A NEW METHOD OF rosy Crucian physic: Wherein is showed the Cause; and therewith their experienced Medicines for the Cure of all DISEASES, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}; Freely given to the inspired CHRISTIANS, BY {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  
And in obedience fitted for the understanding of mean capacities by the Adorer, and the most unworthy of their LOVE, John Heydon, a Servant of God, and Secretary of Nature.  Penes nos unda Tagi. 
London Printed for Thomas Lock, 1658.   

An Apologue for an Epilogue.  
I Shall here tell you what rosy Crucians are, and that Moses was their Father, and he was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}; some say they were of the order of Elias, some say the Disciples of Ezekiel, others define them to be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}; i.e. The Officers of the Generalissimo of the world, that are as the eyes and cares of the great King, seeing & hearing all things; they are Seraphically illuminated, as Moses was according to this order of the Elements, earth refined to water, water to air, air to fire; so of a man to be one of the Heroes of a Heros, a Daemon, or good genius, of a genius, a partaker of Divine things, and a companion of the holy company of unbodied souls and immortal Angels, and according to their vehicles, a versatile life, turning themselves Proteus-like into any shape.  
But there is yet arguments to procure Mr. Walfoord, and T. Williams, rosy Crucians by election, and that is the miracles that were done by them, in any sight; for it should seem rosy Crucians were not only initiated into the Mosaical Theory, but have arrived also to the power of working miracles as Moses, Elias, Ezekiel and the succeeding Prophets did, as being transported where they please, as Habakkuk was from Jewry to Babylon or as Philip after he had baptised the eunuch to Arotus, and one of these went from me to a friend of mine in Devonshire, and came and brought me an answer to London the same day, which is four days' journey, they taught me excellent predictions of astrology, and earthquakes; they slack the plague in cities; they silence the violent winds and tempests; they calm the rage of the Sea and rivers; they walk in the Air, they frustrate the Malicious aspect of Witches; they cure all diseases; I desired one of these to tell me whether my complexion were capable of the society of my good Genius? when I see you again, said he, I will tell you (which is) (when he pleases to come to me, for I know not where to go to him) when I saw him than he said Ye should pray to God, for a good and holy man can offer no greater nor more acceptable sacrifice to God, than the oblation of himself, his soul.  
He said also that the good Genii are as the benign eyes of God, running to and fro in the world, with love and pity beholding the innocent endeavours of harmless and single hearted men, ever ready to do them good, and to help them; and at his going away he bid me beware of my seeming friends who would do me all the hurt they could, and cause the Governors of the Nations to be angry with me, and set bounds to my liberty, which truly happened to me, as they did indeed: many things more he told me before we parted, but I shall not name them here.  
For this rosy Crucian physic or Medicines, I happily and unexpectedly light upon in Arabia, which will prove a restauration of health to all that are afflicted with that sickness, which we ordinarily call natural, & all other diseases, as the Gour, dropsy, leprosy and falling sickness; and these men may be said to have no small insight in the body, and that Walfoord, Williams, and others of the Fraternity now living, may bear up in the same likely Equipage, with those noble Divine spirits their predecessors, though the unskilfulness in men commonly acknowledge more of supernatural assistance in hot unsettled fancies, and perplexed melancholy, then in the calm and distinct use of reason; yet for mine own part, but not without submission to better judgements, I look upon these rosy Crucians above all men truly inspired, and more than any that professed or pretended themselves so, this sixteen hundred years, and I am ravished with admiration of their miracles and transcendent mechanical inventions, for the salving the phenomena in the world; I may without offence therefore compare them with Bezaliel and Aholiab, those skilful and cunning workers of the tabernacle, who, as Moses testifies, were filled with the spirit of God, and therefore were of an excellent understanding to find out all manner of curious work.  
Nor is it any more argument, that these rosy Crucians are not inspired, because they do not say they are; then that others are inspired, because they say they are; which to me is no argument at all; but the suppression of what so happened, would argue much more sobriety & modesty; whenas the profession of it with sober men, would be suspected of some piece of melancholy and distraction, especially in these things, where the grand pleasure is the evidence and exercise of reason, not a bare belief, or an ineffable sense of life, in respect whereof there is no true christian but he is inspired; but if any more zealous pretender to prudence and righteousness, wanting either leisure or ability to examine these rosy Crucian Medicines to the bottom shall notwithstanding either condemn them or admire them; he hath unbecommingly and indiscreetly vetered out of his own sphere, and I cannot acquit him of injustice or folly: Nor am I a rosy Crucian, nor do I speak of spite, or hope of gain, or for any such matter; there is no cause, God knows, I envy no man, be he what he will be, I am no physician, never was, nor never mean to be: what I am it makes no matter as to my profession.  
Lastly, these holy and good men would have me know that the greatest sweet and perfection of a virtuous soul, is the kindly accomplishment of her own nature, in true wisdom and divine love; and these miraculus things that are done by them are, that that worth and knowledge that is in them may be taken notice of, and that God thereby may be glorified whose witnesses they are; but no other happiness accrues to them from this, but that hereby they may be in a better capacity of making others happy,  
From my house in spital fields next door to the red lion this 10. of May, 1658. John Heydon.   

A New METHOD OF rosy Crucian physic.  

CHAP. I.  
Of the Accurate Structure of man's body.  
I Admire the goodness of God towards us in the frame and structure of our bodies, the admirable Artifice whereof, Galen, though a Naturalist, was so taken with, that he could not but adjudge the honour of a hymn to the wise Creator of it. The continuance of the whole, and every particular, is so evident an Argument of exquisite skill in the Maker, that if I should pursue all that suits to my purpose, it would amount to too large (yet an entire) Volume. I shall therefore write all that is needful to be known by all men, leaving the rest to be supplied by Anatomists: And I think there is no man that hath any skill in that Art, but will confess, the more diligently and accurately the frame of our body is examined, it is found the more exquisitely conformable to our Reason, Judgement, and Desire; so that supposing the same matter that our bodies are made of, if it had been in our own power to have made ourselves, we should have framed ourselves no otherwise than we are: To instance in some particulars; As in our Eyes, the Number, the situation, the fabric of them is such, that we can excogitate nothing to be added thereto, or to be altered, either for their beauty, safety, or usefulness; but as for their beauty, I have treated largely of it in my youthful merry Poems, & now am not minded to transcribe my tender nice subject, and couple it with my severer stile; I will only note how safely they are guarded, and fitly framed out for the use they are intended: The Brow and the Nose saves them from harder strokes; but such a curious part as the Eye being necessarily liable to mischief from smallest matters, the sweat of the Forehead is fenced off by those two Wreaths of Hair which we call the eyebrows; and the eyelids are fortified with little stiff bristles, as with Pallisadoes, against the assault of flies and Gnats, and suchlike bold Animalcula; besides, the upper-lid presently claps down, and is as good a Fence as a portcullis against the importunity of the Enemy; which is done also every night, whether there be any present assault or no, as if nature kept Garrison in this Acropolis of man's body, the Head, and looked that such Laws should be duly observed, as were most for his safety.  
And now for the use of the Eye, which is sight, it is evident that this Organ is so exquisitely framed for that purpose, that not the least curiosity can be added: For first, the humour and Tunicles are purely transparent to let in light, and colours unfold, and unsophisticated by any inward tincture. And then again, the parts of the Eye are made convex, that there might be a direction of many rays coming from one point of the object, unto one point answerable in the bottom of the eye; to which purpose the crystalline humour is of great moment, and without which, the sight would be very obscure and weak. Thirdly, The Tunica uvea hath a Musculous Power, and can dilate and contract that round hole in it which is called the Pupil of the Eye, for the better moderating the transmission of light. Fourthly, The inside of the uvea is blacked like the Wall of a Tennis-Court, the rays falling upon the Retina again; for such a repercussion would make the sight more confused. Fifthly, The Tanica Arachnoides, which invellops the crystalline Humour, by virtue of its Processus Ciliaros, can thrust forward, or draw back that precious useful part of the Eye, as the nearness or distance of the objects shall require. Sixthly and lastly, The Tunica Retina is white, for the better and more true reception of the species of things, (as they ordinarily call them) as white paper is fittest to receive those Images into a dark room; and the eye is already so perfect, that I believe it is not needful to speak any more thereof; we being able to move our head upwards and downwards, and on every side, might have unawares thought ourselves sufficiently well provided for; but Nature hath added Muscles also to the Eyes, that no perfection might be wanting; for we have oft occasion to move our Eyes, our Heads being unmoved, as in reading, and viewing more particularly any object set before us; and that this may be done with more ease and accuracy, she hath furnished that Organ with no less than six several Muscles; and indeed, this framing of Muscles, not only in the Eye, but in the whole body, is admirable; for is it not a wonder that even all our flesh should be so handsomely formed and contrived into distinct pieces, whose rise and insertions should be with such advantage that they do serve to move some part of the body or other? and that the parts of our body are not moved only so conveniently as will serve us to walk and subsist by, but that they are able to move every way imaginable that will advantage us; for we can fling out Legs and Arms upwards and downwards, backwards, forwards, and round, as they that spin, or would spread a molehill with their feet. To say nothing of Respiration, the constriction of the diaphragm for the keeping down the Guts, and so enlarging the Thorax, that the Lungs may have play, and the assistance of the inward intercostal Muscles in deep suspirations, when we take more large gulps of air to cool our heart overcharged with love or sorrow; nor of the curious fabric of the Lainix, so well fitted with Muscles for the modulation of the Voice, tuneable speech, and delicious singing: You may add to these the notable contrivance of the Heart, it's two ventricles, and its many valvulae, so framed and situated, as is most fit for the reception and transmission of the blood, and it's sent thence away warm to comfort and cherish the rest of the body; for which purpose also the valvulae in the veins are made.  
But we see by experience that joy and grief proceed not in all men from the same causes, and that men differ very much in the constitution of the body, whereby that which helpeth and furthereth vital constitution in one, and is therefore delightful, hindereth & crosseth it in another, and therefore causeth grief. The difference therefore of Wits, hath its original from the different passions, & from the ends to which the appetite leadeth them. As for that difference which ariseth from sickness, and such accidental distempers, I have appointed them for the second Part of this Book, and therefore I omit the same as impertinent to this place, and consider it only in such as have their health, perfection of body, and Organs well disposed.   

CHAP. II.  
Of the perfection of the Body, and then of the Nature of the Senses; of Delight, Pain, Love, Hatred, sensual Delight, and Pains of the Body, Joy, and Grief.  
OTher things I have to say, but I will rather insist upon such things as are easy and intelligible even to Idiots, or such Physicians that are no wiser, who if they can but tell the Joints of their hands, or know the use of their teeth, they may easily discover it was Counsel, not Chance, that created them; and if they but understand these natural Medecines I have prepared in this Book for their example, they will know that they shall be cured of all Diseases without pain, or any great cost; and Love, not Money, was it that made me undertake this Task. Now of the well-framed parts of our body, I would know why we have three joints in our Legs and Arms, as also in our fingers, but that it was much better than having but two or four? And why are our foreteeth sharp, like Chizzels, to cut, but our inward teeth broad, to grind? but this is more exquisite than having them all sharp, or all broad, or the foreteeth broad, and the other sharp; but we might have made a hard shift to have lived, though in that worser condition. Again, Why are the Teeth so luckily placed? or rather, Why are there not Teeth in other bones as well as in the jawbones, for they might have been as capable as these. But the reason is, Nothing is done foollshly, nor in vain. I will show you how to prolong life, and to return from age to youth; and how to change, alter, and amend the state of the body; but that I intend in a Treatise entitled The Wise man's Crown: To keep the body in perfect health is my present design, and to cure all Diseases without reward; for there is a Divine Providence that orders all things. Again, (to say nothing of the inward curiosity of the Ear) Why is that outward frame of it, but that it is certainly known that it's for the bettering of our hearing?  
I might add, That Nature hath made the hindmost parts of our body (which we sit upon) most fleshy, as providing for our ease, making us a Natural Cushion, as well as for Instruments of Motion for our Thighs and Legs; she hath made the hinder part of the Head more strong, as being otherwise unfenced against falls and other casualties. She hath made the Backbon of several Vertebrae, as being more fit to bend, more tough, and less in danger of breaking then if they were all one entire bone, without those gristly Junctures. She hath strengthened our fingers and toes with nails, whereas she might have sent out that substance at the end of the first and second Joints, which had not been so handsome and useful, nay, rather somewhat troublesome and hurtful. And lastly, She hath made all bones devoid of sense, because they were to bear the weight of themselves, and of the whole body; and therefore if they had had sense, our life had been painful continually, and dolorous.  
And now I have considered the fitness of the parts of man's body for the good of the whole, let me but consider briefly his senses and his nature, and then I intend more solidly to demonstrate the cause of all Diseases, and with that the Cure, because I intend a Method of rosy Crucian physic, promised in my way to bliss. By our several Organs, we have several Conceptions of several qualities in the objects; for by sight we have a conception or image composed of colour and figure, which is all the notice and knowledge the object imparteth to us of its nature, by the excellency of the eye. By Hearing we have a conception called Sound, which is all the knowledge we have of the quality of the object from the Ear: And so the rest of the senses are also conceptions of several qualities or natures of their objects.  
Because the Image in vision consisting of colour and shape, is the knowledge we have of the qualities of the object of that sense, it is no hard matter for a man to fall into this opinion, That the same colour & shape are the very qualities themselves; and for the same cause that sound & noise are the qualities of a piece of Canon or culverin charged with sulphurous Powder, fired, or of the Air: And this opinion hath been so long received, that the contrary must needs appear a great Paradox. The same qualities are easier in a bell; and yet the introduction of species visible and intelligible, (which is necessary for the maintenance of that opinion) passing to and fro from the object, is worse than any Paradox, as being a plain impossibility. I shall therefore endeavour to make plain these points.  
That the subject wherein colour and image are inherent; is not the object or thing seen.  
That there is nothing (really) which we call an Image or Colour.  
That the said Image, or Colour, is but an apparation unto us of the motion, agitation, or alteration, which the object worketh in the brain, or spirits, or some internal substance of the Head.  
That as in vision, so also in conceptions that arise from the other senses, the subject of their inherence is not the object, but the continent.  
That conceptions and apparitions are nothing really, but motion in some internal substance of the Head; which motion not stopping there, of necessity must there either help, or hinder the motion which is called Vital; when it helpeth it is called Delight, Contentment or Pleasure, which is nothing really but motion about the heart, as conception is nothing but motion in the head; and the objects that cause it are called Pleasant, or Delightful; and the same Delight, with reference to the object is called Love; but when such motion weakeneth or hindereth the vital motion, than it is called Pain, and in relation to that which causeth it, Hatred.  
There are two sorts of pleasures, whereof one seemeth to affect the corporeal Organ of the sense, and that I call sensual, the greatest part whereof is that by which we are invited to give continuance to our species; and the next by which a man is invited to meat, for preservation of his individual person. The other sort of Delight is not particularly any part of the body, and is called The Delight of the mind, & is that which we call Joy. Likewise of pains, some affect the body, and are therefore called The pains of the body; and some not, and those are called grief.   

