| 204 4 Naural Hiffory; 
feigned, and at pleafure : As if one fhould imagine fach a Manto bein the | 
Veftments of a Pope, ortohave Wings. I fingleout for this timerhat waiet 
‘|is with Faith or Belief of thatwhich isto come. The Inquifition of t is 
i Subjeé& in our way (which is by Induétion) is wonderful hard, for the things . 
i that arc reported are full of Fables ; and new Experimems can hardly De 
|| made bur with extream Caution, forthe Reafon which we will after de- 
clare. 5 Oe 
ati5 Vi 
The Power of Imagination is in three kindes. Te firft, uponthe Body of 
the imaginanr, including likewife the Childe inthe Mothers Womb. The 
fscondis, che power of it upondead bodies, as Plants, Wood, Stone, Mctal, 
&c. The third is, the power of it upon the Spirits of Men and Living Crea. | 
|| cuces.. And with this laft wewill onely meddle. - a 
The Probleme therefore is, Whether a Man con tantly and {troogly be- | 
ee 
lieving that fuchathing fhall be, (as that {uch an one will love him, or rbar | 
| fuch an one will grant him his requeft, or that fuch an one fhall recoyera | 
| ficknefs, or the like) it doth help any thing to the effeCting of chething ir | 
|fef. And here again we muft warily diftinguith ; for it is not meant (as | 
'| hath been partly faid before) thatit fhould help by making 4 man more four, 
| or more induftrious ;. (in which kinde, conftant belief dorh much) but } 
|} mecrly by afecretopetatior, or binding, or changing the Spirit of another. | 
| Andin this itis hard (as we began to fay) to make any new experiment, for } 
| I cannot command my felf to believe what I will, and fono tryalcan be } 
| made. Nayitis worfe, for whatfoever a Man imagineth doubtingly, or with } 
| fear, muft needs do hurt, if Imagination have any power atalis fora Man } 
|| reprefenceth that oftnerthathe feareth, thenthe contrary. +. Te 
ne help therefore is; for a Man to, work by another, in whom he | 
| may create belief, and not by himéelf, until himfelf have found by experi- | 
| ence, thar Imagination doth prevail ; for then experience worketh in himfelf } 
Belief, if the Belief that fuch a thing fhall be Joyned witha Belief, that his } 
| Imagination may procurcit. | Cyr i 
946. For example, I related one time toa Man that was curious ana vain } 
| enough in thefe things, That I fawakindeof Jugler shat hada Pair of Cards, and | 
| vyould tell aman vyhat Card he thought, his pretended Learned Aantold me, it | 
| wasamiftakinginme. For (faidhe) itvvas not the knovvledge of the Mans t onght | 
(for that is proper toGod) butis yyas the inforcing of a thought upon him, and bindi ig his | 
Imagination by aferonger, thet he could shink no other Card. And thereupon he acide . 
| me a Quettion or two, which I thovghrhe did but cunningly, knowing be- | | 
| fore what ufed to be the feats of the Fugler. Sir, (laid hc) do you remember yybe- | 
| ther be toldthe Card she Man thought bimfelf, or bad another to tell it 2? 1 anfwered, | 
(as was true) That he. bad another tellit. Whereuntohe faid, So Ishonghe: For | 
(faid he) Aimfelf could not have puton fo ffrong an Imagination, but by telling the other | | 
| the Card (vvho believed, that the Jugler vvas fome flrange man, and coulddo firange things J : 
that other man caughtafirong Imagination, 1 hearkned unto him, thinking fora | 
vanity he {pake prettily. Then he asked meanother Queftion : Saith he, Do| 
you remember pvhether he bad tke Man think rhe Card fir, and aftervyards told the other | | 
“Man in his Ear what he should think 3 orelfe, that he did whifper firft in the Mans || 
that.frould tell the Card, telling, That fuch 4 Man fhould think [uch a Card, and after \\ | 
bad the Adan think a Card? 1 cold him, (as was trac) That he did firff whifper the : 
Le | 
Man in the Ear, thatfach a Man Should think fuch a Card, Upon this, the J 
Mun did much exultand pleafehimlelf, faying, Lo, you may fee that my 
is right: Por if toe Man had thought firft, bis thought had been fixed; bur she other ima: 
ning firft, bound his thought. Wnich though it. did {omewhat fink with me, 
( ‘ se Ll 
= 2 = . —S — 
2 ee SERENE atom om ve Se rn it ne eee Smt SOLER ARRAN A Ar IRR Be ‘ ao nous” henwonanyi tua ysitnaieabeat 
. ‘ ( i f 
x 
