greater matter then the former, that although the reasonable soule cannot bee constrained, yet may she be effectually disposed, indued, and prouoked, freely to change her maners, affections and desires, according to another mans pleasures: and this may be effected, not in one particular person alone, but in the whole body of a Citie, or people of a Kingdome. And such a matter _Aristotle_ teacheth in his booke of Secrets, as well of a nation, as of an army or priuate person. These things are almost as much as nature or Art are able to performe. But yet the last decree, wherein the perfection of Art can doo oughts with all the power of nature, is the prolonging of life for a great space, and the possibilitie hereof is approued by many experimẽts. For _Plynie_ reporteth, that there was a Souldiour lustie and strong both in body & mind, that continued healthy beyond the accustomed age of man, who when _Octauianus Augustus_ asked him what he did that made him liue so long, made aunswere in a riddle, that he vsed oyle outwardly, and sweet wine inwardly. But afterwards there fell out many such things: for on a time, as a husband man was plowing, he chanced to finde a golden vessell with a precious licour, which he surmising to be the dew of heauen, washt his face with it, and dranke thereof, and was incontinently renewed in Spirite, in body, and in quicknesse of witte: for which cause, of a plow-man hee was made porter to the King of _Sicily_: & this hapned in the time of king _Ostus_. Besides, it is confirmed by the testimony of the Popes letters, that _Almanichus_ beeing Captaine among the Saracens took a medicine, by the benifit wherof, he prolonged his life fiue hundred yeares. For the king to whom hee was prisoner, receiued Ambassadors from king _Magus_ with this medicine, but forasmuch as he suspected it to be poyson, he would needes make a tryall of it in this Captiue. In like manner, the Queene of _Tormery_ in great Britany, seeking after a white Hart, lighted vppon an Oyntment, wherewith the Keeper of the forrest had noynted his whole bodie, the soles of his feete onely excepted: he liued three hundreth yeares without corruption, saue that hee was troubled with the goute in his feete. And wee haue obserued many Countrey-men in our dayes, who, without the counsell and aduise of Phisitions, haue liued a hundred and threescore yeares, or there abouts. And these things are approoued by the works of bruit beasts, as namely in the Hart, the Egle, the Serpent, and many other, that by the vertue of hearbes and stones renewe theyr youth. For which cause wise men haue addiected themselues to search out such a secret, prouoked thereunto by the example of brute Beastes, deeming it to bee possible for man to obtaine that which is not denied to vnreasonable creatures. And hence is it, that _Artephius_ in his Booke, intituled the Wisedome of _Secretes_, diligently obseruing the force and power of liuing creatures and