CHAP. III.  
Of the nature of the Soul of Man, whether she be a mere Modification of the body, or a Substance really distinct; and then whether corporeal, or incorporeal, and of the temper of the body.  
HEre I am forced to speak what I have in my Familiar Spirit, and it is not impertinent to my purpose; therefore if we say that the soul is a mere modification of the body, the soul than is but one universal faculty of the body, or a many faculties put together; and those operations which are usually attributed unto the soul, must of necessity be attributed unto the body: I demand therefore, To what in the body will you attribute spontaneous motion? I understand thereby a power in ourselves of wagging, or holding still most of the parts of our body, as our hand suppose, or little finger: If you will say that it is nothing but the immission of the spirits into such and such Muscles, I would gladly know what does immit these spirits, and direct them so curiously; is it themselves? or the brains? or that particular piece of the brain they call the Pine-Kernel? What ever it be, that which doth thus immit them, and direct them, must have Animadversion; and the same that hath Animadversion, hath Memory and Reason also: Now I would know whether the spirits themselves be capable of Animadversion, Memory, and Reason; for it indeed seems altogether impossible; for these animal spirits are nothing else but matter very thin and liquid, whose nature consists in this, that all the particles of it be in motion, and being loose from one another, frigge and play up and down according to the measure and manner of agitation in them.  
I therefore demand which of these particles in these so many loosely moving one from another, hath Animadversion in it? if you say that they all put together have; I appeal to him that thus answers, how unlikely it is that that should have Animadversion that is so utterly uncapable of Memory, and consequently, of Reason; for it is impossible to conceive memory compatible to such a subject, as it is how to write Characters in the Water, or in the Wind.  
If you say the Brain immits and directs these spirits; how can that so freely and spontaneously move itself, or another, that hath no Muscles? Besides Doctor Culpepper tells you that though the Brain be the instrument of sense, yet it hath no sense at all of itself; how then can that that hath no sense direct thus spontaneously and arbitrariously, the animal spirits in to any part of the body? an Act that plainly requires determinate sense and perception: But let the Physicians and Anatomists conclude what they will, I shall, I think, little less than demonstrate that the brains have no sense; for the same in us that hath sense, hath likewise animadversion; and that which hath animadversion in us, hath also a faculty of free and arbitrarious Fancy and Reason.  
Let us now consider the nature of the brain, and see how compatible those alterations are to such a subject; verily if we take a right view of this lax pith or marrow in man's head, neither our sense nor understanding can discover any thing more in this substance that can pretend to such noble operations, as free imagination and sagacious collections of Reason, than we can discern in a lump of fat, or a pot of honey; for this loose pulp that is thus wrapped up within our Cranium, is but a spongy and porous body, and pervious, not only to the animal spirits, but also to more Juice and liquour; else it could not well be nourished, at least it could not be so soft and moistened by drunkenness and excess, as to make the understanding inept and sottish in its operations. Wherefore I now demand, in this soft substance which we call the brain, whose softness implies that it is in some measure liquid, and liquidity implies a several motion of loosened parts; in what part or parcel thereof does Fancy, Reason, and Animadversion lie? In this lax consistence that lies like a Net, all on heaps in the water; I demand, In what Knot, Loope, or Interval thereof, does this faculty of free Fancy, and active Reason reside? I believe not a Doctor in England, nay, not Dr. Culpepper himself, were he alive, nor his men, Doctor Freeman, and the rest, can assign me any; and if any will say, in all together; they must say that the whole brain is figured into this or that representation, which would cancel memory, and take away all capacity of there being any distinct notes and places for the several species of things there presented. But if they will say there is in every part of the brain this power of Animadversion and Fancy, they are to remember that the brain is in some measure a liquid body, and we must inquire how these loose parts understand one another's several Animadversions and notions; and if they could (which is yet very unconceivable) yet if they could from hence do any thing toward the immission and direction of the animal spirits into this or that part of the body, they must do it by knowing one another's minds, and by a joint contention of strength, as when many men at once, the word being given when they weigh Anchor, put their strength together for the moving of that massy body, that the single strength of one could not deal with; but this is to make the several particles of the brain so many individual persons; a fitter object for laughter, than the least measure of belief.  
Besides, how come these many Animadversions to seem but one to us, our mind being these, as is supposed? Or why if the figuration of one part of the brain be communicated to all the rest, does not the same object seem situated both behind us, and before us, above, and beneath, on the right hand and on the left; and every way as the impress of the object is reflected against all the parts of the brains? but there appearing to us but one animadversion, and one sight of things, it is a sufficient Argument that there is but one; or if there be many, that they are not mutually communicated from the parts one to another, and therefore there can be no such joint endeavour towards one design; whence it is manifest, that the brains cannot immit or direct these animal spirits into what part of the body they please.   

CHAP. IV.  
Of Spontaneous Motion; of the External phenomena; of the nature of the Essence of the Soul herself, what it is, and whether it be corporeal, or incorporeal.  
NOW I must tell you, that the brain hath no sense, & therefore cannot impress spontaneously any motion on the animal spirits; it is no slight Argument that some being dissected, have been found without brains; and this I saw, a Captain in Chrisley, in Arabia that was accidentally killed by an Alcade, and an Arabian, the story is pleasant, but not pertinent to our purpose; but this man had nothing but a limpid water in his head instead of brains, and the brains generally are easily dissolvable into a watery consistence, which agrees with what I intimated before. Now I appeal to any free Judge, how likely these liquid particles are to approve themselves of that nature and power, as to be able by erecting and knitting themselves together for a moment of time, to bear themselves so, as with one joint contention of strength, to cause an arbitrarious obligation of the spirits into this or that determinate part of the body; but the absurdity of this I have sufficiently insinuated already.  
The Nerves, I mean the Marrow of them, which is of the same substance with the brain, have no sense, as is demonstrated from a Cataleps●e, or Cat●chus; but I will not accumulate Arguments in a matter so palpable. As for that little sprunt piece of the brain which they call the conation, that this should be the very substance, whose natural faculty it is to move itself, and by its motion and nods to determine the course of the spirits into this or that part of the body, seems to me no less foolish and fabulous than the story of this entitled Doctor Freeman, so much commended by ignorantly innocent people: If you heard but the magnificent story that is told of the little lurking mushroom, how it does not only hear and see, but imagines, reasons, commands the whole fabric of the body more dexterously than an Indian Boy does an Elephant: what an acute Logician, subtle Geometrician, prudent Statesman, skilful Physician, and profound Philosopher he is! and then afterwards by dissection you discover this worker of miracles to be nothing but a poor silly contemptible Knob, or Protuberancy, consisting of a thin Membrane, containing a little pulpous matter, much of the same nature with the rest of the Brain,  Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici? 
Would you not sooner laugh at it, then go about to confute it? and truly I may the better laugh it now, having already confuted it in what I have afore merrily argued concerning the rest of the Brain.  
I shall therefore make bold to conclude, That the impress of Spontaneous Motion is neither from the animal spirits, nor from the Brain, &c. therefore that those operations that are usually attributed unto the soul, are really incompatible to any part of the body; and therefore, as in the last Chapter I hinted, I say, That the soul is not a mere modification of the body, but a substance distinct therefrom.  
Now we are to inquire, Whether this substance distinct from what we ordinarily call the body, be also itself a Corporeal Substance, or whether it be incorporeal? If you say that it is a corporeal substance, you can understand no other than matter more subtle and tenuious than the animal spirits themselves, mingled with them, and dispersed through the vessels and porosities of the body; for there can be no penetration of dimensions: But I need no new arguments to confute this fond conceit; for what I said of the animal spirits before, is applicable with all ease and fitness to this present case; and let it be sufficient that I advertise you so much, and so be excused from the repeating of the same things over again.  
It remains therefore that we conclude, That that which impresses Spontaneous Motion upon the body or more immediately upon the animal spirits: That which imagines, remembers, and reasons, is an immaterial substance, distinct from the body, which uses the animal spirits and the brain for Instruments in such and such operations. And thus we have found a spirit in a proper notion and signification, that hath apparently these faculties in it, it can both understand and move corporeal matter.  
And now this prize that we have won will prove for our design in this new Method of physic and Philosophy of very great consequence; for it is obvious here to observe that the soul of man is as it were {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a compendious statue of the Deity; her substance is a solid effigies of God; and therefore as with ease we consider the substance and motion of the vast Heavens on a little Sphere, or Globe, so we may with like facility contemplate the nature of the Almighty in this little Model of God, the soul of Man, enlarging to Infinity what we observe in ourselves when we transfer it unto God, as we do imagine these Circles which we view on the Globe, to be vastly bigger while we fancy them as described in the heavens.  
Wherefore we being assured of this, That there is a spiritual substance in ourselves, in which both these properties do reside, viz. of the understanding, and of moving the corporeal matter; let us but enlarge our minds so as to conceive as well as we can of a spiritual substance that is able to move & actuate all matter whatsoever, never so far extended, and after what way & manner soever it please, and that it hath not only the knowledge of this or that particular thing, but a distinct and plenary cognizance of all things; and we have indeed a very competent apprehension of the nature of the eternal and invisible God, who like the soul of man, does not indeed fall under sense, but does everywhere operate so, that his person is easily to be gathered from what is discovered by our outward senses.   

