Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/41

 into rain, watered all the Country mot wholomly. Moreover Ruffus a Phyitian of Epheus, beides many other Authours, wrote trange things concerning the wonders of Waters, which, for ought I know, are found in no other Authour.

It remains that I peak of the Aire. This is a vitall pirit, paing through all Beings, giving life, and ubitence to all things, binding, moving, and filling all things. Hence it is that the Hebrew Doctors reckon it not amongt the Elements, but count it as a Medium or glew, joyning things together, and as the reounding pirit of the worlds intrument. It immediately receives into it elf the influences of all Celetiall bodies, and then communicates them to the other Elements, as alo to all mixt bodies: Alo it receives into it elf, as it were a divine Looking-glas, the pecies of all things, as well naturall, as artificiall, as alo of all manner of peeches, and retains them; And carrying them with it, and entering into the bodies of Men, and other Animals, through their pores, makes an Impreion upon them, as well when they leep, as when they be awake, and affords matter for divers trange Dreams and Divinations. Hence they ay it is, that a man paing by a place where a man was lain, or the Carkae newly hid, is moved with fear and dread; becaue the Aire in that place being full of the dreadfull pecies of Man-laughter, doth, being breathed in, move and trouble the pirit of the man with the like pecies, whence it is that he comes to be afraid. For every thing that makes a udden impreion, atoniheth nature. Whence it is, that many Philoophers were of opinion that Aire is the caue of dreams, and of many other impreions of the mind, through the prolonging of Images, or imilitudes, or pecies (which are fallen from things and peeches, multiplyed in the very Aire) untill they come to the enes, and then to the phantay, and oul of him that receives them, which being freed from cares, and no way hindred, expecting to meet uch kind of pecies, is informed by them. For the pecies of things, although of their own proper nature, they are carryed to the enes of men, and other animals in generall, may notwithtanding get ome impreion from the Heaven, wilet they