To the reader

To the Reader.

NOw God defend! what will become of me? I have neither consulted with the stars, nor their Vrinals, the Almanacks. A fine Fellow, to neglect the Prophets, who are read in England every Day! They shall pardon me for this [non-Latin script]. There is a Mystery in their profession, they have not so much as heard of: Coelum stellatum Christianum; a new Heaven fansied on the old Earth. Here the Twelve Apostles have surpris'd the Zodiak, and all the Saints are rang'd on their North, and South sides. It were a pretty vanity, to preach when Saint Paul is ascendent, and would not a Papist smile to have his Pope elected under Saint Peter? Reader, if I studied these Things, I should think my self worst imployd then the Roman Chaucer was in his Troilus. I come out as if there were no Houres in the Day, nor Planets in the Houres: neither do I care for any thing, but that Interlude of Perendenga in Michael Cervantes: Let the old Man my Master live, and Christ be with us all. Thou wilt wonder now where this drives, for I have neither a Conde de lemos, nor a Cardinal to pray for. I pray for the Dead, that is, I wish him a fair Remembrance, whose Labours have deservd it. It happened in exposing my former Discourse to Censure, (a custom hath strangl'd many Truths in the Cradle) that a Learned Man suggested to me some bad Opinion he had of my Author, Henricus Cornelius Agrippa. I ever understood, it was not One, but many in whose sentiment that miracle suffer'd. It is the Fortune of deep writers to miscary because of obscurity: Thus the Spots in the Moon with some Men are Earth, but 'tis more probable they are water. There is no Day so clear, but there are Lees towards the Horizon: so inferior Wits, when they reflect on higher Intellects, leave a Mist in their Beames. Had he liv'd in Ignorance, as most do, he might have past hence like the last yeares Cloudes, without any more Remembrance. But as I believe the Trueth a maine Branch of that End, to which I was born; so I hold it my Duty to vindicate him, from whom I have receiv'd it. The world then being not able to confute this mans Principles by Reason, went about to do it by Scandal, and the first Argument they fastend on, was that of the Iews against his Sviour: Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a Divel. The Chief in this Persecution is Cicognes, and after him Delrio in his Fabulous Disquisitions. But Paulus Iovius stirr'd in the Vomit, who amongst other mens Lives hath put my Author to Death. It is done indeed Emphatically betwixt Him, and his Poet, whom he hir'd (it seems) to stitch verse to his Prose, and so patch'd up the Legend. Quis (sayth he) in Henrici Cornelii Agrippae sedato vultu portentosum Ingenium latuisse crediderit? In his subsequent Discourse he states his Question, and returns my Authors best parts as a Libell on his memorie. But that which troubles him most of all is, That Agrippa should prove his Doctrine out of the Scriptures. Then he inculcates the solemn Crambe of his Dog-Devill, whose Collar Emblematically wrought with Nails, made the Ruffe to his Familiar. For a Close to the story, he kills him at Lyons, where being neer his Departure he unravell'd his Magick in this desperat Dismission, Abi perdita Bestia, qui me totum perdidisti. This is the most grosse Lie, and the least probable in every circumstance that ever was related. Devils use not to quit their Conjurers in the day of Death, neither will they at such Times be exterminated. This is the hour wherein they attend their Prey, and from seeming servants become cruell Masters. Besides, is it not most gross, That any should dog this Devil from Agrippa's Lodging to Araris, where (sayth this Prelate) he plung'd himself? Certainly spirits passe away invisibly, and with that dispatch no mortall man can trace them. Believe this, & believe all the Fables of Purgatory. Now Reader, thou hast heard the worst, lend a just Eare, and thou shalt hear the Best. Iohannes Wyerus, a profest Adversarie to Ceremonial Magick, and sometimes seccretary to Cornelius Agrippa, in his Daemonomania speaks thus. He wonders that some learned Germans and Italians were not asham'd to traduce his Master in their publick writings. That he had a Dog whose Call was Mounsieur he confesseth: and this Spaniell during his service he us'd to leade, when Agrippa walk'd abroad, in Loro ex pilis concinnato. At revera (saith he) Canis erat Naturalis Masculus, To which also Agrippa coupl'd a Bitch of the same colour call'd Madammoyscelle. It is confest he was fond of this Dog, as some men are, and having divorc'd his first wife, would suffer him for a Sarcasm, to sleep with him under the sheetes. In his study too, this dog would couch on the Table by his Master, whence this great Philosopber, inter supellectilem Chartaceam certe insignem delitescens, sayth Wyerus, would not somtimes stir out for a whole week together. So studious was he for the good of posterity, who have but coldly rewarded him for his pains. I have observ'd also in his Epistles, That when he was resident at Malines, his Domesticks us'd to give him an account in their Letters how his dogs Far'd; so fond was he of those Creatures. But to come to the rest of the Legend; Paulus Iovius tells you he died at Lyons ignobili, & tenebroso in diversorio: But Wyerus, who had more Reason to be inquisitive after his masters death, tells me he died at Granople, and that in Domino, not desperatly as his Enemies would have it. Here now was a Ioviall stride from Gratianopolis to Lugdunum: Sure this Paul was a scant Geographer. But Reader, it is not my Intention to conceale any thing in this matter, know therfore that Agrippa had another dog, his Filioli: and this last died in more respect then most of his masters Adversaries. For my author by some secret meanes having strangely qualified him, divers learned men writ Epitaphs upon him, whereof some have been published, and are yet extant. Out of this Fable of the Cerberus Baptista Possevinus pumpt these verses.