CHAP. V.  
Of Plants; that the mere motion of the matter may do something, yet it will not amount to the production of Plants. That it is no botch in Nature that some phenomena be the results of Motion, others of substantial forms. That beauty is not a mere fancy, and that the beauty and virtue of Plants is an Argument that they are made for the use of our bodies from an intellectual principle.  
HOW weak is Man if you consider his nature, what faculties he hath, and in what order he is in respect of the rest of the creatures? And indeed, though his body be but weak and disarmed, yet his inward abilities of Reason, and artificial contrivance, is admirable, both for finding out those secret Medicines which God prepared for the use of Man in the Bowels of the Earth, of Plants and Minerals.  
And first of Vegetables, where I shall touch only these four heads, their form and beauty, their seed, their signatures, and their great use, as well for medicines as sustenance; and that we may the better understand the advantage we have in this closer contemplation of the works of nature, we are in the first place to take notice of the condition of the substance, which we call matter, how fluid and slippery, and undeterminate it is of itself; or if it be hard, how unfit it is to be changed into any thing else; and therefore all things rot into a moisture before any thing can be generated of them, as we soften the wax before we set on the seal.  
Now therefore, unless we will be foolish, as because the uniform motion of the Air, or some more subtle corporeal Element, may so equally compress or bear against the parts of a little vaporous moisture, as to form it into round drops (as we see in the dew, and other experiments) and therefore because this more rude and general motion can do something, to conclude that it does all things; We must in all reason confess that there is an eternal Mind and virtue, whereof the matter is thus usefully formed and changed.  
But mere rude and undirected motion, because naturally it will have some kind of results, that therefore it will reach to such as plainly imply a wise contrivance of counsel, is so ridiculous a Sophism, as I have already intimated, that it is more fit to impose upon the inconsiderate souls of fool & children, then upon men of Mature Reason, and well exercised in Philosophy, or the grave and well practised, seraphically illuminated rosy Crucians. Admit that Rain, and Snow, and Wind, and Hail, and Ice, and Thunder, and Lightning, and a Star I mention for example, that may be let in amongst Meteors, by some called Hellens-star, and is well known at Sea; I have seen it melt Copper Vessels aboard a ship; it cometh of an heap of such vapours as are carried by violent cross Winds up from the Earth; and such like Meteors may be the products of heat and cold, or of the motion and rest of certain small particles of the matter; yet that the useful and beautiful contrivance of the Branches, Flowers, and Fruits of Plants should be so too, (to say nothing yet of Minerals, and the bodies of men) is as ridiculous and supine a collection, as to infer, That because mere heat and cold does soften and harden Wax, and puts it into some shape or other, that therefore this mere heat and cold, or Motion and Rest, without any Art and Direction, made the Silver Seal too, and graved upon it so curiously some coat of Arms, or the shape of some Bird or Beast, as an Eagle, a lion, &c. nay indeed this inference is more tolerable far than the other, these effects of Art being more easy, and less noble than those other of nature.  
Nor is it any deficiency at all in the Works of Nature, that some particular phenomena be but the easy results of that general motion communicated unto the matter from God; others the effects of more curious contrivance, or of the Divine Ar●, or Reason, (for such are the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, the Rationes Seminales) incorporated in the Matter, especially the Matter itself being in some sort vital, else it would not continue the motion that it is put upon, when it is occasionally this or the other way moved; and besides the Nature of God being the most perfect fullness of life that is possibly conceivable, it is very congruous that this outmost and remotest shadow of himself, be some way, though but obscurely vital: Wherefore things falling off by degrees from the highest perfection, it will be no uneven or unproportionable step, if descending from the top of this utmost Creation, Man, in whom there is a more fine conception, or reflexive Reason, which hangs on, as every man hath so much experience as to have seen the Sun, and other visible objects by reflection in the Water and Glasses; and this as yet shall be all I will say for this reason; I will give you more than I promised in the Contents, by four propositions concerning the nature of conceptions, and they shall be proved; and also of the main deception of sense, that Colour and Image may be there where the thing seen is not: But because it may be said, That notwithstanding the Image in the Water be not in the object, but a thing merely fantastical, yet there may be colours really in the thing itself, I will urge further this experience, That divers times men see directly the same object double, as two Candles for one, which may happen from distemper, or otherwise without distemper if a man will; the Organs being either in their right temper, or equally distempered, the colours and images in two such characters of the same thing, cannot be inherent therein, because the thing seen cannot be in two places.  
One of these Images therefore is not inherent in the Object but the seeing, the Organs of the sight are then in equal temper or distemper, the one of them is no more inherent than the other, and consequently, neither of them both are in the Objects, which is the first proposition mentioned in the precedent number.  
Secondly, that the Image of any thing by reflection in a glass, or water, or the like, is not any thing in, or behind the glass, or in, or under the Water, every man may grant to himself; which is the second proposition of Des. For thirdly We are to consider, first, That every great agitation or concussion of the brain (as it happeneth from a stroke, especially if the stroke be upon the eye) whereby the optic Nerve suffereth any great violence, there appeareth before the Eyes a certain light, which light is nothing without, but an apparition only; all that is real being the concussion or motion of the parts of the Nerve; from which experience we may conclude, That apparition of light is really nothing but motion within. If therefore from Lucid bodies there can be derived motion, so as to affect the optic Nerve in such manner as is proper thereunto, there will follow an Image of light somewhere in that line by which the motion was last derived to the eye, that is to say, In the object, if we look directly on it, and in the Glass or Water, when we look upon it in the line of reflection, which in effect is the third proposition, namely, That image and colour is but an apparition to us of that motion, agitation, or alteration, which the object worketh in the brain or spirits, or some internal substance in the head.  
But that from all lucid, shining, and illuminate bodies, there is a motion produced to the eye, and thorough the eye, to the optic Nerve and so into the Brain, by which the apparition of light or colour is effected, is not hard to prove. And first, it is evident that the Fire, the only lucid body here upon Earth, worketh by motion equally every way, insomuch as the motion thereof stopped or enclosed, it is presently extinguished, and no more fire. And further, That that motion whereby the fire worketh, is dilation and contraction of itself alternately, commonly called Scintillation, or glowing, is manifest also by experience; from such motion in the fire must needs arise a rejection, or casting from itself off that part of the medium which is contiguous to it, whereby that part also rejecteth the next, and so successively one part beateth back another to the very eye, and in the same manner the exterior part of the eye presseth the interior, (the Laws of refraction still observed.) Now the interior coat of the eye is nothing else but a piece of the optic Nerve, and therefore the motion is still continued thereby into the Brain, and by resistance or reaction of the Brain, is also a rebound into the optic Nerve again, which we not conceiving as motion or rebound from within, do think it is without, and call it Light, as hath been already showed by the experience of a stroke: We have no reason to doubt that the Fountain of Light, the Sun, worketh by any other ways than the Fire, at least in this matter; and thus all vision hath its original from such motion as is here described; for where there is no light, there is no sight; and therefore colour must be the same thing with light, as being the effect of the lucid bodies, their difference being only this, That when the light cometh directly from the Fountain to the eye, or indirectly by reflection from clean and polite bodies, and such as have not any polite bodies, and such as have not any particular motion internal to alter it, we call it light; but when it cometh to the eye by reflection from uneven, rough, and course bodies, or such as are affected with internal motion of their own that may alter it, than we call it Colour; colour and light differing only in this, that the one is pure, and the other perturbed light; by that which hath been said, not only the truth of the third proposition, but also the whole manner of producing light and colour, is apparent.  
As colour is not inherent in the object, but an effect thereof upon us, caused by such motion in the object as hath been described; so neither is sound in the thing we hear, but in ourselves; one manifest sign thereof, is, That as man may see, so also he may hear double & treble by multiplication of echoes, which echoes are sounds as well as the Original; and not being in one and the same place, cannot be inherent in the body that maketh them; nothing can make any thing which is not in itself; the Clapper of a Bell hath no sound in it, but motion, and maketh motion in the internal parts of the Bell; so the Bell hath motion and not sound, that imparteth motion to the air; and the air hath motion, but not sound; the air imparteth motion by the ear and nerve unto the Brain; and the Brain hath motion, but not sound; from the Brain it reboundeth back into the Nerves outward, and thence it becometh an Apparition without, which we call sound; And to proceed to the rest of the senses, it is apparent enough, that the smell and taste of the same thing are not the same to every man, and therefore are not in the thing smelled or tasted, but in the men; so likewise the heat we feel from the fire is manifestly in us, and is quite different from the heat which is in the fire; for our heat is pleasure or pain, according as it is great or moderate; but in the cool there is no such thing: By this the last is proved, viz. that as in vision, so also in Conceptions that arise from other senses, the subject of their inherence is not in the object, but in the Sentinent; And from hence also it followeth that whatsoever accidents or qualities our senses make us think there be in the world, they be not there, but are seeming and apparitions only; the things that really are in the world without us, are those motions by which these seemings are caused; and this is the great deception of sense, which also is to be by sense corrected: for as sense telleth me when I see directly, that the colour seemeth to be in the object; so also sense telleth me when I see by reflection, that colour is in the object. But now I am out of the way from the outward Creation of Man, in whom there is a principle of more fine and reflexive reason, which hangs on, though not in that manner, in the more perfect kind of Brutes, as sense also (loath to be curbed with too narrow compass) lays hold upon some kind of plants, as in those sundry sorts of Zoophyta, but in the rest there are no further footsteps discovered of an animadversive form abiding in them; yet there be the effects of an inadvertent form ({non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}) of materiated or incorporated Art or seminal Reason; I say it is no uneven jot to pass from the more faint and obscure example of Spermatical life, to the more Considerable effects of general Motion in minerals, metals, nor yet to say any thing of the Medicines extracted, mortified, fixed, dissolved and incorporated with their proper Veagles, because we have intended it our last business to return to minerals, metals, and sundry Meteors, whose easy and rude shapes have no need of any particular principle of life, or Spermatical form distinct from the rest, or motion of the particles of the matter.  
But there is that curiosity of form and beauty in the more noble kind of Plants, bearing such a sutableness and harmony with the more refined sense and sagacity of the soul of Man, that he cannot choose (his intellectual touch being so sweetly gratified by what it deprehends in such like objects,) but acknowledge that some hidden cause much akin to his own nature that is intellectual, is the contriver and perfecter of these so pleasant spectacles in the world.  
Nor is it at all to the purpose to object that this business of Beauty and comeliness of proportion is but a conceit, because some men acknowledge no such thing, and all things are alike handsome to them, who yet notwithstanding have the use of their eyes as well as other folks; for I say, this rather makes for what we aim at, that Pulchritudo is conveyed indeed by the outward senses unto the soul, but a more intellectual faculty is that which relishes it; as an astrological, or better, a geometrical scheme is let in by the eyes, but the Demonstration is discerned by Reason: And therefore it is more rational to affirm, that some intellectual principle was the Author of this Pulchritude of things, then that they should be thus fashioned without the help of that principle: And to say there is no such thing as Pulchritude, and some say, there is no way to felicity; The first, I answer, is because some men's souls are so dull and stupid. And the second is that they never knew The way to bliss, The first cannot relish all objects alike in that respect; The second knows not Happiness, nor the way to long life, nor the means to Health, nor how to return from Age to Youth, &c. which is as absurd and groundless as to conclude there is no such thing as Reason and Demonstration, because a natural fool cannot reach unto it. But that there is such a thing as The way to Bliss, Long life, and a certain way to Health, not as yet known in England, I will demonstrate in a Treatise by itself; The way to Health I shall show you anon in this book, the rest in another Part, as I promised you.  
Now that there is such a thing as Beauty, and that it is acknowledged by the whole generations of men, to be in Trees, flowers and fruits, and the adorning of buildings in all Ages, is an example, and undeniable testimony; for what is more and ordinary with them then taking in flowers and fruitage for the garnishing of their work? Besides I appeal to any man that is not sunk into so forlorn a pitch of Degeneracy; that he is as stupid to these things as the basest of Beasts, whether for example, a rightly cut Tetrae●rum, cube or Icosa●drum, have no more pulchritude in them, than any rude broken s●one lying in the field or highways; Or to name other solid Figures which though they be not regular properly so called, yet have a settled Idea, & Nature, as a Cone, Sphere, or Cylinder, whether the sight of these do not gratify the minds of men more, and pretend to more elegancy of shape, than those rude cuttings or chippings of freestone that fall from the Masons hands, and serve for nothing but to fill up the middle of the wall, and so to be hid from the eyes of Man for their ugliness: And it is observable, That if Nature shape any thing near this Geometrical accuracy, that we take notice of it with much content and pleasure, as if it be but exactly round, as there be abundance of such stones upon Mesque, a hill in Arabia, I have seen them there, or ordinarily Quinquangular, or have the sides but parallels, though the Angles be unequal, as is seen in some little stones, and in a kind of alabaster found here in England, and other pretty stones found upon Bulverton-hill near Sidmouth in Devonshire; and near Stratford upon Avon, and in times' Grove at Colton in Warwickshire, are found such stones that grow naturally carved with various works, some with Roses, others with lions, Eagles, and all manner of delightful works; These stones I say, gratify our sight, as having a nearer cognation with the soul of man that is rational and intellectual, and therefore is well pleased when it meets with any outward object that fits and agrees with those congenite Ideas her own nature is furnished with: For Symmemetry, Equality, and Correspondency of parts, is the discernment of Reason, not the object of sense, as I have in another place proved.  
Now therefore it being evident, that there is such a thing as Beauty, Symmetry and Comeliness of proportion, (to say nothing of the delightful mixture of colours, and that this is the proper object of the Understanding and Reason; for these things be not taken notice of by the Beasts) I think I may safely infer, that whatsoever is the first and principal cause of changing the fluid and undeterminated Matter into shapes so comely and symmetrical, as we see in flowers and trees, is an understanding Principle, and knows both the nature of man, and of those objects he offers to his sight in this outward and visible world, and would have man search and find out those secrets by the which he might keep his body in health many hundreds of years, and at last find the way to Bliss; for these things cannot come by chance, or by a Multiranious attempt of the parts of the matter upon themselves, for than it were likely that the species of things though some might hit right, yet most would be maimed and ridiculous; but now there is not any ineptitude in any thing which is a sign that the fluidness of the matter is guided and determined by the overpowering counsel of an eternal mind.  
If it were not needless, I might instance in sundry kinds of flowers herbs and trees; but these objects being so obvious, and every man's fancy being brauched with the remembrance of Roses, Marigolds, Gelliflowers, Pionies, Tulips, pansies, Primroses, the leaves and clusters of the Vine &c. Of all which you must confess that there is in them beauty and symmetry, and use in physic, and grateful proportion; I hold it superfluity to weary you with any longer induction, but shall pass on to those considerations behind, of their seed, signaure and usefulness, and shall pass through them very briefly, and then I shall come to mineral Medicines, these observables being very necessary first to be known by way of an Introduction, and as ordinary and easily Intelligible.   

