Page:A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More.djvu/182

 140 they are not able to reflect so considerable a light as a Star. From whence, I think, we may safely gather, that it is therefore impossible that they should reflect so debile Species as the colours and shapes of Beasts and Men, and that so accurately as that we may see their swords, helmets, shields, spears, and the like.

10. Wherefore it is plain that these Apparitions on high in the Aire are no reflexions of any Objects upon Earth; or, if it were imaginable that they were, that some supernatural cause must assist to conglaciate and polish the surfaces of the clouds to such an extraordinary accuracy of figure and smoothness as will suffice for such prodigious reflexions.

And that these Spirits that rule in the Aire may not act upon the materials there as well as Men here upon the Earth work upon the parts thereof, as also upon the neighbouring Elements so far as they can reach, shaping, perfecting and directing things according to their own purpose and pleasure, I know no reason at all in Nature or Philosophy for any man to deny. For that the help of some officious Genii is imploied in such like Prodigies as these, the seasonableness of their appearance seems no contemptible argument, they being, according to the observation of Historians, the * Forerunners of Commotions and Troubles in all Kingdomes Commonwealths.

11. Yet nevertheless as good Artificers as I here suppose, they working upon Nature must be bounded by the Laws of Nature: and reflexion will have it limits as well as refraction, whether for conveyance of species, or kindling of heat; the laws and bounds whereof that discerning Wit Cartesius being well aware of, doth generously and judiciously pronounce, That a burning-Glass, the distance of whose focus from the Glass doth not hear a less proportion to the Diameter thereof then the distance of the Earth from the Sun to the Diameter of the Sun, will burn no more vehemently then the direct rays of the Sun will do without it, though in other respects this Glass were as exactly shaped and curiously polished as could be expected from the hand of an Angel.

12. Wherefore suppose the surface of the clouds polished never so well and fitted for reflexion, it is still evident that some of these Apparitions cannot be such as are mere reflexions of Armies skirmishing on the ground. For those that are observed to fight determinately over such or such a City, if they be but the mere reflexions of fights, of necessity they must be from some Armies not far off: and if so, they could not but be discovered, at least by speedy report. Whence it is manifest, that such Skirmishings in the clouds are reall Encounters there, not the Images or Reflexions of Battels on the Ground. And considering that there have been such reall Prodigies of fightings on the ground it self by these Aereal Coursers, as I have * above intimated, it is but reasonable to conceive, that the generality of the rest of these prodigious Skirmishings, though not determinate to this or that City, are really in the clouds or skye, not a shadow or reflexion of Battels upon the Earth.

But that these Fightings have been seen over such and such Cities, were easie to make good out of History: I shall onely instance in Snellius his report of Amortsfort, that such Skirmishings were seen there, and that Rh