14.

Natural Magick. c Bookj .

likewise draws up Air ; and the centre of the world draws the earth downward,and the natural place of the waters draws the waters to it. Hence it is that theLoad-stone draws iron to it, Amber draws chaff or light draws, Brimstone drawssite, the Sun draws after it many flowers and leaves, and the Moon draws after icthe waters. Plotintu and Sjnesim fay , Lreat is nature everywhere; the layethcertain baits whereby to catch certain things in all places: as she draws down hea-w things by the centre of the earth, as by a bait; so site draws light things upwardby the concavity of the Moon ; by heat, leaves; by moisture, roots; by one bait oranother, all things. By which kind of attraction, the Indian -Witards hold thatthe whole world is knit and bound within ic self:, for (lay they) ‘the World is a li-ving creature, everywhere both male and female, and the parts of it do couple to-gether, within and between themselves, by reason of their mutual love; and sothey hold and stand together, every member of it being linked to each other by acommon bond; which the Spirit of the World, whereof we spake before, hath incli-ned them unto. For this cause Orpheus calleth Jupiter , and the Nature of theWorld, man and wife; because the World is so desirous to marry and couple herparts together. The very order of the Signs declareth, that the World is every-where male and female • for the former is the male , the latter is the female: soalso Trees and Herbs have both sexes, as well as living creatures: so the fire is tothe Air, and the water to the Earth,as a male to the female : so that it is no mar-vel, that the parts of theWorld.desiresomuchto bematcht together. The Pla-nets are partly male, and partly female; and Mercury is of both sexes it self. Thesethings the Husband man perceiving, prepares his field and his feed, for heavenlyinfluences to work upon ; the Physitian likewise observes the same, and works ac-cordingly, for the preservation both of our bodies, and of universal Nature. Sothe Philosopher who is skilful in the Stars (for such is properly a Magician)works bycertain bait', as it were, fitly matching earthly and heavenly things together, andplatting them as skilfully one within another, as a cunning Husband-man plantethanoldgrrffe into a young stock: nay, he layeth earthly things under heavenlythings, and inferiours so fitly for their superiours everywhere to work upon, as ifa man should lay iron before the Load-stone to be drawn to it, or Christal before |the Sun to be enlightened by it, or an Egge under a Hen to hatch it. Furthermore, assome can so cherish egges,that even without the help of living creatures, they willmake them live - yea and oftentimes they will prepare such matter, so cunningly,that even without egges,or any apparent seeds, they tvili being forth living creatures,(as they will bring forth Bees, of an Ox ; and a Scorpion, of Basil ; ) working toge-ther by the help of universal Nature upon the vantage of fit matter, and a season-able or convenient time: even so the Magician, when once he knows which andwhat kinds of matters Nature hath partly framed, and partly Art hath perfected,and gathered together, such as are fit to receive influence from above, these mattersespecially doth he prepare and compound together,at such a time as such an influenceraigneth; and by this means doth gain to himself the vertues and forces of heaven-ly bodies: for wheresoever there is any matter so directly laid before luperiour bo-dies,as a looking-glaffe before ones face,or as a wall right before ones voice ; so dothit presently suffer the work of the Superiours, the most mighty Agent,and the admi-rable life and power of all things shewing it self therein. Phtims in his Book ofSacrifice and Magick, faith,That the Philosophers considering this affinity and bondof Nature, wherewith all natural things are linked each to other, did thence framethe Art of Magick, and acknowledged both that the superiours might be seen inthetc inferiours, and these inferiours in their superiours * earthly things in heavenly,though not properly, but in their causes, and after a heavenly sort; likewise heaven-ly things in earthly, but yet after an earthly fort. For whence should we suppose itto be, that the plants called Sun-followers, should still follow the Suns motion ? andlikewise the Moon-followers, the Moons motion ? Wherefore surely even in earthwe may behold both the Sun and the Moon ; but yet by reason of their quality up-on earth; and lo in heaven we may behold all plants,and stones,and living creatures,hut yet as following the heavenly natures: which things the Amicnts perceiving,

did