Raymund Lullie in his Compendium of Alchimie, calls the Principles of Art Magic, Spiritus fugitivos in Aere condensatos, in forma Monstrorum Diversorum, & Animalium,

etiam Hominum, qui vadunt sicut Nubes, modo hùc, modo illùc, Certain fugitive spirits condensed in the Ayre. in the shape of Divers Monsters. Beasts and Men, which move like Cloudes hither and thither. As for the Sense of our Spaniard, I refer it to his Readers, let them make the most of it.

This is true; As the Ayre, and all the Volatile Substances in it, are restlesse, even so it is with the first Matter. The eye of Man never saw her twice under one and the same shape but as Cloudes driven by the winde are forced to this, and that figure, but cannot possibly retain one constant forme, so is shee persecuted by the fire of Nature; for this fire, and this water are like two Lovers, they no sooner meet, but presently they play and toy, and this Game will not over till some new Babee is generated. I have oftentimes admired their subtil perpetual Motion, for at all Times, and in all places these two are busie, which occasioned that Notable sentence of Trismegistus, That Action was the Life of God. But most excellent, and Magisterial is that Oracle of Marcus Antoninus, who in his Discourse to himself, speaks indeed things worthy of himself, οὐδὲν οὕτως φιλεῖ ἡ τῶν ὅλων φύσις ὡς τὸ τὰ πάντα μεταβάλλειν, καὶ ποιεῖν νέα ὅμοια. The Nature (saith he) of the Universe delights not in any Thing so much, as to alter all Things, and

then to make the like again. This is her Tick Tack, shee playes one Game, to begin another. The matter is placed before her like a peece of Wax, and shee shapes it to all formes, and figures. Now shee makes a Bird, now a Beast, now a Flowre, then a Frog and shee is pleas'd with her own Magicall performances, as men are with their own fansies. Hence shee is call'd of Orpheus, πολυμήχανος μήτηρ and ἀλλοτριομορφοδίαιτε the Mother that makes many Things, and ordaines strange shapes, or figures. Neither doth shee, as some sinfull Parents doe, who having their pleasure, care not for their Child; shee loves them still after shee hath made them, hath an eye over them all, and provides even for her Sparrowes. IT is strange to consider that shee workes as well privatly as publicly, not onely in Gardens where Ladyes may smell her perfumes, but in remote Solitudes and Deserts. The Truth is, shee seeks not to please others so much as her self, wherefore many of her works, and those the Choysest, never come to Light. Wee see little Children, who are newly come from under her hand, will be dabling in 'Dirt and Water, and other idle sports affected by none but Themselves. The Reason is, they are not as yet Captivated, which makes them seek their own pleasures; But when they come to Age, then Love or Profit makes them square

their Actions according to other mens Desires. Some Cockney claps his Revenues on his backe, but his Galantrie is spoil'd, if his Mistris doth not observe it. Another fights, but his Victory is lost, if it be not Printed, it is the world must heare of his Valour. Now Nature is a free spirit, that seeks no Applause, shee observes none more than her self, but is pleased with her own Magic, as Philosophers are with their Secret Philosophie. Hence it is that wee find her busie, not onely in the Potts of the Balconies, but in Wildernesses, and ruinous places, where no eyes observe her, but the Starrs and Planets. In a word, wheresoever the fire of nature finds the Virgin Mercurie, there hath he found his Love, and there will they both fall to their Husbandrie, a pleasure not subject to Surfets, for it still Presents new Varieties. It is reported of Marc Antonie, a famous, but unfortunate Romane, how he sent his Agent over the world to Copie all the handsome faces, that amongst so many excellent features, hee might select for himself the most pleasing peece. Truly Nature is much of this straine, for shee hath infinite beauteous patternes in her self, and all these shee would gladly see beyond her self, which shee cannot doe without the matter, for that is her Glasse. This makes her generate perpetually, and imprint her conceptions in

the matter, communicating life to it, and figuring it according to her Imagination. By this Practice shee placeth her Fansie, or Idea, beyond her self, or as the Peripatetics say, extra Intellectum, beyond the divine Mind, namely in the Matter; but the Idea's being innumerable, and withall different, the pleasures of the Agent are maintain'd by their Varietie, or to speak more properly by his own fruitfulnesse, for amongst all the Beauties the world affords, there are not two, that are altogether the same. Much might bee spoken in this place concerning Beautio, what it is, from whence it came, and how it may be defaced, not onely in the outward figure, but in the inward Idea, and lost for ever in both worlds. But these pretty shuttles I am no way acquainted with, I have no Mistris but Nature, wherefore I shall leave the fine Ladies to fine Lads, and speak of my simple AElia Laelia.