Section II, Book 2, member 2, chapters 3–4: The magneticall nature and the loadstone

CHAP. III. Of the excellency of Man in the Animal Kingdom, and of the admirable nature of the Load-stone in the Mineral.

I May well presume to compare the Load-stone in disposition with Man, considering the admirable vertues and dignity of the one in the Animal kingdom; and the miraculous operations, and mysticall properties of the other, in the Mineral region. As for Man, (for dignities cause I will speak of him in the first place) there is such a super-eminent and wonderfull treasure hidden in him, that wisemen have esteemed, that the perfect wisdom of this world, consisteth in the knowledge of a mans self, namely, to find out that secret mystery, which doth lurk within him. For man is said to be the center of every creature, and for that cause he is called Microcosmus, or the little world: Centrum & miraculum mundi, The center or miracle of the world, containing in himself the properties of all creatures, as well celestiall as terrestriall, and consequently of the Load-stone. He is Templum Dei, the Temple of God; Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ; Habitaculum Spiritus sancti, the Habitacle of the holy Ghost, (as the Apostle hath taught us). Neither verily may it be imagined, that God would make choice of an unworthy dwelling place. And therefore in the consideration thereof, and our enquiry after so great a mystery, we had need to proceed with our exactest discretion and judgment, from the visible things of man unto the invisible, that is, to penetrate with the sharpest edge of our wit by demonstration, à posteriori; or from the externall man, into the bowells of his secret, mysticall, and internall beeing; wherefore we proceed thus: Seeing that Man is rightly reported by Hermes to be the Son of the world, as the world is the Son of God, being that it is framed after the image of the Archetype, (for which cause he is tearmed the little world) It will be requisite to understand, that he is in like manner divided into a heaven and earth, as the great world was, and consequently containeth in it self no otherwise his heavens, circles, poles, and stars, than the great world doth. And also as we find, that the spirituall image of the heavens, with their circles and poles, are delineated also in the earth, and every particular thereof, (as it appeareth in the Loadstone and Iron) so the character of the inward man is deciphered and pourtrayed out in the outward man, no otherwise, than we may judge of the fashion of the sword by the scabbard, or the kernell by the shell. Concerning the re-search or enquiry after the worlds poles in man, there hath risen no small difference amongst the Philosophers; Pythagoraes, Plato, and Aristotle have ordained the east part of the world to be his right hand, and their reason is, because the diurnall motion of the heavens, which proceedeth from the Primum mobile, is effected from east to west; and consequently the west must be his left hand, or sinister portion: and in placing man according unto this position, his face must look unto the north, and his posteriors unto the south. But Empedocles opposeth this opinion, affirming, that the Aestivall Solstice, o[…] the Tropick of Cancer, is the right hand of the world; it followeth therefore, that the Hyemall station of the Sun, or the Tropick of Capricorn, must be the left; and according unto this direction, man's face must behold the west. As for mine own part, mine opinion is adverse unto both their minds, forasmuch as I, being moved thereto for reasons, as well Theologicall as Naturall, would rather adapt mans face unto the Orient, or eastern quarter, and then his posteriors shall respect the west, and so the north pole will correspond unto his left hand, and the south unto his right. That this position is not onely naturally, but also divinely, befitting the Microcosm, we prove it thus: The Patriarcks, Prophets, and Apostles, in their devoutest prayers, did use to convert their faces unto the east, which is an argument, that this quarter of the world was by the Creator alloted unto mans anteriour part. And in Matthew we read, that lightning shall come out of the east, and shall passe unto the west. And in another place it is said, Metimin[…] quamque ad plagam orientalem, & ad plagam australem, & ad plagam occidentalem, & ad plagam septentrionalem. Measure forth unto the east, and the south, and the west, and towards the north. As if he had said, Measure out plots of ground before you, and at your right hand, and behind you, and at your left hand. And Job saith, Behold, I go into the east, and he will not be there; and unto the west, and I shall not find him there; or unto the north, where he worketh, and I shall not discern him; he hideth himself in the south, and I shall not behold him. But St. Jerom interprets this place thus, If I shall go unto the east, he appeareth not; if unto the west, I shall not understand him; if unto the left hand, what shall I do? I shall not overtake him; if on the right hand, I shall not see him. And Tremellius thus: If I shall go forward, he will not be there; if backward, I shall not find him; when he operateth on the left hand, yet shall I not see him; he will cover the right quarter of the world, and yet shall I not behold him. So that what Pagn[…]n[…] maketh the orient angle of the world, Tremellius maketh the face or fore-part of the world, and so-forth. Whence it appeareth, (and that, as I think, without further controversy) that the direct disposition of man, according unto the situation of the great world, is, when his face is disposed unto the orient, or east angle of the earth. And for this reason are the two eyes of man disposed in the frontispice of his fabrick, as also of all other creatures, that they might after a long nocturnall darknesse, behold with delight the orientall Sun, that by the presence thereof, they might adore the Creator thereof, in whose power it is, by his golden aspect, to banish the presence of the gloomy night, and consequently to salute it, as being the visible type of the eternall Sun's invisible beauty; who also (as Scriptures hath taught us) will