THE DEVIL conjured.  
LONDON Printed by Adam Islip for William Mats, dwelling in Fleetstreet at the sign of the Hand and Plough. Anno 1596.   

TO THE RIGHT Honourable and learned sir john Fortescue, knight, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Master of the Wardrobe, and one of her majesties right Honourable privy Counsel.  
RIght Honourable, alured by your Wisdom, and animated by your authority, the one expressed by your general and matchless knowledge in the purer tongues, and the perfect use and felicity of your readings; the other in your execution in affairs; policy, in counsel; place in judgement; and credit with her most Royal Majesty: I have (more audacious than wise) presumed to submit this weak labour of mine, to your judgement to determine on, and authority to countenance: for what your judgement shall wink at, the world will applaud, and what your authority shall countenance, ignorant detraction dare not misconstrue; so then shadowed under the strong shield of your favour, I neither suspect my cause, nor fear mine enemies; wax afraid of the curious, or abashed at the envious: accept therefore most Noble Lord this poor wreck of my wit, that hath no hope of eternity but by your grace, nor defence from misreports but your name; neither any more felicity than your allowance, and think of the writer as of him that giveth, what his rich will can for those favours which his weak power may never requite. Thus wishing your honour that place in heaven which your charity and piety to all the learned justly deserveth on earth, I humbly take my leave, this fifteenth of April. 1596.  
Your honours most bounden Orator. T. L.   

To the Reader whatsoever, T. L. sendeth greeting.  
COurteous, sith you have long time drawn the weeds of my wit, and fed yourselves with the cockle of my conceits, I have at last made you gleaners of my harvest and partakers of my experience. Here shall you find that which Aristotle requireth in every science, probability in argument, and demonstration and truth in the end: here shall you find the style varying according to the matter, the matter suitable to the style, and all of these aimed to profit: The reading hereof requireth, Tota hominem, & non distractum, for there is as much lost in slighting over, as won by perusing warely; if the title make you suspect, compare it with the matter, it will answer you: if the matter, apply it with the censures of the learned, they will countenance the same; if the handling, I repent me not, for I had rather you should now condemn me for default in Rhetoric, then as in times past, commend my style, and lament my judgement: neither let it seem displeasant, that herein I affect not vain flourish, for that I am experienced in this point of the law, that the mind is mightier than the words; beside, this is a certain principle, Vbi mens est certa, de verbis non curatur: The Poet saw this, when he sung thus: 
Ornari res, ipsa negat contenta doceri.   
Thus resolved both of the matter, and satisfied in my method, I leave the whole to your judgements, which if they be not depraved with envy, will be bettered in knowledge, and if not carried away with opinion, will receive much profit. For as the apothecary useth his drugs, so do I my delights, I make no protestation or show of the purest and best simples, but for those conceits are shrunk in the wetting, spoiled by the haste, & are corrupted by irregard, those wanting matter to sol themselves, had need of good words to suit them: play you therefore the wise merchants, buy not that only which delighteth the eye, and toucheth the ear, but buy that which perfecteth the judgement and enricheth the memory. The thought that is light, tempteth the mind and vanisheth, but those principles that hasten our experience, perfect our memories. These considered, read, judge, and use me as best pleaseth you; for to beshort, my scope is your profit, and my good Genius, your praise and encouragement.  
Yours in all profitable delights. T. L.   

The Devil conjured.  
AMidst the inhospitable mountains of Egypt (during the reign of Constantine the renowned and religious Roman Emperor) there lived a virtuous and solitary Hermit called Anthony, who forsaking his possessions, which were great, and renouncing the world as vain, made the poor rich by his liberality, and his soul happy by his charity, his bodily desires, he suppressed by fast, his souls perturbations, by constant resist, his solace, was solitude, his pleasure, prayer: his law, godly fear, his hope heaven, his dinner time, the sun set: his night's rest, watchful meditation: if he slept, it was standing, to mortify his flesh; if he prayed, it was kneeling, to show his humility: his meat, bread; his sauce, salt; his drink, water; his profession was ignorance, but in heavenly things; and his knowledge perfect wisdom, (not expressed in vanity of words, but in virtue and practice of good deeds.) To this holy Hermit resorted many, some presuming on their own wits, other suspecting their own infirmities; this to receive council in his discontent, that to gather comfort from his ghostly preachings, (for they commonly are most apt to reform others, who have mastered their affections and mortified their passions.) Among the rest as one of greatest mark, but of weakest mind, came Metrodorus the Tyrian, who better skilled in Plato, Empedocles, Democritus; than in true wisdom, humility, and meditation: came to visit Anthony, rather of purpose to carp, than resolution to conceive. The next was Asterius of Tapadocia, who for practise in Magic, and consulting with devils, was banished Rome, and sent into Egypt. The last Frumentarius the Indian, who earnestly desirous to see the man who was renowned for so many miracles, had forsaken his country, entered the deserts, met with these companions, and at last found out Anthony: and where should virtue be found, if not in solitude? Where (as the Philosopher thinketh) men rather intent their conscience, than their fame, and where (according to the opinion of Nicephorus) nothing is studied, but purity of mind, nothing more affected, than severity in life, and felicity in meditation: But where found they thee O holy Anthony? What office becoming thy happy spirit? What exercise wert thou accustomed in? Truly (as Gregory saith) slaying, and sacrificing thy will; by obedience, pouring out, and offering thy soul in prayer; testifying thy contrition, by thy trickling tears: thus in thy earthly body didst thou practise an immortal work, and with the immoved eye of thy mind, didst thou behold God in faith. Till a astonished at the sudden approach of these worldly men, thou wert saluted by them and cut off (by this friendly discourse) from thine earnest and happy contemplations: Father Anthony, in regard of thy reverend years, I am come to salute thee: and in respect of thy desolate and solitary life, to reprove thee, for my experience (teaching me to judge things) hath enlightened my reason to censure follies: What life is this thou leadest? Where all things that should nourish nature are contemned, and each thing that may hasten death is sought after? Nature hath given thee a body to maintain it, not to mortify it: fortune hath given thee riches not to despise them, but to prize them: thou art borne to honour, why seekest thou then obscurity? to thy country, why forsakest thou it? If it be felicity thou desirest, study thy health, (for according to the Epicure) not to be touched with sickness is the interest of pleasure: labour to be mighty, that thy authority may help thy friend, and suppress thy foe: endeavour to be rich, for affluence maketh our life happy, and our posterity fortunate: strive to be wedded, that thou mayst have children, to be fortunate, that thou mayst be famous, to be beloved in the world, that thou mayst command the world. To be obscure, is to be miserable: and the greatest infelicity in life, is to be despised: look into the works of nature and condemn thyself, flowers in the bud have no air till they be blossomed, stones in the mine, are obscure till they be polished, fruit on the tree, is sour, till it be ripened. It beginneth in a twig, that groweth to a tree, and by course of kind all things are made to increase, and by increase to profit: why then defraudest thou thyself of nature's benefits? She made thee fair to be beloved, beautiful to be known, fortunate to be beautiful, of a child she made thee man to become strong, thy strength she employed to increase thy courage, thy courage she imparted, to express thy fortitude: lastly, she gave thee fortitude to serve thy country: He is a devil amongst men that profiteth no man, and who liveth only to himself, seemeth to be borne in spite of society. Solitudes are for beasts, cities for men, & he rightly is held a thief in society, that robbeth his country of his service: if thou wonder who tells thee this, know it is Metrodorus (not the corrupt usurer of Athens, but the great Philosopher of Tire) who am come both to school thee by Philosophy, & confound thee in arguments. Anthony that had heard him speak with much patience, and examined his arguments as he uttered them, by this reply, drove him into melancholy, & the rest into admiration. Metrodorus, sit down and let these thy associates accompany thee, for in thwarting thy corrupt reasons by good proofs, I shall make thee ashamed of thine obstinacy, and these men fearful of the like folly: Thou reprovest my life, because solitary; not considering this, that a good man is never less alone than when alone (as Themistocles said:) and the senses commonly wanting their objects of offence, are less subject to fall: a desolate life, exempteth us from dissolute desires, and where there are less baits of sin, the soul is least of all soiled. Oh Philosopher thou art blind, not in thy bodily eyes, but in the eyes of thine understanding? Sensuality seeketh ease, devotion chastisement, Thou cuttest down the thorns that let the way when thou iourniest, thou forsakest the path that is muddy and miry, thou fliest the climes that are cold and uninhabited, what then should let thee to mortify thy flesh, to quicken thy spirit, to subdue thy body, to lighten thy soul: and to forsake the path of this world, to walk directly to celestial Paradise: it is a law among your sects, for eloquence, to follow Cicero, for excellence, Demosthenes, for Philosophy, Plato and Aristotle, for the Mathematics, Euclid: What then letteth me (O Metrodorus) to imitate Christ? whose life is a law to mine, & whose abstinence a lesson to instruct me? O that thou knewest the thing thou despisest, and wert as expert in practice, as malapert in reproof: the solitary man (I tell thee) living on the earth, forsaketh the same, and mortified in the flesh is planted in heaven by the spirit: he burneth in the love of God, to banish the love of this world, he weepeth transitory tears, to receive eternal consolation: he fasteth in body, to be fed in soul: he depresseth himself to be lifted up to heaven: he watcheth and thirsteth, to be refreshed in Paradise: he laboureth in this world, to have rest in another, finally flying the works of all uncleanness, he not only deploreth the misery of his thoughts, if they taste the world, but lamenteth likewise the default of his actions, if they do but stumble on the world: O happy contemplative men (saith a father) whose tribulation is their solace: whose contumely, is their glory: whose want, their abundance (worldly as thou art) how wicked are thy counsels? Thou persuadest me to the world, that in nothing is more noted then impugning God: Christ willeth poverty, the world contemneth it: Christ blesseth the sorrowful, the world flieth the haunt of the unhappy: Christ commandeth mortification, the world to cherish the body: and (to conclude) Christ teacheth us to be obedient, the world to be ambitious: in the world we find nothing but enticements of offence, the relics of vanity, the treasons of flattery, the fruits of presumption: in the world example perucrteth us, custom depraveth us, and counsel distracteth us, for (as Lecosme saith) men are too apt to imitate, and whose virtues they cannot attain, their vices they speedily practise. Look into natural effects, fire kindleth fire, like begetteth like, earth fatneth earth, and then conclude that pride engendereth pride; wrath, displeasure; blasphemy, blasphemy; and what men see commonly, they hold lawful in themselves: what shall I think of this world, but that it is a rock whereon all mortal men make shipwreck; a desert, wherein men are soon lost; a sea, wherein we are quickly sunk, full of perils, full of snares: In it desires inform, vanities assault, lucre flattereth, rebels terrify, detractions afflict, and commendations pervert: we are betrayed by the world in the amplitude of riches, betrayed by the weakness of poverty, betrayed by the loftiness of pride, betrayed by opinions of vanity: health tempteth us, infirmity tempteth us, the one yielding us matter of negligence, the other cause of sin. There is a snare in security, a snare in fear, neither is there much difference whether the earthly mind be possessed of joys, or cares, whereas the sickness is one, either to rejoice under vain delights, or to labour under grievous perturbations. For riches, they are instruments of temptations, snares of the devil, nourishers of vain desires, fruits of our perdition: it is very rare saith Gregory for him that possesseth gold to enjoy rest, & impossible for them that wholly haunt after riches in this life, to hope for the joys of the other life: who hasteth to be rich, can hardly be innocent: and who studieth to increase his goods, neglecteth to lament his sins: who desire to be heirs of this world, lose their immortal inheritance: what profiteth it a man to gather all that which is without himself, if he damn that only which is himself? It then worldly wealth be so cursed in getting: what misery enforceth it not in the use and possession: Believe me, believe me, riches extinguish the study of virtue, mortify the thought of celestial things, disturb the memory, divert the love, and convert all sanctity to sensuality: who so is greedy to get, is ready to do wrong, purchase breedeth much fruit, usury more hate, merchandise much fear, all manner of gain all manner of trouble: Poverty is the parent of virtue, Wealth the stepdame; & who contemneth secular joys, deploreth sempiternal: Hierome so thought and so writ, That virtues and riches could not agree in one breast, using in this cause, the example of Crates the rich Theban, who going to Athens to study Philosophy, cast away a great sum of money, thinking it impossible for riches and virtues to agree in one possession: Blessed is he (saith a father) who hath not followed those things, which being possessed, burden man; & beloved, defile him: and lost, crucify him. Besides all this, the misery and danger in getting, the sorrow and harm in use and possessing, consider the infinity, and affinity, of vices that follow lewd increasing: The memory of death, martyreth the rich: Temporal abundance, breedeth forgetfulness of eternal: briefly, as weed hath his worm, so the worm of wealth is his pride: What is a rich man, but a living dead man? Or what can he challenge to be his, who hath his wealth Lord of himself, his mind subject to his wealth, and all estranged from God? how shall I call riches but the chains of sin, where pride is coupled with lust, and lust is mounted in this chariot: The four wheels that draw it, are four vices; the abuse of surfeit, the delicacy of attire, the abundance of sleep and idleness, and lastly, the heat of filthy lust: the horses of this chariot are backed by these two guides, The dullness of sloth, and the blindness of security: and of purpose are these coachmen without spurs, because in the kingdom of pleasure, there should be nothing that might induce sadness, or produce remorse: only dissimulation & improvidence bear the canopy, to shadow man's eye from repentance, until he fall into the snare of his own damnation. Thou blamest me for not being ambitious, not considering this, that ambition is a subtle evil, a secret poison, a hidden plague, a srautfull workman, the mother of hypocrisy, the parent of hate, the fountain of sin: the bait of offence, the rust of virtue, the moth of holiness, the blinder of hearts, creating diseases of remedies, and begetting griefs of medicines: Thou willest me to cherish and to norify my body, but virtue to chasten it: for the flesh by every light motion is subject to commotion, and he that will sit surely on an unbridled colt, must cunningly break him. Pythagoras seeing one of his followers pampering his flesh, and affecting belly cheer, why (saith he) art thou about to build a prison for thyself? And Plato understanding what wounds the mind received by the wicked enticements of the body, purposely chose out an unhealthful Academy in Athens, that by such means he might correct the good disposition of the fare. Thus in their blindness perceived these Philosophers that contemplation hath no enemy more capital than our proud and frail flesh. O Metrodorus, I hate not my body, but the corruptions thereof, and I only in this love myself, in that I chastise myself: worthily said Leo in a certain sermon So much more every man loveth himself by how much he hateth himself for God's love. Thou persuadest me to wed, to increase the world, and I say the world had more need of wéeding then wedding. Thou sayest that marriage is a blessing, but I know it to be the source of miseries, for children being borne, make their parents careful: and unborn, miserable: living, unfortunate: and dead desolate. To this man the multitude of children breedeth a joy to possess them, but this joy is extinct if he want to relieve them: to that man the want of an heir is noisome, who hath toiled away life to get great possessions, and wanteth a son to increase his posterity: so that the ones good fortune, is the others calamity, and each of them desireth that success wherewith he seeth his neighbour to be excruciate. This man hath lost a sweet boy by death, that lamentetha lewd son in life, and both of these worthy commiseration, for the one grieveth at his boys death, the other at his son's life. O scope of man's vanity, where all things that are desired grow tedious, and the greatest benefits that are possessed, wax troublesome. O Metrodorus, accuse me not for flying the world, for it deceiveth all men, the king by security, the prince by ambition, the magistrate by corruption, the merchant by misfortunes, all men, by being the world. He that dwelleth in Sodom cannot escape the shower of fire? he that loveth Egypt must live in servitude, and who will be of the world must not be without temptations: since therefore God is my portion, suffer him to be mine only pleasure, since the world is so wicked, learn thou to forsake it: Leave thy sandy foundations of this earth to build on the sure rock Christ, honour poverty, for it mortifieth worldly cares, and travaileth to God without let: It is the end of grief, the ground of peace, the cleanness of life, that delivereth us from the cares of this transitory world and toeth us to the laws of eternal righteousness: study obedience, for it is better than sacrifice: Learn humility, for it nourisheth the soul, being pure Manna to feed the devout mind, & Elebony to purge the ambitious: Finally proud Philosopher learn to correct thine own life, before thou condemn others, for he soon misdoeth, that vainly misthinketh. No sooner had Anthony ended this discourse, but Metrodorus quite confounded, sat eyeing the ground, Asterius amazed beheld the heavens. Whilst weeping Frementarius broke out into this discourse: (Solitary and sacred) behold the fruits of thy wisdom, thou hast put obstinacy to silence, drawn curiosity to admiration, whetted ignorance to contemplation. Now therefore what thou hast wrought by word, win by examples: for as Tully saith, examples if they savour of antiquity, yield great authority in their proof, and pleasure when they are heard: My son (quoth Anthony) if obstinacy wax silent, there is hope he will hear, if curiosity admire, he gins to affect: and since thou in ignorance dost contemplate, thy zeal bursteth out into tears, which both express thy remorse (in respect of thy deserts) and thy desire to increase in virtue: to seal them therefore to God whom he hath gently summoned, I will report a true history, as full of admiration as of certainty, and in event so certain as they are impudent that impugn it. Amidst those lusty mountains of Italy that divide the indestious Sabins from the warlike Marsians, there lived a reverend and respective father, called Menas, who forsaking the solace of the world, took his only delight in solitary meditation: of whose life there are as many famous witnesses, as Samnia hath fortunate warriors: This holy Hermit forsaking the resorts of men, consorted only with God; growing one with him in charity, who was and is the only fountain of all charity: never rose the sun but prevented by his prayers: never shut the evening, but out worn by his meditations: never was he pensive, but beholding the presumptions: never more pleasant, then in confirming a Convertite: his riches was a hive yielding him honey, and the honey of his persuasions suckled, and fed the weak minds: Whilst thus he lived and thus perfected; It for tuned that certain stragglers that had left the Army of the Lumbards', to intend & follow pillage, ignorant in the ways of Italy, lost their direct way, and by good hap fell into this desert: where traveling long without either pleasure or profit, and in a desert disinhabited, where no victuals might be had, to assuage hunger: they at last hit on Menas cave, where they found him slacking his hunger with herbs, quenching his thirst with water, and rather feeding to continue life, then to pamper nature. Where showing themselves by their incivility, they not only rob him of his meat, spoiled & took away his hive, but beyond all reason beat him cruelly: The good old man that had no help but from heaven, nor weapon in his hand to defend him, but his tongue, praying earnestly whilst he was persecuted, at last broke out into this persuasion. What outrage is this you soldiers? whereas you neither respect age, nor regard devotion, neither fear God, nor regard the laws? wild beasts assail not unprovoked, Serpents sting not untrod on, the harmless bird is no Harpies prey; shall then a Hermit in devotion; an old man in years, a poor man in fortune, be subject to your tyrannies? In the law of kind you are cursed: for by it you are to endure no more to be done to others, than you can quietly admit in your own causes: then since none of you can easily suffer injury, beware to be over earnest in offering it to other men: In the law written, all theft is forbidden: then what are you but law breakers that use violence? The law of grace condemneth you, for it enjoineth you to give of your own to other men, but you drive other men from their own. O what impiety is this, to defraud nature, to abuse God, to despise grace, and afflict man? In the Roman laws (as Cato witnesseth) thieves were punished by the double, and taxed to restore twice that thing in value, which they had taken away by villainy: in God's law thieves are excluded from God's kingdom: Oh earthly men consider what you lose by winning so wickedly, you lose your living souls, to nourish your deadly sins: you lose heaven to purchase hell: You lose honour to win infamy, briefly the poor curse you, the rich hate you, the Prince condemneth you, the Magistrate plagueth you: what miseries then work you for yourself, when on earth you are estranged from all society, in heaven forsaken for your impiety, in