Miscellanies upon the following subjects collected by J. Aubrey, Esq.

CHAP. XIII.

Magick.

IN Barbary are Wizards, who do smear their Hands with some black Ointment, and then do hold them up to the Sun, and

in a short time you shall see Delineated in that black Stuff, the likeness of what you de∣sire to have an answer of. It was desir'd to know, whether a Ship was in safety, or no? There appear'd in the Womans Hand the perfect Lineaments of a Ship under Sail. This Mr. W. Cl. a Merchant of London, who was Factor there several Years, protested to me, that he did see. He is a Person wor∣thy of beliefe.

There are wonderful Stories of the Ban∣nians in India, viz. of their Predictions, Cures, &c. of their Charming Crocodiles, and Serpents: And that one of them walkt over an Arm of the Sea; he was seen in the middle, and never heard of afterwards.

The last Summer, on the Day of St. Iohn Baptist [1694] I accidentally was walking in the Pasture behind Montague-House, it was XII a Clock. I saw there about two or three and twenty young Women, most of them well Habited, on their Knees very busie, as if they had been Weeding. I could not presently learn what the mat∣ter was; at last a young Man told me, that they were looking for a Coal under the Root of a Plantain, to put under their Heads that Night, and they should Dream who would be their Husbands: It was to be found that Day, and Hour.

The Women have several Magical Se∣crets handed down to them by Tradition, for this purpose, as, on St. Agnes Night, 21 Day of Ianuary, Take a row of Pins, and pull out every one, one after another, saying a Pater Noster, or Our Father, stick∣ing a Pin in your Sleeve, and you will Dream of him or her you shall Marry. Ben. Iohn∣son in one of his Masques, makes some men∣tion of this.

And on sweet Saint Agnes Night Please you with the promis'd sight,* 1.1 Some of Husbands, some of Lovers, Which an empty Dream discovers. Another. To know whom one shall Marry.

You must lie in another County, and knit the left Garter about the Right Legg'd Stockin (let the other Garter and Stock∣in alone) and as you rehearse these fol∣lowing Verses, at every Comma, knit a Knot.

This Knot I knit, To know the thing I know not yet, That I may see The Man (Woman) that shall my Hus∣band (Wife) be, How he goes and what he wears And what he does all the Days.

Accordingly in your Dream you will see him; if a Musitian, with a Lute or other Instrument; if a Scholar, with a Book, &c.

A Gentlewoman that I knew, confessed

in my hearing, that she used this Method, and dreamt of her Husband whom she had never seen: About Two or three Years after, as she was on Sunday at Church, up pops a young Oxonian in the Pulpit: She cries out presently to her Sister, This is the very Face of the Man that I saw in my Dream. Sir William Somes Lady did the like.

Another way is,* 1.2 to Charm the Moon thus; At the first appearance of the new Moon after New-years Day, go out in the Evening, and stand over the Sparrs of a Gate, or Stile, looking on the Moon and say,

All Hail to the Moon,* 1.3 all Hail to thee, I prithee good Moon reveal to me, This Night who my Husband (Wife) must be.

You must presently after go to Bed.

I knew two Gentlewomen, that did thus when they were young Maids, and they had Dreams of those that Married them.

Alexander Trallienus, Of Curing Diseases by Spells, Charms, &c. is cited by Casaubon, before Iohn Dee's Book of Spiritis: It is now Translated out of the Greek into English.

The Great Historical, Geographical, and Poetical Dictionary. Abracadabra, a Mysterious Word, to which the Supersti∣ous in former times attributed a Magical power to expel Diseases, especially the Ter∣tian-Ague, worn about their Neck in this manner.

Some think, that Basilides the Inventor, intends the Name of GOD by it. The method of the Cure was prescrib'd in these Verses,

Inscribes Chartae quod dicitur Abracadabra Saepius, et subter repetes, sed detrahe summam Et magis at{que} magis desint elementa figuris Singula quae semper capies & caetera figes, Donec in angustum redigatur Litera Conum, His lina nexis collo redimire memento. Talia languentis conducent Vincula collo, Lethales{que} abigent (miranda potentia) morbos.

Mr.—Scoot a German hath Writ an excellent Book of Magick: It is Prohibited in that Country. I have here set down Three Spells, which are much approv'd.

