Three Books of Occult Philosophy/Book 1/Chapter 19
CHAP. VI.
How the Vertues of things are to be tryed and found out, which are in them specifically, or any one Individuall by way of speciall gift.
Moreover thou must consider that the Vertues of things are in some things according to the species, as boldness, and courage in a Lyon, & Cock: fearfulness in a Hare, or Lamb, ravenousness in a Wolf, treachery, and deceitfulness in a Fox, flattery in a Dog, covetousness in a Crow, and Daw, pride in a Horse, anger in a Tygre, and Boar, sadness, and melancholy in a Cat, lust in a sparrow, and so of the rest. For the greatest part of naturall Vertues doth follow the species. Yet some are in things individually; as there be some men which do so wonderfully abhor the sight of a Cat, that they cannot look upon her without quaking; which fear it is manifest is not in them as they are men. And Avicen tels of a man that lived in his time, whom all poisonous things did shun, all of them dying, which did by chance bite him, he himself not being hurt, and Albertus reports that in a City of the Ubians he saw a wench who would catch Spiders to eat them, and being much pleased with such a kind of meat, was wonderfully nourished therewith. So is boldness in a Harlot, fearfulness in a Thief. And upon this account it is that Philosophers say, that any particular things that never was sick, is good against any manner of sickness: therefore they say that a bone of a dead man, who never had a feavor, being laid upon the patient, frees him of his quartane. There are also many singular vertues infused into particular things by Celestiall bodies, as we have shewed before.