hell everlastingly plagued for your security? Oh repent you presently, or too lately, is too lamentably: who deferreth his repentance, hasteneth his plague; where time is swift, the world but a shadow, man's life but a moment, his death imminent, how vain is his delay in repentance, where revenge outstrippeth time, terrifieth the world, shorteneth the shortness of life, and whets on death and damnation? Further, would this holy father have discoursed, and more earnestly would he have urged his arguments: But that a miscreant wretch (who had never God in his lips, but to blaspheme him, nor remorse in his heart where blood was to be shed, seeing the rest of his fellows some what amazed at these his persuasions) drew out his sword and purposely ran at him to pierce his breast: when lo after a terrible and hideous cry, the heaven overcast, the earth opened, and from the lowest hell a fiend appeared in shape, ugly; in threats, dreadful, who seizing the sinful wretch, first flung him up into the air, than threw him on the ground, sometime turning his limbs from their natural places, other whiles thundering out oracles of the wretch's condemnation, till Menas moved by compassion, and his companions terrified by example, humbly kneeling dispossessed him by prayer whom the Devil had possessed for his sin▪ finally the caitiff reconciled, his soldiers schooled, and Menas recompensed, they returned to their army reporting his fame, whilst he resorted to his meditations to yield thanks for their reconcilements. Neither was Gods power so tied to defend him from men, but that he likewise protected him from savage beasts, so that being earnest in their prey, he subdued them by prayer: making them fear at his presence, who otherwise caused all men to run from their pursuit: His study likewise was to have nothing in this world, and having nothing, to contemn all things: his charity was to embrace all that visited him, and to convert all that heard him: free was he in reproving the proud, and reconciling the penitent; To be short, his solitude made him beloved of God, defended from men, preserved from beasts, and lastly a Citizen of heaven: Metrodorus that had left his solitary thoughts to listen to his holy history, hearing so many miracles, at first grew amazed, but subdued by self opinion (which quickly perverteth our faith,) he broke out into this reply, which bewrayed his infirmity. Though thy life old Hermit be the example of modesty, yet thy words are so wonderful as they deserve no credit, miracles are for more than men, and those are our best objects that are subject to our senses: bring therefore better authority to confirm our belief, or for my part I shall think the story is rather an Hyperbole, than a history. Metrodorus (quoth Anthony) this proves thee to be carnal, because thou comprehendest nothing that is eternal: and therefore worldly wits (as Gregory saith) believe not spiritual things, because they behold not that in experiment, which they hear by report: the reasons whereof I will express thee, because I am willing to confirm thee: Look as a child borne in prison, and nourished in obscurity, bearing nothing but the solitary cries of his mother, & seeing nothing but the desolation of all delight, seemeth holy assured in the 〈◊〉 of his senses & suspicious in all other approved certainties, so that if his mother tell of the sun, he believeth nothing but obscurity: if she talk of 〈◊〉 Moon and Stars, he trusteth nothing to be, in that he sees not their being: so carnal men having all things by hearsay, believe nothing but in experience, living in the obscurities of the world, they admit nothing that exceedeth their conceits, and having the mark of sin in their bodies, nourish not the light of contemplation in their souls: With Adam their father they are taxed to labours, but with Adam their father they conceive not their fall, for the memory of his former pleasures remaineth in him, but the remisconceit & worldly blindness choketh them: he remembering his former happiness, vert: they nourished in their worldly frailties, delight therein; and wanting faith to assist the report of heavenly things, they want power to conceive aught but earthly things: men choked by the world, are drowned in the world; the obscure man holds his country a Paradise, because he knows no other, and Mopsa with her bleared eye is as dear to Nisus, as Phillis with her fair face to Amintas: world lie men's delight is tied to their knowledge, and what they see, they commend, & what they hear, they suspect: They only that know the world truly, trust it not in well knowing it, by faith they apprehend things unseen, and by the spirit are assured of their uncertainties: Christ by becoming man, proveth that nothing is unpossible to God; by partaking infirmity, nourisheth our saiths: & we that know his sufferance exceedeth our senses, must conclude, that only faith must apprehend his Deity. To them that believe, he maketh all things possible; the holy Ghost helpeth them, who breedeth charity; their charity inflameth them, which nourisheth faith; their faith assureth them being grounded in charity. To them that believe not, that which they see not, he giveth over to trust in that which they should not: in blindness they live, in obstinacy they continue, & desperate they die. O Metrodorus, believe antiquity, for as by many descents, our progenies are maintained, so by memorable reports, the truth retaineth his perfection: To believe only that which we have seen, is to condemn all that which our fathers have observed: and to tie all things to our senses, is to confess we have no living and reasonable souls. Thus far prosecuted old Anthony his persuasions, and so fruitfully listened Metrodorus to his sound reasons, that the one rejoiced to see the others conformity, and the other applauded the Hermit's zeal and industry. Thus he that came to object, was taught to learn: and he that presumed too much on his own power, was learned to know his weakness: Mean while Asterius inflamed with the self same fire, & willing to discover his wound, to the end he might recover medicine, Thus kindly saluted Anthony, who as willingly listened: Father (qd. he) since desperate cures, assure the physicians cunning, and fruitful persuasion, shows the orators forcible eloquence, I will cast off fear, and become forward: knowing thy perfection by experience, and disclose the infirmities of my mind, that they may be healed: with the happy cordials of thy counsels: Do so my son said Anthony, and let me hear thee that I may know thee. Asterius thus encouraged (after a deep sigh) began this solemn discourse: Those that have heard of Asterius (O Hermit) have either named him with fear or followed him with admiration: for that Magician am I, who by my charms have tied the clouds, restrained showers, enchanted trees, made barren women; tired the fish in the sea, bound the birds in the air: forcing nature to submit to my art, and all science to be subject to my incantations: in Rome, the learned favoured me, the Senators winked at me, the commons presented me, the maidens visited me, none durst provoke me: For which causes waxing proud, and by pride foolish obstinate, it chanced that some strife grew betwixt me and Sixtus then Bishop of Rome, whom the Romans honoured for his holiness, and I hated for his virtues; His contention with me was to dissuade from magic, my arguments against him were fatal exorcisms, his purpose to reclaim me from sin, My practice to desraud him of life: Thus (his zeal working one way, my envy another way,) at last we met in an appointed place, where he falling to prayers, and I to practise: if I troubled the air with clouds, he cleared the sky with orisons: briefly, conjuring up a Devil, under purpose that violently he should drive him away, Sixtus by his prayers bound him, on his authority exiled me: My banishment confirmed by Senate, allowed by the people, & desired by the godly, I came into Egypt, purposing to find thee out, that by some debate of learning I might know the dignities of magic: for so delightful is the empery over nature, the knowledge of the stars, the commanding of spirits, the manner of exorcism, that in steed of forsaking them, men rather earnestly affect them: if therefore thou hold it piety (O Anthony) and these gentlemen esteem it won time, that bewrayeth truths; let us sit and confer first of the nature of devils, then consequently of the inclination of the stars, the works of Astrology, and the power of Magic: That I may be either bettered in my knowledge, or no more bewitched with these calamities: What (quoth Frumentarius the Indian) is it possible there should be devils, where neither Aristotle the master, nor the Peripatetics his scholars ever knew them? for they ascribe to the planets that which we attribute to the seinds, to the celestial bodies, what you to the infernal spirits, to causes natural, what you to miraculous. 'tis true my friend (quoth Anthony) that philosophers thought so, but since we know there are effects above nature, (as to recite verses, scite authority, and repeat latin, in a ignorant demoniaque) it followeth that their allegations are found, and our foundations sound, neither was the Stragerite only more ignorant in this point, but some Christians have showed less judgement, for confessing there are devils, they yet differ in this, that not taking devils as we mean, they suppose them to be the souls of men: to whom it may be answered (according to corrected doctrine) that the soul being a bodiless substance, cannot be translated into the substance of the devil being incorporate: other errors there be rather to be winked at, then be written, suffered by divine policy to take head, first to extinguish mane presumption, next to confirm truths authority. Upon what conclusion then shall our faith rest said Frumentarius, where authorities are so different, reasons so dissident? Upon truth quoth Anthony, which being itself, is never deceived: What proveth more there are devils then the prohibition to sacrifice to them, Leuit. 17? What showeth their sacrifice to be more impious, than the impiety urged against the Israelites in that practice? Deut. 32. Hieroboam sacrificed to Devils, in job, in Toby, in the Evangelists, the proofs are manifest in that cause, that therefore which is manifest by demonstration, needeth no proof: blind Philosophy confirms them, and shall we suspect them? Oracles approve them, shall we deny them? That there are devils (O Hermit) said Metrodorus, no man suspecteth it, but respect of the authority of their names, and the prescript of their power, therein lieth our question: And I shall resolve thee, Metrodoius (qd. Anthony) in these difficulties: The Devil hath divers denominations, according to his divers workings, he is called Diabolos of Dia, which is Duo and Bolos, which is Morcellus as he that desireth to swallow two morsels, the body and soul. The Hebrews term him Diabolus quasi deorsum sluens, The Greeks a calumner or accuser, the Latins, Angelus malus, for his bad tidings: He is likewise called Satan, because an adversary: & Demon, because experienced in many things, and Belial, because yoakles; and an Apostata: Leviathan, because the complement of all this, devouring soul and body, affecting and seeking obscurity; accusing and calumniating the just, bringing message of mischief: assailing us by his craft, beguiling us by his experience, seduring us by his Apostasy, and planting in us the excess of all impiety. Briefly devils, as a father saith, are desirous to hurt, devoid of justice, swelling in pride, swallowed with envy, crafty in deceit, who dwell in this air, and being cast from the height of the superior heaven, are ordained and destinated to the prison of obscurity, in regard of their pride, & restraint of their power: Their power is tied, not in such sort as they may not tempt, but as they may not tempt as they desire: by nature & permission, they may do things in semblance true, and seeming to the fantasy: as the Magicians (rods in respect of Moses) by permission, as spoiling job and his flocks: yet both these acts are held miraculous not in respect of nature, but in respect of senses debility: Over good men the devils have power to prove, not to destroy: over bad to destroy, except repentant: Their prison, is the darksome air, till the time of the judgement, their hell the retreat of horror, from whence the issue is remediless. In man's envy they tempt and impugn: in his pride usurp and confound: They assail men by objects, because they know the senses most flexible; they assail by passion, assured that the soul is subject to perturbations: they assail by fantasy, because as Aristotle saith, the brain and heart are most subject to unpression and fantasies: They seduce by persuasion, or inciting passion, and that in two sorts, as Damascene witnesseth, where he saith, Omnem malitiam & immund as passiones a daemonibus fuisse excogitatas & inventas: Those in the air, are till the judgement enclosed for our exercise, to impugn, tempt, and assault us; not beyond our power. Some already in hell which as now only afflict the soul, but after judgement shall torment both body and soul. But is it true (grave father, quoth Metrodorus) that the malignant spirit appeareth to man on his death bed? Too true Metrodorus (said Anthony,) and that by common course, for if it be certain that a good angel is assistant to relieve and secure us, it is necessary that an evil angel should be priest to tempt us: for as the one is to help, the other is to destroy: and further as a Father saith, as in the issue of a conquest men show greatest value, so the nearer we approach to our end, the busier is the fiend to seduce us: as appeared by Martin the Bishop who seeing sathan assistant at his death bed said thus: Quid hic astas cruenta bestia? In what manner, quoth Frumentarius (my good father Anthony) appear they? for as spiritual, they cannot be seen, because there ought to be proportion betwixt the object and the power. I tell thee myson (answered Anthony) they either appear imaginatively by moving humours and blood (and thereby form certain apparitions) or they appear in assumpted bodies, appropriate to their intents: and if suppositivelie, or according to imagination, they appear to none but to those to whom the vision appertaineth: but if in an assumed body, it is by their power, and in that sort are subject to many men's sights: Besides in temptations they aim at five things, first to corrupt faith by error: next to keep man in superstition: thirdly, to induce vice: fourthly, to produce tediousness, and we arinesse in affliction: lastly to confirm men in their iniquities, that by that means they may be finally condemned and eternally perish. Besides, they continually tempt in desire, not in power: in desire, because they are envious; in power because they fear to be subdued, and suspect their own weakness, and to the end they might make the just secure from temptations. That there are workings then, we are sure by devils, because they be: that they hate we perceive, because they seduce: that they are proud, we are resolved, in that they rebelled: that they are self lovers, we know, for it was their sin, all this thine arguments infer, or thy reasons approve: but for Magic, we doubt, and in Magic we would be resolved: discourse therefore good Anthony of that secret. What should he discourse said Frumentarius, where Pliny condemns it as false, scorns it as vain, and denies it for any thing? One instance (quoth Anthony) in Logic destroys not an universal proposition, neither is private reproof a general conviction. That it is, it appeareth, because forbidden: that it is forcible, it is manifest, because taxed and condemned by law: The name importeth effects above nature, which though received for art is but mere folly. They define Magic to be the worker of many effects, the reasons whereof are neither comprehended by sense, nor by any reason may be subject to the mind or understanding. The schoolmen likewise divide it as being of two sorts, the one natural, conversing only in secret, & ending in natural virtues: which though unknown to most men, is only admirable for obscurity, not effect; (for those effects are unrightly admirable which are incident to nature:) the other diabolical, condemned by God, laws, and customs. Touching the natural, it may be wrought without the concomitance or assistance of any spiritual body: and those are rightly called Magis, who are expert in those sciences, and practised in those works: for example, consider these wondrous effects which resemble preposterous and diabolical actions, yet in effect are merely natural: as is the stone Molaris, which is found in Tigris (which as Aristotle in his book De animalibus witnesseth) being carried about a man defendeth him from the incursions of wild beasts: and the herb Dictamnum, which being devoured by goats driveth out those arrows wherewith they are wounded (as Pliny and other testify:) And touching the effects of the loadstone, if it were generally unknown to man, he that first should either show it or use it, should be held a Magician: for he should merely work miracles, and seem both the author and agent of incredible matters: divers fathers there be that have diversly written of these secrets, one of an iron ring fastened to a loadstone, which by the virtue of the attractive mineral, drew link by link many other to the first, till it seemed an absolute and united chain. Another registereth the history of a wonderful fountain, in which torches were extinguished; and extinct, were lighted again: Architas Dove, Dedalus Labyrinth, both but the Projects of wit, were held Magical and admirable: john of Mountroyall the Almaigne (so memorable in Ramus, in his book of Mathematical observation) made an eagle, which before the Emperor mounted into the air, and afterwards duly stooping, followed him to his gate. His fly, likewise of iron, who beholding it would not rather have held him for a diabolical Artist, than an excellent Naturalist? So than it may be concluded rightly, that Natural Magic is a part of the most unserched, and hidden Philosophy, which were it come to knowledge of the ignorant, and practise of the learned, it should quickly leave the name of Magic, and lose no title amongst all other confirmed sciences: when therefore our eyes behold, or our senses be affected with any such extraordinary conclusions, we are not straightways to condemn them as erroneous, but tò learn to know and censure them, the better to increase our judgements: Touching the Diabolical (which consisteth on no natural causes or forces, but is effected by some immaterial, and separable virtue and power:) It is approved to be by these reasons. First because certain actions thereof are, neither subject to natural causes, nor may be referred to celestial bodies: as for example, the oracles and answers of Magicians, either for finding treasure, discovering hidden things, or declosing thefts: next because there were some statues of Magicians which gave answer to divers questions; thirdly it is apparent that by personal assist, or murmuring of exorcism, certain locks have been opened, (and other such like kind of works) which being neither subject to the power of nature, nor disposed by celestial influence: we must needly confess that such sort of Magic is relying only on virtue immaterial, and not on causes natural. If Diabolical Magic then in his wonders be so manifold, why doth God (intending the salvation of man) permit and suffer it to seduce him? or if there be wonders wrought thereby, whether is it by true effects, or illusion of the eyes and senses (said Frumentarius). I will answer thee briefly (my friend) to thy present demands (said Anthony) first God permitteth Magic, to the end that men weakened in faith, should be proved: and those who are depraved in manners, and credulous in lies, should be seduced by their own desires: next touching the effects and works thereof, I say the most is done by illusion and deceit of the senses: being both false and feigned in themselves, and done by the vanity and error of wicked men: The proof whereof, and the confirmation of the premises, though it be apparent in the transformation of Circe's and Medea (so famous and memorable in Poets, and others) as also in Diomedes men transformed into birds, Ulysses companions into beasts, and such like: yet rely I on this conclusion, That whereas of all arts whatsoever, there remaineth some token, work, or method worthy memory; (as statues, Images, goodly buildings and such like) yet of Magic there is neither any Image, ring to be heard of, principles to be read of, only the most is written of Zoroaster, the inventor (as Aristotle writeth) & is, that he drew many thousand verses, but how true he speaketh not; so that in truth it seemeth to be a feigned thing for the most part, building more on illusion than truth, although in truth unlawful Magic hath his actual working. How prove you that quoth Metrodorus? By scripture answered Anthony, where it appeareth that Pharoahs' Magicians converted their rods into Serpents, Exod. 7. Not (as Rauclinus and Rabanus think) by prestigious and deceitful illusion: but (as both schoolmen, and fathers enough) by true, and untained conversion. Resolve us yet in this conclusion (quoth Asterius) whether all works of Magic, be merely natural without relation, or dependence on separate substances? And decide us that opinion of the Peripatetiques, and Trismegistus, who strongly maintain, that all works of Magic, are done either by natural virtue, or celestial influence; neither that any argument of separable substances should be taken from their workings. I confess (said Anthony) that some magical works are merely natural, because I have heretofore confessed there is a Magic natural, knowing it an assured principle in Philosophy, that there cannot be a cause without his effects. Besides if I should deny it, it is confirmed; For to effect these wonderful works, the Magicians commonly use unknown herbs, which contain present and forcible remedies against all diseases, (as it appeareth in the herbs Corisesia and Calicia, which as Plyny in his second book 17 chapter confesseth, doth freeze water,) and in Meniades, whose juice healeth the biting of Serpents: many other he allegeth, which they use to enforce and expel sicknesses, which because they are unknown and of swift operation, they are for that cause esteemed miraculous of all men. And these magicians may know the virtues of these herbs above named, either by the tradition of the most famed and renowned Physicians, Pythagoras, Democritus, Empedocles, and others; or by revelation of the devils: which once discovered unto them, and in secret delivered to their posterity, they may use them naturally without concourse or assistance of any good or evil spirit. There are likewise other works of magicians, which are brought to pass by some one Immaterial and separated virtue, and the reason is, because there are certain operations of art Magic, which (as it is said before,) are effected by some immaterial & separated virtue & power: for whereas these kind of works exceed natural faculty, & cannot (as it shall be made manifest,) be referred to good spirits, it must necessarily follow, that they must have relation to wicked: this sentence is confirmed by the fathers, concluded by the schoolmen, and made positive by the laws. How then shall the said work be understood to be done by the virtue of the devils (quoth Metrodorus.) If works be done exceeding natural faculty, they are magical, if otherwise, Diabolical (saith Anthony:) again those works that are done by ministery of unknown words, or certain characters, or by such words