Lib. 2. de præstig. Dæmon. cap. 5.
Vit. Germ. medic. pag. 16.
Anim. mag. præf.
Again, where Authors are engaged for interest sake, they fall into heat, passion, malice, and envy, and what they cannot make out by strength of arguments, they labour to make good by lyes and scandals, as is most apparent in this one Example we shall here give. Henricus Cornelius Agrippa, a person in his time well known to most of the Learned in Europe, and admired for his general and universal skill in all kind of Learning, having published a Piece which he styled, A Declaration of the incertitude and vanity of Sciences and Arts, and the excellency of the Word of God: wherein amongst other things he had sharply taxed the Monks and Fryars, and other Orders, of their ignorance, idleness, and many other crimes and misdemeanors, whereby certain Theologasters of Lovain (netled with their own guilt) did in bitter malice draw up certain Articles against him, therein accusing him of Errour, Impiety, and Heresie, and had so far incensed Charles the Fifth then Emperour against him, that he had commanded Agrippa unheard to make a Recantation. But he writing a strong, polite, and pithy Apology, gave them such a responsion, that afterwards they did never reply; by which, and the mediation of divers learned Friends, who gave Cæsar a right information of the end and drift of that Book, and of the things therein contained, He was pacified, and brought to a better understanding of the matter. Yet this could not protect Agrippa from the virulent malice of the Popish Witchmongers, but that they forged most abominable lyes and scandals against him, especially that wretched and ignorant Monk Paulus Jovius, that was not ashamed to record in his Book intituled, De Elogiis doctorum Virorum, that Agrippa carried a Cacodemon about with him, in the likeness of a black Dog, and that he died at Lyons, when it is certain he died at Gratianople. From all which horrid aspersions and lying scandals he is sufficiently acquitted by the famous Physician Johannes Wierus, one that was educated under him, and lived familiarly with him; and therefore was best able to testifie the whole truth of these particulars. But any that are so perversly and wilfully blinded as to have a sinister opinion of this person, (who ab ineunte ætate in literis educatus esset, quâ fuit ingenii fælicitate, in omni artium ac disciplinarum genere ita versatus est, ut excelluerit) may have most ample satisfaction from the modest and impartial Pen of Melchior Adams, who hath written his Life: as also from something that our Countryman, who called himself Eugenius Philalethes, hath clearly delivered: so that none can be ignorant of this particular, but such as wilfully refuse to be informed of the truth.
Inquir. into vulgar Errours, pag. 34.
Vid. vit. Germ. medic. pag. 29.
Nay where interest hath a share, truth can hardly be expected, though it be but in more trivial things, as even but for aery fame and vain-glory, as may be manifest in Hierome Cardan, who was a man of prodigious pride and vain-glory, which led him (as the learned Dr. Brown hath noted) into no small errours, being a great Amasser of strange and incredible stories, led to relate them by his meer ambition of hunting after fame and the reputation of an universal Scholar. And of no less pride and vain-glorious ambition was his Antagonist Julius Cæsar Scaliger guilty, of whom it may truly be said, that he was of the nature of those of the Ottoman Family, that do not think they can ever raign safely, unless they strangle all their Brethren; so he did not think that he could aspire to the Throne of being the Monarch of general Learning, without stifling the fame and reputation of Cardan and others, against whom he hath been most fell, and impetuously bitter. But when men fall out about professional interest, then the stories that through malice they invent and forge one against another, are incredible, as is manifest in many Examples; but we shall but give one for all, which is this. When Paracelsus, returning from his Peregrination of ten years and above, was called to be Physical Lecturer at Basil, where he continued three years, and more, having by his strange and wonderful Cures drawn the most part of Germany, and the adjacent Countries into admiration; so that he was, and might (notwithstanding the envy and ignorance of all his enemies) justly be styled, Totius Germaniæ decus & gloria: yet this was not sufficient to quiet the violent and virulent mind of Thomas Erastus, who coming to be setled at Basil, and finding that he could not outgo nor equal Paracelsus in point of Medicinal Practice, and being strongly grounded in the Aristotelian Philosophy, and the Galenical Physick, did with all poyson and bitterness labour to confute the Principles of Chymical Physick that Paracelsus had introduced; and lest his arguments might be too weak, he backt them with most horrible lyes and scandals, thinking that many and strong accusations (though never so false) would not be easily answered, nor totally washt off: which after were greedily swallowed down by Libanius, Conringius, Sennertus, and many others: so apt are men to invent, and suck in scandals against others, never considering how false and groundless they are, or may be: for that he wrongfully and falsely accused him in many things, will be manifest to any unbiassed person, that will but take pains to read his Life, written by that equitable Judge Melchior Adams, and that large Preface the learned Physician Fredericus Bitiskius hath prefixed to his Works printed at Geneva 1648.
History 1.
Vid. Resp. Rob. Flud. ad Foster.
History 2.