CHAP. VI.  
Of the Seeds and Signatures of Plants, and wherefore GOD made them.  
EVery plant hath its seed; rosy Crucians therefore say there are secret Mysteries lie hidden in them, which should be our delight to find out; for Divine Providence made all good for the use of man: And this being no necessary result of the motion of the matter, as the whole contrivance of the plant indeed is not; and it being of great consequence that they have Seed for the continuance of propagation of their whole Species, and for the gratifying of man's Art also, industry and necessity, (for much of Husbandry and Gardening lies in this) it cannot but be the Act of Counsel to furnish the several kinds of Plants with their Seeds, especially the Earth being of such a nature that though at first for a while it might bring forth all manner of Plantts, (as some will have it also to have brought forth all kinds of Animals) yet at last it would grow so sluggish, that without the advantage of those small compendious principles of generation, the Grain of Seed would yield no such births, no more than a Pump grown dry will yield any Water, unless you pour a little Water into it first, and then for so many basins full, you may fetch up as many Tankards full.  
Nor is it material to object that stinking Weeds, and poisonous Plants bear Seed too, as well as the most pleasant and useful; for even those stinking Weeds, and poisonous Plants have their use in rosy Crucian physic, as you shall know hereafter; besides our common Physick-Mongers often use them as their Fancy guides them, grounded upon no other reason then woeful and deadly experience; sometimes the industry of man is exercised by them to weed them out where they are hurtful, which reasons if they seem slight, let us but consider, that if human industry had nothing to conflict and struggle with, the fire of man's spirit would behalf extinguished in the flesh, and then we shall acknowledge that that which I have alleged is not so contemptible nor invalid.  
But secondly, Who knows but it is so with poisonous Plants, as vulgarly is fancied concerning Toads, and other poisonous Serpents that lick the Venom from off the Earth? So poisonous Plants may well draw to them all the malign Juice and nourishment, that the other may be more pure and defaecate, as there are Recepticles in the body of man, and Emunctories to drain them of superfluous Choler and Melancholy, &c.  
Lastly, It is very well known by them that know any thing in Nature and physic, That those Herbs that the rude and ignorant would call Weeds, are the materials of very sovereign Medicines, that Aconitum Hyemale, or Winter wolf's bane, that otherwise is rank poison, is reported to prevail mightily against the biting of Vipers, Scorpions, and mad dogs, which Sir Christopher Heydon assenteth unto; and that that plant that bears death in the very Name of it, Solanum Lethiferum, prevents death by procuring sleep, if it be ayplyed in a Fever; nor are those things to be deemed unprofitable, say the rosy Crucians, whose use our heavy ignorance will not let us understand; but they will teach us as followeth.  
We come now to the signatures of plants, which indeed respects us more properly and adaequately then the other, and is a Key (as rosy Crucians say) to enter man into the knowledge and use of the Treasures of nature; I demand therefore, Whether it be not a very easy and Genuine inference from the observing that several herbs are marked with some mark or sign that intimates their virtue, what they are good for; and there being such a creature as man in the World that can read & understand these signs and characters, hence to collect that the Author both of man and them, knew the nature of them both; and besides divine providence would only initiate and enter mankind in the useful knowledge of her Treasures by the Seraphical illuminated rosy Crucians, leaving the rest to employ the vulgar that they might not be idle; for the theatre of the World is an exercise of man's wit, and therefore all things are in some measure obscure and intricate; that the sedulity of that divine spark, the soul of man, may have matter of conquest and triumph, when he hath done bravely by a superadvenient assistance of God.  
But that there be some plants that bear a very evident signature of their nature and use, for example, Capillus veneris, Politrichon, or maidenhair; the lie in which it is sodden or infused, is good to wash the head, and make the hair grow in those places that are bare; the decoction of Quinces, which are a downy and hairy Fruit, is accounted good for the fetching again hair that hath been fallen by the French Pox; the Leaf of Balm and Alleluia, or Wood-Sorrel, as also the roots of Anthora, represent the heart in figure, and are Cordiacal.  
Walnuts bear the whole signature of the head; the outward green Cortex answers to the Pericranium, and a Salt made of it is singular good for Wounds in that part, as the Kernel is good for the Brains, which it resembles.  
Vmbelicus Veneris is powerful to provoke lust, as Doctor Culpepper affirms; as also your several sorts of Satyrions, which have the evident resemblance of the genetal parts upon them; Aron especially, and all your Orchisses, that they have given Names unto, from some beast or other, as Cynosorchis, Orchis Miodes, Tragorchis, &c. the last whereof notoriorious for its Goatish smell, and Tufts not unlike the Beard of that Lecherous Animal, is of all the rest the most powerful incentive to lust.  
The Leaves of Hypericon are very thick pricked, or pointed with little holes, and it is a singular good Wound-herb, as useful also for de-obstructing the pores of the body.  
Scorpioides, Echium, or scorpion's grass, is like the crooked tail of a Scorpion; and Ophioglossum, or adder's Tongue, hath a very plain and perfect resemblance of the Tongue of a Serpent; as also Ophioscorodon of the entire head and upper-parts of the body; and these are all held very good against poison, and the biting of Serpents; and generally all such plants as are speckled with spots like the Skins of Vipers, or other venomous creatures, are known to be good against the stings or bitings of them, and are powerful objects against poison.  
Thus did divine providence by natural hieroglyphics, read short Lectures to the rude wit of vulgar man; others of the Seraphically illuminated Fraternity, being entered, and sufficiently experienced of these, found out the rest, it being very reasonable that other herbs that had not such signatures, might be very good for Medicinal uses, as well as they that had.  
rosy Crucians have quickened and actuated their phlegmatic natures to more frequent and effectual venery; for their long lives health, & youthfulness, shows they were not very fiery, to say nothing of their happiness, riches, wisdom and virtue, because I have in my Treatise of The way to bliss, spoken of it largely.   

CHAP. VII.  
Of the usefulness of Plants, and of the Works of God.  
YOu shall now briefly take notice of the usefulness & profitableness of plants both for physic and Food, and then pass on to the consideration of the inspired rosy Crucians, what their Medicines are: As for the common uses of Plants, Herbals teach you something; but I refer you to the singular Medicines of rosy Crucians in my Book of The way to bliss for the salvation of your health, Animals know as much by instinct and nature; and that which is most observable here, is this, That brute Beasts know as much as many Physicians do that are taught by Herbals only; and these deny the power of God in the Works of Nature, and the power of Nature in the skill of man, that it should be impossible to make Trees bear fruit in December, and appletrees to grow to blossom, and bear Apples contrary to kind in March.  
Beasts have knowledge in the virtue of Plants as well as men, for the Toad being overcharged with the poison of the Spider, (as is well known) hath recourse to the Plantane-Leaf. The Weasel when she is to encounter the Serpent, arms herself with eating of Rue. The Dog when he is sick at the stomach, knows his cure, falls to his grass, vomits, and is well. The Swallows make use of Celandine, the jennet of Euphragia for the repairing of their sight. And the Ass when he is oppressed with melancholy, eats of the Herb Asplenium, or Miltwast & so eases himself of the swelling of the spleen. The Raven makes use of Cinquefoyle for the prolongation of his life to sometimes six or sevenhundred years; and therefore I think it is that the rosy Crucians prescribe the oil of Ravens, Swallows, and hearts for the use of man to anoint himself, to continue his flesh and well-complexioned body from wrinkles and lameness; and Dictamnum Cretense is much used, as I told you in my Wise man's Crown; Cretian Dittany cures Wounds of what nature soever.  
Which thing I conceive no obscure indigation of providence; for they doing that by instinct and Nature, which men who have free Reason cannot but acknowledge to be very pertinent and fitting, nay such that the skilfullest Physician will approve and allow; and these creatures having no such reason and skill themselves as to turn Physicians, it must needs be concluded by virtue of that principle that contrived them, and made them of that Nature they are, enabled them also to do these things.  
Let us now consider the Fruits of the Trees, where I think it will appear very manifestly, That there was one worker of Miracles, and inspirer of rosy Crucians; I might now reach out to Exortick-Plants, such as the Cinamon-Tree, the balsam-tree, and the Tree that bears the Nutmeg, invelopped the Mace; as also the famous Indian Nut-Tree, which at once (as the rosy Crucians say) affords almost all the necessaries of life; for if they cut but the Twigs at Evening, there is a plentiful and pleasant Juice comes out, which they receive into Bottles, and drink instead of Wine, and out of which they extract such an Aquae Vitae as is very sovereign against all manner of sicknesses, the branches and boughs they make their Houses of, and the body of the tree being very spongy within, though hard without, they easily contrive into the frame and use of their Canoes, or boats. the Kernel of the Nut serves them for bread and meat, and the Shells for Cups to drink in; and indeed they are not mere empty Cups, for there is found a delicious cooling milk in them; besides there is a kind of hemp that encloses the Nut, of which they make Ropes and Cables, and of the finest of it, sails for their ships; and the Leaves are so hard and sharp pointed, that they easily make Needles or Bodkins of them for stitching their sails, and for other necessary purposes; and that Providence may show herself benign as well as wise, this so notable a Plant is not restrained to one coast of the World as the East-Indies, but is found in Africa, Arabia, and in all the Islands of the West-Indies, as Hispaniola, Cuba, where our men are victorers; and several other places of the new-found World.  
But I thought fit to insist upon these things by way of introduction, but to contain myself within the compass of such objects as are necessary for our knowledge, and familiarly and ordinarily before our eyes, that we may the better (these things understood) take occasion from thence to demonstrate the rosy Crucian way to health, and their ordinary Medicines which to us are not as yet known.   

CHAP. ix..  
The rosy Crucian way how to get health; The causes why we eat food; Of the first nature of the World; A measure of raw and temperate meat, and the cause of the fiery, and soummy Gall and needless muddy bowels the melt; nature careless of making the reins of Urine drawers, drinkless animals have none at all; how to cleanse yourself from these idle Bowels and avoid all diseases.  
DO you not consider the weakness of man, what faculties he hath, and in what order he is in respect of the rest of the creatures; rosy Crucians observe though his body be weak and disarmed, yet his inward abilities of reason, and artificial contrivance is admirable; he is much given to search out the medicinal virtues of Plants, Wights, and minerals, and hath found out those that were of so present and great consequence as to be Antidotes against poison that would so quickly have dispatched mankind, it were good for us to demonstrate the rosy Crucian Medicines, now our land is afflicted with a sickness called the new disease, of which all sorts die, without remedy, for none as yet have prescribed a Medicine, for young men that desire to live, and for old men that wish for health, without which no life is sweet and savoury, then let us bend ourselves to cure our brethren first, and endeavour to show the means (besides the common Collegian Doctors drenches, or Culpeper's way, how every man may get and keep his health, that is something strange but a vowed truth; the consent & equal (I mean agreeable to kind) temper & dulling our four first beginnings, the staff of our bodies, for if this knot be broken, & they loose towards their former liberty, they wax proud and strong, and fight, for their nature is together by the ears, and put us to pain, and lets the rule of nature, and this they call the disease.  
Then to handle one at once as our manner is, and will keep our custom still, to keep our health and body in temper, seems no such matter to me as the world would make it, even plainly impossible, when I know all the ways and entries to let in diseases and distempers of the body, may by small heed be stopped and fenced.  
We must needs draw breath and eat meat; for the cause I shall speak of it in its place; and as this is not all clear and agreeable, so nature hath her leavings; and again labour and rest are needful, and perhaps we cannot choose but be moved in mind with joy, grief, fear, hope, and such like passions, though the Stoic deny necessity, saith Des.  
By so many ways and gat●s diseases may enter, if they be not well watced and looked unto, which may be done in reason, and hath been done often, as they assure us that have lived long without all disease and sicknesses, as John Harding relates of a Minister called John Macklaine to have continued for these fourscore years' last past together in health, & after his hair, teeth, eyes & flesh renewed, & became young again, & such like stories are to be found enough if we might stay to seek them; some are contented for all but air and meat, but these say they have often seeds of diseases lie hid in them unable to be foreseen or prevented, as we find those meats that make the finest show, (as Wine and Sugar) and such enticing baits, to have hid in them most hateful diseases and dregs in the bottom; so the air when it seems the best and highest, yet is sometimes infected and poisoned with venomous breath sent out and thrust into it either from below or from the scars of Heaven, and as the cause is hidden and unknown to us, so the hurt impossible to be avoyed and prevented.  
If I list to let my speech run at large, especially in other men's grounds, I could find that that Division is false, first, (to come to meat anon) and then if it were true, yet the cause of that infection not unable to be foreseen and warded; but I am so sorry for the fault above, that I can the better take heed hereafter; yet methinks it is a grief to hear the harmless and glorious divine things above so defaced with slander, and no man makes answer for them.  
Gentle Reader, be pleased to stay a little; If the Stars have no light, and so no power but from the Sun, that most wholesome and prosperous creature, than they hurt him most wrongfully, and reprove themselves very rightly. And again, if they be but a piece of the finer part; and first nature, as it were, of the World, as I have showed in my Book of the The Wise man's Crown, than they be the wholsomest things in the World; so far be they from poisoned slander: And so let their Lights be never so grossly mingled in their meetings, and thereby that state of the Weather changed suddenly, and from thence our body's troubled and turned into Diseases, because they were not prepared and made ready for it, yet the things are good and prosperous; and by knowledge of Astrology, or influences of the Planets, and races of the stars, we may prepare ourselves, and prevent all, if we cannot have that happiness to converse with our Guardian Genius. Now for lower reflection, it is not worth the answering when there is so much waste ground in the World; then let us pass over to that other Breach; may we not shun the leaving baits in our diet, and take such meat as is most temperate and near our Nature, and then dress the same after the most kindly and wholesome manner, seasoning it well with labour, mirth and sleep?  
And to be plain, I have showed in another Treatise of mine, entitled, The way to bliss, so much noted by our Writers, what a jewel of health it were to use all raw & temperate meat, or because we be wise & virtuous, and this diet would perhaps change our Nature of fire, but like Philosophers, a quite contrary way; taking the best, when as none is lost, and leaving the worst, which is that we now take, a Way I say, to strip of all grossness and foulness of bodies, the only hurt of themselves, and is the Food of all Diseases.  
I will tell you another way which you will think strange, but you shall find it true; if the meat be temperate, as I bid you choose it, there is no hurt can come thereby, (if you keep measure in yourselves) save from your leavings; these in so clear a diet first will be very few; but if you would be ruled by my Counsel which Nature taught me, those few should never hurt you.  
Of all the Leavings in the body, there are three which the liver maketh most troublesome unto us, (for the rest are easily dispatched) a light and easy, or rather a fiery (as some call) choler; a cold and heavy mud, called melancholy; and the third is urine, which I will treat of in the next Chapter but those two the worser, and this fault is not in themselves, but all by reason of the needless and hurtful bowels in our bodies, (as the seedsman useth to sow good and bad together) which being of the same kind and quality with those humours, do draw and pull them still unto them (as all other parts and things do) for their Food and nourishment and so by the narrow passages to and fro, their greediness in pulling and holding, and a hundred such means, subject to great mischances, have brought in as many mischiefs, whereas Nature the great expeller of her unlike, and Enemies, if she had free choice and liberty, would otherwise with case, and without hurt, expel those Leavings, especially so small a number of the better sort in so clean a diet; nay, set the malice of those parts, (those parts are Melt-Gall, and Reins) if there be not sufficient store of other soul meat at hand, like a poisoned or a purging Medicine, they use to draw good Juices, and to make Food of them; what is not manifested in this chapter, shall methodically be demonstrated in the ensuing, for I intend to be serious in this part of my Book, and will show you what Nature taught me.   

