Section II, Book 2, member 2, chapter 5: The magneticall nature and the loadstone (part 2 of 3)

But to come and ascend from the Minerall, unto the Vegetable and Animal Kingdoms, we observe, that there is an admirable relation between the fixed stars and the planets, and by the same reason also between plant and plant, yea, and between the plant and the mineral, and between the animal and the plant: As for example, Touching th[…] sympatheticall relation, we find in the first place, that the beams of the herb and flower Heliotropium, and that of Succory, do sympathetically meet, and joyne themselves, and embrace lovingly the beams and influences of the Sun, for they are observed to turn and winde about, even in the most clowdy day, at the diurnall motion of him. And contrariwise, in the night time, by reason of his absence, they contract their flowers, as being enemies unto the dark and cold night, as Mizaldus affirmeth. Also the Oynion, as Plutarch doth testifie, waxeth green, and groweth, when the Moon decreaseth, and again it withereth when she encreaseth. There is also a great sympatheticall reference between the Crab, and Oyster, and the Moon, for when the Moon encreaseth, they encrease in their succe or juice; again, when she decreaseth, they also do decrease in their substance.

Moreover, touching the eradiation of one plant unto another, it is noted, that the Rue, otherwise tearmed Herb[…]g[…]ace, doth entertain with exceeding great friendship the Fig-tree, insomuch that it never groweth or prospereth better, than under that tree; and, that there is a notable sympathy betwixt their natures, it is evident, because they smell and taste much alike. Also if the Myrtle be planted near the Pomgranat-tree, it maketh him more fertill and fruitfull, and it self more odoriferous, and each of them rejoyce at one anothers presence and society; and indeed, both of them agree in a nature, being cold, dry, and astringent.

Moreover, to express the exceeding sympatheticall relation, which is between the Vegetable nature and the Mineral, let us but mark diligently the occult property of the Hazel-tree. For if at certain times there be forked twigs cut from it, and each twig of the forked branch be held in each hand, so that the forked place where they joyne stand directly upward, and, as it were, perpendicularly: And with this kind of posture of the stick, the party that holdeth it pass over a mountain, that hath in its bowells some ri[…]h minerall, or mettalline veine, when as the man walketh right over the place of the mine, the perpendicular twist will forcibly, and that whether the bearer will or no, bow downward towards the earth; but if there be no mine or veine, it will not move. That this is true, my self can witness, and more than a thousand, which have seen the effect, and will justifie thus much; for even among us, certain Germaines performed the like fear in the Silver-mines at Wales; and in Germany it is a thing commonly exercsied, in those mountains of Saxony and Hungary, where there are mines of Silver and Gold. Besides, lest my assertion should be of little faith among the incredulous, I would have them know, that George Agricola and Munster, do avow the same to be true. Lord, what a stir would the enemy of the weapon-salve make, to behold such a sight! What! an unsensible branch of a tree, consisting of two twigs onely, to discover hidden mettal, and to penetrate with his invisible beams above six hundred fathom in the solid earth, and that quite through craggy rocks, and stony veines! What, will they say) is it possible that a vegetable, which is less active, movable, and hot, then is the animal, should perform this act, when it is impossible (as they say) that the animal's beamy influence or emanation, should pass or co-operate at any far distance with his like, by reason of castles, rocks, woods, hills, fogs, and such like? Surely they will conclude, that this wonder must be done by the act of the devill, or not at all. For, being an animal spirit cannot effect such an union in aspect, at so far a distance, how should the sensless vegetable move, and encline of it self, &c? Such will their censures be, I know, who are apt to judge before the case be known, when in verity it is that proportioned harmony in all these lower creatures, by which they do correspond unto the celestiall bodies, or rather to the divine influences in them, which spring from one capitall, catholick, and eternall emanation, who infuseth immediatly his vertuous beams, as well of sympathy as antipathy, into each starry globe, and they again do pour them down into this elementary world, causing a harmonious and symphoniacall consent betwixt both regions. And therefore Alkindus saith, Omnia quae fiunt in hoc mund[…], & contingunt in mun[…]o elementorum, à coelesti harmonia sunt translata: All things that are effected in this world, and do happen in the elementary world, proceed from the coelestiall harmony. It is therefore certain, that the metallick beams concurring in their ascent with the beamy influences of the forked rood, do cause that portion in the hazel roods twist, to move downwards, no otherwise than the Loadstone is noted to draw Iron, or another Load-stone, most strongly by the pole. I know, it will seem strange unto these kind of men, to hear, that metallick substances in their veines should send forth beams; but if they were as well conversant with the lively natures of the mineralls as the minerall men of Tiroll, in Germany, and in Hungary are, they would be assured by ocular experience, that at times they send forth thunder and lightning in the earth, which appeareth most dangerous unto the workmen, so that except they get out of the mine when they observe the signes they suffer.