appear at the last day from that easterly point, to renovate and purifie by fire the corrupt world. If followeth therefore, that mans right hand, or right part, must respect the south, as his left hand the north. All which are by so much the more apparent, by how much they agree and concord with Philosophicall reason: For the Liver being on the right side of man, doth most conveniently sympathise with the southern nature, being that it engendereth by its vertue warm aery blood, and sendeth it forth by the channells of the veins, every where, over the microcosmicall earth, to make it to vegetate, even as the southern wind produceth tepid or madid showers, to water the microcosmicall earth, that thereby the plants and he[…]bage which groweth on it, may encrease and multiply by vegetation. The left side, or left hand, is rightly compared unto the worlds Boreal quarter, or the Arctick p[…]le: for as in that angle, the aire, water, or earth, is cold and dry, apt to congelation, & of a contractive and stiptick, or restrictive nature; so also we find, that the spleen which lyeth in the left part of mans body, is the receptacle of melancholy, or congealed, cold, black, sowre, and earthly humours; and as the northern blasts of the macro[…]osmicall or great world, do obscure and mask, or eclipse oft-times the fair sun-shine of the east, and by that means do procure an obscure darknesse over all the hemisphear; even so in the little world, the flatuous fumes sent forth from this northern splene, contracteth the heart, and instead of wholsome and bright passion[…], namely, of joy, mirth, and gladness, which the beauteous sun-shine of life procureth unto man, it bringeth forth dark passions, as are, sadness, fear, dispair, and such like; yea, and causeth the heart to suffer the effects of syncopes, and palpitations. Thus therefore you see the two opposite poles of the little world, to concur in effect, and that in all respects, with that of the great world, counting the southern pole from the Aequinoctiall. For if we divide the Load-stone in the middle, that part in the Aequinoctiall which is next the north-pole, will serve and stand in place of the South Pole; and if again, that half be divided in the Tropick of Cancer, the division about the Tropick of Cancer, will be his South Pole. But to look more internally yet into the little world, we find that it consisteth on that spirituall Corner-stone, by which the world was made and the earth sustained, and consequently in which the world, and every point thereof, was ideally delineated from the beginning, before it was made after the manner of the earth, which is said to be full of the Spirit of Wisdom. Hereupon it is termed the Temple of God, the body and members of Christ, and the habitacle of the Holy Spirit, (as is said before). For this cause therefore we must think, that there are secret Poles, circles, and starrs, assigned unto man, as well spirituall as corporall, no otherwise then there is unto the earth, and every Magneticall portion thereof; So that in man is the properties of the Macrocosmicall winds, and consequently in it may passions be bred, and produced, which are as well Antipatheticall as Sympatheticall.

Now verily, if in the second place, we shall duly observe the nature of the Load-stone, we shall not a little admire at the rare and singular properties thereof; yea truly, we shall find it almost to passe man's reason and understanding, that a hard mineral stone, unmoveable, and stupid, should neverthelesse be possessor of such spirits, which are able insensibly to display and transmit their occult faculties and virtues, quite through or a travers the hardest stones, the most solid and closest grained wood; the thick and intranspirable plates of mettal; yea, the impenetrable glass it self, and other such compacted stuffe, which have not any sensible Spiracle or porosity, and that it should work on it self, and on Iron; and that it should behold the Pole Arctick at so long a distance, as there cannot be a greater in our regard, namely from the earth unto the highest heavens, or the eighth Shpere, the which is almost incommensurable, I mean unto the Pole-star. I dare boldly say, that all the Schoole of the Peripateticks, who made profession to give a reason of all things, and to be ignorant of nothing, that toucheth the most occult and intimate secrets of nature, would find themselves much troubled and puzzeled, and as it were inclosed in a confused Labyrinth of phantasticall imaginations and Chimerian surmises, before they could discusse and unvaile this misty business, or unrip the fardill of so profound a riddle; that is to say, ere they could hit the mark, or attain unto the wished end of this inquirie, which is onely pointed at and demonstrated by the finger of a far truer, and diviner Philosophy, whose main Subject of all actions and power, is the spirituall Corner-stone Jesus Christ, in whom is the plenitude of Divinity, as St. Paul teacheth us. Is it not wonderfull, that this spirit can pass like that celestiall one in Man, where the aire is not able to penetrate? Is it not an evident Argument, that it is of an aethereall race, which is able to operate these effects quite through such solid bodies? Wherefore let not Plutarch make his brags as he hath done, where he striveth to undo this intricate Gordian knot or tye, reputing it a shame and defect in such learned men, as have medled herein, and have not dived into the depth thereof, being that at last he himself sheweth palpably herein his error, after he had made so strict an inquisition: For he concludeth, that the insensible emanations or emissions or effluxions which issue out of the Load-stone, and produce his attractive effects, are gross and flatuous; whereas, if he had a little better considered the businesse, he would have found that the subtilest, and most rarified aire, is not able to find any porosity or spiracle to breathe through thick compacted boards, or smoothed and polished stones, or plates of silver and gold; much less can any passage be admitted unto gross and flatuous spirits, to breathe or expire through. But to return again unto the straight line of our History.