as are both impertinent and immaterial, in respect of the operation which is sought or expected; they may truly be concluded by the Devil: Again, if there be any rites, or peculiar and determinate observances, (as certain hours, a certain scite of stars, or such things as are done by a certain number of crosses or candles) although the words be sacred, & the manner ceremonious, yet is the work to be esteemed both magical, and devilish: Again, if in their actions or works they use any thing dissident from their effects, their works are not of God, but of the devil: Superstitious suffumigations by hair, absurd sacrifice by nails, all these in expelling devils, are impious, and in invocating them, magical: For if such ceremonies were good, Christ and his Apostles had used them, if they were effectual, Devils could not be expulsed but by them: because they submit to betray, and are solely commanded to deceive. Should I suffer you to urge questions, they would grow to infinite; and, he thus said, & thus he answered, do quickly wax tedious: I will therefore prevent your doubts by my knowledge, and satisfy you by reason, in more than you inspect: There grows a doubt (because self like works are wrought by Magic, as by the gifts of especial grace) whether God or good angels, he the authors of the same, or the Devil, and his exorcists the fautors and furtherers? For Apostles have cast out devils, and so have Apostatas, Moses turned his rod into a serpent, and so did the magirtans of Pharau; Peter healed, so did the unbelieving, in Christ's name: the Synod of the Saints speak in unknown tongues, and so do the possessed: this doubt is weighty, and thus in two conclusions resolved: Some works are done by magistans, which are not done by grace, some other accomplished by grace, which exceed the power of Magic: and the reason is, because magicians work many enchantments which are altogether opposite to their course, that work by infused grace: I mean grace not deservedly gotten, but gratias gratis datas, (gratefully infused:) contrariwise, prophecy is received amongst the graces, which magicians by no means can attain unto, (as magicians:) for if devils (according to their own defects) cannot know things subsequent (which is proper to prophecy) magicians cannot attain that mystery, who are but Magics and their ministers: Again magicians, work nothing by Divine, or Angelical power, for then both God's law were faulty in reproving them for bad, and human policy should be condemned, that wholly disannuls them, and their industries: for evil angels invented sorceries; where God doth nothing, neither angels endeavour any thing, but for pity, goodness and grace; where the devils work nothing but by subtle art, foolish discipline, and crafty policy. You may like wise ask me if there be any lawful and godly Magic, patronized by angels, and furthered by them? And this difficulty may both have reason to defend it, and authority to countenance it: you may ask me how, and thus I must resolve you: Good angels (you know) have no less power, if not more, than the evil, but the evil communicate their power with evil men, why therefore should not good angels be as forward in furthering the good: The conclusion of this argument is conceived in these few words which if they be marked as they be meant, may doubtless give light to the industrious. Good angels communicate to good men for charity: devils to bad men for worship, and ostentation: the one that God may have the praise only; the other, that they may deceive wholly. The difference then of good and evil works twirt good and evil angels, is this, that the one worketh in charity, the other in hatred: consequently no magic can be termed holy, because good angels are not provoked thereby, but work all things in charity: Again this is a certain proof, in the angels working, that often times and orderly they work obscurely, and very seldom visibly, the reason thereof is, because they would not be adored: For men do very easily arrogate Divinity unto them, whom they perceive efficacious in any kind of wonder: for example, when Paul (at Listra in Licaonia) had healed lame men in the name of jesus, the people would have sacrificed unto him as to a God. And this mistaking is more dangerous in respect of angels, because they most approximate God in dignity, and exceed man in purity: and for this cause are angels heedful to give occasion to men of Idolatry, because they know their presence is a ready object of wonder. For this cause (in the nineteenth of the apocalypse) when john had seen the angel, and fallen down and worshipped him, Beware (saith the angel) lest thou do it, (inducing this reason) Conseruus enim tuus sum, & fratrum tuorum. Hereupon like wise it may be concluded, that since the angels are holy, and of the number of the blessed, perhaps they never meddle with terrene and human affairs, except by God's special commandment, and therefore all those benefits which man receiveth immediately from God, or by the ministery of the angels, (seeming to exceed his hope, and surpass our natural faculty) must be peculiarly and properly ascribed to God, as the only author. Another doubt may arise, To what cause we should attribute the fascination and charming of children, by witches, or infants, by enchanters, which may be thus resolved: that either the witch's soul infected with malice, corrupteth the air by her sight, and by that means infecteth young infants (especially such who have tender bodies capable of impression:) or otherwise, such fascination ought to be attributed to the malice of devils, with whom the foresaid witches are confederate, which cometh to pass either by hidden fate, or God's permission: For devils cannot delude men, except God suffereth them. Furthermore, whereas the conservation of bodies after death from corruption, the increase of hair, beard, and nails, in the dead: the fresh bleeding of a slaughtered body at the presence of the murderer, seem matters of wonder, and are doubtful whether they are to be ascribed to divine miracle, or to nature's power, or to devils working (and the rather because the debate thereof, according to many wise men's opinions, hath sorted to different conclusion) I will explain the same in these following propositions: All miraculous works and apparitions in their kind, aught to be ascribed to these four: To God, to angels, to Devils, and to holy men, or to their spirits. Sometimes likewise such wonders may be done by men possessed by the devil, or by Magicians, or otherwhiles by man's fallacious subtlety: That such admirable things may be wrought by the subtlety of the devil, and illusion of wicked men, it appeareth in the example of that Demoniac, who when he would, could counterfeit to be dead, feign blindness, seem lame, or resemble a man troubled with the dropsy. Miracles likewise may be reduced to natural causes (which are done about the bodies of the dead) as for example, the preservation of dead bodies from putrefaction, which (according to some learning) may either be reduced to the virtue of the place, the nature of the ointment, or some other corporal thing wherein the body is enclosed; by whose virtues the dead body is preserved from corruption and inciveration. There may a natural reason likewise be given of the growth of nails, and increase of hairs, in the dead, drawn either from the complexion of the dead body, in which some unperfect vegetative form may be induced; or to the effects of nature, which dilateth and extendeth all thing when she beginneth to suffer any violence. Sometimes likewise the preservation to dead bodies may be ascribed to divine miracles, & the reason is, because God sometimes conserveth the dead bodies of the saints incorruptible, to express their singular sanctity, true innocence, and integrity of mind, which they insoled in life. Some bodies likewise are maintained and continued incorruptible for vengeance sake, (as that of Charles king of Hungary, the excommunicate:) sometimes the bodies of bad men are kept without corruption by the subtlety of the devil, to the end that this miracle might be ascribed to their merit in life, and men who detested their conversation, should admire and wonder at their conservation. As for the bubbling of blood, from the wound of the murdered at the presence of the blood sucker, this solely is to be ascribed to God's miracle, enforced to breed horror of that crime, and detestation of such like impieties: But here may you say lieth there a deep question, because I impose the name of miracle, both to the works of God, and the prestigious illusion of the devil, confounding them in name which are different in nature: To which I answer (not without authority) that the devils actions are unproperly miracles; Gods truly: the one done by preparation, the other suddenly; the one to delude, the other to confirm; the one to hinder, the other to profit man: Those then that work by the devil, do miracles unproperly, and herein are the true confounded with the false in denomination, because we cannot distinguish of the suddenness in performance, or the speediness in execution. Some suppose and define a miracle to be an unaccustomed action wrought above the power of nature; wherein there are two things to be considered: one, that it exceed the ability of nature, the other that it surpass common custom: Where upon it followeth that the creation of a human soul is not properly a miracle, for although the creation thereof exceed the power of nature, yet since it is a thing accustomed, and God createth souls daily, it may not rightly be called a miracle. Again, a child borne with seven fingers, a man with two heads, a woman with sour arms, (and such like) cannot in right be held miraculous, for although such creations are unaccustomed, yet exceed they not the power of nature, because from natural causes there may follow such like effects: to conclude therefore positively of miracles and their natures, I assure you, that things done suddenly by assistance of Divine virtue for confirmation of truth, and demonstration of God's power and wisdom, for erudition of the faithful, and conversion of the reprobat, are rightly miracles; but matters wrought with intention of deceit, fruits of subtle insinuation, these are the improper miracles of magicians, who contended with Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh, done secundum rem, as the schoolmen say, but not secundum modum. There is a question likewise, what magicians do in performing their miracles? namely whether they prepare the matter only, or induce the form likewise; to which may be answered, that they prepare the matter only, & have no power to inform: for as fathers are not held the creators of their children, nor husbandmen the makers of their fruit (though in creating of these, gods power inwardly works by admission and sufferance of their exterior motions:) so neither is it lawful to think that good or evil angels create, or magicians (the ministers of them) inform; but to him only may creation be ascribed, by whose power and word, allthinges were created. Again, (in working things miraculous) this is to be noted, that the impious only worketh by permission, the virtuous by impression, and assistance: the good are enabled by God to perform, the bad induced by the devil to deceive. God only likewise is said to do miracles by authority, angels and holy men dispositively, bad men and magicians permissively: neither is it to be wondered that magicians raise storms, choke an increase, procure abortion, (and such like things which the blessed do not) because this power is restrained in the saints, for fear least weakened by pernicious error, they should be deceived, supposing there were greater gifts in such like effects, then in the works of justice, whereby the soul is enlightened, and eternal life gained. And therefore Christ said to his Disciples, Luke 10. Rejoice not in this because spirits are subject unto you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven. There is likewise a controversy among the learned, debated by many arguments, whether magicians by the power of the devil may locally change, or speedily transfer the bodies of men or beasts, and the rather because it hath been delivered by tradition, and confirmed by the mistaken, that old women hath been transported by spirits from place to place, magicians from country to country, and scholars from Paris to Rome; & on these grounds there are many opinions, some ascribing these works to the illusion of the senses, other utterly denying any such abilities: notwithstanding the reformed opinions are, that both Devils and Magicians their Ministers may remove and transfer the bodies of men from place to place: because it is manifest in jobs children, where evil spirits overthrow the house on their heads: again, having power to adhibit corporal seeds to produce some certain effects, it followeth, they have power to remove bodies, because rightly effects cannot be produced except local motion be made & admitted. There is likewise a question why women are soon troubled, and more oftentimes deceived by the Devil than men be? To which the answer is (for two causes) First, by reason of their credulity, next because of their frailty and infirmity: Their credulity appeareth in that they were first and soonest tempted; their fragility, in that they are more prone to lust: and therefore Peter called women the weaker vessels, because they are soon wrought. And because carnal desire is the aim of Magicians, and women by nature are more flexible, it commonly falleth out, that there are more women witches than men. Beside, for their credulities sake, Paul permitteth them not to teach, least being themselves deceived, they should pervert others: and therefore a father said, Quia semel mulier virum & edocuit, cuncta pervertit, idcuco nequaquam haec habeat velum, docendi de caeteris potestatem▪ Father (quoth Frumentarius) it is happy that women are absent, for should they hear what you speak, you might perhaps feel more than you wish. You deceive yourself quoth Anthony, for should they hear their infirmity, they would take little cause to presume so much on their excellency. This is beside the te●● (said Asterius) Let us return to our purpose, and resolve us good Hermit, whether Devils or enchanters may alterate bodies in respect of their qualities, procure sickness, inflict infirmities, and restore health. By their own virtue (answered Anthony) neither can Devils or Magicians either in natural, or material things, immeadiatly induce any form, either by procuring health, or inducing sickness, by urging heat, or increasing cold: and the reason is, because if they could induce one form, they might induce all, and by that means both nature, and the whole world should be subject unto them: but since it is manifest that God hath not subjecteth the whole world to the good, and blessed angels; It followeth that by no means or reason it may be thought, that the matter of these visible things in the world and of the world, should be subject to the beck and service of the transgressive and accursed angels: Another conclusion is, that magicians can miraculously change both the matter and natures of bodies, applying the seeds of things, and joining active with passive; and the reason is, that even as art (which imitateth nature) can effect divers things, which nature itself cannot; so devils can do many things which are beyond man's reach, above all art, and besides the accustomed course of nature, as likewise because celestial influence is very available and active in natural effects:) hence, in planting and husbanding, in physic and curing, and such like, the observation and consideration of the motion and course of both Sun and Moon are very necessary, and Devils because they are expert and cunning Astrologers can better judge and make choice of their hours to work in: and this perhaps is one especial cause why magicians in their invocation of Devils observe the face of heaven and the scite of the stars. The last conclusion is, that Devils, except restrained by God's power or prevented by good angels, can afflict mortal men with grievous calamities, as appeareth in Lot whom Satan struck: hereon a schoolman saith. Tho. 3. p. q. 29. Art. 1. ad 3. Clementissimus deus non permittit eos uti sua (quam naturaliter habent) potestati & ab bonis angelis, presertim quibus orbis, & hominum custodia commissa est impediantur: Our merciful God (saith he) suffereth them not to use their natural power, which they have, and they are especially let by good angels, who have the world and men in their custody. A decideable subject may likewise be raised on this, whether Devils can cure all diseases, and draw the line of our life to the extent and utterance of many years? For by proof we know, & experience find, that many by touch of hand, many by repetition of words, many by use and bearing of characters, have been healed being sickly, refreshed being old, and recured in desperate estate. To this I answer, that in many cures (above the use of arts) the Devils have power, but in all they have not: the reason is, because their power extendeth no further than the application of natural causes, and natural supplements; whereas some exceed the power of nature being fatal, other the benefits and causes of nature, as age. Neither can they peculiarly procrastinate and lengthen man's life (as to a thousand or five hundred years, as in the infancy of the world men enjoyed) and the reason is, that man's intemperance and mere ignorance, hath made nature so corrupt and sickly, that neither her sufficient supplements, whatsoever, may restore man's former integrity: neither are the heavenly influences so propitious, neither retain the earthly aliments their former and effectual valour: For God by his Divine providence hath so disposed, that informer times, the natural constellations were more healthy, the meats more available, the medicines more working, the air more temperate, the other elements more affectual, in protracting and continuing life, than now they be. Many more questions there are, and as subtle as many: induced by the Devil (of whom we argue) and furthered by his ministers, whom we impugn. What a folly is this for man to hope (on his own strength, without the devils assistance, to attain the art to form a true human body, by the only virtue of natural forces? As it appeareth in Virgil, subtly deceived by the Devil:) where he is not able to make either gold or silver, a homogenical body by any colour or force of art? Nay what a mischief is in man to trust so much to a relapse, as he looseth the mercy of a reléever? It is a common fault likewise in this science, or rather sin, for men to suppose that by some art or extraordinary means, or man's cunning, Devils may be circumscribed and shut in determinate and certain places, (as Crystals, vials, or such like) or that they may be tied there by exorcisms, commanded to yield answers; or expelled upon mislikes: For except God's help do immediately further angels, or holy men do immediately command, Devils by no means may be enforced and compelled. That God may command Devils, it is evident, in that he had authority to make, power to glorify, and justice to condemn them (as where Christ suffered them to enter the Herd of Swine. Luk 12. 72. Gave power to his Apostles to expel them, briefly limited them, as in the apocalypse.) That angels may command them, it must be confessed, because as superiors by natural power they may: that holy men can, God hath showed by miracles: angels likewise as superiors may compel, because by law of order and course of concord, inferior should not resist superiors. Besides as in all policies in governing Cities, in constituting Commonweals, magistrates are set to repress multitudes, and judges to correct disorders: so God in the policy of celestial and infernal Hierarchies, hath set angels in love, to corred angels in hate, and by their order without contrariety to reform the confusion of the Devils perverted monarchy. Briefly, as to superior motions, inferior are subject; as to the planets, our bodies are dispositively subjugated, so by Divine ordinance good command bad, to prevent corruption, and are restrained by good, to correct their malice, and insolence. There are many likewise that suppose the Devil is enclosed in a ring, ready to give them answer, taxed to submit to their curiosities, always subject to their commands: wherein they express their folly and their misery. Their folly in supposing him tied, that willingly answereth, and appeareth to deceive: Their misery, who think they hold the Devil tied in fetters, where be keepeth them fettered in follies. Tell me O Asterius, if man by his own natural forces, can restrain or imprison a Devil? If thou say yea, thou errest, for the weaker is subject to the stronger. If thou confess No, then either ascribe the power to God that truly worketh it, or say the Devil hath deceived thee, that submits to be thy superior: briefly, think him never well tied unto thee, except restrained by God, lest he deceive thee. I pray thee tell me (quoth Metrodorus) whether magicians may compel the Devil? Not by himself I told him, and so assure thee Metrodorus, quoth Anthony: examine thyself, apply herbs outwardly, speak incantations orderly, and tell me truly (thy faith being strong) if they can move thee? If thou say they cannot, then boldly avow they cannot move the Devil, who is thy superior in power, and seducer by kind: Only that power which magicians have over spirits, is this, by covenant and league, not by authority and command, They may draw the prince of Devils to charge his inferior: and without such contract they can no way enforce them. I pray you what command is this, where failing in any right, wanting one ceremony, mistaking due hours, we neither may entreat nor forwardly command them? Princes in Commonweals, are tied to perform covenants by bonds, and may break them by prerogatives, or may disannul them by convictions, or frustate them by displeasures: So in this world's kingdom the Devil is conditionate by permission, not force: and sufferance, not power. Whence then was the art invented (said Frumentarius) to restrain Devils? from themselves it cannot be, since they affect superiority, and from men it cannot be, because they deceive them. That Art (said Anthony) which Asterius taught to shut spirits in vials, and include them in Crystals, is not properly an art, but a convention, or secret, or public contract, between fraudful fiends, and bewitched men), the one affecting singularity, the other Divine honour, to which if men shall adhibit trust, and suppose them able to help, or mighty to harm, and under such trust make any image of man, or creature, and consecrate the same with such figures, characters, words, suffumigations, and actions, as are by them thought requisite; then doubtless such consecration ended, some spirit shall enter the image and give answers, such as will deceive, not such as can comfort; such as shall eternally destroy, and not relieve: briefly, such as shall flatter, an Apostata like julian, to deceive him with julian. To conclude, art Magic is the invention and tradition of evil angels, who therefore (O Asterius) feign themselsues to be taken by thee, that they may take thee; bound by thee, that they may bewitch thee; subject to thine empery, that they may subdue thee; enclosed by thee, that they may confound thee eternally: and seem to be tied to thy mirror or crystal, to the end that fastened in the chains of thy sin, they may bear thee to the prison of eternal obscurities. There is likewise a prestigious deceit in Devils, whereby they feign to dispossess bodies possessed, either by force of Music, power of herb, virtue of stone (or any other sensible thing whatsoever) for such means as these being subject and passive, the other superior and agent, it is impossible that any such sensible thing should enforce them: for herbs, stones, and such other are bodies sensible, but Devils whatsoever, are spirits separate: so that except some supernatural help from God assist these creatures, it is against reason, they should enforce the Devils: where then Satan feigneth to yield to incantations, or to be expelled by music, as in Saul, or driven back by the liver of fish, (as in Toby) his expulsion is to be ascribed not to the harmony of the Harp, but God's power and David's prayer: neither the other to the smoke of the liver, but to Tobies' earnest intercession. By your leave sir (said Metrodorus) it is not lawful to make use of the Devils help without sin? It is possible and permissible (quoth Anthony) by God's authority: For in the primitive church, excommunicants have been delivered to the power of the devil: and by Paul's example it is sufferable, since he delivered an incestuous man to the hand of Satan to be punished, ad interitum carnis (as the gloss saith.) But on our own authority, we neither may nor should not, as appeareth. Levit. 