learned believe,mat this Vertueofthe
Load-ftone is communicated unto it, by that
part of the Heavens, which the N eedle points
to. So True it is, that there is nothing more
Powerfull, then the Influences ofthe Stars,
when they haveonce made an Imprelfion up-
on things here below.
7. The Sixt Objeftion ftrikes at the Pow-
er, which we have attributed to Refemblance:
for, there is not any where (faith Gtdkl. Pa-
tiftenfts,) a nearer Tye , and Correfpon-
acnce, then in the Love of a Mother and her
Child: and yet ifa Mother drowne her fclfe,
the Child will not prefently do fo too; and fo
he concludes ; Quanta mmis igitur iniamdi-
vcrjis^ ut flint Imago & Jmaginatim, nulla li-
gat lira,
2iP Uaheird-of Curiofities.
-■ -w11
gatura inter ea ertt, qua cogat, tit quodf n 't-
tur Jrudgo^patiatur et Imaginatum.
I know very well, that this Author makes
ufe of this Argument againfl iVf«f?4«4^:
but feeing that he brings it alfo againft Talij,
manic all Images, I anfwere 5 that thefe Ima-
ges , (as wee have already faid) have no
Power at all over our Wils. Now, to
Drown Ones Selfc, pr,Nott6 Drown ones
Selfe, is an Action which depends wholly
upon the Will. But if a Child refemble
the Mother, as well in the Lineaments of
the Face, as in the Adions of the Soul;
there is no doubt, but that this Refemblance
may have very much power, both aswelj
on the Paffions of the Minde , as on thofc
of the Body, which proceed from within:
asitis often obferved. And even in Our
dayes, We have heard of two young Chili
drcn, which were Brothers, at an E-
pifcopall City in Provence in France, who
by reafon oftneir being fo perfedy Like One
Another, if One of them were ficke, the
Other was fo too: as, for example, if One
began to have a Pain in the Head, the Other
would prefently feele it. If One of them
were afleep, or fad -, the other could not hold
up his head, or be merry : and fo of the reft,
as I have been allured by M. PoitevinjivW}
honeft man, and a Native of the fame city.
8. The
 Unheard-of Cumfttiesl 221

8. The Seventh Objc&ion, brought by

[he fame Guliel. Parifienfis, & (jerjon^ is.
That if at any time thefe Talifmajncall
Stones have been known to cure the bkings
of Serpents, and the flinging ofScorpionSf
this EfFed proceeded not at all from the
Stars, but from fome fecret Properties in
the Stone, whereon the Figure of a Scor-
pion , or Serpent, was graved.
This O bjedton is anfwered in two words.
I fay then, that we have already proved,that
the Stars have power to communicate this
Vettue to the Stone; and alfo, that it is not
ataUNaturall to it, and proceeding from
Its Own proper Vertue : becaufe that,before
it was Figured, and prepared under certain
Gonftellations, it had no fuch Verme at all.
And indeed, to what end fhould a man take
fomuchpaines in graving, and preparing it
under diverfe Afpedls of the Stars, if it had
as much Vertue before ? Towhatpurpofc
alfo Ihould the Inhabitants of the Country
oiHampt^, in Turkic > trouble themfelves
to take the Imprclfion of-a Scorpion that is
figured upon a Stone in a certain Tower, in
apiece ofPotters Clay, iffo be the Clay it
felfe had the fame Vertue beforeWe fay
therefore, that it had not Any Verme before,
Proper for fuch an Operation 5 and that this
Vcrcuc was coranumicatcd unto It, by the
Stone
222 Unheard-of CurJojtties.

Stone in the Tower 5 and to the Stone, 6y

the Starres.
I (hall not here examine the Argument
of Cul. Parifrenfs, which arc tobc fecn un-
der the Tide of the 56. Page, which is;
Jguhd omnia ifla qunfium per Imagines,mulig-
ntfsime fant: becaufc that in this Chapter
he treats only of speaking Images,01 Statues;
fuch as was that Speaking Image of a Man,'
which is falfly (aid to have been made by
Albcrttts Magnus : But the Images we (peak
of, are quite Another Thing; as isalfo
their Power. So that there is nothing want-
ing now, to the full Vindication of them
from Fallhood, and all other Calumnies,
lave only toanfwer the Eighth Objedion,
brought both by Gerfon^nd Gultel. Parifien-
fis alfo.
9. And it is Tins ; which fecmes to
be the mod powerful! of all the reft.
If fo be the Stars arc the caufe of tfiefc
Operations, why then ((ay they) (hould not
their Venue defcend rather upon the Living
Scorpion, then upon it's Image ? ^uomoik,
faies the Later of thefe, non potiiis hujufmo-
di virtus dejeendit fuper ipfum Scorpionem vi-
vum ?
If we but call to mind , what hath
been before delivered, we dial! find it no
hard matter to anfwer this Objedion. For,'
We
 Unheard-of Curiojities. "S
we confeflfe, that the Living Scorpion is not
at all Exempted from this Celeftiall Ver-
tue •, feeing that, if It be applied to the
Wound, It cureth it, as well as It's Tatif-
mmcall Image : fo doth the Crocodile, the
Rat, the Toad, the Dog, and the Viper al-
fo. And if in all the reft of Living Crea-
tures we find not the fame Effeft • it is ra-
ther for want of fearching after it, then a-
ny Defedt in Nature: feeing thatthofe, that
aremoft skilled in the Wonderfiill Works
of God,do certainly allure us,that where-ever
any Difeafe is found, There alfo is the Re-
medy to be had. And who would ever have
thought, that the~'Gravell, which is found
in Urine, fliould ferve for a Remedy again ft
the Stone f and a world of other the like
Secrets there are, which are daily brought
to Light. But it may here be aemanded;
Why then Ihould not the Stars communi-
cate the Vcrtue of driving away Scorpions,
as well to the Living Scorpion, as to it's
Image ?
I anfwer, that if it were fo, Nature Ihould
then make warre againft It Self, and Ihould
utterly deftroy it fdf in a Ihort time •, fee-
ing that all Living Creatures would foone
be deftiroyed by One another; ■ Molt wife-
ly therefore was it ordered, that the Stars
only, and Men, Ihould have tnis Vertue com-
municated unto them. " 10. The
 22/j. Utihiard-of Cutiofities.

Vifq- 16. The Ninth Objedion, is, the An1

MtsJ- ^fwer of Delrio, to the Reafons brought by
quaft'.u Cajctan $ and Pmponatius. For, whereas
ve in- the Later of thefe laies, that although Ft-
um
' gure be not the Beginning, and Caufe of
Operation, yet it may operate very much:
feeing that we may bbferve out of Experi-
ence, that the Figure of a Foule, Deform-
ed Man, ftrikes us with a kind of Sadneffe}
whereas a Beautiffall works in us an Effcft
quite contrary, Befides, Beautifoll Objeds
do fo move us, as that we love them-, which
Foul, and Ill-favoured do not at all: There-
fore faith Pomponatiui, Figures have fomi
Power to Operate. Ddrio anfwers nothing
to this, but . only to the Confequence; de-
nying that Magical! Figures are Beautifull,'
or Deformed. But, even Children may
ealily perceive, that his, Antecedent, is utter-
ly fallc. For, thofe Figures, which. he cals
Magically and we Tatjfmanicall, are T ruly,
and Really,Beautifull, or Deformed, accord-
ing as the things are , which they re*
prcfent; which arc,- for the riioft part, the
Heavens, and the Stars; the Beauty where-
of ravilheth our Senfes, Befides, thefe Fi-
gures do ordinarily reprefent fome Conftd-
lation or other.; as the Virgin^ the tro/ww,
and the reft. Now if a Living Virgin,and
Living Twins, arc Beauafiill,or Deforin-
 Unheard-of Ctiriojttid.
cd 5 why then fliouid not their Figures, of
Piftui'cs be lb too f Let us now proceed
lothc Arguments of ta]etah}wbicn Dclrio
rchites wit/i'as little Rcafdn,1 as he hath done
tliofe of Pomponatius. • •' ,
This Learned Cardinall then layes down
this mo ft True, and Powerfull Condufi-*
on, in favour of Talifmanicall Figures. Fi-
gur* licet ndn ft ipfum princiftum Operati-
m, efi tmen conprincipium. He proves
the Antecedent: quia in artifcum inf rumen-
tis effcit Figura\ ut ilia fi 'c, vel fie operentur^
um quia ferrum latum fuper aquas ferturfluod
J! in forniam dliam contrahts , demergetur.
Thefe rcafbnS of his arc fo Stron'g, and fd
Cfitain, as that it is Impofllblc tO over-
tlirow them. For, jfeeing that a Plate of I-
lonthatis Large, and very Thin, will fwim
upon the water ^ but if you reduce it into'
i Round Solid form, it. linlcs prefehtly; is
it not evident, that this proceeds 'meerely
from the Figure < What manner pf Spirit'
muft he be of,' that dares affirm the'1 con-
trary; unlefleit be one that meanes tO fajr,'
knvever, is Dehio faies; Whofc Anfwer you"
have in thefe tVords. JRefondeo^Figurani
fe Conprincipium in rfiotti locally & Opera-
tmbiis qua per hanc motumfiurit ; ut fupt
wid diviftones contimi per dolabrdm^ p:r
wkuntyfer /tfciam^per [errant; non vefo tn
si
 Unhe^of Curioftties.

Operationibus qu* fiunt per alterationm. j

cannot but wonder, that this Acute Jefuite.
who hath flicwed himfelf in other things a
inoft Learned, and Sound Philofopher, fo
that he contes not iliort of any in the whole
Society, (hould fp grofly offend here, a*
gainft thpfq very Philofophicall Maximes,
which himfelf hath laid down. For, where
he grants,, that Fmtre is a Co-principle in
Local! Motion, ana in the Operations which
this Motion, produced •, but not in thofq
which are caufcd by Alteration 5 hq con-
cludes againff that, which Himfelf had be-
fore laid down, v feeing that, according to the
Common Confcnt of all Philofophcrs,
Heat is caufcd, by Motion : but Heat is a
kind of Alteration: Therefore Figureis/if
It Self, a Co-Principle in the Operations
which are caufed by Alteration.
Again, when he grants to Cajetan^ that 5
Large piece oflrpn may perhaps fwipup
on the water ; .yet he feies, that it is not by
reafon of the Figure, but of the Quantity:
thefc«re his words. SeJefto^jiat erit^m
ratione Figure ,fedratione ^cil;
hut of It Self, and in Sound Philofopby.)
guantitaf non eji atfiva : See then what
the Confequence muft be. And in the end)
when Cajetan concludes,that it is, the
tJicrcforc that makes a large piece of IW
 UMidrd-cf C^rfdfliiesl iij

to fwim upon tfic Watef •, Btfrti

that this Fiaju/e is only AterdtflfSl: fo#,
he, let this Large1, Thin pided of Iron1 ht in-
duced into feme Other Figutdj dthff CirciiM,
Sqirate, or Five-angled, it Will doethti Gtitit:
that is to fay, it will flill #'rf-
tet: therefore the Figure Operates hdt ,• iac
by Accident. But here Jbtlrio deceives mrti-
ftlfe; for Porpofe is not tO'cpfofe'
one Flat Figure >. or, as tfie> Mathematicians'
^cafec , in f tafto > agtuttft another Flat! Fi-
guit," either Square, or Cii'cular : bilt a'
Plaint, Flat Figure , againft a Solid ond.
For a Flat Figure, whether it be Square," Gi^
cufat, Odtosoiiall, or of what fafhion foe-'
writhe, win doe that, whidi thefaflfe Ff-
gnft, if it be fdlidvvill ndt doe : wliieh Fs.
ihoftTrue; fcQng that a piece of IrOn thiitiSf
Square, and Thieke withall, finlies preTehr-
lyto the bottom of the water • which- thfc
pd piece of Iron would not dbe, were it
Square, and very Thinnc It is. therefore
anioli Undemable Ma5titne> that Figm hath'
iome Power fo1 Operate,
ir. The .Other pbjed^ohs which are
dude, againft" the Pow^? ofthbfc linages, are .
fedownc, and re&tcdhy Gal&ttw .* the mbft tc ht-
eighty of wliich ,■ are' thefe following. pmh:
: hi thefe Images whieh-atc ineiiaved' oHc.^,'
Gold for the cute of (He StOhe, artd the Pain
in
 Unheard-of Curibfities.

in the Rcincs, the Gold of its One Nature

cannot woike this Cure;. much leflc then can
the Image •, which being, without Life, cannot
by any meanes alter the Gold, and change it
into another Nature. Belides, in the Image
there is found neither Adtion, norPafliori:
-againe, the Gold, of It fclfe, whether it bei-
. gured, or not, is ttill of the fame Species 5 and
Confequently the bcames of the Starres mull
alwaies work upon it, after one andthefame
manner :and if it fliould work rather upon
Gold which is Figured, then upon that which
is Plaine 5 this A&ion would fecm to proceed,
rather from the Election of the Heavens, then
from any other Caufe. In a word, the Vcr-
tue, which is attributed to this Figure, can
neither be Natural, nor Artificial; Not Na-
turall, bccaufe it proceeds from Withinanuch
lelfe is it Artificial •, bccaufe it is not commu-
nicated unto.it by the Artificer: it mull there-
fore necelfarily proceed from fome Other
Caufe.
The Learned Anfwcr of Galeotttts tothefc
Objedions is this. Non Enint in hac re mil-
tatioJpeciei requiritur , nec proprietas am im-
mutdtur, nec ulla Ctierum Elecfio intervenit,
nec ab Artifice vis ilia fanandt datur , nec I-
viago , ut Imago, cjuiccjuam Efficit, &c. (ei
principirm Atlionis ac Paffionis affert, "t S,
Thomas, Magnafyite Aibertits teflantur, no/ml
 Unheard-of Curiofittes'.

Figura, & Imago ^ Mathematich animadverfa;

fed ut effdt alt am in refgurata' t>raparationemf
qu cdcjtm aflionem fine diffcultate vartjs
modif accifiat. And afterwards explaining,
how it comes topafle, that among the diverfe
kinds of Figures that are under tne .Heavens,
fome are more Naturally Apt to receive the
Influences, then Others are; hebrings in the
Inftance of Looking-glafles ^ amongft which,
thofe that arc hollow, receive the beames of
theSunne, in fo full a meafure v as thatfhey
burne and others receive them fearcely at'all.
Sothediyerfity ofHils, andVallies, is the
Caufe of a greater either Heat, or ColdnelTe.
We may aflb. hcix addc an Inftance in pieces
of Ice, which thb Sun. ;cannot fo ealily melt;
and dilfolve, if.theybe Plainp^ and fmooih;
hutveiy eafily'y if they be Uneven1^' Shd
Rough. Which hath givenroccalion to fohic
to (ay, that Painted Figures ;are nothing^
Proper to the Subjed we treat of, as Graven/
and Carved are: which is nroft True. :'A&
for Gold, although the Figiire. changq not the"-
Sfecies of it 5 yet notwithftanding it renders
it more Apt, and Proper forfuch an AdlOn:
as Water, Cold, 'and Hot, though it be ftill
die fame Species 1, ^yet the one wul boyle our
Meat, v?nen the other will nor. Which,
wakes Galeottttf to conclude, in thefetermes ':
^Htrittir ergo., in. unius & ejufdem Jpeciet-
rdns.y
3jp Unhettbof Gurio^ties-.

rtkw, eertmctltvu temfemmmm, ut VAU-

it. It bath alfo been Objected, agaiaft

Fm0W FuMf > whoundertooke the Dc-
foKe of This Kifld of Sculpture, after Gde-,,
WMt that if it be indued with fuch Wonder-
fol VjgtfpieSj, Map's workmanfliip (liould then
bayj^ffiore Power, than God's : feeing that
Vh? (Stayed Pignre ofa Lion Ihould be able
tQ We the Paine of the Reines^ whicha Li-
vipg Lian could hot doc. To this he an-
fteei's, and that very Pertinently, that, That
whifh Man doeis, is qs wclthe Work of Cod,
wh'ch Gqdhimfclfff docs; feeing that
Wf ate hut His Inftruments 5, and that all
OHr A^ions, according to thb Apoftle , are
in'hUtn s and depend on Him. Bcfidcs, vk
fhiBepmes fee, that That: which hath;been
cpuapoftdbynan , proves to be of Greater
'Viqrf.ue, then, that which God hath limply
Grated: as, for£xamplc, Treacle is of more
Spyeraigne Vertue againlt Povfon, then any
Simple, that the Naturaliftsnave yet found
out. ■ ■ ■ . ■ v.:
Ijt I thought that I had now anfwered
Aftthf Qbjt&ons, that had been maife'a-
fbefe Figures; but I have lately met
^ijsh Another, which is a more Confident
Gntitbmany ©fall the reft 3iapd it i&NMli'
att his, in hi? which wc have hereto-
 Unheard-of Cumfitiei. t$i

fore cited; where defending the honour of

Virgil, who is branded with the name of a
Necromancer, becaufe that he fometimes ap-
plied himfelfe to the making ofthefe Tdifma-
mcitH images ^ he boldly affirms, that all the
ftories," which are reported of this Poet, are
Falfc , and Ridiculous. He denies then,
Confequently, thofe Images which He madej
as, the Blazen Fly, which he fet up.upon one
ofthe gates of the City Naples •, which , for
the fpace of Eight yeares, kept all manner of
Flics from comming into the City. He de-
nies alfo that other Tdlifman^ofa Horfeleech,
graved on a Plate of Gold 5 which he caft in-
to a Well, for to dilatory tht vaft multi-
tudes of Horlltech.es, that antloyed the fame
Gity, Irt a Wordhe ftands hot tb dlfpute,
tfhctliertfe OpeMbris of theft Ihlagcs are
Neural ,'6rhot f bhf hee plauily denlts in
Tcrmcs,^hae there W^s' eVcr dhy fuch thing
in the World ; afe- if he could not by any
niearies MVe defended Virgil's fnnocence,
withbUt^aftirig himftlfe upon this Extreame,
and gtVlnjgfhc tye foall the Authors that
have re^Srted thefc: ftories. ^hat which he
fayes, Irt thePro^teffe'of his Dlfcotirfe , by
way of Cctoftrmatibn of his Affertion, is af-
ter the fame Rate. For, by rcafon of the
great twhibier of Places, from whence thefe
peafts ate. reported by Hiftorians to have
Qjp been
2^2 Unheard-of Curioftties,
been driven away ^ one , faith he, v^iy
well doubt, vyhethcr, becaufe they are faitj
to have been driven from fo many, they were
everdriven from any, or no. As if, becaufe
of the great number of Bartails that Hannibal
is reported by Hiftorians to have fpughtwkh
the Romans^ we might not, by the fame Rca-
fon, doubt, whether bee fought any tyith
them, or no. He faies moreover, that Sea-
liger had good reafoji, to make himfclf mer-
ry with one of thefc Fly-drivers , who ha-
ving made a Taltfmanicall Plate for This Ve-
ry Purpofe; he had no fooner fet it up , up-
on one of his Windowes, but a fly comes
prefenly and fhites upon it for Handfell, But
he muft notthinke^ that thefe Reafons of his
are able to derogate any thing, from the Pow-
er, which we have acknowledged thefc Figures
to have. For, (that we may give him his
Anfwer,) if fuch a Phyfician ts not able to
Cure a Sicke man; or if fuch an Arithmetici-
an be not able to bring to an end fome Opera-
tion, which he hath begun: fliali we therefore
conclude, that Phyficke, and Arithmctick,
are Falfc and Ridiculous t An Able niancan
do that, which an Ignorant man cannot: and
if he alfo fometimes faile, it muft be imputd
to fome default, either on his p'art, or on the
Matter; and not in the Science, which is In-
fallible. In which nonvithftanding there arc
 Unheard-of Curtofnies. 23$
u A., J-
fo Many Things to be obferyed, that I cannot
wonder much,'if many men find not the.Ef-
feft anfwen their Expedation. AnQther rca-
fon, which renders the Endeavours of men
herein often Fruiflefle, is, the little Cenainty
that we have, of Celeftiall Affaires, as being
fp farre removed from us. And this is thar>
ivhich Jlog.er Bacon faith. S^jtia diffcile ejl in ^
his certiiudimm Ccslefiium percipere, ideo ijt
his mtiltus efi error apud multos 5 et pauci funt
ipiijciant aliquidufiliter , et ueraciter ordina-
re. And this is the Only Reafon, why fo.
many great Perfonages have pafled by, both
this Science, & that of Ercfting fforofeppes,
and alfo the fo ipuch Famed Phijofpphers
Stone-, being taken up with Imployments of
more Importance j and which required not ci-
ther fo much Time, or Paincs; Not, but
that they acknowledged the Truth, both of
the one,and of the Others andEfpecialivof
Talifmns: as may appear outoffeverall E-
piftlcs otyofeph Scaltger to the ST]- delaVatt^
y<i\e(, and Bagarris, So that I am of opi-
nion, that if his Father, ftdius ScaltgerAid.
makehimfelfe merry, to fee, that a Mathema-
tician ihould nor be able, with a Figure made
to drive, away Flies, to keep a Fly frora com-
raingand abufing it ;it was rather to laugh at.
the Ignorance of the Arti/l then at the Art
k profelfed; feeing he hath :acknowledged
2^4 Unhtard-of CmhJtHes.
the Power of it, in diverle places. As cort*
ccmihg the Author, cdk& Gervais, who it-
tributes to r^i/ thefe TalifmamcaU Images;
as namely, a BrafynFly, zGiiden Horfdteeh)
atoifome others : the high Imployments
which he was taken ihto'by the Emperour o-
(to whom he was Chanccllour:) and
the booke which he prefented him with , the
Title whereof was, Ocia imerialia, ought in
my Opinion, to render him a man Worthy
of Credit: for as much as it highly concerned
a rtian of his Rankc, and Gondition, to pub-
lifli nothing, but what was both Grave, Sc-
rkws, and True. And certainly, ifhe fliould
have fo much forgotten himfelfe, as to have
pafc'nted the Emperour with a parccll of Ab-
ftftd , Impoffiblc, Fabulous ftories, as to-
dsMs ii plcafed tO-call diem this would have
beenthe meancs to have made him been cry-
ed dOWne for a Foole, efpecially in a Princes
Court ^ Where there are alwaies found fomc
High Spirits, that cannot flatter at all ; and
fomc others, who, envying the Fortune of
the Great OrtcS, will befure to examine their
very Leaft Adtions; and will not pardon the
Eeaft Fault they commit. How then would
th6y have pardoned Thofe Faults,which were
Crittlinall 5 fifth as arc thofe, which they
would charge ldm With which are not fit to
have proceeded (I will not fay, from a Chan-
ccllour,
 Uftbedrd-af CamjUm, ■135

cdlourjbut) from the moft "Wretched Poet

that lives i Ifit befaid , that Princes have
oftentimes the like books prefented to than,
whichare full of Lies, andoi;her Impcrtincn-
cics: I anfwer, that fuch bookes however are
never prefented by a Chanccllour, or by any
Pcrfon of Note,or Confiderationin a State.;
Neither yet do fuch Bookes, by whomfoever
corapofed, cfcape from being anfwei'ed by
fotne or other: but, as for This ofour Chah-
cellour, who hath ever refuted it 1 nay rather,
what Hiftorianhath nottranferibed him, and
infertedhis Stories into his owne writings, as
moft True ones i And whereas fome may
fay,that he hath fbpie things, whichfeem
Ridietilous, and Incredible: I anfwer, that
they ought not to befo efteemed •, ft nee that
the Ages paft, and even thefe Our Owne
Daies do producethe like. So, that Admi-
rable Tower, or Steeple, which Necham re-
ports to have been made by Virgil, with fuch
wonclcrfull Art, as that the Tower, which
was built all of ftone, moved to and fro, when
the Bell ritng out -, is not without Parallel:
for at MoHjiiers} a City of Provence,the Stee-
ple, whofe ftones ace all mortaifed one tVithin
another, hath in a^anncr the very fame mo-
tion that the Bell Mth in Ringing3 and that
info ft range a manner, as thatiometimes
thofe which are omhe'top of it, knowing no-
thing
2^6 Unheard-of Cumjities.

thmj? oFit, when they peiceive the Bells begin

tq ring, are very much affrighted : which, I
confeffe, happened once to my felfc.
14. I coidd in like manner make good the
grcateft part of thofe other Stories, which are
reported of this Poet 5 which the fame Nau-
dans accounts both Falfe, and Jmpofliblc;
but that I fee on the other fide, that they come
very farrc fhort of thofe Admirable Inventi-
ons of fome ccrtaine Inftruments, Images,
and Figures, which Our Ownc Age hath
brought forth. As, for Example, thofe
Admirable Clocks, which are to be feeji; one
whereof I faw at Ligarne, brought thitherto
be fold by a Germane 5 which had fo many
Rarities in it, as I fhould never have believed,
if my owne Eyes had not feen it. For, be-
fides an infinite number of Strange Motions,
which appeared not at all to the Eye 5 you had
there a company of Shepheards , whereof
fome played upon the Bag-pipe, with fuch
Harmony, and Exquilite Motion of the fin-
gers 5 as that one would have.thought, they
had been alive. Others Daunccd by Cou-
ples, keeping exadt Time, and Meafurt;
whiles others capered, and leaped up & down,
. whh fo much Nimbleneffe, that my Spirits,
were wholy ravilhed with the Sight. I Half
not here fay anv thing of that Admirable In-
ftrument which is to be feen in the hands of
U1'
 Unheard-of CurioJitUs, 237
Mr-de Pejrefc, one of the Kings Councell,
which Iheweth the Houres of the Day , and
thejuft Time of the Ebbing , and Flowing
of the Sea, by the Motion of a little blemlS
Water, which is (huf up within a litde Cir-
cular Pipe of Glalfc, in which you ihall fome-
times fee this water quite conveyed away. I
(hall alfo pafle by Architas his Wooden
Dove • ana the Artificiall Fly, and Eagle,
which have, in Our dales > beenemade by
An to flye, at Normberg: the Author wher- •
of hath alfo made very Admirable HydrM-
lickes, andaPerpetuall Raiijbowi as Ant(h Lib. if.
mnsPoffevims reports : as alfo the Burning-
glalfe which Proclus made, in Imitation of '
that, wherewith Archimedes burnt the Ships sttA.
ofthc Romans, at the fiege of Symufe: the ^ ^
Statue ofMemnon, wliich ahvayes yielded a
ftrange found , attheRtfing of the Sunne:^'^
and thofe of Sever in us Boedus, ( fo much
admired by Theodoricus, King of Italy 5 ) vimr.
wlio , as, Cafjiodorus faith, made Serpents ^ Et'
of Brafle to hiffe. Birds ofBrafle to ling-, ''
and, in a word, gave, as it were , Lire,
and Soule to all kinds of Mcttalls : The
Art of Flying , which Lucian affirmcs,
that himfelf hath feen pra&ilcd-, and which'
was publickly Ihewen upon the Theatrein /H pfen-
Nerds time, as Suetonin* repons : the Ad-^Pb'10-
mirable Effcdts which Boger Bacon promi-
fed-^cr'wi.
 ,238 Unheard-of CuriopiiS.
fed 5 asjdf raifing Artificial! Clouds , ami
caufing Thunder-daps to be heard , and
Flaflics of Lightning to be feen y and aftcf-
wards to have all this end in a Shower iof
Raine: The Figure of the Heavens made
•dmhrof. in Bcaflcybp fanellus Tttrrianttt of Cnm-
nurrat. ^j-which were much more admirably done,
miifcrif. thdn that of Archimedes; and was tobe feen,
not many yeares fined, in Spaine: together
with a little Mill, which) on one fide made
• a;.Noyle,.as of a Millvdocit 5 andotithco1-
ther,.caftforth the Mealc ground : the Tree,
which they czWyVegmll which is made to
grow in a Glaffe , in Idle then a Nights
^aee : the Rofe, and all other Flowers,
which by An are raiftrd up, out of their
own Alhes: the Burning Lamp;, which was
deem found in the Temple of Fetm, which the
veijib. Violence of Winds could not extinguiih :
ly c 6
. - - and that Other Candle, made of a cdnaine
Stone, Lighted 5 which Was hdrder thefna-
j«wt s ny ^ron : Whereof Lucas T'udetifii^ and A-
jfiin. 'fiat*** make mention : as alfo many other
c.the like, which the Learned Licetns1 hath
»1. lately made an Exatft Difcourfe of, in his
me r
" ' Book, De Lucernu Awiquorim. Laftlf, I
ftiall alfo omit to fpeak of the Inventionof
diverfe kinds of Hydraulicks ittOuf Own
times, which arc of fo wortderfull Strange
Contrivance, as that there is- noiliihgin the
 Unheard-of Cwiafims. 239

world, which tbcy doe not imitate: a*, alfo

thofe Statues of:Men, and Women, that
Speak, although Inartkulately; that Move
ofthemfelVes, and play upon divers inftru-
ments: Of Birds, that Fiy , 'and fing r df
Lions, that roarc ^ of Dogs, chat bans*, and
others, that fi^ht with Cats, inthe very lame
manner, as L).viag Dogs, do : and a thdm-
{and other wondctftill Inventions of Men,
ivhich are enough to aftoniih our fenfes.
And now to the Reader judge, if the Au-
thor of that hold, rafti Afelogjy have any
juft reafon to fay, as he does, that chis
learned Cbartcdlbur to the Emperouc o-
tho was not ia> his tight Wits, when he
wrote the forc-racndoncd'Book? where the
Efedis of thofe Figures, which he attributes
to Virgil, have much Idffe of Wonder int
thctiii, then Thcfe we have here fpecified*
So that confequently, a man might, by this
mcanes, defend1 this Exrdfent Poet, tgainft
die Imputation of Magicfe, without denying
(both asainlb the Eupericnoe of Former A-
|C5,antt of Our OwnO-the Power of Za-
bfmns 5 the Truth , and Efficacy wlieneof
yon may fee acknowledged^, (that I may
trouble my felf no longer to ptovc, it,) irf'
the works of thofe Authors whichwe^ave
foittierly citedi*, whofeQgality renders them
both, withouci Sttfpitioni, and above all Re-
proach. 14. After
\ Unheard-of Cumftties.

14. After all thefe Objcdions, there

are yet fome Other may be made, whicli
have quite efcaped bur Criticks : I fhall
firft propofe,anc} then anftver them ; to the
end I may dcare this Subjcdl j which hath
been fo Unjiiftly cried downj of all Doiibtsj
and Difficulties.
It may be then Objcfted, that, feeing
that, in making of a Talijmanicall. Imagt;
we are to grave only One Ccleftiall Fi-
gure 5 the reft j which ftio'uldconcurre inthe
Operation, not finding their Image there,
cannot Operate at all-
Secondly , it is Ridiculous to grave the
Figure of a Ram, a Lion, and fo of the refty
feeing that the Conftellations, whofe names
thefe are, do not doe the. bulinefle, in the
Effeds which we fee in Nature; but rather
the Sun, palling through the pans of the
Heaveps.
Thirdly, the Venue of the Other Stars
will be communicated to the Image, as well
as ofthofe, which we chiefly defire to make
ufeof; feeing that,both the One;- and the
Other, do continually fend fonh their Influ-
ences : thbfe therefore , that arc bf1'Con-
trary Qualities, will hinder the Operation of
the Other. . .
Laftly, thefe Figures muff needs beSu-
perftitious, and no whit Naturall; feeing
diar
 Utoheird-of Curioftitesl

that the Figure of a Scorpion, either Ingra-

ved,or ImboiTed, on a Stone, hath not only
the power tp cure the longing of a Scorpi-
on,Itfelf 5 'but is able alfo to communicate
This Power to Another Figure, taken from
it, in a Piece of Clay ; as in that we havq
ipokenof. ■ ' '. ,
To the Firft I anfwer, that a man mayy
if he pleafc, grave Divcrfe. Images, aqcordf
ing to the Diyerfity of the Signes that he
would obferve. Such a one was that To-
lifmmcaU Stone of the Sr. de Bagarris *
which was fecn in Paris^ by diverleLearhcd
Men : fuch a .onealfo is one of thofe Silver
Talifmans, thscM.de Marefeot^ Mailer of the
Requefts, fo much honoured me, as to com-
muniatcunto me; although X conceive it to
have been made by fome Superftitious perfon*
For, befides the Table, of Latine Cifersthar
you find there, and fome Chymical Chara-
ftcrs; there are alfo three Angelicall Chara-?
ders, like unto thofe that are found figured
in a Book intituled, Les Clavicul(s de Salt-
mn :■ which makes me fufpedl all the, reft.,
The Figure of a Woman, which.you fee
on the One. Side, is certainly meant for the
Sign of Virgo ■ and the three Hebrew Let-;
tcr5, which are on the other fide,' are
the Abbrevwtures ofthefc three Entire Words,'
irei ai^n Sts, ha[cem pchad; that is to
R ' " fay,'
 Unheard-of Ctiriofniet.

fay, word for word; God; This Nam is out,

Mr. de Peyrefcjof whom I have formerly
piade mention, a man that is moll Exaft
and Skilfull in Matters of Antiquity^ hath,
among the many Rarities which his Cbfet
affords, very many of thcfe Talifmanicd
Figures alfo • which he could not have the
opportunity of convcighing to me, becaufc
that the Intercourfe with Liens hatli been
broken off, by reafon of the Sicknelfe. I
may poflibly hereafter have the Opportu-
nity to communicate them to the World;
But to return to the bufinefle in hand. The
Influences of many feverall Stars may be
communicated to one Sole Figure; as the
Vertuc of many'fundryHearbs, which pio-
ceedcth from the fame Stars , may be re-
duced into one Medicine. This Compa-
rifon is ufed by Marftlius Ficims , who,
following the opinion of the Ancients,faies:
jlU verd ex quamflurimis conflari fro arii-
trio pojfunt. Utfi centum Sclis> fovifqtie dt-
tes, per centum plantas^ & animalia3Jimilu-
que Jparfe fuerint; eomj/onere fimul hue cen-
tum ttbi compertapofsis: & in mam confcin
for mam, in qua Solem feme,fovempe tc-
turn jam videaris habere. So that there is
no great Ncceifiry that the Figures of all
die Conftellations fliould be ingravcd, but
.only of That, which you would have to
Ope*
 .. t
Unheard-of Curioftties. ;

Operate the tnoft EffcAually. Andthough

tlic Other Starrcs1 meet nQt with a Figure
fcmblablC to their Operations;' yet wilhmey.
Operate nbtwithftanding : for as raueh as
they doe continually Hied forth their- Influ-.
ences upon all things indifferently 5 and do-
communicate their Venue to the GoldOf
to the Stone; though fome, more ; and o-
thcr fotnc, leffc •, according to the diverfe
Alpefts, under which they were wrought, ; '•
To the S.econd Objeftion I anfwer, in-
one word, that it is all one,, whether it be,
the Twelve Conftellations of the Zodiadc,
or the Sun in them , that fheds forth thefc
Influences, fothat webe butaffured by Ex->.
periencc,: that they come from fuch a part
of the Heavens, and-that the Effeft ahvaies,-
followes.: we arc therefore alwaics to grave
fuch a Figure, as is Corrffoondcntto this
Effeft, wnether it proceed from the Sufi*,'
or from the other Stars, And yet: it is
Manifeft, that it proceeds not Principally
from the Sun j feeing that the reft of the;
forty eight Conftellations, which are not in
the ZocSack,and through which the Sunnc,
palfcs notatalljdo neveitheieflc,in fome fort.
Operate alfo. '• ••
The Third Objedion is as eafily, Anfwer-
cd, as the Former ; forafmuch as tnofe; Con-
ftellations, which arc of a Contrary Nature;
R a to
^4 Unheard-of Curtoftties.
to the EfFeft which we dcfire, though they
do Operate; yet it is but Faintly, and witli
Little Force: for we ufeto obferve the time,
cither when they arc nOt in our Hemifphcrc-,
or if they be, wc then take them, when their
Afpeft is weakcft,and when a Fortunate Star
accompanies them.
The Laft Obje&ion is indeed the moft
Difficult of all the reft-, feeing that the Vcr-
tuc, which we find Imprinted in a Talifmn,
feemes to furpafle the Power of Nature.
Neverthelefle we are able to make it appear
that there is nothing Extraordinary .in it, by
inftancing .in theLpadftone ; which having
communicated it's Vertue to a Peice of l-
ron, This Peice of Iron communicates it
afterwards to Another, in drawing ittok
felf,and retaining it< In like manner may
a Talifmanicall Figurecoinmunicatc it's Ver-
tue to A nother Figure, which fliall have re-
ceived Impreffion from It; which fliall af-
terwards have the power to work the fame
Effcds: only the Difference is, we can give
a Reafon of this Later., though not of the
Former For, the Talifmnn is, as a Brickj
made very hot, which is able to heat ano-
ther Brick, though not with fo much force,
as the Fire does: and, the fame is to be faid
of the ,Print of a Tiilifmnn in Glay, which
'can never be fo Powcrfuli in Operation, as
 Unheard-of Cumjitief. 445

the Talifman it fdfe; which is heiatcd, or pe-

netrated, by the Beams of the Stars.
We conclude then, that we may Natu-
rally, and without the Aid of Spirits, prove,
by the Secrets of Nature, not only the Pow-
er of thefe Images, but of many other O-
pcrations alfo, which are more wonderfull.
As, for Example, to fend Newes to our
friends, in lelfe then an houres fpace, above :_
an Hundred Leagues off: as Trithemm Ab- ^
bas'^nd Bartholemy Cordelier, and after them, somu
Robert Find, have undertaken to doe. To
doc fuch Miraculous things, by the help ofw. "part.
Looking-glafles, as we would think to be
utterly Impolfible: fuch as were thofe flrange
Operations, which Roger Bacon undertook'e
to do in the number Nine 5 by which hce
promifed the Pope, that if he would ftirniih
aim with fuch a Summe of mony, as the
Charge of making them would require, he
fliould beable to annoy the Turkes more by
thefe Glaffes, then by an Army of a Hun-
dred Thoufand Men. Briefly, if Ari/lotle
had not informed us, that the Image in the
Aire which infeparably followed a certaine
man, fo that he could never be rid of it,
was Natural! .• would it not prefently have
hcen concluded, that it was fome Familiar
Spirit, or fome Demon, that took upon it
the Figure of this Man f And yctneverthe-
R3 leflej
 • Unheard-of CurioJtjies.
leffc, this was only the EfFed of the .MaiTs
own Weaknelfe of Sight •, which, being un-
able to penetrate the Medium of the Airc,
it's bcamcs were reverberated, in like man-
ner as in a Looking-glafife j fo that,when e-
ver his Eyes were open, hcftillfaw his oivn
i&e fro/. Image in the Aire. , Which makes me.to
'tK Fro- be of their Opinion, who indcavourto vin-
vd.vui- dicate the Ancients, from the Imputation of
hg- de Magicke, and to thinke, that the Workes
vvhich.They did, and which are commonly
accounted Diabolicall, proceeded mecrly
from fome Naturall Principle : and! l am fe-
rioufly pfthis mind , that there can be no-
thing more Ridiculous, then to have recourfc
to Spirits. For, befides that Campamlhy
Riolantu, Symphoriawts, Campegitu, and ma-
ny others aflure us, that, wnatfoeverthcy
may have done, yet They have never obfer-
ved any thing that was Supernaturall, at
leaft in thofc Works, which arc faid topro-
ceed from Spirits : We our felves, may do,
without Their Aidj whatfoever they can do-,
feeing that they have no Advantage over Us,
but Operate only by applying Adive things
a'efyer.10 Pauive, like as We do. Wc condude
jricr therefore with the Learned Bacon,' floni-
Hat. etf. gjtur 0p0rt et no; uti Mugicif illuftortibtts, (tm
u
potefias fhilofophiae doccat cperari quod /«/'
fcit.
PiRti
 Unheard-of Cum[ttiesl

\
P A R T, I 11.

