987. Next to those that are near in blood, there may be the like passage and instincts of nature between great friends and enemies and sometimes the revealing is unto another person, and not to the party himself. I remember Philippus Commineus (a grave writer) reporteth, that the Archbishop of Vienna (a reverend prelate) said one day after mass to King Lewis the eleventh of France: Sir, your mortal enemy is dead; what time Charles Duke of Burgundy was slain at the battle of Granson against the Switzers.1 Some trial also would be made, whether pact or agreement do any thing; as if two friends should agree, that such a day in every week, they, being in far distant places, should pray one for another, or should put on a ring or tablet one for another's sake; whether if one of them should break their vow and promise, the other should have any feeling of it in absence.

988. If there be any force in imaginations and affections of singular persons, it is probable the force is much more in the joint imaginations and affections of multitudes: as if a victory should be won or lost in

1 Charles the Bold was not killed at Granson, but at Nancy; nor is the story told by Philippe de Comines. We have no authority for it but that of the anonymous author of an account of Angelo Caltho, Archbishop of Vienne, to whom Comines inscribed his memoirs. This account is prefixed to several editions of them, and first, I believe, to that which Sauvage published in 1605. In truth, Comines' silence is, as Bayle remarks, almost conclusive against the story, and it is remarkable that Bacon should have ascribed it to him, as Sauvage, whose edition Bacon probably used, notes in the margin that it is odd that Comines should have omitted so singular an incident. Caltho is called Cato in Madlle. Dupont's edition of Comines. He was a native of Tarento, and was a long time in the service of the Duke of Burgundy, whom he deserted after the defeat at Granson. A similar story is told with respect to Richard Coeur de Lion, that his death was announced at Rome on the day it happened, by a bishop whom he had deprived of his see. "Telum Limogiæ," said the bishop, interrupting himself while he was performing mass, "occidit Leonem Angliæ."

remote parts, whether is there not some sense thereof in the people whom it concerneth; because of the great joy or grief that many men are possessed with at once? Pius Quintus, at the very time when that memorable victory was won by the Christians against the Turks, at the naval battle of Lepanto, being then hearing of causes in the consistory, brake off suddenly, and said to those about him, It is now more time we should give thanks to God for the great victory he has granted us against the Turks: it is true that victory had a sympathy with his spirit; for it was merely his work to conclude that league.1 It may be that revelation was divine: but what shall we say then to a number of examples amongst the Grecians and Romans? where the people being in theatres at plays, have had news of victories and overthrows, some few days before any messenger could come.

It is true that that may hold in these things, which is the general root of superstition; namely, that men observe when things hit, and not when they miss; and commit to memory the one, and forget and pass over the other. But touching divination, and the misgiving of minds, we shall speak more when we handle in general the nature of minds, and souls, and spirits.

989. We have given formerly some rules of imagi

1 This story rests upon better authority than most stories of the same kind. Catena tells it in his Life of Pius V., published in 1586, only fourteen years after the battle. The Pope was not engaged in hearing causes, but in transacting affairs of state with his minister Bussoti. See Catena, Vita di Pio V. p. 195. Cardinal de Perron mentions it as a thing which everybody at Rome knew to be true.

nation; and touching the fortifying of the same. We have set down also some few instances and directions, of the force of imagination upon beasts, birds, &c.; upon plants; and upon inanimate bodies: wherein you must still observe, that your trials be upon subtile and light motions, and not the contrary; for you will sooner by imagination bind a bird from singing than from eating or flying; and I leave it to every man to choose experiments which himself thinketh most commodious; giving now but a few examples of every of the three kinds.

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990. Use some imaginant, (observing the rules formerly prescribed,) for binding of a bird from singing; and the like of a dog from barking. Try also the imagination of some, whom you shall accommodate with things to fortify it, in cock-fights, to make one cock more hardy and the other more cowardly. It would be tried also in flying of hawks; or in coursing of a deer, or hart, with grey-hounds; or in horseraces; and the like comparative motions; for you may sooner by imagination quicken or slack a motion, than raise or cease it; as it is easier to make a dog go slower, than to make him stand still that he may not

run.

991. In plants also, you may try the force of imagination upon the lighter sort of motions: as upon the sudden fading, or lively coming up of herbs; or upon their bending one way or other; or upon their closing and opening, &c.

992. For inanimate things, you may try the force of imagination upon staying the working of beer when the barm is put in; or upon the coming of butter or cheese, after the churning,1 or the rennet be put in.

1 cherming in the original. — J. S.

993. It is an ancient tradition every where alleged, for example of secret proprieties and influxes, that the 以 torpedo marina, if it be touched with a long stick, doth stupefy the hand of him that toucheth it. It is one degree of working at distance, to work by the continuance of a fit medium; as sound will be conveyed to the ear by striking upon a bow-string, if the horn of the bow be held to the ear.

994. The writers of natural magic do attribute much to the virtues that come from the parts of living creatures; so as they be taken from them, the creatures remaining still alive:1 as if the creature still living did infuse some immateriate virtue and vigour into the part severed. So much may be true; that any part taken from a living creature newly slain, may be of greater force than if it were taken from the like creature dying of itself, because it is fuller of spirit.

995. Trial would be made of the like parts of individuals in plants and living creatures; as to cut off a stock of a tree, and to lay that which you cut off to putrefy, to see whether it will decay the rest of the stock or if you should cut off part of the tail or leg of a dog or a cat, and lay it to putrefy, and so see whether it will fester, or keep from healing, the part which remaineth.

996. It is received, that it helpeth to continue love, if one wear a ring, or a bracelet, of the hair of the party beloved. But that may be by the exciting of the imagination: and perhaps a glove, or other like favour, may as well do it.

997. The sympathy of individuals, that have been entire, or have touched, is of all others the most in

1 Porta, Natural Magic, i. 14.

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credible; yet according unto our faithful manner of examination of nature, we will make some little niention of it. The taking away of warts, by rubbing them with somewhat that afterwards is put to waste and consume, is a common experiment; and I do apprehend it the rather, because of mine own experience. I had, from my childhood, a wart upon one of my fingers: afterwards, when I was about sixteen years old, being then at Paris, there grew upon both my hands a number of warts (at the least an hundred) in a month's space. The English ambassador's lady, who was a woman far from superstition, told me one day, she would help me away with my warts: whereupon she got a piece of lard, with the skin on, and rubbed. the warts all over with the fat side; and amongst the rest, that wart which I had had from my childhood : then she nailed the piece of lard, with the fat towards the sun, upon a post of her chamber window, which was to the south. The success was, that within five weeks' space all the warts went quite away: and that wart which I had so long endured, for company. But at the rest I did little marvel, because they came in a short time, and might go away in a short time again : but the going away of that which had stayed so long, doth yet stick with me. They say the like is done by rubbing of warts with a green elder stick, and then burying the stick to rot in muck. It would be tried with corns and wens, and such other excrescences. would have it also tried with some parts of living creatures that are nearest the nature of excrescences; as the combs of cocks, the spurs of cocks, the horns of beasts, &c. And I would have it tried both ways; both by rubbing those parts with lard, or elder, as before;

I