Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/140

 the Poet sang,

"The Owl sitting on top of th' house alone, Sends forth her sad complaints with mournfull tone."

And in another place,

"The slothfull Owl by mortals is esteem'd A fatall omen -"

The same same bird sang in the Capitoll when the Romane affaires were low at Numantia, and when Fregelia was pulled down for a conspiracy made against the Romans. Almadel saith, that Owls, and night-ravens, when they turn aside to strange countries, or houses, betoken the death of the men of that country, and those houses; for those birds are delighted with dead Carkases, and perceive them before hand. For men that are dying have a neer affinity with dead Carkases. The Hawk also is a foreteller of contention, as Naso sings.

"We hate the Hawk, because that arms amongst She alwaies lives -"

Lelius the Embassadour of Pompey was slain in Spain amongst the Purveyours, which misfortune, a Hawk flying over the head, is said to foretell. And Almadel saith, that these kind of birds fighting amongst themselves, signifie the change of a Kingdome; but if birds of another kind shall fight with them, and are never seen to come together again, it portends a new condition, and state of that Country. Also little birds by their coming to, or departing from, foreshew that a family shall be inlarged, or lessened, and their flight, by how much the more serene it is, by so much the more laudable. Whence Melampus the Augure conjectured at the slaughter of the Greeks by the flight of little birds, when he saith, Thou seest that no bird taketh his flight in fair weather. Swallows, because when they are dying they provide a place of safety for their young, do portend a great patrimony, or Legacy after the death of