Ojtbe Horofcope of the Tatri*

arches: or the Aftrology of the

Ancient Hehrewes,

CHAP. VII.

That Idolatry is falfdy faid to have Iprung

from the Aftrology of the Ancients.

THE CONTENTS.

tpHe Arguments againft Aftrology ill groim-

A ded: and how^ by the waies of Nature^ it is
foffible to give judgement of the Goad, or E-
vid Fortune of a Child,
i. The Refolution o/Thq. Aquinas, in the
khalfeof Aftrology,
3. Guliclmus Parifienfis, and Paracelfus
refuted. Aftrology by whom found out. The
Error 0/Pliny in this Particular^
R 4 4. AfttOr,
24$ Unheard-of Curiofttiei*
4. 4frology both Good) and Evill^andhdn,
JVIofes a skilfull Afirologeri ^
5. idolatry whence ftrung forth, according
to Marfilius Ficinus, fjWKechay ? <i $ea.-
Hannibal, & Hafdrubal, Compounded mmcs^
and why.
6. 'The Opinion of K. Mofes, and the An.
thor of the Boohe of the Wifdomc of Salo-
mon, concerning the Beginning of 'ldobtt].
The Conclufion of all. before delivered.
7. Fires ufedto be made, by the Ancients,
to the Sunne, and the Moone : and for what
Reafon.
8. Reafons given, for theproofe of the In-
nocency of the ^Indents , m theje Curitf
ties. .

J*! .'"/igf Do not doubt, but that, now I

jlgly J*jj£ here undertake to prove , that
Mm the Patriarchs, arid Firft Fa-
df®?1 thers were Aftroiogers , and
Callers of Nativities, I lhall
be accounted a Ridiculous fellow; and that
the Coirimon Cry will be, that my Qpini*
ons are Wild, and Extravagant, and with-
out Comirion fenft. Butbe it fo I have
already endured fo many Calumnies, for en-
deavouring but to reforriie the Ignorant ., as
tliat I may very well fay with the Poet ;

dec
 Unheard-of Citrhfitks. 249

"Hoc quoJae Nafo feres ^.qttomatn majoM

tiilijii--
fqm tihifentiri Sarciha nulUpotejl.

All things arc fwectun-

to mc, fo that the T ruth be but knownc : and
cenainely my Enemies rauft of Neccflity
leave perfecuting me, unlefle they are. more
fcnfelelTe then Beafts. I publifh then Free-
ly, and Boldly., This Curious piece of Do-r
dhine, which the Ignorance of the Hebrew
tongue kept a longtime hid from the Chrifti-
ans. But feeing that my Cuftome alwayos
is,firft of all to cleare the Subject which I han-
dle, from all lufpidon ' it concernes me, that,
before I difcovcr the Secrets of this Aftrolo-
gy of the Ancients, 1 make it appeare, that
Men have, without juft Rcafon, or Ground,
queftioncd the Purity of this Science-, which,
teaching how'tocrcft Nativities, under the
diverfeAfpeds of the Stars, makes us Able
to Foretell, and that by a way of Natures
owneteaching, the Good, or EviU Fortune
tlat fliall befall men.
1. Thofe then that oppugne the Innocen-
cy of. Aftrology , make ufe ordinarily of
tfiefe two Rcalons: firft, that it is Vaine, and
of no Truth 5 and fecondly, that it is con-
demned by the Maximes of our Religion;
which requireth nothing at our hands, but
•25° Unheard-of Curicfmesi
this Burden of the Cloifter y ohedtence i ixA
Humility. And if wc but confult the Ca-
nons., where this Decree is to be Teen, writ-
ten in red letters; you will finde, fey they,
that it is not without Gaufe, that This Art
is cried down; feeing it impofeth a Necepitj
upon our Adlions : and that the Principle
on which it is grounded, hath been of fo dan-
gerous Confequence, as that it hath planted
Idolatry in the Mirides of Men. Now if
thefe Arguments had not been already anfwe-
red by fo many Authors, it would conccrnc
me to examine them in this place: but Cardir
■nail de Aliaco^ Xucius Bcllantius, Melanch-
thoni Firovanus, Goclenius, and BanZovi/fj,
haVe fo judicioufly done it, to the fetifaftion
ofthe moft Criticall Palate, as that he muft
be no Man, that fliall not acknowledge their
Reafons to be moft Juft, and Sound. For,
ifthc Church, fay They, cannot endure the
very name of Afirology it is not meantof
that Kind ofA/rology, wlrich, by the Rifing
and Setting of the Stars, and by their feverafl
Conjundlions, is able to foretell Rain,Thun-
der, Stormcs, and Tcmpeftuous weather,
and, by Confequence, the Plenty, or Scar-
city of Fruits: as alfo, by the Namre of thefe
Ccleftiall Figures, to judge of the Naturall
Difpofition of a new born Child: as, thatit
will be of a Temperate Humour, if it be
 Unheard-of Quriofities. , 151

Jjoine under a Tempcrate Signe 5 and for the

fainereafonj willbealfo Meek, Affable, and
Courteous: or elfe on die contrary, if it be
boine under a Malignant Conftellation, by
rcafon of Its being either too Cold /, or too
Hot', and Parching •, the; Child will alfo a-
boiind with the Like Humour, andfoa man
may proceed on in his judgement of him, and
pronounce of him Probably , and without
captivating the Will at all, that he Will be
Qijarrelfom,and Ill-natured-, and thefe Quar-
rels being alwayes accompanied with fome
ill Accident, or other , .one may conclude,
thathewillbc Vnhappy, and Vnfortunate:
and many the like things may be foretold,
which I.lhall here omit •,becaufe they arefo
common,, that even Children know them.
This then is not the Aflrology^ again ft which
the Church hath given Sentence but that O-
thcr Sort,which hath been Juftly condemned;
which attributing more Power to the Hea-
vens, then it ought to do, impofethaNe-
cclTitic upon the Frceft Part of our Soule.
Thefe Authors have likewifc given the
fame Anfwere to the Fir ft Argument, con-
cerning the Incertainty of this Art, which
wc have before brought to prove the T ruth
of thG: Power of Figures. We may therefore
account allthofe tobc very Obftinate, and
Sdf-conccitcd men, who, toafperfe Jjiro-
lo
Sh
V)i Unheard-of Curiofities.
■ ■' —
do reckon ;Up all thofe Afirologers of
note, that have been found Liers; whereas
they fliould alfo as well Have produced the
names of all thofe that have hit right, and
whofe Predidlions have even aftonilkdall.
thofe, that havefeeue the Event to follow.
So, the great Picus Mtrandula, who, for
writing againft Afirologers more, and more
reproachfully, then ever man did, was cal-
led Flagellum Afirologorum, met at laft with
one Lucius Bellantius of Syena, who was not
at all deceived in his judgement that he gave
upon his. Nativity: for he foretold him, that
he ihould die in the Thirty fourth year ofhis
Age; which accordingly came to paflc. And
did not ^ an Italian^ of tne City of
Florence, foretell, that Himfclfe ihoulddie
of fome Violent Death, and upon the veiy
fame day was knocked on the head , byhrs
Books in his own Study falling upon him?
But that we may not weary ourfelves, in
turning over bookes, infearcning for Exam-
ples of this Kind, even our owne Country
of France will be able to affoard us enough,
and he muft have bcen a blind man, that hath
hot obferved them.
2. Certainly the Confideration of thefc
T ruths prevailed fo much upon the Minds of
the moftLearned men,that lived in the days of
our Fa thcrs, that without any making Doubi,
or
 2
Unhedrd'-of Curiojities, J5. •

er Scruple at all, they put Pen to Paper 5

imploying their moft precious hours ofStu-
dy, in Gonfirmation of what their Piredc-
delfours had herein delivered : addicting
themfclves fb much the more freely to this
kind of Study, for that they fawit tvasaf-
ferted alfo^ even by the moft pious Do&ors Duufe:
of the Church. Damafcene, faith,atque 2-M'de
ulios PlanetaSy diverfascomplexiones, habi-^mn
tHSy &difpofttiones in nobis conftituere. Tho. ctm.i.j:
Aijitinas hath alfo embraced the fame Belicfc,
dting the fore-named Author, and confir-
ming this Dodkrine by the comparifoh of a
Phyfitian, who is ableto judge, by the Com-
plexion, and Temperament of the Body,
as by the Immediate Caufcs, of the Subtilty
oftne Vnderftanding: In like manner, faith
he, may an Aftrologer judge of it, by the Di-
vetfe Motions of the Stars,as by Gaures.alfo,
though more remote. , He addes further, CmtA.*
that it is True which Ptolqmy affirms Qf.thefJdr.js/
Planet Mercury -, that if, atthe Nadvityof"a
Child, it bee found in one of the Houfesof
Sdtiirne, hce; will have an Acute, clear Wit.
Andat laft, this Learned Do&or concludes,
that Aftrologers are very feldom out, in their ?• j- ,
ludgemcnt, as farre as concernes the Man-
acrs of Men; for, we are, faith Hce, to be- /?«« n-
4ri ie
leeve our Senfe, and Experience.
3- I fhall here pafleby all that the reftSfWW'
of
 2$4 Unheard-of Curiofities.
Acme- of the Fathers have written, touching this
Particular-,, all which is diligently coilcdcd,'
by Rodolfhtts Goclcnim, a Phyfician of Mt\-
bomg : neither doc I purpofe to make an
Apology for this Science 5 for, I fliall rell
fatisfied in the Churches Determination:
Only t will here fet downc, what the 0-
piriion of the Rabbins is, in this point in
hand. -
And firft, that I may cleare thefc Se-
crets from all manner of Sufpition, invill
concern me , in few words to fliew, that
there can be nothing more Falfe,then what
isufually given out, to the Difpara^ement
of this our Aftrology 5 namely, That the
beginning of It, hath given Rife to idoUtrj.
Ctdielmtts Par if en (is, in his Fiift Part deli-
hiverfo, denying the Power of the Stars in
Figures, which we have before treated of,
endeavoiircth to confirme This Opinion;
which was firft broached by fome Chrilli-
ans in the Prirhitive Churcli. Theofhtafta
Paracelftts hath alfo fincc judged it True,
in his Book Be Morb. Ijtvifib. in the Chap-
ter which treats of the Dileafe, which is cu-
led by the name of S. Valentine, or, the
Falling-ficknefTe; where he faith; ^uidm
ex poftilo cbfervarunt, quod & Planetarnm
Conjunftiones & Oppoftiones, & alij cur jus
Calefies, tales morbos irritarent, & augereut-,
 Unheard-of Curiojities.

nnde etiam feftanaU fttnt^ ut quidam cfedi-

derint, Stellas effe Deos. But this Opinion
hath no Solidity in it at allj and that for
Three Reafons. The Firft is, bccaufe the
Patriarks, according to the Teftimony of
the moft Authentique Authors, were the
Inventors of this Science. The Second is,
bccaufe that their Children pradlifed it, and'
were Blameleflc. And the Third is , bc-
caufe it is a very hard Matter, Truly to de-
termine, whence Idolatry tooke it's begitj-
fting.
• As for the Firft , fofephus affirmes, that jtufau
Adam and Seth, were the Firft that pradlifed
this Science •, whether it were in them, Infu-
fed, or Acquired: and thsx. Abraham, when
he fled into Egppt, taught it the Egjptiansi
This Truth hath fo much the more Force in"
it, in that it proceeds from a man whofe Au-
thority is Unqueftionablc. So that we may uh. 5,
perceave, that Plinie is much miftaken, when 6,7.
he affirmes, that none but Atlas was the Au-
thor of it: for, befides that we are very cer-
taine, that Ajirology was in Vfe, long before
Atks j he contradids what himfelfc had faid
in the Book immediately going beforc^vhere
he would have Belns toliave been the Firft
that invented : although afterwar.ds
again he alfures us, the Phanicians were the
Uicn. But fuppofe we fliould ^rant him,that
jjg Unheard-of Cttriofttih.
j -- — . . — i tL
the Phaemctans 5 or clfe, as others ysrill have
it i the Afyrians 3 were,the Inventctsofit;
yetftjll willitbe true, that the, Patriarks \yere'
the Men j forafmuch as, Abraham was an
Affyriatyand his Predeceffours were Phm-
euns •, a Colony of Ajjyrians having gone into
Phanicia, as we have elfewhere proved. ,1
lhall not here fpeak of the T wo pillairs which'
are . reported to have been erefted before the
Floud j upon one of which, all the Rules of
Afirology were ingraved, by Seth •, and which
was preferved downc to the very time that, i
tfofephus lived in, who affirmcs nimfclfcto
nave been an Hye-witneffe of it. Nowit
could never enter into any mans breafho,
imagine, thatthefe Firft Patriarks^ obfeiving
the Motions ofthe Heavens, did worihipthe
Stars : it were a great Crime to entertain any
fuch Thought. Idolatry therefore took not
its Beginning from Ajirology. ;
4. The feeond Rcafon is grounded upon
All Story, both Sacred,and Profane; wnerc
any one may fee, that there are very few
Ages pafled , wherein there was not fomc
Great Perfonage that was Famous for his
Knowledge in Ajirology, without being con-
demnedfor itby any. Itis true indeed, that
the Primitive Chriftians condemned AqniU;
who is no other, then the Famous Interpre-
ter of the Bible, knowiie by the name oion-
 Unheard-of Cumfttiesl

kilos: butit jvas. not, till tliey found, that this

Gvcrcuiipus. Spirit reftcd not in thq (irnpli-v
city of Ajfrojogy., biit betook himfclfe to tlid.
fuperftitious Obfeivationofthe Stars ,, attri-
butingtbthcin the.Power of over-ruling ^ as
well our Mind i as our Body -/and that InCr
vitablytoo, without leaving us any Power
to.Decline tlieir Influences , which he is faid
to have called by the. name of Fat nil., In.^
word, no man w.ill.ever be able to findj whatj
ever Picas Mir'anduln^.{\yh.o is fecondedby
Pf/rw, and many others, j fayestothe com
trary, that among fo many Jjlrolorers? thac
arc fpdk'en of in Hiitory, any One nath bedrf
reproved •, iffo be that he only, obferved die
bare Rules of Jjlrology, as we have de(bribed
it;and followed the Trabt, which Nature
hath laid down.-, leaving us the Proper I^reet
dom of our Will, as our Religion teachCth
us. And in this Xenfe, Aftrology is, Gdod^'
and Allowable; but very. Pernicious,, if it •
proceed otherwife. Belides, This .Reafoii
ought to fatisfieus in this Particular,that Mo-
/whimfelfe, who was a Man as Holy, as Po*
litickc, was skillfull in the Puritie of .This
Science, as well as in all the ixft, that Egypfy
and Qhaldca .had brought forth; as is proved
by Philo fudauswhqfevvords wciiaveclfer
tyherc .quoted.'. tf/eophylatf. faith, that for >
to be able to convince the Supcriftitious E-_
I SW'Whc.l'
 160 Unheard-of Curiofities.

giftians, it was N eGcflary that he fllould un-

acrlland, not only the Ttuc Religion, hdt
alfo the Grounds of the Falfc. Dedi cor
mum6 faith the Wife man, ut fcirem fhden-
tuicjl- fftfp atque doflrinanti errorepfu e acJlultUtttoti
Vpon which Text, R. Selomohyes, that by
the two Firft Words, Prudentia^ & Dociri-
na, we arc to undcrftand Sciences Divine^
under which he comprehends Afirology: and
by the two Laft, Errores ac Stultitia, thofe
that are Vnlawfull , in which number hee
reckons the Magtcke of the Egyptians 5 to
Which fome will alfo intitle Mojes. And he
that defireth to be informed more particular-
ly, how able a man in Ajlrology he was, needs
but to hare rccourfeto Aharbanel^ or Mofis
Egypt ins, lately tranflatcd, and corredtcd by
Buxtorfe. He may alfo fee a Book intituled,
L' Homme d' Ejtat Chrefiien, written in Sjm-
Ttijh, by fean Marque^ ) and tranflated into
Erench by le Sr. de Virion,Cownfe\\o\xx to the
Duke of Savoy. Now the moft excellent
among all thofe Sciences, that the Egyptians,
arid Chaldeans were skilled in , was, without
all Controvcrfie, This of Ajlrology :wliQ
will not then conclude, that Mofes was lear-
ned in it t" But perhaps it ■ will be anfwered,
that Idolatry was not as yet fprung up i and
I ' that it was afterwards introduced by me f-
r
gyptiato, by their being too much addicted to
" the
 Unheard-of Curhfties.

the Contemplation of the Stars v inc^tliat

thus it tvill ftiil appear haVe takeit ■
ginall from jfirolory. ■ I anftyerc Miji
it .i$ Faife then, that tfic •Bcginhiqg-^r^ie
one, was the Beginning of the Other..; .{ip-
fides, it is certain, that befo're Mofes his tlm^
Idolatry haji fpread it felf through the^yjjfljfi
Eaft, and they offered Sacrifices to the $utidj
and to the Moon, and to the reftofthe Stars;
which this Divine Lawgiver, applying'hmir
fclfto the ufuall manner of fpeakihg, tljerc
cals, The Hofi of Heaven •, the. WdfJiiip
whereof he interdi&s the ifraUitesi But.fupr
pofe that this Abpininable Pradiifc had heetj'
deriyed from the Obferyation of the Celefii-
allSignes, either before, or afcer Ahtfh^i
and Mofs; which neverthelefie is was eat !:
.Or clfe, that the Contemplation of t^c.Star^
was the Gaufe, not of Idolatry.in. OeneraJ,!,
but of Ope certain Kind only • which, pert-
haps is the .meaning of iaymlfiis. r?
can be hence concluded f Herefic hathfpwng
from the Scriptures > .Mif-underftppii;; rduift
we therefore.condemn all, that,the Prpp^ets^
andAppftleshavevvritiipij^
. 5. Wie.W^.iK^
Rcafon, thatit is Vncertaine, wnence Idolp- y
.try tooke its Beginning % whet^ipp ffprn. 4r . i, y;:
ftrology., or pthenvife; MarfiliftFttitius^xt- Viyfo
Ports, m Of Mercmus
'B i '
 i?2 Utthedrd-of Curiojitieii
1
"1 I , !—
Mg/jitidn P tiefts, being unable by Rcafons
to perfwade the People, that there were any
Gods, or Spirits, which were above Men^
were conftrained to call downe Demons, ot
Spirits, into Statues; and to bring Thefefonh
to the People, to be an Objcd of their Ado--
ration.; Thefe are his words. Addii, Sap.
tntes quondam JEgyptios, qtii et Sacerdotts e-
rant, cum non foffent rationibus prfttadtrt
fopulo, ejfe Decs, id ejl, Spiritus ali'quos fu-
per homines 5 excogitdjje Magicum hoc iuicitum,
quo D&mones allicientes iu Statuas, ejfe Ntimi'
na dedararent: And ftom hence came Ido-
latry. a Learned Rabbine , who li-
vedaboutthe yearc of our Lord > 1291. ap-
proves not of this Opinion. For in his Trad
of Strange Gods, which is put at the end of Ms
Comment upon the firft Chapter of Geuefti,
heaflyres us, that Idolatry fpfung mcerdy
from the Prefumption of Chams Pofterity:
which is not much different from that we read
in Story; For, Ninas ereded Altars to his
Father ^ and Selus caufed himfelfe to be called
a God. And thus,; Other Proud Princes,
following their Example , endeavoured to
tvorke'tms Perfwafion1 in the minds of the
tob'fe'moreSifupJe, that Thcmfclves were Gods,
though they appeared in the" Form of Men.
h tpfei. Thus Nero defpoiled the Altars, intending to
'Sido. h^e no other Deity acknowledged by the
/.l.f.ll. pjQ.
 U»he4rd-of.Curkflt{tsl 2 fig

people, fave His Chyn., Augufius cajlcd .him-

lelfe the Sonne of Jpollo; as pomuian.djjd, of
f alias; by, this racanes denying his p\yn Mo-
(her that bare him. Alexander believed him-
felfetohaye bpen the fon of tfupiter Ammon.
jn a word, Hiftorians arc full of thefe kind qf
Fooleries which pajfing fqp Truths, among
the limplc Vulgar, it at length became aMax-
ime with them, that whofoeycr hadlived well
in thjs world 5 and had,|)y fomc generous At
ftion, dcfcrvcdthctitle ofa Heroe \ after he
was Dead, he prefently bpcame a God, and fb .
had Statues Ereded to him by the People, (in
memory of his high Exploits 5) which . they
dteqvards wprfliippcd wi^ fuch V eneration,
as.is due to God alpne, And peradventurc
the Princes ofthe Hdft, c(pecially tbolepfMa-
tym, for tbg .more fii^c Jmprinting! pT'chis
Ehor into, the minds Of their 8 ubjedls, gelded ,
the Name of fomc Deity,,tb their Ownc^'as, ''"
for Example, that of ipHanjti -which
beingjoyned together, make Hannt-bal, by
leaving out qnq Letter, for the more fmootn
Ptonunciatibp j and fo in ftafdm-baly nnd ma -
iy others. This Conjcdhifc maty give fome
ightjtpthat Paflagc of Ummus, in his Phi-
ifopfi. Barbar. where fpeakipg pf the. .Phllotr
opny of this People, hee. faith: ifyawiynfotx
frincipes Babylqfiicos mos vigehat, ut outMti tag. i,
jfljay ajfmerent ; ajvt pluri/m
.. ?3 PW0'
0^ UvMrd-of Cmofitm.

'piv^nfny fferoti$jpK.:, a fdrtituelme Ixctfi

ieimji^i vfrorum nowinadiquofcmbintitA.. \
';jifi1. 1:THls Qpiiiibn, though it jfcerae to,carry
y&y ifjuch Ih-obability wioj it, yet (doth it rtq
.^vay fatisfy jj," Mofts / who is oft^s Ptrfiva-
iibh, thatldolatry'tOok it's ifleginriingjfroin
the tdo much honouring of Thofc Statiib,
thatVerp pefmitted jii the Aneicitt Law ; as
vve have formerly faid, of thofc' oHLaban, ^(d
oft he Golden Cadyies of tyerpbp'am. The Au-
thor of the Book ofTVif'dome is of another C-
?' inion i afhrmihg, tkit the Wo^ihippfrtg of
dols tOpkebegrqhiH&from hence ? that a Fa-
ther being very much grieved for the death of
hrs fonne, caufed his Image to'.be made 5 to
the end, that by' feeing his Rcfcfnblancc, 'his
triefe might be IbtnevVhat alfW^g'cd. Biit^i
ono'uting this thragc too paiuohately, hec
jsit. 11 .v. begiin' hf j ength tO: 'worihip It as a Godffi!
ij- 0v. gretjris the power of Loye. tfeerh wtm fa
fl^i'f^ith this Excellent Author,. delem f^
cifp feck ima^fnem: Et iifM
nunc t$
fatopftm'cofalifMpit, et tihttitm
vrffaJfiera & fdcrifcii. You may fce th
fe'jllp thfe 'Boolfc; ir felfe y which " the Lib;tjB
Rififtelpfthrfe^s1iatb:exwii^ oiit ''im
■ Cjfponl1 The, bbfcrvation Whfch'JVIr. Sm
 Unheard-of Curtofities, '26$

pinion; for, this word, faith He, hgnifieth "

both I^e/a^nd Dolores: guodquotanntSifta-
tuis^tmammentis mortuornm dolore affceren-
m. Notwithftanding he is in an Errour
afterwards, inthcprofccutionofthisTruth;
when he faics, that Ttrah, Abraham's Father,
was the Firft that ever worflnpped Idols.
But this is, to adventure to fay more, then the
Hiftory of Mofes gives warrant for 5 and to
be fo Uncharitable, (that I fay not Infolentr,
andRa/h,) as to accufc the Ancients without
Witnefs.For, as for the Tcftimony of Cedre,
whofaies, that Abraham threw his Fathers
Idols into the Fire^and that his brother Aram,
endeavouring to prefervc them, was burnt;
1 find nofuch thing in any of the Hebrew
Hiftorians rfo that ohe may fay of this Opi-
nion, as S, Gregory did of another, asgrois
as this: Eadem facilitate contemnitur, qua pro-
Utar. In a word, we muft even be con-
tent to fatisffe our felves,with fufiin Mar- Aivtrf.
tjr, S. Cyprian, S. Hilary> R. Mofes, Latiqn-
tins, and the Abbot Serenus in Capian-, and Defrh.
Conclude, that as the Black Art is certain- t-i. ^0-
ly known to be, though it's Beginning is^ ^
not; no more is that of Idolatry. And vivin,
indeed thefe fame Authors now mentioned, *ǣǥ r
that we may look after no other WitnelTes, 0 *'
are of Opinion, that this Abomination was
Qi^foot before the Floud; and many others
'' S *4 thinkc,
 r
%66 Vnheard-of Cumfitks,

**■ thinkc, that it was not till after, wiiile.tbe

Wonderfull Works of God were.yet frelh
in the Menipnes of Men. Andthis, intlic
•Opinipn of-Alexander.Halenjis, was t'hcrca.
fon qf Idolatry : Propter ret enter? memorim
i*S. fecit Ccelum & terra?n, ^uam exdi.
1
- jiciplina Patrupt hahuerunt. And when all is
pone, an Argument to prove the UnccttaiiiT
ty of the Spring, whence Idolatry is deri-
ved, might very' well bc raifed from theUln:
certainty, and Diverfity of the Q pinions
Jierc ddivered, concerning this Particular;
were not That, out of the Book of fVifc
fime, to be received as the truefl:,by reatbn
pf thcSandity ofthe Bopk. However wc
doe nor yet fee any thing to the Gontrary,
but that Ajlrology is Innocent, and dcarfi
from the Crime, that it is charged with.
Wc will now by the way fet downe, (that
we may leave no doubt behind us,) that
which no Author, cither of the Greeks, or
Latines , hath yet difcovered •, apd which
' Reafon muft needs allow, as moft tme. ;
. ■ 7. Bechai then faith/that the Ancient
Chaldeans are veryfalfly accufed , to have
.been fuch wicked men, as people would make
• them i and to have worfhipped the Starrcs.
^or , faith he, if the Firft Na^arenes (he
ipcanes :thc Ciiiiftians)wcrc To. good men,
as they have been Reported to hlive been >
vT'. "i .M
 liitheftd-of Curieftthti T&f
mm • < ' — ' ■*
jii the firft Ages of their Beliefwhy inay-
we not afwcll believe the fame of the Firlt
Men, who, were created with a thpufand times
more Simplicity, then ever hath been found
in any of their Pofterity fince ? And whdi
can believe, that they fhould fo give theni-
fclves over to thole Vile Abominations,
wheiewith they now ftaod, eharged i This;
Argument is not;much different, from that
qK Alexander Halewjis. HevcrtneleiTe Bt)r
dims quite of another O pinion, and fcoffes
at thofe Authors, who will have the Firft A-
gesto have bcene fuch Goldenj and Silver
ones. But, if he had weighed the bufineffe
rightly, he would have found •, that thqfe
Vices, which the Ancients are .accufed 6f,,;
arefo fmall, in.comparilbn of thofe , that
the' Corruption of the Times hath fincc
brought forth} that they deferyed rather .to
have paffed for Merry Pranks only, and to
have been ranked among Veniall fins. But
to return to Bechai. T hat which he obferves
ofthefe Firft Men; and, which,! fay,hath,
been obferyed by no' man clfc, is; that thofe
fires which they made, in. honour of the ^
Sun, and Moon, were Lawfull,,and Kindled
to a good End.. f or, faith He, they tcftifi-
ed the feme thing to Ggid, which Godtefti-
fied to them by the Sun, and by the Moon,
which' is nothing cjfe but a Gmy Lightx
268 Unheard-of Curiojtties1.

They kindled thcfe Fires then, by way iof

returning Him thanks, for His 5 and, look-
ing up to the Stars, they prayed totheAiir
gcjs, vyhich God had mere placed, for tq
move them about, to the End they might be
Javourabk unto them. But, as the bed
flings come at length to be corruptedj Cham,
or; his Pofterity, looking no higher, then to
{his Fire, began.to worfhip it5 andfojter-
minatine their Adoration in the Sun, and
Moon, mey-paid them thofc Honours, which
the Firft Ghaldeans meant to None, but to
the Author of thcfe Stars alpne.
- 8f This Opinion of the Learned Jew
may be proved, by two, or three Condu-
fions. The Firft is, that the Wife men
of the Former Ages had knowledge of the
Invifible God, by the Things that areVi-
fible. Now ofthe things that are Vilible,
there is none that more powerfully proves,
that there is a God, then the wonderfullEf-
fedts ofthe Sun, and Moon, and the reft of
the Stars. They had knowledge of God
therefore, by the Stars, And whereas the
Appftle faith , that though they knew him,
yet they glorified him not afterwards; he
fpcaks of thofe Philofophers, which had
kriowledge of him only by this Naturall
way : But the Firft Chaldeans , befides
thisway of Knowledge, had knowledge of'
 Unhturd-of Cumjbksl ■

him alfo by Kcvdationr It is Ptob^le

then, that this ■ Later way ^ joyned with ;the
Former, bVobght them to a juft acknowledg-
ment ofHife ^ whichthey cKpr-efled hyfteft
Fires, which they1 kindled in ;{&)npur of
Him. Anorfier Conclufion is, tf^at ^thefe
QhaldeansMnA riot as yet dealt with Spkits?
and although phat, after ^hc Floud y-a- gtcat
partofthis People, whom^he Pride cfiVhatti
tad corrupted; had addifted tfaetnfplvW.unta
them; y«mptwhhftan9ing-the greac;<ift:fe^C
ftill kept themfelvcs ^o thc rLawes Of their
Fathers ; and wedld not acknowjcdei any
.other DemnS, fave thdft ^irtiSj-whidn, '{^cy
conceived^' -"have thiif'-'FLe'lidcnc^'ih■ '{lie
Stars. But I fliodld paihaps-be thoiightto
talk Idly, with t;his Rabbin, had I no other
Proofes of this, but what I have out of his
Schoole. But thefe Truths are acknow- ,
Jcdged alfo by 'Jpmblicw^ who is of the fame
Perfwafion, Chald&os vero, (faith Ficinu*,
fpcaking of this Philofopher,) B&monibus
non occupatos, <iy£gyptijs anteponit. See alfo
what Porphyric faies, {peaking of the Oracle
of ^polli), which vyas enforced to fay, that
C/jaldtfis, qu<e vera ejfet Japientia tantfhn,
Hebrsifyue ipfts conceffum agnojeere--, puri
JiLtcftfUffl fyiitftcfttc coluftt
The Fires then, which they kindled before
the Sun, and Moon, were not confecrated to
Demons.
i-ya Unhtdrd'Of
'■* ..r
ptmem. An^d, a? for thole ^Spirits, whiuj
they, prayed to in thefc Starrcs , the Pra-
&ife of it is fo lawful! , as that We our
fdvies , in our Litames, dec alfo invocate
■ them. And, but that Thefc Words would
be an occafion 'of %andall tpthe Ignorantj
I could very well fav : 0 AngelL of tk
Sun, apd thou 0 Angell of the Moone, prey
for me. And here I could give thee, Rea-
der, fome very Choife Obfcrvations, conr
cerning the Ancient Orientall men , and
their Adoration of Spirits , and Ghofts;
but I confider,that .I nave many Enemies;
I fhall therefore haft to another Subjcdt ,
ivhich is as little Known to the wprjdjthpug^
idfe fubje A to Sufpition.

CH4t,
 Unheard-ofCuriifttief,

CHAP, IX.:

Whether, or no, the Andcht Hebrews made

life of any Mathematical! Inftrumcnt inf.
their Aftrology; and what the Figure ^
their Inftrumcnts was. .

