Book 11, Chapter 17: How ridiculous an art augurie is, how Cato mocked it, Aristotles reason against it, fond collections of augurors, who allowed, and who disallowed it
1 Verelie all these observations being neither grounded on Gods word, nor physicall or philosophicall reason, are vanities, superstitions, lies, and meere witchcraft; as whereby the world hath long time beene, and is still abused and cousened. It is written; Non est vestrum scire tempora & momenta, &c: It is not for you to knowe the times and seasons, which the father hath put in his owne power. The most godlie men and the wisest philosophers have given no credit hereunto. S. Augustine saith; Qui his divinationibus credit, sciat se fidem christianam & baptismum prævaricasse, & paganum Deiq; inimicum esse. One told Cato, that a rat had carried awaie and eaten his hose, which the partie said was a woonderfull signe. Naie (said Cato) I thinke not so; but if the hose had eaten the rat, that had beene a wonderfull token indeed. When Nonius told Cicero that they should have good successe in battell, bicause seven eagles were taken in Pompeies campe, he answered thus; No doubt it will be even so, if that we chance to fight with pies. In the like case also he answered Labienus, who prophesied like successe by such divinations, saieng, that through the hope of such toies, Pompeie lost all his pavillions not long before.
2 What wiseman would thinke, that God would commit his counsell to a dawe, an owle, a swine, or a tode; or that he would hide his secret purposes in the doong and bowels of beasts? Aristotle thus reasoneth; Augurie or divinations are neither the causes nor effects of things to come; Ergo, they doo not thereby foretell things trulie, but by chance. As if I dreame that my freend will come to my house, and he commeth indeed: yet neither dreame nor imagination is more the cause of my freends comming, than the chattering of a pie.
3 When Hanibal overthrew Marcus Marcellus, the beast sacrificed wanted a peece of his hart; therefore forsooth Marius, when he sacrificed at Utica, and the beast lacked his liver, he must needs have the like successe. These are their collections, and as vaine, as if they said that the building of Tenderden steeple was the cause of Goodwine sands, or the decaie of Sandwich haven. S. Augustine saith, that these observations are most superstitious. But we read in the fourth psalme, a sentence which might dissuade anie christian from this follie and impietie; O ye sonnes of men, how long will you turne my glorie into shame, loving vanitie, and seeking lies? The like is read in manie other places of scripture.
4 Of such as allow this follie, I can commend Plinie best, who saith, that the operation of these auguries is as we take them. For if we take them in good part, they are signes of good lucke; if we take them in ill part, ill lucke followeth; if we neglect them, and wey them not, they doo neither good nor harme. Thomas of Aquine reasoneth in this wise; The starres, whose course is certeine, have greater affinitie and communitie with mans actions, than auguries; and yet our dooings are neither directed nor proceed from the starres. Which thing also Ptolome witnesseth, saieng; Sapiens dominabitur astris, A wiseman overruleth the starres.
5 Fond distinctions of the heathen writers, concerning augurie.
6 The heathen made a distinction betweene divine, naturall, and casuall auguries. Divine auguries were such, as men were made beleeve were done miraculouslie, as when dogs spake; as at the expulsion of Tarquinius out of his kingdome; or when trees spake, as before the death of Cæsar; or when horsses spake, as did a horsse, whose name was Zanthus. Manie learned christians confesse, that such things as may indeed have divine cause, may be called divine auguries; or rather forewarnings of God, and tokens either of his blessings or discontentation: as the starre was a token of a safe passage to the magicians that sought Christ; so was the cockcrowing an augurie to Peter for his conversion. And manie such other divinations or auguries (if it be lawfull so to terme them) are in the scriptures to be found.
7 Of naturall and casuall augurie, the one allowed, and the other disallowed.
8 Naturall augurie is a physicall or philosophicall observation; bicause humane and naturall reason may be yeelded for such events: as if one heare the cocke crow manie times together, a man may ghesse that raine will followe shortlie; as by the crieng of rooks, and by their extraordinarie using of their wings in their flight, bicause through a naturall instinct, provoked by the impression of the heavenlie bodies, they are mooved to know the times, according to the disposition of the weather, as it is necessarie for their natures. And therefore Jeremie saith; Milvus in cœlo cognovit tempus suum. The physician may argue a strength towards in his patient, when he heareth him neeze twise, which is a naturall cause to judge by, and conjecture upon. But sure it is meere casuall, and also verie foolish and incredible, that by two neezings, a man should be sure of good lucke or successe in his businesse; or by meeting of a tode, a man should escape a danger, or atchieve an enterprise, &c.
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