To Cure an Ague,

Write this following Spell in Parchment, and wear it about your Neck. It must be Writ Triangularly.

ABRACADABRA ABRACADABR ABRACADAB ABRACADA ABRACAD ABRACA ABRAC ABRA ABR AB A

With this Spell, one of Wells hath Cur'd above an Hundred of the Ague.

To Cure the Biting of a Mad Dog. Write these Words in Paper, Viz.

Rebus Rubus Epitepscum, and give it to the Party, or Beast Bit, to Eat in Bread, or &c. A Gentleman of good Quality, and a sober grave Person, did affirm, that this Receipt never fails,

To Cure the Tooth-ach, out of Mr. Ashmole's Manuscript Writ with his own Hand.

Mars, hur, abursa, aburse. Iesu Christ for Marys sake, Take away this Tooth-ach.

Write the words, Three times; and as you say the Words, let the Party burn one Paper, then another, and then the last.

He says, he saw it experimented, and the Party immediately Cured.

Mr. Ashmole told me, that a Woman made use of a Spell to Cure an Ague, by the Advice of—A Minister came to her, and severely repremanded her, for making use of a Diabolical help, and told her, she was in danger of Damnation for it, and commanded her to burn it. She did so, and her Distemper returned severely; inso∣much, that she was importunate with the Doctor to use the same again: She used it, and had ease. But the Parson hearing of it, came to her again, and thundred Hell and Damnation, and frighted her so, that she burnt it again. Whereupon she fell extremely Ill, and would have had it a

Third time; but the Doctor refused, say∣ing, That she had contemned and slighted the power and goodness of the Blessed Spi∣rits (or Angels) and so she died, The cause of the Lady Honywoods Desparation, was that she had used a Spell to Cure her.

Jamblicus de Mysteriis de nominibus divinis.

Prophyrius quaerit, cur Sacerdotes utantur no∣minibus quibusdam nihil significantibus? Iam∣blicus respondet, omnia ejusmodi nomina signi∣ficare aliquid apud deos: quamvis in quibus∣dam significata nobis sint ignota, esse tamen no∣ta quaedam, quorum intepretationem divinitus accepimus, omnino verò modum in eis signifi∣candi ineffabilem esse. Neque secundum ima∣ginationes humanas, sed secundum intellectum qui in nobis est, divinus, vel potius simpliciore, praestantioreque modo secundum intellectum diis unitum. Auferendum igitur omnes excogitati∣ones, & rationales discursus, atque assimulati∣ones naturalis vocis ipsius congenitas, ad res po∣sitas in natum. Et quemadmodum character symbolicus divinae similitudinis in se intellectu∣alis est, atque divinus, ita hunc ipsum in om∣nibus supponere, accipereque debemus, &c.

To Cure an Ague, Tertian or Quartan.

Gather Cinquefoil in a good Aspect of ♃ to the ☽, and let the Moon be in the Mid-heaven, if you can: and take—of the Powder of it in White-wine: If it be not thus gathered according to the Rules of A∣strology,

it hath little or no Vertue in it. With this Receipt—Bradely, a Quaker at Kingston upon Thames, (near the Bridge-end) hath Cured above an Hundred.

To Cure the Thrush.

There a is certain piece in the Beef, called the Mouse-piece, which given to the Child, or Party so affected, to Eat, doth certain∣ly Cure the Thrush. From an experienced Midwife.

Another to Cure a Thrush.

Take a living Frog, and hold it in a Cloth, that it does not go down into the Childs Mouth; and put the Head into the Childs Mouth till it is dead; and then take another Frog.

To Cure the Tooth-ach.

Take a new Nail, and make the Gum bleed with it, and then drive it into an Oak. This did Cure William Neal, Sir William Neal's Son, a very stout Gentleman, when he was almost Mad with the Pain, and had a mind to have Pistoll'd himself.

For the Iaundise.

The Iaundise is Cured, by putting the Urine after the first Sleep, to the Ashes of the Ash-tree, Bark of Barberries.

To Cure a Bullock, that hath the Wisp, (that is) Lame between the Clees.

