146 NATURAL HISTORY. 



shuffling of cards, or casting of dice, are very light 

 motions : and there is a folly very usual, that game 

 sters imagine, that some that stand by them bring them 

 ill luck. There would be trial also made of holding a 



O 



ring by a thread in a glass, and telling him that hold- 

 eth it, before, that it shall strike so many times against 

 the side of the glass, and no more ; or of holding a 



O * O 



key between two men s fingers, without a charm ; and 

 to tell those that hold it that at such a name it shall 

 go off their fingers ; for these two are extreme light 

 motions. And howsoever I have no opinion of these 

 things, yet so much I conceive to be true ; that strong 

 imagination hath more force upon things living, or that 

 have been living, than things merely inanimate : and 

 more force likewise upon light and subtile motions, 

 than upon motions vehement or ponderous. 



958. It is an usual observation, that if the body of 

 one murthered be brought before the murtherer, the 

 wounds will bleed afresh. Some do affirm, that the 

 dead body, upon the presence of the murtherer, hath 

 opened the eyes ; and that there have been such like 

 motions, as well where the party murthered hath been 

 strangled or drowned, as where they have been killed 

 by wounds. It may be that this participated of a 

 miracle, by God s just judgment, who usually bring- 

 eth murthers to light : but if it be natural, it must 

 be referred to imagination. 



959. The tying of the point upon the day of mar 

 riage, to make men impotent towards their wives, 

 which (as we have formerly touched) is so frequent in 

 Zant and Gascony, if it be natural, must be referred 

 to the imagination of him that tieth the point. I con 

 ceive it to have the less affinity with witchcraft, be- 



