Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/66

 The Vines love the Elme, and the Olive-tree, and myrtle love one the other: also the Olive-tree, and Fig tree. Now in Animals there is amity betwixt the Blackbird, and Thrush, betwixt the Crow, and Heron, betwixt Peacocks, and Pigeons, Turtles, and Parrats. Whence Sappho writes to Phaon.

"To Birds unlike oftimes joyned are white Doves; Also the Bird that's green, black Turtle loves."

Again, the Whale, and the little Fish his guide are friendly. Neither is this amity in Animals amongst themselves, but also with other things, as with Metals, Stones, and Vegetables, so the Cat delights in the Hearb Nip, by rubbing her self upon which she is said to conceive without a male; and there be Mares in Cappadocia, that expose themselves to the blast of the wind, and by the attraction thereof conceive. So Frogs, Toads, Snakes, and all manner of creeping poisonous things delight in the Plant called Pas-flower, of whom, as the Physitians say, if any one eat, he shall dye with laughing. The Tortoise also when he is hunted by the Adder, eats Origanum, and is thereby strengthened: and the Stork, when he hath eat Snakes, seeks for a remedy in Origanum: and the Weesell, when he goes to fight with the Basilisk, eats Rue, whence we come to know that Origanum, and Rue are effectuall against poison. So in some Animals there is an imbred skil, and medicinall art; for when the Toad is wounded with a bite or poison of another Animall, he is wont to go to Rue, or Sage, and Rub the place wounded, and so escapes the danger of the poison. So men have learned many excellent remedies of diseases, & vertues of things from bruits; So Swallows have shewed us that Sallendine is very medicinable for the sight, with which they cure the eyes of their young, and the pye when she is sick, puts a Bay-leafe into her nest, and is recovered. In like maner, Cranes, Dawes, Partriges, Blackbirds purge their nauseous stomacks with the same, with which also Crows allay the poison of the Chameleon; and the Lyon, if