Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/42

be in the Aire, by reaſon of which, together with the aptneſs and diſpoſition of him that receives them, they may be carryed to the ſence of one, rather then of another. And hence it is poſsible naturally, and far from all manner of ſuperſtition, no other ſpirit coming between, that a man ſhould be able in a very time to ſignifie his mind unto another man, abiding at a very long and unknown diſtance from him; although he cannot preciſely give an eſtimate of the time when it is, yet of neceſsity it muſt be within 24. hours; and I my ſelf know how to do it, and have often done it. The ſame alſo in time paſt did the Abbot Tritenius both know and do. Alſo, when certain appearances, not only ſpirituall, but alſo naturall do flow forth from things, that is to ſay, by a certain kind of flowings forth of bodies from bodies, and do gather ſtrength in the Air, they offer, and ſhew themſelves to us as well through light as motion, as well to the ſight as to other ſenſes, and ſometimes work wonderfull things upon us, as Plotinus proves and teacheth. And we ſee how by the South wind the Air is condenſed into thin clouds, in which, as in a Looking-glaſs are reflected repreſentations at a great diſtance of Caſtles, Mountains, Horſes, and Men, and other things, which when the clouds are gone, preſently vaniſh. And Ariſtotle in his Meteors ſhews, that a Rainbow is conceived in a cloud of the Aire, as in a Looking-glaſs. And Albertus ſaith, that the effigies of bodies may by the ſtrength of nature, in a moiſt Aire be eaſily repreſented, in the ſame manner as the repreſentations of things are in things. And Ariſtotle tels of a man, to whom it happened by reaſon of the weakneſs of his ſight, that the Aire that was near to him, became as it were a Looking-glaſs to him, and the optick beam did relect back upon himſelf, and could not penetrate the Aire, ſo that whitherſoever he went, he thought he ſaw his own image, with his face towards him, go before him. In like manner, by the artificialnes of ſome certain Looking-glaſſes, may be produced at a diſtance in the Aire, beſide the Looking-glaſſes, what images we pleaſe; which when ignorant men ſee, they think they ſee the appearances of ſpirits, or ſouls; when indeed they are nothing elſe but ſemblanceſ