THE CONTENTS,

i.T 7\ TlUi infiruments the Ancient

y y Attrologers ttfed. The f able of
Atlas difeoverea, .
2. The Hebrew s Sf here defcribed.
j. Certaine Doubts prof ojed 3 concerning
the Fdrick of it. The ftrange Coneeif of
R. Mofcs, concerning the number of the ffeam
vent,. • . ■• <
4. A Conje&urei npn the Antiquity of
this Sf here.
5. OftheDiall <;/Aha?, and it's Dejcrifc
Uon^notyetfeem
6. Conjefturesy on the figure of our Sutt£
•Ms; • "
 Unhemt'if Cmbfttail ^

wrZ&dfh Hofe, who have had moit

csj theh .Ordinary skill in tbc
mA
Science of Aftrology, and
. who have' fometimes alfo'
m taken the pairies -to erc^ Fi-
(S^ gures 5and,caftNa»ivitiK|
have aflurcdusi that it is a very hard dut-
ter to pradifc thefe Curious Arts, without
thehelpe Offomclnftrument. -Whichhatli
moved fomc of the RabbineS to conclude,
that feeing their Forc-fathere- ivcre ski^fidjJ io
tlfiS Science, they tnuft needs havir madp' ufe
of Onej or More of thcfc Marhematrcall
InftruiheWts; thatfothty might he ableahc
'ftttsit tafily to. aftaine to the -end 'of t^oft
Operations , which the Lcanned reckon w
be Of Aftfoiogicall Cognifance. Now tha
the Ancients had of thefe Inft foments,' awl
itt diert praftifc made ufe of them, may bt
made appeare out of Hiftorians 5 fome of
whifeb fiave made mention -df ^he Chalim
Aftrologers: as namely, who,
givrnganacccmrtt ofall tnofe that wentlbrti
of Babylon, for to receive Alexander "k
Great, faith : Magi deinde^ fac more camtn
canentes; foft Cnaldiei, Babyloniortint, nc»
ifates modO) fed etiatn Artifces. W here, b]f
the word. Artifices, he meanes thefe Aftro*
logers, who made Inftruments, for the Pra-
«^tfe of their Art. And this is the Glofle of
Umnm\
 :
Unhedrd'of Curiojiitet. vj\

fyurrim : idejt, *j -Aftrologi, qtii AfirWUm ftCWC

carjus obfervabarit, ydria injtmtnenh intuht
vfm fabricates.' Hence we iridy drfetjviry
wbt the ground was of that Fible of Atlas^
King of the MHt&hamatts , Or fhUhiciatit^
who fled before the Anhy of fafuh. For,
the Heavens^ which the Greeks ( whom we
may truly fay, to have been the CorrUpters
ofall Antiquity, )■ fay, that This Man, who
was both a King, and an AftioIoger,bare up
with his llioulders, was only a Globe , or
Sphere , not much unlike ours ; which he
made ufeof, in fearching after the motions
of the Heavens. Ac tut, faies the fame
Hiurnius, difcif linos avisos ipfum excoluijfe -,l
fffaramque, Cali effigiem confecijfe. Vnde
jofid Poeta, et mendacifjtm Graci, Colige-
(tadonern ipji affixerunt. It is moft cer-
taine then, that the Ancients had certainc
Inftrumcnts,which they made ufe of, in tfeeif
Praifiife of Aftrology. But'.to Cortdirde
now, that thofe which are defcribed by
Chomery and by another Anohymous Rab-
bihe that I have fecn inthe Library of Car-
dinall de Sainffe Sufane, were invented by
the .Hehrewes j the Conjedlures which ;I
M afterwards produce, will not fuffer me
tobeleeye. However, I will here give ydii
apatdc-Ulat D^fei'i^tion dfthtm, as I ftrtdir
deliverbd by theft Authors^
i. The
274 Uhhear'd-of Cimojlftis.
i 2. The.firft piece th^tvouTavy of thc^
Inftruments, was the Bafc., or fcipt ofitj
which" was m?de of a Thin Plate of Copper,
or fo.ijie other Metall, bovycd 5 and holloed,
in manner of a r^ifpn. • Three- ijiiall. PiUei}
rofeup,from the Superficies, whereon woe
written thefe three words pax CSfceni
J)/ff j Schalomi Emttthat is. to fay \ jufai-
went, Peace , Truth- Thefe fillers bartj
lip two great Semi-circles, which m^c upi
Triangle, with fo great Artifice, thatitwis
pevcrthclcfTe Roundsin the Superficies
in, you had a Great perfeft Circle, which
within it, two others; and all of the lame Me-
tall with the Bafe. TheFirft, which was
thegreateft of thefe Circles, had thefe wotiji
upon it 5 'atsi, Schemai hafchamMi
THE HEATEN OF HEAVENS. Tfe
fecond had onely written upon it,
Schamatm^THE HE A VE N S
Third had only this one word upon it, yijn,
raquiagh, which fignifics as much, as Ex$m-
. fum. This Later Circle, and the Firii, \vfflt
nothing fo admirable , as the Middleraofif
which was befct round, with very many fevc-
v fall Little Circles, which were aU I^pveahlci
among which there were feven, which ap-
pearcd more Eminently then die reftj-byrci-
fort of their being placed nearer the Center ?f
tlic Inft'iniheiit. AH thefe Circles fed lihjf
' " ' - • - StaB
 Unheard-of Cur toft ties*
Stars on them; and thofe, which were iippn; " ''
thefe 7. Circles, were marked, each oftnetn,
with.one oE.thefe lettersyn nca1' > vvhich
lignifiethe Planets,in the order that we reck-,
pn t!hcm,beginnine with that whichis fur the it
offfromus, which is Satttrne. Neace thefp
letters, there vvas fecn thefe following wofds ;
.ryiaur W ptfNi CSV
Rifchon \ S'cheni } Schelicji, Revig-
li, chamfchi, Schief, Scevtghi; that is to
fay, The Firft, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifr,
Sixt, Seventh Day. Every one ofthe Cirr
clcs of the Planets, had upon it the number of
yeares that it Hnilh^h its Courfe in: and that
of the. Moon had ingraved on it thefe twelve,
C handlers-, n 13 a n n ft n n D n 3, which are,
the hrft letters of thefe names of the twelve
Moneths ntwi Vi'ik at* rttfi tvd t'ni jd^
m mty nata V'JDS pti-n Nifan,Aijar , Sir
w, Tamou^j Ab, AelolTijri ,. Tifva»y
HjlieH , TebetSchebat , Adar 5 that iS :to
fiy, MARCH, APR IL, MAr,
fULr3 AVGFST, SEPTEMBER , OCTO-
BER, NOVEMBER, .DECEMBER f4r
NUART, FEBRUART. NOW thefe Citr,
des were ordered, fo exadlly , as that one
might perfedily diftinguiflitne.Degrees,and-
diffances, there fet.. do.vvne. In the Mid ft. of
all, and in the very. Center, ..there was plar.
&U little Blew BaU, which Was a little' hob '
j foWcdj
£ Unheard-of Carioftier*

lowed •, on which were defcribed many letters

accompanied with ceitaine Lines , acroflc
which ran a little Greene Streake, Or Circle 5
like to another made in the fame manner,
which went round about the Great Circle of
all, which included all the reft : and all along
both ofthefe, you had thefe words engraved;
mn. pw men rtorti npn wa n»an ire
.riiaSo TD' Ceter, Chochmah^ Binah^ Chefy
Cedolah, Tifheret, Netfaci Hod, fefod, Mil-
eout: which ftgnific in order : CROWNl^
WlSDOME, INTELLIGENCE, MERCI,
MAGNIFICENCE , GLORT, VlCTORT,
TOWER , FOVNBATION, KINGDOMS
And theft are the Ten Names, which the/to
hrewes call, ZEPHlROTS.
I Iball not here meddle with any of thefe
Queftions ^ namely, Whether this holloa.
Blew Ball intimates, that the Ancients con*
ceived the Eaith to be ofthis Figure: whence
peradventure fomc of the Grecke Writers
tooke occafion to fay, that it was ofthe forme
of an Omega. 3. Whether the great num-
ber of Stars, which had each his Proper Gir
de, fhewed, that every one Of them had a Pe-
culiar Orbc 5 and that confequently there arc
many more Heavens, then Our Pnilpfophcrs
reckon upon. Whence R, Mofes alfo took
occafion to lay ,• No» eft autem impoffiili,
qusd qualtbetSteharumfxarim ft i» ealofo
 Unheard-of Ctiripfities.

proprio, et motus omnium ipforum Jtt upus^

et omnts jphier/e ipfarum revolvantur jupty efijr
derit Polos. 3. Whether the thrqe Grpat
Circles reprefent the Three Heavens ^ ivltiijh
the moft Learned do acknowledge 0 i)ty j ac-
counting the Aire , or. the Vaft Ekteiit,
which is betvyixt the Earth and the
for the Firft; the Heaven , wherein the P^rs
are, for the Second j and the Place'pf th{}
Blefled, for the Third; avoyding by this
meanes that Difputc, concerning the neayeti
that S. Paul was caught up into. Neither
>vill I Pofitivcly determine, whether, or no,'
this Green Line, or Circle, be the fame with
Tfiat, which is called by the Cabbalifts, Li-
pea virtdis qua circuit Univerfum, I fliall;
paffc by all tnefe Queftions, which fome other
fliay rcfolvc •, that I may come to thofc Con-
jedures wliicfa I promifed; which wfl let us'
fee, how little Aflhrance we anh'ave, of the
Antiquity ofthis Inftrumcnt,
. 4. The Firft is, that feeing that befofc the
lime of thefe Rabbins, no man ever made
mention of this Inlf rument 5 and that, before
thefe men gave us the Defcription of it, the
Dodrine, on which it was built, was known ;
it is Probable, that it was invented after-
wards,' upon this Dpdrine. The Second is,
that Rabhi Kppol; who was a very Learned •
Afttologcr, makes not any mention at all ot
t> h,'
 Unheard-of Curiofitiet.

it, in any of his Aftrologicall writings v as

neither hath Abraham Avenar \ nor, before
Them Both, R.Mojes. It is true indeed,'
that Aben Efrain his Sphere of the Hehmves^
Indians, Terfians^ Egyptians, and Arabians^
an Author often citecT by Scaliger, cals to
mind acenaine Inftrument, that vvds ard-
ently much in ufe among thefe People : but
feeing he gives us no Defcription of it at all,
and Ipeakes but fparingly of it-, we may
conclude, thatitis Vncertainc, what the Fa-
brick of it wasfor otherwifc, he would cer-
tainly have dcfcribed it, as being Ncceffaty,
in the matter he had in hand;
The Laft Conjedlure, which make's nie
thinke, that this Inftrument was never in ufe,
among the Ancient Hcbrewes, is, becaufc
that the Names of the Moncths, which ire
graved on the Circle of the Moon, are not
Hebrew, butChaldce: and although feven
of thefe names are to be found in the He-
brew Bible, which are thefe 5 p'O [Si
TIN roty Nifan, Sivan,Elol, Ki-
jleiu , Tevet^ Schevat, Adar; MARC H,
MAY, A U G US T,N O V EM BE R,
DECEMBER, J A N U A R Y,
& FEBRUARY 5 yet arc they not
therefore Hebrew; for they are. no where
found, fave only in the Bookes that: were
written, during the Captivity 5 as Haggai,
 Unheard-of Cumftties 1 z'jp

Zechariah, Daniel, Efra, and Efiher. Ifthe "

Author of this Inftrumcnt had made ufe of
thefe three names of Monechs, which are in-r
deed Hebrew, though out of ufe; a man
would have had the. lefle fufpition ofit:
VaD'Jns IT? Ziu, Aitanim, Bo til; which are hUfga,
ufed in the Third Booke of the Kings. Thc^J7*
tranflatpr of our Bible, interprets them not, etctp.'t.
nor fpecifies, what moneths they were. Z«- *■
cas Bargenfis, •Eli.ts Lev it a, Marinas, &
Ludovicus S. Francifci, fay, that they were, Exoil
APRIL, SEPTEMBER,
OCTOBER. We may conclude then,
from thefe three Conjecftures, that this In- GM.
llrument isnoneofthdfe, which were in ufe
amongthe Ancient Hebrewes: and we may Lib 8."
adde/to this Cpndulion, that as well the ^
Figure, as the Invention ofit, is unknown to
us.
5. The Figure of AhaZ his Diall is
more ccrtaine-, or rather, is leffe fufpedled
of Novelty : but that the Fabricke ofit, as
,itis delivered to us, is entirely pcrfed, and
fuch asit was Anciently, I findenot many
Reafpns to induce me to beleeve. For as
much as, except only qne Rabbine, who is
indeed a very Learned man, I have not met
with any Hiftorian, either Chriftian, He-
brew, ./Egyptian, or Arabick, that hath taken
any notice ofit, or fo much as touched upon
T 3 ' ' ^•
%go Unhedrd'of Curiofttres.
it. Yet bccaufe there is lefle uncertainly
found in it, then in the Sphere dfqrefaid,
'and alfo, in cafe any man fliould hav earning
to take one fingle Authors word in this mat-
ter ; I am content to give you the Dcfcripti.
on bfit, as he hath delivered it, feeing it is
Proper to my Subjecf in hand. For tk
Ancients, intneir Horofcopes, did often mile
tife ofthefe Dials , whatfoever the Fafliibh
of them was, obferving exaiftly the juft mo-
tion of the two Greater Luminaries. Wc
doe not findc then, throughput the whole
Bibie,any mention made,omicfe SciotericalJ,
Pr Sunne Dials, fave only in the Laji Booh
'df the Kingsthe Author whereof, fpcaking
6f the Cure of that Good King, who was
Sonnc, and Father to two other lo Abomi-
ftable ones, faith : Jnvocdvh itaque jfm
Propheta Dominum , et reduxit umbram fd
iineas , quibits jam defeenderat in Hortlogii
Ac has, retrorfum decemgradibus. The Oil-
ginall Hebrew calls this Inftrument
Ihft, Maghalot Achafa that is to fay; tit
Afcenjions, or Degrees ofAchd^. So rtiudi
'fbf the Name ; but as for' the Figitre ofit.
the tie is no man hitherto, that hathpublilhcd,
What it was: I lhall therefore be the Fifft)
Cafter R. Eliahon Chofner^) that ihall coW-
miinicate it to the world: and it Was afin
this manner. A Stone, or elfe a Plated
"Copper,
 Unheard-of CitmfiiiisV aSt

Copper, of what Bignelfe a man plcafedj

was wrought into the Forme ofa Crefcent j
tlie hollow, part whereof encompafled a Ball,
pr Globe, of the fame fubftahce, having the .
fioures of the Day deicribeduponit. This
Globe, or Ball, was compared with a Cir-
cle, which was raifed above it about two In-
dies, and had 28, holes bored in it 5 which
feived to drew the Hpures, as well by the
Moon, as by.the Sunne; in this manner.
The Inftrument was placed upon a Pede-
llall, or elfe upon a Window only j (afi
faith, That of this Kings was;) but
infuch a manner, as that one of the Homes
of the. Crefcenr, . which was to be fitted to
the Elevation of the. Place, muftrefpeft the
Eaft 5 and confcquemly, the Circle, that
craflcdit, would,'look coward the South,
When the Sunne then ihone, itcaft a fhadow
towards the Oppofite Home 5 fo that, the
lhadow falling upon the Round Ball, the
bcight whereof c xcccded not that of the two
Homes of the Crefcent, it Ihewed exadtly
tlje houres, till about Ten of the Clocke,
(according to our manner of reckoning the
jtoufts ;) at which time the Sunne, being
too high, could not call the fhadow any Ion-:
cer upon the fideof the Home; fo. that, for
trie following Houres, this Defedt was fiap-
plycd by the Circle ; which ilicwed the
" '7 hputes^ .
 . Unheard-of Curioftties,
^oures, till about Two in the AftcrnoQii,
After which time, as the Sunne declined, ihi;
other Horncof theCrcfcent began to mew
the houres, till Night. And thus, of tk
^Twelve houres of the Day, the Circle al^
tyayes fliewcdfburc of them 5 thatistofayj
from Ten, to T wo in the Afternoon: and
this Part of the Day isftill called, by tht
Eafternc men. Mid-day, or Neone •, dividing
the Day naturally into three parts •, Mm
ing, Noove, and 'Evening', as having lont
fincc Jofl the ufcof Dials j as Scaligcr hau
obferved. As forthe houres of the Night,
they were found out upon this Inftrument,
by the Moon; by carting its ihadowupom
little Pinneof wood, wnerewithone of tht
Holes of the Circle, round about >wliich tht
Howrcs were defcribed, was to be ftoppti
every day; So that this Pinne whichappci-
red on the top of it, ferved inftead of a stilt;
or Cock of trie Diall •, which the Greeks cat
If I had not found fome Difficult]
in thisObfcure Defcription, I would hav
here fet down the Figure ofit, andthemai
ncr How this Diall is to be made. But I ha
rather be filent, in things that I doe not fiill;
underhand, then to fpeake by ghelfe; fen
better leafure may perhaps give me Oppoi
tuniry, todifcover This Secret, and tocon
mumeate it to the world. Acprefcnt Ifh<
 Unheird-vf Curiofitt6t' 283

IfTnly adde, that Jonathans Pataphrafe calls

iThis Inftruraenr, whether it be a True one,
|ornot; jrftp fptcn' 'S, Tfourat .v£ven Scha-
raja 5 F'tgura LapidkH or mm.
6. And here Jhep-Efra obferycth, that
Ithofe Sun-Dials, which wee ufe to fct up in
Gardens, for Ornament lake,have forae kind
JofRefemblance, with This here dcfcribed;
land he makes a Doubt; whether, or nor, tlic
iTabricke of them hath not been borrowed
|from, or made in Imitation of this Inftru-
Jmcnr. For, if yqu but confider theHol-
llownelTeofthe Figure, in the upper part of
thefe Garden Dials; you will fina, that it is
not much unlike a Crefcent; the Ball, Or
Globe irithe Midft being only wanting;- fo
that the Houres are defcribed in the Hofiow-
neffe of the faid Crefcent, and in ftead of the
Homes ofthe Crefcent, a Gnomn of Wood,
or Iron, by its fliadow, points out the houres.
And this is the Inftrutnent, which was moft
in ufe, among the Ancient Romans , called
by Writers, Concha-, as Munjier teftifieth,
who was a man of very great knowledge, as
I in many other things, fo in this alfo. Erat. Prafat:
. :rimo, faith he, apud Antiquos Concha Hemi-
cjcle'a, linek dfiitaproponione diftintta ; cut
fr&longus ex are, aut Itgno baculus. Soli oppo-.
jffperemaehat; et ejus ttmha, inlineas
widens, hem efandebat.
• chap"
>4 Unhtord-df GkrhfoiHl
- iii^

CHAP. X<

That the Aftrology of the Ancient Hetrat^

JEgyptiittis, and Arabians i was nbtftdi,
as it is delivered by Scalier^ Aatgmfi^
Picctits 3 KunrAth, , Btint > arid
Here.

THE CONTENTS.

I.' k He Hdliejtthings are dften mixt mh

Fables.
2. The fir ange Fancies y and Faljehted tf
I)liret, touching the Spirits of the PlaMS]
had, touching the Afirologicau Cabale of tk
fietces.
$, The Fooleries f/Catlb Fabri, in his sf.
figning of the Angeilsy proper to the Revert Ele-
ctors of the Empire.
. 4. The Strange Bottr 'tne of Ricdus, aid
Kunrath s concerning the Planetary Zcphi-
rdts.
5. The Starres, the Caufe of the Diverfit'm
■ tf Religions j in the Opinion of R. Cho-
mer.
6. The Nativity of pur Saviour JefuS
Chrift, ere<t?edby Bccbsl, and Cardan,
7. The Afirologicall Piftures, or Figures
nt the Conjunctions of the Qclefiiall Signes*
 Unheird-tf Ctifipfttiesl

[faljely Attributed to the ifcgyptians^i Ara?

jianSj) what they were, and by whom invert'
tid: ag/tiuji Scaliger,

that wc know, that in point of

Learning , efpecially whch it is
df any Antiquity, and of a Na-
turcfo Quaint as tliis is, it is very
Hard to difcover alTthe Secrets of it, with-
out encountring alfo with many Vanities, it
niaft appeare very ftrangc, that I fhould here
rcjcd, what Scaliger chiefly, (a man Who hath
been defervcdly eftccmed One of the moft
Learned of our Times,) hath laid down for
Truth, in the Traditions ofthcEaftem Peo-
ple. But they, who have read thofe Books,
that bcare thcfc Titles , Ve fuga Maria: Dt
gejla tfofeph : Hijtoria Regnm : Sortes Apo-
jUlonim, and many others the like, may ca-
lily be able to judge, that feeing the Moft
Holy things cannot
through the fucceflions , „ ,
out being mixt with many Vaine, Fabulous
Storiesit is no Marvell,that Thofe Things,
hat are of a Lower, and more Indifferent
Nature, fhould not be able to prefer ve them-
elves in their Originall Purity. The Aftro-
ojy ofthe Hebrewes had not as -yet loft ahy
pt its Luftre, folong as it was pradtifed by
thofeoFThdt Nation Only; butfofoon as the
more
V V.nhtArel-'of Curiojitief. ■

more Northern Nations began to havc a:

ny knowledge of it; they prefently fell tq
venting of Inch Strange^ Wild Fancies, and
jo increafe the Number of Fables in fuch fort;
as that it is no Marvell , that this Science
hath beene llnce fo much cried downe,
I hold it therefore Neceffary, before I dc-
fccrtd to that which we have of Puritie, and
•Trutlt, in this Science, to give a Touch firft
at That which is Fairc,and Corrupted. And
this we lhall doe, if we but fet down part of
that, which hath been written of this Subjeft,
by the afore-named Scaltger, Riccitts^ Kun-
rdth^ Vigmere, and Duret ^ it being an ealie
matter afterwards for any man, to difcover
the like Impofture, in ail the other Authors,
which are lelfc Gonfiderable. The Firft,
Second, and . Third, ofthefe above-named,
doe unjuftly attribute to the Jewes fuch a
kind of Aftrology, as they never were ac-
quainted with; the Fourth will needs liavc
item to have aclcnowldged, in the Secrets of
this Science, Certain Spirits^ which never
had any Being, lave only in his pwn Fancy:
and makes them to have been the Authors
of a world of Fopperies , which have been
forged by the Greeks, and Latincs, upon this
Subjeft : AndthcLaft of them makcsfuch
a Strange,Wild thing, of the whole Dodlrinc
of it 5 and fets it forth in fo Grolfc, and Ri-
diculous
 Unhedrd-of CKrisfitiesi , 287 .

diculous a Drffle 5 as that his Book dcferves .

very juftly, to be ranked with the Fables of.
Merlin. , . . . . . , ;
2. To begin then with Him; if you.have
a mind to have a Taft of him, fee: but the
zOi,k Chapter of his Hifiory of Languages:
wherej alter a long Difcouiie of the Jewilh
Guriofities, which he cxplaines after. His
manner-, he comes at laft to his Tables,or
Figures; the Firft of which flieweth the My-
fteriesof the Unit, number of Two, number
of Three, and number of Foure: to vyhonihe
afligncs thcfc FoUr Good Angels; A R I, E T,-
THA RSiS, SERAPH, CHE R&By
and their Foure Spirits, which, he faith, are
called, M AH A Z A E L , AZAE.l,
SAM A E L ,• A Z A Z E L : theq 5 rhe
foureSeafons ofthe Year; the Four Gates
of Heaven; the Four Quarters of the World;
the Foure Angels, that rule over them ,; .the
Foure Rivers of Paradife ; the Four Winds,
PAVONJVS , SFBSO L AH.yS>
AVSTER, AgriLO ; with their Four
Spirits, P ATM ON, O R 1.E NS ,A'M-
MO NIP'S, E G TN. Very Pretty Stuffe,
this! whtch.he fathers upon the Jevvcs; al-
though in Truth it never, had any .Being;.,
ave only .in his own Fancy ; no more then
thofe other. Fooleries, which he hath vented
in his Second table..: For, as concerning
288 Unheard-of Cumfoiesl •

the names of the Angels, which, ■adcordingtol

the Opinion of the Ancient Aftrologers,
have their Rcfidcncein the Seven Plannsj
he is right but in one of them : all1 the rcll
being Either Corrupted, or elfc Invented bji
Himfclfj as will appear to Any Man , dia
Ihal^ but compare tnem with the True Ones,
fct down by Aben-uire, who is tranflatd
into Latine by the Gonciliator. Asforthofe
Seven-Intelligences, which Dtiikt hathaffigni
cd to the Seven Planets; he had need tea
very Subtile Thcologift, that can Ihcwany
Reafon,- why he makes a Diftindtioii betwisi
the Seven Spirits which he calls by the
names of SEMELlEL , N O-G A EL,
CO GH 4BIE L, LEV AN A E L} SA-
BATH I EL, Z E D EKJEL, MAIXI-
M IE L ; and their Intelligences , N A-
CffJEL, H AG-IE L, TER'IE L,B-
LlJdEL', AG I EL , tfOPHIML,
GR APHIE L. But may we'not vet?
weR laugh at Carlo Fabri, an Italian; who ham
fin^e tranflatcd thefe Fopperies into his" ow
Native Language; (and hath befides given
Other Grange Names to thele Angels j\the
fnoft of which he; bach taken out of RaXitl,
Pifatrixy Agrippa, and a Book cntitulcd,
Clavictdes de Salorpoft-,) of all which,-Diwrf
will need have us believe the Hebrews to have
been the Authors ; as-likewifeoftbe Twelve
 Unhtari-.of CHrhfmts.

Intelligences * thac bdong to the Twelw

Months^ of thofe,which'refide iathe T w«nL-
ty Eight Manlions of the Mooiiv.wfcrch; he lifts
down, in his Thirdj.and Foiirch.Tabley bit
fo Childiflily, that being not able to finder
ny C haradier for tk laft Manfidn, (for there
are but Twenty Seven Hebrew Letters*
reckoning alf? tne Finall,) he is fain to make
ufe of a Latine .0 * and will have this Cyr
pher, in the Ptedidions ofhis.Fantafticalf
ftrology,tofignifie INVN D.A TlONSk
caufetfby therIntelligence AMNIXIEL^
In the Manfion A L BOTH A'IT, And
now tell me, if he had not very good Rear
fon,to devife thefe ftrange words, for the
better Confirmation ofthefe Ch 'mtws. For
,, why, we are, to take notice, that here is 00.
5,fuch ftuffc, as the Ancient lachantmenfj of
,j Toledo, or the Ait Magtck of-R<j^/f/,or
^Picatrix-j but all Excellent, Naturali Se-
jjCietSjand things yvell worthy of our feri-
ous Contemplation. What Beafts ihouid
k be, Ihouid we but fuffer our felves to be
lead by the Nofe by This Man f And, wkc
a mifcrablc Condition were we in, had we
no other Judges in this Particular, then Him,'
and Vigenere 5 who would hotwithftahding
feemto be vety Learned in thefe Myfteries-,
endeavouringjas theother hatlrdonejto make
us take up, upon jus Account, for Solid Do-
ctrine ,
[ t ... . < t
1 i$o Unheard-of dwiojitik.
drine, a thbuland Fooleries, which arc ifaor
Impertirientjtheh thofc ofMen in Fevers,
^flioulH willingly, have given youa Tafto
them 5 but that 1 am' already naufeatcd mill
thofe ^before fet. down: only I Ihall givcthi:
Caveat, to thofe that Hiall .read the writing!
of thcfc Men; that, where ever. they fp;qk(
;of Spirits, and oftne Adrology of the He-
■brewes, where they produce. One Truth,
they vent ten Tnoufarid' FaKhdods • as
I fliall make it appear inmy Crthrum.
3. As for Carlo Fabric whom I nanicd
before, I do not remember ever to have read
JWfc any thing fo Ridiculous, as that, vvhich.Hc
Sad9\ii\axh written of Thefe ferae Spirits. For,
•modi as -tf he had fpent one pare , of his Time in
Dnii. Heaven, and the other part in Hell j, he j
gives you an Exadt Account, as he thinks,
what Angels are proper to all the fcvenll
Princes in the World 5 afligning.to .tk Se-
ven Electors of the Empire, thole which arc
acknowledged to be of greateft Power t as
namely, to the Arch-Biflibp of Majenee, who
is the Primary Eledlofand High Chan-
celIourof£7em/«»jf, MICHAEL-, to the
Arch-Bilhop of Treves, High Chancellor
of France; and the Second Eledtout j G. A-
S R IE L j to the Arch-Bilhop of Colleit,
High Chancdlour of Italy , and the Thid
Eledtbur ; fLAP HAFL ^ to the:CoaP
Palatine
 Unheard-df Cdriojitiefl
Pakinc of the Zjhme^ the Foutth. Elq^our, . ~
URIEL ^ to t|ic Fifrs which is the. Duke of
Saxony , S C t A L TIE L .5 to the SLxt,
which is the Marqucifc of Brandenburg y^E-
HUD IE L; and to the King oi'Bohcmia^
ivho is the Seventh , Jr E RE CHISEL,
And now , who can choofe but laugh at this
Pretious Dodhinf , r
4. That of Attgujtinui Rtccimio't Kun-
ratb) and of fome of the Latet Kabbins, is
altogether as, Impertinent; where they ailure
us,, that the Ancient Hebrew Aftrologcr?
difpofed of the Ten Zepbiros , in leverall
Parts of the Heavens ; allotting Seven of
them to the Seven Planets, . which arc. the
Authors of all thofe Effedts, fay They, which
we impute to. the Stars j diftributing Good,
and Evill Fortune- to Mankind, His iraqufi
Zepbirosi (fftith Riccitts^) five ideis, Mundi
corporei regimens quafi immediatoribm ,pijs 5
m [ecus quant & Afiyologi, Septem Errattr
cis Stellis^ Terrenorurn Dominatum adferihw.
They goe yet farther then this,and fayj thac
■Jftjfj, who was a. Learned Aftrologer, ma-
king ufeof his knowledge inthefe Secrets,
gave .the Jewes Thofe Lawes 5 which . he
grounded upon the .Harmony ofthefe PU-
retary Zephtros, As for Example: He in-,
ftituted the Fourth' Commandcment, R E-
HEMBER. TO KEEP HOLT ftiE
V S'AB-
 Unhe ard-of Cnmfities.

SAB BATH D AT •, becaufe tliis' Day

was governed by Saturue, a Malignant Pla-
net 5 who might caufe thofe works> that were
undertaken on This Day,to be Unprofpct-
ous : and that Mojes thereforethoughtitfit,
that the people fhould reft on This Day. The
Fife Commandement, H 0 N OVR THX
father and thy mother,
hath Reference to the Sphere of ffapiter,
which is a Benignc, Favourable Star: the
Sixt, THOF SH ALT NOT K ILL,
to J/rfrj-3who hath the Government of Wars,-
and Murthers : the Seventh , THOY
SHALT NOT COM MIT ADVL-
TE RT, toFen/ts, who rules over Con-
cupifcentiall Motions: and fo of all the reft;
to which he hath fitted fuch ftrange Chimt-
mrds, as deferve to be ranked with thofe
Extravagant, wild Fancies, which Gmm
Frifius hath infened into his Ars Cjcltgm-
mica 5 and thofe other that Cichus vEjculi-
vui hath forged , upon the Sphere of fi-
de Sacrobofico. The fore-named Authors
fay moreover j that it is fiom this Aftrolo-
gy of theZf^;m,tliat the Cabalifts report
the Patriarks, and Prophets, to have acri-
Ted all their Divine Knowledge. Siwi
ratione, faith the fame R/cci/ts, Cahalijta qw
fjue Pair 'tarchas, Profhetafyue, qttemlioet cuili-
hat hartm Sephiros mprio^ afque affiatiijd-
jicmt,
 M'nheard^f'Cwhjittfc,

peiuWi pout quivis illawm c'erttdt ithimtW'

tisgriduuf.fufccferiti 7 v >
j, Chmr addcs^haz thefc vcry Wawdt- ing^
■ry Zebhim have been the Caufe i, by their
RevolHtions j of the Changing of Krefe- cbm.'
^omesi an^ Religions: whicn is corifonanc
to •what Cardinail de Allmo harh cited oat . . ;
of Gtitidtrati Parifienfis^ who faiesj that fofflc V'M'i*
Aftrologers affirm, that the iDiverfity of
Religions hath b'een caafed, by the Afpeifts er/tffs
of the P'lanets: as, that of the ^e»^, by the
influences of Saturne ; by reafon whereof,
this Nation hath alwaies biecn Miffcrablc, airtd
is at this time, arid ever ihall be lb 5 becaufe
that the Planet, on which their Religion is
founded, is a Malevolent, arid ah llnforta-
riatc one; rendring them alfo Covetous, anid
Pervcrre, and great Lovers ofSaturd,iyj>y\\(<ih.
is the Day, dedicated to Saturm., That of
tlic Turkes , is governed by the Planet Vi-,
tow: and this is the reafon, that this People
celebrate Priday 5 and are litewile extrcam-
ly addided to Luxury -, and that in fo hi^h
a meafurc, as that, they believe, the chiefeft
Happinelfc, in the Life to come, conMs in
this. Brutality. The Chriftian Religion
(lay they in like manner,) hath received its
Foundation from the Sun 5 for which' caufe
they have Sunday in great Vcriera tion, be-
ing the day which is governed by this Pla-,
V i net ;
 Mnheard-ofCurtofties'. *■

•net: and that by Veit'ue of Its BcameSj the

Chief Vifible Head of the Chriftians hath
his Seat in a Solary City, ihat is,/f«wf5
which. City had its Firft Stone laid,- whtn
the Sign Leo was the Afcendent ^ which is
the Propet Houfe of the Sun; and was af-
terwards Built, in the form of a LiOn. This
is alfo very Obferyable, or rather very Ex-
travagant,which Cardinall de Alliaco reports,
out of thefe Aftrologers; who faies , that
they affirm, that according to thefe Princi-
. plcs it is, that Cardinals go in Red, which
:
is a Solary Colour, and fuitable to tliis Pla-
net, which was the Founder of their Religi-
on. All other, (ay They, as Arriatis, Ar-
menians^ Lutherans^ and the reft j arc caufed
i by the Gonjunehon of Diverfe fcverall Pla-
nets, which hath caufcd this Mixture.
6. Bechdi^vho is in like manner fallen
upon fuch Fooleries as thefe, and who hath
examined our Religion,With too much Tart*
nefl'e, goes yet fitthcr then all this, and
faies 5 that tyejus Chriji > (whom notwith-
ftanding he will not acknowledge to be the
Mefsias,) in Order to this Foundation, was
raifed again upon the Day, which, as wee
have faid, is affigned to the Sun -, and that
having been a Man Perfedly Solaiy, he
was confequently very Beautifull, and of a
Fairc, Lovely Goimtcnancc 5 and of a very
 Unheard-of Cumfitits,

Quicksand Daring Spirit t. as tna^rappcar,

ftith Hfj by that %£t of his, in driving the
Buyers ana^Sellei'S out of the T emplevand
hy his difputing with the Dodors. 6f the
Law, atrhc Tw'elfthyeai; ofJiis;Ag:Ci. How
happy had this Rabbin been, ifhe.copld but
jiayc raifed to .himfdf, from theft hlarvet
lous . thjrigs, the Foiindation of his. own S al-
vation f fiut kaving him to; his own Dark-
nelfc, we obfcrve (finde'We.are infcnfihly fal-
len upon this DifGoucfci which yet we make
^entionpfvyith all Jpafliblc Humility^) that,
jn the .Nativity of Purj Saviour. Chrifi, hec<mm^^
HQ, .whit agreeth with tktjwhich Cardan hath w m
erca«A:ri fiQrvhcl&itfalirfafter -tlpblie iiath-*' v
toM ws^atj.lhprc JwetolFiyc very Obfcrvas
hk things,,^ his Adorable Nativity,
ydiich,' ihfiw what 'manner; Jof Man he was,)
that having jjmrt iiri. his' Gcniture,
rendered; hiih^SadvandPenfiVe: whence fo-
fyhui. alfo: took occafion to fay of him; Fi~
("f sfif^JiUflereyrUife mnqum. And for
t{;e!fajWvrdafon,airo hefeemed to bei Older,
then in , Tl'Uth > he was': For, The & errowfull
Spirit.Meth (ip-.ihe Bones : and for This
Gaufeif.yas, faith Her that the Jewes took
Jhim to have jbeen .forty :yeares old at leaft,
when tfiey.faid unto fum ; Nondm quin-
tyagintA. innjos hahfs.^ E,t Ahrahamum vidi-
^' Kfe pcocccds j.abd/faiesjthat this Pla*
Y$" ' ^
 'prp$ Unheard-of CamfitUs.

.Bcr p^eetjng with Jfenus , was the caufe of 1$

■haying/eectaine red; Specks in. his Face , folt
;lowing the afore- nrnied-fojepbus* 'who faies,
that he was Lemiginofus in Facie; :, which.mo^
xediCatdfin. to.fay)Qubd Ji a Deoemnia fit,
iiflcnt' frj>fe&& , querfUm emt Sentigiftojitm
<mri \<i But let uS hoiv; leave tliis Point,
wHch we- have touched uhon , only by the
-B.y>,iand proceed c© the other forts of Aftro-
Ibgy j-which are felfly attributedto theflei
■imv«y and,to their Neighbours.
7. .Tisttnwhich'i<'Sti!i£er'< hhth'pcoduce^-
.toftfa- though it feetnetE fOihave better Groundsj
t hendiofe other Kindis which we have before
s
fo? $7. fpokeniof 5 yet neyertheMb W^iiiKyer pra*
&lci difedj nor acknotvledged bythe^^F^i
tt>v£d. apd^herefoije muchdcfleiby me^apj. -Hovii*
ever,, the Guriofity fof^rt' makes "'mc: willing
ro give the Reader a>Haft> of it •, artdit^ iSas
6>Uoweth. The PlanetMurr ,'beingdn tht
Jirft ''degree 'oS'-Arifry they rej>relented, i.
Man ., holding a Sickle in- :his\Right hand ;
andirihis Left, a Bovv: Intheifitond
gree, a.Man, having the head oi^a Dog > and
holding^a Cudgel in one Hand1, hnd^'liavifa
theother ftretcned forth: Ih theThifdj and*
ther Man, lifting up One hand to tleavefi
ind in-the other, feeming to point atall^ that
isinthewhpleliniverfe : Ihthe^Fourth, aar
nothei-Man'again,'withcurlcdHaifjhavihga
 Unheard-of Cttriojhres. igy

Hajvke upon his Righr Hand , and in his

Left a Flaile, In the Fift, two Men •, one
cleaving iivood with a Hatchet 5 and the 0-
ther, bearing a Scepter in his hand. The reft
of the Degrees have their fevcral! Figures al-
1b; which I'lhall palTe by, that I may come to
the fecond1 Signe , wnich is Taurus .• into
the Firft Degree whereof when Mercury ear
tcred, they piftured a Man, holding a Cud-
gel in his hjand, with which he drives an Oxe
to the Shambles. I n the Second Degree, a
Woman, holding in herhand a Horlcs taile,
lathe Third, an Old Woman, covered with
aVailc; or dfe a Woman in Breeches, In
the Fqurrh, another Woman , holding a
Whip. Andthar Z may trouble my felfe no
funher in reckoning up all thefc Figures, the
Reader may fee them, if he pleafe , in the-
forcfaid Bopke •1.\vhzxcS.caUger faies, that he
hath taken them out of the Writings of the
Arabians y and that thefe kinds of Pidure?
were in ufe among the-Egyy/zdwr. But, ( with
all Refpedt tofo great a S.chol|erbe itfpo-
ken) I mufttake leave to fay, that he was ne-
ver fo farrc wide of the T ruth, as Here: and
ifany be fo Curious, as to delire to be fatif-
fiedm this Particular, he maybe pleafedto
take notice , that Scaliger hath tranferibed
them word for word, out of a Second Book
ofa Works cmituled Afirolabim Vlanumx
U 4 " ^Yherc
I tlnheardrof Cur 'tcfitits.

^vhere they are all reprcfentcd, by Figuris

cut in Wood, and are the Invention of
irus Jpope rips, othc|'wirecalledJ tlje ConfilU-
jor : bein" the very fame, which he aufedto
be painted, inthe G^cat Hall of the Palace of
Padua, where they are yet to be fcen. The
T ruth of this may be proved, by the fort-na-
med Bbokc of Aponenfts, wnofevery words
he hatji'alfo made ufe of; but contenting him-
felfe with the bareWamcs pfthcfe Figures,
he would not trouble hlmfelfe with the Gra-
ving of them. ' I Hi all only adde, fqr the
^icarer' Conhrmation of what I have faid,
Fhat this Afirolabium Planum, where thefe Fi-
gures' of jpohe 'nf.s his Dcvifing arc to he
lecn, was printed at Venice, by .Eawy ie Sfir,
4n. i-! P4. I Ihpuld hot have here made this
Obferyation, but only that I might be the
better able hereafter, to make knowne the
Veriucofthc Alhology of the Ancient He-
brewes; which was, in a manner, the fame
with that of the JEgyptians, and the more
Learned among the Arabians: put of whofe
Bookes, Scaliger vaincly faies, that heKatK
beftowed muoipaines incolleftine thefaid
ligurcs. For there hath long nnce been
fuch a World of Strange things, which ne-
ver had Being, foifted uponthis Science; that
people generally now adaies fticke not to fay,
to the great Difadvantage of Antiquitj, that
 Vnheard'Of Curiofities. m
tKcfeisno Truth, or Certainty in thefe kind
of Studies.1 I tninke it necelfary therefore^
for thc better informing of tliofc, who afq
thus abufed, to declare, what it was that mo-
ved AfooenftS) to reprcfcnt thefc dif&rentPo-;
ftures of Men, Women, jmd •diyeric kind.^
ofLiving Creatures. This fcqarped Aftro-
loger having obferved, that thofq' tHat iarc.
borne under certaine Conjun&ions 9^ the
Planets with the Signesof the Zodiack, were
alwayes inclined to one apd the fame thing';
as, for example, the Planet'of Mm beine tnc;
Afccndent in the pirft Degree "of Aries^ tnofc,'
that are then borne. > are cortiihohly Labori-
ous, and lovers of War; He'figured aMan^
as wc have faid, holding in onc hand a Sicklej
which fighifies Labour • and in the other
Bow, the Hreroglyphicke of War. Ip like'
manner, thofc, that are borne, when the lame'
Planet is in the Second Degree of the fame
Signc, arc Quarrelfome, and Envious, as*
Dogs; and this made him rcprefent a Man
with a Dog's head, holdingaCudgellinlus
hand, Tpc Figure of the Third Degree,
(hews that the Child will be a lover of Peace.
The Fourth, that hee will hardly be Rich,
fcattering about what bee (hall have gotten,
which is fignified by the Flail, andthcHawk,
When Mercury is round in the Firft. Degree
of tmus, the Child will be addidfecf to
Blood,
JAQ Ithfttard-of Curipjiues.
Blood!, and Butchery : and therefore he figu-
jred'a' Man witha Cudgel, driving-an Oxeta
the Slaughtcr-houfe. If iathe Second Dc-
grqc, he will bq given to Idlcncffc; as the
Woman, that holds a Horf-taile in her hand'.
Ifin the T bird, a Woman will defire to mar-
iv' in her Old- Age, and endeavour to be
thought young 5 according to the Figure of
the Old Woman , that is covered with a
Vaili: , or elfe wearing a Pajre of Breeches.
Ifin the Fourth, the Child will be Quarrcl-
fOinc •, whichis ngnified by a Woman, fgu-
red'with a Whip in her hand, Andfoof
all the reft,as you may fee in the Author liim-
felfe. Wc may conclude then, that thefc
Aftrologicall O^vifcs are no more of the ffe-
irremsy and Egyptians inventing , then the
trn^en Horfe is of mine.