CHAP. IV.

Of a double attractive disposition in Man; and how the one agreeth with the nature of the Load-stone; and the other is different from it. Herein also the Reason, why the dead carcass of a Man is indued with a Magnetick power or attractive nature, is discovered.

AS in the dimension of the Load-stone, there is observed to be a multiplicity in kinds or manners of attraction, (for the attraction of it is otherwise effected at his Poles, namely perpendicularly, than it is on the Aequinoctial, which is flatling; so also there is a great difference between the attraction, which is made in man: For the Spleen being of the property of the North Pole, sucketh unto it by the Ramus Splenicus his like, namely Melancholly or terrestriall juices, directly by a Saturnine virtue, and the Gall attracteth, by a Martiall Sulphureous or fiery terrestriety, choller unto it; and the Liver by a Southern or Aequinoctial dilatation, disperseth the blood which it hath rubified, by veiny channells through the whole Microcosmicall earth. But first, it attracteth by his porous Organs the like unto it from the guts. All which manner of attraction it would never effect, were it not by the incitation of naturall heat, which though in it self it rather dissipateth by dilatation, then attracteth by contraction; yet it inciteth and animateth certain corporeall instruments, ordained by nature for attraction's cause, namely to draw and suck by contraction, and to dilate again by relaxing or dilating of themselves. And for this reason is the Heart, the Stomack, the Intestines, or Guts, the Veins, &c. made or compacted of fibers direct for attraction, transverse for retention, and oblique for expulsion. Again, the attraction of the aire by the Aspera Arteria and nostrills, could not be effected, but by the aid of the Pulmones or Lungs, the which would not move or work but by the animation of a dilating and vivifying heat; so that, in this case, all attraction of externall aire, which is made by the Pores, into the fleshy parts, and by the Lungs into the Heart, and by the nostrils into the brain, proceedeth from the dilatated action of heat, and is effected by instruments, and that properly by the lungs and heart: Even as we see that the Syringe or Squirt being pulled out, attracteth or draweth aire; but being thrust in, it emitteth or expelleth it again; and yet both these opposit actions in one Organ or instrument, proceed from one dilated humane spirit which acteth. We must understand therefore, (as I have expressed before) that man is composed of Matter which is his Patient, and Form which is his Agent; and as matter did first proceed of the watery Subject, which did issue out of the dark Chaos, and therefore is of it self inclinable unto a Northern and privative disposition, namely to rest, cold, mortification, and immobility; so it is this Matter, that maketh contraction, as well in the heart, and consequently in the Pulse's motion, as in the other parts of the body; that is to say, the naturall inclination of Matter in man, is apt to contract spirits from the Circumference unto the Center; when contrariwise Form being derived from Light, is busie in dilatation, and therefore in animation, and exagitation of Matter, which would otherwise be sopified, and as it were mortified, by her mother's Northern cold. And this is the reason of Systole and Diastole, in the hearts motion, which commeth of that action and passion, or operation and resistence, which is made between the Light, heat, or Aequinoctial form, and the dark and cold, or polar matter in man's composition; whereby it is apparent, that as the great world is said to be composed ex lite et am[…]citia, of hatred and friendship; so also the little world, is rightly averred to be compacted of contraries, namely of the children of Light and Darknesse. Now in this therefore, a live-man's attractive power, differeth from that of the Load-stone, because the Load-stone is not so appearing lively as man is; but may in some sort be esteemed dead, because it is divided from his ferruginous vein in the earth; and again, he attracteth not by any dilatation, made of a vivifying heat, through any organicall Substance or assistance, but by an earthly and Centrall, contracting disposition. And for that reason, his greatest power of attraction consisteth in the Pole. The live man's attraction proceedeth therefore from a dilatation of lively heat, from the Center unto the circumference, which causeth materiall instruments ordained as well for attraction as retention or expulsion to effect their office; and yet sometimes it operateth chiefly to contraction, that is in motion from the circumfere[…]ne unto the Center, when it receiveth by the permission of God the beams of a privative Emanation, as when the heart is contracted: whereupon bad passions, as sadness, melancholy, dispair, envy, fear, and such like do follow, as we have told you before. Sometimes the naturall heat reflecteth, for the Senses repose and rest, his beams inwardly, as in the action of sleep, which is a type of death and darkness: but contrariwise, it dilateth its self from the Center unto the circumference, when it will have the animal spirits to watch and operate in their functions.

