Section II, Book 2, member 2, chapter 1: The magneticall nature and the loadstone

The Second Member of this Second Book. Wherein the Magneticall Nature is truly anatomised, and the reasons of Sympatheticall and Antipatheticall actions ripped up.

CHAP. I The Author maketh a preamble in this Chapter unto this his Magnetick Discourse, and then proceedeth unto the Chaos of opinions, touching the originall and attractive vertue of Magnetick Bodies.

I Did manifest unto you in the precedent Member of this Book, the principles and originalls of Sympathy and Antipathy; but because it is not every ones gift to soar so high at the first, as to be capable of a Theory or speculation, which penetrateth into Gods store-house or treasury, contained in the abstruse bowells or center of his created nature: I will stoop a little, for your better instruction, and more clear information, and elucidate or make more plain the abstruse subject we have in hand, by some vulgar or ocular demonstrations, which may guide them and perswade them to believe that, which may otherwise seem uncredible. That I may therefore proceed more methodically, I will onely in this member lay down the chief platform, on which I purpose to build such experimentall conclusions, as shall direct the misbelievers, yea, and such as by their ignorance do remain hitherto obstinate in their misbelieving errour, (being that, Experienti a est etiam stultorum magistra, Experience is the mother of foo[…]s) into the more assured haven of faith, and solid belief. And because the exploits of sympathy, and also those of antipathy in every thing, are effected by a magneticall power, which is both to expell by an irascible or odible expulsion, and allure and draw unto it by a concupiscible attraction, (as shall be shewed you hereafter) I think it most fit to search out diligently, and that with the Argos eyes of my brightest senses, or to penetrate deeply with the Lyncean optick of my sharpest understanding, unto the dark mystery of the Load-stone's or Magnet's nature, that we may with the more assurance make our ingression into the practicall demonstration, of so arcane and occult a contemplation. For seeing that the secret operation, as well of the Weapon-salve, so exclaimed on by the ignorant, as the extraction of the Mummy, […]both corporal and spiritual, out of men or beasts; as also the transplantation of the animal's vitalls, infirm or wholsom nature, into any vegetable or animal; with the manner of the stealing of the vertue and strength from one animal, and infusing of it into another; the secret alligation of the plants spirit, with that of man, or any other animal; so that what befalleth the one, namely, either wet or dry, or cold and heat, the other also shall partake of. Seeing (I say) that these operations are tearmed magneticall, because they imitate the active vertues of the magnet or Load-stone, I will bend all mine endeavour to make an open passage, unto the anatomising of all those mysteries, by the unripping and undoing the spirituall fardell of the Load-stone, thereby to p[…]y and look into the fountain of its formall, interiour, or centrall and essentiall actions; and to espy the grounds, as well of his irascible as concupiscible passions: For if once we shall be able to find out, by the subtillest aspect of our reason, the invisible passages and lurking places thereof, and can after that observe the point, or punctuall root of their essences, and discover the internall cause of each action, we shall with ease conquer and surpasse all the rest, being that what things appear alike in externall effect, must needs p[…]ove homogeniall and all one, in their internall and hidden natures, as shall be p[…]oved more at large unto you.

But alas, why should I, being (minimus Apostolorum) the least of a thousand, presume to make so dangerous a voyage unto that unknown Island, where this occult magne[…]ick Nature doth dwell, among, or in the middle of such dangerous and inaccessible Rocks, when so many wise Philosophers have […]ailed and wandred on the variable and tempestuous seas of opinion, and have at the last returned home, onely with the tidings of what others have related of her being, her essence, and her active vertues; and so know nothing of their own, but what they have attained to by hearsay, or perceived by externall operation? Good God, how many such ships of fools are there in this world? who when they have travelled in their studies and learning many years, floating through the wide seas of vain and scarce probable imaginations, have returned home now in their old age unto the port of their infancy, having their wit or understanding onely laded and charged, with the poor fragments or merchandise of Ipse dixit, or other mens opinions, but are able to say nothing centrally upon their own knowledge. So that we Christians, after we have travelled, and made our peregrination of life and studies in the world, think it sufficient in the end to say, Aristotle, Plato, Galen, Hippocrates, and, in conclusion, this man, or that man, said so; Ergo, it is so: When Scriptures do teach us a truer Philosophy, which is quite contrary unto theirs. This kind of students therefore are rightly pointed at by the Apostle, and numbered amongst those which are, semper discentes, sed ad scientiam veritatis nunquam pervenientes; ever learning, but never attaining unto the truth. For how is it possible, that the blind should rightly lead or conduct the blind? Others having long steered the Helm of their Bark this way, or that way, for to find out the abstruse seat or habitation of this Stones vertues, have scarce dashed their vessell against her rocky Island, but have thereupon returned with wondrous relations, of what they have by that means collected, and, in fine, have proved their new imaginations but as superficiall, as the effects of their search have been; and, in conclusion, all have proved but conjecturall. Others have so far been guided and directed in their search, by the Pole-star allurements, that they have stuck fast in the frozen seas, and have gone no further; but, at the resolution of the ice, they have returned with imaginary wonders, conceived of magneticall Mountaines, and iron Castles, even by eight degrees above the Moon, that is, in the eighth Sphear; yea, and others soar above that place also. Whereby we may conceive, how every man according unto his chimerian-fancy, imagines variety of Castles in the aire, yea, and above the stars also, for the magneticall soul's habitation. Some b[…]gle not a jot from the continent of the earth, but imagine it to be numbered amongst those stars, which have the Sun for their fixt center, about the which they move perpetually; so that they feigne the earth to have the form of a star, which is far different from the Peripateticall form. In conclusion, every one hath his opinion somewhat differing from another; and that you may know all this to be true, I will express and recite some of their newes, touching this enquiry, which after their long voyage they have made in the suddy seas of their serious contemplations, and registred them in their written monuments, as in the Chronicles or Histories of their studious adventures, or speculative and spirituall travells. Amongst the which, some foar upwards, and call the heavens for witness, to confirm their assertions; some sail unto the hyperboreall mountains, others unto strange northern Islands, to find out the grounds of this miracle; others send their spirits of enquiry down unto the bowells of the earth, and find it to be the universall starry form thereof; some will make the originall to spring atomically out of the stone and subject to be attracted. But amongst all these rationall persons, I dare scarce rank one of another kind; forasmuch as this man surely is to be numbered among those Elders, which have travelled in the ship of fools, being that he, much like an other Gryllus, or as the eighth wise Master of Greece, will have this vertue to be Cacomagical, or the act of the devill.

