68 A NATURAL HISTORY 



Nulhis fcrturhet out impediat canem trafa?ite??jj ant homhies trail- 

 J elites cum ipfo ad fequendum latrones aut adcapicndum malefaSiores. 



N. B. ^Trafantem is a Word latiniz'd from the old French 

 'Tracer or Traffer, fignifying to follow by the Track. 



I F any (liou'd fuggeft, That this derogates from the Wifdom 

 and Goodnefs of the Creator, who has given to fome Beafts 

 ftronger Perceptions, Nerves more exquifitely fine and delicate 

 than he has beflow'd upon ?vlan : 



■: ,^ Answer , this is fo far from derogating from divine Wif- 

 dbfft and Goodnefs, that it is an admirable Inftance and Illuftra- 

 tipn of both; for were our olfactory Nerves fufceptible of fuch 

 quick Senfationsas Dogs and fome other Animals, we iliou'd be 

 continually annoy 'd with peftiferous Fumes and .Exhalations, fo 

 as not only to render mofl: Situations troublefome, but even Life 

 it felf miferable and wretched. 



Such quick Senfations may be very ufeful to carnivorous Ani- . 

 mals, fo as to dired: them to their Prey, but to human Beings it 

 wou'd be very vexatious, if not peftiferous and deadly. I (hall 

 only add to this Digrellion, a lliort Hint about the Magick Art, 

 the moft furpriling of all Arts, and in its firft: Appearance moft 

 jiinocent and ufeful. 



Among the antient ChaldeajtSf Babylonians and Perfians, 

 where the Art-magic was fir ft and principally cultivated, it fig- 

 nificd no more than Wifdom -, and hence the Sophi^ or Wifemen 

 of the Greeks were by them called ^^ocyoi^ that is, Magiciaiis-, who 

 being acquainted with many of the hidden Powers of Nature, di- 

 re-cted them in fuch manner, as to produce Effeds, whofe Caufes 

 being unknown to the Vulgar^ were attributed to Dce?nons. 



Hence the Art in procefs of Time came into Difrepute, and 

 Magicians have been cenfur'd, as working by CompacSt with the 

 Devil: But this is invidious; for ,in the Gofpel we find, the Magi 

 or Magicians^ are faid to covnt frotn the Eaft to Jerufalem, faying, 

 where is he that is horn King of the Jews ? for %ve — are come to wor- 

 f:ip him. No body can imagine this to be undcrftood of thofe that 

 have been called Sorcerers, Wizards, Conjurers, Witches or Magi- 

 cians, in the modern Senfe of that Word * ; for thofc who were 

 familiar with the Devil, would fcarce come to enquire after him, 

 who came to deftroy his Works. 



T H E 

 *Matt. ii. I, 2, 



