a woman in lower Germany at the ſame time, who took no food till the thirteenth yeer of her age, which to us may ſeem incredible, but that he lately confirmed it; as alſo he tels of a Miracle of our Age, that his brother Nicolaus Stone, an Helvetian by Nation, who lived twenty yeers in the wilderness without meat, till he dyed. That alſo is wonderfull which Theophraſtus mentions concerning a certain man, called Philinus, who used no meat, or drink, beſides Milk. And there are grave Authors who deſcribe a certain hearb of Sparta, with which they ſay the Scythians can endure twelve dayes hunger, without meat or drink, if they do but taſt it, or hold it in their mouth.
CHAP. LIX.
Of Divination by Dreams.
There is alſo a certain kind of Divination by Dreams, confirmed by the traditions of Philoſophers, the authorities of Divines, the examples of Hiſtories, and daily experience. A Dreams I call here, not vain Dreams, or idle imaginations: for thoſe are vain, and have no Divination in them, but ariſe from the remains of watchings, and diſturbance of the body. For as the mind is taken up about, and wearied with cares, it ſuggeſts it ſelf to him that is aſleep. I call that a Dream here, which is cauſed by the Celeſtiall influences in the phantaſtick ſpirit, mind, or body, being all well diſpoſed. The rule of interpreting this is found amongſt Aſtrologers, in that part which is wrote concerning queſtions; but yet that is not ſufficient, becauſe theſe kind of Dreams come by use to divers men after a divers manner, and according to the divers quality, and diſpoſitions of the phantaſtick ſpirit: wherefore there cannot be given one common rule to all for the interpretation of Dreams. But according to the opinion of Syneſius, ſeeing there are the ſame accidents to things, and like befall like; ſo be which hath often fallen upon the same viſible thing, hath aſſigned to himſelf the ſame opinion, paſſion, fortune, action, event, and as
