64 A NATURAL HISTORY 



his defence, but Ccefar's Countenance chang'd, and his Indigna- 

 tion begun to foften .... but when the Orator touch'd upon the 

 Battle of Pbarfrdia (where Cafar was Conqueror) Ccefar's Heart 

 tender'd, his Body trembled with Joy, and certain Papers in his 



Hands dropt to the ground. And when Cicero had linifli'd his 



Oration, C^fars Wrath againft his Enemy was intirely extin- 

 guidi'dj and Ligarius was fet at liberty *. The fame Orator, 

 by the Dint of Eloquence, overthrew the Ccnftitution of the De- 

 cemviri. 



Others fay, there is a mighty Force in Words in fuch a 

 ^oiic, and 'Talifmanicdl CharaSlers, rightly-adapted Figures, and 

 Images under certain Conftellations -f-. 



Some affirm that Magick confif!:s in the Spirit of Faith^ for 

 Faith is the Magnet of Magicians^ by which they draw Spirits to 

 them, and by which Spirits they do wonderful Things, that to 

 vulgar Eyes appear like Miracles. No doubt but feveral extra- 

 ordinary Effects have been afcrib'd to the Devil, that in reality 

 were natural, and artfully difguifed: The Story of Sieur Brioche, 

 a famous Puppet- player, is well known, who in a Town in Swit- 

 zerlandy where that Show had never been feen before, he was ap- 

 prehended as a Warlock or Magician, and ran the hazard of be- 

 ing punifh'd as fuch J. 



Others affirm, that Charms by Words are but means to 

 heighten the Imagination ; and the ftrange Effects produced by 

 'em, fiow'd only from the Activity of an exalted Thought, or 

 Fancy of heated Brains. In proof of this 'tis faid, that if a Wo- 

 man at a certain Seafon, ftrongly fix her Imagination upon any 

 particular Obje(5l, the Child will bear the Image thereof. 



I T n I N K 'tis pretty obvious, that thofe extraordinary Im- 

 preffions made by Pagan Sophijis upon the Minds of their Au- 

 dience by the Charms of Rhetorick, pad for a divine Afflatus or 

 Infpiration; and therefore in fuch Cafes, we fliall find this For- 

 mula (Aliqiiis nefcio quii DeusJ frequently ufed by Enthufiaftical 

 Orators, as v;ellas their P^j^'/j; Thus Cicero fpeaks ofhimfelf, that 

 he was mov'd by a certain Impetus or Ardour || : Apollonius lya- 



7ieus, 



* Plutarch's Life of Cicero. 



t Paracelfus, C. Jgrippa, Life of Mr. Duncan Campbell, A. D. 1720, page 256. 

 Gapl'iirel. % De Saifit Judre's hctiQrs. \\ Nulla ingentif fed magna vis a nimi 



iri^mantis ut nic ipfc non icneam. 