CHAP. X.  
Rosy Crucian Medicines made plain by examples, and those are above controlment; That the wet sunbeams declare some fine and foreign fatness to nourish mankind. How to live twenty years without Food, as many creatures do. Use and Custom a second Nature: The Bird called Manuda Diaoa, and the singing Dog, and Camelian that never eat food. An experienced Medicine, and how to apply it, Paracelse, and the rosy Crucian new Art of Healing.  
OF Aristotle it is reported, That he is the witty spy of Nature, and as if he had been made in this matter, he shows the need and use of the greater entrails and Bowels of Wights, and saith very truly and wisely, The Heart and Liver as the spring of Life and Food, to be needful for all wights, adding to the hotter one, the Brain to cool, and the Lights to cleanse the Heat, staying there as if he thought the other three unprofitable; nay for one of them in the same Book, (I say) telling the stories of the Hart and Camel, and giving the reason why they be both so swift, healthful, long-lived and other good properties above the rest enfeoffed, vouched in plain terms, the want of the fiery and scummy Gall, as a great Enemy to them, for the Melt that muddy Bowel, that it may be left out as needless in the bodies of the better creatures. The Meadows near Cortinae and Muggadore declare when by a strange and hidden virtue they bereave the Beasts thereof that graze upon them of it; the Herb is called Asplenium; as I told you in the preceding Chapters, nay, that the Milt is not only idle, but hurtful, which all experience, even in ourselves hath taught it.  
The Turks light Footmen, (I say, which I know not by what example unless it were the want of the same in the Camel, making the Beast able to travel an hundred miles a day, and so without drink fifteen days together) being in their childhood purged of their Milt, prove thereby the most light, swift, sound and lasting Footmen in the World.  
As for the veins of Urine-drawers, as drinkless creatures have none at all, so some men have but one of them, as if nature passed not to make any at all; if we could forbear our drink (as these Beasts do by kind, and some men by custom) we might the better spare them, and avoid many mischiefs in our bodies.  
Therefore the odd man, Paracelsus, I know not by what light, if not of the rosy Cross, (cast in I think from seraphical illumination) not only sees these faults, but also finds ways to amend them, and to cut the mischiefs off all these three noisome parts, not with any yielding Craft, but with rosy Crucian divine kind of Healing, with Aurum protabile, &c. so that to avoid all diseases that spring of the Leavings, take of Aurum potabile, one ounce; one pound of the oil of Ravens; two pound of Miltwast, or Asplenium; a handful of Cinkefoyle, of Dictamnum Cretense, Ophioglossum and Scorpioides, Echium, of each a like quantity, and observe the Ascendent, and his Lord; and the Moon, and Lord of the sixt, at your discretion, and take the quantity of a Walnut every night and morning, and anoint the face & hands, & (if you will) the rest of the body: rosy Crucians have other healing and yielding Medicines, you shall know them in their places; this is such an experienced Medicine, that you know where to find it; I need not show you to put out the sway and power of these idle bowels, or perhaps it should not need, and in a stock that easeth our clean diet Nature herself as she doth in those Meadows by other creatures would also quite raze and dispatch them within a few generations.  
But I will go further, Hear a rosy Crucian new and unheard of opinion, and yet let not your judgement run, before you see good reason; What if we could fast for ever, and live without all food? might not all hurt and danger of meat be then forestalled? if other Creatures, whose life hangeth upon the same hold, by the sufferance, nay by the commandment of God and Nature, do last for ever, there is no Reason but the same common Nature will at last suffer it in us; Let us see. And to step over the chameleon, because it is a Cold and bloodless Creature; what say we to a Bird, which is an hot and perfect one? a bird in the Molucco Islands, Manuda Diaca by name, that hath no feet at all, no more than an ordinary fish, as Mr. Moor saith, and I have seen her; the bigness of her body and bill, as likewise the form of them, is much what of a Swallows, but the spreading out of her wings and Tail has no less compass than an Eagles; she lives and breeds in the air, born up by the force of wind with more ease than Archytas his Dove, and comes not near the earth but for her Burial; for the largeness and lightness of her wings and tail sustain her without Lassitude, and the laying of her eggs and brooding of her young is upon the back of the Male, which is made hollow, as also the breast of the Female, for the more easy incubation, taking no other food, as alas how should she? then there is found: but whether she lives merely of the dew of Heaven, or of flies and such like infects, I leave to others to dispute.  
Nay, have you not heard of the Little Dog in the West Indies, which singeth so sweetly all the night long, neither night nor day eating any thing? But there be examples in our kind as well, than it is certain above controlment: Sir Christopher Heydon saith there is a Mouthless and so a meatless people or kind of men about the head of Ganges, which liveth by the breath of their Nostrils, except when they take a far journey, they mend their Diet with the smell of flowers: and lest you may think I lean upon bare Authorities without the stay of reason, all the matter rests upon this reason I told you before, that our life lay in the hand (beside a little exercise) of two like meats, one for the Soul and Natural heat which is within us, and the finest and first moisture in our body, the others is without any meat, of the same Temper with our body as near as may be; to uphold the frame and building of the same which I said to be a fine airy and Fiery flame.  
And we are now grown so out of order, and so much estranged from our Etherial first Moisture and the life of God, that we creep downward towards the Earth through diseases, before we can reach the Life of the Vehicle; within sixscore years we die, and are hidden from the sensible approach of renewing life.   

CHAP. XI.  
Of Nature and her medicines experienced by rosy Crucians, and of the occult virtue of Mysteries; of the healing and consuming medicines and of their use; of the Gout, leprosy, dropsy and Falling Sickness, &c.  
NOW the air itself, especially when it is ever more as the wet Sunbeams declare, so sprinkled with some Fine foreign fatness, may seem sufficient food to nourish the finer part of our Frame, wherein the temper of mankind, and his life (touching that point) standeth, which is as much as any meat can do to life, (for it is not fed by common food, as I said above) though not enough for strength, because the grosser, sounder, and tougher parts wherein the strength lieth, shall want food in this diet, and fail no doubt greatly, yet life shall last still, as long as air and first moisture holds, in my opinion: or if we think that so spare a Diet, we may mend it (as the mouthless people do) with smell of Flowers: or rather, as we know Nature is able to draw air and other food which she desireth through the skin into all places of the body; so if she had meat applied to the stomach, she would no doubt satisfy herself that way most finely, without the heap of hurts let in at the broad and common gates, as we see by example for Drink, that all the while we sit in Water we shall never thirst▪ And for meat, I have heard rosy Crucians say, by applying of wine in this sort they fasted without all hunger for two years together.  
And in like manner I have experienced this, and fasted two days when I first studied the nature of the Guardian Genii: But if that would not serve the turn, and we must needs receive in meat at the common gate, yet we may let it pass no further than the gate, and make the stomach in the mouth, which is the use of some rosy Crucians when they are Seraphically illuminated; and to provide enough for life and strength, and a great deal better for our health, than we do, because the clearer part alone should be received, And moreover I say, for the clear dispatch of that our ordinary trouble and annoyance which your reverence will not suffer me to name, although I might among Physicians, but they know my meaning: But it shall not need to steal shifts and holds if you will believe the rosy Crucians, that we may easily fast all our life (though it be three hundred years together) without all kind of meat, and so cut off all doubts and dangers of diseases thereof springing; and for my own part, I know some that have fasted and lived in the holy orders of the Fraternity without all food ten years' space together. What need we say more? if you be both so hard of belief, and dull of sight, and reports of good Authors, nor my own experience will sink into you, nor yet can you see the light of reason shining before you, take here a few of ordinary matters in the life and use of men, and weigh one with another; is it not as common in use, and indeed needful, to spit, and avoid another nameless leaving? and to Drink but to sleep especially? If some of these, nay all may be spared, why not our meat also? let us see a little, and by example, because Reason is both too long and too open to cavil.  
To leave drink, which many have all their lives left; Elizabeth Drewe, a Devonshire Gentlewoman, is reported never to have spat, nor the whole Indian Nation. Sr. John Heydon saith, he knew one that kept the nameless matter forty days together. And although this answereth not the question, yet it showeth the truth of the former Holy Story, for if in so foul and gross a thing as diet is, he could so long want it, why not these men for ever, in so clear and fine adiet, almost empty and void of all leavings? For the grosser sort, which make up this foul and shameful one we left before, as you heard, and the finer in the passage from the Stomach through the former Gates were drawn all away to the Liver, as the like is ever in us and voided otherways. To close up all, I was at Sea with one that slept not one wink for these three years' last past, and Mr. John Knotsford is a Witness to this truth, and Capt. Windsor.  
And thus we see these strange things fall our in proof, but how I cannot stand to show: First, nature suffers them, than use and custom another Nature brings them in, yet we may well believe the like in this matter of meat we have in hand; For as the Bear (according to the guise of many Beasts that lurk in Winter) fasteth forty days, so Eugenius Theodidactus, the reported Rosy-crucian tells of a Scottish young man, David Zeamons, that waited on him, that by use brought himself to fast three days together, which by use might have been three hundred as well, if he had ordered himself thereafter by slow and creeping custom, as Captain Copeland calls it, and by such means as I set down before.  
So we see, I say, great worldly wonders prove plain and easy truths in the sight of wisdom: you have read of the wonderful works of God in the Acourate Structure of man's Body, of his Soul, of his Senses, of Plants, of Minerals; and rosy Crucian medicine shall be that which I will insist upon, and that by the means aforesaid (where are more than one, if this like them not, they may take another) it is possible for all men by kind and custom to keep their health for ever: Let us come to the next point, that is, as well to be recovered if it were lost, and that all diseases may be cured. This is a point much harder than the first, even so beset and stopped with all kind of lets and encumbrances, that a man can scarce tell which way to set his foot forwards. First appears Aesculapius, Hippocrates, and Plato, the chief among the Grecians, bearing in hand sundry diseases of both kinds (both come by descent, and gotten by purchase) hopeless and past recovery, and giving over the men that owe them, for troublesome to themselves and to the Commonwealth: Then you may see Galen, and his soft and fine Company with him, and that follow these are Gerard and Riverius, and Culpepper, and these with a long train of hedge-doctors; and among these stands Freeman, with Caterers, and Cooks, laden after them with all kind of dainty drugs, stand forth and Cry, they have these many ages devoured heaps of Books, and took endless pains in searching out the Nature of single Medicines, and making mixtures of the same, and yet could hardly cure some Agues, and other less diseases; But for the four great diseases, viz. the Gout, leprosy, dropsy, Falling Sickness, they could never heal them, and have therefore for Oracles set them down incurable.   

CHAP. XII.  
That the knowledge and virtue of Medicines are secretly hid from vulgar understanding: how they may be gotten: and of what lies couched in the Oil of Bodies: of the use, and how to fetch it out by Skill, the Haven of Medicine.  
What is left to be done in this Matter? what shall we set against the weight of so many great men's Authorities? Equally put them in the balance, as we have done hitherto, and weigh them with truth and reason: But where shall we find it? say they; As it is everywhere, as Mr. Hobbs said, drowned in the deep, so in this matter it is scattered all about, and largely spread withal; for there be three things, and every one full of under-Branches, belonging to the rosy Crucian Art and way of Healing; The first is knowledge of the Diseases, the second the remedies against them, and the third of the Appliance of the remedies, all which should be traversed in this Methodical mysterious Treatise: but it shall not need I hope, nay we must take heed how we enter into so long and large a race, in so short and narrow a compass of time appointed, especially being never run before by any man but ourselves, not one of the wise Egyptians, nor our ancestors, the holy Company of Moses and Elias, whose steps we strive to follow, and their successors; for when they have once hit the mark they have shot at, and gotten the great and general Medicine Caput mortuum A. P. curing with ease all diseases, they think it straight enough, and an empty and needless Labour, as it is indeed, to trouble themselves and their Children with large Rules about innumerable Signs and Causes of infinite diseases, and about other small particulars in appliance. Neither would I have you set Sendivogius, Paracelse, and their heirs upon me, and say they have taken great and goodly pains in this field; you will then force me to speak my thoughts.  
Though these men, (to let Philalethes, Vaughan, and Culpepper, Varlet, Freeman, and other Pretenders, with some scholars go, as too young and childish yet,) by great light of Wit wherewith they flowed, and by long proling both with eyes, ears, and hands, in the mysteries of Egypt, saw and performed many of the rosy Crucian deep secrets, yea and there got most of their worldly praise, although I think a number feigned, yet Paracelse his new Art and Rules of Healing are not good in my opinion; For first, against the example of the rosy crucians, from whom he had received all things, and then in despite and disgrace of Galen, for miscalling his Countrymen, as you have heard, but chiefly carried away with a mad and raging desire of Fame and Honour, which Culpepper always despised, yet the stars favoured him, when I assisted to set up that new, famous and strange work of physic, now well known and practised, which Paracelse when he took in hand, a man unfit to do it, to pull down and raze the old Work, and to set up our new experienced secret, which he could never do all his life.  
Then we see how it is performed, he sets down some false rules, some wast, idle, and some wanting, and all unconstant, disordered, and unlearned; when he doth well (as he doth sometime) he doth no more than was done before him, and brings in the same thing disguised with new, odd, cross, and unheard of names, such as may move wonder at the first, but when they be scanned, Laughter, as Mr. Moor saith of Eugenius Philalethes his like devices in his Aula Lucis Adamica Magica & Euphrates, and others of his Welsh philosophy. And that I do not slander them where there is no cause, I could prove, if this place would admit a Volume. Wherefore let us follow the true and right rosy Crucians, as easily you may know them by their actions, if ever you fortune to see them and be acquainted with them; and leave Paracelse, and the rest in this ill matter, and Light and Apish, as he makes it; and why should we spend all our care and thought about a small matter? you have a good Medicine and remedy against diseases, when old wives in the country, and some good Women, amongst other Dr. Culpeppers late wife, and Simple men, on our side (I mean Simple in respect of the Grecian subtleties about nothing) when these people have healed most, nay, even all diseases, and with which womanish Medicines indeed, the German doctor (let us give him his due praise) hath quite slain the Grecian physic, and here done much for mankind, by describing and dispatching our close and secret enemy, which under colour of friendship and fighting against our enemies hath this long time betrayed us and done us much mischief; which thing one of their best Captains of their State, Fernell by name, after he had been a while in Egypt, began to smell at last, and began to repent himself of all his former pains (which we know were great) bestowed in that kind of Healing, saying it to be but words, and the whole force and weight of this Art to lean upon the knowledge and virtues of Medicines, secretly hid and couched in the midst and oil of bodies, to be fetched out and gotten by the skilful means of alchemists; even so of that Art, which is so much condemned of his fellows before and since him, have fled and do daily fly from the daily toil and trouble of their fruitless and barren dead Sea: Now let us shift our sails, and fly further too, I hope of wind and tide and all; which we have.  
But let us mount up to the mainmast top of our Knowledge, and see if we can describe the Haven of rosy Crucian Medicines, and see what marks it hath, and how it differs from other Creeks adjoining, lest at our journey's end we miss, with more shame and grief, and suffer shipwreck. A medicine is that which kills the face of that which hurts us; and this it doth many ways, and yet also to one end (which is is the end of all doing and working as I said before) for his food and sustenance.   

