The workes of Lucius Annæus Seneca, both morrall and naturall Containing, 1. His bookes of benefites. 2. His epistles. 3. His booke of prouidence. 4. Three bookes of anger. 5. Two bookes of clemencie. 6. His booke of a blessed life. 7. His booke of the tranquilitie of the minde. 8. His booke of the constancie of a wiseman. 9. His booke of the shortnesse of life. 10. Two bookes of consolation to Martia. 11. Three bookes of consolation to Heluia. 12. His booke of consolation to Polibius. 13. His seuen bookes of naturall questions. Translated by Tho. Lodge, D. in Physicke.

CHAP. XXXIIII.

* 1.1THe Tuscans thinke that lightnings haue a soueraigne power; for whatsoeuer other things doe portend, are taken away by the in∣tercourse of lightning. Whatsoeuer lightning presageth is fixed; neyther is it changed by the signification of any other presage. A flash of lightning that portendeth some good, abolisheth all the sinister predictions of the entrailes of beasts, and whatsoeuer the flight of birds shall threaten. All that which lightning denounceth cannot be crossed by the presages of the entrailes of beasts or by birds: wherin me thinks they are much deceiued. Why? Because there is nothing truer then truth. If birds haue fore∣tolde that which ought to come to passe, this augurie cannot be disanulled by lightning: If it may be; the birds haue foretolde nothing that shall come to passe. I doe not now make a comparison betwixt the bird and lightning, but of two true presages. If both of them foretell that which is to come to passe, they are alike. If therefore the lightning that commeth after abolisheth the iudge∣ment of the entrailes, and of the augures, the entrailes were badly looked into,

and the motion and cry of birdes worse obserued: for it importeth nothing to know whethe•• of these two are more strong and puissant in their nature, or whether of both hath proposed more signes of truth, for the signe in this re∣spect is equall, if thou say that the force of the flame is greater then that of the smoake, thou liest not; but to deuoure the fire, the flame and smoake are of the same value. Therefore if they say thus, that as often as the entrailes of beasts shall presage one thing, and the lightning an other, the authori∣ty of the lightning shall bee more great, happily I shall bee of their o∣pinion: But if they mainetaine that a flash of lightning disanulleth the truth which those other signes haue foretolde, and that wee ought not to build on any thing but on this flash of lightning: I say they abuse them∣selues; and the reason is, because it importeth not how many passages there be; It is but one thing that shall come to passe, which if it hath beene well comprised in the first prediction and diuination, the second will bee no pre∣iudice vnto it. All comes to one: I therefore say, that it skilleth not, if one thing by meanes whereof wee would informe our selues be the same, or an o∣ther thing, because that whereof wee enquire is one and the same.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What power the Tus••ans attri∣bute to light∣nin••s in respect of ••iuination.