Take the impression of the Bullock's Foot in the Earth, where he hath trod; then dig it up, and stick therein five or seven Thorns

on the wrong side, and then hang it on a Bush to dry: And as that dries, so the Bullock heals. This never fails for Wisps. From Mr. Pacy a Yeoman in Surrey.

To Cure a Beast that is Sprung, that is Poysoned. It lights mostly upon Sheep.

Take the little red Spider, called a Tent∣bob (not so big as a great Pins-head) the first you light upon in the spring of the Year, and rub it in the palm of your Hand all to pieces; and having so done, piss on it, and rub it in, and let it dry; then come to the Beast and make water in your Hand, and throw it in his Mouth. It Cures in a mat∣ter of an Hours time. This rubbing serves for a whole Year, and it is no danger to the Hand. The chiefest Skill is to know whe∣ther the Beast be Poisoned, or no. From Mr. Pacy.

To stanch Bleeding.

Cut an Ash of One, two or three Years Growth, at the very Hour and Minute of the Sun's entring into Taurus: a Chip of this applyed will stop it. If it is a Shoot, it must be cut from the Ground. Mr. Nicholas Mer∣cator, Astronomer, told me that he had tried it with effect. Mr. G. W. says the Stick must not be bound, or holden; but dipp'd or wetted in the Blood. When King Iames the second was at Salisbury 1688. his Nose Bled near two Days; and after many essays in vain, was stopp'd by this Sympathetick

Ash, which Mr. Will. Nash a Chyrurgeon in Salisbury applied.

Against an evil Tongue.

Take Vnguentum populeum and Vervain, and Hypericon, and put a red-hot Iron into it; you must anoint the Back-bone, or wear it on your Breast. This is Printed in Mr. W. Lilly's Astrology. Mr. H. C. hath try'd this Receipt with good success.

Vervain and Dill, Hinders Witches from their will.

A House (or Chamber) somewhere in London was Haunted; the Curtains would be rashed at Night, and awake the Gentle∣man that lay there, who was Musical, and a familiar acquaintance of Henry Laws. Hen∣ry Laws to be satisfied did lie with him; and the Curtains were rashed so then: The Gen∣tleman grew lean and pale with the frights, One Dr.—Cured the House of this distur∣bance, and Mr. Laws said, that the princi∣pal Ingredient was Hypericon put under his Pillow.

In Herefordshire, and other parts, they do put a cold Iron-bar upon their Barrels, to preserve their Beer from being sowred by Thunder. This is a common practice in Kent.

To hinder the Night-mare, they hang in a string a Flint with a hole in it (naturally) by the Manger; but best of all they say, hung about their Necks, and a Flint will

do it that hath not a hole in it. It is to pre∣vent the Night-mare (viz.) the Hag from ri∣ding their Horses, who will sometimes sweat all Night. The Flint thus hung does hin∣der it.

Mr. Sp. told me that his Horse which was Bewitch'd, would break Bridles and strong Halters, like a Sampson. They fill'd a Bot∣tle with the Horse's Urine, stop'd it with a Cork and bound it fast in, and then bury'd it under Ground: And the party suspected to be the Witch fell ill, that he could not make Water, of which he died. When they took up the Bottle, the Urine was al∣most gone: So, that they did believe, that if the Fellow could have lived a little longer, he had recovered.

It is a thing very common to nail Horse-shoes on the Thresholds of Doors:* 1.4 Which is to hinder the power of Witches that enter into the House. Most Houses of the West-end of London have the Horse-shoe on the Threshold. It should be a Horse-shoe that one finds. In the Bermudas, they use to put an Iron into the Fire when a Witch comes in.

At Paris when it begins to Thunder and Lighten, they do presently Ring out the great Bell at the Abbey of St. German, which they do believe makes it cease. The like was wont to be done heretofore in Wiltshire; when it Thundred and Lightned, they did

Ring St. Adelm's Bell at Malmsbury Abbey. The curious do say, that the Ringing of Bells exceedingly disturbs Spirits.

Notes

• * 1.1

  'Tis Print∣ed St. Ann's Night, falsely.
• * 1.2

  Some say any other New Moon is as good.
• * 1.3

  In York∣shire they kneel on a ground∣fast Stone.
• * 1.4

  There are very me∣morable Stories of Witches in Gages Sur∣vey of the West-Indies of his own knowledg.