A gentleman of my acquaintance, Mr. M. was in Portugal, anno 1655, when one was burnt by the inquisition for being brought thither from Goa, in East-India, in the air, in an incredible short time.
VISIONS IN A BERYL OR CRYSTAL.
BERYL is a kind of Crystal that hath a weal tincture of red; it is one of the twelve stones mentioned in the Revelation. I have heard,* that spectacles were first made of this stone, which is the reason that the Germans do call a spectacle-glass (or pair of spectacles) a Brill.
*Dr J. Pell
Dr. Pocock of Oxford, in his Commentary on Hosea, hath a learned discourse of the Urim and Thummim; as also Dr. Spenser of Cambridge. That the priest had his visions in the stone of the breast plate.
The Prophets had their seers, viz. young youths who were to behold those visions, of whom Mr. Abraham Cowley writes thus.
With hasty wings, time present they out-fly,
And tread the doubtful maze of destiny;
There walk and sport among the years to come,
And with quick eye pierce every causes womb.
The magicians now use a crystal sphere, or mineral pearl, as No. 3, for this purpose, which is inspected by a boy, or sometimes by the querent himself.
No. 3. {Illustration}
There are certain formulas of prayer to be used, before they make the inspection, which they term a call. In a manuscript of Dr. Forman of Lambeth, (which Mr. Elias Ashmole had) is a discourse of this, and the prayer. Also there is the call which Dr. Nepier did use.