is not any Itch of writing possesses me, Courteous Reader, that I here present thee with these Curiosities : those that know me, have found me very free from this foolish passion. But a person of quality, whom to deny any thing, were a great Crime in me, hath forced them out of my Closet, whence otherwise they never should have come : since I had resolv'd, after so many Calumnies endured, never to adventure more into the Publick View, having so oftentimes sighed forth those words of a Roman Prince ; Utinam nescissem literas ! But in fine, the Intreaties, and Commands of my friends have prevailed against my own Resolution ; and I am forced, I confesse, to this Publication, since I could not but foresee well enough, that my Enemies would not rellish at all this other Essay of my pen : notwithstanding after all this, I have wherewith to comfort my self ; since one of the greatest Prelates of our Age hath condemned their Insolence. Receive therefore favourably this Discourse, Courteous Reader ; and remember what we all are : I will not say, thou shalt find all things perfect here, for I am no Angel : and if there be any Defects, we must accuse our Mortality, which renders all Mankind subject to Errour. But above all, know, that I am no whit obstinate, or self-conceited, nor never was ; I take in very good part what Advertisements soever are given me : neither doe I account my selfe so knowing, but that I shall be very ready to learne of any man : they are fooles only, and vainglorious, that refuse to be taught ; and the Ignorant only say, They know all. As for my part, Courteous Reader, use me but friendly, and I shall require nothing else.
If thou thinke it strange, that a man of the Church, as I am, should adventure on so bold, and daring a Subject, as this seems to be ; consider, I pray thee, that many of my Profession have put forth things much more bold then these ; and even such as have been esteemed Dangerous too. Thus Trithemius the Abbot put forth his Polygraphy, and his Steganography, where the Calling forth of Spirits is plainly delivered ; notwithstanding he makes other use of it, then our Sorcerers doe. Gulielmus bishop of Paris hath not only written of Naturall Magick, but he also both perfectly understood, and practis'd it, as the Learned Picus Mirandula reports of him. Another Learned Bishop also, Albertus Magnus by name, hath taught the grounds of it with admiration. Roger Bacon, and Johannes de Rupescissa, both Franciscan Friers, have done the same. Petrus Cirvellus, a Spaniard of the same Order, hath published to the Christian World a Book in Folio, of the Foure Principall kinds of Divination, and all the Maximes of Judiciary Astrology. P. de Alliaco, a Cardinal, and Bishop of Cambray, hath written of the same Subject : as also hath Junctinus, a Priest of Florence, and a D of Divinity. And since we are fallen upon the Italians, have not Aurelius Augurellus, and Pantheus, both Priests, the one a Venetian, the other a Tarvisian, delivered the Fooleries of the Philosophers Stone, the one in his Chrysopæa, and the other in his Voarchadumia ? Marsilius Ficinus also, a Priest, how full of Superstition are his writings : yea what Superstition is there in the World, that he hath not published to open View ? Antonius Bernardus Mirandulanus, Bishop of Caserte, hath, after his example, maintained a world of things, cleane contrary to our Religion, in his book, De singulari certamine. The Cardinall Cajetan de Vio hath done the very same : and Giovanno Ingegneri, Bishp of Cabo d’Istria, hath newly busied himself in maintaining the Grounds of Physiognomy. And before all these, Synesius, a Christian Bishop, wrote a book of the Interpretation of Dreames, commented on afterwards by Nicephorus Gregoras, a Bishop also, or Patriach, of Constantinople. I omit the Superstitions of Joachimus Abbas ; and of Savanarolla, a Dominican Frier ; with Cardinall Bembus his Gli Asolani ; Æneas Sylvius (who was afterward Pope Pius Ⅱ.) his Lucrece ; the book so full of all Lewdnesse of Poggius the Florentine, who was Secretary to the Pope. Neither will I mention the Macaronick History, put forth under the name of Merlin Coccai, but written by Theophilus Folengius, a Benedictine Frier ; not an infinite number of other books, written by Church-men, with which, Kind Reader, if thou compare this of mine, thou wilt find, if any blame me, they do it wrongfully.