238204Natural Hiſtory;
feigned, and at pleaſure:
As if one ſhould imagine ſuch a Min to bein the
Veſtments of a Pope, or to have Wings. I ſingle out for this time that which
is with Faith or Belief of that which is to come. The Inquiſition of this
Subject in our way (which is by Induction) is wonderful hard, for the things
that are reported are full of Fables; and new Experiments can hardly be
made but with extream Caution, for the Reaſon which we will after de-
clare.
Veſtments of a Pope, or to have Wings. I ſingle out for this time that which
is with Faith or Belief of that which is to come. The Inquiſition of this
Subject in our way (which is by Induction) is wonderful hard, for the things
that are reported are full of Fables; and new Experiments can hardly be
made but with extream Caution, for the Reaſon which we will after de-
clare.
The Power of Imagination is in three kindes.
The firſt, upon the Body of
the imaginant, including like wiſe the Childe in the Mothers Womb. The
ſecond is, the power of it upon dead bodies, as Plants, Wood, Stone, Metal,
& c. The third is, the power of it upon the Spirits of Men and Living Crea-
tures. And with this laſt we will onely meddle.
the imaginant, including like wiſe the Childe in the Mothers Womb. The
ſecond is, the power of it upon dead bodies, as Plants, Wood, Stone, Metal,
& c. The third is, the power of it upon the Spirits of Men and Living Crea-
tures. And with this laſt we will onely meddle.
The Probleme therefore is, Whether a Man conſtantly and ſtrongly be-
lieving that ſuch a thing ſhall be, (as that ſuch an one will love him, or that
ſuch an one will grant him his requeſt, or that ſuch an one ſhall recover a
ſickneſs, or the like) it doth help any thing to the effecting of the thing it
ſelf. And here again we muſt warily diſtinguiſh; for it is not meant (as
hath been partly ſaid beſore) that it ſhould help by making a man more ſtout,
or more induſtrious; (in which kinde, conſtant belief doth much) but
meerly by a ſecret operation, or binding, or changing the Spirit of another.
And in this it is hard (as we began to ſay) to make any new experiment; for
I cannot command my ſelf to believe what I will, and ſo no tryal can be
made. Nay it is worſe, for whatſoever a Man imagineth doubtingly, or with
fear, muſt needs do hurt, if Imagination have any power at all; ſor a Man
repreſenteth that ofther that he feareth, then the contrary.
lieving that ſuch a thing ſhall be, (as that ſuch an one will love him, or that
ſuch an one will grant him his requeſt, or that ſuch an one ſhall recover a
ſickneſs, or the like) it doth help any thing to the effecting of the thing it
ſelf. And here again we muſt warily diſtinguiſh; for it is not meant (as
hath been partly ſaid beſore) that it ſhould help by making a man more ſtout,
or more induſtrious; (in which kinde, conſtant belief doth much) but
meerly by a ſecret operation, or binding, or changing the Spirit of another.
And in this it is hard (as we began to ſay) to make any new experiment; for
I cannot command my ſelf to believe what I will, and ſo no tryal can be
made. Nay it is worſe, for whatſoever a Man imagineth doubtingly, or with
fear, muſt needs do hurt, if Imagination have any power at all; ſor a Man
repreſenteth that ofther that he feareth, then the contrary.
The help therefore is, for a Man to work by another, in whom he
may create belief, and not by himſelf, until himſelf have found by experi-
ence, that Imagination doth prevail; for then experience worketh in himſelf
Belief, if the Belief that ſuch a thing ſhall be joyned with a Belief, that his
Imagination may procure it.
may create belief, and not by himſelf, until himſelf have found by experi-
ence, that Imagination doth prevail; for then experience worketh in himſelf
Belief, if the Belief that ſuch a thing ſhall be joyned with a Belief, that his
Imagination may procure it.
For example, I related one time to a Man that was curious and vain
11946. enough in theſe things, That I ſaw a kinde of Jugler that had a Pair of Cards, and
vvould tell a man vvhat Card he thought. This pretended Learned Man told me, it
was a miſtaking in me. For (ſaid he) it vvas not the knovvledge of the Mans thought
(for that is proper to God) but it vvas the inforcing of a thought upon him, and binding his
Imagination by a ſtronger, that he could think no other Card. And thereupon he asked
me a Queſtion or two, which I thought he did but cunningly, knowing be-
fore what uſed to be the feats of the Jugler. Sir, (ſaid he) do you remember vvhe-
ther he told the Card the Man thought himſelf, or bad another to tell it? I anſwered,
(as was true) That he bad another tell it. Whereunto he ſaid, So I thought: For
(ſaid he) himſelf could not have put on ſo ſtrong an Imagination, but by telling the other
the Card (vvho believed, that the Jugler vvas ſome ſtrange man, and could do ſtrange things)
that other man caught a ſtrong Imagination. I hearkned unto him, thinking for a
vanity he ſpake prettily. Then he asked me another Queſtion: Saith he, Do
you remember vvhether he bad the Man think the Card firſt, and aftervvards told the other
Man in his Ear whæt he should think; or elſe, that he did whiſper firſt in the Mans Ear
that ſhould tell the Card, telling, That ſuch a Man ſhould think ſuch a Card, and after
bad the Man think a Card? I told him, (as was true) That he did firſt whiſper the
Man in the Ear, thatſuch a Man ſhould think ſuch a Card. Upon this, the Learned
Man did much exuit and pleaſe himſelf, ſaying, Lo, you may ſee that my opinion
is right: For if the Man had thought firſt, his thought had been fixed; but the other imagi-
ning firſt, hound his thought. Which though it did ſome what ſink with me, yet
11946. enough in theſe things, That I ſaw a kinde of Jugler that had a Pair of Cards, and
vvould tell a man vvhat Card he thought. This pretended Learned Man told me, it
was a miſtaking in me. For (ſaid he) it vvas not the knovvledge of the Mans thought
(for that is proper to God) but it vvas the inforcing of a thought upon him, and binding his
Imagination by a ſtronger, that he could think no other Card. And thereupon he asked
me a Queſtion or two, which I thought he did but cunningly, knowing be-
fore what uſed to be the feats of the Jugler. Sir, (ſaid he) do you remember vvhe-
ther he told the Card the Man thought himſelf, or bad another to tell it? I anſwered,
(as was true) That he bad another tell it. Whereunto he ſaid, So I thought: For
(ſaid he) himſelf could not have put on ſo ſtrong an Imagination, but by telling the other
the Card (vvho believed, that the Jugler vvas ſome ſtrange man, and could do ſtrange things)
that other man caught a ſtrong Imagination. I hearkned unto him, thinking for a
vanity he ſpake prettily. Then he asked me another Queſtion: Saith he, Do
you remember vvhether he bad the Man think the Card firſt, and aftervvards told the other
Man in his Ear whæt he should think; or elſe, that he did whiſper firſt in the Mans Ear
that ſhould tell the Card, telling, That ſuch a Man ſhould think ſuch a Card, and after
bad the Man think a Card? I told him, (as was true) That he did firſt whiſper the
Man in the Ear, thatſuch a Man ſhould think ſuch a Card. Upon this, the Learned
Man did much exuit and pleaſe himſelf, ſaying, Lo, you may ſee that my opinion
is right: For if the Man had thought firſt, his thought had been fixed; but the other imagi-
ning firſt, hound his thought. Which though it did ſome what ſink with me, yet
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