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./