By this therefore we may imagine, that the Load-stone's attractive nature is from the circumference unto the Center, being as it were to man's externall view half dead, and by that manner of attraction it draweth unto it his like, namely spirits out of the Iron or steel, which by reason of its refination and homogeniety in nature, as being cleared from all his stony Mercury, which was heterogenious unto it, we may compare unto a live man, which is replenished with lively emanating or dilating spirits: For I would have every man to know, that there is not a creature on the earth, which hath not his Astrological or starry influence, which (though we cannot discern it) doth shine forth, and maketh his aspect unto the like of his kind, namely unto such creatures, as are of condition with the starrs of heaven, from whence the creature's influence doth descend: But if the two creatures be dissonant in nature, then the one doth Antipathetically divert or reflect his beams from the other. The Iron therefore like a vivified mass, meeting with the Load-stone, doth easily emit his beams of love unto the Load-stone, who doth as greedily suck or draw them, by means of his inward earthly Martial Spirits, even unto her Center, and by the attraction of the Iron's formall beams, draweth with it all the Iron body, that possesseth the starry or Martial influence. In like manner a strong Magnet, is as it were a female unto a weaker. No otherwise is it with a live man, and the dead carcass of another; For though that many bodies appear to be dead, yet shall the naturall Magician know, that in his flesh and bones there abideth admirable spirits, which operate no less wonders, yea, and far greater then those of the Load-stone. And therefore I would have each self-conceited person, that are so apt to envy against the Mysteries of God in nature, to learn more discretion and experience, before they so vain-gloriously do judge the strange, and marvellous effects of man's royall nature, and pronounce so boldly without hesitation, or sticking, that there are no spirits in any amputated members or portion in man, no nor in the dead carcass, as Casman and Foster aver: Nay that the Devill himself can not conferre any into them or it: For I would have both them and other temerarious and bold Judges to know, that as the Load-stone, though appearing a dead mass, is observed to suck and draw Centrally unto it, with a lively appetite the beams and body of the Load-stone; and that all and every member divided from the Load stone, will do the like in its proportion: Even so I can prove it, and confirm it by an ocular demonstration, that by a right application of the fleshy parts of a dead man's carcass unto a live man, (if the application be long) it will make the live man faint and feeble, the which nevertheless a while after the materiall or corporall Magneticall Mummy be removed, will receive again his wonted strength: Moreover, lest this relation may seem to Mr. Foster and the rest of his Cabalisticall Sect, a figment or Chimerious fancy: forasmuch as he may alleadge, that the application of the thing may work in the live man's imagination, and cause him to perswade himself that he is faint, and that without any true ground, and that there can be no externall effect to prove it. I answer: That it will suck or draw forth of the live man the spirituall Mummy in a visible manner: For by the coldness of the part, the spirituall Mummy so extracted, will condense it self on the superficies of the corporall Magnet, even as aire into a cloud, or a cloud into Manna; so that it may be gathered and converted into a very pretious and wholsome Panacaea or generall medicine (if the party out of which it is extracted, be sound, and of a wholsome complexion), as contrariwise, it may prove as corrupt and Antipatheticall a medicine, where the body out of which it is drawn is infected with any venomous or contagious disease, namely French Pox, Plague, Leprosie, and such like, as shall be more at large expressed in the next book. Now the reason of this act and operation in the dead man's Magnetick parts, is, that as when the body was alive, it was animated by light, and enjoyed all the properties of light, to wit, it was hot, active, moveable, dilative, and, in conclusion, of an Aequinoctiall or Southern condition; so that naturall fire being extinguished, it indueth the properties of darkness; for it is mortified by cold, and is congealed, potentiall, fix or immobil, contractive, and, in fine, of the rigid zone's, and frozen Pole's nature; So that whereas before whilst it lived, it did emit his beams from the Center to the Circumference, and did enjoy the blessings of God's vivifying and positive Emanation, now it indueth the condition of his contracting, privative and mortifying Emanation. And yet I would not that wisemen should think, that because the lively body is turned into a dead carcass, therefore it is void of all spirits of life, being that Scriptures confirm, that the incorruptible spirit is in all