20. Where it is said, vir sive mulier in quibus phyonicus vel divinationis fuerit spiritus, morte moriatur; and in the nineteenth, Fellow not magicians, neither ask council of Soothsayers: So that hereby it appeareth, that they sin mortally, who either for things lost, either for treasure hidden, or such like vanities, require the advice of conjurers, or search out the assistance of Astrologers. Three only questions remain holy Anthony, which thoroughly decided, I am fully satisfied. What are they Asterius. quoth Anthony? The first is, whether witches or enchanters ministering remedies either for harms done by themselves, or practised by others, do offend; The second is, whether it be lawful to use the help of a magician in any thing; The last is, whether it be permissible in good sooth to practise any adjurations or incantations whatsoever? I will answer these questions (said Anthony) as succinctly as I may, and as truly as I ought: For the first, they not only sin grievously, that hurt by Magic, but such also as seek by it to cure their own defaults, or the infirmities in other: And the reason is, because that they which so work, although they profit their harmed neighbour, Yet as Saint Paul saith, Non sunt facienda mala, ut unde eveniant bona: Evils are not to be done that good consequences may follow of them: and whereas it is a most pernicious thing to invocate the Devil, or to make any express, or private contract with him: so likewise the remedies induced thereby are most wicked & pernicious: For what is evil of itself, is not bettered by any good circumstance: Neither can any good intention reform that which is naturally evil. So then although it be a thing of much goodness to prevent our neighbours incommodities, yet must it be held unlawful to extinguish their harms by practice of devilish sorceries. Yet lest you hold me precise, I must moderate this conclusion: for my opinion in this is not so peremptory, but that I admit any lawful defraudation of Magic, as breaking an instrument, burning an exorcism, and pulling out a needle out of a picture of wax, all which actions (wanting the due circumstances of ceremonies, and devilish observations:) are rather passable in all men then reproovable in any. Touching the second, the difficulty is of no small moment, yet as ambiguous, is shortly decided: Look as (saith Augustine) it is lawful for me to use the oath of an infidel (although I know he sweareth by those false Gods, whom he worshippeth) for mine own profit; or as (saith the schoolmen) I may use the Sacrament from a sinful ministers hand: so may I take profit of another man's perverseness to mine own commodity: you are silent hearing this, holding it vere dixit, because ipse dixit: but lest I should deceive those▪ whom I wish should conceit, I will thus explain this difficulty in a certain conclusion. How (may you say)? What will you induce? Nothing but truth; and because truth, certain; and being certain, irreproovable: In a word therefore, all works and conversing with witches is wicked, their counsels reprobate, and their works damned: and the reason is, that since the enchanter (seeking to make frustrate another man's increase by Diabolical means) doth himself grievously sin. It is impossible likewise, but that he who demandeth the same question, should in like sort be faulty. For he that requireth a man to do that which without sin he cannot do, is grievously guilty. For by that demand, he consenteth to another man's iniquity, and besides his own sin induceth him to offence, and even as like pain, so like guiltiness bindeth both the agent, and the consenter: so Paul testified. Rom. 10. where he saith: They are worthy of death, not only who do such things, but they also, who consent to the deed, or the doer: the demander likewise was the approximate and next cause of sin, for although the enchanter were ready and prepared to the sin, yet had he not wrought the peculiar enchantments, had it not been demanded at his hands. Touching the example also of the infidel, & the curate, they are altogether unfit & impertinent to the cause we handle: for what so is demanded in these foresaid examples, are not evil in themselves, whereas those that are to do them, if they list may rightfully finish them; and if they misdo them, it is not by reason of the error in the thing itself, but the default of the agent, (who having power to finish the affair in good sort, would notwithstanding misdo the same:) For he that requireth an oath from an infidel, will not that he swear by false Gods, for than he should sin: but he only requireth him to swear, and if the choice were in him, he rather would have him swear by the true God, then draw the false to testimony: In like sort also may it be answered of the curate, for without sin may he minister, if he repent himself before the administration. Touching your third question, I hold it wholly unlawful for this cause and reason, induced by Augustine upon Genesis: because the Devil (as it oftentimes falleth out in such like superstitious rites and ceremonies,) insinuateth himself into men's actions contrary to their knowledge, and oftentimes against their will: for men (and fond women especially) use these rites, words, and remedies, in cure of infirmities, and doubtless the Devils are assistant in their working, to the end they may deceive, and persuade them to trust in vain and superstitious things▪ and this is that faedus tacitum, or secret league, which is said to be had with Devils. Thus briefly have I resolved thee, Asterius, setting little by my labour, so I may profit thee greatly: Thou seest now the vanity, scope, and issue, of this body of curiosity, here is nothing in it but deceit; nothing, but blasphemy; no means, but wicked: fly it therefore, and be rather glad that thou knowest how bad it is, then sorry, to have forsaken that which is prejudicial to thy soul. Thou movest me Anthony (quoth Asterius) for whom authority and reason cannot move, his sickness is desperate and judgement perverted, and I begin to loath Magic, only the delights of Astrology & secrets of Astronomy; (if they in thy judgements be permissible) are the marks I shoot at, and the studies I would be exercised in. Astronomy and Astrology quoth Metrodorus? Why these are but customs of antiquity, and appearances of Idolatry, fruits of presumption, instructions of vainglory, supererogating deceits, & the bugbeares of the simple: For the professors hereof are waxed so peremptory, as they ascribe more to the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, and planets, and their own astronomical calculations, then either to the blessed angels, or to God's majesty. That is true said Frumentarius, for they feign to pull God from his kingdom, defraud him of his Majesty, and make him more bound to the stars, than ever were creatures to man. For they will be Gods privy counsellors, dispose of his dooms, determine his works, and by their corrupt wits (and course of the planets) presume more than man should practise. They say that all sickness or health, riches, or poverty, good, or bad, wisdom or folly, wholly depend on celestial influences. They ascribe fair weather, or soul, to the revolutions of the heavens, & presume so much on their foreknowledge, that no dissolution of Commonweal, no mortality of sickness, no tyranny of war, can fall out, but by their wits, and the celestial bodies. For as they say, the bodies above, rule all things hear beneath: Thus make they by their own imaginations, God more thrall and subject then any Prince in his sovereignty: For a king in his authority hath power of a page to make a Prince, of a poor man a Lord, without leave of the planets: Again, if a man trespass against him, and be convict of treason, he hath power to attach him, authority to judge him, and means to execute him, he can deprive his heirs of their heritage, and from their prosperities condemn them to poverty. This power and freedom hath a King, wheresoever the planets be, or in what sign aspect or constellation, without either leave of the planets, or licence of Astronomers: much more than the King of heaven (that made the Sun, the Moon, and all things of nought, ruleth and guideth them by his will, and rewardeth & punisheth every creature after his deserving) may peremptorily do what he list, without either assistance of planet, or council of Astronomy. That is true said Anthony, and I delight to hear it: your reasons Frumentarius, show your reading; Metrodorus allegations, his judgement, now therefore that Asterius may make one with us in this resolution, I will thus briefly prosecute this subject. We find in Genesis, 10. At the beginning of the world, when God made all things of nought, the fourth day he made the Sun, the Moon and stars, and set them in the firmament to give light to creatures here beneath: Ordaining the Sun principally to illumine the day, the moon and stars the night, ordering them to distinguish the one from the other, and to be as tokens oftimes, days, & years: He likewise placed them as marks and tokens, how to divide years from months, months from days, and days from hours; advising man when to sleep, and when to wake, when to rest, and when to travel, when to plant, and when to sow, where to ear, and when to reap, and therefore (saw Solomon) that all things have their times, and all things pass away under heaven, by the pace, and space of time: and so God made the firmament above (with those bright bodies that are therein) to serve mankind and all creatures, in their kind; and of light and time; of light, as a lantern which may not be quenched; of time, as a clock that may never fail: he made them likewise for man, and not man to serve them: he gave them also not to govern man, but he gave man and woman wit, and discretion to govern themselves, by that light and knowledge of time, which he hath of the bodies above, that by their light they may see to work, and by their stirring and their course, they may know what time it is wherein they ought to labour: and therefore saith the law, 2. q. v. Non licet in gloss. That the bodies above are tokens, and not causes of things here beneath: and as a lamp or clock are necessary for scholars, by night to rule, raise, and guide them in their studies: so do the bodies above, serve men on earth, that they may be enlightened by them, and by their moving know their times to serve God according to their degrees and his dignities: and as the lamp or clock in the college, ruleth not the scholar, but the scholars rule and order themselves by the clock and candle, the one advising them when to rise the other freely lighting them to read: even so man and woman, beast, and bide, and all living creatures, rule them by the bodies above, and yet the celestial and superior bodies rule them not: they should not therefore be called governors of this world, because they govern not the world, but serve only as instruments of God's power and governance: For it fareth by God and the celestial bodies above, as it doth by the smith and his grindstone, the carpenter & his axe, the clockmaker and his clock. Good Anthony quoth Asterius, explain me these comparisons. Thou seest apparently (quoth Anthony) that when the smith grindeth a knife or a sword on his grindstone, the stone keepeth and continueth in one course, and whirling circularly about, doth so grind any thing, as the smith that sitteth above, ordereth and disposeth it; if he will grind sharp, it shall be sharp; if blunt, it grindeth blunt; if square, it grindeth square; so as the manner dependeth not on the stone in turning, but on his hand in governing. If he take away the sword or axe, the stone grindeth not, although it turn, and if the smith apply not some instrument, it worketh nothing: Why even so fareth it with God, and the bodies above. For the planets are celestial spheres, observe one circular course, not in their own direction, but as from the beginning God ordered them: and as God will, so they work: If he will they grind sharp, and cause plagues, sickness, tempests, wars, and such like, they do so: and if his pleasure be, that they produce plenty, work increase, stir calms, and yield peace, they effect it: So God may do with the planets what he will, and without the planets what he list, yet are they so tied to him, that they only work by his ordinance. Since God then (saith Asterius) doth with the celestial bodies what he will, and disposeth them when he will; and since he is free in his doing, and unconstrained by the planets, how should man know his secret dooms, by celestial influence? or determine of his works by that ordinarierourse of the planets? Asterius (quoth Anthony) since thou canst not know by the axe when the carpenter will work, nor judge by the clock, when the clerk will set it, nor guess by the grindstone when or how the smith will grind: so neither by celestial bodies or influence of planets, canst thou censure the proceedings of God, or judge what he will ordain of man, or how dispose of kingdoms, or when dispeople countries: For the planets are Gods instruments, and to them is prefixed one certain and determinate motion, from which they may not vary, and which they cannot change: For free election have they none, in their doings, but God is the sovereign judge most rightful, & most merciful; most free, and most able, to punish, to spare, to correct, and forbear: For his might exceedeth man's reach, and nothing may withstand him, and for that cause his works and wisdom is not limited by the planets, but as men change their living, so God disposeth his loving, as they fly from their follies, so poureth he down his graces: For example, we have Niniveh, which for sin was threatened with destruction within forty days: and for repentance, dismissed from the hand of displeasure: yet in this breach of determination, the planets altered not their course, neither was there any prescience of God's purpose by influence of celestial bodies. We read also in the fourth of the Kings: That God sent Esay the Prophet to Ezechias the King, because he had sinned, commanding him to make his testament, because he should die; We find also written, that he trembled at his summons, repent him sore, wept bitterly, and asked mercy: and consequently it appeareth (by the Prophet Esay, God's messenger) to the king, that he had received his repentance, and heard his prayers, and that he should not die, but live fifteen years further: Now in this exchange of God's wrath to mercy, what can Astrology say, either of God's purpose changed, or the planet's courses altered? But that it is apparent (quoth Asterius) that suddenly the Sun hereon changed his course, turned again to the East, and renewed the day again. Oh sir (quoth Anthony) the turning again of the Sun was not the cause of the mercy of God, neither a testimony of his judgement changed, for he altered his doom before the Sun turned again: So that the turning of the Sun was nought else but a token of mercy to the king. For right as the Sun changed his course upon the repentance of Ezechias, so God altereth his sentence so soon as man repenteth him of his sin, and therefore the law saith, 〈◊〉 deus mutare sententiam, si tu noveris emendare delictum God altereth the peril as soon as he knoweth that thou art repentant for thy trespass. It was also a token to the king, that God's behest should be fulfilled: Now sir, all the Astronomers that ever were, could not foretell that wonderful return of the sun: because it exceedeth the course of nature, and the law of kind, and therefore that token proveth sufficiently that God is not ruled by the course of the planets, but that the planets are ruled by him: Neither that his judgements are tied to them, but their motion directed and ordered by him. S. Paul considering this, cries out, Quis congnovit sensum domini, aut quis consiliarius eius fuit? Who (saith he) knoweth the judgement of God, or who was his counsellor? Forsooth not vain Astronomers, fantastic Astrologers, cursed enchanters, and such like: For they are lighter (as the French man saith,) by ten degrees and grains of wit, than Triboulet the king fool, and thrust furthest from God's counsel, as men whom he most hateth: and therefore Paul saith, The judgements of God are incomprehensible, and no man may know them, Neither may any man tract his ways, or try his-secrets. For they be so meddled with mercy, and mixed with righteousness, that they pass man's wit, and all human capacity: universa vire domini, veritas & vita, judicia domini abissus multa: The judgements of God be of a great depth, & the ways of our Lord are mercy & truth, yea so deep are they, as no man's wit may sound them: so dark, as weak consideration cannot attain them: & therefore such Astronomers and Astrologers, that so much intermeddle with God's works, and so deeply insinuate themselves into his secrets, are fond in their divination, devilish in their intention, and condemned in their enterprise. You are too strict (quoth Asterius, old Hermit) in reproving Astronomy, and enforce more against Astrology than you have reason, for they are not so peremptory as you judge, but conclude nothing for certain and determinate; only this they say, That they can measure inclinations of men, and dispositions of creatures, by the motion of the heavens, yet so as by virtue they conclude that both man and woman may over come the planets, alleging in this the authority of Ptolemey, their arch master, who with the Poet saith, Sapiens domina bitur astris: They concord likewise that by Astronomy they may know when men or women are inclined to war or peace, and when by common course of kind, tempest should arise, famine increase, wars take head, yet so restrain they themselves, that they confess that both prayer may prevent such evil mishaps, & by course likewise it happeneth, that though the constellations take no effect in one country, yet in another they may be forcible. Well said Anthony. since they can tell me nothing that shall happen, but ambiguously and doubtfully, since their demonstrations are fallible, and their positions uncertain, It is inconvenient either to trust them, or to put affiance in their follies, for so may every fool tell what he will, and excuse his error: Their manner of speech than is but a copy and colour of subtlety and untruth: a net to catch men's souls, a sinful excusation of sin, and a chain to draw men from God, and to tie them to fantasies: wise they would be thought, and are proved ignorant; secret and skilful, but they are known deceivers; and feign would they be thought of God's counsel, but neither wots they how, neither can they, because they are so false: For the better proof whereof you shall understand, that there is but one sun, one moon, and other five stars, Saturn, jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, which with other stars whirl about the earth with the firmament every day natural, passing over all climates, and countries, water & air, in four and twenty hours, which is called a day natural from midday to midday: and make no more abode over one then over another, how should they then more incline in one land then in another? Dispose one person more to vice or virtue, than another? or threaten one country more with war or peace then another? Because (quoth Metrodorus, to help Asterius, some what amazed) some constellation, or some conjunction, some aspect, or some influence in their swift passage and motion, falleth upon one land more than another, & as men are born under divers constellations, conjunctions, aspects, & signs, so are they inclined in divors manners, having their affections more appropriate to vice, or virtue, war or peace. That is false (quoth Anthony) and thus I prove it: when the king's son is born at one instant with the bondman's son, the time is one, the constellations, the sun, the aspects, sighs, and planets alike: yet have they not one inclination and disposition, for the king's son is disposed by inheritance to be a king after his father, and the bondman's son is disposed by his birth, to be a bondman all his life time: as his father was a hundredth years before his creation; no planet than could avoid this bondage, or deprive the king's son of his right and inheritance: In the same time, with the same aspects, under the same planets, when one child is brought forth, many other are borne; yet have they not all one inclination, neither are they subject to one dispositions For some of them are inclined to goodness, and some to wickedness: some to sickness, and some to health: some to be wrathful, some to be merciful: some to be wise, some to be fools: some foul, some fair, some rich, some poor, some long living, some soon dying: Esau and jacob had both one mother and one father (Isaac and Rebecca) and both were begotten at once, and yet were they diffident in manners, for jacob was a good man, and Esau a bad: jacob beloved of God, Esau hated for his wickedness: jacob was smooth of body, Esay full of hair: jacob was a true simple man, Esau a proud, and malicious son: so than it appeareth that such divers inclinations of men and women, depend neither on the planets, or the time of their births. What then are the causes of the diversities said Frumentarius? Forsooth (quoth Anthony) Adam's original sin, wherein we are conceived, and being so conceived, are to sin inclined, and therefore God saith, that man's heart & thought is prone to evil, even from his youth, Sensus & cogitatio cordis generis humani in malum prona sunt ab adolescentia sua: no man therefore may say of himself, my heart is clean, as who should say I am pure and clean without sin. Some likewise are disposed to sickness, some more, and some less, and that for divers causes: Sometimes for wicked sufferance, because children are not chastised in their youth: For as Solomon saith, the child that is suffered to have his will, shameth his mother and his kinsfolk: Some for wicked company they be in, and wicked example of their elders, and misinformation: For as Solomon saith, A man in his old age, hardly forsaketh the depraved customs of his youth. And yet it is a proverb (qd. Metrodorus) Young saint, old devil. It is a sinful proverb (said Anthony) to draw men from science to sin, from virtue to vice, and from God, to the Devil: for Scripture saith, Bonum est homini cum portaverit jugum suum ab adolescentia sua, Happy is the man saith he, that hath borne the yoke of our Lord from his youth. And as the Poet saith, 
Quod nova testa capit, inveterata sapit.   