Now amongst such as have travelled in their spirits unto heaven, to find out this mystery, one will have the reason, for the direction of the Load-stone, to be sought for out of the Tail of the celestiall Bear-star, affirming, that the vertue of this starry Bear doth prevail, and hath dominion over this Stone, and is transferred from it into the Iron; and that is Marsilius Fic nus. But I reply, That this is not so, because experience teacheth us, that Iron of it self hath his Poles, as well as the Load-stone, and will by a due adaption seek out, and by its own naturall instinct turn and direct it self, unto the station of his proper Poles. Of this opinion also is Petrus Peregrinus, who following the rules of Frier Bacon, have sought the arguments of the magneticall directions out from the Poles of the heaven. Also Cardanus will have the immediate cause of the variation of this Stones vertue, to spring from the rising of the star in the Bear's Tail; Lucas Gauricus is also of their opinion, but he joyneth also the vertue of Saturn and Mars in this negotiation, confessing withall, that the main constellation in the Zodiack unto which this Stone is subject, is Virgo: Albertus Magnus saith, that the Load-stone and Iron are directed unto the Northern starrs, and followeth them no otherwise, then a Plant called the Heli[…]ropion followeth the Sun. Bessardus will have his opinion apart, and maketh the pole of the Zodiack the fountain of the Load-stone's Virtue. Again, the Conimbricensian Colledge, derive the cause hereof from a part of the heaven, not far from the Pole. But Martin Cor[…]esius will have this attractive Virtue, to descend from a place beyond the Poles or movable heavens. On the other side, Gaudentius Merula tells us, that the Load-stone doth draw Iron, with an intent to direct it unto the North, because it is an order superior unto the Iron, with the constellation of the Beare. I must confess, that beams which are dilated are prompt to deliver their brethten, which are imp[…]isoned, and to direct them to their native home: But I cannot understand Me[…]ula's mind, in this sense. Others make the heavens in generall, the fountain of this Stone's virtue: For Paracelsus saith, that it is the starrs, which being full of the Load-stone's power, draweth the Iron unto them, &c. And this should seem probable, because the Iron moveth to it poles, even in the absence of the Load-stone. Fernelius staggers: for somtimes he confesseth the cause of this Action to be abstruse; and in another place, he maketh the heavens to be the Author. Scaliger, soring nearer unto the point of verity, assigneth to it also a celestiall cause unknown to himself, averring, that the terrestiall Load-stones are derived not from the Globes, or mountaines of the starrs; but from that essentiall power or essence, which was their Fabricator, which raigneth in that part of heaven, which hangeth over the Septentrionall point. And unto this opini[…]n doth P[…]ato seem to adhere, where he confesseth the Magneticall essence to be a Divine power. And verily, they speak well, but in so large a sense, that this their assertion appeareth unto their disciples, being rightly scanned, (as I said[…] igno[…]m per igno[…]ius: For so in the generall terms we may say, that all things are from God: We will come down from our celestiall speculations, and look on the humility of such, as being too wary, and listning overmuch unto the Proverb, Noli alium s[…]per[…]; C[…]imbe not too […], have their regard more pronely, namely upon the earth, and her effects onely; and of this ranck is Fracastorius, who searching after the reason, and beginning of this attracting faculty, doth imagine that the Hyperboreall mountaines, which abound with rocks of this nature, do draw these Iron-natured sub[…]cts unto them. And this his figment seemeth so plausible, unto divers persons of learning, that they follow it as well in their Astronomicall writings as Geographicall tables, or descriptions of the world, and Sea-cards or maps; which if it were t[…]ue, they would easily draw unto them all such Ships as pass in the Northern Seas: Olaus Magnus, and some other that follow his traditions, say, that the att[…]active force cometh from some northern Islands, which abound in that Magnetick subject. But leaving their fancy unto the empty wind, I p[…]oceed unto others. Lucretius Ca[…]us, a poet of the Epicurean Sect, dreameth that the attraction of Iron, is caused of an effluxion of atoms: For, saith he, according unto the Epicures opinions, as most subtill atoms do emanate and […]ow out from every thing; even so do atoms […]lie out of the Iron, as Magneticall seeds, by a certain coition of it with the Load stone, into the interposed place, or space that is between them, and that by the union or complication of both bodies, the iron is drawn, &c. Unto this sense also do Aphrodiseus, Joannes Cost[…]us, Plutarch, yea, and Thomas Aquinas incline; when indeed they ought to know, that no attraction is made by emission from the Center unto the Circumference, that is, by dilatation; but rather by sucking in, and contracting from the Circumference unto the Center, and therefore the emission of atomicall seeds, out of the Iron, can be no reason of its Union with or moving to the stone. But it must be the Load-stone, that must draw the beams or spirits out of the Iron: For it appeareth that the Iron doth not draw it self unto the Load-stone, but is drawn unto it: Thales and Anaxagoras think that the Load-stone hath life in it, because it attracteth a substance like it self, as lively creatures do: Luc[…]etiu[…] and Orpheus think there is that Sympathy between the Magnet and the Iron, which is between the male and female; and in this they erre not much. Averroes, Scaliger, and the Cardinal Cusanus, would have Iron to move unto the Load-stone, as unto his originall Mattix. Galen thinketh that it draweth by his substantiall form.

