BOOKS OF SECRETS. 19 



women, monsters ; with the preservation of health ; with the air, the winds, 

 and aerial demons, comets and other alarming signs in the heavens, 

 thunder and lightning, the rainbow ; with fire, animals that live in it, and 

 fiery demons ; the seven planets, the signs of the zodiac, and the crystalline 

 sky. His authorities are classical for the most part, but he has got 

 interesting material from some later writers, mostly Italian. 



The other is entitled "Jardin de Flores Curiosas," by Antonio de 

 Torquemada. The earliest edition seems to be that published at 

 Salamanca in 1570, and it was printed several times thereafter. It was 

 turned into French by the well known Gabriel de Chappuys under the 

 title Hexameron, at Paris, 1582 ; into Italian by Celio Malespina, Giardino 

 di Fiori Curiosi, Vinegia, 1591 ; into English under the curious title 

 The Spanish Mandevik of Miracles, London, 1600, and again in 16 18, 

 and into German, Hexameron, oder Sechs Tage-Zeiten, Cassel, 1652. 



It gets the name Hexameron from its being the report of a six days' 

 conversation on the wonders and secrets of Nature and the topics discussed 

 are recondite and almost incredible. 



On the first day the discourses are appropriately inaugurated by stories 

 about strange and abnormal births, monsters, satyrs, pigmies, giants, 

 amazons, tailed men, dog-headed men, tall men, strong men, mermaids, 

 mermen, long livers, people who have renewed their youth, others who 

 have changed their sex, centaurs and such like. 



The second conversation turns upon rivers, fountains and lakes, and 

 the unexpected properties which some of these display, and the dis- 

 cussion naturally includes the four rivers of Paradise and its locality, 

 the flood, and winds up with some account of idolatry and heresies of 

 various sorts. 



The third discourse is about visions, enchanters, witchcraft, and 

 contains matter which the author himself calls delightful and necessary 

 to be known. It is, quite. 