Such as the vessel taketh when it is new, such it savoureth when it is old: and therefore Saint john Baptist, Toby, jeremy, Samson, and Samuel, (with many others) are praised in sacred Scripture for their holiness in youth, For commonly they that are good in their young years, in their reretired age make a happy end: according to the Proverb, Qualis vita finis ita: And although for a time they be subject to sin, and vanity, God suffereth them to fall therein, lest they should be proud of their own goodness, & take disdain at others sinful wretchedness: Some also is more inclined to sin then another, because he was gotten and conceived in sin more than another, although they were both borne in wedlock: For husband and wife may sin grievously together in misuse of their bodies, or in distemperance, if they either exceed measure, or manner, or default in time, as in sickness, or otherwise: The sin notwithstanding is in the asker, net in the giver: They may like wise sin by wicked intention, or fulfilling the justs of the flesh, not to the intent to the wicked fornication, nor to yield the debt of their bodies, nor to bring forth children to the worship of God, but only to their own lust: men also are inclined to sin by their excess meats and drinks, and by the misgovernance of their five senses: and for these causes one is inclined to sickness more than another: For sin oftentimes is a cause of bodily sickness, and by misdiet of the mother when she is with child, or by indisposition of the father or mother, or both, when the child is gotten: and by miskeeping of the child in youth, many sicknesses are fallen into: for children in youth, are apt to have all things, and by that means do oftentimes receive that inwardly, which altereth their complexions and perverteth their natures. God likewise smiteth them sometime with sicknesses, and mischief, for that their fathers and mother's sin in too unseemly cockering, and affection: Knowing their parents corrupt desires to be so great, that to instruct their sons they will hazard their souls. Sometime also he smiteth with sickness, to show his might, and power, as he did in him that was borne blind, that the power of God might be shown in him in restoring his sight: many other causes likewise there be which pass man's wit, and are not subject to our reasons. For we may not always know Gods will, neither are his secrets to be censured by our senses; yet are not these assigned reasons always general: For sometimes a good man hath a wicked son, and a wicked man a worthy heir, for should children always follow their fathers and mothers in goodness or wickedness, then should all the right of their reformation and virtue, be ascribed to the parents, and not to God, and the one should have cause to be proud, the other yield matter to be forgotten: and therefore God so meddleth one with another, & moderateth his judgements by his wisdom, that the good children should not presume on themselves, nor be proud, neither the ill should be ever sorrowful and desperate, but should only trust in God, that of the wicked, maketh good, and of the reprobate righteous. It is said quoth Frumentarius, that as children be borne under divers signs, so are they likewise inclined to divers trades, and estates, so that under some sign, one should be a fisher, and under some other a goldsmith, and under some other a scholar: It is said, is well said (quoth Anthony) but it is true, is better: Many countries know us coiners, and many though they know them, yet have no use of them: in a great realm of six hundredth miles in length, and two hundredth in breadth, there are no coiners, but in a place assigned them by the king, not by signs or celestial bodies, but by his seal and patent; and there are they planted to print money, not by jupiter, Mars, or Mercury, but by the ordinance of his majesty: and if any man coin, but those the King hath admitted, he shall be punished like a traitor, neither can the signs or planets save his life. They likewise that are borne near the sea, or nigh some great water, do themselves follow fishing, & instruct their children in that faculty, not by reason of the signs where under they are borne, but for their better opportunity and increase of living. They that are borne from the sea, some follow tillage, some clothing, the one by reason of upland, the other through abundance of wool; some be shepherds, some soothsayers, & so of other crafts and trades, as the country requireth, not according to the disposition of the signs and planetary circles, but according to their natures, countries, and manners. A man likewise that hath many children, bindeth them apprentice, not as the constellations direct him, but as his ability serveth him: So than you may well perceive, that such diversity in livings, and change in trades and occupations, dependeth on the children's friends that ordain so for them, and not on signs and planets which are neither propitious to the one, nor partial to the other. If then the planets have no power in these things, What say you to distenie and her power (quoth Metrodorus) for Seneca saith, Regitur fatis mortale genus: and Lucan, Regit omnia fatum: it seemeth then that all things befortune man and woman by destiny. Fond men speak fond, and therefore trust them not (said Anthony) for as Gregory writeth, Absit a cordibus fidelium ut aliquid esse fatam dicatur: God forbidden (saith he) that any Christian man should believe that there were any fate, or destiny. For God that made and fashioned man if nought, rules, governeth, and ordereth his life according to his deserts; and his righteousness and mercy: and to be short, man was not made for the stars, but the stars for him. Yet is the Gospel against you (said Asterius) for we find that as soon as Christ was borne of his blessed mother, his star appeared in the East, giving hereby an assured token and proof, that each man is borne under a certain star, and constellation, which is called his destiny: for all his after living is governed thereby, as both Astronomers and Astrologers confess unfeignedly. It seems well, that to maintain folly (O Asterius) foolish men deceive by folly: using untruths to persuade, which neither can abide the taste of truth, or their trial: For the star that appeared at Christ's birth had no mastery over him, but the blessed child was Master and Lord of the star: The star governed not the child, but the child governed the star: The star did worship and service to Christ, and therefore was it called the child's star, because the child was Lord of that star as he was of all others: For he was and is Lord of son, Moon and stars, and all things whatsoever: They may not therefore confirm their follies and false judgements, with an Astronomical judicial of the star; for as Augustin and other doctors confirm, it was no star or planet of the firmament, but a preordinate light sent by God, all which may be proved both by art, and unfeigned authority. For as artsmen confess, Minima stella fixa, maior est tota terra, The least star in the firmament is bigger than the whole earth: every planet like wise is greater than the earth, except the Moon and Mercury, (which in that they be somewhat lesser than the earth, do sometime lose that light they receive from the sun, by the interposition and shadow of the same) as when the earth falleth betwixt the sun and them: and if that be true then, if that star had been so great as another star, it should have overwhelmed all the earth: for it nearly approached the earth in conducting the kings on their way: The stars also of the firmament follow the course of the firmament, and in every day natural arise in the East, and set again in the West: but that star did far otherwise, for first it shined both night & day without observation of the course of the firmament, & next only directed the right way whereby the Magis were to travel to Bethléem, conducting them to the son of justice which rose out of the clear sky, the Maiden Marie. Thee stars likewise in the firmament shine by night, but that star appeared in the Horizon both day and night. The stars like wise of the firmament shine both to rich and poor, to young and old, to skilful, and unskilful, but that star appeared only to the Kings and their attendants. The stars in the firmament are perpetual and everlasting, since as the Philosopher thinketh, Sola sublunaria sunt caduca, but that star had but nine months' continuance at the most, and if some clarks err not, continued but forty days. Then what manner of star was it (quoth Metrodorus) resolve us in this difficulty? Some schoolmen say it was but the likeness of a star (said Anthony) for the Kings had no knowledge of angels, but only intended the stars: Some say it was the same child that lay in the ox's stall, which appeared to the Kings, and led them to Bethléem in likeness of a star, and therefore the hymn saith, jacet in praesepio, & fulgebat in caelo, But the common sentence of the learned is, that it was a star newly ordained by God, to show the birth of our Lord jesus Christ, and as soon as it had executed the office that it was ordained for, it turned again to that matter which it came from. How could they know by the star that such a child was borne said Asterius? For neither could the star speak to them, neither instruct them in such matters. Very true (quoth Anthony) and therefore Augustine saith openly in a Sermon, that the star wrought nought else by his appearance but astonishment, study, and amaze in them, to discern what it might intend; and when they were at their wit's end, & knew their cunning served them not, than God showed unto them by inspiration inwardly, or by an angel openly what it betokened, and bade them follow that star. And so saith Chrisostome on Matthew. They knew also by Balaams' prophecy that such a child should be borne, but they knew it not by the secret of Astronomy: Neither might they know the time of his birth, nor the place, as the Gospel testifieth. Why then saith Augustine and other fathers, that the science of judicial Astronomy and knowledge of children's birth was lawful until the coming of Christ? Since by their science they could not comprehend his birth. But as they say before it was lawful, but not after his birth: Saint Augustine (quoth Anthony) saith not that the study was lawful or granted to be done, neither that it was permissible to trust therein, (for it was always false and reproved both by God and by Philosophers, by authorities and by reasons:) but he saith that the science and cunning was granted by God, and held lawful, not the practic of the science. Man may like wise reprove the knowledge, and learners thereof, and show by their own principles and grounds, that it is a feigned and uncertain study: finally that the science is properly no science, but an open folly as it well appeareth in Christ's birth: and because in his birth it was so apparently disproved, therefore after his birth it is neither lawful to know it, reasonable to use it, but only wisdom to reprove the folly of them that practise it. Astrology likewise as the schoolmen say, was both unlawful before Christ's birth and after, but the knowledge was suffered both before and after, to reprove man in his folly, and the folly of menthat practise it. Where find you that God defended and forbade judicial Astronomy before, and after Christ's birth, quoth Metrodorus? In the first precept of the first table (said Anthony) where he forbiddeth that men should make them any likeness of that which is in heaven; but Astronomers (as much as in them lieth) make themselves like to God in heaven, by reason they ascribe to themselves that which belongeth to God: and therefore God reproveth them and saith unto them, Nuntiate quae ventura sunt in futurum & sciemur quod dij estis vos, Esay: 18. Tell us the things that be to come after this, and then shall we know that you be Gods: and therefore saith the law 26. q. 4. Igitur, that they call themselves divines; as if they knew God's counsels, and by their deceits and falsehoods, tell the people things that are to come, as if they were full of godhead, and Gods fellows: and in this sort they and such other offend most grievously against the first commandment, for they make themselves like unto God in heaven, and that worship which only belongeth to God, they take to themselves: and for such presumption and pride, angels kind was destroyed, and mankind also: For as we read Esai 11, Lucifer said in his heart that he would ascend the highest heaven, and plant his seat above the stars, and sit in the mount of the testaments, & that he would mount up above the heart of the skies, exceed all angels, and be like him that is highest: But suddenly he fell into hell, and so shall all false Astronomers and Astrologers do, except they amend them, for they fix their wits, firm their studies, and plant their faith so much on the stars, that they pass the stars, and be like to God in their considerations, who is most highest: They will likewise sit in the mount of the testament, for they will be against God's laws, and prefer their judgements before God's prohibitions: and therefore if their science were true, the testament of God's law should be fruitless: beside, if their study stand with religion, God's law is void, Ecclesiastical vain, laws of countries, judgement, and reason should wholly be unnessarie: For no man is worthy to be punished for his sin, nor can be deservedly rewarded for his good deeds, if he be fatally tied unto them: But he that doth well, and may do amiss, is therefore worthy great reward: and for that he doth evil, when he might do well, and might leave his misdeeds, and will not, he is worthy of punishment: but if he were moved by the bodies above, either to virtue or vices he were worthy neither of pleasure nor plague: and therefore this pride and presumption lost Adam, Eve, and all mankind: for when the fiend told them they should be as Gods, knowing good and evil, they consented to him, and eat of the apple, contrary to God's command; for they would be as Gods, and like to Gods in knowing things that were to come: as we find that when God led the children of Israel into the land of promise, he forbade them judicial Astronomse and all other manner of witchcrafts, commanding them that they should not ask counsel of any such divinors or witches, For I shall destroy (saith he) the nations before you, because they have used such abominations, and if you use them also, I shall also destroy you: we find likewise that God reproved the people of Babylon for their witchcrafts, and the children for their Astronomy they trusted in, for of all nations they were most addicted thereto in those days, and to them he spoke in this wise, Widowhood and barrenness shall come upon you in one day by reason of the multitude of thy witches, and the hardiness of thy charms; and because thou hast trusted in such malice, thy cunning and science hath deceived thee: disease and woe shall fall on thee, and thou shalt not know from whence it cometh, Sudden mischief shall fall on thee, which thou mayst not escape; stand (saith he) with thy charms and with the multitude of thy witches, in which thou hast travailed from thy young age, look now if they have power to strengthen thee against thine enemy, Thou hast failed, and thou shalt fall in the multitude of thy counsel that thou hast taken from such men: let now thy divinors (saith he) of heaven stand and secure if they can, they that stare so against the stars, and look after the planets, and call and cast years, months, and days, to tell things that are to come, they shall not help thee: For as Paul saith, their counsel is nothing. This science of Astronomy likewise is reproved by Solomon, where he reprehendeth those that say that the sun, the Moon and stars were Gods and governors of the world, whereas governance doth only and truly belong to witty and reasonable things, as to God who is sovereign wisdom; To angels as the wisest of his creation; to men as illuminated by his spirits: But unreasonable bodies above are only instruments of God's governance, and therefore cannot but indirectly be called guides and disposers: Such judicial Astronomy also is condemned by the law. 26. q. 6. Igitur, and in many other places of scripture also: S. Paul likewise misliketh such practic in Aronomy, where he saith, You keep holy days, and years, as heathen people do, I am therefore afraid (quoth he) that I have travailed about you in vain to convert you all: and on the same place the gloss reprehendeth the craft of Astronomy very earnestly: Such sciences likewise are reproved in Paul's Epistle to the Corin. 10. I shall (saith God) destroy the wise man, and the slight of the subtle, and of them that trust so much in their cunning: Where also Saint Paul saith, Where is now the wise man that setteth so much by his own wit? Where is now the man of law, with all his slights? Where is now the searcher of nature, and the course of kind? God (saith he) hath turned the wisdom of the world into folly. I count (said Metrodorus) that this divining of things to come which only depend on the will of God and man's industries, are mere and great follies: For no Astronomer by his cunning can tell me my thoughts, nor resolve me in succeeding purposes, nor how I shall lead my life: they know not my counsels, although they see and speak with me, how should they then know Gods will, since they neither see him, nor speak with him? Themselves cannot foretell or beware of their own mischiefs, and how may he rightly know a star so far oft, that cannot warily escape a pit hard at hand: so that as far as I see, the more they work by their craft, the worse they speed. Now trust me (said Anthony) I like thy present reasons, & to show their further arrogance, I will thus prosecute my purpose, whereby you shall espy their wondrous folly, and find that the more they trust in their secrets, the less they trust in God: There will no wiseman as you know write his hid secrets and yearly business in the roof of his hall, nor about the walls thereof, lest all men might read them and know them, no more will God write what he thinketh to do in the firmament, that therein all fools might discern his secrets, and forepointments. For Christ hide many things from his apostles, and said to them, Non est vestra nosce tempora vel momenta, quae pater posui in sua potestate: It longeth not to you to know the times and moments which the father of heaven hath received into his power; and by the Prophet Esay he said, Secreta meum mihi, secretum meum mihi: I keep my secrets to myself; and since he keepeth such counsels from his friends, much more obscureth he his secrets from his enemies. They say that by the secrets of Astronomy, they may lawfully tell and deviue of fair, and dry wether, of rain and of tempests, for they fall by common course of nature (quoth Asterius) and therefore they may be foreknown and foretold. Asterius (answered Anthony) as I have said before, the course and kind of planets dependeth on Gods will only, and are merely at his own disposition, as the instrument stands on the workman's hand, and in his will to do there with what he will. So that Astronomers by their cunning cannot certainly foretell either drought, rain, or succeeding tempest, neither censure the same by stars, (as the material causes of the same) but by the celestial bodies as by tokens they may know the success of frost, hail, snow, wet, drought, and such other things, and that knowledge hath the shepherd in the field, the shipman on the sea, the bird in the air, the fish in the water, and the beasts in the wood, far better than all the Astronomers in the world. How then may bodies above be tokens of things, and not causes said Asterius? The falling of soot quoth Anthony, in the chimney, is a token of succeeding rain, but not the cause of rain, but the rain rather is cause of the soot falling: For when the air waxeth moist, then doth the soot through the moisture thereof, wax heavy, and so falleth down, and in so falling is a token of the moisture of the air: So swetting of water out of the stone, is a token of rain, yet is it no cause thereof, but the rain & moisture of the air is cause of the swetting of the same: The melting also of salt, when it turneth to water, is a token of rain, but not the cause: Smoke in the house when it passeth not out readily, is a token of rain, and the blue glowing of fire a token of frost, but none of both causes of either: The Halo likewise about the Moon a token of wind, but no cause; all such tokens showing the disposition of the air, but not the cause: and in like manner superior constellations by their light and manner of shining, are tokens of wet, and drought, and such like: And as the light of the Sun showeth the disposition of glass, when it shines upon it, whether it be white, or black, red or green, and yet is not the cense of the same colours: and the Moon in one lunation, and in the same time showeth in one country great tokens of rain, and 20 miles off, showeth great tokens of drought, and so it falleth out: yet it is the same Moon, and the same lunation: and therefore the same cause in diversity is not in the Moon but in the air. In one country showeth wind and tempests, in another far otherwise, some is made hot by the reverberation of the sun, in another country not so, but far different: In one day also it gloweth, in another it freezeth: The sun showeth his light one time of the day, another time it doth not: which diversities stand not on the sun, but on the air, and other causes. For the sun of itself as Philosophers say, is always of one certainty, and shineth ever alike. It is not whoter one time, than it is at another time: But such