And now I must come unto the opinion of my renowned Fellow or Collegue, D. William Gilbert, for his Magnetick skill, and deep search as well contemplative as experimentall touching this Subject: His mind is, that this attractive virtue in the Load-stone, doth spring from formall actions, or originall and primary Virtues or vigours: For he concludeth, that the Magnetick force proceedeth from a particular or singular form, differing from that formall and specifick cause in mixt bodies, mentioned by the Peripateticks, but (saith he) it is a certain form, which is the proper entity and existence of the starry Globes, and their homogeniall incorrupted parts, which he calleth the Primarie, radicall, and astreall Form, namely such a one as is in the Sun, the Moon, and other celestiall Stars. And he averreth, that after a like manner, there is one in the earth, which is that true Magneticall Puissance, which is called the first act or vigor. And this he saith, is not derived from the whole heaven, affirming, that it is procreated by Sympathy, through influence, or occult qualities; neither is it from any peculiar starre: For it hath its Magneticall virtue from the earth, &c. This is my learned quondam Fellow-Collegue his opinion, whose pains and industry in the research of this Subject's practicall conclusions, as I cannot but commend and extol; So on the contrary side, reason will not permit me, to consent unto this his speculative foundation or root of the Load-stone's virtue in all: For who can believe, that the earth it self, much less the particulars thereof, can have any Virtue radically from it self; when it is evident, that as well the earth as the heavens, came radically out of the waters? And therefore as the heaven was before the earth, it must needs follow, that the formall Virtue of the earth, did totally descend from heaven, and consequently the earth had no such property from it self. But of this hereafter more at large. Among the Ethnick Philosophers Plato, and of the Christians Scaliger and Fernelius, do think, that the cause of this Attraction is Divine and from above; but how, and after what manner they express not. And therefore though in a generality they have spoken the truth, yet in these common words they seem to expresse, they know not what. In particular, I will conclude with the last opinion, which is the most idle and insufficient of all the rest, and therefore is worthy to be made the last and most unworthy part, namely the tayl, or excrement of them. Franciscus Rucus, maketh a great doubt, concerning the wonderfull property in the Load-stone, and because (forsooth) the pitch of his capacity can attain no higher then unto Superficiall things, and such as are subject unto sense; therefore he judgeth all effects beyond his reach, to be Cacomagicall, and consequently he maketh a doubt, whether the cause of these actions in the Load-stone be not an impostury or subtill slight of the Cacodemons or evill spirits. And yet this man is more to be born withall, then such as do boldly averre, that the act and wonderfull effects of the Weapon Salve is cacomagicall: For he speaketh not absolutely as they do; who without any farther doubting, do seem to attribute all hidden effects unto the Divell, and so deprive God of his due; but onely this man maketh a doubt, whether it be so or no.