CENTURY X. 147 



cause not peculiar persons only, (such as witches are,) 

 but any body may do it. 



Experiments in consort touching the secret virtue of 

 sympathy and antipathy. 



960. There be many things that work upon the 

 spirits of man by secret sympathy and antipathy : the 

 virtues of precious stones, worn, have been anciently 

 and generally received, and curiously assigned to work 

 several effects. So much is true ; that stones have in 

 them fine spirits, as appeareth by their splendour ; and 

 therefore they may work by consent upon the spirits 

 of men, to comfort and exhilarate them. Those that 

 are the best for that effect, are the diamond, the em 

 erald, the jacinth oriental, and the gold stone, which is 

 the yellow topaz. As for their particular proprieties, 

 there is no credit to be given to them. But it is 

 manifest that light, above all things, excelleth in com 

 forting the spirits of men : and it is very probable that 

 light varied doth the same effect, with more novelty. 

 And this is one of the causes why precious stones com 

 fort. And therefore it were good to have tincted Ian- 

 thorns, or tincted screens, of glass coloured into green, 

 blue, carnation, crimson, purple, &c., and to use them 

 with candles in the night. So likewise to have round 

 glasses, not only of glass coloured through, but with 

 colours laid between crystals, with handles to hold 

 in one s hand. Prisms are also comfortable things. 

 They have of Paris-work, looking-glasses bordered 

 with broad borders of small crystal, and great coun 

 terfeit precious stones, of all colours, that are most glo 

 rious and pleasant to behold ; especially in the night. 

 The pictures of Indian feathers are likewise comfort- 