CHAP.
*
 Unhmfcof Cuyfafitiesl 301

CHAP. XI.

What, in. Tmth , was ther Courfc the

^ Patriaritcs, and KnatntHehmves tooke in
their Obfcrvations, at the Eredting bfa
Nativity. r v"

TH E- C O N TH UTS.

j, "TfleCeleJlial Conficllatioris tvertawitnt*

fy rnarked with Hebrm CfuraHers,
а. Hm tht Ctlefiiajl Sights are figuniitt
tbeSphtaresr and Globes o/^Arabians. Thtit\
Virgo hath d-Myflerjinitt
3, A new Observation , on the Hebrew;
Nmts ofthePldnets. . 7
;
4 . A Table ^ which the Jcwcs ere&ed
tljeir- Naiiviiiesk The ufe of it.
5.; BemonftrativeReajons, why the-Dales
follow not the Order of the Planets. A Ge-
neibliacallTable of the Ancient Hebrews.
б, The- Difference betwixt the Ancient's
manner of giving judgement upon a Nativity^
and that of the Afirologers of our Times. The
Fable ofLucinalaid open.
7. The Moon , why calledhanns,and 1m-
na 5 and the Heavens, Coelus. and Coe-
Ihm.
8-. Anew, andCcrta'mReafon . why the
Pom
goa UnheArd-of Curiofities.
Poets re fort, that Saturnc eat up his Chil.
dren. . "■.' j
g. What Qualities the Ancients acknoni-
ifdge'dto. be^jriTheCeleJtiallSighes. ', /
i&. The .Authors judgementy upon thelA-
ftwJogifAll Writings of K. Abraham Abcn-
Ar6 , tranjlated into Latine by the Conci-
liator.
11. What Planets were accounted Benigne,
by the Ancient Hebrews. What Ceremony the
Hmrmanied Man ufed, toward his Bride,
i ti. This:Afirphgy of the Ancients is pro-
ved out of the Moly Scriptures. ReafonSy which
pMey that u jQad, ( which was the mm if.
one of the fonnes of Jacob, )' k the flawt ]^
pitstt.u '..Vi ^ ^ ■ •,
15. The ^Egyptians the Pirfi, that corrup-
ted this Afirc/ogp jt is palfe vofwithfiandwg
that they were the. fnventers of the Chara&eis
of.the Planets. , fables introduced into Afi.ro-
bgy by the Greeks ^
14..J Athlon ^ a word in Nativities } 'i(fed
^•"Manllius , rightly, interpreted contrary , to
Sc^liger.
c .• , . ' V;^
o w that we have feeru what is FilT-
ly attributed to tbc Aftrologyof
the Ancients 5 iwemaiosjthat.we in.
^ —- the next place (hew, what we have,
difcovercd of ^hcPnlity, and Truth of it,, in
 Unheard-of CurisJities. , 50$.

tlic Writings of thofc, who have handlcd this

Subject 5 and which arc fucft j^s.hayc tiecpfe-.
fte£medtf]em6ft Free fromTrifling, by the
Learnedft Men of Our Own Nadon; Jfliall
then mate my .CoUcftion oftheje Secrets,
tvhich the wodd hath hitherto had little
jbowlcdge ofs partly out of Rabbi Mofts, to
whom Scaligerw&h. given this Teftimpny:
t Frimta inter Hebuos nugari defivit : and tr«/f6.'
partly out oiR.Aben-Efra. whom the laine
Scaligcr callsy Magifirum fudaum; Et hqmir hii-Mif.
nmJupracaptum fudaorum. Qut of R-E-
/ij whom Augujiinuf Rkcim cals, fir urn Hti-
q»e Scieatiarum omnium plenum. Qiitpf JJ. Tana,
ijidc Ha^an, whom the femes conceive
have been the Author of the Agronomic all
Tables of Alphonftts. Out ofR. Abarbanel.
R. lfaac lfrailita3 ,R. facob Kapol ben Samuel.
Alien-Are, R. Chomer, and fome others or ©*.«*.
the moft Learned, and Knowing men
This Nation , as their Writings teftific of^
them. tx.
Firft then, the Ancient Hebrewes reprcfen-
ted the Stars ofHcaven, either All Toeethcf,^^*
or fevcrally, by the Letters, of the Alpnabct In Hb-
inthe fame manner exprelfmg, and diflingui- j^e-
ihing them, as wc do, by the names o f Aries, cm.
Taurus, See. And when all the Letters of the
Hebrew Alphabet, or what other foever they
werc/X for I fhali-clcarc this Doubt fome o-
• »■ I-*
 Citriojideir.
— — :—■— .
AertimeO were thded 5 they then west pntd
exprtfie me reft of the Stars by Two Letttfs
together^ by this rfieans, makinguba WOrd:
tO which alfo they added a Third Letter- fte
more pcrfed-ly to cxprcfte the iiacnrepftbe
Star, or Conftelktion. And perhapsa BteA
may be able, by this Doctrine, toputah'end
tb'that Lotig iDifpute, chat hath beenraifid,
concerning the Signification of rhofenaihes
Of Stars, which we' meet with in the Biblcas,
for EJcample, bjj, Ahs, in Arttos\ whichis fo"
tcrpreted > Arftarus ^ or, as Abeft-^frd^
ifLiui have it, Frfa: Now we loiow verywdl, tiiS
dhs, fignifies not Prfa, neither in the Ho*
Vtn.r.f ly Scripttirts> nor in any other Author ihut,'
tncname ofthis Bcaftin Htbrew,ispnjM,
as you may fee in ifaiah, faeptiah, aftd^
ttiel. T hefc two Letters therefore^ mj, joy-
ned together, might perhaps be only the lute
Charadkrs of the Conftcllation otFrfdUt-
jor. .
2. And by this we may fee, tltat the And-
cnt Uibremts fancied not the Figures of any
Living Creatures in the Heavensas We do.
The Ancient Arahidns imitated the Bthmty
in their Aftrologicall Pradtifcs, as Abarbml
teftifieth: till at length , the Example of the
iSreekes , made them make ufe of Living
Creatures. Yet notwithffcmding theyfbih^
toexprcftc any Huraant figures • as having
 Uto&Mrj-if Curiijiiies, JOy'

in Eye t0 Zcale of the ffebrems: Thiis

they reprefented the Signc of Aquaria, ift-
ftead of the Figure of a Man pouting outbf
water, by a Mule with a Pannell on it, and
laden with too Vcflfels, or Bands: w t-
#wi,by two Peacocks; offirgOy by a JShtiffc
of Come : of the Centaure^ by a Horfe: of
Ophincus, by a Crane, or a Storke- asis tb
k fcen, in fomc Arabickc Globes: of Sa-
nttarius, by a Quiver : Androfncda^ bp ^
Sea-Calfc : and of Cepheus^ by a Dog: and
fo of the reft. T he Egyptians alfo, and Ptt-
ji/ins, following herein the ftepsof the fit'
brmes, reprefented the Stars,omy by certaiftt
Charadfers ^ till that the Example of theit
Neighbours drew them alfo at length, to fet
downethe Figures of Living Creatures • as
the fame Auuior tcftificch •, who faies> thaic
the Ferjians Chiefly, and after them, the 7»-
dims^ and Egyptians, cxprefled by Figures,
not only the forty eight Conftellations,which
are reprefented on the Globe but alfo all:
other Figures that they could imagine, at the
Beginning of every Principall Signc, and in
tach Degree of it: as appears out oizadchit. uAfa
The Figure, by which they exprelled the inL
Signe of Virgo, is one of the ntoft Remark-
able 5 and which hath alfo moved fomc of •
the More Learned Arabians to Ijpeak well.of
our Saviour foftts Chtifi, and of his Blctfcd
Mother,
 ' . t • ,1
, 506 . Unheard-of Curtpfttbs,.
* iL, j ■ — 1 t
Mother. And indeed it is not without fpme
hdyftciy,that the Tradition of .the. Eaftrf-
' prcienteth this. Conftellation in thcfpriftoF
a Faire Danflfcllj with' a Comely longhead
of, Hairc, which feems to ad^e much Grace
to her, while Ihe rcachcth forth two EarsoF
Corn, to a young Child, to whom Ihe feeui-
icth to give Suck. Intentio efi^ (faith Alboi:
far, who is falfly called Alburna^ar, and is
ti'anflatcd into Latine by Hermanns Dalmau)
quod. Beau Virgo haheatfiguram & imagimni,
jnfra decent primes gradus Vtrginis • tt quoi
natafuit,(jnandoSol eft in Virgine, ft itak-
ietur jtgnatum in Katendarioi et quod mtritt
frlium Juum Chrifium fafim, in terra Hthrt-
or urn. Whence the Author of the Boole ^
which is intitlcd. Vetula, took occafidnto

O Virgo faltx ! 0 Vtrgo fignlfrcatd

Per Stellas, nli Spica nitet, -

j. The Indians then,the Egytians, Per;

fiahs, and Arabians, having all thus introdu-
ced the Figures of Living Creatures into thejt
Aftrology • the Hebrewcs were neceffirated
to imitate thehi, in fome fortj.andtotake
Up, though not their Figures, yet the N amcs
Of them at leaft. Y c't did they ncvcnhclclTc
abftain from the very Names alfo,oftliofc
Figures
 H nheard'of Curiofitits.
Figures of Men, which the ^rabians mzA£ <.
ufe of. Thus they call AquariusDelt^
whicH fignifics, not aMari^ but a yefTcIl to
take up water with : Sagittarius, nT'p. Kk-
jhct j which figriifics only, a Bow: Saturhd,
> Scautai^KtfcMars^n^iMaadinij
Red; whichis the Colour of this Star; Fenus^
nn, Nogahj Brightnelfe ; i name very fuita-
blc to this Plane't ; Jupiter, pts/ Tfedeki
Jufl:; becaufeic makes them fo*, that arcbdfft
under its Influence; Mercury, DDir, Cocaby
jigmfying only, a Star or elfe, ;nD> Catab^
to Write , or Writing; tfecau'fe this Pla-
net is very Favourable to Learning.'. Artdt
there is but one only Signe,o'falIthofethac
have any Humane Figure,'that hath fetairf-
cd the Humane Name, fave only that bf' tHe
Virgin, which is called irt Hebrew
Ecthola ; not without fome Defigne in it';
although it is often Called by the Rabbins'^
nSj», Shiboleth, the Bare of Cofnei , So
true it is, that thofc of This' Nation arend^
only very free from Idolatry; but even ffptfi
the Name alfo, of vvhat ever they cofte'effe
to be an Idol: which hath not been hither-
to obfervedby any man.' ^ LCt uS novV, re-
turn to their Fore-fathers', who knew nothing
of any of thefe Nanies , in their Aflfd-
I Unheard-of Curiofities.
all Conftellations, by Letters and- Cha-
tafters, ^cing prefuppofcd; the Ancient Hc-
brcwes, when they went about to ered a Na-
tivity, obferved on what Day , and under
what Signe, the Child came into the world;
^and \Vhat Planet ruled, at the hourc of its
Birth; all which Particulars they afterwards
fet down in T welve Places, which they cal-
led mlrm Machatdothidm. is to fay,!/*
gatura. Ben David faithj that rhefe were the
faipc, which the Aftrolpgers now call, Hot-
Jes. Novv thefe Ancients had perfed know-
ledge of all the Particulars above fpecified,
by looking on the Table hereafter dcfcribcd;
which i?. Kaj/ol Ben-Samuel hath refcucd from
Oblivion, in his B ook intitled, cZi'p'.cp yOil
hs") -dhmouk ahmoukim, vecol dtvit
kajchah; Profunditas Profunditatum^ & en'
mum rerum diffcilium^ which was Printed at
Cracovia^An. according to the jewes
Later way of Computation; which anfwer-
cth to the Y ear of our Lord, 14518. I bor-
row of this Learned Jew, a great part ofthcfc
Aftrologicall.Curiofities ; and I do it witfi
fo much the more Confidence , in that k
was accounted one of the beft Aftrologcis
of his Nation; having diligently examine!,
all that the moft Learned men had ever writ
ten, of thefe kinds of Antiquities. ,

Th
 Cu'rhjifiesl
^ ;■;-
I • I *1 *' '
9, n p. ;3 X 3 ■! . '; (
n & 3. X 3 a y• -S-;- ; ■•• :'t ,
3 X 3 •p V n 49 :. J
fi- ' 3 3f c%: !
•9 9 ^«
3 3 a i
y n :
'f' 3 i' 3 a n
■' 1
s 3 □ •9 n 19 3
C^' ">
0 V n V 3 X ?
n El 3 X 3 a r
i
3 X 3 a > ,n & (
3 0 S fi ' 3 X i-
<? n E; •3 3 a The 24.
i'
Hours of
3 x 3 a s n the Night
n 19 3 and Day.
3 p a
,9 S n 3 X 3 Co
W X 3 a
n 3 .t .
3 X n 19
3 P
X
3 a <? n & 3
a "■ »*.
S n w 3 X 3 b ^
3 ;n
V X 3 a •9 ^ ba
x 3 a S. n e'. 3 *»* •
S n 3 X 3 1 -
:l
,n E? 3 ,S 3 ,a 9
3, S* 3 i: <7 -nl El • r
C^
' ,. '. —r.
■.X z . . . TW
 Unheard-of Curiofitiesi

This Table feemcs fomething Difficult at

the firft appearance: and yet it is not To', if a
man butconfider ^jthat the Seven Letters of
each Row, running from the Right hand to-.
ward the Left, or from the Left hand to the
Right, figmfie the feven Planets •, and thefe
arethjE firft Letters of their feverall Names j
which are thefe following.

Schautai, Sat arm > Saterday.

plX Tfedek , ftipiter, Thurfday,
Clio Maadim, Mars , Tuefday.
nan cham ah, Sol) Sunday,
n j i: Nogah, Venus, Friday.
3)3^3 Cocab, Mercury) Wednefday.
n33^ Levanah^Lund) Munday.

Now^ if I would know, what Planet rules^

at the firft houre of the Night on Saterday,
(that is to fay, the firft houre after Stin-fet:)
I prefently haverccourfe to the Table*, where
havi ng found the Letters, which ttands for
Saturne ^ I fay, that this Planet rules at that
houre. And fo, going downe along that
Columne, under the laid Letter j I find that
whichis noted by tlris Letter, v, rules
at the fecpnd houre *, a, that is to fay, Mars>
at.the Third *, r, the Sun, at the Fourth} l>
Venus, at the Fift *, a, Mercury, on the Sift ;
bj the Moone,' on thc Seventh 3 and againc,
W^SatrnVj
 Unheard-ofCurlopkf. 2f i5.

[j., Saturne, on ^hc Eight ^ iy , rf/tpit&iPtitfie

Ninth j a., JW4yf,attneTcnth -, n 5 tbeSu/f,
at the Eleventh •, and laltly,:, Venuss'm the
Twelfth. Then going dowiie futther^ln the
fame Column, I nrid macs , Mewtry^\ih$y
ovcrthc Firft ihdure oftheT^ay •, ^theWcw,
over the Second 5 and fo of the reft,, J,,.,
5. And yet there may,bG:tw0l)opfe£5:rai-
fed, upon this Table. The Firft is ,why it!
Ihould begin withi, Mercury, which is-the
Planet of Wednefday; faftierilienAyithj
wliich is the Planet of Sunday ? feeing that
This Day was the Firft created# 1
The Second is, why the Dayes follow not '
the Order of the Planets ? Or, why Sunday \
followes next after Saterday ?
To the Firft of thefe, R. Kapol anfwers 5 j« tti.
that the Planets, as well as the reft of the CD'jn*
StarreSj were made, or Created Upon the
Founh day: and that according to this Or- dp.
der, Mercury was to rule the Firft houre •, as
any one may fee faith He, that will but take colm\:
the pains to compute the Revolution of Dais,
You may have recourfe , for the- fuller fatif-
faftion herein, to thofe among our Latine ^
Authors, who have taken any notice at all, of in hJu',
the Horofcope, or Nativity of the World •, inSfh^
which hath been Erefted particnlarly, by
and/»»#f»,

X 3 td
 Unhmd-of Curiojiiies.
m
' Tdthe Second: Doubt, -We anfwcrj that
the Dads pbfery e not the O rdtr of the Plas
fltts v bccaufe that, .according to the Ordcc
that they are ranked in , they make in their'
Courfcs, by an Equal! Inter vail, as it were
feven Angles of a Gcbmctricall Figure, which
is called ijhjceles, or Equicrurall-, the Safit
wheredf, are the fides of a Heftagone^ defcri-
bed within a Circle as you may fee in this
Figure following, which more clearelycx-
jplaincsthc Motions ofthefc Planets.

i?

-T

</
C
fsi
 Unheard-of Curiofities'.

where you ice, that on the outfide of this Fi-

gure, all the Planets are fct in Order 5 0 y ^
\3ir\SatHrm, fupter, Mars, Sol, Venus,
Mercury, Luna. Within the Hgure, you
fee it is othenvife ; for, from p, Saturne, you
pafle to n, Sol j fromhencc, to \ Luna 5 from
Lima, to a. Mars \ from Mars to 3, Mercury^
from Mercury, to y, fupiter 5 from fupiter,
toi, Menus • and from Menus, to Satume a-
gaine which motion makes in Order the
aayesofthe Weeke, Saturday, Sunday, Mun-
kj, Tuefday , Wcdnefday, Thurfday , and
Friday, But now all the Charafters ofthefe
Tables, are according to the Modern Jeives,
The Ancient Table, from which R. Kapol
Fen-Samuel drew that before fc? downe, is
This that fblloweth 5 wherein you arc to pro-
ceed in the fame manner, as ih the Other: on-
ly the Planets have other Characters •, which
arc thcfc: 3, Satume, a, fifiter, a, Mars j
1 &/; f, Menus 5 0 ^ Mercury 5 y, Luna*

'X4 j THE
 3*4 Unheard-of Curiofities.
THE' ANCIENT GENETHLlACAl
TA B L E OF THE HE 3 REWS. '

r
y i3 V d d-
i "7 T d D CD
d " 0 3 S.
r C3 V
to
0 CD 3 s \ d
3 a 0 a
y r
d D C3 y 3
S
d D • CD V r
3 S D D
CD y * *«•.
CD y »
3 S \ . o
d 0 CD 3 S
f
D CD 3 f d
3 S r D CD
y

S r d CD y I
n D 'CD 3 S.
3 •d Co
CD J? f c^-
3 f D 0 c ^ S
d D 3
f CD .y
C y 1 d
U 3
V 3 :r. D D "D b 5*
i-
S f D CD y i
0,
d D D 3 I **■.
'j' d &
cc •y 3 1 j %s
S
3 u r D ;
S"
t*}
a
1 d 'D ay
 Unheard-of Curiojities.

' 6. Thele Andent Fathers then, having

found oiit the Planet that ruled at tho Nati-
vity of a Child ^ thpy^prefently began to
foretell,1 i n Generall T earmcs, according to .
the Qiiafityof the'-'Sighe, what manner of
Perfon it was like to be. I fay, in Generall
Tearmes: not ftanding to reckon up fo ma-
ny Particulars, as Aftrologers now a daics
iloe: who will undertake to aifure us, that if
a Child be bornein an houre, for Example,
that Suturne governcs, it will be an A n o-'
gant, Sloathfull, Dreaming, Mclancholickej
Subtle, Wary, Impudent, Sad perfon', and-"
lhall love Black things', be very Meager, and
Leane, fliall have niUch,and black liai re,Hiall
be Pale,EnviQuSjHollovy-rcyed,given to dea-
ling, fliall keep his Anger long, will be ftub-
born,- and felfe-conccited, anafliall not much
care for the company of Women •, he will
foon grow gray, and fliall not be very rich;
he will be a hater of all Company, and will
be given/ to talkc to himfclfe 5 ana, above all,
will be a faithful! keeper of Secrets. The
Ancient Hcbrcwcs, I lay, took no notice of
all thefe Particulars; neither did. they admit
of any Diftinftion ofSignes Humane, and-
Brutifii.- Double j or Single j Bight, or
Crooked 3, Terreftriall, or Aquatickc 5
Fruitfull, or Barren; Strong, or Weake;
Lying, or Standing j Seeing, orHearing;
'■ ' " Loving,
31 Unheard-cf. Curiejitfes.

Lovmg> erf gating 5 that is to iayj tfiat

they ate the Authors of Seeing, Hearing,
toving. Hating, and the like; Aft wtieli
, Jihefts, are rpecined by Maniltu*. But they
fet<f only, that the Ghild would be Health,
- ijull, or Sickly; without parricularizing any
Pifeafe that it would be Fortunate, or
Vnfbrtunate; without fpecifying wherein.
And, in briefe, they foretold, in Generalj
Termcs, the Good, or 111, that (hould befall
it ; according:to the Benevolent, or Malig-
nant Nature of theSignes. For they faw,
that Satuyne^ by reafon of its being To Cold 5
dnd Mars, by reafort of its great Diincfle,
Were very Malignant: Jupiter, and Vem,
being Temperate, were very Favourable
Scars; as ajfb was the Same; and Mercury,
Of an Indifferent Nature. But as for toe
Moon, they thought fo diverfly ofltj as that
when it was at the Full, they accounted it
. Foitimare; but when it was Horned), they
thought it to befo Malignant, as that, ifa
Ghildwcre borne underfomeccrtaine ofits
Afpeifts, it died not long after 5 or, if reli-
ved, it wduld prove to be guilty of Crimes,
as. great, as its Temper was Blackc. And
this is that, which moved the Wife Women
grading the Hebrmps, tp wi"itc, or capfe to be
Written upon .the Wallspf their Bcd^cham-
ber, at thc time oftheiv Fallii^ in T ravell,
ihefc
 Unhttidrof CvriefHw. 317

thefe as^w</<»»teftifics crnn S'lK

ptih !Rn •ddim, CAavah , chouts £tmb i*M*h
that is to fay •, I,et mt Lilith e/fter fare,-
NQw this Lflith^is no pthcr, then the.^w *
being a nantc derived from ^
which iigniflcs, the Wight. Ifliallndt here
fctdowne, what ftrange Conceits the more
Supcrflitious Jewes, that came a Ipng while
after, have vented, concerning this De^ojiy
called Liliih y which they laid, Jiad its Rcu-
dcnce, ih, fome . certaine Influences of" the
floon. Bat I cpueciyc^that the Giieeks, an^
LatineSy whb; borrowed.the greateft Partoit
their Tocology, from the Idolatroqs tyriflns^
aiid Chaldeans, 5 have,doiong the ^eft, lighted
jipon tfeefe Traditions of L/lith j. whicn
they called bv the Kaoae of account- .
j'ng her the Goddefle. that ruled. in eheife at
Child-births; bccaufc they had heard, fay,
that the Mopne being at.thc Full, was a Very
Favourable Plaiiet to Women with Child:
which gavd occafion to Horacty to fing thus
of her y

Menttum Cufids, Nemormfy Virgo^

labdrantes uterepuellas^
. Ttt VQCatty audiSt adttoiffr letho ;
•I>iyaT?riforinU*

7. ^uCj. thait we titay not dwellany lon-

;■ gcr
 Unheard-of Cmoftits. >

gcr upon Fables, you may perceive, that the

Wife-men among the Hebrews acknow-.
ledged their Good, or 111 Fortune, tohave
bcccn caufcd by this Starre, as Chomtr tcfti-
' fieth ; and that cither by Its being in the
Full, or in the Wane : feeing that tney cal-
led it by two nanies*, by a Mafculine, m»
fareach, which fignified,ffcff^ Fortune •, and
by a Feminine, rua1; Levanah, which deno.
ted III Fortune. And Poffibly the Latines
alfo may have imitated them in this Parti-
cular, in thefe two Names of This Planer,
Lunus^ and Luna : which neither Scaligtr^
norC<x/d«^«,rearching after this Etymology,
did obferve. I am not ignorant, that faliui
Ftrmictu^ andthe P/^^jareof Opinion,
that in thefe names, Mafeulus fignifcat Fir*
lutem Ejftcientem-j Foetnina Virtutem hfam^
ac potentiam capienfent Numinis. And If
we but rightly conlider this Dbdtrine, we
lliaJl findeit, to be very little different from
the former. And perhaps, for this rcafon it
was, that the Heavens alfo were called, C®-
« Abw, & Celus j as Pighitts Campenf s teftifies,
in his Themiswhere he produccth this An-
cient Infeription , C O E L V S JE T-
E R'N V!S J U P I T E R : Or clfe, ac-
cording'to our former Conjedlure, the Hea-
ven vyas fo called j bccaufe it was Favour -
ble to fojhe ; and either Indififerentj, oc ylfe
Adverfe to others. fa
 Uuhedrd-of Citrhfitiisi , 319

8. As concerning the Planet Saturne^

thefe Ancient Hebrewes ftood in great Dread
of It: bccaufc they did obfervc, thacthof^
that were borne under the Dominion ofthis
Starre, were Melancholicke, and Sickl/i
And this is the reafon that the Chaldeans^
who gave themfelves over to the Worlhip
of many Falfe Gods, obferving, that this
Starre was very Hurtfull to them 5 thought
good, by fome Sacrifice or other, to render it
more Propitious, and Favourable to them.
And there being no other Sacrifice more
Proper for It, then that whereon It fo often
iliewes Its fad Effe&s-, thatis to fay, new-,
borne Children 5 they began to facrifice, of
Thefe, to this Planet under the name of Mo-
Ik, quafi -pa Meleeh •, thatis to fay^ a King;
becaufc itraigned Imperioufly over Men y
Or rather, (hewed it felfe a Ty rant over them,
by affli&ing them with Difeafcs, and athou-
fand other Difaftcrs, at Its ownc Plcafure; :
as Tyrantsufe to doe. And this is confir-
med alfo, by that other name 0? Baal, by
which the Idol ofthis Starre was likewiic
called 5 which fignifies as much as Mafier, or
Lord. And my Opinion is, that from hence
it Is, that the. Greener, and Latinos have taken
occafionto invent the Fable, of Saturnes Eat-
ing his owne. Children. I (hall not here
proceed any further, in fecting downe the reft
 $io U»i>ear<l-Df tmoftiesi

of thofe Choyfe Obfervations, eOncerning

tbis ifoloc, which are delivered by Men Efn;
Tttetp.i. Upon Jmos, becaufe that, befiaes that they
FMMo'aire "dt any thing at all to my Purpofcj
ice.Ki they are allo tod longj tdbc inferted here.::
? * After the O bfcrvation of the Planets,
Jnbce thefe Fathers, faith A'apol, cntrednext upon
voeiuaf' that of tlie other Starres, which are ufually
'tTitl ealled Conftellations. I fliallndtherc bring
in, what Jben-Are hath colleded out oftft
Ancients, touching thefe Starres now menti-
bned: becaufe I intend notto produce any
thing, that is trahflated into Latine, andtht.
the World hath already feen, or may fee, if
it pjeafe; as namely, ithc Workcs of this
Learned Aftrologer, which are tranflatml
into Ldtine, by the Conciliator^ I fliajl on-
ly note this by the Way, which the Tranfla-
tor obferved not, Concerning the Originall
Test 5 that where' Men-Art fpeakesdf the
'Nature of thefe Signcs j he dotn not therein
fojlpwthe example of the Ancients, who ne-
ver defcended to Particulars, as the Later
Aftrolbgefs have done iincc 5 Who tell usj
for example, what Signes caufe a Quicke
Wit - and what render Men Good-natured,
Courteous, and Afifable 5 as, Gemini^ Virgh
and Libra : and which make chcm Dull>
^nd Brutifli • zs Ariesj Taurus%Leoj and
pitorne : which make tbem -Fi^iitfull? as
Scerpio,
 Unheard-of CmUjttitSi

Scorpio, Pifces, and Cancer; and ^hicfa, on

the Contrary, make them iBarrcn j as CO-
and Ftrgo: and fo ofthe-reft,whkii
are all reckoned up by this Rabbine. Sue
they pronounced only in Generall Tcrmesj
of thefc Fixed Starres, which they cahctf
CJ'TOiy Oghmedim j as they did of the
Planets, wliich they alfo called ^
det^Ambttlones^ Wanderers} asifcw/w hath Be Art.
obferved, cfyUSti
io. And here, fince we are-fallen uponJ'
the Workes of Akn-Are, which are traii-
flated by the Conciliator} I fliall give the
Learned this Advertifement, that the T ranf-^
lation doth not alwayes exadly anfwer the
Originallj and that there arc alfofomc ccr-
taine Trafts added, which are not found at all
in the Hebrew. Thofc Pcices, that are
Legitimate, are thefe that follow: Firft, a
Traft entitled, Initium Sapienti£} which is
called by the Conciliator, introduftoriwrt:
which is indeed a very ChoycePcicc} and
containes in it, what ever is necedary to-bc
obferved in the N ati vity of a Child. Ano-
ther, called Lther Rationum \ where jhe^di"
fcourfeth of the Natures ofthe Signcs, the
Revolution of Daies, and Ages j and of
thofc Angds, which have the (jovernraont
ofthe world, intheir fevcrall Turncs} -which
Is a Pofition maintained by Robert Fladsiio,
 : Unhetfd-of Xlurtofnies.

ia his Apology for the Brethren of the Rojj

Crejfe: as. we nave, obferved, irt our ^orts
upon B. Elcha. Then follow in order thefe
Other Books. L/ier Interrogatiohum. Li-
ber Lumimrium ; et Cognitio diet Critici:
feu, de Cog nit tone caufa C'rifisi De Mundo,
wl/eculo: which the T ranflator calls, Likr
Conjunfttdnum. PlanetarUm, & Revohtionm
dnn'ornm Mnndi : where he makes a KepC'
tition of many things, which are let down,'
only in the Second. Book, by the Author.
-It appcarc's then by this Catalogue, that thole
two TraCis, which the Conciliator makes to
follow thefe, and intitles, Lther Nativttatum^
& Revolutianum eartim: and, Liber EUftit-
mm, arc not found in the Hebrew : neither
could lever meet with any fuch.Trafts,in'
any one ofallthofc Copies that I have feen
of this Rahbins Works; npr yet, with di-
verfe other things , which are handled in
That Colleftioh, which the Tranflator calls,
Traffatus infttper Particulares ejttfdem Abra.
ha?, in quibus trafiatur de Signifcationifnt
Planetarum , in duodecim domihus.. Howe-
ver , the Learned arc very much, obliged
linto him ; feeing that, before this Tranlla-
tion of his came abroad into the World;
the Aftrology of the ffebretves was who-
ly Unknowne to the Latines. But do re-
toe;'
ti, Wc
 Uhheard-of Curiojttief.
7
- — ^3^
ii. Wf have (liewed,,what Stars thefe
Ancient A ftrologcrs accounted Malignancy-
in the hjfativitics of Children : Let us now-
fee, which-were thofc they accounted Be-'
nignc, and Favourable.-, and from whofe AC-. •
pefts, they Prefaged allGood Fortune to the.
New-born Chilcfi
, Abarbanel then faith ^ that Sol was the
Chiefcft, from whom th'ey took their Oment
of Good and this was the reafori, (aith the
lame Author, that when God caufed, King
He^ekJah to be borne again, as it' were ? the
fecondtjme; lie made, chdife of the Sm , ta
be the Sign; by which tfiis Miracle Ihould
be wrought. Next after the they ac-
counted Ferns to be.moft Propitious ; and
perhaps from this Qbfcrvation of thd And*
ents,it was, that next to the-S««, and .the
Moon, This Planet was moft efpecially vyor.->
lliippcd,. throughout the whole Eaft j as it is'
affirmed.by M. Kapol Ben-SamueU < Thefe
Ancient Hebrews acknowledged. alfothc.Plah
net fapiter , (which, they fo.m'etimcs called/
1) Gad , and fometimes alfo 3113 .Sfo Maffl
Tfli. and thofe that came, after them, pnje. 3313
CocMtJedek-,)x.o he a very Favourable Stai1,'
tor which reafon it was, that the .New-ftiati-
tied Man was vvontto give his Bride a Rin^
whereon was ing'raved the forc-namectWoros,'
SB bib MaXdl tebu that is to fay, inthe Na-i
Y turall
 linht ard-of Cariojitihi

rural fignifiation of the ^Nox^A Good Sm

ox^Good Fortune : defiringby this Cere-
mony , that She might be delivered of all
her Children, under this Favourable Starre!
ask hath been obferved,both hyMunpr,
Ahen-E^rd^ and Chomer. Infomuch that the
Later ot thefc Authors afhrmes, that evenin
His time there were fomcthat were fo Cu-
rious (as he calls them) in thefe Obfervati-
ons. Cor rather, as we may juftly fay, fo Me-
la ncholick, and Foolifln-,) as that they would
not lye with their Wives, but at feme cer-
tain houres -, to the end, that if they fliould
prove with Child, they might be brouglK iff
bed, under this Starre •, whofe Revolutions
they were , moll diligent in Calculating^ But
thefe Strange Fancies are found, only among
theLater Jewcs-, and never entred fo mudi
as into the Thoughts oftheir Fore-fathers,
the Ancient Bebrewes -, (as the fame Chm
affirmes ) who obferved only That, which
a certain Pure Innocence didlated unto
them attributing no other Effcft totht
Stars, then what wereraeerlv Natural!; and
■ivhofc caufcs were imprinted on thefe Cele-
lliall Bodies, by Him, who created all things
-in their Perfedion.
12. But it is now time, thatweanftvci
■ this Weighty Objedion, that is made again!
us: namely .,that feeing that the Holy Scrip
turc
 Unhcard'pf Curiofitt^sl % 3^ ,

tures make not any mention, of any ofth^e:

Afif-ologhall Curipjiiics, in the Lives of thf
Patriarks, whom we ararm to have bgen C^
diUters of Nativities j a man may very vyelj
account them to be Falfe, if not pangerous :
feeing they are grounded only upon the Faii-
tafticall Conceits of the Rabbins, who arp.
Itnpwu w have been of the Fa&iori of the
judiciary Afirologeri. ■, *.
If I had not already elfewhere defended,
the Innocence of the Learned Je\vps, in this s«e my
Particular ^ I fliould in this place have t^kpp
an occafion to Hiew, how much our Chriftian thcLw-
Writers have injured them , by charging ned,toiur>
themunjuftly with fuch things, asthey were
never guilty of. JBut now I (hall only here
make it appear, that thefe Afirolpgi'call Curiofi- &"•
tjes may be proved out of the Holj Scrip-
tares. ,
For confirmation then,of what we have here
propofed,we read in Genefisjhzt Leah, Jacobs . \
0
Wife, called one of her .Sons by the name pf J *
the Planet Jupiter, which is called Gad, under ''
which, no doubt he was born: etpeperit Zil*
pah, faith the Latine, following the Qriginall,
mill a Leah ipfi facob fliuw ; et aft Lepb,
1)3 Rfigad 5 et vocavit nomen. ejus , Gad.
The Vulgar Tranflation, and S. Hieromp,
inftpad pl- Bagad, tranflate Faliciter: which!
is thefarae with, Cum Bona Fort ft HA •, as; it. is'
Y a proved
 itS Unheard-of Curiojlties.

proved by S. Atignfiine •, who rcprchcndeth

thofe, that colleded from this Text, that
the Ancients worlhipped Fortune. Fnde ri-
detitr Occafic (faith he) non bene intelligmibtu
dart, tanquam Hit homines Fortunam colm-
rint^&c. And that it may clearly and evi-
dently appear, that the Vulgar Tratiflation
undcrttands by-ij. Gad, Fortuna Sowd, whidi
is one pfthe Epithets, that is given to the
Planet Jupiter, as is acknowledged on all
hands 5 vvc need but turn to the 65. Chaftir
of jfaiab, ver. 11. where the fame word is
rendered by, Fortuna : Fos qui dcreliqsip
Dominiim \ qui obliti ejtis montem Santtm
mum 5 qui ponitis Fortuna?, ( ni4? Lcgad,)
men [am, et libatis ft per earn. The 5 eptaagm
alfo had long before given the fame Interpre-
tation of this word, rendering 133 Bagadfn
Fortuna,
iupha Now that u Gad is the Planet
i.i(c!s. Aben-Ejra teftificth exprefly, where nefaicJ;
m- t. that the Tar gum purpofcly retained this word,
as being the molt proper for the cxprcflirig
of this Star. And Abarbanel, u pdn the fame
Tcxtof Genefis, expounds this Paffage with-
out any Scruple at all, thus, pns 3 313 rfi HI
Vega A hoii Cochah Tjedek : that is to fay[;
This Gad is the Planet Jupiter', as you may
fee in the Learned Pagnin who, being a
cfrf!'Chriftian # Ought the Me to be fufpefted.
■ The
 Unheard- of Curioftties, 227

