* JAN , 7 
| The thirtieth Booke a 
given to hearken after,on goeth the habite alfo and cloake of religion: apoint, I maytell’ you) G 
thateven in thefe daies holdeth'captivate the fpirit of man,and draweth away with it a greater 
part of the world, and nothing fo much, But notcontent with this fuccefle and good proceé- 
ding, to gather more ftrength and win a greater name,fhee entermingled with medicinable re- 
ceits arfd religious ceremonies, the skill of A ftrologie and arts Mathematical, prefuming upon 
this, That all men by nature are very curious and defirous to know their future fortunes ,and what 
fhall betide them hereafter, perfuading themfelves,thar all fuch fore-knowledge dependeth up- 
“*Iefeemeth onthe courfeand influence of the ftarres,which give the trueft and moft certaine light of things 
| noe of to. come. Being thus wholly poffefled of menand having theirfences and underftanding by this 
ycares,Plinie mieanes faft ynough bound with three furechains,no marvell if this art grewin procefle oftime _ 
imiftaketh the to fuch an head, thatit was and is at this day reputed by moft nations of the earth for thepara- H 
ae gon and cheefe of all {ciences :infomuch as the mightie kings and monarchs of the Levant,are 
helivedéoo  altogetherruled and governedthereby. And verely there isno queftion atall, burthat in thofé 
acter Peers Eaft parts,and namely in the realme of Perfia, it found firft footing ,and was invented and practi- 
“war: orels that fed there, by * Zoroa/tres,as all writers in one accord agree. But whether there was butthat one 
hemeaneth — Zoroaftres, or more afterwards of that name, itis not yetfocertainely refolved uponby all Au- 
| Lunaves annos, 
e Vises cemtum thors: for Exdoxws(who held art Magicke to be of all profeffions Philofophicall and learned dif- . 
| miliaverfum, ciplines,the moft excellent and profitable {cience)hath recorded, That this Zoroaflres.to whom 
ae aoe is afcribed the invention thereof, lived and flourifhed * 6000 yeares before the death of Plato, 
* Diodorus Siew And of his mind is 4ri/fotle alfo, Howbeit Aer mzppus who wrote of thatart moft exquifitely, _ 
_tusfaith, That and commented upon the Poéme of Zoroaffres,containing *a hundred thoufand verfestwentie ~] 
fils Was 2. times told, of his making;and made befides a Repertorie or Index to every book of the faid Poé- 
“fing hereupon, fie: this Hermippus (Lfay) reporteth, That one 4zenaces taught Zoroafires Art-Magicke ; which 
The aries ¢ maifter of his lived 5000 years before the war of Troy.Certes,] cannot chnfe but marvell much, 
vs ot teeor. firtt,that this {cience and the memoriall therof fhouldfo long continue,and the Commentaries 
- ding to thecu- treating of it not mifearie and be loft all the while, during fuch a world of years:confidering be- 
Ae ae fides that neither it was ordinarily practifed and continued by tradition from age to age,nor the 
for grearer fucceffors in that facultie were profeffours of the greateft name, and renowned by any writings. 
| paige ane For what oneis there thinke you among fo many thoufands, that hath any knowledge,fo much 
“himlelt abroad a5 by bare hearefay,of thofe who are named for the onely Magicians in theirtime, to wit, 4ps/- 
| pores with corus and Laratus, Medians ; Mar maridiws of Babylon; Hippocws the Arabian; and Lirmoce- k 
| Prensa. nidas of Affytia? For bookeshave we none extant of theit writing, nor any monuments which 
 Buil,Dragon, beare record and give teftimonie of fuch clearks. But the greate{t wonder of all isthis,that Ho- 
| LieTreesture,: ger the Poet, in hisIlias(a Poémecompofed purpofedly of the Trojane warre)hath notfo much 
and fuch like: : ore ; ae: 
| Sherif ef- aS one word of Magicke: and yetin his Odyffea,where he difcourfeth of the adventures,travails, 
. 
| 
foons thele a and fortunes of prince H/y/Jes ,fuch adoe and ftir there is with it,as though the whole worke con- 
| Se fone fifted of nothing els but Magicke. For what is meant by the variable transformations of */’rote- 
“hieroglyphi- #5,0r by thefongs of the*Meremaids, whereof hee writeth fe much; but that the one wasa great 
call myfteries forcerer,the other famous witches or enchauntreffes?As for that which herelateth of lady Circe * 
Ti ‘ . 3 : ‘ ee . 
the perfonofa how fhe wrought her feats by conjaration only and raifing up infernall fpirits ; furely it favoureth 
king. of art Magicke andnothing els, I mufe much alfo,that after Homers time there is nowriterma- L 
i duel” keth mention how this art arrived at Telmeffus,a citie[in the marches of L ycia] wholly addiéted 
dous & Calliope: to teligion,and fo famous for the colledge of priefts & foothfayers there: or at what time it made 
whofenames avoiage & pafled over intoTheflalie; where it reigned fo rife and was fo ufually practifed in every 
were Partheno- 
peLigiaand towne and citie,that with ushere in thefe parts of the worid,it tooke the denomination of * that 
Leucofia, repu- COuntrey;and retained the fame for a long time,notwithftanding that the word Magicke indeed 
 tedwitches, & ; p ye <i 
odes. “aS appropriat unto a ftrange and far remote nation,And verely confidering how about the time 
great matters of the warand deftruction of Troy,there was no other Phyficke in ufe burthat which Chiromthe 
S| biaeaeae Chirurgian pradtifed,and that during the heat and bloudy wars only; it feemeth very ftrange and © 
ie ae Aes wonderfull unto me,that the nation of Theflalie,and the native country of Achilles [and Chiron| 
thewifemen fhould become fo famous for Magick: infomuch as Menander alfo(a Poet by all mens judgment 
cd eae as fo framed by nature for deep learning and exquifit literature,as that hehad no concurrent in his 
theyufaally timethar came neare unto him)entituled one of his comoedies ,Theffalica; wherein he deciphe- 
poe d Mae red and depainted lively unto us,the whole order and manner of witches with all their charmsand 
| Say of Phe, Ancantations,by the vertue wherofthey wouldfeem to pull the Moon down ftomheaven. I would 
~ falians. have 
- 
