St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

L. VIVES.

TO (a) Hydromancy] Diuination by water. Diuination generally was done by diuers means: * 1.1 either by Earth, G•…•…mancy: or by fire, Pyromancy (or Ignispicina, found by Amphiarans as Pliny saith:) or by smoake, Cap•…•…mancy: or by birds, Augury: or by intrailes, Aruspicina: (vs∣ed much by the Hetrurians, and by Ianus, Apollo's sonne, amongst the Heleans, and after him by Thrasibulus who beheld a dogge holding the cut liuer) or by a siue, called Coscinomancy, o•…•… by hatchets, Axinomancy, or by Hearbes, Botinomancy, the witches magike, or by dead bodies, N•…•…mancy, or by the starres, Astrologie (wherein the most excellent are called Chaldees, though neuer borne in Caldaea): or by lottes, Cleromancy: or by lines in the hand, Chiromancy, or by the face and body, Physiogn•…•…my: or by fishes, Icthyomancy (this Apuleius was charged with:) or by the twinckling and motion of the eies called Saliatio, & the Palmi{que} augury. Then was there interpretation of dreames, and visions, or sights of thunder or lightning, noyses, sneezings, voices, and a thousand such arts of inuoking the deuills, which are far better vnna∣med. Hydromancy I haue kept vnto the last: because it is my theame: It is many-fold: done either in a gl•…•…sse bottle full of water, wherein a Childe must looke, (and this is called, Gastro∣mancy of the glasses belly) or in a basen of water, which is called Lecanomancie, in which Strabo sayth the Asians are singular. Psellus de damonibus, affirmeth this also and sheweth how it is done: that the deuills creepe in the bottome, and send sorth a still

confused found, which cannot bee fully vnderstood, that they may be held to say what euer 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to passe, and not to lye. Many also in springs did see apparitions of future things. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…aith, that in Aegina (a part of Achaia) there is a temple of Ceres, and a fountaine 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉, wherein sick persons after their offring sacrifice behold the end or continuance of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ses. Iamblichus tells of a caue at Colophon wherein was a Well that the Priest ha∣•…•… •…•…ifice certaine set nights, tasted of, and presently became inuisible, and gaue an∣•…•… •…•…at asked of him. And a woman in Branchis (saith he) sat vpon an Axle-tree, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a rod that one of the goddesses gaue her, or dipping her foote or skirt in the water, so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…d prophecied. Apulcius writeth out of Uarro, that the Trallians inquiring by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the end of the warre of Mithridates, one appeared in the water like Mercurie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that looked in it, and sung the future successe of the war in 360. verses: but because of •…•…tion of the boy, I thinke hee meanes Gastromancie. Apolog. de Magia. This last 〈◊〉〈◊〉 N•…•…a vse in a fountaine: Plutarch saith, that there were women in Germanie that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 euents by the courses, noyse and whirle-pittes of riuers. In his life of Caesar. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Pythagoras] A carefull respect of the times: for Numa was dead long before 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was borne. Some say that he was Pythagoras his scholler, and Ouid for one: they all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ror is lighter in a Poet then in an Historiographer. (c) Caesar] Dictator and Priest, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dedicates his Antiquities. (d) Aegeria] Some held her to be one of the Muses, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 called the wood where shee vsed Lucus Camaenarum, the Muses wood. Some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but a water-nimphe, and that after Numa his death Diana turned her into a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 saith she was called Aegeria, ab egerendo, of putting forth, because the great 〈◊〉〈◊〉 s•…•…rificed vnto her for the ayde shee was thought to giue them in the deliue∣•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…estus. (e) To feare] For Numa durst not burne them for feare of proo∣•…•… •…•…nger against him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Th•…•… kinds of D•…•….