The Learned may alfo have recourfe to the

Great Maforeth •, where this word is reckon-
ed in the number of rhofe Fifteen, that are
written Impcrfedlly • and yet are read., as
though they were pcrfcdl, and wanted npt
any Letter. Ana this is the rcafQnj.thatin
all the Corrctft, Hebrew Bibles , you air
waies fee this word -133 in the Tcxt,cxprcF-
fed by a little Mark, which fends you to the
Margmc } where you find it written at
length, ni Jiagad. All thcfc things being
confidered, it will appear moft evidently, that
thisChjld oFfacohs,\vas born under the moft
Propitious Planet fupiier^ which is,, for This
Rcafon,. called by the name of Gad ^ which
name was alfo given to the fame Child. Novv
|f it be demanded why doe we not then
any where clfe meet with the like Example i
$acob Ben-Samuel anfwereth : that This was
obferved, chiefly, by rcafon of the Jcaloulic,
fhat was betwixt the two Sifters, fyah and
Bachti) Jacob's Wives. For, Leah feeing ,
that her Sifter had two Children already j
which made her fo proud, as that She began
toboaft, Comparavit me Hens (urn far ore mea:
fearing, left that after She Ihould have gi-
ven over Child-bearing, her Sifter would
have the upper hand of her, and that She.
fliould be no longer beloved by her Huf-
haud j.She gave her Maid unto.hjm , a^d
y 3. ' '
5,^8 Unheard-of Cmoftnes.
tauTcd him to goe in unto Her: and ds foon
Si llie perceived her to be with Child, (i)f
obferved lb well the tiirie of her falling ir
Travell •, that feeing her bring forth a Mai;
- Child, and that under the Planet f ufitir tod.
' fhc had learnt to fpealc, from her Husband;
flie accounting her ielfe now more happy,
"then her Sifter , would have him called
^Ifo by the name of this fo Propitious a
Planer.
And thefe were the Aftroloeicall Obfer-
vations of thefe Patridrks; which' were fd
iniichthe more Holy, arid Religious;,In thit
thdy wrtnight in thefe Good Men, d'Cdn-
tiniiall Admiration of the Works bf Gdd.
But, thbfc that came after them, mikiiig
■ fiiperftitioh with tliis Aftrology pf -thdr
Fore-father's • it Came in a flaort tirhc to
be Cdrfujated , and to loofe its Pirlt Pa-
fitie.
i Thus the Egyptians . wfio iverc
neighbours to the Chaldeans, of wKortf thjcy
alfo learnt this Science- were the fifft trat
• filled it with a world of Vanities,, brf^h'd,
•Abominations: as you may
fes liis p'li&or dubioriiih who
t'Hcfe Books : De Servitio'Egjp/iach f deV'
V«, zMoriifto ;.* pe [Arte iiaglcd,
T othenVifeti Vety Ichojfe ififlbk a o&'t
b'f I have:fdeh"in'//^ii;^ -butit Vras O^rigi-
 Unhedrd-of Cnrnjiths, 32^.
^ 1 1 1 1 "* — :
1 ■ ■ i. A
jially written in Egyptian, by Centinhc Phi-
lofopher. The Egyptians then were the
firft Authors of this Alteration in, Aftrolo-
gy; yet were they not, neverthclelTe the In-
vemcrs of the Cnaraeicrs of the planets;
^ V <? Q j 2 8 ; for, none of them, except
one, or two, are to be found in any of the
Ancient Monuments of this Nation : and
befides, thofe that are found there, have a
clear different fignification, from what at this
day they have with us. And certainly,if they
had den red to have reprefented Saturne, by
a Sickle ; they would have figured a Sickle;
and not have fet downc this Charadter y,
which is no whit at all like it: and fo of^-
fiter, v i of Fenus, j 5 and the reft.; And
iiow let any one juagcj what reafon we have
to give any Credit,to. the Author of thofe
Colledions, which are inferred at the' end of
Hjginns his Works; when he tels us, that
theie Charaders came, not only from the
Egyptians Jsm from the Chaldeans alfov Chal-
daiuptm, (faith he) atqiie Egyptiacx Notx,
ixihits Planetx ab Aflrommis infigniuntur.
But he, good Man, under flood not, that the
Rcafons, why is piftured with a Sith,
or Sickle; and Jupiter, with a Thunderbolt,
were things thefc People never dreamt of;
?nd were a long time after forged, by the
Y 4 Giddy- "
 9 Unheard-of Curiofities,

*■ ■ piddy-headed Greekes^ who turncd all man-

ner of things into Fables; and who thought,
they fliould never be taken for men pf worth;
unlede they invented, and publiflied to the
world, thefe their Foolertes-, which have fincc
wrought us this Uahappinclfe, that we have
but a Dark, Cqnfufed Notion, of the Wife-
dome pfthc Ancients. Sothat, endeavour-
ing to give us a New Kind of Aftrology,
which was ftufred up with Fables ; their
Horofcopes were credcd upon an infinite
Rabble of Falle Deities, which they affignd
to the Stars. And thus at lengtli, they be-
gan to teach , that the Planets thcmfclvcs
vvcrc. Gods 5 whereof fome were of a Gen-
tle, and others of a Sterne Nature; calling
Saturne, by rcafon of its Malignancy, niutiii
which is the name of a Certain Goddelfe,
the RevengerefTe of Injuries-, focalled,fay
They, ah ind'tgmuone. fufiter was called
Vi&ory : Mars roAfta, Boldnejfe : The
^£tj!»&o</w»ftwc, the Good Demon •• Venus.
Vpr.jf, Love : Mercury, tivtfiai, Necefsity • ana
t,lic Moon,dyttdll ti'x",Good Fortune: fcarch-
ing after the good Fortune of the Child,in
thefe "Appellations, which they called, Sortes
Fort was.
14. Now as it \vas their Defigne, to
imitate the . Ancients, and to follow them in
• their,Inventions: So did they noiwithftand-
ing
 Unhenrd-of Guriofttm- 331

ing endeavour, cither to corrupt their Do-

ftrine, or elfe to adde fomcthing to it ; that
they might not be thought to have borrowed
the VViiqle from any body : ifuch is the pow-
er of Ambition, and Vam-glory, Thus in
the twelve Houfes, wherein the Planets mu-
tuall Afpeds tq each other., throughout the
Signes of the Zodiacke, are, fee downed they
thought fit tq foretell of the Child, not fuch
things as take their Qriginail from the ln-
ilancofthe Childs Birth , which are called
fytigotiu 5 and which the Ancient Hebrems
alibobferved; buti from thole rather, that
happened after its Birth- Thofe that are dc-
Ijrous to be fatisficd.herein, may have re-
coiufe tq Scaligers., Notes upon Mmlius%
where he fets downe the manner oferediing
this kind of or Figure of a Nativity :
\yhere the FirftHbufe fhetys, that the Child
lliallbeaHoufe-keepcnthcSecond ," ihat he
llial be.a Souldier,anda T ravailcr-,thc Third,
that he fliall be a man of great Employment 5
aiidfoofthereft.
Thcfe Hoyxfaj Manilius calleth, AthU-^ as,
for example, when he would fay, the Firjl.
Houje^ he faies, the Fir ft Athlon 5 or the Se-
cond, the 2d. Athlon, &c. Whereupon
Scaliger takes occafion tQ refute Picus Miran-
dula, and jo. de Jftoiaf, a Spaniard, for faying,
that thcfe Athla , mentioned by Maniliusy
^ §}l Unheard-of dwiipies.
—_— ——— ^
were oniy the Theme of a Nativity i or Bntt
fcope, as they are now ufually taken : whereis
Heaffirmes, on the Contrarys that the Au-
thor tinderftands hereby, whatfoever is Ac-
quired , befide the Natural Inclination of the
Child. Et Ht meliits, faith he, Mentem Mi-
fiilij aperiam, duo Themata homines pmipttt
ihfiituit j alterum Genitttra^alterum Aciionm.
iothat thefe Athla are not thtTheme^ or Fi-
gure of the N ativity, or of fuch things, as are
borne With us ; but rather, whatfoever wee
Acquire afterwards. And here Scaliger takes
pecafidn to let the world know, that HimfeKe
is the onely Man, that hath refcued this Ath-
IM, out or the very Jaws of Oblivion j which,
he faies, is a word ufed only by Manilkss
Snd which, though it be very Ancient, yet
neither the Greeks, nor Arabians had
any knowledge of. He confeiTeth then, that
it is very Ancient: Now would I very ftinC
aiske this Queftion of Him : Whether this
Word, ifitbefo Ancicrtt, b,e either Grceke,
Hebrew, or Arabicke ? Ifuppofe, hee would
be very wary, how he anftvered this Quefti-
Ph, left he .fliould be forced to cohtradift
feftfelfe. Let us fee then, if we can difepver
thfe true Originalloftliis Word 5 and briefly
fet'dovVne, Whence this Athlon, whole Ety-
iholpoy hath bcen-for fo long time unknown,
is derived. .'
We
 Unhedtd-tif Cilylifjit/ef.

yfc hive formerly (hewed, (hat the Anci-

ent Hebhrtes digefted ill the Obfer^ations
which they made, it the Nativity ofa Child,
iiito Twelve Plates.; either oh fortie Inftril-
meat j or clfe in a plaine Figure ohly. Wt
have llfo faid^ that thefe Twelve Places^ ac-
cording to Abarl'aftel1) ScR.^de^f Kd^il^^C
died by one Geriierkll name ^ Mtt*
chitalm .) that is to fay, not ac-
cording to the Ufiiil Atcejjtiort Of the Lltihc
Word ivhitli figriifics d Jitidfe Sfcrbl
tyed about tht NdchjOt mitlt!^ fOi-tlic tuit
offonic Difeafe or Otfith if. NiihSH ftliich
abufcth hiinfelfe, in fikhig thS wOr'd Hi- this
Senfe, andfayihg' thitthey thi-tlle&&-
niture, or Figure of the Nativity, about the
Neck of the Child-, which Abarband proves
to bee very Falfe : But they were called
Pftmo Machataloth, from the Verbc^nn
Clhitd^ which figniHes, to Bind ^ b'ecaufe that
they lVeVe taken, and confidered all together,
as United -, and not fcverally, and apart. For,
if any one ofthem were omitted, there could
no perfedl Judgement be given of the For-
nine ofthe Child. Now, from this Chatal^
Qr MacJiataloth^ Athlon corrupted , which
Umlius, defcribing the Aftrology of the
Ancients, hath fo often made ufe of, and
■none but Hce. And thus you fee, whence
tins word, which Scdiger fo much rejoyceth
over,
334 Unhard-of Curiofities.

over, and will needs perfwadc us, 'twas utter:

ly Unknown to the HebrtmtsM derived. As
for the Greekes, though perhaps they might
have it •, yet the Vainc-glory wherewith they
were pulled up, made them forbeare the ufe
of it; and put them upon inventing of new
Termes, for all that they ever, had receive^
from the Ancients; by this means depriving
Us of the knowledge of Antiquity; the hid-
den Myftcries wlicrcqf we lhall more fully
difcovcr, in our Crihum Cabalifticum ; and
ihall there alfo more fully profecure this
Choycc Point of L earning, touching the A-r
Ihology of the Ancients. Let us now dc-
fofqd to the: Reading of the Stars.

( BARK
 Unheard-of CurrofititSi 33 5^

P A R T* I 11 U

OJ the Reading of the Stars,

and what efer elfe is Jeene in

the Aire.

CHAP. XII.

Whether it be Polfiblc to reade any thing

in the Clouds , and in all other Mete*
ors.

tHE CONTENTS;

1. TJOtv many tvayes this Reading bj the

^Meteors may be performed.
2. PattaileSy andfearefull Prodigies, feefti
in the Aire.
3. The Reafons they give, who are of Oft"
vioriy thatthefe Prodigies are Supernaturall.
4. Reafons given to the Contrary. Angelsy
titd SaintSy how they havefometims beenJecne
toaflearein the Clouds.
jjf Utibmfaf Cfrkfuies.
! 5. A «eiP, and Quaint Ofinton^tiutliiig
fhe dherje kinds of Figures that appears in the
Clouds : and a Conjetture upon the Secret ^■men-
tioned hi T rithemius, of coirveynv Nentsi
agreat T)ifiance off.
6. The Authors Refolutioti 3 concerning
Jtrayge Sights in the Air}.'
7. The Raining of Blood , in the figure of a
Croffe3not Haturall ^ againfi Cardan.
8. The Manna in the Wilderntffe, mrked
with the Hebrew letter i Vau, according to jome
iff the Rabbins: and, what Conjequencewemj
hence deduce^ againfi Them.
p. Haile inlLzngpsfa^figfired like Arms:
Snow , like Stars in jhape, jfoken of by Kcp.
jtcx.
10. The Rainh.ow ,.ihe Hieroglyphicke of
Sorrow.
11. Diverje Opinions, concerning the Gt-
iteration of Comets •• and whether they Natu-
turally prejage fame Evill to come, or not.
12. Rule/to how, what fillers, Swerih
Bucklers, Trumpets, andfiery Arrowes, fetnein
Ahe Adre, foretell. Hebrew Tetters fmeiiw
feeneinthe Aire.
13. What Letters fipue been demfei, in1'
mitation oftfye figures,/nade by.Cranes.in (kit
flight, frejages of Accidents to come, .tfit"
frotpBirJs.

■
 Uuheardrof CUriofitie S.

Make no Queftion , but that

thofe, who aaount Avemisaa
Athcilt 5 Cardan^ a Libeitine;
and Pompomtm^ an Ungodly
perfon 5 and who, being char-
med with the Dodrines of fome O ver-fcru-
pulous men , will not be beaten out of the
Common Road •, will looke very ftrangely
upon this Propofition which I have here
made, touching this fo Unheard-of Kind of
Hadingi But leaving them to their own A-
ftonilhment, and taking little notice of what
they can fay •, fince They are not the men, to
whom we write; let us come, inthelaft place,
to difcover the Secrets of this kind of Rea-
%.
1. Firft, Reading prefuppofeth fome Vi-
fible Signe •, whether it be in Letters, Chara-
fters, Markes, Ciphers, Staves, Torches,
Darts , Javelins, Knots, St-feakes, Co-
lours, Holes, Points, Living Creatures,
Or any other Senfible thing. rNowall thefe
Figures, or Signes, may be rcprc'iented in
the Clouds: and the Reading of them may
be performed, three manner ofwayes. Either
by Letters, orKnownc Charactersor by
Hieroglypnickes 5 or laftly , by Signes,
or Markes, which doe reprefent Per-
fectly, and not Obfcurely, that which we
read. .Jfor, thcfc Signes. arc different from
Hiero-
5^8 Unheard-of Cwiofnift.

Hieroglyphickcs, m this 5 that Hicrogly-

phickcs doe reprefcnt things Obfcurcly • as;
for Example. cxprelfing a BattaiL Ky a
Sword; but the other contrary wife, Clearly,
and Plainly •, as namely, one Battail, by a-;
nother. Now all thcfe LettcrsiMarkcs, and
Hieroglyphicks, are reprefenrcd not only iii
the Gloudsj but fomctimes alfd in all the ci-
ther Meteors ^as Comets, Lightning,Raine,
Haiki Snow, Manna, and White Frofts;
as we lhall fee hereafter; Wc begin with tl»
Clouds. ., .
2.. .. The moft Intelligible Signes. Marks,
or Charadlersthat, are hgufed in the
Clouds, are Armed Men, Onfets, Armcs,
and Battels 5 which appearing in order, for,
many daies together,do give notice toMcn,of
fome fcmblablc .Event to follow; Now whe-
ther thefe Prodigies proceed from fome Nfr
turall Gaufe,or elfe are produced by thepovv-
cr of Almighty God, tor. to adraonifli us of
Our tins-we lhall e xamine hereafter:but this is
moft ccrtaine,rhat we never faile of feeing the
Eventto anfwer the Sign^and that to the great
Aftoniihment of all thofc. men, who would
reduce all things,' to the Principles of Phi-
lofophy. About twenty foureycares before
the Birth of our Saiiiokr Chrijl ,■ there
were two, Armies fcento encounter each o-
therein ihc Aire y andthac withfogreatvi-
 • ' •
UtoKcard-of CuriofititS. 339:

olence, as that men might heare(ifat leaft the ~

ftory be true,) the Running of their Horfes^^r.
the Voices of the Men, an dthe.Claihingofg^:
their Armour* Not long after, was the truth ?/«««&.
of this Viiion made, rftanifeft to the world
For Mm us ahd Syda, by their Fadlions,
making, as it were,a Shambles of the Feild& Suet: '
were the caufe of fo much Bloodihcd, as that
the Romans never received a greater Blow, Aidt. d
then This. , In like trianncr,' ,when the
Cot lies flumes, and jLo7nbardsi invaded lU'Eycif
lj : the Europeansi Palefline •, and the Ttirks^iylv^e-
Conflantiftople; there were fecrf in the Airc,^ ^"*^-
Armies .all bloody; Men, raging like Mad; fined.'
and Dogs, foffirce, and ccuell ^ as that thc^'"m-
yery .Dcfcription is full of Horror. But^^f'
that we may not borrow Examples abroad ^
it is reported, that in the yearc 15 6,1. the likd ^(kmt >
Prodigies were feenin our ownc Co unify ofcr Be/.'
Trance, and even in the City of Pans alfd
which, not long after, fuffered under aninfi- Hifto'f
aite number of Calamities.' Of late y cares riejc£ |
allb, while the King continued his Seige be-
fore MontaHban, x\\(X£appeared, at Caeny at£'"'
tnc beginning of the Night, . very many
Drcadfull Sights in the Airc. A City feerfted
tobe befeiged, Ordnance planted, Souldicrs
drawnc forth, and the Clouds moving for-
ward and backward, appeared like to tW
pitched Battels, that Rood ready to charge;
Z' each'
> Utfheard-ef CHriofiites.\ |
- — "" "
each other: and that which caufed the great-
eft Terrour in the Beholders, was, diat thcfe
Figures feemedno be all bloody, and, ask
were. Inflamed; and the Face of the whole
Heavens alfo was moft dreadfuil to behold.
Now thefe Hicroglyphicks, and Letters
that arefceneinthe Cloudsj are more Fre-
quent then others, though not fo Certaine.
And, becaufc people doc not much take care
to obferve them, I doubt not, but if I ftiould
here fetdown, what I my felfchave fomc-
times feeninthe Clouds, I ftiould be laughed
at ^ notwithftandins, the Confidcration of
Thefe Things ought not to be rejeded, by
thofe that are Curious j as we ftialllhew here-
after. For, befides thofe wonderfull Ef-
feds, which Philofophers have obfeived doe
happen daily in the Clouds, it is alfoan Ad-
mirable thing to fee,

Mn illesfe foment
En cent diverfe portrnifls^dont leswents Its
tranfforment,
En Centaurs, Serpens, Bommes^ Oyfe attx,
Foiffons,
Et d'vne forme en autre errent en eM
fafons.
In Efigliflithus.
tfotv into fever all Formes themfelves tfitj
throw 5.
Whijb
 tlnheard-of Curiojities,

Which Winds change into Shades of "Things

helom:
Birds, FiJheSy Serpents, Centaims, Men;
and thus
Shifty in d Found of Figures v'drions'.

3. Let . us now proceed to the COnfide-

iadoti of theft Prodigies 5 and difcover,
whether there be any Secret meahihg in them,
or riot. .
thdft men that are of opinion, that theft
ftrangc Sights in the Clouds arendtAcci-
dchtal], and haveno Significatipnin theni>
endeavour to prove their AfTertion bjr thefe
three RcafOhs. The Firft is3bccauft their Ge-
neration is whdly above the f owerofNa-
tiile; feeing that no man Can affigne any N a-
tiiral Catift for it.The Second is,becaufe that
their Duration is much different^ from that ■
which Phildfophy alloweth them.. For-, if
we confidcr the Figure of a Cloud, wefhall
firtdc, that it cannot prefcrve it felfc, ih thq.
fame Form,and bignefs,thc fpace of one hour
only, birt is preftntly ftattered, and changed
into fome other fliape, verym'uCh differenl;
from the former. r Butas for theft Prodi-
gious Figures which we fpeake of, they have
Beeh fometimes feeh tolaft, for the fpace of
forty dayes 5, as the Author of the Hiftory
dftne Md'ccahces teftificthj who repdrtetK
Z a this'
 £42 Unheard-of Curiofuies.

'■i.Mac- this wonderfull ftrange Story, here folio\v-

eth.c. J' jng, Modem tempere Antiochus fecundm
profeclionem paravit in JEgyptum. Conti-
git autem per uni-berfam tferofolymam citiiti-
tern, videri diebns quadraginta ,per aira^ Ecjui-
tes difcurrentes auratas fiolas habentes^ fa
hajlis^ quafi cohorteSy armatosy et curfus equo-
rum per or dines dgefioSy et congrefftones fieri
cominuSyCt fcutorum mot us, et Gale at or um mid-
titudinem gladijs diftriciis, et telorum jattiu,
et aureorum armorum fplendorem , omnifqut
generis loricarum. A like Prodigy happen-
ed to the fame City, a little before the utter
Deftrudion ofitby fon to the Empe-
rour Vefpaftani, who was the Inftrumenc of
punilliing the Inhabitants thereof, for com-
mitting the moft Horrid Crime, that ever
the Sunnc beheld. For, there werefecn at
that time, for above a whole daies fpace-. Ar-
mies of men, running up and downeinthc
Clouds; and Chariots likewifc j the very fight
1,7'.t.ii, whereof aftpnifiied the Beholders, The
Third Reafon, to prove thatthefe Figures
are not Accidental!, nor produced by the
Power of Nature only, is; bccaufe that the
Praiers of Godly men have oftentimes been
the caufe, that there have appeared in the
Clouds, the Figures of Angels,and of Saints,
whofe Alliftance hath been implored, in
foine Calamitous Times ; as S,- Celepne
 Unheard-of Cumfttief.

was feen ac Aquileia j and S. Petronia. , at

Bologne.
4. Butthofe, who are ofa Contrary O-
pinion, bring Arguments againft the former;
and maintainc; tnatthcre is nothing feen in
the Clouds, but what may be Naturall.
For, as concerning the manner how thefe
ftrange Sights arc generated, it is every whit
as muchknowne to us, as that of Comets;
which are often ingendred in various, and
fevcrall fhapes; as, Pointed, Round, Long,
Large, and in the Figure of Haire accor-
ding as the Matter is Difpofed. In like
manner may the Body of a Cloud be for-
meefby the Wind, which carrieth it to and
fro,into ten thoufand feverall fhapes, which
appear ftrange to our fight; though, in
themfelvcs, they are dcaneothcrwife. And
thus, the Firft of the afore-faid Rcafons is
ovcrthrowne.
The Second fecmes to have much more
Force-, but in Truth, hath none at all. For,
though the Hiftory of the Maccabees fay,
thatthefe Fearful Sights of Armies appeared
inthe Clouds, for forty daies together; yet
it doth not fay, that they were Really fuch;
but only, that they Appeared to the Behol-
ders, to be fuch. Now their Sight might be
deceived, by a ftrong Imagination ,.caufcd
ffOm having feen it once as it often hap-
Z I pens,
 #44 Unheard-of Curioftties.
— pens, in the like cafe. If it be Ohjedted, thy
though one Single man might have been de-
cei|Ved 5 yet, that Many could not poflibjy:
and that therefore, 'the fame thing having
teen feen by All, it muft necefTarily be Rcalf,
a,ad not Imaginary. To this I anfwer, that
Many may be deceived, as well as One lin-
gle perfon; feeing that the Imagination of
Many is altogether as ftrong, as that of a
lingle perfon; and befides,thatifthc Cloud,
wherein thefe Figures appeare, be Thick, and
Moift the Raies of our Eyes, being jprc-
pofTefled by our imagination, may eafily
think they fee, that which we fancy to our
felves. This Anfwer is let downe more fill-
ttln- ly by Pomtonatius who, treating of fo #
im. ficult, and bold a Subjeft as this 5 might have
cleared hinrfelfe of the Objedions made a-
gainft it, by ufing another Reafon, ( which
we. fliall produce hereafter,) which is both
eafic, and. better knowne without calling
himtelf uppnthe Maximcs of a Philofopher,
that fcarceany body underftands. As for
the Long Continuance of thefe Prodigious
Sights in the Aire, it may be anfvycreain a
word, that, it was Naturall: fecipg that the
Hi'ftories dpe intimate, they were not feenc
continually, and widiout Intermifl)on; and
by Conr^qpence, itmightTp fallout, tliatat
fojpy t^^ori other, the'wxt day, tliie Wiwh
 Unheard-of Cririojiiies. gff
1 1
—• ' r ' *
might poifibly difpofc the Clouds after the
fame manner ,35 on the day before.
TheThird Rcafon, which is, that the Fi-
gures of Angels have been often fceninthe
Clouds, is notof fufficient Force to prove,
thatthefc Effe<fts are Supernaturall. For, of-
tcntimcs the Clouds, if they be Thicke, and
Smooth, doe receive theRaies, and Species
of things here below $ which is the Caufe
that we fee theoi by Refletftion, as in a Loo^
Iting-glafle. By reafon whereof, Cardan re-
ports, that one cfay there was the Appearance
ofao Angel, fceninthe Clouds, atMilUne $
which caufed great Aftonilhment in the Peo-
ple, till fuch time as re ltd anus, a Philofo-
pher, made it plainly appeare to them, that
this Angel was nothing elfcbutthe Rcfledi-
on of an Image of Stone, that was on the top
of the ChurcH of S. Godart, which was reprc-
fented in the Thickc Clouds, as in a Loo-
king-glaflfe. And thus might Pomporlhtius-
have given a rcafon of the Apparitions in the
Airc afore-mentioned, namely of S. Cele-
pse, at the City Aquileia, and of S. Pe-
tmia at Bologne; without engaging him-'
fdfc in fo long , and tedious a Difputa-.
tion.
j. From this Emiflion of the Raies, and
Species, fome have conceived, that all thofc
figures that ace feen in the A ire, are nothing
• ' Z 4 4k.
 ttuheard-of Curiofities,

elfe, but the Images of things here bdote

And therefore tliey Oiy, that thofe Arrtiics,
which haye been oftien feen in the Aire, were
tjie Raies of {bme Armies, that were in foitji;
pare pfthe Earth, or other. And fo, that
Navy of Ships, that was feenc floating in the
0ouds by the Romans., when they were pre-
paring to goe againfl: the Genois ^. and againft
Rerfefj the laft King ofthe Macedonians, who
was vanquilhcd by Amilms, was likewifc
nothing elfe, but the Image of their owne
Navy, which appeared upon the fmooth
furfacepfa Cloud. And according to this
!bp(flrine, pcradventure, the Armies of For-
reign Kings may be knowne •, and Newts
may bf cpnveyea, at a vaft diftancc; there
being nothing to hinder it. For, as for thofe
Objections which are made againft the Ren-
ding, that Cornelius Jgrippa fpeaks of, which
he faid might be done, by the help of the
Moon, which flrould receive the Species ofthe
Charaftcrs, as a Looking-glafle doth •, they
can have noplace here •, for as much as the
Clouds arc not very farrc removed from us;
and the Raies of Charaders, or any other
tilings, picfenrcd before them , cannot be
fpent, before they can reach fo farre, as they
muft needs do.with the Moon, by reafonof
its too great Diftancc. And thus perhaps is
that Secret pf Trithemm difcoucred •, where
 Unhenrd-of Cmofities. 3^

he undertakes to fend Newes abroad, and

makcit knownc a great diftancc off in an In-
ftant, by the help of certaine Spirits, whofc
names he there fets downc which arc, in my
Opinion, nothing dfc but the Winds-, feme
whereof arc more proper for the difpofing of
oftheClouds, then others arc. We may
poffibly difcourfc fomc other time, more ful-
ly, ofthcfc Secrets of his which nave bccnc
hitherto accounted, either utterly Falfc, or
elfe Diabolicall.
6, Itrcmaincs now,that we fatisficthis
Doubt here propofed ; Namely ,• whether
thefe Figures that arc fecn in the Aire , and in
the Clouds, be the Images, and Rcprcfcnta-
tions of things here below, and confcqucntly
purely Natural!, and arc of no fignification:
Or, whether they arc produced, and formed,
by the Providence of God, who ccafeth not
continually to forewarnus, by fomc Vifible
Signc, or other, of what Evils fooycr are to
befall us 5 as we have formerly faid. To 3;
which I (hall give this Anfwer, which I con- '
ceivc to be moft True: Namely, that, with-
out all doubt, Many ofthele Figures are Na-
turall j and arc produced, either Accidental-
ly, in the Clouds, or elfe by the Emiflion.
ofthe Image, arid Species bathings here be-
low, as we nave already faid .-"But that there
arc alfo fomc, which we muft rcfcrrc to the
wonder-
 Unheard-if Cumfitki.

wQodeifuU: workes of God. Of late?

kind are Thofc, fpokcn of by theAqtio/, of
iNich, the Hilfoty of the Maccabees; whdrc $u4asy
^19- fighting in Heavens Quarrel], bad an Appa-
rition fcnt hjai, of five Horfcmen^ appearing
in the Aire ; which purfued his Enemies;
with fogteat violence, as tliat above twenty
thoufand: of them fell upon the place, Sei
cam. vehemens ptgna effet, apparuerum adver-
Jartjs de Cftlo viri quinque in Equis , frank
ameis decor't, ducatum fudeis f raft antes.: ex
quibus dufi hdachabaum medium habentes, or-
mis fnis circumfeptum incolumem cqnferva-
lant.: in.adverjarios autem tela et fulmina ja-
ciebant: •, etx qtifl et cacitafe confufi, et repleti
pertHrbatiqqfi) cadehant.
Ifitbc hpre objedled, that thefe fiyc Horf-
mcn might polfibly ha ve been the Image, and
Species offomeof the Armic ; I anfwer, that
it appcares by the Circuraftances, that this
could not be fo ; it being moft evidently
true, that thefe Horfemen did not only fccmc
tafight y but did Really fight, and charge the
Hnemi.e,. And ifthe Idghtning here menti-
oned, hadbecn.Naturall, and had.beenedif-
charged' from the. Clouds y Both Armies
fliouTd then bavefeltit.alike.. But feeingj, in
thac<GQofiifioni, ajjd mixture of both Armies,
together;^: the; Darts.fbU from Heaven.upon
One oftheirr ojnly,. and notHpon the other j
we
 tlnheard-of Cymfitia. 34^

>vcmuft ncceflarily condud?, that this

the Hand of God: Befides, that tms Prodigy
happened a|fo, in a, cl^are, bright day, w&ri
the Aire vyas darhhed with no Cloud, So
that, as I am of Opinion, with Cardan, ana
Pomonatfus, that ofcentim,es wc may fee in a
Cloud, as in a Lookine-glafTe, the Species of
the Statue of an Angel, or of a Saint, placed
cither on the top of a Church, or elfewhere 5
orelfe, that our Sight may he deceived , and
betrayed by our Imagination : fp.d.ollikc-
wilc believe, that thele Vifions may ibme-
times alfo be Divine; as was that Image of a
CrolTe, flbining moft gloriouily in the Aire,
which was feerie by Con(tantine the Great 5
who afterwards found the Event to follow,
according, to the words, that he faw written
on it: In hoc ftrno vinces. T he Hiftories of
the Lives of the Saints, are full of the likc^f,. '
Vifions, which cannot be attributed tothe<-
Power of N ature alone.
7. After the Confiderationofthe Clouds,^
wee Iball in the next place comcto that or
Raine: wherein we can make ufe of no other
way of Reading,befides the Second^ which is,
by Hicroglphickes. And of this kind, is the
Raining of Blood:-, or, of Water of a Bloody
Colour; fuch as was,that, which fell in Swit-
Tprland, Amq, 15 34. which fell upon Peo-
ples Cloaths, in theform of CioiTes. fa.
Picas
350 Unheard-of Curiojitiet.

Ficus Mirandula hath Immortalized this Pro'

digy. by a Large Copy of Verfcs •, among
which, you have the ftoryof the Wonder
fully delivered, in thcfc few that follow,

Femixtamque Crucem rubro, (petfavims

dim.
Nec morum difcrimen erat 5 Sacer , atqiic
Prophanus,
tfani conjpeffa jibi gefahant Myjlica: Fli-
tres
Conferipti, dt fieri •, confer if tw fexusu-
terque;
Ft Tempi a , & Vejles , a ftimma Csfaris
auU)
jid tenues vicos, addnra mapalia ruris,
Cerncre erat liquidb dedufttim ex Mthert
ftgnum.

Cardan cannw believe, that there is any

Extraordinary Matter in This Raine : for as
much as, the Red Drops (faith He) lighting
upon Mens Cloaths, might appeare in the
forme of a Croflc, by rcalbn of the Waters
fpreading it felfc all along the threads, which
arc wrought Croflc-wifc. But here he takes
ho notice', that the Hiftorians, that report
this Story affirm \ that thcfc drops of Blood
fell in the forme of CrolTcs, not on Cloaths
only, but upon the Stones alfo, and upon
 Unheard-of Curiojiuesi 3

t/ieir Mcale: which is an Evident Demon-

ftiation, that the Caufe of it was nOt Na-
turall 3 but proceedieJ from fomc Divine,
Power. And certainly, the fame kind of
Rain, figured like Crofles, which happened
in the time of Julian the Appftate , what
could it betoken, but the Sufferings of the
Church, arid the Ignominy of the GrofTe i
If you but fun over the Annals, and con-
fidcr thefc fevcrall yeares, 747.785. pjp.
ijoa. 1507. you fhall find , that the like
Prodigies have been the Fore-runners offucK
Truths, as have ihoft certainly afterwards
come to palfe. I lhall not here fpeakc of
the Raining of Wheat, Wine, Oyle, Hofty,
Mice, and Frogs 5 bccaufe that tneir Caufes
are more Naturall. Neither will I deny ,
but that Thcfc Things are fometimes alfo
true Hieroglyphicks: as it hath been fome-
timc obfervea in Germany-, where the People
being,by an Intollerable Dearth, brought
aimoft to Defpairci they were fuddenly com1-,
fbrted by a Showre of Wheat y which was
fccnto fall from the Clouds ^ prefaging the
great Plenty of Come that fhould follow ••
which, accordingly came to pafle.
8. All the Other Meteors alfb, though
they arc Naturally produced, doc,yet fome-
times fervc for Signes; which God makes
ufc of, when he intends to communicate un-
to
352 Utihle^rd-if Ckyhjlties.

to us rotne Secret, worthy bf his Gfcatntife;

