As if a Hare cross the way at our going forth, or a mouse gnaw our clothes: If they bleed three drops at nose, the salt fals towards them, a black spot apear in their nails, &c. with many such, which Delrio Tom.2.l.3.sect.4. Austin Niphus in his book de Augurijs. Polydore Virg. l.3. de Prodigijs. Sarisburiensis Polycrat. l.1.c.13. discuss at large.

They are so much affected, that with the very strength of Imagination, Fear, and the Devils craft, they pull those misfortunes they suspect, upon their own heads, and that which they fear, shall come upon them, as Salomon fortelleth, Prov.10.24. and Isay denounceth, 66.4. which If they could neglect and contemn, would not come to pass, Eorum vires nostrâ resident opinione, ut morbi gravitas ægrotantium cogitatione, they are intended and remitted, as our opinion is fixed, more or less.

N.N. dat pænas, saith Crato of such a one, utinam non attraheret: he is punished, and is the cause of it himself:

Dum fata fugimus, fata stulti incurrimus, the thing that I feared, saith Job, is faln upon me.

As much we may say of them that are troubled with their fortunes; or ill destinies fore-seen; multos angit præscientia malorum: The fore-knowledg of what shall come to pass, crucifies many men; fore-told by Astrologers, or Wisards, iratum ob cœlum, be it ill accident, or death it self: which often fals out by Gods permission; quia dæmonem timent (saith Chrysostome) Deus ideo permittit accidere. Severus, Adrian, Domitian, can testifie as much, of whose fear and suspicion, Sueton, Herodian, and the rest of those writers, tell strange stories in this behalf.

Montanus consil.31. hath one example of a young man, exceeding melancholy upon this occasion. Such fears have still tormented mortal men in all ages, by reason of those lying oracles, and jugling Priests,

There was a fountain in Greece, neer Ceres Temple in Achaia, where the event of such diseases was to be known; A glass let down by a thred, &c. Amongst those Cyanean rocks at the springs of Lycia, was the Oracle of Thrixeus Apollo, where all fortunes were fore-told, sickness, health, or what they would besides: so common people have been alwayes deluded with future events.

At this day, Metus futurorum maximè torquet Sinas, this foolish fear, mightily crucifies them in China: as Matthew Riccius the Jesuite informeth us, in his Commentaries of those countries, of all Nations they are most superstitious, and much tormented in this kinde, attributing so much to their Divinators, ut ipse metus fidem faciat, that fear it self and conceipt, cause it to fall out:

If he foretell sickness such a day, that very time they will be sick, vi metus afflicti in ægritudinem cadunt; and many times die as it is fore-told. A true saying, Timor mortis, morte pejor, the fear of death, is worse then death it self; and the memory of that sad hour, to some fortunate and rich men, is as bitter as gaule, Eccl.41.1.

Inquietam nobis vitam facit mortis metus, a worse plague cannot happen to a man, then to be so troubled in his minde; ’tis triste divortium, an heavy separation, to leave their goods, with so much labor got, pleasures of the world, which they have so delitiously enjoyed, friends and companions whom they so dearly loved, all at once.

Axiochus the Philosopher was bold and couragious all his life, and gave good precepts de contemnenda morte, and against the vanity of the world to others; but being now ready to die himself, he was mightily dejected, hâc luce privabor? his orbabor bonis? he lamented like a childe, &c. And though Socrates himself was there to comfort him, ubi pristina virtutum jactatio O Axioche? yet he was very timorous and impatient of death, much troubled in his minde, Imbellis pavor & impatientia, &c.

O Clotho, Megapetus the tyrant in Lucian exclaimes, now ready to depart, let me live a while longer. I will give thee a thousand talents of gold, and two boles besides, which I took from Cleocritus, worth an hundred talents apiece:

Woe’s me, saith another, what goodly manners shall I leave! what fertile Fields! what a fine House! what pretty Children! how many servants! Who shall gather my grapes, my corne? Must I now die so well setled? Leave all, so richly and well provided? Woe’s me, what shall I do?

Animula vagula, blandula, quæ nunc abibis in loca?

To these tortures of Fear and Sorrow, may well be annexed Curiosity, that irksome, that tyrannizing care, nimia solicitudo, superfluous industry about unprofitable things, and their qualities, as Thomas defines it: an itching humor or a kinde of longing to see that which is not to be seen, to do that which ought not to be done: to know that secret, which should not be known, to eat of the forbidden fruit.

We commonly molest and tire our selves about things unfit and unnecessary, as Martha troubled her self to little purpose. Be it in Religion, Humanity, Magick, Philosophy, policie, any action or study, ’tis a needless trouble, a mear torment.

For what else is school divinity, how many doth it pussle? what fruitless questions about the Trinity, Resurrection, Election, Predestination, Reprobation, hell fire, &c. how many shall be saved, damned? What else is all superstition, but an endless observation of Idle Ceremonies, Traditions?

What is most of our Philosophy, but a Labyrinth of opinions, idle questions, propositions, Metaphysicall tearmes? Socrates therefore held all philosophers, cavillers & mad men, circa subtilia Cavillatores pro insanis habuit, palam eos arguens, saith Eusebius, because they commonly sought after such things quæ nec percipi à nobis neque comprehendi posset, or put case they did understand, yet they were altogether unprofitable.

For what matter is it for us to know how high the Pleiades are, how far distant Persius and Cassiopea from us, how deep the sea, &c. we are neither wiser, as he follows it, nor modester, nor better, nor richer, nor stronger for the knowledge of it. Quod supra nos nihil ad nos,

I may say the same of those Genethliacal studies, what is Astrology, but vain elections, predictions? all Magick, but a troublesome error, a pernicious foppery? Physick, but intricate rules and prescriptions? Philology, but vain Criticisms? Logick, needless Sophismes? Metaphysicks themselves, but intricate subtilties, & fruitless abstractions? Alcumy, but a bundle of errors?

to what end are such great Tomes? why do we spend so many yeers in their studies? Much better to know nothing at all, as those barbarous Indians are wholly ignorant, then as some of us, to be so sore vexed about unprofitable toies: stultus labor est ineptiarum, to build an house without pins, make a rope of sand, to what end? cui bono?

He studies on, but as the boy told St. Austin, when I have laved the sea dry, thou shalt understand the mystery of the Trinity. He makes observations, keeps times and seasons; and as Conradus the Emperor would not touch his new Bride, till an Astrologer had told him a masculine hour, but with what success?

He travels into Europe, Africk, Asia, searcheth every creek, Sea, City, Mountain, Gulf, to what end? See one promontory (said Socrates of old) one Mountain, one Sea, one River, & see all.

An Alchimist spends his fortunes to find out the philosophers stone forsooth, cure al diseases, make men long-lived victorious, fortunate, invisible, and beggars himself, misled by those seducing impostors (which he shall never attain) to make gold;

an Antiquary consumes his treasure and time to scrape up a company of old coynes, statues, roles, edicts, manuscripts, &c. he must know what was done of old in Athens, Rome, what lodging, diet, houses they had, and have all the present news at first, though never so remote, before all others, what projects, counsels, consultations, &c. quid Juno in aurem insusurret Jovi, whats now decreed in France, what in Italy: who was he, whence comes he, which way, whether goes he, &c.