Chapter iii. How great vertues Numbers have, as well in Naturall things, as in

Supernaturall.

That there lyes [lies] wonderfull efficacy, and vertue in numbers, as well to good as to bad, not only most eminent

Philosophers do unanimously teach, but also Catholike [Catholic] Doctors, and especially Hierom, Austin [Augustine],

Origen, Ambrose, Gregory of Nazianzen, Athanasius, Basilius, Hilarius, Rubanus, Bede, and many more confirm. Hence

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa: Occult Philosophy. Book II. (part 1)

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Hilarius in his Commentaries upon the Psalms, testifies that the seventy Elders, according to the efficacy of numbers, brought

the Psalms into order. Rabanus also, a famous Doctor, composed an excellent book of the vertues of numbers: But now how

great vertues numbers have in nature, is manifest in the hearb [herb] which is called Cinquefoil, i.e. five leaved Grass; for this

resists poysons [poisons] by vertue of the number of five; also drives away divells [devils], conduceth to expiation; and one

leafe of it taken twice in a day in wine, cures the Feaver [fever] of one day: three the tertian Feaver: foure the quartane. In

like manner four grains of the seed of Turnisole being drunk, cures the quartane, but three the tertian. In like manner Vervin is

said to cure Feavers, being drunk in wine, if in tertians it be cut from the third joynt [joint], in quartans from the fourth. A

Serpent, if he be once struck with a Spear, dieth, if twice, recovers strength. These and many such as these are read, and

testified in divers Authors. We must know now whence these are done, which certainly have a cause, which is a various

proportion of various numbers amongst themselves. There is also a wonderfull experiment of the number of seven, that every

seventh male, born without a female coming betwixt, hath power to cure the Kings evill by his touch alone, or word. Also

every seventh daughter that is born, is said wonderfully to help forward the birth of children: neither is the naturall number

here considered, but the formall consideration that is in the number. And let that which we spake before, be alwaies kept in

mind, viz. that these powers are not in vocall, or numbers of merchants buying, and selling, but in rationall, formall, and

naturall; These are distinct mysteries of God, and nature. But he that knows how to joyn [join] together the vocall numbers,

and naturall with divine, and order them into the same harmony, shall be able to work and know wonderfull things by

numbers; the Pythagorians profess that they can prognosticate many things by the numbers of names, in which truly, unless

there did ly [lie] a great mysterie [mystery], John had not said in the Revelation, He which hath understanding, let him

compute the number of the name of the beast, which is the number of a man, and this is the most famous manner of

computing amongst the Hebrews, and Cabalists, as we shall shew afterwards. But this you must know, that simple numbers

signifie Divine things: numbers of ten; Celestiall numbers of an hundred; terrestriall numbers of a thousand; those things that

shall be in a future age. Besides, seeing the parts of the mind are according to an Arithmeticall Mediocrity, by reason of the

identity, or equality of excess, coupled together. But the body, whose parts differ in their greatness, is according to a

Geometricall mediocrity, compounded: But an animall consists of both, viz. soul and body, according to that mediocrity,

which is sutable [suitable] to harmony: Hence it is that numbers do work very much upon the soul, figures upon the body,

and harmony upon the whole animall.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 753