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truly burn, when as the substance of the fire is not neer them, but only a resemblance
apprehended by their imagination. And sometimes mens bodies are transformed, and
transfigured, and also transported, and this oft-times when they are in a dream, and
sometimes when they are awake. So Cyprus after he was chosen King of Italy, did very
much wonder at, and meditate upon the sight [fight?], and victory of Buls [bulls], and in
the thought thereof did sleep a whole night, but in the morning was found horned, no
otherwise then by the vegetative power being stirred up by a vehement imagination,
elevating corniferous humors into his head, and producing horns. For a vehement
cogitation, whilest it vehemently moves the species, pictures out the figure of the thing
thought on, which they represent in their blood, and the blood impresseth from it self, on
the members that are nourished by it, as upon those of the same body, so upon those of
anothers. As the imagination of a woman with child impresseth the mark of the thing
longed for upon her infant, and the imagination of a man bit with a mad Dog, impresseth
upon his Urine the image of Dogs. So men may grow grey on a suddain. And some by the
dream of one night, have grown up from boies [boys] into perfect men. Hitherto may be
referred those many scarrs of King Dagobertus, and Marks of Franciscus, which they
received, the one whilest he was afraid of correction, the other whilest he did wonderfully
meditate upon the wounds of Christ. So, many are transported from place to place,
passing over rivers, fires and unpassable places, viz. when the species of any vehement
desire, or fear, or boldness are impressed upon their spirits, and, being mixed with
vapors, do move the Organ of the touch in their original, together with phantasie, which
is the original of locall motion. Whence they stir up the members, and Organs of motion
to motion, and are moved without any mistake unto the imagined place, not out of sight,
but from the interiour fantasy [phantasy]. So great a power is there of the soul upon the
body, that which way soever that imagines, and dreams that it goes, thither doth it lead
the body. We read many other examples by which the power of the soul upon the body is
wonderfully explained, as is that which Avicen describes of a certain man, who when he
pleased could affect his body with the palsie [palsy]. They report of Gallus Vibius, that he
did fall into madness, not casually, but on purpose: for whilest he did imitate mad men,
he assimilated their madness to himself, and became mad indeed. And Austin [Augustine]
makes mention of some men who would move their ears at their pleasure, and some that
would move the crown of their head to their forehead, and could draw it back again when
they pleased: and of another that could sweat at his pleasure. And it is well known, that
some can weep at their pleasure, and pour forth abundance of tears: and that there are
some that can bring up what they have swallowed, when they please, as out of a bag, by
degrees. And we see that in these dayes there are many who can so imitate, and express
the voices of Birds, Cattle, Dogs, and some men, that they can scarce at all be discerned.
Also Pliny relates by divers examples, that women have been turned into men. Pontanus
testifieth, that in his time, a certain woman called Caietava, and another called Aemilia,
who after many years, after they were married, were changed into men. Now how much
imagination can do upon the soul, no man is ignorant: for it is neerer to the substance of
the soul then the sense is; wherefore it acts more upon the soul then the sense doth. So
women by certain strong imaginations, dreams, and suggestions brought in by certain
Magicall Arts do oftentimes bind them into a strong loving of any one. So they say that
Medea only by a dream, burnt in love towards Jason. So the soul sometimes is by a
vehement imagination, or speculation altogether abstracted from the body, as Celsus
relates of a certain Presbyter, who as oft as he pleased, could make himself senseless, and
lie like a dead man, that when any one pricked, or burnt him, he felt no pain, but lay
without any motion or breathing, yet he could, as he said, hear mens voices as it were afar
off, if they cryed out aloud. But of these abstractions we shall discourse more fully in the
following Chapters.
Chapter lxv. How the Passions of the Mind can work out of themselves
upon anothers Body.
The Passions of the Soul which follow the phantasie, when they are most vehement,
cannot only change their own body, but also can transcend so, as to work upon another
body, so that some wonderfull impressions are thence produced in Elements, and
extrinsecall things, and also can so take away, or bring some disease of the mind or body.
For the Passions of the Soul are the chiefest cause of the temperament of its proper body.
So the Soul being strongly elevated, and inflamed with a strong imagination, sends forth
health or sickness, not only in its proper body, but also in other bodies. So Avicen is of
the opinion, that a Camell may fall by the imagination of any one. So he which is bitten
with a mad Dog presently fals into a madness, and there appear in his Urine the shapes of
Dogs. So the longing of a woman with Child, doth act upon anothers body, when it Signs
the infant in the womb with the mark of the thing longed for. So, many monstrous
generations proceed from monstrous imaginations of women with Child, as Marcus
Damascenus reports that at Petra Sancta, a Town scituated [situated] upon the territories
of Pisa, viz. a wench that was presented to Charls [Charles] King of Bohemia, who was
rough and hairy all over her body, like a wild beast, whom her mother affected with a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]