CHAP. XIII.  
Medicines against Witchcraft, and to cure those that are afflicted thereby, although their bodies be possessed with evil spirits, that cause them to vomit up Needles, Thimbles, Pots, Glasses, Hair, and shreds of cloth, which by the devil were conveyed into the body. That Winds and Tempests are raised by Witches upon mere ceremonies of Medicines, and of poisons; with the examples also of other supernatural effects of unclean spirits, and of imagination. How to cure a Witch, and to take away her power.  
A Servant of God and Secretary of Nature, must be well advised of what he writes, especially in this age, and of this matter (viz.) of the rosy Crucian physic, lest he should, as I said before, fail in this design, and so it may be a shame that he should be reproved, by the pretenders to those wise truths he alone hath opened to public view; then let us come again and sort our speeches.  
A Medicine heals us, and kills our enemy, either by dulling or consuming it; for when it meets with a contrary of even strength (as when oil and poison &c. join) then in strength they neither eat up nor destroy one another, but both are dulled and weakened, and make one heavy thing which nature casteth out for an unlike and unkindly dead thing, which they call an excrement, or (Leaving;) but in case it be of more strength and power then our enemy, than it quite destroys, devours, and turns him into his own nature. And this consumer is either like the thing that hurts us, in which sort even as every herb of sundry qualities draws and feeds upon his own juice in a Garden; so one poison doth cure another, and all purging and drawing things do heal us, and all rosy Crucians hid and Divine properties do work by plain reason; or else it is unlike and contrary to their custom; after which manner as dry sticks, and Tow, and vinegar quench wild fire, or other Fat Fires, before water, whose fatness feeds it, for the strong contrary quality quelling and eating up the weaker; so doth any cold and dry thing as Bolearminick, Terra Lemnia, &c. cure a Rotten poison: and so are a great number of cures done; which only course, in a word, the rosy Crucians use for physic, and not indeed without good success; we heard even now of two hindrances of healing, which our common Physicians did take unawares, and Paracelse pretends to have found out before me, gave any hint to the World of our experienced inventions, of Gold dissolved and made potable, being incorporated with its proper veil, which we now use by the name of Aurum potabile; but Paracelse strayeth much in the making of it, and knows it not no more than that tattered Doctor Freeman, so shamefully called amongst Physicians: Whither in their poisons, on the other side, when they think all cures thereby performed.  
Now when the Consuming Medicines have done their duties, Nature expels them for poison and unlike strange things, according to the rosy Crucian Axiomata, as well as the Grecian Rules, because all their Medicines were not approved by the Fraternity, and were by their confession such: But if they had either thought of the dulling nourisher, which as I told you, takes the nature of the leaving or excrement, or had known the rosy Crucian wholesome Medicine, they would have made another reckoning; But let them go, and us see out in time towards the Haven of Health, If the Art of Healing be nothing but destroying hurtful things, And their stronger enemies (but equality will sometimes serve the turn) or likes together; and the world be full of both these kinds of Creatures, following the nature of their Parents of four beginnings, which are as we see, some like, and some contrary one to another.  
Then sure the rosy Crucian Art of Healing is not (as some may say) impossible, truly it wanteth nothing, but a man well skilled in the Nature of things, A servant of God, and Secretary of Nature by name; for (I think) I need not put in a Physician, to know what other part the Causes of the diseases, which must be known and matched, because as Sr. Christopher Heydon the Seraphically Illuminated rosy Crucian, and learned ginger, well saith, He that knoweth the changes and chances of things in the great World, may soon find them in the Little.  
But our nought-Healing billmen, that daub Medicines upon every Wall and Post, and some leeches, will step in, and say, diseases are in some so great, and in all so many, and man's wit is so weak and shallow, and the Medicines so hid and drowned in the deep of Nature, that it is not possible to find them all; or if they were found, to apply them with such discretion as Nature might abide those poisoned frays and battles within her. And again, admit all this untrue, yet there be some diseases sent from Witchcraft and Sorcery, and other means which have their cause, and so their Cure. I have read of some that have vomited uppieces of Cloth with Pins stuck in them, Nails, Needles, & such like stuff; and this is ingested into the Stomach, by the prestigious Sleights of Witches; Others I have seen vomit up Hair, Glass, Iron, and pieces of Wood with Pins stuck in it; another's corpse was dissected, and ripping up the Ventricle, there they found the Cause of the disease, which was a round piece of Wood, four Knives, some even and sharp, others were indented like a Saw. Others do Miracles by casting Flint-stones behind their Backs towards the West, or striking a River with Broom, or flinging of Sand in the Air, the stirring of Urine in a hole in the ground, or boiling of hogs Bristles in a pot; some by whispering some words in the Ear of an horse or wild stag, could direct him a journey according to their own desire. But what are these things available? to gather Clouds, and to cover the Air with darkness, and then to make the ground smoke with peals of Hail and Rain, and make the Air terrible with frequent Lightning and rattling Claps of Thunder: But this is from the power of the devil (as some fancy) which he hath in his kingdom of the Air.  
For the Remedy of these mischiefs, I have seen a man was present, when some have vomited up Needles, Thimbles, Shreds of Cloth, pieces of Pots, Glass, Hair; another would suffer himself for money to be run thorough with a sword when I was not there, but it appeared to me a Fable. I have seen a rosy Crucian Physician cure these afflicted People. But if you will say, There is a touchstone whereby we may discern the truth of Metals, but that there is nothing whereby we may discover the truth of Miracles recorded everywhere in History. But I answer there is, and that is this:  
First, If what is recorded was avouched by such persons, who had no end nor interest in avouching such things.  
Secondly, if there were many eye-witnesses of the same matter.  
Thirdly and lastly, If these things which are so strange and miraculous leave any sensible effects behind them; Though I will not acknowledge that all those Stories are false that want these Conditions, yet I dare affirm that it is mere Humour and Sullenness in a man to reject the Truth, of those that hear them: For it is to believe nothing but what he seeth himself, from whence it will follow, That he is to read nothing of History, for there is neither Pleasure nor any usefulness, if it deserve no Belief.  
Another Remedy for these Supernatural diseases, is, Let one watch the party Suspected, when they go home to their house, and presently after, before anybody go into the house after him or her, let one pull a handful of the Thatch, or a tile that is over the Door, and if it be a tile, make a good Fire, and heat it red hot therein, setting a Trivet over it; then take the party's Water, if it be a Man, Woman, or Child, and pour it upon the red hot tile, upon one side first, and then on the other, and again put the tile into the Fire, and make it extremely hot, turning it ever and anon, and let nobody come into the house in the mean time.  
If they be Cattle that are bewitched, take some of the Hair of every one of them, and mix the Hair in fair water, or wet it well, and then lay it under the tile, the Trevet standing over the tile, make a lusty fire, turn your tile oft upon the Hair, and stir up the Hair ever and anon; after you have done this by the space of a quarter of an hour; let the fire alone, and when the Ashes are cold, bury them in the ground towards that quarter of Heaven where the suspected Witch lives; this Mr. lily saith he hath experienced.  
If the Witch live where there is no tile, but Thatch, then take a great handful thereof, and wet it in the party's Water, or else in common Water mixed with some Salt, then lay it in the Fire, so that it may molter and smother by degrees, and in a long time: setting a Trivet over it. Or else take two new horseshoes, heat them red hot, and nail one of them on the Threshold of the Door, but quench the other in the Urine of the party so bewitched, than set the Urine over the fire, and put the horse-shoe in it, setting a trivet over the Pipkin or Pan wherein the Urine is; make the urine boil with a little salt put into it, and the Horse nails, until it's almost consumed, viz. the Urine; what is not boiled fully away pour into the fire: Keep your horsshoe and Nails in a clean Cloth or Paper, and do likewise three several times; the operation will be far more effectual if you do these things at the very change or full Moon, or at the very hour of the first or second Quarter.  
If they be cattle, you must mix the hair of their Tails with the Thatch, and moisten them being well bound together, and so let them be a long time in the fire consuming.  
You have heard the Cause of some of these diseases, and have heard the Cure by sympathy also; but these are without the compass of Nature, and so let them pass with our fickle standing, which is daily and hourly so beset with destinies, that a man can warrant nothing.  
Truly destinies are so deep and bottomless, (to return straight Homer-like upon them, and therefore it were best indeed to let them go, and the applying of the Medicines with them) The rather because the other, (I mean the former) is so slight a matter to a discreet Physician, such a one as is pointed out by their old and famous Leader Hippocrates, who both in this and all other duties of his Art made such speed, and so far passed all his fellows (as none since, which is a good time, could ever overtake him) no nor yet come so near as to keep the sight of him, whom they had in chase and followed.  
Then for those Supernatural causes, which I shall not stand here to search (for so they are called) if they flow from unclean and wicked Spirits (as some think) they are not the Stuff of the things that hurt us, though sometimes they dwell in and possess the body, but windy matters, much like unto those fierce and sudden changes of the Weather, proceeding from the Influences of the Planets and fixed Stars, and working the like effects in men's bodies, so that sith the nearest cause is Natural, let the rest be what they will, and the Cure be done by Natural means, as we see by experience amongst us: And therefore E. A. that pretends this, and puts the fault in the Faith of the wicked, which is a thing as far above Nature, yet holds its Cure with a Natural Medicine, which we call a Quintessence.  
Although I am not willing, that sometimes this sickness is such as he bids us sometimes withstand it with another as strong a belief set against it, but for my part, I cannot reach it with my conceit (let deeper heads than mine or the vicechancellor of Oxford, Doctor Owen, think upon it) how these beliefs and imaginations, and other parts and powers of the soul or mind of man, can so fly out of their own kingdom, and reign over a foreign body, when we know the Soul and mind is so fast bound in the body endurance, and so like to be, until it be the great pleasure of the Omnipotent and the Omnissent God, the chief good, who hath committed them, to let them lose at once, and set them full at Liberty; and this may be disputed with Grace and knowledge on my part; Let this man therefore buzz against my knowledge, which he would have to be more than Grace, I appeal to the natural faculties of any free judge, whether there be not as much Grace in me as there is honesty in him: All men censure as they like of Stories; so let them pass amongst old wives tales for me, we will severely follow our task. That if the effect do not cease which the object hath wrought upon the Brain, so soon as ever by turning aside of the Organs the object ceaseth to work (viz.) though the sense be past; As the stroke of a stone, a blast of wind, puts standing water into Motion, and it doth not presently give over moving as soon as the wind ceaseth, or the Stone settleth: so the Image or Conception remaineth, but more obscure, while we are awake, because some object or other continually plyeth and soliciteth our eyes and ears, keepeth the mind in a stronger Motion, whereby the weaker doth not easily appear. And this obscure conception is that we call fantasy, or Imagination; Imagination being (to define it) conception remaining, and by little and little decaying from and after the act of sense, &c. If some of these diseases spring, as Mr. Moor, Doctor Culpeper, and some others hold, and with good reason, from neither of both these two roots named, but from a foul and venomous breath, sent forth from a poisoned temper of the Witches body, through the windiness of hateful eyes: For Thought fashioneth the blood and Spirits almost at his pleasure; then all the causes being ordinary, and agreeing to the course of Nature, they may be cured and put to flight by the same course and means; which opinion, if you please to bear with my tarrying, it is worth the handling, taketh hold upon this reason, because (as rosy Crucians do witness) some beasts of ranker venom, do witch and hurt after the same manner; as an old Toad by steadfast view, not only prevails, but benumbs a weasel, but kills a young child. And by the same means the beaver hunts the little fish, and takes his prey: But most fiercely and mischieously of all creatures in the world, the two monsters in kind, the Cockatrice and Apoblepas: again, for that the eye of a menstruous woman (as all report) doth spot the glass which it beholdeth; and moreover Eugenius Theodidactus, in the wiseman's Crown, telleth of many folk that through a poisoned prerogative, which a monstrous Mark of a double-sighted eye gave unto them, were able to bewitch to death all those upon whom that eye was angrily and surely set and fastened; but chiefly because we see them that use this wicked trade, to be by kind of a muddy and Earthlike complexion and nature, brought by age, as they be most commonly long life, and gross diet, to the pitch of melancholy, that is, to a cold and most dry nature in the world.  
For certain proof whereof, bring one of them out of that beastlike life, brought unto merry company, and fed full with dainty Diet, and within twenty days, as hath by a rosy Crucian been tried a truth, the whole state and nature of her body will be so changed, as it shall not suffer her to bewitch and hurt again; as you may read in my Familiar Spirit or Guardian Genius.   