Thits the Joanna, wherewith the ifmlitti
wetc fed in the WiidcrnelTe, b'cfidcS the ma-
lty Wonders, that it was ihdutd wltliall,
had This alfo added to the reft, (as foftie of
thfc Rabbitis report,) that the graincs of it
wdre figured tVith the Hebrew Charader i
Fadj very pbrfediy cxprclfed : and this Was
the Principall Reafon, (fay they) that the if-
idblites, wondering at the Novelty of this
Charader, faid one to' ahbtheri jsri p iim
ho'fi? Which is as much aStO fay,What man'tti
this i Fdu < And fo going On Upbn this
C'rpand, they afterwifds find out a thou-
fehd Myftedcs • railing frbrh hence a ftfaiig:
Kirtd bf Dqftrine, whidh fcemetli to be Re-
pugnant tb the very Printiples of Coramoii
Theology. , Mowevtr, we may take Ad-
vantage herfct, arid make Ufe of theft Cofn-
ctks of Theirs, in corifutirig the Pccvifhtiefs,
ahd Stlibbornntlfe of this Pcbpie : and
thus fir it is Ufeflill tbus. As for EZasn-
v
Exc-l 6. ^hefl they fay, that This Letter, which,
in NtimbtrSi figriificS gave theth tbun-
derftandj that, dufing tM fix dares of the
week, they Wtrt to gather this Mdiind: aid
that this Number denoted alfo un-
to them, the Mifery, and Sorfow whcfeWith
God thrcat'ned them, if they murmured a-
riy more againft hito. Now, that fhis Num-
 if uheard-of Cmofittis *. 35?
irJ • —■ ~ T- — ■»■ — - 1
bcr (fay thdy) is the Hiciroglyphich 6f La-
bour, and Servitude, appearcs out
ticttS) and cifcwhcre •' wnele it alwaies figni-
fics, Labohr: as, foi! Example. They were
to work Six daies: and to Till thfe Ground
iikewife Six ycarcs. So an Hebrew Ser-
vant Was bound to ferve his M^fter Six
ycarcs; and ^ was tried by Stk Tribula-
tions»But fiippofc wcfhould replyuponthem, ^ ^
that all' thefe MyffefieS are more fdlly figu-'
red in o\ir Mefsids yy/ould they concfcivc . .
thcmfelUes bound (think yon^ to believe us;
feeing that we take Oiir Foundation out of
their Own Doftrine t Let us fappofethen,-
that the Mdma was marked With the Cha-
taftcr 1 tad • according to Themfely'es, this:
Chara&tr hgnifies, the Fruit ofLifaznti:
it is the Character a'lfa of the Mefsfdi. as it i?
proved by a Learned Fetietian. T nis Bat-'
ing of might alfo figUte Out uii- cmg.
to ththrr, t|ieir Eating of the Brtad' 6fLift, ^eM{'
which they One Day fhouM enjoy, as
chrifiiatis ■Now dOi BelidcS. that it rrtay
appear, that the Number of this Chiafadter^
tVnich ybtx, doth pCTfedily agrefe Avith alf
things, that have beehfpoicen of CftRISt;
according-tb; fhdf bwht CoinpUtation, Wc
have Iong; fince arriyed1 to tht stxfh Age of
the Wo)rla\ which' is the Age, wherein out
Saviour cHrist appeared', and not in
 :3J4 Ufthtardrof Ca/iofiiiss.
Any Other; To that tin's Number fcemcth
chiefly to point at, and to concern Hiirj; Se-
condly , if'wc would thake knowne to tlic
Samaritans the Wonders of lis Love, it is
not without fomc Myflery, t lathe fatehim
lie Ttk. down at Jacobs Well, about t ic Sixt horn.
i4 c 4.
' * WhereuponS. Jugiijline faith: Inmincip-
unt Myjteria : non enim frujlra hora fexti
Jedet .• quare hora Jextp ? quia atate.feculi
■ fexta. Jliirdly, we findin the Gofpcll, that
tune 'n t^e S'x* Moneth the Mefsids was fore-
','1 ' ihevved by aii Angel, apd at the fame time
conceived alfo, in the Womb of the Virgin
his Mother. Fourthly, Many are of Opi-
nion, that he was borne on the Sixt day of
the Week j and that on the fame 4ay alfo
hc cndcd,his Long,and Tedious Faft. Fife-
Iy,that lie came Six daies before thc PaiTe-
over, to Bethany, which is interpreted, The
Houfe of obedience. Laflly, that upon the
( Sixt day of t he Week, ana at the Sixt houre
Ofthat day, he died fcfr us lipoh the^CfoiTc,
• $ce now, whether theJ[evves arc.npt con-
founded, (at Icaft, fliouldbe per^yadcid out
6f their Peryierfneire,) by rficir Own Prin-
ciples. But,-to Jem^ifcl^ whid-
We fliall more fully examine in pother pl?ce,
arid fliall clearly demonftrate That, which
fliall be enough to convince the rnoft Ob-
flinate of this Nation j and to return to our
Meteors.'- - - -- ^ Snowy
 U'nhtard-of CurhfttitT.
>p. Snow, Haile, andFroft, doalfehfia^vT
fometimes .certain ftrangc Chafafters jrthc
Reading where6fwc are not to neglcdt.. For^
there h'ath Hailc been often feeni which hath
home the Figure, eitherofa Croffi, a Buck-
ler, a Heart, or of a Death's-head : and if we
doe not carelefly paflfe by thefe Wonders
whfcn ivc meet .with themj we may, no doubt,-
afterwards find the truth of the Events,7 fore-;
told by thcfc Hieroglyphicall Figures... It is
not many years fince, that, in Langnedojc.^
a Friend ot mine, being abroad on huntingf,
was upon the. fiidden, amazed, at Extrfc
ordinary Noyfe Of Thunder, and of a iiroft;
Violent Wind : which made him bcthinkif
himfclf, how to get to fome Shelter. . Bur,1
as he was got a good way into the Wood,'
which led to his Dwelling ; thinking with
himfelf that he (hpuld not ,be able to reaCh
his own Houfc, before the Raiii fell, which;
commonly followes fuch kind of Tcmpeft«i,'
he took up his harbour under a .R'bdc
de; which Ire had not ftaied abduC the Ibacc
of a Qmrterof an houre, but that, thinking
the Malice, of the^Storm had- been fpent , hy
a .light Shpwre of RainC that, had, fallen 5
he began to go on with, his JouTney.. . Btrc
he was not one a. Stones Caff, but. he favV
fome Haile cgin to fall • which made, him*
think of going backagain'. Notwithft'and-
 tj$S Unheard-of Camftties.
Af2
Jngj upon better Confideration, hebegantd
tiiink, thatthis Hailecould not be very trou-
blcfome to him, feeing it fell in fo finall a
Quantity ; and prefuming withall, that the
TKicknefTe of the Trees would be well c-
nough able to fceure him from the violence
of it. This Confideration had certainly
put him upon his Journey again •, had he
not by Chance, cafting his eye upon fome
of the Haileftones, asthey fell, obftrved, that
they appeared to be of another kind oflhape,
then commonly they ufed to be. This made
him ftay, to take better notice of them ; fo
that taking one of the Haileftones up in his
hand, he inftantly perceived a Fearfull Pro-
digy in it. For, fome of them bare the fi-
gure of a Head-piece; others, of a Scutche-
on 5 and others, of a Sword. This Prodi-
gious Novelty amazed him, and the Ap-
prehenfion offome Difaftcr at hand^madehim
return back to the Rock again ; where he was
no fooncr arrived, but that there fell fo great,
and fo violent a Storm of Haile, as tnat it
killed not only Birds, but very many Bcafe
alfo. The like to this, I my felf have alfo
fomctime obferved, in Provence. This man
then, returning home, after the Storroe was
paft, could find no more fuch figures upon
the Hailftones, as he had fcen at nrft; wnicli
made him conclude, that this Prodigy vvouW
nffl
 Utihiard-of Curioftties'. '557

not end with the Death ofthefe Beafts: as

he had indeed moft Truly Conjefttifed.
For, within a little while after, this Mlferd-
blc Country had its Fields covered with
Souldicrs, and its Revolted places beficged,
and aiiaultcd, with fo much Blood-ihed,
that the very Memory of it will be alwaies
very grievous unto us. The StOry of this .
Figured Haile, confirms that which Corni- in c<fc.
Im Gemma hath obferved, in thefe vyordS:
Invent a efi jAft us Grando, cuifutUrarum rr-
tm manifefi}, ut Mortis, Clypei, aut pugna,
nut Crucif tnjcalpu imagines J^eSiarentur.
Kepler hath obferved , that Show alib is
not without It's Wonders : for he atfirras, :
that Himfelf hath feen fome^ figured liki a
Star, having perfedly Six Angles, of an Ex-;
adi Proportion. Others have alfo obferyed
fome, that hath had the Figure of Branches
of Trees, or Leaves: and Some, which tw-
its fmall, Unequal! Pans, reprefentcd the fi-
gure of fome Old Ruines of Buildings - biiic
without any Dcfign, in my opinion ^ theGe-.
neration of It being Naturall,.and daily, to
be feen : as you may fee in the faid Kep-
ler. And yet perhaps, if Thefc Figures were
not too Frequent, They alfo would be ob-,
fcrveS to foretell fomething to come, as well'
asany ofthe reft, which are obferved to hap-
pen bin' very feldome ■ which God-makes.
A" a 3 to
 "I
- '558 Unheard-of Curidfties,
" —
to ferve for Admonifliments to Us •, as we
lhall fhcw more plainly, when wc come to di-
fcourfe of Comets.
10. Ihadalmoft forgot to letdown this
following Obfcrvation, upon the RaincboWj
one of the moft Noble Meteors, that are
formed in the Clouds: namely, that the Fi*
Src ofit, as R. Kapol faith, reprefents the
ter 3 Caph, which thejewes write in this
manner n 5 which might peradventurebe the
Reafon, why God placed it in the Heavens,
to be a Sonowfull Memoriall ofthe Deluge
paft. For, T his Charadlcr ftandcth for 20.
which is the Number of Sorrow, Thus we
Oen. 37. read? that facob ferved in Labans houfe,
Twenty yeares -• and Jofeph was fold for
Tventy Peices of Silver. T he Flying Roll,
wherein were written the Sinncs ofaD Men,
was Twenty Cubits long and at Troegfj
Nm. 7. Ycarcs ofAgc,the Ifraelites were reckoned a-
blc to ferve in the Warres. And ffe/em,
HUH. in Homeri complaining of her own Misfbr-
s
4' tunes, takes notice of this number alfo.

Quatuor hie jam lufira motor, quotempttt

nunquam
Iratus mifera mthi verha indignadedifii-

In a word, the Poets, as well as the Pro-

phets, when they would cxprcfle any thing
• of
 Unheard-of Cumjiues, 3S9
of Sorrow, rfiadc ufc of no other number.
Thus Fitjfes is reported to have endured full
Tnenty yeares Misfortunes :

guofque tali pojl tot terra, pelagique la-

borer,
In patriaw vent jam mm labentibus annis
Vicenis.

Many Examples, of this Nature, arc pro-

duced by Bungns \ which I ftrall here omit,
that I may proceed to Fiery Meteors. ' ■
ii. And among Thefc, Cometswt the
Firft, which arc of ufe, in the difcovery of
fuch Secrets, as wc now treat of. I am not
Ignorant, that many arc of opinion, that
Thefc Wondcrfull Lights, arc not Exhalati-
ons, drawen up from the Earth j bccaufe it
is Impofliblc in Nature, thatitlhouldbefoj
for as much as the whole Earth, convertcdjn-
to Exhalations, would not be fuffident, C fay
they) to produce fo Vaft a Body, as that of a
Comet is •, iffo be it be true, which fome have
obfervedj that they are not in the Aire, but
in the very Heavens. But let us Sup*
pofe them to be, cither mccrc Exhalations,
dtawen up from .the Earth, and Kindled in
the Aire, which was the opinion of moft of
the Ancients •, and, among the Mqdcrncs, of
fitolomemm, Regiomontamts, Vogelintts, and
Aaj fw-."*1
 %$& Unheard-of Camftlies:
Fraeajtorias : or clfe4 Bdames gathered toge-
ther, or Exhalations, fent forth from the
Pic)- Starres, as Snelliiu affinncs; Or elfe, Airc
7nct
• condenfcd by the Cold, as Frommdm thinks:
or Thickc, and Diaphanous Aire •, Shining,
_ and not Burning j as Pttteanus: or, a kind
ma. it. of Celeftiall, Wateriflj, or Oyly fubftancc;
as Kepler indeavours to prove: or, fotne
,: 1C
Devtv. ' ^ roffer Parts of the Galaxta, or Mil-
stf-Strf. ky way; as Tic ho Brahc maintaines: or Ull-
^y> wnethdr thefe Comets be certainc Fiery
stei.i'i. Jntmls, which foraetiraes appearc on the
ftp- Superficies of That Element} as one of the
Rabbins will have them to be : however, it
jW/tf- is moftccrtaine, that they doe appearc to us
in fome kinde of Figure, or other 5 whichis
aibtre/f: the bilfinefle of our prefent Difcourfe. Now,
exterfr. whether the Body of a Comet, or its Figure,
cM*- ^oc ndturally prefage foraedifafter to fol-
fine. low upon the vanifhingof it} thercafonof
its fo doing isnot eafily given. Yctraany
are of opinion^ that the Body of a Comet be-
ing kindled, produceth by its Heat, a very
great Dfowth upon the Earth; which ordi-
narily caufeththe death of Pririccs, and great
Potentates j who are otherwife much dried
up, by their Cares, Watchings, Rich Wine,
ilnd high Odoriferous Meats. And this is
fbereafon falins C^trdicd, ihortly after the
appearing of the like Comets.
lion
 Unheard-of Curiofities, 'jjJt"

Non alias C&lo toties cectderefereno

Jrulgvra,nec dirt toties arftre Cometa,
faith Virgil.
Thefe Comets therefore may prcfagethe
Death of Great Perfons; and be not onely zie suk
the Signe of it,as Cardan holds, but, the Caufettl1^
alfo. Sec what Ertcm Puteanas hath faid, Dtco-,
in this Particular. They may alfo caufen>et'
Barrenneffe 5 and confequently, Famine:
for, the Earth being two much dryed-, and
(iiffcring an Alteration, either by tne Exha-
lations that are drawn out of it, orclfe by
the immoderate Heat of the Airc ; and be-
ing alfo corrupted, by the {linking Fumes,
ifluing from the body of the Comet; cannot
give any perfedl, and Sufficient Nutriment
to the Come, and other Fruits. Thcnfol-
lowcth the Peftilence, and all other Dileafes,
by rcafon (faith Kepler) of the Corruption of
the Aire; and Earth-quakes alfo, wnich arc
canfed, not by Winds that arc generated by
the Vapours iffuing from the Comet, and
getting into Cavernes, and Subterraneous
places) as Kepler maintaincs : but, by the
Vapours that arc Naturally ingendred with-
in the bowels of the Earth, by the great Heat
caufedinit-, which, fcarcning forfomepaf-
fageto get forth at, and finding none, by an
cxtreame Violence caufeth this Motion 5
which is for die moft part accompanied with
A 34 Come
| <52 UnhtArd-of Curiofities,

Tome Difcafes, or other j caufed by the

Noyfomc Vapours, that afcend outof Theft
Cavernes. Belides, the Airebeing Heated,
together with the Malignity of the Matter of
the Comet after it is extinguifhed, or elfc,
whenitbeginncth firft to afcend, over-heat-
ing our blood,is a Means of driving Princes,
and Great perfonages, into ftrangc Furies5
whence prcfcntly follow Wars, Battels, Hc-
rclieSj and a world of other fad Accidents.
T hus, a little before the Wars of Relofpnefus,
tlicre appeared a Terrible Gomet, for the
Ipacc of Seventy five daies together. So
did another,before the Athenians fuffered that
great Lofle in Sicily, another, before the
Lacedemonians were yanquilhed by the Ik-
ham : another, before Arms vented his
Hcrcfy; another, before the Changeofthc
Romam Empire:another,befbre the Mifcheifs
that happened, during the time of Cltsif
dius the Emperour: and this Comet is re-
ported to have laftcd fix moncths. Another
prefaged the Warrcs of Achaia $ and, the
Deftrudion of Corinth, and of Thebes. A-
nothcr appeared , immediately before the
Cothes invading Italy: another, before the
Army of Charles the. Fifr fackcd Rome: ano-
ther forelhcwcd the breaking forth of the
Fadion of the Guelphes and Gibelines: ano-
ther, the Bulgarians breaking in uponXiWe
 Unheard-of Guriojtties. 3^3

and anotherj the Givill Warrcsof Cefdr&

Pompey-, of which Lucan writes thus.
i
tfgnota obfcur* viderunt ftdera noUts,
Ardentemqite polum fammts, Cdtloque m-
lantes '
Oblique, per inane fates^ crinemque tre-
mendi
SidertS) et terris m 'mtantem bellq Corner
tern.

Now all thefe EfFedts may proceed meer-

lyfrom fomefuch Caufcsas Thefe : But if
it be fo,that Comets burne not, nor arc gene-
rated by any Elementary Exhalations here
below j bnt, that they arc Above, in the very
Heavens j which is the Opinion of the
Learnedeft Mathematicians j we muft then
fearchfor fomc other Caufes: fothat thofc
men then,who affirme, that thefe New Fires,
are Miracles; arc not wholy to be neglcdlcd;
for as much as it is recorded, that in the time
of Aitgiiftus, there was leen Oncofthefe Co-
mets , wherein appeared the Figure of a
Child. Whereupon the Divines, being de-
manded what they thought of it, returned
anfwer• That, This Childfliouldbc Grea-
ter,and more Powerful!, then Augufus him-
fclfe 5 and fuch a one, as ihoula cfeferve to
be Wprlhipped by Him. But, now whether
thefe
 3$4. Unheard-of Ckrhjhiet.
thcfc Cofrjets be the Handiwork of God 5 or
whethcrtheybe but meerA Exhalations., or
laftly, fuppofe them to be New Stars, appca-
ring^in the H^vensjWe fhallin the next place
proceed to fliew, that thek Figures arcMy-
fticall Charaders ; or, as it were, a kind of
Eieroglyphicks^ by which we may be able to
read, oy vertuc of Analogy, what Good, or
Evil! accidents (hall befall us. The General
Rules whereof do here follow.
12. TheFirftis, that if they arc figured
likeaColumne, or Filler 5 they denote the
Conftancy of fome Prince, or of fome Great
Saint, orelfe of fome People, or Nation.
And hence, fome of the femes have taken ok
cafipn to affirme, that the Pi/lar of Fire which
went along with the Children of ifrail in the
Wildernclfc, was given unto them, as a Hie-
roglyphickc of Conftancy , and Stedfafinejft:
X)em}. 2nd that it Was no Ordinary Comet ; what-
fj.i. 1. ever Andreas Rofa affirms to the Contrary-,
wh0 maintaincs, that it was mcerly Naturall,

and had nothing Divine in it; it being the

Ordinary Courle of Nature, (faith He) once
in two Thoufand years to produce fome fucb
Light, as This. Thus, two thoufand ycarcs,
or thcrcaboiit,after the Creation of the world.
This Pillar of Fire appeared :Two Thoufend
yeares after, which was the Second Agc»
was That Wondeifull Star fecn, chat appea-
i:ed
 Unheard-of Curiojitief. -

^fd tothc IV/fe m» 3 at the Birth of our Sa-

viour Chrifi : and Two Thoufand yeares af-
terthat, jivbich is the Third Age, and which
We Now live in, a New Sta*re appeared
in the Conftellation of Cafiopeia. Seneca^
Phavorinus, Alpeiragim^ and Elias Talnwdi- ?•
p, fcemto favour this Opinion; But it hath
nothing of Truth in it. For, befides that Jgii.
this Pillar of Fire had no Proper Motion at N<x.Att.
all, as other Comets have; no more then had
the Starrc, which appeared to the Wife men Bmb. ie
which had nothing of the Nature of the 0-
thcr Starves in it, but only the Figure, and
Light: neither yet did it appeare in the Se-
cond Age, (as Rofa affirmes,) but in the
Third; for, they reckoned then Five Thou-
fand yeares from the Creation :) thefc New.
Starves, and Comets have been known to
appeare-muchoftner: andconfequendyit is.
moft Falfe, that they are feene but every Two.
Thoufand yeares. Thus, the Learned Lice- pg m,'t
tut hath obferved , that within the fpacc of &
30. years, or thereabouts ■, namely, betwixt^jx;
the yeares 1572 .& 1 ^04. Three new Stars
were feene : One, in Cafftopeiaanother, in
the Conftellation, called Serpentarius ; and 3
Third, in the N ecke of the Swan.
The Second Rule is, that when a Comet,
or fiery Meteor, is Round, Cleare, Bright, '
and not Duskic at all, but lookes as it were,
like
 3^6 Unheard-of Cmofties.

like another Sun •, it may fignific.the Birth

offome Great Priirce : z^fufiin^ the Hifto-
rian writes, that the yeare that Mithridatts
was borne, during the fpaee of feventy daics,
there appeared a Comet ^ (fome fay, that it
was a Star,) but fo Wonderfull a one, as
that the GreatnclTe of it tooke up the fount
part ofthe Heavens 5 and the Light of It, c-
clipfcd That of the Suri. Nam (faithlie)
et quogenitus efi anno , et ey eo quo regmtt
primttm caj>it, ftella Cometcs, per ulrumque
tempus, j eptuaginta diebns it a luxit, ut ca-
lum omne conflagrari videretur : nam et mag
ititudine ftti, quartam c alt part em occupavc-
rat, et fulgore fui, nitorem folis vicerat:
et quum oriretttr , occumberetq., quatuor fpt-
tiu'm horarum confumebai. We have already
ictdowne, what Prcfages may be made, from
the Colour ofthefe Comets.
The Third is, that if they be of a Pyrar
midall Figure, we ill all then fuffer great Lof-
fes by Fire •, and, by way of Analogy, may
conclude, of fome Tyranny approaching.
And this is the Opinion of Cornelm Gemm,
Pe A2«f.wh^ exprelfeth himfelfe in thefcwords. For-
n'rjm. ' tafjis, quainacutam Pyramidm deftnunt, Ig
6 n*S tr£dom'tnia, magis , et ex Analogta , in Re-
'e' ' publicaTyrannidem prafignijicant.
The Fourth is, that if they be of much
Extent, Waved , and Di fir pared here and
there
 Unheard-of Cumfttt'es.

there, in the forme of Waters 5 they then

denote Seditions in the People; feeing that of
mongaflthe Hieroglyphical Charaders,thac
fionine the People, This of Water is the
Ghiefcft 5 according to that Vifion of the
Prophet: Aqua multa, fofuli multii And
it hath been very often obferyed, that after a-
ny Inundations, either of the Sea, or of Ri-
vers the People have prefently alfo made
Infurrcdiions.
The Fifth is. that if they be of the figure of
iHome, whicn is the Hieroghphicke of Port-
erj as may be obferved out oftne Scriptures,'
in very many places: they fore/hew the Great
ftrength of fome Monaren, and an Abfolute
Power. Hiftorians report, that when Xer-
*0 invaded Greece, with a Million of Men;
there appeared one of this kind of Comets,
fliining moft refplendently,
The Sixt is, that if they beare the figure of
a Sword, they prefage Defolations, which
lhall be caufed by .the Sword. Such a one
was that, that appeared over the, Gity of Hie-
mfakm, for the fpacc of a whole, yearc'toge-
ther, and did fore-lhew the death of Eleven
Hundred Thoufand fertes, as fofephm te-
ftifieth; the greateft part of which number
fell by the fword. And in the yeare 1 j 27. a
Comet ofthelike Figure appeared,-for many
daies together j with this ftrange Spedlade
attendfng-
3 £8 Unheard-of Cmojitiesi
- ' ■ J - M —
1
' I —I
attending it, that it was encbmpaffcd round
about with Launtes, Pikes, and Halbctts,'
with fuch a great number of Heads cut off, as
that the Difcription of it was full of Hofrour.
Thofc chat are the leaft verfed in Hiftory,
Cannot but know, how Calamitous a Tirat
this was. If the Comet be figured like a
Trumpet; it then alfo foretells of Wars: but
Ifitbc of the forme either of a Dart, or Ar-
jrow; or elfeof a Javelin, it denounccthboth
Warre, and Peftilcncc; the Effedls whereof
flye abroad, as fwift as an Arrow. Such a one,
as this, appeared Jrt. 8o.
Now, although that in all Comets, theft
feverall Figures may be produced Naturally;
(if fo be, that the Matter (which we fuppofc
to be Elementary ) be aptly difpofed,) whe-
ther they be Long, Large, Pointed, Square,
Ovall, Triangular^ or Round; from whence
proceed , Beames of Fire, Bucklers,
Saltantes, which are fo called, not, for havini
the figure of a Goate; but, cither becaufcthSi
Comet hath fomcthing of the Refemblanec
of a Goat's Board, as Philofoms ^^Lotynt-
p;Wer«r affirmc; orelfe, bccatRjjj^pt the
matter of it being difperfed, takes de-
grees, one part after another, fcerifiBierdB
to imitate the skipping of Goates ,
for the Reafon that is given by SenccWmjwh
Iprofelfel underftand not,) where,
 ilnheard-of Cumfnml gtfp

of thefe Comets , He faies: Arifioteks quod-

imgtnus illorum^ Gapram, vecat-, quaji Ig-
nisglobm- although, I fay, (heft Figures
maybe Naturall 5 yet do they notwithftandf
ing foretell, (whether it be, by the Power of
Refemblancc , which we hay e fpokenoffoi"-
merly 5 or by fome othci way, whkh isUn-
kownto us ) all thofc Events, which we:
have now delivered-, and that, moft Cer-
tainly too, as Experience it felft tcftifieth,
Tacre have been oftentimes fccnc of thefc
Meteors in the Ai.re, which have reprefented
the figure of fome of the Hebrew Letters 5 and
that in a reafonable pcrfcft manner exprelTcd
too: as, for example, that, which they call,-
Art Ceeli, repi efents the Letter y Schip ; the
Chtfma, reprefents the letter CD Mem or clfe,
die letter o Samech: and fo, of many others.
Wherein notwithftanding lean dtfcoverno
^ecrets to lye hidjat Jeaft, that do fatisfieme
all. In our Cribram Cabalijlicuitt, wc ex-
he all thefc Myfteries 5 and difcourfc- at
;c, of all that ever the Cabakjii have writ-
particular.
here I thought to have ended
;r 5 but-that I now reraembcr, that
treat of all forts p( Jteading,
performed in the Airc. Now,
ft Naturall, ofall thefe kinds,
lhay be taken, from the Flying.
of
tfii . Unhlard'df Curiofitits.

^ cf Cranes; ofwhich.S. Jerome faith; Gtyts

uwam jequuntur, ordine literate. Thefc tficn
qhange their .Ojrder, and ihift their Rahkcs, at
the Inftant that the Windturries j that fo, by
meancs of a different Figure, they may be a-
bleto fly , with tire greater Eafe, and Swift-
oeflc. Thus, when the Wind blows behind
tfrerti, one,or two ofthcm, by turncs,, place
thcmfelves behind the reft ; fo that they are,
as it were, a kind of Ihelter to the mainc body
of the Flight, which is divided into two Bran-
ches. But if.the wind chance to blow againft
them, they then prefently change their whole
Order; For,whereas before,the Fore-pan
of their Body was divided into two ftankes,
they now divide the Hinder part into two
Rankes, reprefenting the Figure of a V., one
of than only, flying in the,head pf the Com-
pany, and dividing the Aire before them r
and all the reft, flying fmoothy after it, as if
they were joynedtogether in a Line, make
way for the Wind in fuch fort, as that meer
ting with no Refiftance, they flye with all
pofltble eafe, and plcafure. Sometimes,they
makea perfedf Triangle;or aSemi-circlc,likc
tpa C 5 or elfe, a perreift Round O ^ as, when
they are fet upon by an. Eagle; by this means
defending themfclves from his affaults. For,
on which fide focver the Eagle comes, he en-
tblmrers with nothing but Bills; juft as a Bo-
 Unheard-of CurtojitUs.
dyofHoufe^ fetting upon a Party ofFootc3 ^
meets with nothing bur Points ofPites. Anci
hence we may conclude, that Luc an is niuch'
tniftaken,'.\vlich he faies, that all the Figures,
which thefc Birds imitate in Flying , arc
ihecrly Accidcntall, and Made by Chance.

Strymm fic gelidim, bruma fellentt^ , .,./r

relinqmnt, . _ ... « .
Potura te, iVi/e, grues : primoque vo- rf'
Utu , •
Lffingunt varias , monjiranie,
fguras. , . ; .. ,
A/er, ubi percusfit tenjas Not us alt tor
: tl&y . . .....
Copfufos temcre immixta glomcranuirin
Orbes,
Et turbata perit dijperfis littera penniK

So Cranes in Winter, Strymon s coldfor- '■ ■■■

Cake yriBflin
' . ■. • ted by '
Te Nile ; and in theirfrjl i.Ht ■
flight make •
( yls chance direfts.) of Letters 'various
formes, : , . ■ .
When their Jpread Wings are by the Violent
forms . , .
Of fir ong South-winds ajfailed, by and by
in a confufedglobe all mingledfiie: ..
Vie Letters lofi in their dtjrdhked wings.
B'b' For?
 Unheard-of Cumjiiies.

Por, belides that in Battcll, they never ob,

ferve any other O rder, or manner of Marflial-
M'.^'Uhg themfclves , a man may obferve alfoin
ij. '' their Flight, that when cither the Wind cea-
chiiiid fcth, or another begins to blow 5 they pre-
T.dcmt. fently break their Ranks, and caft themfclves
vwr. into another Figure. Thefc Truths are
' l^geiy difcourfetfof, by zy£lian, Ci-
ttinviu cero, and Plutarch: and Paniculany by Al-
Tbefii. drovandus, who reports, from diverfe of the
2^ Ancients, that, from this Divcrfuy of Fi-
gure in the Flying of thefe Birds, Palamedes,
m the time of the Trojan War, took occalion
to invent diverfe Letters of the Alphabet;
which he added to thofe other , that the
InXaijs Phoenicians had before. Whence Martial
faies; ,

;
Tttrhabis Verftu, & lit era tota volaiit,
Unam ferdiderisJi Palamedis avm.

And certainly we often fee, that Cranes, irt

flying, do ftrangely imitate thefe Greek Let-
tii. s. ters, y,*. Cafsiodarits goes further yet, and
wr.cgf.i afifurcs us, that not only fome Letters^,but
generally All of them, were invented by
Mercury in Imitation of the feverall Figures
he obftrVed, in the Flying of thefe Birds.
His words are fo Confiderable, as that I
think fit to mfcrtthcra here, lit aliqnidca-
tm,
 Unheard-of Curhjities,

tum-) & excjuifitum dkere videamur^ has (Li-

Urns) fyimim, ut jrequentior tradit Opinio,
Merchl'ius, rcpertbr Artium mult arum, volattt
Strymoniariimi avium collegifje memraturl
Nm hodie Griics,q;ii claffem cohfociant^ At-
fhaberi format, Natura imbuente, defriburit j
<jnas in ordinem decorum redigens, vocalibufy
mfonantibufjf convenicnter admtfsis, viani
jwfuidcm repent, per quam alte petens, ad pe-
netralia Prudentia Ment pofsit aha pervenire..
They fay. that Wild-Geefe alfo obferve the
fitne Mctnod, that Cranes do. ;
Now the Letter^, which allthefe fcveraU
Birds make in their Flying, fliew us only
the Divcrfity of the winds 5 or elfe,the man-
ner of their ordering themfclves in Battell;
and no more. ,But their Fighting, Singing,'
and manner of Feeding, and going to Rctt,'
4re of more Signification then'fo; forthefc
are often Signes of things to come. : Thus
weufually fee, a Sick perfon is near his End,'
when a Raven is obferved to come croak-'
ing,' and to light upon , or fly neer the
Chamber where he lies : the like whereof
Is obferved alfo of Scritch-0 wles, and Horn-
Owles •, Birds, which by reafoh of their de-
lighting in Darknefs only, and Shady pla-'
ccs, arc accounted Unfortunate, and Omi-
nous. The Fighting, and Gathering toge-
ther of all other forts of Birds , efpecialiy^
B'b; i Birds"'
 ■574 Unheard-df CiiriofttieSi
* Birds ot Prey, and which feed upon Flcfli ,
doth likewife often forelhevv fome (ad Ac-
cident approaching. Thus Z)w» reports,
that when the Armies of the Ttiumvirate
MM0* marched forth again ft the Complices of
Fompey , to take a juft Revenge or Co?Jar's
bJoud, there were fecn, hovering over the
Troops of Brutus, and Cajsius only, great
numbers of Ravens, and Vultures -, which
by their Many, and Fearful! Cries, did fore-
Ihew theRuine of Thefe Two Murtherers.
Ndther need we travel! fo far, for Exam-
ples of this Nature : for, we have a like Sto-
ry to this, delivered by tMnens Sylvius-
who, comming to be Pope, was afterwards
in Enroll, called by the name of , Pius II. and it is
this. I n that Part of Galii a, (faith he,) which
is ftu named Belgica, not far from the City of
I-eige, a Falcon, as die was fitting upon her
Eggs in her N eft, a company of Ravens,
perceiving her, fee upon ner^ and, not con-
tent with beating her, devoured her Egges
alfo and that, with fuch Strange, and Umj-
fuall Out-cries, as that the Boors, and Shep-
herds thereabout , who had obferved this
Strange Piece of Tyranny, aded upon the
Faulcon, were very much amazed at it. But
at length, the Faulcon, though with much
adoe, being gotten from them, the Shepherds
thought the Quarrell to be now certainly o-
 Unheard-of Curt of ties. 3751
ver, and that they Ihouldheare no more of
thefe O ut-cries. But, which much increafed
their Wonder ,on the Morrow, they faw ga-
thered together, in the very lame place, fo
infinite a number ofFaulcons, and Ravens,
as that they could not have believed before,
that there were fo many in the whole world:
all which were now gathered together to de-
cide this Difference, betwixt the Faulconand
the Ravens; the Place, and Combat being,
as it were, agreed on, on both fides. The
Faulcons pitched their Battell toward the
South fide of the Place; and the Ravens to-
ward the North ; and both the One, and
the Other, obferved their Ranks,and Order
as exadbly , and beheld each other with as
fierce Countenances, as if they had been
Armies of Men. At length, after they had
been obferved to keep this Order, for fqme
little lime, (fome of them being, as it were,
in the Main Body of the Army •, and others,
in the Wings,) the Fight began, with fuch
Fury • as that, in an Inftant, the place all
about was covered with Feathers, and Bloud,
and with dead bodies of both Parties. But
inCondufion, the Faulcons vvonne the Day:
and it feemed hut Reafonahlc; that They,
who fought in fo juft a Caufe, fhould bear
away the Vidtory. Now that this Battell,
fought belwixt thefe Birds, did p.refage fome
Bb 3 Bat-
 U/iheard-of Carieftm.

Battcll to be fought by Men in the fame

place, Edovardus Scleikd endeavOHrethto
prove,by the Event: who writing the Hiftoiy
of the year 1391. tells us ^ that not long af-
ter this happened, two Bifhops, pretending
Right each ofthem to the'Biflioprick of
were To incenfcd againft each other, as that
filling all the parts round about with Soul-
diers, they made a Sad, and Bloudy Decifi-
on ofthe Controvcrfie. For, Bemditt XIL
and Gregory XIII. ( whofe Fadions had
likewife made a Divifion in the Church, a-
bout the Popcdomc,) maintaining each of
them the Biihop of his own Eledlion, drave
%'■ on the bufinefle to fo great a Height, as that
it was to be determined only by the Sword.
The Liegeois favoured the one Party-, and
tfohn Duke of Burgundy^ the other. But in
the end, the Duke being ftrongerthen his
Enemies, gave them Battell in the very fame
place, where thefc Birds had fought before;
and wonne the Day, with the lone of three
Thoufand of the Liegeois. The like alfo
happened An. 1484. when Lewis , D. ej
Orleans fought againft Charles VIII. And
that I may not trouble my fclf any further,
incolletfting Inftances of this kind, you may
haverccourfe to the fbre-namcd Scleikel, and
Se/le-fofcjl, who will furnilh you with good
tnl {tore ofthe like Prcfagc-s; it not being my
• • • Pur-
 linheard-pf Cumfttiesl 3^

Purpofeto give you a Catalogue of thcm^bufr ^

only to examine their Caufc.
Wefay then, that Birds may Naturally
forcihew lad Accidents approaching; if we
except allfuchjas depend upon the Will of
Man ; as, to give Battcll, or , Not to
give Batcell : for,in this cafe, ah Prefages
arc Vain. And if by Chance the forer
mentioned Battels were obferved to be fought,
after thofe of the Birds; yet the Birds can-
not be thought to have fore-lhewed them
lince it is by meer Accident, that the Birds
fought in the Aire, either before, or at the
fame time, that men fought upon the Earth;
or elfc, perhaps, God may fometimes make
ufcof tnefc Extraordinary Signes, tope-
pare us, (as we have faid before,) again#
the Evils that we are co encounterwith.
To keep our fclvcs therefore within the
Compaflc of Natural! Caufcs; wc affirm,
chit we may forcfee Fair weather, Rainc,
Thunder, Peftilencc, the Overwhelming or
Cities, and Hills, and alfotheNaturall Death
ofMcn, by the Naturall Difpolitionof Birds;
and that, three manner of Waics. The Firft
is, by their Flight : the Second, by their
Singing ; or Crying : and the Third, by
their Leaving, and Forfaiting a Place, The
later of thefe doth raanifeftly foretell the
Ming of Mountains, and of Cities, and
Bb 4 Houfes;
I Unhedrd-of Curiofitiesi

Houfes; the Peftilence, and Famine approach^

ing : And the Two Other fore-fliew the
Change of Weather, and the Naturall Death
of Men, Arid here I cannot but wonder
that among all thofe Hiftbrians, that have
Written of the PrefageS of Birds f there is
firarcely any of them that have endeavour-
ed to give the Natural Caufes of them. They
will tell you perhaps, that againll Rainc,
fome certain Birds will fly dofe to the fide
of Rivers 5 but they do not tell, whatfhoiild
be the Caufe of their Flying thither, rather
then to any other place. Biit, feeing that all
thefc Adions are not done, without fome
Reafon, or other 5 we fhall here indeavour,
in a few words , to difcover what it may
be.
It is certain then, that Birds which Iceop
alwaies in the Air, have a more perfeft Scnfc,
and Apprehenfion of the prefent Temper
of It, then We can have : and this is the
reafon, why againft all Changes of the Air,
and of the Weather, they are wont to give
us fome Signc of it; as, for example, to
Sing, and Chirp very pleafantly, when the
Aireis Clear, and Calm; and on the other
fide, to change their Note, when it begins to
be troubled and ovcrcaft; and to fly to Ri-
vers fides, when it is like to Rainy efpcci-
llythofe that delight in eating of WormS;
vvhich
 Unheard-of Curiofiitesl VI9
r i ■ ■ i ' ■
which abounding moft about River's banks,
by reafon of the Gorruption, and Humidi-
ty, alwaies come abroad out of the Earth,
againft Wet weather. And thi? is the Rea-
fon, why Crowes fly to Rivers fides, when
it is like to Rain. Secondly, if the Airc
begin to be infefkd with any Contagion;
they, finding themfclves annoyed thereby,
prefently get them gone, and quit the Coun-
try; although it be fo Fat, and plentiftill a
one, as that it affords them more ftore of
Food, then any other place can. Thirdly,
they ufeto fly away, and forfake a City,
or Hill, which is neer falling to Ruine, and
to be Overwhelmed; by reafon that the HiU,
or City, not falling to the ground fudden-
Iy,as it feeins to Us to do*, but, by litde
and little ; there arc caufed by this meanes
certain Rifts, and Openings in the Earth ,
out of which afcends fo Contagious an
Airc, as that the Birds, (which arc far quick-
er Sented then We arc,) perceiving it, pre-
fently Icavetheplacc, and fly away. Thus
did thofc Birds, which we have formerly
mentioned, out okRab* Blcha^ fly all of them
away, even as much as the very Poultry,
when the City, wherein they were, was now
ready to be overwhelmed by the Ruine of
Two Mountains. We have alfo faid be-
fore, thatin a certain Village, in Snit^erland,
called
 1
Unheard-ef Curiojities.

called ?LOURS, the very Bees did the

like. The Inftancc of a Man neer death,
doth alfo confirm this Truth: for, when
he is at his Jaft Ga(p 4 the Pores being o-
pened, by a Certain Violent Labouring of
Nature, fend forth fo Corrupt an Aire, or
5wcat •, that the very Fleas, not enduring
it, leave the place. The fame is alfo report-
ed of Rats, and Mice; who will he Cure to
forfake a houfc, that is ready to fall. And
certainly no man can doubt , but that the
Air which is pent up in the Clofc holes,
cither of a Mountain, or of the Foundation
of a Ciry, or ofthc Walls of a Houfe, muft
•needs be very Corrupt, and Putrified Au-
which, when it comraeth to be exhaled,
Vt rart-uuift neccfTarUy be very dangerous, to all
that fhall take it in. And in this fenfe
wc arc to underftand Cardan^ when he faies;
chat a City is neer its Ruinc, when the Ra-
vens are obferved to croak, more then ufu-
ally : forafmuch as,thefe Birds having a Sent
pf the Putrid Air, that iffueth out of the
Earth, think it to be Carrion after which
they are fo greedy, faith oElUn, as that get-
ting to the tops of Trees, or clfe flying a-
fcout in the Air, they turn themfclves about
toward every Waft of Wind, that fo having
a Sent of any , they may goe, and feait
thonfelves upon it. And for the fame ica-
 Unhtdfd-ef Cmoptieil
fon,ifthey chance to Hie over a houfe, where
any are Sick, and that they alight upon it.,
and cry more then they ufc to doc •, they
juvc forae Senrc,by rcalbn of the Ajf that
commech out of the Sick perfons .Chamber ,
of his approaching Death. The Augury
thereforCjOr Divination by Birds3ufed by the
Ancients," was not altogether fo Ridiculous
a thing, and fit to be accounted only as a
Piece of Supcrfiitious Foolery 5 as Pelrio nifqijf.
ivould make it to be. And here I cannot Mtg.
choofc but laugh at tho.fe men, that will needs
have ApaUomm Tyaneus to be a Sorcerer,,
and a Magician-, bccaufe he was able to inter-
pret the Language of Birds: as we might:
hot fee the Experience of this 'every day,
and perceive, that a Hen ufcth alWaies one
Certain Tone, when She calleth her Young
ones about her 5 and a quite different one,
when fhe hath laid an Egge •, and makes a
Third Kind of Noifc, Unlike eifher of the
Former, when fhe is any way frighted. So
that,when I hear a Hen makea Noifc,.I
may fay, that either Hie hath found fome
Corn, and now fhe calleth for her Young
ones ^ orclfe,that:nowfhchathlBidaHEgge;
or elfe, that fhe is frighted. ?And what
fhould hindetjbu^ that By lone Experience,
a man might be ahltro oo theiike,hy all 0-
thcr Birds ? fbr'the other Prcfagcs,.thaf
may
 'I ' .. .J
3S2 Unheard-of Curiofities. . •

may be taken from them, and which arc more

tih.i.de Common; I muft refer the Rcadct to C/««,
ttih i. » Alchindtts, Fiminus, Hieronmm
Ceng! Tort us, Federicuf Bomventura, Augujlims
Niphus, AUtacenfts, Minerva, Gul. Crete-
fen. ie rolus, and Amomas Mi\aldtts.
natairu-
FrsgMft.ferpet.Devem. Vefrogn. temf. Efhemend, Pregmfi.tcm},E.
ttcmerid.eir'pff'
)

CHAP. XIU,

That the Starres , according to the Opinion

of the Hebrew Writers, arc ranged in the
Heavens, in the forme of Letters: ami
that it is Poffiblc to rcadc there, whatfoc-
vcr of Importance is to happen} through-
out the Univerfc,
THE CONTENTS.
I. ' I 'He Celefiiall Conjigtirations, devifti
I bj the G reeks, permitted by the Church,
though Dangerous. This New DoHrine,of tk
Reading of the Stars, no whit repugnant to tk
Chrifiiaa Faith.
2. This Reading, proved out of the Scrip
ture. Diverfe pajjages of Scripture, tending
to this purpofe, interpreted.
3. The opinions of the, Ancient Hebrews,
Greckes, and Latines, in this. Particular.
Oe.Tk
 Unheard^of Cur/efitiisi 383

/).. Thereajo»,rvh)fo few Authors, of theft

Lm tmes, have rnedled herein. What our
Modern Writers, as Reuchlin,- Pkas Mirandu-
li, Agrippa, Kunratb, Bandli, and Flud,
im delivered of this Suhject, .
y. Poftell's Intention of bringing itjnto
Europe.
6. The Stars ranged^ not in the forme ofA-
rabickej nor Samantane, but of Hebrew Cha~
lifters. The Superjlition of the Arabians, id
xuding fame kind of words. Their Letters^
hen owed from the Hebrews.
7. The Hieroglyphicall Living Creatures of
tie ^Egyptians , placed in the Heavens, arc
vet to jerve for Letters. The ConjlellationS
Imperfeci.
8. What things are to obfervedy that cue
my be able to reade the Heavens. What the
teifon is, that New Stars often appeare ^ accor-
ding to the Kahhins.
9. A Continued Enumeration of the fever ad
Meanes that muft be ufed, for the rendering a
Mm Capable of this Reading. The Star in
tie Taile o/Urfa Major, thefore-jhewer of the
Change of Empires^, and how.
10. On which fide we are to begin this Rea-
ding of the Heavens > and how we muft Inter-
net the words we find there.
11. Ofthofe Celeftiall Letters, that have
forelhown all the Great Mutations in States* The
:
"• ' Fall
 Unheard-of Cmofttus.