But to proceed. There is also noted and marked to be a kind of antipatheticall aspect, between the creatures here below, as well as between some speciall stars, both erratick, and fixt, above; and also one creatures beamy aspect is known to abhorre the other; So that in their applications of beams, the one is observed to eschew and decline or reflex from the other, with a kind of irascible, formidable or odible and hatefull aversion. Miraldus telleth us, that the Cowcumber being as it were terrified at the noise of the Thunder, is often changed. The Onion was refused by the Egyptians to be eaten, because it was noted by them, to vary from all other growing things: for as all herbs, saving it, did increase as the Moon did; So, onely the Onion did contrariwise, receive all his detriment and dimmution, when that star did increase in his Light. There is an Antipathy between the Lightning and the Fig-tree, and the hide of the Sea-calf, and therefore these are never struck by it. Also there is known to be exceeding hatred between the reed and the fern or brake, insomuch that if either of the roots bruised be laid on the stalks or branches of the other, it casteth it off from it with a scornfull hatred. Of all beasts also the Elephant hateth and detesteth the little Mouse; so that if any of the food which is administred unto them, be eaten or touched by Mice, they will abhorre and loth it forthwith. The like Antipathy is noted to be between the natures of the Catablepa and the Weasell: for the Weasells are as poyson unto them. The Cock doth Antipathetically abhorre the Fox. All Snakes and Adders do fear and fly from the Ashen-tree, insomuch that they are carefull to keep themselves as well out of the forenoon as afternoon shadow of it. Again, Diascorides reporteth that the […]axus or Ewe-tree is so venomous, that if any one do but sit under it, he is hurt thereby, and often times it costs him his life. And Coelius Rodiginus saith, that the Adder is affraid of a naked man. It is well known and confirmed by many Authors, that the Catablepa being but a very small Animal, killeth with the beam of his aspect a thousand paces off from him. Also one blear-eyed person is able to infect another afar off by the secret emission of his contagious beames. We see that Onions draw teares from a person ad distans, by the emission of its b[…]ams. Again, we observe, that as like being wholsome and sound, doth commonly, by a Sympatheticall affection embrace his like; So also like being corrupted, doth Antipathetically, and that ad d[…]stans poyson and infect his like; as we see that a blear-eyed or Ophthaliniacall person, infecteth no member of another person but his eye, and one of P[…]ysicall ulcered and consumed Lungs woundeth onely the Lungs of another, and that ad distans, and by the application or concurrency of the two beams of one nature, being Antipathetically affected and impoysoned. But to return again unto our Magnetick Scope, which is as well spirituall as corporall; I say, there is such a spirituall respect of Sympathy betwixt creature and creature, that the beloved doth allure and draw unto it after an admirable manner of attraction, the spirit of the Lover, as I my self have seen marvellously effectd by a water-Spannell of mine own in France: For as I rode post to Lions, and by the way had lost my vallise or male, in which my Letters of Exchange were, and seeking to return back again, I found my post-horse of that quality, that he would by no means recoile and go back again. Then I was forced to send my dog back to look out, and after he had been absent half an houre, he brought the bouget in his mouth, which is strange, considering that I was on horse-back, and that he could not discern any footing of mine; and ye[…] nevertheless he came to the bouget which I desired, and finding by it a sent of me he brought it again. But that I may come more pertinently to the business. A friend of mine being in my company lost his dog in the night-time, we came into a private house where he never was before; and being in a chamber, the doore being fastned, about half an hour after the dog came, and did violently scrape and bounce at the dore, to find out his beloved: whereby it is evident, that the beams of his affection, did in the absence of his Master not forsake his Master's beams, which guided him unto the unknown place so directly, that he found him out. Is