,g BOOKS OF SECRETS. 



marvellous appearances in the heavens, comets, dragons, flames, blazing 

 stars, torches, fire forks, pillours, lances, bucklers, two suns and two moons 

 at one instant, and many more, "which whosoever would recompte by 

 order, those which onely have appeared sithens the nativitie of Jesus 

 Christ, together, searching the causes of their beginnings and births, the 

 life of a man would not performe the same," and then the author gives 

 details of some of these portents with their dates and their significations. 

 Some of them must have been frightsome enough, if they at all corres- 

 ponded to their description and picture. The secrets and wonders of 

 Nature in the sixteenth century were calculated to inspire far more wide- 

 spread interest and alarm than they do now, for by following the 

 prescription of Albertus Magnus, we have lost the capacity for wonder. 



Mizaldus, in the sixteenth century, was a successful collector of natural 

 secrets. He read extensively and noted the wonderful things he met with 

 about the world, about beasts, birds, fishes and reptiles, about men and 

 women, children born and unborn, about the virtues of plants and 

 minerals and the cure of diseases. His collections he arranged in nine 

 centuries, with a rough sort of classification. His book is not common 

 and the Cologne editions of 1572, 1573, 1574, are of rarity. A more 

 curious and uncommon book by him is entitled " Secrets de la Lune," in 

 which he points out its connection with and influence upon the sun, 

 women, certain beasts, birds, fishes, stones, trees, plants, diseases, sick 

 people, etc., etc. 



Founded upon Mizaldus's book and taken in part from it, is Lupton's 

 book already alluded to : "A Thousand notable things of Sundry Sorts." 



Bodin and Cardan made contributions to this literature, and there may 

 be quoted two much less known works than theirs. 



One is "Idea del Giardino del Mondo " by Thomaso Thomai of 

 Ravenna. It was published at Venice in 1593 and often afterwards. 

 Notwithstanding its small bulk it is comprehensive ; begins with the earth, 

 deals with all its products, animal, vegetable and mineral ; with men. 



