z\6 The Natural Hi/lory 



near; fo that at an incredible distance we may read the fmalleft 

 Character, and number things though never (ofmall; and laftly, 

 make Stars appear as near as we pleafe. And thefe things, he 

 fays at another place, were to the illiterate fo formidable and a- 

 mazing, ut animus mortals ignorans veritatem non pojjit aliqualiter 

 fuftinere m .* that no mortal, ignorant of the means, could poffibly 

 bear it. 



5. Wherein this Learned Francifcan did fo far excel the anci- 

 ent Magicians, that whereas they reprefented the Moons approach 

 by their magical charms, he brought her lower with a greater in- 

 nocence, and with his glajfes did that in truth, which the ancient 

 Poets always put in a Fable : thus Petroniut brings in his Witch-, 

 boafting the power of her charms. 



Lundt defcendit imago 

 Carminibwsdeduftameh. 



And Martial n in the Epitaph of PhiUnk enquires, 



Vl 



Qua nunc Thejfatico Lunam deducere Rhombo 

 Qudefciet? 



All which put together, it muft neceflarily be confeft, that he had 

 fome fuch Inftrument, though not fo trimly made, 'tis like, as 

 our Tele/copes are now. In favor of which truth, much more 

 might be alleged, did I not think this fufficient to evince it with 

 unprejudiced Readers, for whofe benefit I have laid down his 

 words thus at large, and tranflated them (as I alfo intend in fome 

 other matters) that fuch as have not the opportunity of feeing his 

 Books, or underftand not his Language, might give their verdict, 

 as well as thofe that have, or do. 



6. Upon the account of thefe, and many other excellent Ex- 

 periments, exceeding ('tis true) the capacity, but not the malice 

 of thofe times, he wasaccufed of Magick in its worft fenfe, to 

 have performed them by the concurrent help of the Devil , per- 

 fected as fuch by thofe of his own Fraternity, and thrown into 

 Prifon by Hieronymus de Efiulo ? , General of his Order, afterward 

 Pope by the name of Nicholas the Fourth, where they fo barba- 

 roufly treated him, that he was forced to feek redrefs of Clement 



Perfiediv. part. 3. difl. 3. n Martial. Epigram, lih. 9. Epig. 22. five 30. B Vtd. Hifior. & Antia. 

 Vniverj. Oxon. Lb- l.f- 138. ~Bal*iCent. 4 Numb. j}. 



the 