CHAP. XIV.  
The natural effects of Medicine: the force and power of minerals in diseases; with examples also that every disease-breeder hath the cure or remedy in it: examples that poison prepared cures poisoned people: rosy Crucian Arts: the virtue and power of the Planets and heavenly Stars poured through the influence of the moon upon the Lower Creatures: of Hot Stomachs: of the Etherial first moisture of of man: examples also of rosy Crucian Natural and supernatural cures: of the understanding of these experienced truths by the wit of man: of Paracelsus and Culpeper.  
LEt us come to the next and chiefest point; And there we must not say for shame, that these helps and remedies lie hid in nature, too far for the wit of man to find, unless we will accuse our own sloth and dulness: For nature hath brought them forth and laid them open as welll as the poisons and hurtful things, or else she were very cross and ill-willing to him for whose sake it seems she doth all things.  
Nay further (as Mr. Hobbs saith) her good will is such, as she hath not only laid them open, but given us ways to come by them, and means of speech, hands and wit also, far above all other living creatures. And yet she hath not left us so, but lest by chance we might go wide and miss them, to show her motherly love and affection towards us, she hath guided (as Mr. Moor saith) many witless Beasts, even by common sense, unto their speedy helps and remedies in their diseases: That we by the plainness and shame of the example (as Mr. Gadbury wisely saith) might be taught and moved to seek out the mysterious truths of nature in Celestial bodies, as well as beasts that seek and find us Medicines helpful in the like diseases, for our terrestrial Tabernacle. As to name a few not unworthy meaning; she maketh the beast Hippotamus in time of his fullness and fatness to go to a reed, and by rubbing a vain to let himself blood, and to stop it again by laying mud upon it; A sick dog to seek an Herb and purge himself; and the bear to do the same after his long fast in Winter; she leads the Panther, when he is poisoned, to her foul and nameless leaving; and the tortoise, after he hath eat a Viper, to Summer Savery: And the hedgehog is so good a natural Astronomer, that he fortifies his hole against foul weather; the Hog will gather Moss and straw to cover himself a little before it rains; The dog knows the influence of Mars when he doth sleep by the fire, and will not go out a doors when he is in any evil position: and many such like examples hath nature laid before us for our instruction; by which at last wise Plato, Philo, Apollonius, Pythagoras, and painful men of Greece, as they themselves report, be they Elias or Elisha, from whom the order of the rosy Cross came, (as some say) or else as others will have it, from Moses, or Ezekiel, or whosoever, and by laying reason and further proof together, first made the Art and rules of Healing, to know whence diseases came, and how to recover them. And then seeking all about for remedies to serve each turn, by little and little they matched the most part of the lesser rank with single Medicines, and the greater ones they doubled and coupled many together, insomuch as at last, which was in Hippocrates time, they were able to heal all (saving four,) of the greatest and deepest diseases, the Gout, the dropsy, the leprosy, the Falling sickness; which are now healed by the rosy Crucians only. But this race is below the Seraphically illuminated Fraternity: now not a Physician that is lined with Plush in England, Spain, Germany, or France; but holds that Long-life, Health, Youth, not attainable, they therefore with one consent, amongst the other four, call them impossible.  
But to come to the point; what wrong this was both to skill and nature, they do easily see and laugh at, which know that in this labour, they did not only oversee and skip the Minerals, the stoutest helps in the whole store-house of Nature (although they could dig them out well enough to other and worser uses) but also, which is in all, did let the rosy Crucian skill of preparing Medicines, whereby weak things are made almighty, quite escape them.  
Wherefore to make up the rosy Crucian Art of healing, and to make it able (as they say) to help and cure all diseases came in, or rather went before them, into man's body; The Egyptians in great savour too with nature both for their soil and bringing up, so notably commended above all nations, (having for example, to move and teach them even the great weight of the world as Sr. John Heydon saith) for wits to devise, and bodies to put in practice.  
Whereby in short time they unfolded the knot why the Minerals were of greatest force and power against diseases; and soon after, which was a divine light, and insight, they perceived the huge labour of seeking such a huge sort of singles and mixtures to be vain and empty, and pitiful among wisemen.  
Because first, there is nothing hurtful and a breeder of disease, but it hath the heal and remedy for the same about him: For the wings and feet of Cantharides, the Fruit of the Root bezoar, the Ashes of Scorpions, Toads, and Vipers; and divers other stronger poisons, both by nature and skill dressed and prepared, do cure and heal their own and all other poisons; nay as all stronger likes do cure their likes throughout the whole world of diseases, even so when a man hath found out the thing that hurts him, he may by easy skill mingle and break the temper of the same further; that is, make it able to eat up and consume itself as easily, without any further doubt, toil and labour; But especially because there is no one thing in the world, take what you will, that hath not the virtues of the Planets arrested and fastened upon it, and also of the qualities thereof within itself, that is not as good as all, and may serve instead of all, and that is not able to cure all diseases; which thing weighed, and with discourse of wit and reason fully reached, they went to practise, and by the like sharpness of wit, they found out the kindly and ready way to dress and make fit these three kinds of Medicines aforesaid, which contain all the Art of healing, all the rest are but wast words and grievous toil, to tire a world of wits about a bootless matter, as saith Des. But especially they rested in the last, which is enough alone, and yet not without great forecast, to choose one of the best, and that the very best of all, for their ease in dressing. Though Dr. Culpeper of late was not content with this, but ran through the rest, as well to spite his enemies, the college of Physicians, as to make himself famous in Taverns and Alehouses, as Paracelse in his time did▪ whose steps he strove to follow against the rule of rosy Crucian wisdom and virtue; and the example of his ancestors.  
But hath every thing all the virtues and influences taken from the Planets and Stars by the Moon, to the earth; That is, all the curing and healing power of all the things in the world? very well you must remember that I proved above all the virtues and powers of heaven, poured down through the Influence of the Moon, upon these lower creatures, to be nothing else (as Captain George Wharton truly saith) but one self same life and Soul, and heavenly heat in all things, And again, that all diseases flow from distemper, and as it were discord of the Natural consent of the body; then that thing which is endued with store of life, and with exact and perfect temperateness, seated upon both a subtle and strong body, (which the thing in the bottom is) able alone by subduing his weaker enemies, those distempered diseases, by strengthening his fellow life, Aurum Potabile, in our bodies. And lastly, by orderly binding together the frame that was slipped out of order, to do as much as all the powers and forces of all the Plants, Weights, and minerals in the world, that is, to put to flight all trouble of diseases, and restore the body to perfect health and quierness.  
But how is all this done? we talk of high things, and huddle up too many great matters together. It were good for us to work them out distinctly; when this Aurum Potabile we speak of, and strong tempered medicines, slip into the stomach, it stays no long digestion, being already digested, nor look for any ordinary passages to be opened unto it, but as soon as it is raised out of sleep by his fellow, the natural heat, by and by he flies our, and skowers about, as fast as the dolphin after his prey, or as nature herself, whom Mr. Booker, as I take it (saith) to pierce bounds, and all to the purpose, that is to seek his like food, and sustenance, whereby to preserve his state and being, which is the purpose of all things in the world, as was said above.  
Now there is nothing so like and near a perfect temperature in the world, as the Etherial first moisture in man; But what this is, you may read in my book entitled {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ventus magnus.  
This is best and most in the heart, the root of life, than thither it hieth and preyeth upon that part first, and that is the cause why it presently restoreth a man half dead, and as it were, pulls him out of the throat of death; then it runs to the rest all about, increasing by that means the natural heat, and first moisture of every part of the body; when this is done, he turns upon the parts themselves, and by encountering with them in the same sort, according to his might, feeds upon them, and brings them a certain way towards his own nature, even so far as we will by our usage suffer; for if we take it with measure and discretion, it will bring our body to a middle mean and state, between his own exact temperature and the distemper of diseases, even a better state than ever it had before; if we use it out of measure, it takes us up too high, and too near his own nature, and makes us unmeet for the deeds of the duties of an earthly life. But in the mean while in the midst of this work, we must know that by his exceeding heat and subtleness which is gotten by rosy Crucian skill, and which make up the strength above all things, it divides and scatters, like smoke before the wind, all distempered and hurtful things, and if they cannot be reconciled and turned to goodness, nature throws them out as dead, and unfruitful leavings.  
But how do we talk, (as Mr William Tub the Astrological Fencer saith) so much of exact and perfect temper, when by the verdict of all the Quest in these cases there is no such thing found in nature, but in heaven only? neither heard you me say that it floated aloft, but was sunk to the bottom of all nature; notwithstanding by a true and Holy rosy Crucian to be sounded and weighed up. For as heaven was once a gross and distempered lump (as I told you in my book of the nature and dignity of Angels) by the divine art of God that ordered all things (as you have read in the Introductory part of this book,) refined and sundered away round to the place and nature where it now standeth; even so one of our gross bodies here below, being a piece of the same lump also, and all one with that which Heaven once was, may by the like art and cunning be refined and parted from all his distempered dross and foul drossiness, and brought into a Heavenly nature of the best and goodliest thing in Heaven: And yet you must not take me as though I would have 〈…〉 wit of man, which is b●t a spark of the divine g● 〈…〉 in my book called Ventus Ingens) to be able to reach the excellency of his work, and to make so great perfection; if he do but shadow it, and make a Counterfeit, that is, if he reach not so far as to make all things, but to mend a few by this his Heaven, all is well, it is as much as I can look for at the hand of any man that is not a rosy Crucian. Now is the time to rest a little, and pray for the good use and practice of those that shall read our writing.   

CHAP. XV.  
Of the rosy Crucian Sun, or Spiritual oil. Of the Divine Works of God not yet observed. How we make Aether. Examples of Medicines rosy Crucian and Grecian. Of Poison. Of the Supernatural Miracles of the rosy Crucians, with obedience to Reason. Another Medicine of Supernatural effect. Of the power and secret skill of Nature. How to dissolve Minerals: And how to prepare them for men's Bodies.  
EUgenius Theodidactus hath showed you this Heaven, Nay this Sun of ours, which is nought else, as I told you in one of my books of astrology, but an oil full of heavenly Spirits, and yet in Quality of his body just, even and natural, fine and piercing, close and lasting, able as well to rule this little World, as Mr. Thomas Heydon saith, the great Sun is able to govern the great World.  
But what is he, says Mr. John Cleeveland, that can see this Divine Art and Way, whereby God made his great and mighty work, viz: {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as I showed in my Book, entitled, Moses speech to God, upon the second chapter of Genesis? or if he saw it, learn and match it by imitation? I answer, None but rosy Crucians, to whom I am a friend, and they God hath enlightened and unsealed their eyes, they have found the way lying open in all places, and in all Natural changes, they see them pass and travel, I say still, the course that Heydon calls soft and witty, that is, kindly separation: and if he be not swift and rash as many, such as Thomas Vaughan and Street, but will have sober patience, his own skill and labour will be but little if he please; for Nature herself very kindly will in her due time perform all, and even all that heavenly workmanship be easily performed; and yet I mean not so but that Art must accompany and attend upon Nature (though with no great pains and skill) both forward and backward in this Journey (Doctor French knows my meaning, so doth doctor Owen, if his angry Censure will suffer his Natural judgement) until he come to his wished rest, and to the top of all perfection.  
If you perceive not, consider the way whereby we made our Ether in our book abovenamed, and matched our own first moisture, a thing Etherial, I say, and almost Temperate; mark what I say, there is a further end in the matter, hold on the same means whereby you came so far through The wise man's Crown, and are gone so far in the Way to bliss, which is that I spoke of, and you may reach it.  
Then you see the way to cure all diseases by the third way of Egyptian healing, which they do, and we may well call it the Egyptians Heaven, and yet it is a way far beneath the rosy Crucian Art of Healing, as we shall show hereafter.  
But if they will not yield yet to reason, but mutter still Thomas Street-like, that these Heavenly Medicines of ours are very high for the reach of men's silly wits, here strewed below upon the ground for other lesser and baser uses, and that no man since the first man, or if I will say Moses, was the first, that first found out these inventions as they call them, after Adam; and that none but the successors of Moses have been ever yet known to have found and wrought the same; I will not stand to beat reason into such giddy-braindmen, but go to the other two ways of healing, which the Egyptians found out and used, and called the first Mineral Medicines, and these Moses taught the children of Israel in the valley of mount Sinai, when he took the Golden Calf which he had made, and calcined it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and incorporated it with a Solar Veagle, and made the children of Israel drink Aurum potabile.  
And the next mysteries and secrets, as may appear by Riverius his speaking of rosy Crucian Secrets, we fitly may call this second, kind, because that is too large a Name (if it be lawful for us as well as for all other Learned men, where a fit word wants to make a new) we may do well I say to call it a Cure itself, because it is by that way of healing, whereby every self same thing further broken may cure itself; and this inward and hidden thing as they say, the outward and apparent by the course of kind, whereby the stronger like eats up in trial and consumes the weaker.  
If this leave be once granted, we will borrow a little more for the other two likewise, because their names, are not pertinent to our purpose, and call that Heaven a Cure-all, for so it doth, and the next a Cure-the Great, because the Order of the rosy Crucians is always to match the greater and more stubborn sort of diseases with the Stout and mighty minerals, and the rest with those hidden cure-themselves, or at least in the lower rank of lighter diseases, with their likes, only raw, as the Grecians use them, without any curious dressing.  
Let us draw nearer a conclusion of the matter; because Grecians themselves are able, and our English Physicians that learn of them, to cure the lighter sort of diseases, and to heal all but the four aforesaid, we will leave the rest for them, and so let this second kind of healing go called our hidden cure themselves, and bend all our batteries against these four which they call incurable, and see how by force of our Mineral Medicines, they may be cured: we see the poisoned spirits and breaths of venomous things, with what force they work upon our bodies, things in Nature set against them, and how they consume them; If you do not see by imagination, reason with yourselves, if not remember those above named, that killed with their sight; Hear one or two more that work the same by touch as violently. The Hare-fish, a most cold and dry creature (to omit that she maketh a man's head ache by sight) if you touch her aloof only with a staff, that her venomous breath may go straight and round unto you, you die presently. The root Baazam in Palestine, as Pythagoras writes, kills the man that handleth it, and therefore they used to make a dog pull it up (as Ben. Johnson saith) who thereby died immediately. To come into the body; that costly poison Mr. Linacre talks of, that is in Nubia, and one grain kills a man out of hand yet stay but a quarter of an hours working, and that one grain divided will overcome ten men; I hope you doubt not but these mighty poisons if they were like in Nature to the four great diseases, and by little and little to be born by Nature, and set upon them, would be able easily, by their great strength to devour and consume them; or else sure such heaps of poison as the Physicians give us would not dwell so long within us, but would put out life in a moment. Now what are these poisoned Vapours, but most cold and dry bodies, wrought and broken up by natural mingling, unto great fineness and subtileness, by this piercing swiftly all about, and by these contrary qualities overcoming? Then let us take the stoutest Minerals, such as are called Middle Minerals by rosy Crucians, or hard juices by Mr. Berkenhead (to leave the Metals for a better purpose) be they poisons, as G. Agricola saith, but what they be I care not, and after we have by mere working, cleansed them and stripped them of their clogs and hindrances, broken and raised them to a fine substance, then match them with their likes, the hurtful things in our bodies, shall they not let all the rest alone, and straightway cleave to their fellows, as well as a purging medicines, and so devour and draw them out by little and little? If there be no likes, I grant they will as well as that, fall upon their enemies, or good juices, and feed upon them.  
Then what do you doubt is not a Mineral body far better? And therefore if it be raised to as great a fineness, much stronger in working then the gentle and loose temper of a wight or plant: wherefore these our Mineral Medicines, and some other forementioned Medicines, and cure the great, as we call them, shall in any reason, work more violently upon their likes, than the natural poisons of Wights and Plants do upon their contraries, both because the like doth more easily yield then the contrary, and for that the lighter here is the stronger.  
But if you cannot see these things by the light of mind, open your eyes, and cast them a little into the School of alchemy, into the lesser and lower school, I mean of Germans, and you shall see the scholars, especially the masters, by stripping the Minerals, and lifting up their properties, but a few degrees, to work wonders; as to name three or four, by quenching the Loadstone in the oil of Iron, his proper food, they make him ten times stronger, able to pull a nail out of a post, &c. And by this natural pattern they make Artificial drawers, not for Iron only, but for all other things, yea and some so mighty, as they will lift up an Ox from the ground, and rent the arm of a Tree from the body, as Mr. Comer doth witness; who reporteth again that he saw a flesh-drawer, that pulled up 100 weight of flesh, and a man's eye out of his head, and his Lights up into his Throat and choked him. They make binders also to glue two pieces of Iron together, as fast as the Smith can join them To be short they make eaters also, that will consume Iron stones or any hard thing to nought in a moment; they dissolve Gold into an oil; they Fix Mercury with the smoke of Brimstone, and make many rare devices of it; And all these wonders and many more they do by certain reason: I could tell you, if I could stand about it. In the mean time consider, if these or any other such like Minerals were raised higher, and led to the top of their fineness and subtleness, and matched with their like companions, or with their contraries, if you will, those great diseases in our bodies, what stirs they would make among them, how easily they would hew them, pierce, divide, waste, and consume them? But you mus● always have a special regard, that the Medicines be not liker our natures, than the nature of the thing that hurts us; for than they would first fall upon us, and let the diseases alone, which heed is easily taken in minerals, things very far off our nature, saith Des.  
And with these experience the wonderful virtue of the oil and water of Tobacco wise men I have known do miracles with it.  
What is to be said more in these matters? I think nothing, unless through the countenance of an idle opinion that reigns among them, they dare fly to the last, and of all other the most slender shelter, and deny our ability to break, tame and handle as we list, such stout and stubborn bodies: (what) because you know not how to do it, will you fashion all men by your mould? wise men would first look into the power and strength of skill and nature, and see what they can do and measure it thereby, and not by their own weakness; there shall you understand, that there is nothing in nature so strong and stubborn, but it hath its match at least, if not his overmatch in Nature, such is the nature of man's body, of his Soul of signatures of Plants, of metals, and minerals, and other things also.  
But admit somewhat weaker as Herbs and Plants, &c. yet this, if he get the help of a wiseman's Art unto him, shall quickly wax great and mend in strength and be able easily to overcome, that other; mark how the dregs of Vinegar, a thing sprung out from a weak beginning, and itself as weak as water, is able if it be but once distilled, to make stouter things than minerals even metals themselves, all but silver and gold, to yield and melt down to his own waterish nature, nay which is more than Mild-dew of Heaven, as Mr. Cook's the Vicar calls it, wrought first by the Bee that cunning beast, and then, twice or thrice by the distiller, distilled will do the same, you may judge with yourself, what not only these, but other fiercer and sharper things, as Salts, &c. more like to do upon Minerals; and by the way consider, if such mild things as wine and honey, so meanly prepared, are able to subdue in that sort the most stiff and tough things in the world, so minerals cheaper than Aurum Potabile, in their highest degree of dignity would cure the stoutest disease (being prepared fitly) that can grow in our bodies. Now let us sit and take our rest a little and then we will conclude our rosy Crucian Medicines.   