Vivens quem cernis Tumulum, nè fertè meretur
Os placidum, stygii Rex fuit iste Lacus.
Quare etiam Custodē habuit, dū viveret, Orci,
Cui nunc in Tenebris praeda daret Comitem.
Ast Hic, st Ingeniū moderari scisset, ad Auras
Tantum isset, Quantum Tartara nigra subit.

Thus have they all-to-be-divell'd him, but why may not Trueth run in verse, aswell as scandal?

Sic Agrippa ingens, duplici quo q; sufficit Orbi,
Fractaque diversas Fabrica monstrat Opes.
Terram Terra capit Caeloque affinia Coelum
Possidet: Hoc vivus scripserat ante Sophos.
Naturam Natura trahit: similem q; Supernae
Hanc animam, agnoscit vita superna suam.
Sic vivens, Moriensque Docet: dumque altus in Astra
Tendit, habet Magicas parca vel ipsa Manus.

Now Reader, if thou wouldest be further satisfied in his distaste of Black Magick, I wish thee to read his most Christian Invective against the German Conjurer entertained in the French Court. Nay, so zealous, and nice of Conscience was he, that being sollicited by some Divines for a Comment on Trismegistus, he return'd them a very tart answer, referring all true knowledge to the Scripture. In a word, he did not onely hate impious, but vain Arts; For he lost the Favour of the Queen-Mother, because he would not be imployed by her in Astrologie. A science in whose true naturall part, which concernes Generation and Corruption, he was skill'd to a miracle: but he knew it was bootles to look fatal Events in the Planets, for such are not written in Nature, but in the superior Tables of Praedestination. Having thus then sufficiently prov'd his Integrity, I will in a few words discover the grounds of his persecution. He was a man reform'd in his Religion, and had I the leysure to cite his workes, I could quickly prove he was not of the Roman Church. For in his Book de vanitate scientiarum he allows not of Monks and Friars, but calls them Sects, Quibus carvit Ecclesia, cum fuit Optima. And certainly that notable Iest of his on the Cowle, nettles the Papists to this Day. He disclaimes also their Images, their Invocation of Saints, their Purgatory and Pardons, and would have the Laity communicate sub utraque specie. He corrects the Pope himself sufficiently, and is utterly against the Inquisition Office. what also his Opinion was of Luther, is not hard to guesse out of his Epistles: For in a letter to Melancthon he hath these words. Salutabis per me invictum illum Haereticum Martinum Lutherum, qui (ut ait Paulus in Actibus) servit Deo suo secundum sectam quam vocant Haeresin. Lastly, he was altogether for the written word, preferring it to humane Constitutions, which is contrarie to the Papist, who will not allow it to be the Iudge of Controversies. This is the Man, and thus qualified at Home, howsoever the world hath rendred him abroad. Now for his more mysterious Principles, thou hast their Maine in this Discourse, which if thou canst apprehend, I know thou wilt style him in particular, as Trismegistus doth Man in Generall, [non-Latin script]: or as Panaetius did his Plato, Hominem Divinum, Sanctissimum, sapientissimum & Homerum Philosophorum. But this sluttish shuffle fits not his Memorie, and Things fall from me now as strictures, not Compositions. I shall say nothing more, but leave thee to thy studies, whiles I translate that Epitaph of Platina, to his Tom. 6.

Quisquis es, si pius, Agrippam
Et suos ne vexes: Anguste
Iacent, & soli volunt esse.

E. P.