tt 8

Natural Magick. ^ 00 ^ 16 .

besieged at Mininaby Anthony. They being glad ot light, and desiring meat, ff.wand sat upon the highest parts of the houses; Brutus citchc them, and lo was cot fir-med how things were: wherefore, always laying meac in those places, he call dthem back again. Hen cc Pliny. Nor Ramparts, nor Scones, nor Nets pitch*d beforeRivers, did profic Anthony ; tor the M -flenger went through the Air. By the fameway, in the very lame day, from Olympino tÆgina, was the victory of Tauroflhetesdeclared to bis Father ; though others lay it was torefeen: others fay, That lastrosthe-nes, when he went forth, took a Pigeon from her yong ones, yet weak and not ableto fly, and as soon as he had coi quered , he sent her back again, purple-coloured ;andfh; making great hast to her yong ones, flew that very day from Pisa toÆgina.tÆltAH writes this. Some have fought to do this by Swallows, taken out of theirnests from their yong, and sent back again. Some also attest, that beyond sea East.ward, there are Pigeons that when the way is stopt, will fly through che midst of theenemies, and carry Letters under their wings, a very long way. It may b c Juvenalmeant this, when he said,

As iffr em divers parts a letter wereBrought wtth a douffulwing quite through the Air.

Also in old Monuments and Histories it is declared, that there was a King of Egypt,whose name was Marrhes, who bred up a tame Rook, and this he made use osforawinged messenger, so oft as he had need: for, as if she had reason, she weald carrythe Letter where (he was directed ; for (he was so crafty, as to be instructed whithertofly, and where to stay , or rest at any time. Mans wit hath invented these shift,to avoid danger ; but by the fame craft is he wounded sometimes, as it were withhis own weapons. When the Christians with an Army besieged Ptolemais t whenSAetdine had appointed a Pigeon to be sent thus with Letters to the besieged, towish them to be constant, and expect his coming suddenly ; the Christians catch’dher, and tied a contrary letter to her , and sent her away: whence it fell out, thatthey despairing of relief, yielded themselves: so there can be no certain security inhumane affairs, bnt there may be fraud in all things. Themistms faith,That amongstAnimals, Pigeons have the best memory, as hiving a clear and refined mind. Where-fore, though all other Animals make hast to their yong ones, when they are takenfrom them, yet none of them carried far, can comeback, because their memoryfails. I have seen the try al with Pigeons. When my servant came from roy Farm,be brought home some yong Pigeons taken from their dams, and he wrapt them upin a cloak as we Went; and when we came home at night, they were (hut up in thehouse; but when the morning came, they flew out of the windows ; and discover-ing the country afar off, they took upon the wing, and flew all home again. Where-fore in Genesis , 'Hjah sent forth a Pigeon, which returned; but the Raven returnednot. For the Raven wants memory. I remember in Plutarchs works, what is worthrelating that I read there, That by the Pigeon sent forth of the Ark, in ‘Deucalionsflood, was shewed, that the waters were funk down, and the storms past. Animalsthat have newly brought forth yong ones, will do the fame.

Chap. VIM.

How Messengers may he sent, whojhaH neither know that they carry letters , nor can they befound about them.

O Ur Ancestors had another Art,that could not be discovered,inyAj^d by strangecrasr. Herodottu mentions it from Hesitant^ who was the Aqtnorof it. Hebeing born in Asia, when of noble place, when Darius ruled, when he was with theKing in Persia,and would privately write to Aristagoras co fall from him , wring lestif he should not do it cunningly , be fheuld be discovered, and be in great danger,he invented this way. He shaved off his servants hair of tits head, as though hemeant to cure him , who for a long time had been troubled with fore eyes: and on