The seventh Chapter.
Whence the pretious stones receive their operations, how curious Magicians use them, and of their seales.
URIOUS Magicians affirme, that these stones receive their vertues altogether of the planets and heavenlie bodies, and have not onelie the verie operation of the planets, but sometimes the verie images and impressions of the starres naturallie ingraffed in them, and otherwise ought alwaies to have graven upon them, the similitudes of such monsters, beasts, and other devises, as they imagine to be both internallie in operation, and externallie in view, expressed in the planets. As for example, upon thePlin. lib. 37. cap. 10.
Albert. miner. li. 2. ca. 1.
Solin. cap. 11.
Diurius in scrin. cap. de complexionibus & complexatis. Achate are graven serpents or venomous beasts; and sometimes a man riding on a serpent: which they know to be Aesculapius, which is the celestiall serpent, whereby are cured (they saie) poisons and stingings of serpents and scorpions. These grow in the river of Achates, where the/210. greatest scorpions are ingendred, and their noisomnes is thereby qualified, and by the force of the scorpions the stones vertue is quickened and increased. Also, if they would induce love for the accomplishment of venerie, they inscribe and expresse in the stones, amiable embracings and love/lie298. countenances and gestures, words and kissings in apt figures. For the desires of the mind are consonant with the nature of the stones, which must also be set in rings, and upon foiles of such metals as have affinitie with those stones, thorough the operation of the planets whereunto they are addicted, whereby they may gather the greater force of their working.
Geor. Pictorius. Villang. doct. medici in scholiis super Marbod. dactyl.As for example, They make the images of Saturne in lead, of Sol in gold, of Luna in silver. Marrie there is no small regard to be had for the certeine and due times to be observed in the graving of them: for so are they made with more life, and the influences and configurations of the planets are made thereby the more to abound in them. As if you will procure love, you must worke in apt, proper, and freendlie aspects, as in the houre of Venus, &c: to make debate, the direct contrarie order is to be taken. If you determine to make the image of Venus, you must expect to be under Aquarius or Capricornus: for Saturne, Taurus, and Libra must be taken heed of. Manie other observations there be, as to avoid the infortunate seate and place of the planets, when you would bring a happie thing to passe, and speciallie that it be not doone in the end, declination, or heele (as they terme it) of the course thereof: for then the planet moorneth and is dull.
Such signes as ascend in the daie, must be taken in the daie; if in the night they increase, then must you go to worke by night, &c. For in Aries, Leo, and Sagittarie is a certeine triplicitie, wherein the sunne hath dominion by daie, Jupiter by night, and in the twielight the cold star of Saturne. But bicause there shall be no excuse wanting for the faults espied herein, they saie that the vertues of all stones decaie through tract of time: so as such things are not now to be looked for in all respects as are written. Howbeit Jannes and Jambres were living in that time, and in no inconvenient place; and therefore not unlike to have that helpe towards the abusing of Pharao. CardaneH. Card. lib. de subtil. 10. saith, that although men attribute no small force unto such seales; as to the seale of the sunne, authorities, honors, and favors of princes; of Jupiter, riches and freends; of Venus, pleasures; of Mars, boldnes; of Mercurie, diligence; of Saturne, patience and induring of labour; of Luna, favour of people: I am not ignorant (saith he) that stones doo good, and yet I knowe the seales or figures doo/299. none at all. And when Cardane H. Card. lib. de var. rer. 16. cap. 90. had shewed fullie that art, and the follie thereof, and the maner of those terrible, prodigious, & deceitfull figures of the planets with their characters, &c.: he saith that those were deceitfull inventions devised by couseners, and had no vertue indeed nor truth in them. But bicause we spake somewhat even now of signets and seales, I will shew you what I read reported by Vincentius in suo speculo, where making mention of the Jasper stone, whose nature and propertie Marbodeus Gallus describeth in the verses following:/
Marbodeus in sua dactylotheca, pag. 41, 52.211.Jaspidis esse decem species septémque feruntur,
Hic & multorum cognoscitur esse colorum,
Et multis nasci perhibetur partibus orbis,
Optimus in viridi translucentíque colore,
Et qui plus soleat virtutis habere probatur,
Castè gestatus febrem fugat, arcet hydropem,
Adpositúsque juvat mulierem parturientem,
Et tutamentum portanti creditur esse.
Nam consecratus gratum facit atque potentem,
Et, sicut perhibent, phantasmata noxia pellit,
Cujus in argento vis fortior esse putatur.
Englished by Abraham Fleming. Seven kinds and ten of Jasper stones
reported are to be,
Of manie colours this is knowne
which noted is by me,
And said in manie places of
the world for to be seene,
Where it is bred; but yet the best
is thorough shining greene,
And that which prooved is to have
Memorandum the authors meaning is, that this stone be set in silver, & worne on the finger for a ring: as you shall see afterwards.in it more virtue plaste:
For being borne about of such
as are of living chaste,/
300.It drives awaie their ague fits,
}
the dropsie thirsting drie,
And put unto a woman weake
in travell which dooth lie
It helps, assists, and comforts hir
in pangs when she dooth crie.
Againe, it is beleevd to be
A safegard franke and free,
To such as weare and beare the same;
and if it hallowed bee
It makes the parties gratious,
and mightie too that have it,
And noysome fansies (as they write
that ment not to deprave it)
It dooth displace out of the mind:
the force thereof is stronger,
In silver if the same be set,
and will endure the longer.
But (as I said) VincentiusVincent. lib. 9. cap. 77.
Dioscor. lib. 5. cap. 100.
Aristot. in Lapidario. making mention of the Jasper stone, touching which (by the waie of a parenthesis) I have inferred Marbodeus his verses, he saith that some Jasper stones are found having in them the livelie image of a naturall man, with a sheeld at his necke and a speare in his/212. hand, and under his feete a serpent: which stones so marked and signed, he preferreth before all the rest, bicause they are antidotaries or remedies notablie resisting poison. Othersome also are found figured and marked with the forme of a man bearing on his necke a bundle of hearbs and flowres, with the estimation and value of them noted, that they have in them a facultie or power restrictive, and will in an instant or moment of time stanch bloud. Such a kind of stone (as it is reported) Galen wore on his finger. Othersome are marked with a crosse, as the same author writeth, and these be right excellent against inundations or overflowings of waters. I could hold you long occupied in declarations like unto these, wherein I laie before you what other men have published and set foorth to the world, choosing rather to be an academicall discour/ser,301. than an universall determiner: but I am desirous of brevitie.