avis, coluber_, &c. Now young, now old, high, low, like a cow, like a bird,
a snake, and what not? She could represent to others what forms they most
desired to see, show them friends absent, reveal secrets, _maxima omnium
admiratione_, &c. And yet for all this subtlety of theirs, as Lipsius well
observes, _Physiolog. Stoicor. lib. 1. cap. 17._ neither these magicians
nor devils themselves can take away gold or letters out of mine or Crassus'
chest, _et Clientelis suis largiri_, for they are base, poor, contemptible
fellows most part; as [1269]Bodine notes, they can do nothing _in Judicum
decreta aut poenas, in regum concilia vel arcana, nihil in rem nummariam
aut thesauros_, they cannot give money to their clients, alter judges'
decrees, or councils of kings, these _minuti Genii_ cannot do it, _altiores
Genii hoc sibi adservarunt_, the higher powers reserve these things to
themselves. Now and then peradventure there may be some more famous
magicians like Simon Magus, [1270]Apollonius Tyaneus, Pasetes, Jamblichus,
[1271]Odo de Stellis, that for a time can build castles in the air,
represent armies, &c., as they are [1272]said to have done, command wealth
and treasure, feed thousands with all variety of meats upon a sudden,
protect themselves and their followers from all princes' persecutions, by
removing from place to place in an instant, reveal secrets, future events,
tell what is done in far countries, make them appear that died long since,
and do many such miracles, to the world's terror, admiration and opinion of
deity to themselves, yet the devil forsakes them at last, they come to
wicked ends, and _raro aut nunquam_ such impostors are to be found. The
vulgar sort of them can work no such feats. But to my purpose, they can,
last of all, cure and cause most diseases to such as they love or hate, and
this of [1273]melancholy amongst the rest. Paracelsus, _Tom. 4. de morbis
amentium, Tract. 1._ in express words affirms; _Multi fascinantur in
melancholiam_, many are bewitched into melancholy, out of his experience.
The same saith Danaeus, _lib. 3. de sortiariis_. _Vidi, inquit, qui
Melancholicos morbos gravissimos induxerunt_: I have seen those that have