diversity falleth by the diversity of the air, and other means and causes surpassing man's capacity. Sometimes such adventures of hunger, pestilence, tempests, drought, and inundations fall out by the ordinance of God for man's sin, and to express his might and power: Sometime without mean only at his will: Sometime by the working of good or evil angels at Gods bidding: Sometime by the working of the supernatural bodies at his bidding: For as I first said, he may do with the planets what he will, and he may do without them what he list: And therefore by the course of the planets we may know such adventures and casualties, not as being causes thereof, but only as being tokens; for God made them for tokens to man and beast, bird, and fish, and all other creatures whatsoever: and therefore we ought to observe them as tokens, not as causes: and divine by them as means, not material agents: for we neither know when they be causes of such changes, or when they be not. What say you to this Anthony quoth Asterius? The Moon according to Philosophy, is the causes both of the ebbings and float of the sea, and as Aristotle writeth, it followeth the course of the Moon: It may be (said Anthony) that the sea keepeth his time of ebbing and floating by the course and time of the Moon, in one country sooner, in another later: yet fareth not every sea in the same sort, but one part of the West sea about Britain and Ireland, and in some other nearing lands, else where, where approximation and nearness causeth currents: But in other far countries, & in the Greek sea, neither such ebbs or floats, are ever found, and so it seemeth there be other causes of the floating and ebbing of the seas, and not the Moon alone: But true it is, that man, beast, bird, & fish, the sea, the air, the trees, and flowers, & all other creatures observe those orders in time, kind, and working, which God hath appointed them: which time they know by the Sun, Moon, and stars: For as Solomon saith, each thing hath his time ordained by God by law of nature, which time they know, and keep by the course of the bodies celestial, which are to them as tokens what they should do, and rules of kind that they be ordained to: and therefore God saith by the Prophet jeremy, The puttock in the air knows his Time, the Turtle and the Swallow keep their time, but my people knoweth not the time of our Lord God: For in these days men regard not Gods judgements, but tie themselves to Astronomers, and planetary aspects, yet notwithstanding all the rules of Astrology, each kind is ordained by God's ordinance, what Time each thing shall be done, or follow his kind: which time they both feel and know by the bodies celestial. For as the Philosopher saith, The bodies above measure all things here beneath by prescript of time. And therefore saith David that at night when the Sun is down, then in the darkness begin beasts to seek their prey, to wake and walk in deserts, and when the sun riseth, they return to their dens, and hide them, and then go men out and work till it be night, not the Sun and Moon causeth them to do so, but only the law of kind ordained by God, teacheth them so to do: and toeth them to observe their kindly times. In the dawning and springing of the day birds begin to sing, and those flowers sweetly spread, that in the night time were softly closed; Man, bird, and beasts, beholding the light, rejoiceth at that time, because their kindly course of working is renewed again by the lovely presence of the shining Sun, which warmeth them with his beams, and encourageth them with his light. The Sun like wise rueth them not (to speak properly) but kind ruleth them in time, by the course of the sun, & other superior constellations: We read in holy Scripture, that on God's command and word earth produced trees, brought forth flowers, and was clothed with grass, each yielding his fruit in his degree, and his flower in his kind: The third day before God made either sun, moon, or stars, he gave them virtue, and nature to bring forth trees, fruit and grass of many sundry kinds, but to the Sun he gave not it nature, neither to the Moon, nor to the stars, but he made them to shine and to be tokens of time, to all creatures here beneath: And God himself gave to trees, grass and herbs divers virtues, and wonderful natures to bud, blosiome, to bring forth fair and green leaves of divers fashions and qualities: so that no man by wisdom can equal the least, or cease to admire at the smallest: Some be ordained for Summer, some for Winter, some in one season to lose their beauties and fair colours, some in another to recover that they lost: some to be continually green, as the laurel: Such many diversities God hath ordained in kind in all creatures whatsoever, assigning to each their due time natural, either to fade or flourish, to spring or whither, to prosper, or decay. In one landfalleth hunger, in another land plenty, some countries yield wine, others abound with wool; in one province is plenty of gold, Silver, and Minerals, in another, barrenness void of all abundance. There is also sometime a general plague, other sometime a sickness restrained in some climate: some die in their youth, other some in age, some with long sickness, some by sudden death: how should men know these changes by the influence of the planets, or assign causes thereof (and many such other innumerable,) by the defined number of constellations? Dispute not Asterius (quoth Frumentarius) but submit, for it passeth man's wit to decide these things, and is only known to God who made all things. For which cause I hold it fally in men to intermeddle with such secrets and hidden mysteries, and namely with things yet to come. Well Frumentarius, said Asterius, let your opinion stand, yet cannot I give over questioning till I be resolved, if in the wonders that fall against kind, the celestial bodies be tokens or signs of any adventures to come? I will satisfy thee (said Anthony) for such as doubt, show they would learn. That which falleth out above the course of kind, betokeneth that there is some what exceeding above the course of kind, be it weal, or woe, prosperity or adversity: But commonly such adventures happen rather against bad then good betiding: as comets, stars, & burning castles in the air, eclipses of the Sun and Moon against kind, armed men in the air, or rainbows turned upside down, misshapen monsters in their birth, and against kind. These and such like that fall out against common course of nature be tokens that the people, where they do appear, are ungracious in their lives, & monstruous in their actions: foretelling that the Lord of all nature is offended to see them so disobedient and unnatural. It may well be as thou sayst (quoth Metrodorus) for many such have appeared within few years, and never so many think I in so little while, and much sorrow and woe hath followed after them, as the countries have seen and felt also: I pray thee therefore tell me what these abortions mean, these comets portend, & monsters signify, which of late days have happened in this peaceable country? They are manifest tokens of great offence against God (quoth Anthony) they are testimonies of our country's sins, and the plagues that are coming, except we amend us: for greater falsehood and treason, greater perjury and mispresion, greater covetousness and injustice, greater heresy and blasphemy, greater lust and ambition was never in country overlooked by the Sun; we are not ashamed to sin, but do sin openly, and (to the great slander of Christendom) the infidel showeth Christ in his life, where we only (and that seldom) celebrate him with our tongues: and because we neither repent, nor amend our lives, (but as the Prophet saith, tie sins together with cart-ropes, and rather hunt after new, then repent the old) therefore these tokens of misery appear successively betokening that God smiteth not all at once, but warneth us by leisure to repentance. Wherein if we use dalliance, after long forbearance, God will use mere force, and the plague will be so heavy, we shall not be able either to hear the report thereof, or endure the mortal persecution. Thy words are both true and manifest (quoth Frumentarius) for every estate and degree in this land is given to sin, men rather covet to be rich, then to be righteous, to do wrong, then to do right: and to conclude, the wounds of this world are so fatal, as they cannot be healed either by thy counsel, or our complaints: In leaving therefore these terms of expostulation, and commiseration, let me entreat thee to discover the opinion of the learned touching such comets and stars appearing contrary to the course of kind. Frumentarius (quoth Anthony) Philosophers say, that comets are hot exhalations, carried up above the middle region of the air, and there become new stars, denouncing future misfortunes: And of these Meteors and impressions, there are three sorts, in three regions of the air: the one are of the matter of fire, the other of water, & the last periticipates both of the one and the other. The comets are of the first cannuk or magnitude, and it is said, that every comet is an exhalation hot, and dry, terrestrial thick and weighty, which by the virtue of the stars is attracted upward by little and little into the most highest region of the air, where by reason of the affinity of the fire, and the cominance and agreement of his matter, it is gathered, and inflamed by the motion of the celestial bodies; then increaseth it, becoming round by his own proper motion, and conformable to that star, under which it was first gathered, or rather it goeth by the motion of some other celestial body, from East to West, or remaineth in one place (as the fixed stars.) After the apparitions of these fiery bodies, droughts, plagues, and other tragical misfortunes happen. And it is therefore called a comet by reason of his hairy figure. Of these there are two sorts, the one called Crinita, the other Barbata: for so Aristotle termeth and distinguisheth them: Pliny in his second book setteth down divers kinds and dependences of them, gathered as it seemeth rather from tradition, then certain truth: they commonly appear by night in the North part, whence it may be thought the Proverb ariseth, Omne malum ab Septentrione, Of their effects I will propose some examples to thy satisfaction; partly such as Garcaeus Peucer and Licosthenes have touched, partly such as have escaped their diligence. In the year 681 about the 16 Synod held at Constantinople, and during the reign of Constantine the fourth then Emperor, There appeared a comet according to the Greeks, by the Latines held Crinita, which appearing above the Horizon three months, portended great mischiefs, both to Rome and Italy: For after it, ensued a great plague, and after that a worse famine, and beside, the heavens so conspired against man, that many were consumed by lightning: in the year 954 like wise, (during the empire of Otto the first) besides stones of huge bigness falling from heaven, bitter winds, bearing down great towers, and bloody crosses, falling from heaven, there appeared a comet of mighty magnitude, followed by a famine so forcible, as many millions of men, women, and children, died either by the force thereof, or the fury of injurious wars. In the year 1265 for three months space a mighty comet appeared in the East, extending her beams to the mid heaven Westward, which then arose when Pope Viban the fourth seest sickened, and then vanished when his life finished: during the reign of Wenceslaus the third king of Bobeme, another comet appeared, after which followed a great persecution of the Christians, and after that such an earthquake as overthrew many cities and castles: in the last year of Lodowie the fourth then Emperor, there appeared a Crinite comet for two months' space, seconded by great famine: in the year 1352 a comet appeared in the North in the month of December which was no sooner extinct, but that great winds followed, fiery beams fell from heaven, and Pope Innocent the 6 died. In the year 1482 two comets appeared, the one about the beginning of januarie fiery in colour, sparkling in beams, and fearful to behold, which bending towards the West, at first took beginning in the entrance of Libra, and after passed so far Northward, that it passed beyond the Zodiac, and after 16 days continuance was extinguished: and no sooner was this dissolved, but another appeared very fiery and bloody, extending toward the East, after which such grievous plagues, famines, and war, persecuted the Christian clunes, as nature suffered not the like ruins in many years: Thus than it appeareth that comets are tokens and warnings of ensuing death or plagues sent by God to forewarn men that his vengeance is at hand. To conclude, all signs in heaven are but as tokens, not causes; governed and directed by God, not governing, and materially enforcing man: and they likewise that either repose their trust in them, or trifle away their studies in their natures, they that judge thereby as enforcers of casualties, and hang their wisdom on insensislbe creatures, are both condemned by God, and held foolish by the wise. Be not therefore deceived Asterius, build not upon appearance, think not all gold that glutereth, but fly Magic as devilish, despise Astrology as uncertain, and travel in the study which may lighten thy mind, and not corrupt thy understanding. First ad example to thy persuasion (said Metrodorus) for those that are wrought by reason, are won & wounded by example: I will satisfy thee quoth Anthony, for I desire both his, & thy safety. There lived sometime in France a young and toward scholar called Gilbert, who borne of obscure Parents, yet carried a high mind, fixing his study on Philosophy, and delighting in nothing more than the secrets of nature, but wanting the supplies of wealth (and seeing too few men live by wit) he took upon him the Habit of a Monk in the Monastery of Floriarenee, within the diocese of Aureliana, not for devotion or religions sake only, but rather to fly constraint then assen contemplation: There living long time, and profiting not a little, in steed of holy mysteries, he studied Magic, in steed of Moses, Ptolomey; so that by this means becoming worldly, and by that means wicked, he for sook his cowl, left his cloister, and fled to Hispalis a city of Spain there to profess his long affected Philosophy: No sooner was he arirued in that city, but contrary to all expectation his fame began to increase, his studies to be more vehement, his ambition more earnest, so that he finally promised the Devil if he would raise him to the dignity of Papacy, he would be his both body and soul: This condition ratified between them, by these steps he presently ascended. First became he tutor to Otto the emperor, and afterwards to Robert of France; making by this means divers famous scholars, and attaining thereby many mighty friends. At last wearied with teaching, (which is a great & busy trouble) he exchanged his Academy into Archbishopric, his rod into a crosier, his cap into a mitre, attaining the Archbishoprics of Rheims and Ravenna by bribes, and by Simony, and not content with these, but aspiring proudly to a higher place: at last by many insinuations with the Devil, and promises to be his body and soul after death, he attained the Papacy, not crowned by the Emperor as a holy divine, and Philosopher, but like a most execrable & damned Magician. Installed thus in the sovereignty, he poisoned those whom he hated, perverted those whom he loved, persecuted the professors of the truth: hiding so much mischief under the shadow of holiness, as the world no sooner espied it, but they began to detest him. And because where honour is attained, it cannot be lost without discontent, very curious of continuance of his life, and desirous to escape death, by magical incantations he so wrought the devil, that at last he gave him this answer of his fortune, Thou shalt live so long (saith he to Pope Silvester, for the name of Gilbert he gave over at his coronation) till thou enter jerusalem. The vain man proud of this reply, fearing never in Rome to meet with jerusalem, and supposing the Prophecy extended to the city in Paltestine, where it only had relation to a Minster in Rome, he followed banqueting, took his delight and pleasure, leaving nothing unsought that might further his vanity and security: at last in the fourth year of his reign and the tenth day of the first month, whilst he sacrificed and said mass in Rome in the Cathedral church of the holy cross in Jerusalem, on a sudden he was warned he should die, and at last he perceived how vainly he was deceived, where upon moved with repentance, and publicly confessing his sins to the people, and exhorting to fly the baits of preposterous ambition, and eschew the deceits and magical illusions of the Dwell, he prepared himself to the death which suddenly followed: charging his ministers amidst the pangs thereof, that after his death they should cut his body into pieces, and so scattered, should lay it on a chariot, not suffering him to be buried in any place, but where they willingly rested: At last he dead, and his will effected, both to show God's providence, and to examplefy his mercy, upon unfeigned repentance, he was laid in a chariot, so mangled and cut piecemeal; and was conducted by the horses to the Cathedral church of Lateran, where willingly staying, he was worthily buried, she wing in his life the vanities of magic, and in his death the effectual fruits of repentance. Thus hast thou heard, O Asterius, a true and certain example, Which if thou follow, the world will rejoice in thy conversion, and thy soul shall have comfort in my counsel. Thou hast won me holy hermit (quoth Asterius, not without shedding of tears) and I long to be instructed in a better kind of study, my former delights are tedious to mine ears, and my present state, dangerous by my sins. O Asterius said Anthony, as thou hast lived ill so learn to live well, & take the benefit of God's forbearance, lest thou be overtaken with his justice. Thou seest a good matron will rather die then betray her husband, a stout captain perish ere he leave his soldiers, so play thou by Christ, as thy master observe him, as thy guide follow him, as thy justicer fear him, as thy redeemer love him: and learn to die for him who suffered death for thy follies: duly bethink thee now on the grievousness of sin, hourly fly thou the occasions of offence, learn in the beginning to resist temptations, mortify thy flesh, that hath beguiled thy spirit, keep thy tongue from talking of vanities, restrain thy heart from being entangled with the inordinate love of visible delights, seek solitude, fly idleness, think God always present, and suspect sin always egging, and come and learn what the desert is, and love to live with Anthony. Great is my desire said Asterius, and forward my zeal, but I have a father to love, a mother to content, their presence is mine only comfort, their absence my misery. Ah Asterius quoth Anthome, this as Hierome saith, is the Ram and battering Cannon of all piety, that knitteth us so much to earthly love, as we despise heavenly: Hark what Climachus saith, It is better quoth he, to grieve our parents them to discontent jesus, for he created and saved us, they only lose us by loving us; God's love must extinguish eternal love, and he that will be his, must be wholly his: Let not thy parents tears draw thee from him, lest thou increasest eternal tears to thy own soul, when thy Parents environ thee like bees, and brey about thee like wasps, complaining and lamenting, propose thou thy sins to thyself, that thou mayst overcome grief with grief. Thou are bound to forsake thy father for God's sake, neither dost thou hate thy father by coming to Christ, but thou makest him happy by producing thee, who art sealed to Christ: shall the celestial trumpet of Christ draw thee to battle with the world, saith Augustine Epist. 38. ad Laet. and shall thy mother retain thee? She counseleth thee perhaps saith Barnard, to fly solitude, & by this means is contrarious to thy health and her own; choose therefore of both which thou wilt, either to satisfy one's foolish will, or to lose boths salvation. But if thou lovest her truly, forsake her rather, least forsaking Christ to remain with her, she likewise perish for thy cause: perhaps thou will say, thou are not sure of thy vocation, because thou art called publicly: But hear what Barnard saith in 107 Epistle to Thomas, Vox haec non sonat in soro, nec auditur in publico, secretum consilium secretum quaerit auditum: auditui tuo gaodium pro certo dabit, & laetitiam si sobria aure perceperis: Thou mayst say that solitude wanteth them delights of this life, but I tell the with the wiseman, Proverb 15, better to be called, Ad oleum cum caritate quam ad vitulum saginatum cum odio. Thou wilt say the solitary life is subject to temptations and I tell thee that those who are tempted are beloved, and who abide the assault, are worthy of the laurel: perhaps thou suspectest the necessaries of life, but hear Augustine what he saith, lib de Eleemos. Thinkest thou that earthly necessaries shall fail thee, where heavenly and divine are given thee? Thou fearest perhaps that austerity of life will hasten thy death, but I tell thee, holy abstinence maintaineth life: Then Arsenius, who more abstinent? Yet saw he a 120 years: who more studied fasting then Jerome: Yet lived he twice fifty: It is not austerity that hasteneth death, but superfluity that shorteneth life. Thou fearest perhaps that thou canst not cast off thine evil customs: but I assure thee that God's graces are stronger than man's frailties: and spiritually tied unto him, thou shalt say as Augustine did of himself, how suddenly warred it sweet to me to want the sweetness of trifles: and those toys which I feared to lose, I forsook with rejoice. Thou fearest lest thou shalt not continue thy resolution, but whilst thou heedfully foreséest uncertain evils, thou recklessly art restrained in the bond of thy sins. If thou give ear with Augustine thou shalt hear this happy voice, Proijce te in eum, nolimetuere, non te subtrahet ut cadas, proijce te securus excipiet te, & sanabit: Cast thyself on him, and fear not, he will not suffer thee to fall: cast thyself securely and freely on him, he will both receive thee and héale thee: perhaps thou desirest to defer thy time of contemplation, and wouldst be a worldling during youth, to serve God in age: Then when the world casteth thee off, it seemeth thou wouldst cast thyself on God; for shame for shame give him the fattest sacrifice, for if thou come in youth to him, Anselme will compare thee to an angel, Hark how Jerome crieth, Epist. 