The eight Chapter.
The sympathie and antipathie of naturall and elementarie bodies declared by diverse examples of beasts, birds, plants, &c.
F IAgreement & disagreement in sufferance. should write of the strange effects of Sympathia and Antipathia, I should take great paines to make you woonder, and yet you would scarse beleeve me. And if I should publish such conclusions as are common and knowne, you would not regard them. And yet Empedocles thought all things were wrought hereby. It is almost incredible, that the grunting or rather the wheeking of a little pig, or the sight of a simple sheepe should terrifie a mightie elephant: and yet by that meanes the Romans did put to flight Pyrhus and all his hoast. A man would hardlie beleeve, that a cocks combe or his crowing should abash a puissant lion: but the experience herof hath satisfied the whole world. Who would thinke that a serpent should abandon the shadow of an ash, &c? But it seemeth not strange, bicause it is common, that some man otherwise hardie and stout enough, should not dare to abide or endure the sight of a cat. Or that a draught of drinke should so overthrow a man, that never a part or member of his bodie should be able to performe his dutie and office; and should also so corrupt and alter his senses, understanding, memorie, and judgement, that he should in everie thing, saving in shape, beecome a verie beast. And herein the poets experiment of liquor is verified, in these words following:
———————sunt qui non corpora tantùm,
Verùm animas etiam valeant mutare liquores:
Some waters have so powerfull ben,Englished by Abraham Fleming.
As could not onelie bodies change,/
302.But even the verie minds of men,
Their operation is so strange./
213.Read a litle tract of Erasmus intituled De amicitia, where enough is said touching this point.The freendlie societie betwixt a fox and a serpent is almost incredible: how loving the lizzard is to a man, we maie read, though we cannot see. Yet some affirme that our newt is not onlie like to the lizzard in shape, but also in condition. From the which affection towards a man, a spaniell doth not much differ, whereof I could cite incredible stories. The amitie betwixt a castrell and a pigeon is much noted among writers; and speciallie how the castrell defendeth hir from hir enimie the sparowhawke: whereof they saie the doove is not ignorant. Besides, the woonderfull operation and vertue of hearbs, which to repeat were infinite: and therfore I will onlie referre you to Mattheolus his herball, or to Dodonæus. There is among them such naturall accord and discord, as some prosper much the better for the others companie, and some wither awaie being planted neere unto the other. The lillie and the rose rejoise in each others neighborhood. The flag and the fernebush abhorre each other so much, that the one can hardlie live besides the other. The cowcumber loveth water, and hateth oile to the death. And bicause you shall not saie that hearbs have no vertue, for that in this place I cite none, I am content to discover two or three small qualities and vertues, which are affirmed to be in hearbs: marie as simple as they be, Jannes and Jambres might have done much with them, if they had had them. If you pricke out a yoong swallowes eies, the old swallow restoreth againe their sight, with the application (they saie) of a little Celondine. Xan- thusXanthus in hist. prima. the author of histories reporteth, that a yoong dragon being dead, was revived by hir dam, with an hearbe called Balim. And JubaJub. lib. 25. cap. 2. saith, that a man in Arabia being dead was revived by the vertue of another hearbe./
The ninth Chapter.303.
The former matter prooved by manie examples of the living and the dead.
ND as we see in stones, herbs, &c: strange operation and naturall love and dissention: so doo we read, that in the bodie of a man,This common experience can justifie. there be as strange properties and vertues naturall. I have heard by credible report, and I have read many grave authors constantlie affirme, that the wound of a man murthered reneweth bleeding; at the presence of a deere freend, or of a mortall enimie. Diverse also write, that if one passe by a murthered bodie (though unknowne) he shalbe striken with feare, and feele in him selfe some alteration by nature. Also that a woman, above the age of fiftie yeares, being bound hand and foote, hir clothes being upon hir, and laid downe softlie into the water, sinketh not in a long time; some saie, not at all.J. Wierus. By which experiment they were woont to trie witches, as well as by Ferrum candens: which was, to hold hot iron in their hands, and by not burning to be tried. Howbeit, PlutarchPlutarch. in vita Pyrhi. saith, that Pyrhus his great toe had in it such naturall or rather divine vertue, that no fier could burne it.
And AlbertusAlbert. lib. de mor. animal. cap. 3. saith, and manie other also repeat the same storie, saieng,/214. that there were two such children borne in Germanie, as if that one of them had beene carried by anie house, all the doores right against one of his sides would flie open: and that vertue which the one had in the left side, the other brother had in the right side. He saith further, that manie sawe it, and that it could be referred to nothing, but to the proprietie of their bodies. PompanatiusPompan. lib. de incant. cap. 4. writeth that the kings of France doo cure the disease called now the kings evill, or queenes evill; which hath beene alwaies thought, and to this daie is supposed to be a miraculous and a peculiar gift, & a speciall grace given to the kings and queenes of England. Which some referre to the proprietie of their persons, some to the peculiar gift of God, and some to the/304. efficacie of words. But if the French king use it no woorsse than our Princesse doth, God will not be offended thereat: for hir maiestie onelie useth godlie and divine praier, with some almes, and referreth the cure to God and to the physician. PlutarchPlutar. in vita Catonis. writeth that there be certeine men called Psilli, which with their mouthes heale the bitings of serpents. And J. Bap. Neap.J. Bap. Neap. in lib. de natur. magia. 1. saith, that an olive being planted by the hand of a virgine, prospereth; which if a harlot doo, it withereth awaie. Also, if a serpent or viper lie in a hole, it maie easilie be pulled out with the left hand, wheras with the right hand it cannot be remooved. Although this experiment, and such like, are like enough to be false; yet are they not altogether so impious as the miracles said to be done by characters, charmes, &c. For manie strange properties remaine in sundrie partes of a living creature, which is not universallie dispersed, and indifferentlie spred through the whole bodie: as the eie smelleth not, the nose seeth not, the eare tasteth not, &c.