things, and consequently as well in those that are dead, as in those that are alive: For this incorruptible spirit according unto the variety of his property in the four winds, is sometime in motion from the center of the thing in which it is, unto the circumference, for so he vivifyeth, and causeth the creature to act and live, by a southern or aequinoctiall faculty; so (I say) it operateth from the center of the celestiall sun, to the animation of inferiour creatures, namely, by evocation of their incorruptible spirits, (which were repelled by the winter or Boreal cold into their center) from their center unto their circumference, as it appeareth by such vegetables, which seem, for that reason, as it were dead all the winter season, because the spirit of life leaves and forsakes the circumference of the plant, and betaketh it self unto the center, to retire from the assaults of cold, which is its opposite, as far as it can. But when it perceiveth its fountain of light to approach, and to send them forth succours, they begin by little and little to spring again, from their center unto their circumference; and being united unto the externall beams which are come unto their aide, they expel dark privation, and congealing cold, from out their tabernacles, and do proceed to operate and act unto vegetation and multiplication; as also we see in the corn which is buried in the earth. Even so, (I say) and no otherwise, the Load-stone's Martiall nature being originally, by a Saturnine spirit, contracted into his center, is exagitated and stirred up, and with like joy doth suck unto it the formall beams of the Iron, from whose Martiall sulphureous spirit they did originally spring. And even so also, the spirits of the dead body being by mortifying cold driven from the circumference unto the center, and resting there at repose without any action, maketh the body and every part thereof fixt and unmovable; but when they are applyed unto the lively circumference of their species or kind, they spring forthwith and in their watery spirits towards the circumference, (as if they were almost famished in the center) and rejoyce to meet with their like in the live man, which doth, as it were, dilate it self, and issue forth of the pores in a streaming manner, for their assistance; and they being partly congealed in the center of the dead member, do with a greedy appetite suck them in with the spirituall Mummy, which is their vehicle, towards their centrall abiding, to endue it with life as it was before, and to recreate it with their presence; but the unctuous spirituall Mummy, being full of bright spirits, resting upon the superficies of the live man, inspissated with the cold and mortifying contact of the dead flesh, or part of the carcase, is forthwith congealed, and may be reserved for a private use. But can we (I pray you) better confirm this, than with the contractive, restrictive, or congelative vertue of the fumous excrescence, issuing from the salt contained in the dead mans bones? for by applying it, I mean, the Uznea or masse, which groweth on the dead mans bones, unto the irruptions of blood or haemorrhoigy in a living man, the warm blood, as it were, moved by an antipatheticall affection, returneth back again, and is denyed passage by the congealing and binding operation, of these northern effected excrescences.

But leaving these conclusions, touching the dead mans magnet and its vertues, for a while, what will you say, and there may be a microcosmicall Magnes or Load-stone, which may be selected and gathered out of the living man, without any detriment or prejudice unto his life, whose vertues, both in regard of its monstrous and unnaturall generation, being composed of unlike parents, and being compacted of two substances different in kinde, as the Mule is, namely, of an earthly Mercury, and cholerick sulphureous human spirits; as also in his manner of attraction of the spirituall Mummy out of the living man; yea, and what is far more admirable, by the transplantation of it, either to the animal or vegetable kinds, it worketh after a strange fashion, either sympathetically or antipathetically. I know, that these newes will streight way be esteemed by some, who are apter to judge amiss, than rightly to scan, to be diabolicall: And why? Marry because they passe the sphear of their capacities. And yet I know this to be true, and know them which have put it in execution, not without the wonderment of many; yea, I know this Microcosmicall Magnet, and the use thereof, the which when it is tryed by wise-men, and well pondered by them, will appear as naturall, as the effects thereof will seem strange, and the reason abstruse. But if that which I have said before be well understood, and seriously pondered, the cause hereof will not seem so hidden, as that it should exceed the limits of nature. Of this kind of magneticall action, as well sympatheticall as antipatheticall, I purpose, by Gods grace, to discourse more at large, in the third or last Book of this Treatise or History.