103. ad Pauli. vol. 30. ●oestina quaeso te & herenti in salo naviculae funem magis precide quam solve: Thou dispisest perhaps the poverty of my estate, but thou hast cause to love it, for where hunger is, all things are taken with delight; and where humility, with thanks: Thou fearest the facility of religious discipline, but I tell thee that as the feather except steeped in water, is easily lifted up into the air with the least puff of wind, so man's spirit (except soiled with vices, and detained by worldly infirmities) is still mounting up to heaven, as being a portion of the same. To conclude all doubts therefore, and draw thee to God (Asterius) know that the true delight of the mind is no ways but in God, and that all other are but as blemishes to the eye, spots in purple, and knots in timber; This Aristotle perceived, who after he had very long and learnedly disputed of felicity, at last (after he had decided the delights thereof) concluded that the whole fullness thereof depended on the contemplation of God: That is the true and only delight (saith Barnard, Epist. 114) which is not received by the creature, but the creator, and which when thou injoyest, no man may take from thee; in comparison of which, all other solace is sadness, all sweetness grief, each blessing bitter, all beauty filthy, finally whatsoever other thing may move delight, troublesome. Besides there is in no created thing, any degree of goodness, any spark of beauty, any appearance of pleasure, which is not more freely, more effectually, and perfectly in God: first, because his nature is infinite: and if any thing should be defective in him, he could not be infinite: Again, whatsoever earthly things they have, they have them from God, and no man can give that to another, which he hath not himself: and therefore well said Barnard, Thou admirest (saith he) in the sun brightness, in the flowers beauty, in bread sanor, in earth fecundity, but all these things are of God, neither is it to be doubted, but that he hath reserved far sweeter for himself then that which he hath given to his creatures: which being so, it must necessarily follow, that he who possesseth God, possesseth all things with him, and receiveth the same or greater delectation than he could take from all other worldly delights, were they united together: For as he who enjoyeth gold, enjoyeth the price of much silver, and hath more easy carriage of the one then of the other, so he that is united with God, hath all the suck and marrow of true goodness, and with the possession thereof, an alienation from all other earthly frailties and infirmities, which are incident to frail, fickle, and finite nature: Speak thou thus therefore with Augustine to God, 10. Confes. b. What love I, when I love thee? Not the beauty, form, or favour of the body, not the ornament of time, not the brightness of light, befriendring mine eyes, not the sweet melody of delightful songs, not the odoriferous smell of flowers, spices, and ointments, not Manna, not honey, not soft pleasing members, fit for fleshly embraces: I love not these, when I love my God, and yet I love a certain light, and a certain voice, and a certain smell, and a certain meat, and a certain embrace when I love my God: the light, the voice, the odour, the food, the embrace of my inferior man: where that shineth to my mind, the place comprehendeth not; and where that soundeth, which time carrieth not away; and where that smelleth which breath disperseth not; and where that savoureth, which eating diminisheth not; and where that sticketh which satiety pulleth not away. This is that which I love when I love my God: Come away from this world Asterius, for like a thief it will betray thee, like a net it will catch thee, like a Serpent it will sting thee, like a syrren it will enchant thee, like a Crocodile weep over thee: Briefly come and dwell with me, that thou mayst dwell with God. As soon as Anthony had finished this discourse, and his auditory considered on his oration, both Metrodorus and Asterius, the one forsaking his curiosity, the other renouncing both Astronomy and Magic, cast away their vain vainness of Philosophy, and humbly submitted them to Anthony, and ever after, from worldly minded men, became zealous and contemplative fathers; only Frumentarius that had yet undisclosed his cause of discontents, after he had applauded these conversions, at last thus expressed his purposes. Though I have cause to rejoice O Anthony, to behold these converts, and a desire in myself to be partaker of their profession, yet because a commonweal dependeth on my hands, I am restrained from that I would, and wholly tied to my country: Why hast thou sought me out quoth the Hermit. To be advised by thee said Frumentarius, in choice of my counsel, in that I am Prince; in disposition of my wars, because I fear to be invaded; and in execution of justice, what is to be followed. Thou shalt not departed unsatisfied qd. Anthony, (though the world be not my science) & I will become a mortal man, to help an honest mind: First therefore for counsel, thou oughtest to require it from almighty God, next from thyself, thirdly from others: in God thou oughtest to be wise & devout, in thyself provident, and in others careful, and wary in examining counsels, discreet in avoiding severe mistaking, learned in retaining, and constant in observing: That thou oughtest to take counsel, & request it at God's hand, james teacheth thee, where he saith, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, jacob, 10. and Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians saith; Whatsoever you do either in word or deed, do it in the name of our Lord jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the father: For as james saith, Every best gift, and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the father of lights, with whom is no transmutation, nor shadowing of alteration: in demanding counsel therefore at God's hands, thou must both be devout and provident; to the end thou mayst desire nothing at his hands, but that which shall stand with justice, and be correspondent to honesty: and if so thou do, doubtless whatsoever thou wilt, thou shalt obtain: For Christ faith, whatsoever you shall ask of my father in my name, he shall give it you, which thou mayst thus understand if thou be just, and demand justly: otherwise, if thou desire unlawful things, the judgement shall light on thyself, and the perverse counsel destroy thine own soul: for as jesus the son of Sirac saith, he that worketh ungodly counsels, they shall return and over whelm himself, neither shall he know from whence they happen unto him: For if in the law of common friendship, it be held both injustice and injury, either to request dishonest things, or accomplish them being demanded; much more in God's cause, who is our perfect friend, and only keeper of our souls, ought we to be respective: and therefore as Cato saith: 
Quod justum estpetito, vel quod videatur honestum,  
Nam stultum est petere, quod possit iure negari.   
Since therefore man's counsel without God's help, is both weak and fruitless, (by reason that without him, we may not do any thing) let us first of all seek from him our counsel and his justice, and all other goods shall be annexed and tied unto us. Next of all, thou must ask counsel, and examine it in thyself, namely, whether thy will pervert not thy reason; thy superstition, thy devotion; thyself love, thy judgement; briefly, thou must chiefest of all, so draw counsel from thyself, that thy moderation be not perverted by rage, nor thy discretion by light belief: First take heed, that neither thou thyself be ireful, nor thy counsellor be wrathful, and that for many reasons: First, because the ireful man thinketh his ability to exceed his power, and by that means he overcometh his own ability: for it is a true law, that he who thinketh he can more than his nature ministers; in exceeding his own power, thinketh himself to be embased: secondly, because the wrathful man speaketh not according as justice directs him, but as the spleen perverteth him: Thirdly, because wrath hindereth the mind, whereupon the Poet saith: 
Wroth lets the mind for fear it spy the truth.   
In counsels therefore, and in other things, thou must restrain the disturbed motions of thy soul, and make thy desires obedient to the rules of love and reason: for so Tully counseleth, when he saith, Govern thy wrath, because when it hath power, nothing may either be done rightly, or considerately: for those things which are wrought with any perturbation, can neither be done with constancy, nor approved by those that are absent: wrath hath no mean, neither doth interrupted fury admit any moderation. For the ireful man accounteth all counsel inconsiderate: he that overcometh his wrath, overcometh a great enemy, and he can never be considerate, that is seldom moderate: in counsel likewise thou must avoid pleasure or cupidity, lest either the one or other, overcome the sense and judgement of either thee, or thy chosen counsel. First because desire and covetousness is the root of all evils, Paul ad Cor. Secondly, because the voluptuousness of the heart extinguisheth the light of the mind, and containeth in itself all kind of inconvenience: For Tully in his book de Senectute saith, That nature hath not given man more capital or fatal enemies than the desires and pleasures of the body, for from it spring rash and unrefrained lusts, inciting and perverting the mind, and (after many enormities reckoned up) he concludeth, that there is no place for virtue in the kingdom of pleasure. For which cause there is nothing so detestable or pestilerous as to follow pleasure, for where it taketh most head and root, there is all the light of the soul extinguished. And truly pleasure is so bad, that it never springeth except grief forego it: for as Alphonsus saith, no man is delighted with drinking, except he be foregréeved with thirst, neither taketh any man pleasure in eating, except he hath been plagued with hunger: neither affecteth any man rest, except he hath been aggrieved, and aggravated by labour: beside, (this is to be noted) that in every and the least danger, there is some imminent peril, whereupon the Philosopher said thus, Whosoever is voluptuous, cannot want vice. Thirdly, in thy counsels & other things thou must avoid and remove covetous desire, quia parat peccatum, & generat mortem, as james saith: Fourthly, thou must avoid desire both in thyself and thy counsellors; because all desires are the gates of hell, by which we have recourse unto death: Fiftly in thine actions and counsels whatsoever, thou must expel desire, because it loveth nothing else, but that which is unlawsul: & therefore Seneca saith, Ferocissima cupiditas pestis est, quis solet egenos facere quos capit, quia finemquerendi, non invenit, alia enim cupiditas, ex fine alterius nascitur, Desire (quoth he) is a fierce plague, which not only maketh thee poor when it surpriseth, because it findeth no end in seeking: for one desire is begotten by the issue and end of another, and therefore in another place (he saith) he is stronger that overcometh his desire, than he which mastereth his enemy. Sixthly, desire in all affairs and actions, is to be both removed and reproved, especial to the end that infirmities may be avoided: for if (as it is proved) desire hath no end, it deserveth (and that worthily) to be despised; whereupon (a father saith) follow not infinite things, for where is no end, there can be no rest, and where there is no rest, there can be no peace, and where there is no peace, God cannot dwell: for as David saith, His place is in peace, and his habitation in Zion. In counsels likewise thou must avoid all haste and rashness, for as in judgement celerity is condemned, (whereupon it is wont to be said, that he is the best judge that quickly apprehendeth and slowly judgeth; and again, he hasteth to repent him that swiftly censureth) so is it written of counsel, in thy counsels the longer thou hast deliberated, think thou hast the righter done: for the swiftest counsels, are soon repent: Thou must not therefore either give or take counsel hastily, or suddenly, but with advised deliberation, and competent delay: for as Seneca saith, Lib de For. honest. vit. Let nothing be sudden unto thee, but in all things foresee; for he who is provident, saith not, I had not thought it should have come to pass; for he doubteth not, but expecteth, neither suspecteth he but taketh heed: For which cause in temporal deliberations a competent delay is not to be reproved, for to deliberate on things profitable, is a most provident delay. A Philosopher likewise saith, That all delay is odious, but yet it maketh a wise man: These conditions thus foreknown and well debated of, thou must likewise take heed and provide, that thou conceal thy counsel to thyself, neither demand counsel of another, if by other men's counsel thou knowest thy estate may not be amended. For as jesus the son of Sirach saith, Show not thy thought to thy friend or enemy, and if it be thy fault discover it not, for he shall hear thee, and regard thee, and defending thy sin laugh at thee: and another wise man saith, Think scarcely that one man can keep thy secrets: and Alphonsus saith, Thy counsel or secret being hidden, is as it were shut in thy prison, but being revealed, holdeth thee prisoner in his prison: another saith, He that keepeth his counsel in his heart, is Master of himself, for it is better for a man to hold his peace, then to desire any other man to keep close his secrets: for as Seneca saith, If thou hast not governed thyself in silence, how canst thou seek secrecy from another? But if thou thinkest to better thine estate by another man's counsel then deliberate with thyself, and diligently provide in thyself, to whom thou wilt open thy secrets, and to whom thou will impart thy counsels: In steed of unaproved friends, furnish thyself a thousand times rather with enemies than friends, because by good hap thine enemy may be made thy friend, & so by that means he may the more lightly procure thy indomagement: Provide also, that thou discover not thy resolution, to those counsellors whom thou meanest to employ, for men for the most part are flatterers, and rather respect the looks of a mighty man then the truth, and that which they think will please, then that which is requisite; so that respecting rather their will then their conscience, they deceive thee in thy counsel, and condemn their own indiscretions. When then thou hast asked counsel of thyself, provide thee of thy counsellors, and know from whom thou oughtest to expect council, for in ask advice, carefully observe this caution, to discern thy good friends from thine evil enemies. To be short, counsel is to be expected from good, wise, expert, & approved friends, who have both authority by age, and are known trusty by experience. And therefore Solomon saith, There is nothing may be compared with a faithful fiend, neither may the weight of gold and silver outprise his faith and goodness: and in another place, The heart is delighted in ointments and divers odours, & the heart is rejoiced with the counsels of a good friend: There is nothing sweeter (saith he) than to have a friend, with who thou mayst communicate thy secrets: For as the body is without a soul, such is a man without a friend: choose thy friend likewise that he may be wise, & thereby verify the old Proverb: 
Non de ponte cadit, qui cum sapientia vadit.   
Choose thy counsel like wise of thy approved friends, because many are thought wise, but too few faithful, many are circumspect, but malicious, many have smooth foreheads, and false hearts, You must not therefore trust all men, but make trial of only faithful men: For as john saith, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits if they be of God: and the wise man saith, who quickly believeth, is light and unstaid in heart, and shall be deceived: for a mind easily misled, is quickly induced to folly, a Poet like wise that hath more of sense, than eloquence saith: 
Ne laudes amicum donec probaveris illum.   
And Solomon saith, if thou possess a friend, possess him in temptation, for a friend is according to his times, & therefore till miseries try them, think no man trusty to thee. Have care like wise that thou make choice of old men, for in the aged is wisdom, and in grey hairs experience, and (as Cassiodorus saith) they are always held most wise, who by the conversations of many men, have been approved learned: And Tully in his book de Senectute, hath this sentence: Great things are not managed by the velocity, force, and celerity of the body; but by counsel, authority, and science, of which old age is only not deprived, but also furnished: in ask therefore counsel of the above specified, observe this rule, That first you make trial of one or two, before the whole body of your counsel: for as Solomon saith, Many are pleasing unto thee, and speak thee fair, but choose one counsellor amongst a thousand: and consult thou not with them at one time only, but at many times also: for where there is no heed (saith the wise) the policy runs to ruin: But there is health where are counsels: and generally the cogitations are scattered where there is no advice, but where there are many counsellors, their judgements are conformed. Now since thou knowest of whom thou art to demand counsel, let us like wise consider whose counsel thou shouldest avoid: for there is as great policy in shunning a danger, as entertaining a good fortune. First therefore I advise thee in any sort to fly the counsels of fools, for fond men delight in fond things; and aim all their counsels, according to their conceits. For as a father saith, It is the property of folly to be searching into others escapes, and forgetful of his own. The wiseman's heart (saith Solomon) is on his right side, but the heart of a fool on his left: If thou bray a fool in a mortar (quoth the wise man) thou shalt not drive him from his folly. Briefly, if a wise man contend with a fool, whether he smile or sorrow, he shall find no rest. The counsel of flatterers in like sort is to be avoided; and not only in adversity, but in prosperity, the advise of friends, and faithful men is to be used: In prosperity like wise, we have greatest use of friendship, lest we should be seduced by flattery, or deceived by dissimulation: For we oftentimes suppose ourselves such as we are praised for; wherethrough we grow into mighty sins, and being puffed up by men's opinions, are shamefully derided, and more cursedly misled: For which cause, think there is no greater plague in friendship, then pleasing and smooth coloured flattery. And although flattery be pernicious, yet can it hurt no man but him that receiveth and delighteth in the same, so that if he open his ears to those flatterers, he greatly delighteth both him that flattereth, and himself most of all: Where upon Cato saith, If any praise thee, remember to be thine own judge, and rather trust others men's judgements of thyself, then believe thyself by thyself: whereupon Seneca in his Epistles writeth, Consider thyself inwardly, and believe not other what thou art; it more concerneth thee to know what thou seemest to thyself, than what thou art esteemed by others: For it is a wise man's part, rather to judge himself than his neighbour. And touching acceptance in taking counsel in time of prosperity, thus saith Seneca in his book de formula honestas vitas. Then when thou art in prosperity ask counsel, as if in danger, and rather fear fair speech, then bitter good counsels. For an evil man that speaketh fair, is the net of the innocent, and there are none so secret treasons, as those that are coloured with the office of dissimulation, or under the name of friendship: It is therefore better to receive the stripes of a friend, than the kisses of a flatterer. Be not therefore moved with the fair, sweet, and choice words of a flatterer, but regard thine own affairs, and examine their discourses: A wise man respecteth the matter, not the oratory, for he that speaketh truth, his speech is plain and unpolished. And although thou think thyself a wise man, yet trust not thine own purpose, but with deliberate judgement seek wisdom from another man: For Cassiodorus counseleth to seek wisdom in another man in whom is greatness of science, for to doubt and to ask council of the wise, is neither unprofitable nor immodest. The counsel likewise of those men is to be eschewed, who in times past were thine enemies, and are afterwards reconciled: for no man safely returneth into favour with his enemy, For which cause Esope said, neither trust, or discover your secrets to those with whom you have been at debate and contention. 