it not also a wonderfull Sympatheticall Emanation, that the Pigeon called the Carrier, doth make unto the place or dove-coat wherein he was bred and fostered? Which for that reason, it doth so dearely affect and love, that though he be conveied 500 miles from his noursery in an enclosed basket, yet he will fly directly back again with a letter about his neck? Which is an evident Argument, that it is justly and straightly guided by the emitted beam of his affection, which is contiued, after a spirituall manner, with the place it doth most delight in. What shall we say in two persons; whereof the one doth love and affect without all reason, and therefore prosecureth with the beam of his affection his beloved, though she or he altogether either abhorring or neglecting, and not corresponding with the like beams of affection, doth not reciprocally embrace, but rather refuse and avert the beams of his or her Love. But where two do joyntly affect by a Sympatheticall Union, there the action will spiritually be furthered at a far greater distance; as when two starrs of heaven send out their beams semidiametrally, and concur in one harmonious point of affections. Nay verily, as we behold, being taught by experience, that there will be a great Antipathy between the slain bodie's contracted spirit, and the murtherer; insomuch that the lively spirit of the dead, being contracted after death by cold, into its Center, doth through an angry Antipatheticall passion move again from the Center unto the Circumference, as it were to resist the deadly enemy; and doth cause the congealed blood to flow and move, as if it would meet with and assault afresh the murtherer's emitted spirit; So we must surely confess, that where one spirit concurreth in Sympathy with another of the like nature, the power must be the greater, and the action performed at a larger distance, as is evidently expressed in the abstruse operation which is in the Magnetick cure, effected between the weapon or ointment, and the wounded, person: of which I have spoken so much, in that hot encounter, which hath been between Mr. Foster and my self, in the Book where I was provoked to squeeze his Sponge; and farther do purpose in this present Treatise to enlarge my self a little better touching that point, by way of a comparison made between the Magneticall virtue in Man, and that of the Load-stone.

The Argument of Mr. Foster, consisteth upon the impossibility of that operating virtue at so large a distance, as is propounded by some, to be effected by the Ointment, or rather of the lively blood's Emanation and emitting forth of his exciting spirituall beames or influences, unto the dead or congealed blood; which impossibility, if it were true indeed in the Animal kingdom, which is the most dilative and less bound with bodily bonds: I wonder that it should not be far more impossible, and unfezible in the mineral bodies, by reason of the firm and close solidity of them, which are therefore apter to retain their influentiall beams, then the bodies which are made lax, and porous. Besides all this, the Animal body is hot and fiery, and consequently the readier to dilate, and send forth his virtue the further; but the minerall is cold, and therefore the less active and powerfull in sending forth his beams. And yet for all this, experience teacheth us, that the Loadstone looketh towards the North-star, sendeth forth his spirituall aspect unto it: as also the star doth at the like distance send out his beams unto his Northern minerall mark, at an unmeasurable distance, as is said before; which being so, why should not (I beseech you) the Animall star derived from his celestiall Fountain, send out also his beams unto the frozen and chill blood, in his unctuous earth, I mean the Weapon-salve, or unto the blood's invisible spirit, sucked into the Iron by his attractive Sulphureous nature? For experience teacheth us, that though no corporall blood be found on the Iron, yet if the place of the weapon that wounded the person be anointed, it cureth by a like Sympatheticall aspect: For country-Chirurgions have made tryall, when they durst not search the wound with the Probe, and found by experience, namely, by putting the weapon into the fire, that the part of the sword or weapon will discover it self, which wounded the party, being that it will change colour from the rest; whereby they perceive how deep the