Fait of two Potent Kingdomes in this Edjl, rM j

in the Havens hyR.C homer.
12. The Authors judgement, concerns^
this Reading of the Heavens.

Hofc, who have diligently ex-

amined the Choyccft pans
of the Learning 6f the An-
cients, have obferved, that
there is nothing that is more
Abfufd, in Appearance,then
the Figures of the Cclcftiall Conftdlafions.
For, what a Gonfufcd thing is it, ( fay They)
that, in thofe places, which are deltined to be
the place of abode for the Blclfed Spirits only,
there fhould be lodged fuch numbers ot
Beafts-,and, fomeof them fo dfcadfull,as
that we cannot thinkc of them, but with Hot-
tour < If they had placed only Men there,
and had allotted a Caft or, and a Pollux, Do-
minion there this might have been intcrprc-'
ted an Error ofLove 5 which fuffers us not
to be content, in wifhinc fmalf Honours to
thofe we Love. This Confidcration.might
alfo have fatisficd thofe, who complained,
that the Cclcftiall Figures were nothing elfc,
but the Rcprcfentations of the fevcrall Scapes
of fiter 5 & that the whole Face of the Hea-
vens was filled, with the Notes of his Incc-
ftuous Prankes: fo that if any one Ihould un-
dertake
 Unheard-of Curkft sh.

dertaktocxcufc thcfe Amorous Signes, he

would be the Icfie blame-worthy ^ in that h«c
did it, only in Defence of the moft fwect, and
Povvcrfull of all our Paflions. The Exeufe
ofthofc, who impofed upon thefc Incorrup-
tible Bodies, the Figures of Brute Beafts that,
arcmoft fubje&to Corruption, and even of
Things Inanimate alfo, was moil juft 5 feeing
tliat, in fo doing, they had no other Defignei
but what was Religious. Thus we fee Fifties
there, Cenfers, and Eares Of Corn in a Vir-
gins hand: And, thofe who are skilled in the
Secrets of the Ancient Theology, know well
enough, thatit was not without fome Myfti-
call reafon, that they placed one Grownein
the South part of Heaven , confifting of
Thirteen Bright Stars •, and another in the
Northern part, containing eight ftars in it.
But to place Dragons there, and Serpents,
and Hydra s •, Rcaion can never endure, And
yet, fee the Strangcnelfe of the thing ! For
Though the Ancienes had thus filled the Hea-
vens with Brute Beafts •, and that, according
to this their Doftrine, one would have ima-
gined this Cclcftiall Paradifc to have been,:
an Habitation of Monfters, and a Dreadfull
\Vildernefs,rathcr then the Seat of the Blefted,
& a Place abounding with all manner of Plea-
fures •, yet notwithftanding neither hath the
Cbjirch ever reproved it, nor any of the An-
cient
\S Unheard-of Curiojitiei.

cient Fathers difavowed it. Now the Subjeft

we treat of3is much leflc Scandalous •, and, by
Confequcnce, more Tolerable. For, what
danger can there be, in affirming 5 that the dh
verte Figures of the Starres reprefent, and
make up the different Chataders ofthe He-
brew Alphabet < And, that as Thcfe Letters
have fome Signification ^ when they are
Single, as well as when they are joyned with
others : in like manner the Stars, either alone,
or joyned with other Stars, doe note .unto us
fome Myficries ? Yea rather, this Dodhine,v
of ours is fo farrc from being fuch, as men
fhould beware of, and, hold it Sufpefted-, as
that, on the Contrary, it teacheththe Mani-.
fold Wonders of God; and proveth, that all
thefc Stars have not their Order beftoweddii
them in vaine •, and that their Motions, and
different Afpedls are not utterly ufeleffe, and
without any Defigne. Infomuch that, in
my Opinion , it would be no leffe then Blaf-
phemy in any man, to aflirme the Contrary;
or to fay, that they are placed there, only
for Ornament, andtobcautifiethc Heavens,
and to give Light and for no other caufe at
all. But, what Madnelfe is it to confine
thcfe Wonderful Lights to One only Opera-
tion •, feeing that, befides that Experience tea-
cheth us, thatthe Moone is the Governeffe of
all Humours; the Swathe Principle of Life;
Saiurtii)
8 ^ '

Uhheard-of Citriojities.
Sitnrn^z Malignant Star,; Benign,j,' '-
fhcSigile of74«Wj cold and dry. j that pf
Geminh, Hot arid nioift; Aries^ Hot and dry;
and fo of the reft; we do alfo fee daily i tljiat
one and the fame Simple here below, fervcth
todivcrfcand fundry Operations; and there-
fore, if the Properties of Hearts, are not rc-
ftrained to the narrow limits of 0 lie Sole Ef-;
ted; why fliould we thinke fo unworthily of
the Stars, as not to believe the fame of them ?,
Wee conclude therefore, that betidesthofe
Wonderfull Qualities ,• which' wee acknow*
ledge to be in mem ; they may alfo reprcfcntj
by their Diverlity 6f ^.fpeds ,' certairie Fi-.
gures, or CharaderS, by which we may have
tome Apprehenfion of the Gre'areft Chan-t
ges, that happen here below.' And this
Truth we will now endeavour to proveout
ofthe Holy Scriptures. . •
,2. If then we can any where find, in.
thcfc Holy Scripmres, that the Heavens have
been called by theHoly Ghoft, A EO OK y
(liendoubdenewe may conclude, that there
are,in this Booke, fetters,.and Charaflers,'
vhich may be Underftood by fome or other,
^ovvjthat iris called a BOOKE , appeared'
out of the Prophet z/irw/;., who fpeaking of ;
hcLaft Day, . wherein all things fliall Ce^fe, IS. 14.4
le faith, Complicahnntut, .fictit Liber i Ccelif
Wberc the 3 Crfpj'iri'Hebrew, wliiylvthe Z.f-,
^ i im
 Unheard-of Cumfities.

line tranHatcth, Sicut, fignificch, in the Origi-

nail, guta. So tliat, as ifaiah hath faid, that
the Heavens (hall be rolled together •, fo hath he,
at the fame time, given the Reafon of it alfo 5
Jiecaufe they are a Booke. If it be Qbjedlcd,
that 3 may fignifie, Sicut as well j I anfwer,
that thofe, that arc but meanely verfed in the
Holy Scriptures, know well, that this Latht
word,is notalwayesa Note of Similitude, Ft-
ifi fumus Sicut Confolati: ( wasthefongof
the People, returning out of Captivity :) a
"Men that are Comforted; (hall we conclude
hence, that they were not Really fo i No:
But this word Sicut, S , is Redundant iit
this place, and might as well have been away.
Solikewifeinthis paflagej Tranfivimus Sicut
ferlgnem: and in many more the like.There-
fore Comflicabuntur CosU}Quia LIBER [unt.
But if it be Rill Objedled, that for as much
as 3 Cafh, fignifies fometimcs ficut, in the
Originall j there is no more reafon, why it
fiiOuld be rendered guia, then Sicut: and
Confequently it will Rill hold true; that the
Heavens are not a Booke, but are oncly an
Booke. To this it may be anfwered, that
the Holy Scripture doth clfe-where fully de-
cide this Controverfie; feeing that , fpcak-
ing of the Heavens, it makes mention of
Lines, and Letters, which are words, thai
are moft properly, and Elfentially fpoken
 Unheard-of Cumfjies. -

of a Booke % and maketh no ufe of tfic

word Sicftt3 As, at all ; which is an In-
ftlliblii Argument , that thcfe words , in
the pafliige. before cited j Complicahuntur,
SfCUT Liber^ Cali, are not expreflions
of Similitude. ■ Now that the Scripture,
fpeaking of the Heavens, namcth cxprcfly:
the word LETTER , will appeare out
of the very, Firft Verfe of the. Bible ;
where the Hebrew Text runncs thus...
□•awn ns cnSx tna n^tna- Berejhith
l/ira Elohim ET hajchamaim ; that is to
fay : In the Beginning God . created the
LETTER^ Of C H ARACTERofth*
Heavens. For , this is the meaning oft
the Hebrew word ns*, ^ •, or rTN ^oty
which fienifieth a LETTER. And
as for the word , LINE, wee finde it
much, more plainely fct downe in the ip.
Pjalme , Terf. 4. In Omnem terram exi-
vit Qip Kavam, LIN E A corum,.
.Ifliali not here enter into any tedious Di-/
fputc, Whether it be to be read oSp KoUm,
Smus eornm .j rather then dp Kavam, Li-
ma eorum : aiid fo conlequcntly, whether
the Paffage cited by St. iW, out of the In-
terpretation of the Seventy, be corrupted :•
or elfc, the Hebrew Text. . . In my Advts
far les langues Orientales^ I ihe w, with Titel-
mwsiBredembachiittsiMalvendaiMercerfiS)&
C c z Gencbrard3
■ypd Unheard-of CuriofitieSi

Cenebrard, that the Places arc not at all Gor-

rnptcd, neither in the one, nor in the other:
but that the Septnagint, and Sr. Paul had re-
gard to the Senfe of the Words, rather then
totheimwj faying, Sonus eorumsx.o make
it fuite more aptly with the following
Words : Et in fines Orbis terra verba eo-
yum: becaufe that, the Sound^ the Voyce, and
the Wordsj doe very handfomely accord, and
fuite together. We may adde alfo, that
they made ufe of a Sublime^ and Allegoricall
fenfe of thefc words, applying them to the
Preaching of the Apoftles. And thus St.
Paul, ana the Septuagint, being fully recon-
ciled to the Hebrew Text 5 we may the more
boldly fticketo the Letter, and read op
Kavam, Line a eorum 5 undcrftandingit fpo-
ken ofthe Starrcs, which are ranged in the
Heavens, after the manner of Letters in a
Eookt^ or upon a Sheet of Parchment. For
which reafon alfo, Godisfaid, inthe Holy
Scriptures, to have ftretched out the Hea-
vens, as a Skinnc: calling this Extenfion,
y»pl Rachia ; from whence perhaps the
Greekes might take their word , which
fignifieth a Skinnc, or Hide it being molt
proper to a Skin,to be Extended, or Stretch-
ed forth. Now upon this Extenfion^ as up-
on a Skinnc, hath God difpofed, and ranged
the Starrcs, in the manner bfCharaders?
- - whereby
 Unheard-of Cmofitief, 39%

whereby, as by a Sacred Book, the wonder-

full Workes of God are fet forth, to all thofc
that know how to read them. Carli enar-
untglorum Dei faith the Pfalmift. And
here peradventure fomcmay fay, that the .
Wondcrfull Workes of God are fet forth
by the Heavens, in their Prodigious Extent,'
Harmony, Brightnclie, Order, and admira-
ble Motion ; and not by way of any Wri-
ting. But Rf Mofes, a very learned Jew,
almreth us, that the Word idd Saphar, to
Declare, or Set forth, is never attributed to
Things Inanimate; fp that from hence He
concludes, that the Heavens are not without
fomc Soulc 5 which is no other, then that of
thofe Blcffcd Intelligences, who have the
Conduct of the Starres, and difpofc them in-
to fuch Betters as God hath ordained j dcr
daring unto us Men, by mcancs of This Wrir-
ting, what Events we arc to cxpcft, • And
forthis caufc, this fame Writing is called by
all the Ancients, □oSon STO Chetab ha-
mlaih'tm, that is to fay. The Writing of the
Angels. And that this paflfage, Ceelienar-
mtgloriam Dei, is dearly meant of this Ce-
lefl'tall Writing, appeases by the words imme*
diatcly following in ornnem ten am exivit
Linea eorum. I know very well, that accor-
ding to St. Paul, and the Septuagint, a man
may vmderftand, by th^Heavefts, the Am-
Qci files
 1
20 Uttheard-of Cariofttiei.

files 5 or, as fome others will have it, the

Frophets. But, if purfuing the Allegory, a
man fliould take occafionto deny the Litc-
rall S enfe; this would be no fmall C rime, in
in the Judetment of the Fathers. Scriptu-
re Verba^ mes the Whole Schoole^ proprti
accipienda funt, quando nihil inde Abjurii
fiquitur. So that if we fticke to the Letter
of the Text, not oncly this Paffagc alleagcd,
but many others alfo, which I omit, that I
may come to the Maine Matter in hand, doc
very much confirme this Writing.
' 3. Now, as the Prophets havedonebc-
fore, fo have all the Learned among the An-
cients alfo, after their Example, called the
Heavens, SACRED BOO'KES:
as, among the Jewes, Jl. Simeon Sen-fioch/ef,
in the Zobar, on theSeftion Temoumh;
which is the 25. Chapter of Exodus, Cifr.
305. where he fpeakes very largely of tfiis
Celefiia/JWriting, though very Obfcurely.
TiakBc-X- Abrahamallb,inhkfetfira^orBookeof
icf. rhc- the Creation, delivers many Myftcries of it;
h
Ma uid an^ after them, S. Mofes ALgypiins, Mofcs
Mifiuh. Ben-Nachman; Abraham, the Sonne of Er
«•, his COntempora-iy ^ Ahtn-Efid, Sad/U
mtMo- Chhrtchi, fom Tof Ben-Abraham^ofeph the
mi. Sonne of il/iw, Levi Sen-Gerfon, GhnMf)
G'k-. A bar band, and many orherSj whkh I Ih^l
5^" here omit, that I may come to the Greefos,
 Unheard-of Cttriojttie}. ' jpj
. . .1 . ■— ■ ■ - ■. i ■».
and Lames, who willperadventure be better
received.
The Learned Origen, intcrprcting?after Ms
manner, that is to fay, Subtilly,ana Quainc-
jy, this Paflage in Penejis, Et erunt in Sigaa 5
affirmcs, (as he is reported by Eujebitts^)
that the Starreswere placed in this Order in
the Heavens, for no other end, but to ihev^,
by their divcrfe Afpeds, Conjun&ions, aiia
Figures, what ever is to happen, while the
World indures, as well in Gcncrall, as in
Particular: vet not fo, as if they were the
Caufc of allthefe things; neycr any fueh
thing came into the Thought, muchlclie into
the Writings, of this Learned man, For,-
as the Prophecies, that are written in Bookes,
are not the Caufe of thofe Events, which they
foretell ihall happen; but onely, the Sig'tre:
in like manner, faith he, may die Heaven^
very juftly be called a Booke, wherein God
hath written, all that is, hath been, and here-
after (hall be. And, for confirmation of
this, he citcth a palfage out of a Booke, the
Titlewhereofis, Narratio fofeph, a Book in
his time highly cfteemcd by all men: wherc-
n the Patriarch Jacob, giving his Blelfing
wall his Ghildren,tels them, that he had read
in the Tables of Heaven, all that ever was tq
Mall Them, and their Pofterity." Legi^
jaith Hc> in tabxlis Cald,quaeunqite contingent
Cc^ ' '
2P4 Unhedrd-of Curiofitiei.
- Vobis^ et filijs veftris. Whence the fame
pr 'igen concludes, as well in his TraB on thi|
Queftion, Vtritm fielU aliquid agant I asiij
his Booke, DeFato, pap. 6. thatfomc My-
-fteries may afliiredly be read in the Hea-
vens; byreafonj that the Starres are difpo-
fed, and ordered there, in the forme of Cm-
racers. The Conclufion of this Teamed
Pathcr is fo much the ftronger,in thar,vvhcre
the Vulgar Trmflation reades, Smiit Signt^
the Originall Hebrew is, DilxS vm vehm
Ifiototi; that is to fay, word for word, Et fmi
tih.9- in Liter as. This Doctrine is offo sreat
Importance, as thzt^fulm Sirenus hatn
dertakenthe Defence of it; and maintaines,
that it is amofl True, and Safe Opinion;
apd fuch as hath been Entertained by moll
Religious Men. Neque in Hits corporihm
lifi.s. CeUfiibus (faith St. Augajiine) hie lattrt
iSc5. f0(fe cogHdripnes credendum eft, quemadtnodm
c. z. in his corporibus latent; jed, ficut ponnulli
motus animorum apparent in njultu, etmaxi-
tne in oculis; ftc in ilia perfpicuitate ae ftmpli-
citate cceleftium corporum, omnes omnino me-
tus antmtlatere nonarbitror. lam notIg-
no anr
r ? that Percrius endeavours to fiodeout
fim.c.4. another Senfc, in thefe words ofSt. Apgu-
ftine: but it is an eafie matter to fay, vvnjit
one pleafeth, in interpreting the wprdsofa
inanthatis Dead. Nowthis CceleftiallRea-
 llnhcdrd-of Curhjities- ; 3^?''

iiffg may the mpre cafily be beleived to

have been the Reall Meaning of This Lear-
ned Father, feeing that many others of the
fathers have ftrongly confirmed it: as, St.
Ambrofe^ and frofper ■, who call the Heavens,
by the Epithets of P A G E S 5 aid, j)tv„a
WONDER FULL INSTRU.Rrf.j^
C T I O N S ; Mbertus Magnus ftiles
them, an UNIVE R S AL BO Q k. mb. '
And fahn Damtfcene goes yet farther, aad ®fR'^
faics that they arc C L E A R E M I R:
R'OURS; intimating, that we may fee,
diftindlly There, even as farre as to the mo ft
Secret,and Wcighdeft Motions of pur. Soul:
which gave occafion to St. Augufiine to lit-
ter thofe words, which we have before.cited.
All the Platomfis in a manfier, were Ijlcewifc
of the fame Perfwafion: and this is'the rca-
fon that Porphyrie aifures us, that when he
had refolycd to have killed himfelfe, Ploti*
rms, haying read hisj Intention in the Starres
hindered him from doing it. Orpheus alfo
had knovyledge of thefe Secrets,as appcares
by thefe Vcrfes ofhis ;

23 (fa' M SsgjK
Ta%i{ cw'aMeeinz/ejp Ifllue avjiaufi
Certus tuns Ordol
ImmutdhtUhus mandatisjurrhm Afiris,]
c 3p6 UnheArd-ef Curioftties.

4. As for our Modern WriteftjitwbiSi

even amaze a man to confider, that among
focH infinite numbers of Books, wherewitS
Our Libraries are ftuffed, there is hardly Fivfcj
Or Sisr to be fQund,that have taken any Noi
ticc at all, of this Curious Piece of Anti-
quity, concerning this Ceiejltall Writing. I
know very well, that lenorancc will be prt-
lently ready with this Artfwcr-, that the Va-
ftitic of the Subjed , is the reafon of this
"Their Silence. But why then have fudi
an infinite number of other Fooleries beoi
taken intq Confidcration, and thought a fit
Subjed for their Learned Pens, which are
a thoufand times more Ridiculous in Ay
pearance, then This is i whereas, on toe
Contrary , there f§ no Aftrologer, to whom
this Science is not Neceflary^ nor any Scard
et into the Choifet Pieces of Theblogicall
Antiquity, to whom in like mariner it may
not be ufcfull ; if at Icaft it be True. I
am therefore apt to believe, that the true
reafon is, the Negled rather ofthe Qrien-
tall Languages 5 whereon thefc Curio-
fities do fo neceffarily depend ^ as that)
without the knowledge of them, they cannot
poflibly be explained, or underftood : in-
lomuch tha t, wc had no notice at all of thefe
tdy fteries, till fuch time as they were brought
into Europe by thofe men, that addided thart-
 Unheard-of Cmojhieil fgy

fdvcs to the ftudy of the Eaftcm Langua-

ges. Ca^nio was the Firft, that, in an Age; JM««
ivhen Barbarifme reigned , adventured toCib' .
inakc fonie of thefc Choife Difcovcrics.
ficus MiranduU likewife, who was the Phce-
Hix of the Age he lived in, took fomc paiiis
in feafching into thefc Secrets 5 and alfo pro-
pofed the Queftion in hand, in thefe terms :
llirm in Calo fint dejeripta, Jignifcaia _ , .
mm , cuilihet jeienti legere ? Cernelim A-
tyipfd alfo hath delivered His opinion here-
in. Pierieu Faleridniis^ in his Hieroglyphieks^ 0mdt
bath thefc words. Ilia Extenfio in modtmc phikf,
tellis, tmqmm liter is, inferipu hminmbns^ Lib. 44^,
^Jlellif, dicitHr Rakia, &c. Blaife de Vi~ fol,^£'e'
imere; in his Book Des cA/^ex^makes a long
DifcoiMfc on this Particular. Banelli^M
Italian, hath faidmore to this purpofe, then
all the others, upon thofe Words of S. Luke
Gtudete, quod nomina veftra fcripta fint in
Calif. Kunrath, according to his ufuall man- In ^
net of Fooling, makes a Riddle of it- '

In quo fimt pueri quotquot in Orbe Viri.

Itfeeras, that thefe kind of Authors write

to no other end, but that they may not be
uoderftood : by this means fceming to make
wir againft Nature*, which hath given us
a Tongue,and thcufc of Speech, that we
 Unheard-of Curidfities.

might be able to cxprefle our Conceptions}

whereas thefc men, on the contrary. Endear
vour to be Obfcure, and Dark. Robert Find)
in his Apology for the Brethren of the Rofj
Crofe, hath gone on very far with this Ce-
left all Writing 5 the Gharaders whereofhe
affirmes to be made, in the (amc manner that
Others are. In Ctelo, (faith He) inferti 4"
Jftleget. imprefsi hiijufmodi Charafleres, qui non alita
Bst^An. ex ftdlarum ordinibus confianmr^ quam lime
1617. Geometrica, (jr Liter* VttlgareS) cx punlik
Superficies^ ex_ lined 5 (£* corpus, ex fuperficit-
bus; at length concluding, that who fo is a-
ble to reaathefe Charaiicrs, fliall know not
only what ever is to come, but alfo all the
fri.61. Secrets of Philofophy. guibus hujufmedi
lingua, (jr Scriptur* Arcana, CharaBertonqnt
abaitorum cognitio a Deo conccjfa efi; his t-
tiam datum erit, veras rerum naturae, mutati-
onesj alerationesy & proprietates fiderum, m-.
neffr alias operationes & executiones, oculis
quafi HUminatis legere , & legendo iotellk
gere.
5. But of all the Moderns, who have
fpoken of thefc Ccleftiall Charaders, iV
fiell is the only man, who fecmeth to have
had the grcatert knowledg in them; as may
appear, out of the greateft part of his Books;
among which, that which he hath written
upon the fethfira, gives us an Account; of
. ' - „ - - • h_rL-P
 Unheard-of Curhfities, 399
wliac himlclfe had had experience of. Si
iixero, m in Carlo vidifse. in ipfis Lingua
Stntfa Charafferifyis, oh Ljra primum jniblice
ixptfitisja omnia qk# funt in mum natura con-
fttuta-y utvidiy non explicit},fed implicit}', vix
tllusmihi crediderit ; tamen tefiit Dens, &
Ckrifius ejus, quia non mentior. Now that
which makes me believe 4 that this Learn-
ed Man had fome ground of this his Con-
fident Affurancc ofnaving fueh Knowledge
in thefe Guriofities, is, that befide the Ex-
perience which polfibly he might have had, he
nad often alfo travailed intotheEaftern Parts?
where he had no doubt feen the Books of
the Arabians, which are all full of this kind
of Secret Learning. And fohn iw, inhis
Hiftory of Africk, affirmeth, that, in Ma-
wfo,tnere is nothing more Common: and
thefirft book which he makes mention of, is a
book written by Elboni, an Arabian, the Title
whereof is , ELLTMAfiEMORAMlTH :
which bookfcarcely treateth of any thingclfe;
and it teachcth particularly, how to defcribe
all the Conftellations in Arabick Letters,
and to pidlure them Elegantly within little
Tables; fuch as the Arabian Hermites doe
ahvaies carry about them,-and have them rea-
dy for their Ufe, in applying them to the
Rules of their Zairagia, or Divination. And
this confirms that which' I Ihall bring here-
~ " " after,
 46b Unhetrd-of Curioftties.

after, concerning the Mahometans fearching

after no other Figures in the Heavens, thea
intheir own Charadiers, reading therein what
ever is to happen, in a very ftrangc, andun-
ufiiall manner. Whence the fbre-mentio-
ned Pojiell^ upon the fame book of the C«-
Jt inh' ation^ laith: Becreti itaque funt demum deli-
W' neati^fuifqucfiguris adumbrati igne divim in
dquis Cali fcilicet expreffo fantfi Charaftt-
resj dr tanta virtute in Ccelis exprepi, utpof-
fit etiam veritas fuiurorum haberi : cnjusfci-
entt£ adhuc vejligium in Marocho, ert.mu:ltis
alijs ifmaelitarum civitatibus $ licit fmabud
eos admedilm depravata, & adulterate fyu-
r£ Santfts. I have fometimes thought, that;
this Author put forth this Book or his, Dt
Confguratione Signorum Calefiium, as a-Pre-
parativc only, to make way for the better
entertaining of this Dodhine, among the £«-
npeans. For having flicwed, that all the
Stars, inftead of tfprefenting the Images of
Living Creatures, do no more but.only make
Up certain Square Figures-, it would have
been no hard matter afterwards, to have pcr-
fwaded men, that thefe Figures were nothing,]
but HebrewLetterSjthc figure whereof comes
very neer.to that of a Square. For if he
fhould have gone to work otherwife, and.
fhould have endeavoured to have put thefe
Celcftiall Letters upon the wotld, without
any
 Unheard-of CmoJit 401
' " ■ ■_ ■};
jny Preparing of ntcns Minds to receive
than j he would douhtleiTe have been taken
for antfmpQftor. And he had been for-
merly furaciently cried down $ fo that he
needed not to have expofed hinrfelf anew j
to the Calumny of every black Tongue, by
broaching new Propofitions; which hcconJd
never think would down with them, unlefle
he had firft prepared their Palates to rclli/h
them. After the world had once been fatif-
ficd in the Probability of this his Dodirine,
he then intended to make a Full . Difeo^ery
ofallthefe Secrets, in his Commentaries up-,
on the Zohar : wherein he had layed toge-
ther fuch Variety of Curious Learning, as
himfelf witnelfeth in divers places of hiS
Printed Books, as that it was not without
rcafon that he fo earneftly commended This'
moft Excellent Piece to the World, in his
Laft Will and Teftament, written with his
own hand. But- Jince I have here made men-
tion both of Hebrew , and of Arahick Let-
ters ; it may very well be doubted, which
of the two, this Celeftiall Writing is expreifed
in 5 and, which of thefe Languages thefe Let-
ters make up. This Doubt therefore I
think fit to decide, before I goe any fur-
ther.
T he ifinaelites, or Arabians^ who have ne-
ver wanted Men,-that have been very well
skilled
 ■■■iV
m .■■■■<&
■ >.
40 2 Uhheard-of turiofities.

skilled in all mariner of Chdifc Learning,'

(though they have fallen fometimcs upon
Ridiculous Studiesalfb :) being moved with
a vairie-glorious defire of concealing this
Truth-,"namely,that Their Language depend-
ed upon the Hebrew; have not only altered
their Charadters, which were before very like
to the Hebrew 5 but have alfo adulterated
their Names ; and, the better to cover their
knavery, have alfo added certain Letters;
which the Hebrew AlphabetneVcr knew; as,
they: Sftm, Dfal, Tbfda, or T/u, &c. Info-
much that a certain Learned man, that was
very Well skilled in their Language, faies;
Poftfi.de -drabes, verfutifsmtm hofnimmgems^ (jrpU-
Jhan. ni ijinaeltttcHm, id eft, adalterimm, poftpm
cognoverunt^fuas Lit eras oriutn due ere ah Her
hraicis 5 jatagemnt non tantum abfoiute difst-
miles forma reddere, fed ordinem etiam per'
turbare, & nominum bonam partem mtare
ftuduermt. They have had the Confidence
alfo to affirmc , that Their Letters are the
Firft that ever were ■, and, that if there be
any Myfteries to be found, cither in the
Signification, or Figure of Charadicrs ; we
are to look for them no where eire,butin
Their Language. For which caufc, inter-
preting their Alphabet, they deduce, from
die fim Letter, which is J L1P H, this Verb
con] angere\ from the fecond Letter ,• which
 Unheard-of Cutioftliif., '
ii i A , this word, inire : from T A the
Thircl Letter , ProAuctre : arid fo or the
reft : iriaking up a Prayer out of'it, which
they fay, no other Alphabet is able to flieivi
Sothat it is no marvel, that they are able to
produce fo many feverall meanings of words,
after this Rate of Interpretation; feeing that,
Kldrftenfus faltH ; Integra. Voltimina. de folis
ftmnibus liter arum Alphabeti. Arabici confi-
tiqueunt •• fed longe adhuc plura de ordine, f-
im alijfque accidentibus confcribi pojfent,
Xhefe Niceties have made the Arabians lb fu-
pcrftitious in the Pronunciation of their Let-s
icrs, as that when they iiieete with many
words united together bythemeanes of an
Miph, they will pronounce them all in a
Breath, though there fliould be an hundred
ofthem, and though they Ihould be in dan-
ger of expiring in the Act., Thofe that arc
Curious after fatisfadion herein, may have
recouffc to, the Arabicke Grammer, Printed
mRome. Now, as all Supcrftition is at-
tended on , by a certaine Fooliih Credulity}
fo arc theie men certainely perfwaded, that
the Heavens being figured, with Their Let-
ters , (and not with the Hebrew^ ) do forc-
iciv all things to come. And this is the rea-
on, that, befides the Divifion of their Lct-
crsinto Gutturalls, or, fuch as are projjoun-
Kdinthc Throat-, into.y».iles, as the lar.
tid iidv
^ UnhtArd-of Curiofnies.

i 'tties call them, that are founded in the furthcll

part of the Roofe of the Mouth • as others
are by the Palate ^ bytheGummes • by the
Lips-,by the Teeth, and the Tongue toge-
ther: and alfo intofome, that are ptoncmn-
ced with a kind of Sibilation; others, with a
certain Stammering 5 and fomc, with a gen-
tleturningofthe Tongue, which They call,1
Dfalqijettm; and the Latines, Flex a .* intoo-
thers agen, that arc Short, Long, Radicall,
Or Trancall, and Servile : I fay, that befides
all thefe Divifions, they doe yet divide them
againe, (the better to accommodate them to
this CelefliallWriting) into Schemftjun, and
Kuibrijum, that is to fay, into Solar, and
Lunar, which arc particularly knowne, by
thofe that obferve the Rules of the Zairagii,
it being unlawfull for them to dcvifcthcm.
And perhaps it is in Obfcrvationtothis Do
ftrinc, that the Mahometans doc never begin
to write the lirft part of a word, at the endof
a Line^ and the reft of it at the beginning of
the next Line; as the Greekes, and Latines ufe
to doc : but if the fpacc be not fufficientW
hold the whole word, they draw a ftroak
from the laft Letter of the Laft word, to die
end of the Line. Now we affirme , thai
though thefe Letters are very much dtetedi
and corrupted 5 yet may it notwithftandinjj
Very eafily be cmcovered , by the Figure ol
agrcs
 UHhtArd-efdMrhfityer. 1^5

a great ftumbpr of th^riV', - thawhey Have beene

taken from the, HebreW': irii even Children
raaybepbleto judge of the Truth heredf,' by
tomparing but the Arabicke ^^.^withthe
Hebrew He 5 the Chu^ witfj the Cheth\ the
if*, with the Refth'-, thtZtijfj with the &ah |-
thcJwv with the Schin - the 7^4, wjth the
Tab; the Ain, with', the Aghitt $ the Phal
frith the Fe; Hie CAph y wim the Caph; the
i^withche Lmedj the Fm, with fhc, FWy
&c. So that confequctidy , if wee arc tO
fearch afiefeaay Myfteiies In phefe ^crs',. it
ought to hel, not in acormpt Copy , biit
ratner in the Originall., The famc is to b^.
laid of the Characters alfb^ which
arc corrupted from the Hebrew .*; and this is
focertiinea Truth, as that it is a Point of In-,
finite PerverfenelTc to offer to doubt ofitj
as I have proved elfc-wherc againft Stdh
1*'. • ■ . • • . •' : ; V:
. 7. The Rcafons brought by the Ethiopi-
ins,or Egyptians, in the behalf of Their Let'-'
ters, is not fo ealily anfwercd, asthofc of
Arabians, and Samrttans ■ for as mueh
as, their Letters being only Hierogljphicks^
expreffing the Hgureof aii O kc? ofa Horfe.1
Of a Lion, of aBearc, of an Eagle, and in a
$>iinner of all. other Living Creatures; they
dpc (fay They) fcprefent .in the Heaven v
iHJKfoever is to come to palTe in this world.:
t> tf 2' And
 i^6 Ubhedrdrof-Cmoflties,,
nd; thjet?foreifithere be any thiflg. to be
read i^cne d^ovc, bymeanes of thq :Stars ;• we
njufl-rrjeadc it in diefe Nteroglyphicksand in
this Laj.iguagc, and not in any othcrvfincethat
in Anciept times in ftead of Letters, tjiey
made ulc of the figures of living £ reaturcs.
t o rhis.it is anfwercd y as we have formerly
faidjthat thefe Livinjg Creatures have bcenc
repielentfd in the Heavens,: only by' reafon
of a certaine Correfpondency, that' the Stars
of which thcfc Conftcllations confiftjiaieebr
fervedto haye, with thefe living Creatures
upon the Earth: and what other R eafpns of k
foevc? arergiven 3 they arc Vainej and Foo-
lifh4 Such as arc thole- , alleadged by the a-
forenamed. Lai[aro Bar elli who . accommo-
dates the Properties of thefe Cele^iall Ani-
malls, to fevcrall Kingdomcs, . over which
they rule: as, for Example, the-Conftellati-
on of Aries tulcs over France, Germany, Sy-
ria, Palejlina ntinfr,SuciVia, and thtlipperSi-
left a. That of Tanrtts governs Perfia, the
Illcsofthc Archipelago, Cyprus, thc.Mari-
time partspf^4 Minor, Polonia major, Rajlu
alha, Smtfcrland, the Countrey of the Rhi-
ires, Franconia, Ireland, Lorraine, and pan
of Smethland. But, to leave this Italian to
pleafe himfclfe with thefe Trifles, and like-
Cai'ia Albertus. de Marchefijs de C<fttigneia,i
m*. Francifcan Fryer, who moralizeth this Apt-
' H)
 . . . ft
Unhear&of'Curlofttks. %of

Im afttr iaHVaj/ of his djviie vwe a^rme j" that

afthefcGcIcftiall Living '<3reatBVes/figniHe
no more then whatAvChfiVie faid^eftre; and
■doe thfcfefofe by the iame reafbh tonclude,
according ;t9the; judgement of the -Rabbins-,
that we'-miiftnot feai^h-^frer aHy; ftcries,
nor any Other G hara'ftcrs, made iift • by ^hie
■divciic difpolmon pPthe |Stars;, but' ;oniy in
(heHcbrety"; and' coHfeq^cntly, no Signirica-
iion in any other Larigiagc, but itvthe Holy
Language •: it being m'o'ft proper/, that That
:
L3'nguage, :which \yaai the lm#;m"th'c whole
World , arid which vvasTpokcn'by God hi nj-
fclfc, HioUld give uS'-riotice Above ,- whit
things arfe'hrteaftef tocomc to paffev-feeing
'it hath iriforiried 'u s here Below, ridrfielyin the
Holy Scriptures, of alb-Things that ire pall,
-And this Gonclrifion isa moft true one-, fay
the fame Rabbins, foris much as fri; a clcare,
'bright Night, a man may fee in the Heavens
allthe Hebrew Charadtcrs perfeftly figured :
whichoric cannot doc of thofc fcvcrall Living
CreaturesV that are placed therefeeing that
the Imagination cannot be any whit fatisficdj,
when, for example, in the Stars that make
up the Conftcllation of dries, there are Five
Other to be fecnc dofe about it, which by
rcafori that they are not comprifcd within the
Figure o£this Bcaft, doc difturb the Fancy,,
and hinder k from making up the Figure it-
B d |
 Unhtard-ofCurie^u^.

