Tritemius in his book de septem secundis, assignes names to such Angels, as are Governors of particular Provinces, by what authority I know not, and gives them several jurisdictions. Asclepiades a Grecian, Rabbi Achiba the Jew, Abraham Avenezra, and Rabbi Azariel, Arabians, (as I finde them cited by Cicogna) farther adde, that they are not our Governors only, Sed ex eorum concordia & discordia, boni & mali affectus promanant,

but as they agree, so do we and our Princes, or disagree, stand or fall. Juno was a bitter enemy to Troy, Apollo a good friend, Jupiter indifferent, Æqua Venus Teucris, Pallas iniqua fuit; some are for us still, some against us, Premente Deo, fert Deus alter opem. Religion, policy, publike and private quarrels, wars are procured by them, and they are delighted perhaps to see men fight, as men are with Cocks, Buls and Dogs, Bears, &c.

plagues, dearths depend on them, our bene and male esse, and almost all our other peculiar actions, (for as Anthony Rusca contends lib. 5. cap. 18. every man hath a good and a bad Angell attending of him in particular, all his life long, which Jamblicus cals dæmonem) preferments, losses, weddings, deaths, rewards & punishments, and as Proclus will, all offices whatsoever, alii genetricem, alii opificem potestatem habent, &c. & several names they give them according to their offices, as Lares, Indegites, Præstites, &c.

When the Arcades in that battel at Cheronæa, which was fought against King Philip for the liberty of Greece, had deceitfully carried themselves, long after, in the very same place, Diis Græciæ ultoribus (saith mine Author) they were miserably slain by Metellus the Roman. So likewise, in smaller matters, they will have things fall out, as these boni and mali Genii favour or dislike us: Saturni non conveniunt Jovialibus, &c. He that is Saturninus, shall never likely be preferred.

That base fellowes are often advanced, undeserving Gnathoe’s, and vicious parasites, whenas discreet, wise, vertuous, and worthy men are neglected, and unrewarded, they refer to those domineering spirits, or subordinate Genii, as they are inclined, or favour men, so they thrive, are ruled and overcome, for as Libanius supposeth, in our ordinary conflicts and contentions, Genius Genio cedit & obtemperat, one Genius yields and is overcome by another.

All particular events almost they refer to these private spirits; & (as Paracelsus addes) they direct, teach, inspire, and instruct men: Never was any man extraordinarily famous in any Art, action, or great Commander, that had not familiarem dæmonem, to inform him, as Numa, Socrates, and many such, as Cardan illustrates, cap. 128. Arcanis prudentiæ civilis, Speciali siquidem gratia, se à Deo donari asserunt magi, à Geniis cœlestibus instrui, ab iis doceri.

But these are most erroneous paradoxes, ineptæ & fabulosæ nugæ, rejected by our Divines, and Christian Churches. Tis true, they have by Gods permission, power over us, and we finde by experience, that they can hurt not our fields only, cattel, goods, but our bodies and mindes. At Hammel in Saxony, An. 1484. 20. Junii, the Devil in likeness of a pied Piper, carried away 130 Children, that were never after seen.

Many times men are affrighted out of their wits, carried away quite, as Sheretzius illustrates, lib. 1. c. 4. and severally molested by his means. Plotinus the Platonist lib. 14. advers. Gnost. laughs them to scorne, that hold the Devil or Spirits can cause any such diseases. Many think he can work upon the body, but not upon the minde. But experience pronounceth otherwise, that he can work both upon body and minde.

Tertullian is of this opinion, c. 22. That he can cause both sickness and health, & that secretly. Taurellus adds by clancular poysons he can infect the bodies, and hinder the operations of the bowels, though we perceive it not, closely creeping into them, saith Lipsius, and so crucifie our souls: Et nociva melancholia furiosos efficit.

For being a spirituall body, he struggles with our spirits, saith Rogers, and suggests (according to Cardan, verba sine voce, species sine visu, envie, lust, anger, &c.) as he sees men inclined.

The manner how he performes it, Biarmannus in his Oration against Bodine, sufficiently declares, He begins first with the phantasie, and moves that so strongly, that no reason is able to resist. Now the Phantasie he moves by mediation of humors; although many Physitians are of opinion, that the Devil can alter the minde, and produce this disease of himself. Quibusdam medicorum visum, saith Avicenna, quod Melancholia contingat à dæmonio.

Of the same minde is Psellus & Rhasis the Arab. lib. 1. Tract. 9. Cont. That this disease proceeds especially from the Devil, and from him alone. Arculanus cap. 6. in 9. Rhasis, Ælianus Montaltus in his 9. cap. Daniel Sennertus lib. 1. part. 2. cap. 11. confirm as much, that the Devil can cause this disease, by reason many times that the parties affected prophesie, speak strange language,

but non sine interventu humoris, not without the humor, as he interprets himself; no more doth Avicenna, si contingat à dæmonio, sufficit nobis ut convertat complexionem ad choleram nigram, & sit causa ejus propinqua cholera nigra; the immediate cause is choler adust, which Pomponatius likewise labors to make good:

Galgerandus of Mantua a famous Physitian, so cured a dæmoniacall woman in his time, that spake all languages, by purging black choler, and thereupon belike this humor of Melancholy, is called Balneum Diaboli, the devils Bath; the devil spying his opportunity of such humors drives them many times to despair, fury, rage, &c. mingling himself amongst these humors.