Of the Causes of 'Wonderful things . 25

Moon : there is a Well where the Cicones inhabit, that turneth into stones all thattoucheth it, or drinks of it; Crachis and Sybarismake hair shew like Amber andGold ; the water of Salmax, and the Æthiopian Lakes , make them mad or in atrance that drmk of it; he that drinks of the Weil Clitorins, never cares for wineafter ; the River Lyncestius makes men drunken'5 the Lake Pheneus in A ready, ishurtful if you drink it by night; if by day, it is wholesome. Other properties thereare also of places and fountains, which he that would know, may learn out oiTheo-phraftniy Timaus , PoJJldouius , Heyefias, Herodotus , j4ristides , (JWetrodorus , and thelike, who have very diligently sought out, and registred the properties of places;and out of them , Pliny,, Solwut , and such Writers have gathered their books.

Chap. XVIII.

Thut Compounds stporkjmore forcibly ; and how to compound tind mix those Simples whichwe would uje in our mixtures t

N Ow we will fnew how to mix and compound many Simples together, that themixture may cause them to be more operative. Proclus in his book of Sacri-fice and Magick,faith, That the antient Priests were wont to mix many things toge-ther, because they saw that divers Simples had some property of a God in them, butnone of them by it self sufficient to resemble him.Wherfore they did attract the hea-venly influences by compounding many things into one, whereby it might resemblethat One which is above many. they made images of sundry matters, and many o-ders compounded artificially into one, so to exprefle the essence of a God, whohath in himself very many powers. This I thought good to alleadge, that we mayknow the Ancients were wont to use mixtures, that a compound might be the moreoperative. And I my self have often compounded a preservative against .poison, ofDragon-herbs, the Dragon-fish, Vipers,, and the stone Ophites; being led thereinby thclikenesscof things. The herb D(agon-wort, both the greater and smaller,have a stalk full of sundry-colouredspccksnf any mao eat their root,or rub his handswith their leaves, the Viper cannot hurt him. The Dragon-filh being cut and open-ed, and laid to the place which he hath stung, is a present remedy against his sting,as o£titu writes. The Viper itself, if you flay her, and strip off her skin, cut off herhead and tail, cast away all her inrrails.boil her like an Eele, and give her to one thatthe hath bitten, to eat, ic will cure him: or if you cut off her bead being alive,and lay the part next the neck, while it is hot, upon the place which she hath bitten,it will strangely draw out the poyfon. Many such compound medicines made of crea-tures living on the earth, in the water, in the air, together with herbs and stones,you may find most wittily devised, in the books of Kirannides and Harprocr*tion3uinow we will (hew the way and manner how to compound Simples, which the Phy-sicians also do much observe. Because we would not bring forth one effect only,butsometimes have use of two or three, tbereforewe must use mixtures, that they maycause sundry effects. Sometime things will not work forcibly enough , therefore tomake the action effectual, we must take unto us many helps. Again, sometime theywork too strongly,and here we must have help to abate their force. Oft-times wewould practice upon some certain member, as the head, the heart, or the bladder;here we must mingle some things winch are directly operative upon that part, andUpon none else; whereby it falleth out, that sometimes we must meddle contrariestogether. But toproceed.f When you would do any work, first consider what is thechief thing which your simple or compound should effect ; then take the ground- orfoundation osyour mixture, that which gives the name to your compound, addictthere be so mueh of it, as may proportionably work your intent; for there is a justand doe quantity required for their working: then put in the other ingredients, assauce and seasoning,to help the principal to work more easily and in due time. So wemingle sweet things with unsavory, and with bitter, that it may smell and taste well:torts we should mingle onely unsavoury and bitter receits, they that we give it un-to would loath it, and their animal spirits would so abhor it, that though they took