Bibliomania; or Book-Madness: A Bibliographical RomanceDibdin, Thomas Frognall
History
Bibliomania; or Book-Madness: A Bibliographical Romance
Dibdin, Thomas Frognall
Bibliography; Bibliomania; Book collecting; Books -- Prices
[Footnote 257: "_A short treatise declaringe the detestable
wickednesse of magicall sciences, as necromancie,
coniuration of spirites, curiouse astrologie, and suche
lyke, made by_ FRANCIS COXE." Printed by Allde, 12mo.,
without date (14 leaves). From this curious little volume,
which is superficially noticed by Herbert (vol. ii., p.
889), the reader is presented with the following extract,
appertaining to the above subject: "I myself (says the
author) knew a priest not far from a town called
Bridgewater, which, as it is well known in the country, was
a great magician in all his life time. After he once began
these practices, he would never eat bread, but, instead
thereof, did always eat _cheese_: which thing, as he
confessed divers times, he did because it was so concluded
betwixt him and the spirit which served him," &c. sign. A
viii. rect. "(R.) Bacon's end was much after _the like
sort_; for having a greedy desire unto meat, he could cause
nothing to enter the stomach--wherefore thus miserably he
starved to death." Sign. B. iij. rev. Not having at hand
John Dee's book of the defence of Roger Bacon, from the
charge of astrology and magic (the want of which one laments
as pathetically as did Naude, in his "_Apologie pour tous
les grands personnages, &c., faussement soupconnez de
Magic_," Haye, 1653, 8vo., p. 488), I am at a loss to say
the fine things, which Dee must have said, in commendation
of the extraordinary talents of ROGER BACON; who was
miserably matched in the age in which he lived; but who,
together with his great patron GROSTESTE, will shine forth
as beacons to futurity. Dr. Friend in his _History of
Physic_ has enumerated what he conceived to be Bacon's
leading works; while Gower in his _Confessio Amantis_
(Caxton's edit., fol. 70), has mentioned the brazen head--
=for to telle
Of such thyngs as befelle:=
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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