Book 13, Chapter 10: The bewitching venome conteined in the bodie of an harlot, how hir eie, hir toong, hir beautie and behavior bewitcheth some men: of bones and hornes yeelding great vertue
1 The vertue conteined within the bodie of an harlot, or rather the venome proceeding out of the same maie be beheld with great admiration. For hir eie infecteth, entiseth, and (if I maie so saie) bewitcheth them manie times, which thinke themselves well armed against such maner of people. Hir toong, hir gesture, hir behaviour, her beautie, and other allurements poison and intoxicate the mind: yea, hir companie induceth impudencie, corrupteth virginitie, confoundeth and consumeth the bodies, goods, and the verie soules of men. And finallie hir bodie destroieth and rotteth the verie flesh and bones of mans bodie. And this is common, that we woonder not at all thereat, naie we have not the course of the sunne, the moone, or the starres in so great admiration, as the globe, counterfeting their order: which is in respect but a bable made by an artificer. So as (I thinke) if Christ himselfe had continued long in the execution of miracles, and had left that power permanent and common in the church; they would have growne into contempt, and not have beene esteemed, according to his owne saieng: A prophet is not regarded in his owne countrie. I might recite infinite properties, wherewith God hath indued the bodie of man, worthie of admiration, and fit for this place.
2 As touching other living creatures, God hath likewise (for his glorie, and our behoofe) bestowed most excellent and miraculous gifts and vertues upon their bodies and members, and that in severall and woonderfull wise. We see that a bone taken out of a carps head, stancheth bloud, and so doth none other part besides of that fish. The bone also in a hares foot mitigateth the crampe, as none other bone nor part else of the hare doth. How pretious is the bone growing out of the forehead of a unicorne; if the horne, which we see, growe there, which is doubted: and of how small accompt are the residue of all his bones? At the excellencie whereof, as also at the noble and innumerable vertues of herbs we muse not at all; bicause it hath pleased God to make them common unto us. Which perchance might in some part assist Jannes and Jambres, towards the hardning of Pharaos heart. But of such secret and strange operations read Albert De mineral. cap. 1. 11. 17. Also Marsilius Ficinus, cap. 1. lib. 4. Cardan. de rerum varietate. J. Bap. Neap. de magia naturali. Peucer, Wier, Pompanacius, Fernelius, and others.
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