^icfirc^ The lame alfomay belaid of Tw-

tit* : for there arc Eleven Starred to bc fedic
there j, which arc Effenfially of thi$ Gonftel-
lotion; and yet arc not brought in, in the Pi.
dlure of it.; So likevvife in toe Qphftellation
oiGettw* there arc Eleven Stars belonging to
It ij which are diftinguilhed from chpfc Nine*
teen, that reprelent.theEig^re of this Sktie:
isCancet alfo Iiflth Foore bright Stars, wnich
lie Loolc from thofc Nine, which make up
the Image of this Living Creature. But as
for the Hebrew Letters, there is nothing m
. hinder us,from finding them diftindf ly delcfi-
bed: and if Ony one doc chance to find cither
Smaritafie Letters Uhece ^ diisis
ftill but to rcturne baekc to the Qrigina^fitm
whence they were take/).'
8. Fiift then we are to take notice, that the
Starrer which make upthefe Letters, ate not
difpofol irtto the order they appcare in , at ill
adventures, nor in any cohfiifed way, as thw
fecme to us to be i. but are placed thus , wki
forae pcfigne, and in a Pivint Order •, Opl
having made all thiogs in -full -PerfedtioB.
Tliofethat uodeitftafid not the Play of Ck^
fecinc the Pieces ftand jbere and riacre, fo <^*
fofedly ., will be apt to thinke, no doubt, #
they ft and in that eonfofed manner by tneai
hap hazard, feeing that in feme places tben
iare a great many 5 and in fome very fov;
 Unheard-of Cmofitiet, 40^

and one fide of the Cheffc-boaid is full, and

theothcr fide quite bare 5 and in a third place
perhaps you Ihall have but twOj or three: In a
word, this Difference in the placing of the
Pieces is fo great, as that hee will ceitainely
conclude j that the whole BulineiTeis ciearely
without any Dcfigne at all: notwithftanding
dwtthcy are all ranked in very exaft Order 5
and that there is not the leaft Piece there 3 but
is of ufe, and doth its p roper Office. After
the fame manner is it with the Stars, which wa
fee in the Heavens: for, thoughin forae places
you fee many together, & in others but a few ?
and that the Order they fiand in, iookes con?
fiifedly,and,ifla manner ridiculous vyccncr
verthcleffic is it moft Admirable, in ic felfc,
and proceeds from fbme moft wonderfull De-r
jigne; which Thofe Men perfedlly under-;
ftand, who by their Holy Life, are/elevated a-
bove all that is here below. T hus it is ftoried
of S. Anthony, that lie perfeftly underftoqd
tik Heavenly Writing.
Secondlythat altnoughthe Stars which arc
in the Eighth Heaven, (if at leaft there be any
filch thing as an Eighth Heaven,) be Fixed;
yet dpthey not therefore alwayes compofe the
ftmc letters-, at leaft, the greatcft part of
them ibutthey have their Changes, according
fo the Diverfe Afpedts of the Planets. Thus
ihofe Starres, that, ten yeares lincc > made
5^4; ;■
 Unheard-of Curtofitter.

up, for Example, a Teth, ihall now perhaps'

malcea JVew, ox a. Lamed. Which is the rea:
fon , fay the Rabbins , that 7his Writing
fervcs not, but for the flievving of things to
cpme.
" In the Third place they fay , that we are
molt cfpccially to obfervc what New Starrcs
focver lhall appeare •, becaufe that Thefedoe
fore-lhevv the greateft Mutations: God ma-
king ufofrhefe, iji making up, by ineancs of
their Afpefts , and Conjundlions , New
Letters •, whereby he either exprelfeth unto us
his. Wrath, or his Mercy: as having deter-
mined with himfelfe, to chaftifc us, if we con-
tinue in our fins and to pardon us, if \vc re-
pent of thcm.Thus,before almoft all the grea-
teft Mutations, that have happened in the
World, have fome of tncfe New Stars beeri
obferved to appeare-, and they have been fuch
Stars too, ashave been really found to be in
the Very Heavens, Such , as was Thar,
obferved by Hif pare hm , 12 j. ycares before
the time of our Redemption which Star pre-
fnged the end of the Grecian Monarchy approa-
ching. Another the like appeared alfo in
Ciutdeans time, in the yeare of our Saviour
Chrtji 388. A nother, in the time of Meffait-
lah, Haly , and Alhuma^ar, Arabian Aftro-
logers 5 which appeared in the 15. Degree of
Scorpio} and aft forth as great a Light, aS
 Unheard-of- Cumfities. 41-* r

tRe Fourth part ofth? Moom 'tox&d. doc.

nother, in the time oftheE^ipcrour Adrian $
and another alfo tnjder the Emperour Otho^
which appeared betwixt the two Conftellati-
ons otCepheus^ and Cafmpeia. Another' irt
the year 12 64V' ijot far from Cafsiopeia,' -ticffd-
ing towards th'e;N6rth : and Anotheriiltetyjfis
that appeared afterwards, on the Chitiria'Of
the fame Gonftellacion, about the. beginhiiig
of December , Anno, 1572. and continued
for the fpace of fixe Moncths.- Anorheti
that appeared Anno 1596. in the ConfteUati-
on of the Whaleanother, of the Third Mag-
nitude, obferved in the necke of the Stvan,
Anno 1600. and another, that was fecn, two
ycarcs after, in Pifces. Another , that appea-
red two yeares after That, in the Conftella-
tioncalled Serpentarius, An, 160^. and was
called by the name of the faid Conftellation.
There are fome others befides, which Licit us VeNn.
hath colledfed together, out of Homer, Far-
to, S. Augtifine , Pliny, Alhuma\ar, Phe- 4
recides\ Aihenam, Euftathius\ Germanicus^ ad zj.
Cyprianus Leovitius, Cardan, Paulus Haja-
fylitis , GaliUus, Thomas Fienus, Cafpinia-
nus, Tycho Brake , Gul. fanfoniits , who
woshis Scholler, fo, Kepler, Alphetragius^
David Chytraiu , Fabricius , Hieronymus
Munofms , Wencejlaus Pantaleo , Beyerus,
PyrgitiSj Michael Coignettts, Cornelius Fran-
gipams.
 <
Unheard-of Curioftuet.

gifanus, &c. fptnc of whu;h Authors jiayp

prticularly obfervcd the ttuth of this Dq.
iftrinc which I have here delivered 5 name-
ly that all Thcfc New Starres have betne
the Fore-runners of the Greatcft Mutati-
ons that have happened : and that in dc<
fault of Thcfe , Comets have appeared j
which j though they are cafily diftinguilh-
ed from true Stars, and have their place
pf jieing in the Aire onely 5 yet have they
ferved to reprcfent s by their divcrfe Af-
pcdls, (according to the Dodlrine of the
SMines, ) Other Letters ^ and to forc-
fbcw the Difafters that have happened : it
being very ncccflary (fay They,) to have
a Ipcciall regard to thefe New Lights 5
whidb arc , as a new Letter , which be- i
ing added to a Word , alters the faife
Of it. As, for Example , in this Word
A KJi , if one adde an L , it will be no
longer A K E , but L A K £. Or if in
the middeft of this word A K E , one in-
icrc ah R, it will alter the word , an^
make it A R K E. So that wee fee , one
onely Letter, as an L, or an R, utterly
dbangcth the whole Scnfe^ In the lame
manner is k with the Stars; where a New
Starre added , varieth both the Writing,
and the Senfe.

p. W
 linbeard-of CuKiop^
.;;o,: In thf .Fourth place, that wc may h?
|,fc;perfe(iI^to iinderliaiKl this Cetefit^
Wr'tivg* we jrji.uft exaftly qjjferve the, Vqr-
ticall Stats: Fck^ thole wjiich are Oycx#
{Cirigdome>,TaitK, dMMty >•'doc ordpiarijiy.
what i.yerjs liJce. !tor befall it. • And
in this Senfep it ! will not be'any hard piat-^
ter to apprenciid the meaning of Car dm,
when he laies , Tpcaking of the Star.m tbc
Tail of Urft'Major,that it,-hnthForerj(h;i^^
die Changes of all the Grcitr Empirg;^nr
derftanding thisp be thcSenfe of this^rith,
delivered by Ctrdan ^ thati according to the
Podlrine here laid downjihis StarjtjjpHgh
not Alone, and by it felf, yet joyned with
thers, hath ihewed thefe Changes $ maldng
up, by tiieir.Conjun<^on,fuch Entire words,
as did foreribew the Fall, or Rife of thcie
Empires, either clearly, and plainly •, or elic
perhaps, morefecretly, and Myftically, as we
diall ihew hereafter. Now, as in all 'forts
ofWridng, there is One certain Letter, both
in Nouttes and Ferhs, which is more Frequent
then any ochcr, and hath the Preeminence
throughout alfthe feveraii Cjmjugations, and
JkcknpBMsr, in lihemanner in this Celejtiall
Writing, it bath been bbferved , that .m all
the Mntations of Empires, This Star,.m the
-Tiailc of thei ciforefaid Conftellation, hath
been more Eminently noted, -then any other:
- - Either
414- Unhitttd-ofi Curiojitiif.

^P^'^au|c'\tt''i$;m6'r6^Hcgfttent, inUc
Bifpptirifc of ^nwdiift,]^1^'-^^
'6t clfc, that jt ''is;as the Cd^itklt Lettei-' iff
the3nfpft SigpTfifcayve VVor^S' as wHcc
tferr is in all''Proper. /Naitics;* of sflnjbft
^BVLanguagcs in'the WoHd1 Vas' fbf exartf'
plejjin tne name of Piter, i;he' ^ril LetieHs
greatef^ then any .pfthe reft th^t follow.1; Aiffil
fliosf!inay wc- ki^ef :^His"wteth
iomelimay happil^ malie • hamay,'Why^S
thli Ctleftiall Writing? there are'both LittleJ
anti'Greajt Stars alib i Ifit^bid fuftherd^-
niartdptl 5: Why-.in thiskipd'^^/'/wg-, theff
are^in' oneana the' fame; woftf^ 'Greatjahl
Sihall 'Letters!, pr Stars, mingtcd fbgethei','#
it may be anfwered, that the .'Reafon is ,-to
ma^e/iis take more Notice b^thofc Letters
ip !thc: Word^ which are the lvioft Signtfica-
tiire ; which iS a'Courfe, that the Anagram-
matijlszxz very well acquainted withall. As,
ibr .Example,' if in the wor&'Vovewgnty.j.
wbtild have rEftfTT, tpbe' ejrpecially obler-
ved , I will wfite the word' $oiieraignty, in
this manner ,; foYERalgnTY where the
Letters of the Word FERITY, are greater,
theP any of the reft. Or if iff the ^Vprd,
Retrefentative, I would hzVe^PrefexC, to Be
Chiefly taken notice of, I would then write
the ! Whole Word thus •, rePRESENTa-
tive. Wc are riot then to wohder,if ihthe
 Mphwd-of-fiwifjuiesl] 4^;

He3V^flsf,w£'^en'.fce twg,pr three; jC?r<jat

Sfars ro goe tat^c Compp^Itipn of a
wbtfan
is'that, vyhi^i, iye .are, tQ^vfinoij
Igi- Tegard .iuitppi.Cas' we pav^ already. Ihewr!
cdj' ^hei) they, are Fer^ffi, to any Place,:
Aiw By this itiranes may w_c be ablctpLgivfi
p Reafon oi'that, which .hathjxeri hithfirtgf
Unknown : as, when the Aftrologers affirm^
that wlicn Cafut AlgolyOt Mednfas Had. $
was/yerticall w •, the Stars did £0167
jiicw .thei Csfl^inities^ which aftcrwrards hap-
pened unto it i, .by the Tyran'ny of fheMa-
hojniUw VvWtthput giyiijg! US; arty iteafOrt
Why: hd qadjfc then thQ/; doe of their .Cpn-
fiikhdcjih a'flunng us, tliat. the famc ^ldpn-
ftellation, which will in a ffiort tinie be Ver-
tical! td Italy alfo, fore-fhewes a ftrange De-
folation j that is to fall upon this Pleafant,
and Fertile Country. Now all thele Dif-
aftcrs, though , according as they are fore-
told jfo doe they Certainly come to paffe5
yvcc ncvcrthclcfle is the Fore-feeing of them
grounded meerely upon Experience; nei-
tner can the Authors of thefe Predicti-
ons, for the Moft part, give any other Rea-
fon of them. But now, according to this
Doctrine of the Celefiidl Writings we know,
that thefe Mutations fliall happen on the
Earth, becaufe we fee,they are written in the
Heavens.'
4i$ . Unhe&fafCumJtthtV

Heavtiis. Ahd tfiis is (fit Rcafoh that j(i|

Chfattr affii|nfej that the afortfai4 MiMjt
Itodi orihe Stars, that Cbihjio^ ItjdiUfore;
tell the Laflientetile Dclbjation of Grhte j
Dccaufe that Five of the Piihdiikll Vcrtic^ll
Stars did for a gbo'd while tbgerhc'r, bia^p
thlsvyord, - . ^ <>w:- aaiQ Cham
Which > in thetj^p / *1 , Second
Conjugation, ' fighiliesj
Tel# Dtfolate : uhderftWdingThii, paiticu-
iarly of dir^^oVer wfochtncfe Stars Mftft
bccauftthat the number offts tcttefs, w/hid)'
arc, tfod, FdU) ftun, and Which king'Cut
t^ctncr, make up p» ^rfW^ihat is to'wy^
Cnrrfe, do yield the fame nUni&r, that Chip
W^doth; asyouinayfierefec.' ;■ i!
 itflhearJ-df titricjiiieii All

a. a 8

?7n
C/iarab f

De^roie4 Desola-te.
S tutunv. 11. *

J 6 l

v
(fa va n.

Greece.
Suvunv, IX.

According to thefc PrincipleSj any man may

fbrefcc, by the putting together the Stars of
the fame Conftellation, the Difafters that
Italy is thrcatncd with. However it be, tfua-
tii», an Italian Prieft, and a very excellent
Aftrologcr, is bold to utter thefc words :
lllud veio (faith He, fpeaking ofthis
las Head,) Toleto nunc^ Apulia,&Nea-
politanorum regno efi verticale j itooxque Ita-
lian! invudtt: eutibtts fum quoque cUdem al-
laturm
 laturum cffc, maxim fere eft verendum. N
how long before hand, thefe Celcltiall Let-
ters do torenicw the Changes that are to
happen ■ no one Author, that I know of,
hath precilcly determined : they only fay ,
that,Before they are VerticaU^i\\tydo fore-
Ihew this Change, andwhatfoever is to hap-
pen: God being willing thus to prepared
for the Evils which are to befall us. And
after tfiatihey arcprecifcly Vcrticall, if our
Repentance hath yet found any place in his
Mercies 5 ttc then caufeth fome New Star
to appear, and, by its Intervening, to (hew (as
we nave formerly faid) a quite Contrary
Thing, to what was before iignified.
io. In the Fifth" Place, the fore-named
Authors affirm, that to be. able perfcdly to
underftand this Celeftiall Writing , we muft
know how to diftinguifh exaftly, whichi
Stars are Orientally and which Occidetttall
Meridionally and Seftentrionall ; forafinuch
as thefe Quarters of the Heaven are very EP
fentiall in this Reading. For, if any one
defire to know, fay They, the Good Fortune,
and Profperitie of a Kingdome,. or of any
Other thing: he muft then feadthofe Letters
which are Verticall to him, (or which want
not much of being fo,) from the Weft, to-
ward the Eaft. And if he would be inform-
ed of the Evill Accidents, and Misfortunes
 Itnhmd-of Cmofities. . 4^.
that.ihalJ befall a place 5 he. muft then begin
to read, frpm ,the Nprth, tovvardsthe Weftr
Now. why the Good Fortunes of a Place
jhould be read, from the Weft, .toward the
M, rather then fron^ the Eaft, toward the
South: and why. the 111 Fortune is lilcewifc
to be read, from the Nprth , toward the
Weft; I have not found any licafon given,
by any Author. However, j (hall adven-; i
mrc to give this Conjefturc at it; namely}
t(iat feeing that Nature, being at, Liberty,
and not hindered by any thing, alwaies tcnd-;
cth to the Beft : and that, as • -drifigtlt faith,
It would afwaies bring forth, as. being'
more Perfetft Creatures then Females are,,
if it were not hindered by fomc Repugnant
Caufe; it is moft proper, that Good Thing?,'
and all Perfedions, fhould be read, frpm the "
Weft toward the Eaft, feeing that This is the; - ■
Free, and Naturall Motion of the Stars; the^
other, from the Eaft to the Weft, being a /
Contrary,and Forced Motion.. As for.Hi"
Fortune, and Difaftcrs, they might accord-^
ing to this Principle, have been reacLfroin
the Haft, toward.the Weft, had not the GK
aclc which cannot lye , uttered tfu^ Won-;
Icrfull Truth : A Septentrione piwdelur »uc^Itf
'm; Ail Eyill commeth from the; North,
But, why from the North^ rather then, from;
my other part of the World < The Rcafoa
£ e «■ of
 Unheard-of Ciirio/ttkf ,

of this is notfo cafily given: yet I conceive,'

it would^and with found Philofophy ,to an-
fwer that, by reafoh bfthe Darknelfe, and
Glbomindfc of the Aire of thofc Pans;
caufcdby the great diftance of the Sun •, and
alfo,by rcafen oftheEvill Spirits, which arc
the Authbis of fo mi)ch Evill, and whichin-
habite Darke Places •, a man may very Rea-
fonably fay-,1 that all Misfortunes come from
the N otth •, as being a Place,which is full of
thcfc Evfll Spirits,ori>cwcw as Hiftorians
teftifie. ■ ''
And from hence, it will be an cafie matter
to apprehend the Rcafon, why the Ancients
figured in thefcNorthcrnc Parts of the Hea-
ven, a Serpent^ w Dragon^ dofe by the Two
iiiiibe. Bearer: tefinj* thatthefe Creatures are the
odor. True Hieroglyphickes of Ty ranny, Vio-
Grmi- lence, andallmanner of Opprcflron. And
^ certainly,, who ever Ihall but runtie over the
Jibuti. Annals, i^ill finde, that all the Great Defo-
lations that, have ever happened, have come
from the Nothernc: Parts. Thc AJfyrians,
oichaidemsj fet on by Nahuehueionojor^ and
5i/i»a»d/dr,: have rumciently maiijfeficd the
Truth oftHis, in burning to the ground a
City, and a T emple, that was both the mod
SuntptubUS • and the mpft Holy in the
world - and in the Utter Ruine of a People
whom God himfelfc had taken into his own
-• Speciall
 Unheard-of Curiofttiis. 421

Special! Protcftioii, and vvhofc Fathir iit.' ■ ^

particularly called Hirhfelft. And hath n&t ^
iiowf.ilikea Second tferufaletti, in like man- Mattiam
neroftcn feltthe Fury, or this Accurfed Ge- tr34h
neracionof the North 5 when, by the Ctu-
city of Alaricus^ Ctnfericus, Totilas, and the 4
reftofthe GOthick^ Hnrini^ Vandale, and A- sr1*
lat.e Princes, It fawits Altars overturned.
Its Stately Palaces burnt to Afhes, and Its
Inhabitants confumed by Fire, and Sword!
Thus hath not This Nation fpared at all, the.
Two Spoufes of the Living God 5 and doth
ftilltorment the Later of thefe, by the Ty ran-,
ny of the Turkes, which allb Came out of the
North. Moft Properly therefore doe we,'
in this Cclejliall Writing, beginne to read
Difafters, and Misfortunes, from the N or-
thcrnePartj feeing that >4 fcptentrione pdn-
ietur omne malnm. Or Life we may fay,,'
that we beginne to read on this fide, becaufc'
thatthe Verbennsn Tipatach, wjiich, in this
Prophefie, is tranflated, Pandctur, fignifieth.
alfointhe Original!,Depingctur : fothat wc
may renderthis Prophefiei(i thefe words:,
AH Evils jhallbedejeribtd, (or, written) frdm
iheNorthrtard. And if written, then certain^
ly to be read from This cide.
. Notv this CdefiidU Writing doth -not al-.
wayes reprefent iii Words at .length, what,
fhings arc to happen •, but fometimes in a.
Ee £ ' more
 ^12 Unheard-of Curt of ties,

more compendious manner, and by way of

Abbreviation: in like manner as was that
Vifion, which appeared toBeljha'$ari fore-
fliewing the Deftrudion of his Kingdonie,
Acfor- an(j wincb was interp rcted by Daniel: 1VIA-
.We-NE, THECEL, PHARES.
brew. And as none but Daniel, who was a Juft Maii
thec-' t'ie ofG od, could interpret this Vi-
chel, Eon: in like manner, fay the Jewcs, itap-
sm" Perta'neth onclyto Good Men, atidnotto
*' all manner of Perfons whatever, to interpret
thofe things, that are found Written in the
Heavens 5 which are, for the moft part, very
Obfcurc, and Difficult j and which require,
for the Pcrfeft Interpretation ofdicm,. that
a man fhouldbe skilfullin the G EMA-
tRIE, NOTARICON, andthc
T E M U R A H; which are thcThrce Pans
ofthe Cab ale. T he Fir ft of which, (the name
Cf«. 49. whereof sneoi Gematria, is corrupted from
the Grecke or elie this Later from
the other;) coniidereth of the Numbers that
are contained in the Letters 5 and, by compa-
ring them with others the like, gives an Ex-
plication of what was before Obfcure. As,fbr
Example, where it is laid in Genefis, concern-
ing the Cornmingof the Mcjfias, nSw W
tfava Schilo, Shiloh (liall come; theie Hebrew
Letters make up the number 358. which is
the Number alfo oftlic Letters ohbeMeJpa*
 Unheard-of CitriofitieP. 41

n'B>0 Mafchich : fo that the Prophet fayinff,

Donee venerit Sch'tloh •, it is as much, as if hie
had fad 5 Donee venerit Mefpas. The Second
Partis of ufe, when the {Overall Letters of a
Word doc reprefent, each of them, a whole'
Word; as, in this Devife of the Romans y
S. P. Q^R. Senatus Popitlufjf Romanrn :
and in this Hebrew N amc, Adam ^ the
firft Letter whereof fignificth Efher.
Duft; the Second, rzn Dam^ Blood 5 ana
the Third,ma ■W4r4/&,Bitternefs:Intimating,
thatMan is nothingbutBitternefle, andSor-1
row 5 but Corrupt Blood,and Sin jand.laft-
ly,but Duft,and Aflics. The Third ana Laft
Part, (the name whereof, Not ark on^ is taken
likewife from the LatineJAotarius j or elfe this
Latine word, from the Hebrew inJ Natar^
which fignifies, to Transferred otTranfpofe^
aword very proper to the Art of Anagram-
mtifmei) is, when either Two, or more
words arc united together; or are read back-
wards,ofotherwifc, afterthe manner of Ana-
grammes i orclfe, are divided into fcverall
bthcr words,by theT ranfpofition of the Let-
ters: As, for example, where God faith to
the Childrenof ifrael 'a^Sa -iS> felec
Malachj lepatiecha^ My Angcll (hall goc be-
fore you : wherejit is demanded,'what Anged
this was f anditisanfwered, that it was Mi-
becaufe that the Letters of the word
WTD Malachi, Tranfpofcd, make up that
. Je| "" Name,
 Unheard-tf Cumftties.

Mape. YPH n^ay fee many Examples .of

this Nature in my Advi* juries Lmgrn,
&c. and in my Apology for the C^<i/e,the
Title of which Treatife, is, AbdituDivm
Cah/U Myjteria, conirq. Saphiftarum Logomi-
cbiam, dejenfa.
'■ 11. We will now difepver, according to
thefc Rules laid down, fppie certain Siecrcts
of this Celejliall which are delivered
Ipy R. Kapoly Chomery and Ahjudw 5 which
are the Three, that have written the moll,
of this Sub jed, of any. We have formerly
ilhewed, how the Stars of the Conftellation
gaikdj Caput Algol, being Vcrticall to Greect,
^i(i foreflicw the Defojatipn of it. Tl he like
is. to be obierved in the reft of the Stars, when
they are Verticil to any other Kingdom?,
though they arc perhaps, ordered , apdto he
underftood othenvife.
Thiis,a little before the Temple
Um was burnt, and utterly confofoed by ^4*
httyradw, it was obferved, that Eleven pf
the Stars, that were the ihoft Vcrticall to it,
couipofed, for a pretty while together , thefc
five Lettersj

" n 4^ ^
which betpg Joyne^t^ethcr, made up this
Word, (rpa^ingit fcom the North toward
• ' • • ■ ■ ib
 Unheard-of CuriofitieK

the Weft,.) Hikfchich which figniifieth 3 to

Rtjeft} and Forfake, without any Mercie: and
the Number of Three of them added togc-
thei, amountcth to 423. which is the Space
of Time, that this Stately piece ofBuilaing
had ftood. In like manner, a little before
the Jewes faw their Scepter caft downe to
the ground, and their Liberty earned Cap-
tive'into Babylon, Five Stars were , for a
long time together, obferved to compofe thefe
ThreeMyfticallLetters, cw «, _ Natnfc
a word which fignifieth, > $ 3 to
Break, Cajl Down, and to 'Drive
cut. And the Number of thefe Letters,
which is 50j. was the Exadl Number Or
jem that the fewifb Kingdome had lafted,
from Saul, to the Deplorable King Zedecbi-
as. N either are t lie fems the only People,
who have been advertifed, by this Celefiiall
Writing , of the Miferies that wei'e to befell
them: but all the other Nations of the World
might have read in the Heavens in lil^e man-
ner,the Eytls that have happened unto them;
jsthe fore-named Authors affirm. ♦
Thus the Per ft am) or Jffyriam, who were
the Ruitie of the Monarchy of the fewes,
fnv the Period of their own Empire, after
ttat Foure of their Verticall Stars, had cop^-

Ee 4 pofed
 Unhuri-rf Curiofitiek
pofed tliefe Three Letters, _
.which make up the^um- ^ ber
of 208. which was the. ' tiini
of the Duration of this Monarchy, whidlwas
founded by Cyrus.
The End of the Grecian Empire was like-
wife fore-lhewcd, by Four Stars, which made
4 100 80 ' , .
up the Verb ^ Tar ad % which lig-
nifieth , to q/ Divide : and that
in This Wonderfpll Man-
ner, as that the very fame Letters did pro-
duce alfo the Number of years that this Mo-
narchy lafted, which took beginning, attbc
time that Alexander the Great fubducd the
laft Darius.
'■ That Of the Athenians lafted but 490.
years which is the Number of thefe Three
Letters, which Foure Stars, that were Yer-
ticall to this Place, did compofc •/
■ _ n Tfarar, which fignifieth,
<>
7 ^ ^ Angupjs affci.
thefe Foure Stars, fait?
cUfner , there were Foure other obfer-
ved alfo, which made up two ^3 Caphs -, I
know not Why though, faith He 5 unlcffe it
be-, that tKefe Letters are Fatall, and of §ad
Omen. I lliall adde my Conjc&ure here;,
tliat polfibly they might point out thefe Two
Names, Cecrops, and Cgdrus; which are the
■ names
 Unhe»i-6f cMofttieT. ^ 4^7 ^

jianies of thofe Two Kings, under whbni

Powerful! Monarchy liad its Rife^ and
FaU. -.. a :
: The Montane Confulate could not maintain
Its Power beyond the Term of 500. years: '
boaufc that thcfc Bounds werc dctcrminate-
ly.prcfixed to itjin this Ceieftiall Bvoke , by
Eight Vcrticall Stars, which compofcd this -
Word, n L, A ' - Maafch , :,which,
bare this ^ Scnfc, & Hurn«
bcr; Ca- . cumen\ 501.r
The A/d«drf/^f of Julius Cflfyir,whicn was
built upon the. Ruine of the Confulate 5 as
This altb was , upon the Ejedion of the
Kings, was: very neer of the Tame Continu-
ance 5 aiidthc' End of.it was in likc m^nner
prefixed by. Six Sars, which made up thefe
Three Letters , ' v" Scavar,
which fignifies, ToBreak?
the Number ■' whereof
is 502. ■
But, that wc may produce fomething, con -
cerning Things Yet to Cdnie, R. Ciomera^-
furcs us, that it is now a good while imcc,
tbatthis C.eleftiall Writing hath pointed out
the Declining of Two great Empires of the
Eaft. The Firit is, that ofr the "Turkes-, over
which there ate obferved feven V.erticall Stars,
which being read from the Weft to the Eaft,
(for, it would be a great Blefling, to fee the
Ruinc
 ^5$; Utthmd^f Curidfttkil

Ruiiwaf this Einpire,) makeup this word,

6.6 <v Cad-, which %nificth,tobe
ff q) Battered, Feeble, Langutjhin^
•••;•.* •/"•: 9x4. Qrimngtaan End. I But
'/iltph, nQWsfeftng itraap be doubted at what time this
iumbw be reduced to this Extremity.
Sgrtfietb.dtf - &ne Letter . doe dcareiy •. refolve this
i.ftana- Doubt. For, the iMiddleLetter, which is
tor woo.-rf/^b^ihg made up of Brighter, and more
as the Sparkling Stars', tficn the Others are, ihew-
tte imers ' ^ c^mer 5 Its Number is the
alfo doe}5 Greater ^ fp that',-in This place if ftandeth
as may be for iQQp.and tht Firft lettfcr lignifietli, 20,
°S£d aiidcheLaftvji So that, when this King-
Hebrew dotnc fhall have Iccompliihed the number of
1 oa5.'years, itihall then be overthrowne,
7
' andibrQught to Ruine. Nowfif we reckon
from the year of our Lord 630. which Was
the year, (according to our Vulgar Compu-
iion,) wherein the Foundation of this Em-
pire was laid ^ we (hall find, that it is to
fall till the year of our Lord -1 <5 55. for the
compleating of the aforefaid number 1025,
fo that, reckoning from this, prefent yeare,
1650. this Kingdome is to- laft but Five
yekxk•longer.
The Other Eaftern Kingdome, whofe De-
clining: is pointed out by the Stars, accord-
ing to it. Chomer, is that of China •• but this
Rabbitr delivers himfelf in fdeh an Oblcure
manner,
 Unhmdrof Curhjiti^ 44^

jijanncr,in difcourfing of this laft piece of C(-

IfullWmmg •, as that, till, I under ftand; it;
letterI liwli Forbeare to fet it downe. fie?
produceth alfo diverie Others, \yhich doe de-
fine the Particular Durations of moft of th^
Kingdomes of Europe: all which i inay happi -
ly communicate to the World hereafter, when
I have firft fecne, how thefe Cunofitw are
received. ^
12. Now , that I may freely driver my
owne Judgment eoncerning \\^C^epallWrh
mg, I mull take Liberty to. prpppfc. Ihmfc
ftw Qibjedlions, which, I havQft)UJid^ nlay'|^
broughtagainftit., V,!
The Firft is, chat if fo bcy .hy this Wrifwii
all the Great Mutations in the World maypp
known; it is polfible then, that the End of the
World npy in hjee manner he found dpt by
It ; as being the Greattft , and moft Impor-
tant of all the reft r fo that Men may, by a na-
tural! Meanes, attain to the knowledge of This
Great Secret: which is Contrary to the Holy
Scriptures.
The Second is, that Aftrologers have been
able to foretel many ofthefc Mutations, which
have afterwardscome to palfe accordinglyjand
ye; have never had any knowledge of This
liraijge Kind otWrjting: It is thereforeljfe-
jcpie, and Imaginary,
the ThirdiSp that the Poiition ofthe Stars
■ 'L -: ■ is
 43® Unheard-of Curiofties'.

is notfo EfTcntiaJl to the Letter, which" it

is brought to make up •, biit that the fame Star
may as well make, for Example 5 a Refh , as
a Daleth 5 and fo of all the reft: and Confer
quently? Scvcrall Men, forming fcveral Cha-
radlcr's ofthe fame Starres, may draw from
them Contrary fenfes, the one to the other.
But to all thefe Ohje&ions ? I anfwer brief-
ly thus. Tot he pirft, I (ay, that it is not Nc-
cefTary, that this CelejtiaH Writing (hould forc-
Iheyvthe end of the World -jbccaufc that God
may have referved this Secretto Himfclfc: Or
Mtth.* clfe, that It will Really forctcl This hereafter •,
whenthofe Other Signes^fet downcby theE-
14. ' yflngdifts, (jiall (hew it alfqrit being all one to
"• (ay, that the Starres (hall forc-Jhciv it by Come
• ' certainc Writing % as to fay, thatthc Sun, and
fat Moont (hallfqretell it, by their being Dark:
ncji, , '
To the Second:, I anfwer 5 that the Foure
'Cai. 1. tyarid Caufes, which (accordngto the Opi-
'4$. ' riidn of A ftrologers) produce the greatcll; Mu-
tations 5 the Firft whereof is, the Changing of
tbicApqgaum, and Perigxum of the Planets:
'-the Second, the Changing of the Exccntrici-
ty ofthc Sun ^ Venus ^ ofUercurj^ of Sat ami>
of Jupiter, and of Mars; the Third, the diverfe
Figure ofthe Obliquity ofthe Zodjackc; and
the Fquith, the Conjunftion, ( chcifly the
Great one) ofthe Superiour Plahtts; I fay^
 Unheard-of Curieftief. 43^

ik all thcfc Fourc Caufes may, for the moft

pirr, be comprized within this Celejtiall Wrl- ■
ilig; that is to fay, that it hath happened very
often, that at what time this Celejtiall Writing
iidpoint oiit (bmc great Change, there was at.
tliefamc time alfo: a Cohjundtion of the Supe-
riour Planets; or elfc, fome one Of the Three
other forcnamed Caufes. So that They, not
undcrftandine any thing of this CekjiiaU Wri-
liiif, imputed thofe changes which they obfer-
vedto cometo paffe, to thofe Foure Reafons
only.But that it may clearly appeare unto us,
that Thcfc have not been the True Caufes of
all thcfc Changes •, we need but have recourfc
tothe Chronologies, and Particular Aririals of
each {everall Kingdomc, and complare thefflt
with the Aft rologicall Obfervat ipns •, a nd Wee
llull .findc, that the grcatdt part of all the
Grand Mutations have napp'encd, without any
Conjundliob of the Greater Planets, or aiiy of
the other Caufes before fpecified. So that we
tnuft nccclTarily flye to fome other niore Cer-
tain Means, by which we may be able to fore-
know , by the Afpedls , and Motions of the
Stars, alltncfe Events. Now this Means can
he no Other, as it feemeth, biitthis Celejlialt
Writing.
, To the Third ObiedHon, Which feemeth to
have the moft Weight in it, it may be anfvte-
wd, that it is true indeed,that a Man may make
a Rcfch
432 . ilnhejitd-of ciirid^ttes.
a kefch ofthe fame Star, that another ttianpet-
haps will make a Daleth of: but in This, as
in many either things „ wee are to follow the
Tradition ofthe Ancients, and to reft fatisficd
with what Th<iy have delivered unto us. 0-
therwife, there will not be any. Certainty at all,
in any One of the reft of the Sciences; cfpcci-
ally in Aftrofogy: which requireth, thatthofe
Stars which cpmpofe, for Example, the Con-
ftellation of ^rtes- or the Ranime^ (liould bedc-
fcribed rather in the Figure of this Bcaft, then
in thatofan Oxi, or a artdfo in all the
reft. So that who everlhould icprcfentthe
Figure ofa Bull, among the Stars that belong1
to the Ramme and the Figure of a Ramme, a-
mong thofe of the Bull; he would deftroy the
very Principles of A ftrology : notwithftand-
ing that the S tars of Tauriis would as Well bear
the Figure of a Ramme, as ofa Bull. In like
manner, he that fhould make a Refch of fucha"
Star, as helhould have made a Baleth of-, not-
withftanding that the Star Would beare it, ycf
would he overthrow the Principles of this Ct-
tfjiiall Writing, ;
Xfit be now demanded 5'who it is, that is to
judge ofthe vaft number Of New Letters that
are made daily, by the Diverfe Afpefts of the
, Planets^I arilwer*, that it appeitaineth to thofe
Men, who are Pioully, and Religioufly. ver-
fed in this Heavenly Writing; and, not to all
kind
 Unheard-of Curiojitiesi

kind of Perfons indifferently. But I lhall as

yet fufpend my own Judgment, as wclin This^
as in all the reft of thefe Cwioftties, which I
have here delivered; till fuch time as I lhall
.We found either Weaker , or Strongee
llcafons;

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