Three Books of Occult Philosophy/Book 1/Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
That naturall Vertues are in some things throughout their whole substance, and in other things in certain parts, and members.
Again thou must consider, that the vertues of things are in some things in the whole (i.e.) the whole substance of them, or in all their parts, as that little fish Echeneis, which is said to stop a ship by its meer touch, this it doth not do according to any particular part, but according to the whole substance. So the Civet Cat hath this in its whole substance, that Dogs by the very touch of his shadow hold their peace. So Salendine is good for the sight, not according to any one but all its parts, not more in the root then in the leaves, and seeds; and so of the rest. But some vertues are in things according to some parts of it, viz. only in the tongue, or eyes, or some other members, and parts; so in the eyes of a Basilisk, is a most violent power to kill men, assoon as they see them: the like power is there in the eyes of the Civet Cat, which makes any Animall that it hath looked upon, to stand still, to be amazed, and not able to move it self. The like vertue is there in the eyes of some Wolfes, which if they see a man first, make him amazed, and so hoarse, that if he would cry out, he hath not the use of his voice: Of this Virgil makes mention, when he sings,
The Wolf on Moeris first hath cast his eye.
So also there were some certain women in Scythia, and amongst the Illyrians, and Triballians, who as often as they looked angrily upon any man, were said to slay him. Also we read of a certain people of Rhodes, called Telchines, who corrupted all things with their sight, wherefore Jupiter drowned them. Therefore Witches, when they would after this manner work by witchcraft, use the eyes of such kind of Animals in their waters for the eyes, for the like effects. In like manner do Pismires fly from the heart of a Lapwing, not from the head, foot, or eyes. So the gall of Lizards being bruised in Water is said to gather Weesels together, not the taile or the head of it; and the gall of Goats put into the Earth in a brazen Vesel, gathers Frogs together; and a Goats liver is an enemy to Butterflies and all Maggots, and dogs shun them that have the heart of a Dog about them, and Foxes will not touch those poultry that have eaten the liver of a Fox. So divers things have divers vertues dispersed variously through several parts, as they are from above infused into them according to the diversity of things to be received; as in a mans body the bones receive nothing but life, the eyes sight, the ears hearing. And there is in mans body a certain little bone, which the Hebrews call LVZ, of the bigness of a pulse that is husked, which is subject to no corruption, neither is it overcome with Fire, but is alwaies preserved unhurt, out of which, as they say, as a Plant out of the seed, our Animall bodies shall in the Resurrection of the dead spring up. And these vertues are not cleared by reason, but by experience.