Of some peculiar Signes of Naturall and Supernaturall things.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Sedziwój, Michal, Paracelsus, and French, John
Wee must yet further speak of some peculiar signes, of which hitherto we have said nothing.
In which Treatise it will be very necessary for you, that boast your selves to have skill in the Art of Signatures, and desire to be called Signators, that you rightly understand mee. For wee shall not in this place write theoretically, but practically, and shall declare our opinion in few words.
What the art of signing is.
And first know, that the Art of signing doth teach how true, and sutable names are to bee put upon all things, all which Adam truly knew. For presently after the Creation hee gave to every thing its proper name, as to Animalls, so to Trees, Hearbs, Rootes, Stones, Mineralls, Metalls, Waters, &c. And to all the fruits of the earth, Water, Air, Fire, &c. And what names he put upon them all, were ratified, and approved of by God. For from the true, and intrinsecall foundation he tooke them all; not from opinion, or from a predestinated science, viz. the Art of Signing.
Adam the first signator.
Adam therefore was the first Signator. And it cannot be denyed, that also from the Hebrew tongue true and proper names doe flow, and are put upon every thing according to its nature, and condition.
The nature of the Hebrew tongue.
For what names are put upon them from the Hebrew tongue, doe with the same labour signifie their vertue, power, and property.
So when wee say, this is a Hog, a Horse, a Cow, a Beare, a Dog, a Fox, a Sheep.
The signification of a Hog, Horse, Cow, Beare, Fox, Dog, sheep, in the Hebrew tongue.
The name of a Hog signifies together with it a filthy and unclean Animall: so a Horse signifies a strong and patient Animall: a Cow, a devouring, and insatiable beast: a Bear, a strong, victorious, and an untamed brute: a Fox, a shifting, and crafty beast: a Dog, an animall false to those of his own kind: a Sheep, a mild and profitable beast, and hurtful to none.
Hence it is that a man is called a Hog, for his sordid and swinish life.
And a Horse for his bearing, for which hee is eminent.
And a Cow, because shee is unsatiable with meat, and drink, and knows no measure of her belly.
And a Bear, because he is mishapen, and stronger then other men.
A Fox, because he is a turn-coat, and deceitfull, accommodating himselfe to all, and offending none.
A Dog, because he is faithfull to none, but his own mouth, is false, and inofficious to all.
And a Sheep, because hee hurts no body but himselfe, and is usefull to all, rather then to himself, &c.
In what hearbs there is a signature.
After this manner also many Hearbs, and Rootes have got their name.
So Eye-bright is so called, because it cures weak, and sore eyes.
So the Root Bloudwort is so called, because it stops bloud better then any other.
So the Hearb Pile-wort is so called, because it cures the piles better then other hearbs.
The same also may be said of divers other hearbs, of which sort I could reckon a great number, all which were so called from their vertue, and faculty, as shall more largely be declared in our Herball.
Moreover, there bee many Hearbs, and Rootes, which are denominated not only from their imbred vertue, and faculty, but also from their figure, forme, and representation: As, Devills-bit, Five-leaved grasse, or Cinquefoile, Hounds-tongue, Adders-tongue, Horse-taile, Liver-wort, Ox-tongue, Lungwort, the hearb Chameleon, St. Johns-wort, or the hearb boared through, the hearb Dog-stone, Tongue-laurell, Thorow-leafe, Turne-sole, and many others which shall not here, but in the Herball bee severally considered.
What signature there is in Animalls.
The same also holds concerning the signes of Animalls; for by the bloud, and its circle, and by the urine and its circle all diseases that lie hid in Man may be known.
By the liver of a slain beast the flesh is known whether it be wholsome to be eaten or no. For unlesse the liver be clear, and of a red colour, but blew, or yellow, or rough, or full of holes, the beast is diseased, and therefore his flesh unwholsome.
The Liver the originall of Bloud.
And it is no wonder that the liver can shew that by naturall signes. For the originall of the bloud is in the liver, and hence through the veins it is diffused into the whole body, and is coagulated into flesh.
Therefore from a diseased, and ill affected liver, no sound or fresh bloud can be produced, as of bad bloud no wholsome flesh can be coagulated.
Also without inspection into the liver, flesh and bloud may be known. For if both be sound, they have their true, and naturall colour, which is red, and clear, mixed with no other strange colour, as yellow, or blew. For those strange colours do signifie diseases, and sicknesses.
What the knots in the Navell of the Infant signifie.
Also there are other signes worthy of admiration, viz. when the Archeius is the Signator, and signes the navell in the infant with little knots, by which it may bee conjectured, what the Mother of the infant did bring forth, or shall bring forth.
The branches of a Harts horn signifie his age.
The same Signator signs the horns of a Hart with branches, by which his age is known. For as many branches as the horn hath, so many years old is the Hart. And seeing he hath every year a new horn, the age of the Hart may be known to twenty, or thirty years.
The circles of the hornes of a Cow what.
So the Signator of a Cow markes her hornes with circles, by which it may be known how many Calves shee hath brought forth. For every Circle signifies a Calfe.
The teeth of a Horse.
The same Signator puts forth the first teeth of a Horse, that the first seven yeers his age may be known by his teeth. For at first a Horse is brought forth, with fourteen teeth, of which every yeer hee loseth two, and so in the space of seven yeares hee loseth all. So that after seven yeares his age can hardly be known, unlesse by one that is very skilful.