Demonology -- Early works to 1800; Magic -- Early works to 1800; Witchcraft -- Early works to 1800
_A confutation of casuall augurie which is meere witchcraft,
and upon what uncertaintie those divinations are grounded._
What imagination worketh in man or woman, many leaves would not
comprehend; for as the qualities thereof are strange, and almost
incredible, so would the discourse thereof be long and tedious, wherof
I had occasion to speake elsewhere. But the power of our imagination
extendeth not to beasts, nor reacheth to birds, and therefore
perteineth not hereunto. Neither can the chance for the right or left
side be good or bad lucke in it selfe. Why should any occurrent or
augurie be good? Bicause it commeth out of that part of the heavens,
where the good or beneficiall stars are placed? By that reason, all
things should be good and happie that live on that side; but we see the
contrarie experience, and as commonlie as that.
The like absurditie and error is in them that credit those divinations;
bicause the starres, over the ninth house have dominion at the time of
augurie. If it should betoken good lucke, joy or gladnesse, to heare a
noise in the house, when the moone is in _Aries_: and contrariwise,
if it be a signe of ill lucke, sorrowe, or greefe for a beast to come
into the house, the moone being in the same signe: here might be found
a fowle error and contrarietie. And forsomuch as both may happen
at once, the rule must needs be false and ridiculous. And if there
were any certeine rules or notes to be gathered in these divinations;
the abuse therein is such, as the word of God must needs be verefied
therein; to wit, I will destroie the tokens of soothsaiers, and make
them that conjecture, fooles.
♦The vanitie of casuall augurie.♦
♦Isai. 44, 25.♦
The xxi. Chapter.
_That figure-casters are witches, the uncerteintie of their
art, and of their contradictions, Cornelius Agrippas sentence
against judiciall astrologie._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account