144 NATURAL HISTORY. 



remedy this, you must pretend to him whose imagi 

 nation you use, several degrees of means by which to 

 operate ; as to prescribe him that every three days, if 

 he find not the success apparent, he do use another 

 root, or part of a beast, or ring, &c., as being of more 

 force ; and if that fail, another ; and if that, another ; 

 till seven times. Also you must prescribe a good large 

 time for the effect you promise ; as if you should tell a 

 servant of a sick man that his master shall recover, but 

 it will be fourteen days ere he findeth it apparently, 

 &c. All this to entertain the imagination, that it 

 waver less. 



954. It is certain that potions, or things taken into 

 the body ; incenses and perfumes taken at the nostrils ; 

 and ointments of some parts ; do (naturally) work 

 upon the imagination of him that taketh them. And 

 therefore it must needs greatly cooperate with the im 

 agination of him whom you use, if you prescribe him, 

 before he do use the receipt for the work which he de- 

 sireth, that he do take such a pill, or a spoonful of 

 liquor ; or burn such an incense ; or anoint his tem 

 ples, or the soles of his feet, with such an ointment or 

 oil : and you must choose, for the composition of such 

 pill, perfume, or ointment, such ingredients as do make 

 the spirits a little more gross or muddy ; whereby the 

 imagination will fix the better. 



955. The body passive and to be wrought upon, (I 

 mean not of the imaginant,) is better wrought upon (as 

 hath been partly touched) at some times than at oth 

 ers : as if you should prescribe a servant about a sick 

 person (whom you have possessed that his master shall 

 recover) when his master is fast asleep, to use such 

 a root, or such a root. For imagination is like to 



