Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/495

 loves and filthy lusts: Mercury deceits, cousenages, lyes, subtile desires of evill, propensity to sin; The Moon the inconstant progress of all things, and whatsoever is contrary to mans nature: and by this means man himself by reason of his unlikeness with the heavenly things receiveth hurt, whence he ought to reap benefit: by reason of the same dissonancy with the heavenly things (as Proclus saith) men also are subjected even to wicked spirits who as the officers of God do discharge themselves in punishing them: Then do they suffer grievances by evill spirits, even untill they are again expiated, by due purgations, and man returneth to a divine nature: therefore an excellent Magitian can prohibite many mischifes about to fall on him from the disposition of the Stars, when he foreknoweth their nature by preventing, taking heed, and defending, least they should meet him, and least an ill disposed subject, as we have said, should receive hurt whence it ought to reap benefit.

Chapter xl. That on every man a divine character is imprinted, by the vertue of which man can attain the working of miracles.

By no small experience it is found that a certain power of ruling and predominating is implanted in man by nature; for (Pliny testifieth) that an Elephant meeting a man wandring in a desart, is reported to shew himself gentle and courteous, and to shew the way to him: and the same creature also is said, before he seeth man, to tremble, to stand still, to look about, to quake at the steps of man, for fear of treachery: in like manner the Tiger, the most fierce of all beasts, at the sight of man doth remove her yong ones; and more of this kinde we read in divers authors, who have writ great volumes of creatures; but from whence do these animals know, that man is to be feared, whom they never saw: and if they have seen and known, whence do they fear him, seeing they do excell him in greatnes, force and swiftnes? what is this nature of man, striking this terror on wild beasts? all the Historiographers of