Nulla fides hosti, tibi sit qui talia noste,  
Prorsus & hostilis tibi sit persuatio vilis.   
For as where fire bathe been long time, there never wanteth vapour; so where ancient enmities have been continued, there cannot be true love, neither may there ever be default of suspect: Thine enemy will weep in thy presence, and when he spies his time, be imbrued with thy blood: associate thee not therefore with thine enemies, when thou mayst find other friends, for the evils thou hast done them, they will not forget, and the favours thou offerest them, they will suspect. Their counsel like wise is to be eschewed who not for love, but fear show love and dilection: for they are not friends but odious enemies. For Tully saith (in his Offices) amongst all things there is nothing more apt to maintain riches, and retain them being compassed, than love; neither any thing more fond, then to be feared: For men deadly hate those whom they fear, and whatsoever a man earnestly hateth, he desireth to see perished. And that no wealth may withstand many men's hate, though before it were unknown, yet now is it manifest, doc not therefore think that either counsellor or friend may be gotten by fear, for no man is faithful to him he feareth, and therefore Martial long: 
Inuitas vero nemo coactus amat.   
And good counsel and friendship is not only not retained or attained by fear and terror, but every kingdom likewise maintained by fear, doth soon come to perdition. For (as the Philosopher saith) he ought to fear many, when many fear; and as Seneca concludeth, No terrible man can be secure in his monarchy: The riotous man's counsel also must be eschewed, for how can he be trusty in thy secrets, who is a traitor to his own body? They likewise that pretend one thing privately, and protest another openly, are to be rejected, for it is a certain kind of harm and injustice, to speak one thing secretly, and make show of another thing openly: Fly likewise the council of the evil and suspected, For he that is evil in himself, never delivereth good counsel from himself, and where the heart is fraught with impiety, the tongue uttereth nothing but dissimulation and subtlety: young men in counsel likewise are deeply to be suspected, for they have ripe wits, and young desires, Woe saith the wise man to that land, whose king is a child, and whose Princes eat early. It followeth now in what sort, & how thou oughtest to examine counsel: For in it there needeth great circumspection and discretion, that both the beginning progress and end be very diligently examined. First therefore in discerning counsel, both generally suppress in thyself, and remove from thy counsellors, ire, pleasure, desire, & hast, the arch enemies of all deltheration; Secondly, respect the beginning of thy affairs, for the law toeth a man to circumspection in nothing more than the entrance: and therefore the Proverb saith, He that hath begun well, hath half happily finished. For all examples have had their springs from good beginnings: and in all good things thou shalt continually find a double evil: in the beginning therefore thou oughtest to fear, because of the double evils which accompany every thing: For if in good beginnings there is a doubt of double harm, much more in things badly begun and improvidently disposed, is there danger, For they seldom or never have good ends which have badly begun: The beginnings are in our own powers, but the events in fortunes hands: wisely therefore, and with great discretion examine thou thy counsels, for it is the property of a prudent man to pry into every thing to avoid credulity, and to prevent falsehood. In examining thy counsel likewise observe these circumstances, that in every thing thou respect that which is true and sincere, what convenience or consequent, and whence matters take head, and what is the cause and reason of every thing: Thou must therefore be respective to the truth, because truth is only to be regarded, which only maketh men like to God, because God in himself is perfect truth, as appeareth by Christ's words, Ego sum via, veritas, & vita: I am the way, the truth, and the life; and therefore require I sincerity (as Tully did) in counsel, because pure and sincere verity is to be respected, and mendacious and subtle lying, is earnestly to be avoided: For (as the Philosopher saith) verity is perfect, when it is not intermeddled with falsehood: and the wise man saith, Rather is a thief to be believed, than an assiduous and common liar to be heard. And where I annex a convenient regard in affairs, it is for this cause, because in all thy counsels, thou must have this regard, that they be convenient and agreeable with reason. Thou must likewise respect who they be that consent to the affairs, will, and counsels, and who contradict the same, that by this thou mayst know whether thy business or determination will sort to good or no: Thou must likewise examine and foresee, whether thy purpose consent or stand with possibility: and in all the foresaid, be so provident in examining, that thine appetite may agree with reason, utility, and possibility: Touching consequence also, have diligent care in examining, whether thou shalt obtain good or evil, hate, fear, or love, by thy counsels; and whether either damage or utility, justice, or injury, (and many such like, which have correspondence with the consequence, and may not fitly be numbered in this place:) in all which, good is to be chosen and profit to be taken; hate, fear, injury, and all such other evils generally omitted and removed: Touching the circumstance, whence matters are derived, thou must be very thoughtful in examining every word of the counsel, and careful to consider, whether they spring from virtue or vice, or from any thing that deservedly aught to be avoided, or from which profit or commodity may be drawn. Touching examination of the cause, thou must be very provident in pondering the reasons thereof, and earnestly seeking out the grounds of matters: For so Seneca counseled, when he said, search out the cause of every action, and when thou hast found out the beginning, bethink thee of the end, not slightly, but judicially: dispose thy mind into three parts; ordinat the present; foresee the future; and remember that is past: for he rightly looseth his life, that bethinketh him not of that which hath passed him; who never premeditates on things to come, manageth all things improvidently: Propose therefore in thy mind both the good and evil fortunes that may chance, that thou mayst sustain the one, and moderate the other. Now since thou knowest how counsel is to be examined, consider likewise how it is to be taken and approved: For then is counsel chief to be taken and approved when it is both examined, and found to be good and profitable. And although the counsel seemeth good, it is not presently to be executed: but thou must diligently look into it, how thou canst effect the same. For he that cometh to the government of a Commonweal, and the management of affairs, must not only take consideration, that the thing is honest, but he must likewise ponder with himself if he have power to effect it: In which it is likewise to be considered, that he despair not rashly for sloth sake, or grow less considerate through desire and covetousness, so that in all affairs before they be enterprised, thou must employ a diligent preparation: Consider therefore that thou take not too much, for as the Proverb saith, Qui nimis capit, parum stringit: So that rightly thou oughtest to begin nothing but that which reasonably thou mayst bring to effect. Search not (quoth Seneca) things above thy reach, only seek that which may be found, learn that which may be known, desire that which may be wished for: He that desireth to fly before he get him wings, is assured to fall before he expecteth it: for if thou shouldest only take respect to the goodness, profit, and honour of the affair only, without the consideration of the facility, possibility, and convenience of the same, that would fall out which the poet saith, 
Qui plus posse putat sua quem natura ministrat  
Posse suum superans seminus esse potest.   
And if the counsel be doubtful in deed or word, thou must rather conceal it, then execute it: leave it, then take it: For it becometh a wise man rather to be silent by himself, then to speak against himself, because it is apparent that many have been overtaken by their talk, but few men circumvented by their silence: for words are like to arrows, which are easily shot out, but hardly got in again. In doubtful matters therefore, silence is requisite, and actions uncertain, are better left undone, then unfortunately hazarded. To conclude (in all the forenamed) so be thou still instructed by thyself and others; that all other contraries let slip, thou only build and make choice of that which is good, true, profitable, just, and reasonable. Now since thou knowest how counsel is to be taken, consider likewise how, and in what sort it is to be retained, which is even then, when by proof and experience it is known profitable. For prove all, saith S. Paul, and keep only that which is good, and that with great constancy: for so counseleth Seneca, when he saith, Be thou movable, not light: constant, but not obstinate. It now remaineth that thou learn when thy counsels, or promises may be changed: the alteration whereof is approved for many causes: for the first cause ceasing and a new succeeding, counsel or promise may be changed: and that according to Philosophy which saith, that the causes ceasing, the effects likewise cease: counsel also can and may be changed, it either by error or any other cause it prove undecent: for as Seneca saith, Certain things there be that seem good and are not, and certain other which seem and are so: for very oftentimes the truth beareth show of a lie, and oftentimes a lie hideth the hope of truth: Counsel likewise is to be changed, if it depend on dishonest causes, or in itself be unlawful: For according to the law, and generally all unlawful pronuses are of no regard: Counsel likewise is to be altered if it be sinful, or pertain thereto; for there is no counsel against God: and of no less worth is a promise unpossible, than an assumpsit unreasonable. A wise man lieth not when he changeth his purpose for the better, and it is always held a rule among the learned, that the counsel cannot be good which cannot be changed. Good father Anthony quoth Frumentarius, I am resolved in all points touching the course of counsel, I pray you therefore descend to the discourse of wars: for the world being so much given to contention, there is nothing that should be sooner learned. Frumentanus quoth Anthony, I will fit thee in this likewise, The discourse of war requireth a long Treatise, because it includeth great dangers, & that must advisedly be spoken of, which rashly followed, is ruinous and fatal: War in one sort is the mother of inconvenience, for it endangereth those too often that hope in it, and helpeth those too fond, that should fall by it: It is likewise an arm of justice, for were there not arms to revenge justice, the authority of princedom would be too forward in injuries: war likewise is an effect of vengeance, for God sendeth the that are too secure in their peace, a mighty sword to confound them in their security: By war the wicked war rich, and the poor fortunate, and the effects thereof are such, as the hungry are filled with good things, and the rich are sent empty away. To conclude, war is the Mistress of confusion, making policy of confusions, and confusions policies. They that undertake it, must serve the necessities thereof; and they that wish for it, are the discontented: who in affecting innovation in hope to be bettered, do fall on the sword by untimely death. Briefly, war is not to be wished for, for as Tully saith, All liberty is restrained therein, and those profits that proceed thereof, are as well ruins, as raisings of a Commonweal. The conqueror, what winneth he? Who to relieve a few colonies that are invaded, looseth many thousand subjects, whose equals cannot be found out. Should I discourse at full of this subject, define, divide, subdevide, and examine particulars, it would rather require a volume then a discourse, such as I can yield thee: I will therefore only touch things necessary, and leave the rest to thine own reading, instructing thee only in those things which are lawful, and prescribing thee certain rules when it is lawful to enter fight, and admit contention, which may be referred to these eight causes. Thou mayst lawfully fight, first of all for the maintenance of thy faith; next for justice sake; Thirdly, to maintain peace; Fourthly to conserve liberty; Fiftly to avoid dishonesty and turpitude; Sixtly, to repel violence; Seventhly, for the defence of a man's own body; Eightly, for a necessary cause: First touching war to be undertaken for faith, there is nothing more just, nothing more reasonable, neither any thing more honest; for faith is our buckler, where under we guard all virtues, our seal of inheritance, our link of Christianity, our alliance with God, & rather is death to be suffered, than religion to be forsaken: we ought likewise to fight for justice sake, even to the utterance of our lives, for except justice be maintained, Commonweals are ruinated: for peace likewise, war is lawful; because by peace, justice and communities are maintained: war likewise is lawful for the maintenance of liberty and avoidance of servitude, for as Tully saith, When time and necessity require, man may fight, and a valiant death is to be preferred before a servile and obscure life: for happily is he killed, who ignominiously serveth, Thou mayst also fight to avoid Turpitude, for no death is so odious as the endurance of dishonesty. Thou mayst likewise fight to repel violence, for all laws & rights permit this, to repel force by force. In thine own defence likewise mayst thou war, for the law saith, that what man doth in his own defence, is lawfully done. And law of nature likewise teacheth us to detest injuries, for it is better to withstand in time, then revenge after wrongs: Resist thou therefore boldly injustice, violence, and injury done unto thee, for as greatly is he in fault (saith Tully) that resisteth not if he can, as he that being of ability leaveth both his friends, and his country. Thou mayst rightly war also upon a just cause, as being summoned by denunciation and general proclamation: For assuredly that enemy thinketh himself strong, or in effect is rash and unadvised, that calleth his equal to combat, and maketh open profession of displeasure. Again, touching war, these few notes are to be considered, That God hath therefore ordained and commanded the law of the sword, to bring them in peace by the sword, that will not otherwise obey the laws of right and charity. That war likewise is held lawful, it appeareth, because God himself vouchsafeth the name of the Lord of hosts. To conclude, battle according to other, is only lawful in three causes: First when the cause is rightful, Next the intention good: Thirdly, if it be done by the authority of a lawful Prince. It is needful first of all that the cause be rightful, and that men fight only for the right, and to maintain right, and for the preservation of the commonalty, and those that are guiltless and would have peace: for (as Augustine saith) the end of battle should be peace. Their intention also must be rightful, not that they fight for ambition to get the authority, or for covetousness to get riches, or for malice to be revenged of grudges, or for cruelty to murder men: For if their intention be wicked, though their cause be just, they sin in manslaughter, and for their wicked intention God suffereth them to be overcome in a rightful cause: it must likewise be executed by the authority of a lawful Prince, not raised by injustice, but made by common custom, by authority of law, by rightful election, for although a man gather a multitude against his prince, and by the rebels his followers is made their head, yet is he neither to command, neither ought they unjustly to obey, for both their election in him is unlawful, and obedience towards him unjust: This sufficeth (quoth Frumentarius) only good Anthony discourse of justice, and thou leavest me well resolved: Frumentarius quoth Anthony, justice hath best execution, where there foregoeth good election, for a prince that chooseth good judges, is sure his laws shall be well executed: First therefore in choice of thy judges, out of many, choose few, out of few the wisest, out of the wisest the expertest, out of the expertest, the most prudent, of the most prudent, the most quietest, & of the quietest, the eldest: for the true and worthy judge, without all doubt, must be of a generous & noble blood, old in years, of life honest, of little folly & much experience, in speech resolute, and in knowledge profound. The true judge must not relent by prayers, nor be corrupted with gifts, nor deceived with words, nor disturbed with threatenings, or misled with money, nor overcome with pity: The good judge must have always one hand ready to sustain the good, and the other to punish the wicked: A good judge is he that dealeth in truth, speaketh truth, and is a friend of truth, and an enemy to liars: A good judge must be wise in that he commandeth, just in his judgements, and moderate in his executions: and (that which is more than all that) in matters of justice, & the determination thereof, he show neither passion, nor affection. No man in this world is so perfect, but there is in him to be amended, neither any man so evil, that hath not in him to be praised. The history writers do note Homer of vain speech, task Alexander for fury, Caesar for ambition, Pompey for pride, Demetrius for vices, Hannibal for perjury, Vespasian for covetousness, trajan for a winebibber, Aurelius for amorous: Amongst men so great, glorious, and famous as these, judges may well think to be noted of faults, and therefore aught to be very careful to direct a circumspect and wary course in their lives: that they may avoid scandalisers and slanderers. judges likewise aught to be good Christians, and not weak in patience, For there is no virtue more requisite in a Commonweal, than patience: for the judge that is measured in that he speaketh, and dissembleth the injuries done unto him, he may not lightly fall. Those that govern people, and determine causes, much more than other men ought to live warily, and be of more sufferance, for as they judge, so are they regarded, measured, and considered: There is nothing in this world more sure (as I have said before) then that he which is feared of many aught also to fear many; and therefore it cometh to pass, that many times the judge is more damnified in his fame, than the suitor in his goods: I mean this of judges who are proud and melancholy: But such as are mild and gentle in suffering, the people examine not the lives they lead, but they dissemble their other faults. He that hath charge of the Commonweal, it is requisite that he have a mild condition, in such wise that when he see weakness, he make it strong, and where he seeth courage, in goodness, that he praise it; & where he seeth dissolution, that he chastise: and where he seeth necessity, that he secure: and where he seeth sedition, to appease it; and where he seeth conformity, to conserve it: and where he seethe heaviness to remedy it: and where he seeth gladness, to temper it: For after great pleasure and gladness, many times do follow no small distresses. Again, it is requisite that judges be mild in conversation, and measured in words, for in them of such authority the people do many times take more grief with a word, then in others with the stroke of a sword. To conclude, let thy judges deal with equal balance, to rich and poor, so shall they please God, discharge their duties to thee, & get honour to their names in executing justice without rigour or affection. For thyself take these rules in thy government and justice, Do all things with love, and revenge nothing for hatred, neither be held one of those that would pardon their enemies, and dare not for their friends: Aware in thy kingdom, lest the proud command the humble; the Tyrant, the just; the cruel, the pitiful; the dastard, the hardy; the ignorant, the prudent; and the worst thiefs, hang the innocent: Sell not thy justice for riches, lest thou live not to enjoy them, and grow defamed by purchasing them: be not a covetous and wretched niggard, lest thou seek out carefulness for thyself, envy for thy neighbours, spurs to thine enemies, a prey for thieves, peril for thy person, damnation for thy soul, curses for thine heirs, and law for thy children. Be not wrathful in justice, for it is a short madness; nor on light displeasures, lest thou be held a fool; nor with a stronger than thyself, lest thou repent; or with thy inferior, lest thou be held tyrannous: Let not thy corruptions and customs draw on vain delights, neither be thou held the maker of a law, to be the first breaker of the same: beware lest thy followers be found wicked, for where vice is supported by authority, there subjects grow worse & worse: and where punishment is restrained, there insolency commands the laws: be provident that no merit pass thee without reward, or fault without punishment: carry this always in thy mind, That good men bear more honour to the sepulchres of the virtuous, then to the embossed palaces of wicked Tyrants. To conclude, to bear thy fortune always equal, make thy counsels always honest, choose thy judges upright & impartial, and thyself shalt have honour, thy magistrates fame, thy subjects peace, and thy country plenty. Anthony would have prosecuted this argument further, and Asterius was ready to urge him to his history, when suddenly the day overcast, the sun hide him in the Ocean, the birds be took them to rest, the winds to rise and rage, the heavens to weep and shower, so that interrupted both by night and storms, perforced they were cut off from their conference, & all of them entered Anthony's cave, where till the morrow I leave them to their weak cheer and hard lodging. And if gentlemen I perceive that this days discourse delight you, in the morning when they wake, I shall entreat them to find out more matter and pleasure to content you, mean while I commit you and commend you to the tuition of the Almighty, ending with that of Ausonius: 
Nemosilens placuit, brevitate loquendi:  And that of Marshals: 
Nonsunt longa quibus nihil est quod donere possis.   
FINIS.