zi6 The ^H^atural Biftory 
near; f^othztztm incredible Jiffance we may read the fmallefi: 
Chara^er^ and number things though never fo fmall ; and laftly, 
make Stars appear as near as we pleafe. And thefe things^ he 
fays at another place, were to the illiterate fo formidable anda- 
mazing, ut animus mortalls ignorans veritatem non fojfit aliqmliter 
fuftinere ^ : that no mortal^ ignorant of the means, could pofTibly 
bear it. 
$. Wherein this Learned Frdf«ayc^3!« 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 glaffes did that in truths which the ancient:- 
Foe/5 always put in a Fable: thus Fetronim brings in his Witchy 
boafting the power of her charms. 
— Lun<z defcendit imago 
Carminihu6 deduSfa meis. 
And Martial " in the Efitafh of PhiUnis enquires, 
Qu^de nunc Theffalico Lunam deducere Rhombo 
Qude fciet ? 
All which put together, it muft neceifarily be confeft, that he had 
fome fuch Inftrument^ though not fo trimly made, 'tis like, as 
our Telefcofes are now. In favor of which truth, much more 
might be alleged, did 1 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 Z,^/2g-tt^^e, might give their verdid^, 
as well as thofe that have, or do. 
6, Upon the account of thefe, and many other excellent Fx- 
periments^ exceeding ('tis true) the capacity^ but not the malice 
of thofe times, he was accufed of Magick in its worft fenfe, to 
have performed them by the concurrent help of the Devil''^ per- 
fecuted as fuch by thofe of his own Fraternity^ and thrown into 
Prifon by Hieronymu^ de Efculo^ ^ General of Order ^ afterward 
Pope by the name of Nicholas the Fourth^ where they fo barba- 
roui]y treated him, that he was forced to feek redrefs of Clement 
in perfre&-}v. part. 3- difi. 3. " Martial. Epigram, lib. 9. Ej>ig-22. fve 30. " Fid. Hifior. Antiq- 
VniverJ.Oxon, L b. i-i'. 138. ^ Ba!<£iC£?tt, ^Numi'.'j'^, 
the 
I 