wound is, by the observation of that part of the weapon which did penetrate. And therefore this is an evident argument of the ingression of the bloody spirits into the wounding instrument, and consequently it argueth, that there are essentiall spirits, which emanate or issue forth of the blood, quite forsaking the body: whereby also it is expressed, against Mr. Foster, that if the grosser spirits of the blood are able to pierce the close-grained steel, its finer and more subtil spirits are able to penetrate without any resistance, all other things in manner of an influence. But wee'l approach a little nearer to our purpose, and will remove ou[…] argument from the minerall demonstration, unto the vegetable, that thereby we may express like by like, in our animal subject. I will therefore insist upon the Grain of Wheat, which being dead and putrified in the earth, is suscitated by the beamy influences of the Sun. For like doth draw his like by a magnetick power, and like rejoyceth in his like, and like is suscitated, and revived and quickened, or evoked from his rest or center, by his evoking, and alluring, or embracing like; and by this means, the beamy spark or atom of sunny influence in the grain, being idle, and doing nothing in the center thereof, is stirred up by his externall like, to act and operate his own delivery out of the elementall mire, or the slimy band of the elementary compound: And therefore, as it was before contracted from the externall cold into the center, it is now by the presence of fresh solary irradiation from above, exsuscitated, as is were, from death unto life; and so by the assistance of those celestiall beams, it passeth beyond the limits of the corrupted grain, and soareth above the earth, and seeketh by all means to ascend unto his native region, from whence it descended; but being cumbered in his ascent by the sublunary substance of the importunate elements, which enclose it on every side, it is beset with the volatil salt of the aire, and insteed of mounting into his desired place, it is contented to multiply in his kind and to have companions, namely, other graines, procreated like it self. In like manner the microcosmical Sun of life, raigning (as Scriptures do teach us) in the blood, doth emanate and send out his spirituall beams which are inseparable, by continuity joyned unto, and continued with, the spirit of the congealed blood, which is sucked into the iron, or other weapon, and retained in it; for, so pure, worthy, and subtle is the spirit of man's life, that every creature doth by a naturall instinct affect to participate with it; yea, the very devills are said to affect a dwelling place in mans body, by reason of the excellent temper thereof. Neither would I have any man to scorn this saying of mine; for there is a concupiscible passion even in the very stones and minerals themselves, as in the Load-stone and Iron it is made manifest; and the spirit of the Iron, though it be minerall, is of the same condition in his catholick nature, that all other spirits are. And therefore marvell not, though I say, that the universall spirit affecteth the animal, being that for the same reason there hath been noted to be both a sympatheticall and antipatheticall condition between, as well the mineral and vegetable, and the mineral and animal, as between the animal and vegetable. But I will produce unto you a probable demonstration: There was an Earl (of whom, in my Book, intituled, The squeesing of Parson Foster's Spunge, I made mention) that had his Gardiner cruelly wounded in his hand with a syth, as he was mowing of grass the wound bled shrewdly, and could not be stenched: They went up unto his Lord, and signified so much unto him, and implored his assistance, and desired to have some of his weapon-salve. He commanded, that forth-with the syth should be knocked off from his wooden handle, and conveyed unto him. The wounded fellow hearing so much, took a hammer himself, and holding it with one hand, he struck hard upon the weapon or syth with the other, and immediately (a wondrous thing to tell, and yet far from any suspition of diabolicall art!) the blood stenched, and he bled not one drop after it; as if the mineral spirit, which retained that of the animal, were terrified, and, as it were, in awe of the animal spirit that struck it, and thereby lost all the faculty of attraction; or that the spirits included