To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
MAcrobius upon Tullies somnum Scipionis, and Hugo de S. Ʋictore, make five kindes of Dreames: but S. Gre∣gory in his Morals, lib. 8. cap. 16. & lib. 4.
Dial. cap. 4. will have them to be sixe. Tertullian restraines them to Three sorts; and Hippocrates acknowledges but Two; and those are, either Divine, or Naturall. Now if we should comprehend the Ani∣mall, under the Naturall; and the Diaboli∣call, under the Divine; it were an easie matter to reconcile the differences of these Authors severall Opinions. Not∣withstanding Aristotle, and Petronius will not acknowledge the Divine at all.
Somnia quae mentes ludunt volitantibus umbris, Non delubra Deum, nec ab Aethere lu∣mina mittunt: Sed sibi quis{que} facit. Nam cum prostrata sopore Languent Membra; Quies, & Mens sine pondere ludit; Scribit Amatori Meretrix dat Adultera numos.Our Dreames are not upon our slumbers throwne By th' Gods: Each one's the Author of his owne. For when the Soule's wrapt in a gentle Trance,
Wantons dreame ore their former dalli∣ance: &c.
The reasons that he brings to prove, that no Dreames are Divine, are in my Opini∣on of no validity at all, if a Man but exa∣mine them throughly: However, his au∣thority is of lesse moment and force, then that of Moses; which is also seconded both by Hippocrates, and Homer; who af∣firmes, that
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
that is, as Ronsard translates it into French.
Des Dieux çà bas certaine viennent les Songes. Et Dieu n' est pas artisan des Mensonges.Those Dreames the Gods us send, have sure event. For they to cousenage nere give consent.
Those Dreames we call Diabolicall, that are caused by Evill Spirits: such as was that of the Emperour Tiberius, who, by the meanes of a knavish Magician, was made to Dreame, that he must give Him such a certaine summe of Money: But the
Emperour, by chance comming to the knowledge of this Cheaters plot, instead of the money, bestowed a halter upon him for his paines.
The Pagans were wont to expect these Dreames, lying all night upon skinnes, spread on the Ground, either in the Tem∣ple of Aesculapius, or else in that of Ca∣stor and Pollux, as appeares out of Virgil. Aeneid lib. 7.
Pellibus incubuit stratis, somnos{que} petivit: Multa modis simulachra videt volitantia miris, Et varias audit voces; fruitur{que} Deorum Colloquio; at{que} imis Acheronta affatur A∣vernis.He, lying downe on skinnes spread on the ground, Expects his Dreame: when straight, en∣circling round The sacred Fane, strange awfull shapes appeare: Whilst from the Gods, Deepe Accents strike his eare.
But the Women, when they were woun∣ded
with Cupids dart, would choose ra∣ther to goe to the Goddesse Bona, then to Aesculapius; if it were Naturall Love, & not that Preposterous Lust, that Nature abhorres: unto which many of them oft∣times basely yeelded up themselves, ne∣ver thinking of God at all; who for this abominable sin of theirs, would never re∣member them, but for their Punishment. And if perchance they had had some con∣fused Dreame or other; then presently would they have recourse to some chea∣ting Wizards for the Interpretation of it; which these subtle Rascals would be sure should be such a one as should please their good Dreaming Dame.
Qualiacun{que} voles, Iudaeus somnia vendit. Spondet Amatorem tenerū; vel divitis orbi Testamentum ingens, &c.
Naturall Dreames are such as are caused by the Disposition and Temper of the Body. For in sleepe, the soule doth, as it were, retire into the most Inmost and Se∣cretest part of her Palace: where being free from all disturbance, she the more ea∣sily
apprehends the Disposition and State of the Body, and enjoyes all things that the can desire, whether Possible things, or impossible, as though they were present, and in her power.
The consideration of these Dreames, is, by the generall consent of all writers, ve∣ry necessary in Physick, for the knowledge of the Humour that doth predominate, & to finde out the disposition of the Body. For commonly those that are full of Hu∣mours, dreame that they carry some great burthen upon their back: whereas on the contrary those, that are free from all Re∣pletion, dreame that they are either run∣ning a Race, or leaping, or perhaps Flying in the Aire. The Cholericke Dreame of Quarrelling, and Fighting; the Melancho∣ly of Funerals, Darknesse, and Mourning. The Phlegmaticke and Rheumaticke dreame that they are fallen into Rivers, Wels, Raine and Snow: Those that are Hungry dreame of good cheere, & Feasts; and the Amorist of his Wenches, Sports, Plaies and Masques.
And here by the way you are to take notice, that in Dreames all things seeme
greater, and either more pleasing or dis∣pleasing, then indeed they are: the reasons whereof, he that desires to see, may have recourse to Thomas à Vega upon Galen.
The Animall Dreames proceed from those things that a man hath either done, seen, or thought upon in the day time, as Herodotus saith: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: the Fancy in Sleep is most taken up with those things that the Minde hath been busied with in the day. The Good, saith Aristotle have good Dreames: be∣cause that when they were awake, they had good Thoughts in their Minde. Such were the Dreames of the Primitive Chri∣stians; because they continually medica∣ted, saies Philo Iudaeus, on the Power and Providence of God. The Lawyer pleads in his sleep: The Souldier Fights: The Marriner cuts over the surging Seas; and the Hunter returnes home loaded with his Game. According to that in the Poet.
Iudicibus lites; Aurigae somnia, Currus: Vana{que} nocturnis meta cavatur Equis. Jaudet Amans furto, &c.
The Lawyer pleads in's sleep: the care∣full Swaines Manage their pransing Coursers ore the plaines. Lovers dreame ore their stol'n delights. &c.
And if by chance our dreames be not conformable to our actions and thoughts in the day time, it is an argument of some distemper among the humours. So that it seemes to be very possible for a man to know, whether one be in Love, or no, by his Naturall and Animall dreames, if so be the party will but truly relate them at his waking; and that without any regard had at all either to the Starres, or any other such Fopperies, as are to be found in Iuli∣anus Cervus, Artemidorus, Arnaldus Villanovanus, and other such like Authors as these, who have infected the science of Physicke with a thousand toyes and fooleries.