CHAP. XVI.  
How the rosy Crucians make a Chirurgeons instrument; that it shall pierce through any part of the whole body, without sense or feeling, and sound the depth of a wound. The difference of Common Physicians Raw, Blunt, and hereby medicines, and rosy Crucians: What a Physician ought to be, what they ought to learn, and what they ought to practise, and then I shall love them of the order of the rosy Cross.  
BUt I wear away time in vain, to speak so much about 'tis matter; and yet sith all are not of like Capacity, I will add one yet familiar example; when a Surgeon goeth about to search a wound that is deep, if he thrust at it with a butcher's prick he would move Laughter; let him take a Thorwe, and it will pierce somewhat prettily; but to do it throughly, and at his pleasure he will use, (though to the great grief of his Patient) a fine and long instrument of metal. But a right Surgeon the common ones are but Butchers, such a one as is a Physician, and ginger, nay a rosy Crucian also, would touch his Instrument, with a Loadstone, that is commonly found, to make it pierce throughout the body without all sense or feeling; Even so good Physicians such an one, as the Lord marquess of Worcester had, whom he taught many fine inventions: he told me of a Golden ball that this Lord made, that let him throw it into a River or Pool, it would arise aagain from the bottom at what hour he pleased. This noble marquess showed me a key of the lock, that would tell him who touched it. Nay if it fortuned to be picked he could know who did it, and what was taken away (before their faces) and many rare things I have seen this princely Philosopher do, which his excellency was pleased to show me; such as these are hard to be found in this Government, where none of these can live without great envy. If one of these rosy Crucians be to encounter with our greatest enemies, these four we speak of, he would not I hope, if he were a true rosy Crucian be so mad as to thrust at them with the Raw and blunt Herby Medicines such as Dr. Scarborough, prescribe, no nor although they be sharpened by Jacob Heydon, by plain distillations: neither would he, I think for pity, sting the poor patieni with Eugenius Philalethes martyrdom of rude and rank Minerals, and unless they were made into a fine clean natural and temperate quality, which would work mightily, and destroy either of these four great diseases, leprosy, Gout, dropsy, and Falling sickness: but feed, Comfort, or at least not offend, and hurt his patient; they labour in vain that practice otherwise. These are the medecines which I only use, and which a good and wise Physician ought only to seek and follow, and if he cannot find it, let him use the cure themselves. But such a thing as this; I say, brought to this equality, and fineness of frame and temper, (were it at the first, wight, plant or mineral) was it which our father and founder Moses, (the chief of the rosy Cross) said is like to Heaven, and the strength of all strengths piercing and subduing all things.  
This was it that warranted his Sons the rosy Crucians to avow so stoutly, that Art was long and Life short, and all diseases curable, when Hippocrates the Father of Common Physicians, was driven by the infirmity and endless matter of his weak body, and envious mind tinctured with Covetousness, and fickle Medicines, to cry to rosy Crucians, but they would not hear such hard-hearted Fellows, nor give him long Life, he said therefore that Art was long, and Life was short. And whereas he and his offspring were fain to leave many diseased helpless, to the great shame of Art and Plague of mankind, is it any marvel when as they prick at them (as I said) with a Butchers-prick? Nay, see what they do by their practice, they be so far from all help and comfort to the Patient in greatest danger, that they increase his wiser eyes many ways, except the great easer of all pain, and their common Medicine Death, be quickly administered: First, they make the Patient suffer the punishment due to their own slothful Idleness, burdening his stomach with that labour of loosnening and sundering the Fine from the Gross, which they should before have taken into their Glasses: and then by doing these often, they clean tire his feeble Nature (as it would tire a horse) when as by stripping the foul and gross stuff, that dulls the working, and retaining the virtue in a narrow strong body, they might do as much at one time as they do now in twenty, and because their Medicines applied are of smaller power and weaker than the things that hurt us, they feed nourish and strengthen the disease and sickness, but for all this if some of this company and side of Leeches have been and are yet sometimes able to heal all diseases in our body (though with much ado, as you have heard) save the four named remediless, yea and those as well in their spring as before their ripeness, as they themselves report. Is there any Proportion in Geometry? Let the College of Physicians lay measures why the rosy Crucian mighty Medicines which I call Cure-the-greats, passing these in power, as much as the ripeness of a disease is above the Spring, shall not overmatch the ripe as well as the green Diseases: Wherefore there be no doubts left, but this plainly true, That albeit the Grecians is weak and halting in this kind of healing, yet is the Egyptian, or (as now they term it) the Paracelsians and Mineral skill sufficient to cure all diseases: Then I have paid the whole sum of my promise, touching the second means and helps to Bliss and Happiness, which is Life and Health.  
Before I close, I think it very meet, while the time and place very fitly serveth, to do a good deed, and this shall be my intent to admonish and exhort the Grecian leeches, and their Scholars the English, Spanish, and French Physicians, whom if they follow Hippocrates, Plato, Pythagoras, and his fellows, I love for their Learning, and pity for their misleading others (although it be grievous, I know to old Scholars, won in a kind of Learning, to unlearn all as it were and begin again, for their own Credit and Virtue, yea and profit sake also, if they esteem that best, to leave those Gilded Pills and sugared Baits, and all other crafty snares, wherewith the World hath been so long caught and so long tormented, and to seek this only heavenly Society; as (to you that are learned) easily may temper yourselves, and be acquainted with the ready, true, plain and certain way of Healing diseases. I think in former time they were not greatly to be blamed and accused but of dulness and weakness of understanding, in not applying and seeing this perfection, and supplying of all their wants; but since they have been so often warned not with words only, but with examples of Learned men, Matheolus Fernelius, Severinus Danus, Philo Judaeus, Diodorus Siculus, and other such like which have and do revolt, and fly away from them daily, yea and by the certain deeds of Paracelse, it were imqity to sit still: Well, few words will serve to wise and virtuous Physicians, such as are of themselves forward.  
But there is another, and I am afraid, the greater sort, less honest, more Idle and Covetous, full of windy Pride and Words, but empty of all good learning, and they are no friends to rosy Crucians, nor they to them, and these no gentle warning of any, no though a rosy Crucian himself should come and bring Truth herself along with him in person, would prevail: who care not it seems if half mankind should perish for want of help and succour, rather than lose their gains; And which not only speak foully but write foolishly, against this overflourishing virtue, but also like the giddy people of my time, where they catch the State, banish the men that hold and possess it; whereas if it were a good Commonwealth (quoth Aristotle) the matter would be so far from Banishment or Imprisonment, as they would esteem such a man as well as the Laws (for he is himself a Law) exempt from all obedience, and judge him worthy to be followed and obeyed as a perpetual King.  
This untowardness and crookedness in men causod all our Alhealing Ancestors the rosy Crucians from time to time, never to abide their Sentence, but to the great hurt and loss of mankind go into willing Banishment, you have established a kind of Government among you (to pursue the same, like a little—) wherein you rule alone over the weak and sorry subjects of men's Bodies, than their health and safety you ought to seek only, besides enough to maintain a contented estate also, which Plato allows his governors, and not profit only (that were Tyranny) both for humanity and Religion sake, for to omit Religion, which they do lightly omit, if a physician begin once to make a prey of men, he is not only no man, but a most Fierce and cruel Beast, not fit to be compared and matched and matched anywhere, if you seek all over the world as with the misshapen monster of India, which Aristotle describes, and calls Martichora, which being by nature or custom, I know not whether, very greedy upon man's flesh, is with manifold and wonderful helps furnished, and armed unto it.  
First with a face like a Man, a voice like a Trumpet, two fit things to allure and call him in) and then if he fly, with the swiftness of an Hart to overtake him, he darts like a Porcupine, to wound him afar of; and with the tail of a Scorpion, as it were a poisoned shaft, near hand to sting him: furthermore, lest all this might not serve, by occasion of Armour, he hath feet like a Lion, fiercely and cruelly to tear him, and three rows of teeth, on each Chap for the in devouring. Apply you and the Apothecarries, the rest yourselves, in secret for my part, as I am not a rosy Crucian, so I am as well as they, sorry to see evil done. And I am loath to speak evil of it, and sure were not the great grief and envy I do bear; and always did, to see desert trodden down by such unworthiness, and some little hopes I have to hear of the amendment, and so of the return of the truth, and good men out of banishment and imprisonment, you should have found me in Westminster-Hall: as I have been an attorney in term time, and mean to continue my practice there so long as I live, except in the Vacation, which I intend to spend in chemical and rosy Crucian Medicines for the good of honest plain meaning men and myself Eugenius Theodidactus.  
But some may ask what I mean by R. C. the ceremony is an Ebony Cross, flourished and decked with Roses of Gold, the Cross typisies Christ's sufferings upon the Cross for our sins, the Roses of Gold show the Glory and Beauty of his Resurrection from death to life. And this is carried to Mesque, Cascle, Apamia, Chaulatean Virissa Caunuch, Mount Calvery, Haran and Mount Sinai, where they meet when they please and make Resolution of all their Actions, and then disperse themselves abroad, taking their pleasure always in one of these places, where they resolve also all questions of whatsoever hath been done, is done, or shall be done in the world, from the beginning to the end thereof. And these are the men are called rosy Crucians.   
FINIS.