in it, which did consent in harmony with the spirits of the bleeding man, had rejoyced in a kind of revenge which was taken on the weapon: For know, that there is a sympatheticall and antipatheticall irradiation, as well between the animal and the minerall, as between the animal and animal, or mineral and mineral. But mark, I pray you, a second notable observation, touching this point; Sir Bevis Thelwell told me, that for triall upon a Wheelers ax, that had wounded him grievously on his leg, after it was anointed and wrapped up, the wounded person that could not sleep for pain in five nights before, did sleep immediately after the oyntment, and was at rest; which when Sir Bevis Thelwell espied, he would needs make triall of a thing, which he had heard confirmed by many: He opened the anointed Ax, and scraped off the oyntment at one corner of it, and forthwith he was advertised, that the party complained of a grievous pain, which he felt just about that part of the wound where the ax was bare by scraping; whereupon also he anointed that protion over again, and suddainly the party felt ease. The same experiment was made and found true by the said Lord, Captain Stiles, and Sir Nicholas Gilbourn. I can also say upon mine own knowledge, that in the Church-yard on Bred-street-hill, a widow-Gentlewoman having a box of this oyntment, cured many of the Tooth-ake, by pricking the pained tooth with a sharp stick, till it bled, and putting that stick into her box of oyntment. Among the rest, one of her neighbours, a contentious woman, having the tooth-ake, made means unto her for her cure, or to have ease. Her teeth were pricked, and the stick put into the oyntment, and she grew well. But within three or four daies after, she fell out with the Gentlewomans maid, and gave her Mistress but bad language; all which the maid did certifie her Mistress of. The Gentlewoman being merrily disposed, said, She would make her repent it, and went unto the box, and took away the stick belonging to this woman out of the pot, and put it into a bason of cold water, and immediately the woman had such pain, as she was forced to sue to the Gentlewoman, and she receiving another stick which had pricked her teeth anew, it gave her immediate ease. Which accidents, when I had well contemplated, I thought with my self, that the included spirit had his chiefest comfort from the oyntment, by keeping them warm; and that if the oyntment was removed, the cold aire, which is an enemy to the activity of the bloody spirits, was potent over it, and did congeal them; and so by consent of the beamy influence of life, emitted from the wound unto the included spirits, and continuated ever unto them, as inseparable, (for it was one and the same spirit, according unto Ezekiel's testimony, in two severall properties, that blowed from the north-wind, and the south) what distemper befalleth the included and congealed spirits in the weapon, happeneth, by effect of remission of evoked beams, and, as it were, by a report, unto the wound of the patient. Again, we must consider, that the separated blood hath in it each respect of the Microcosm, no otherwise, than a portion of a whole Loadstone, being divided from the whole, hath in it all the proportions of the World, namely, the Poles, Aequinoctial, and so forth, as well as the whole in it; so that the Idea of the wounded member, is in the spirits of the emitted blood, and maketh his relation to every part thereof, no otherwise, than the poles of a piece of the Loadstone do unto the whole. As also there is the like occult attraction and emission of beams, between the little blood emitted, and the whole bulk of blood retained in the veines, as is between the small amputated Load-stone, and the whole. I conclude therefore, that as the congealed bloody spirits in the weapon, or amputated blood, do by vertue of the homogeniall heat, and unctuosity of the salve or oyntment, ripen and exspire out by little and little unto his fountain, no otherwise than the spark in the grain of corn, being kept and preserved in the earthly matrix from the cold crude aire, doth aspire upward to the heavenly Sun; so also by little and little doth the wound heal, and mend in the wounded creature. And thus much for the manner of action, between the wound and weaponsalve. Now a word or two touching the intervall, or longitude of distance, between the wound and the oyntment.