John Dee on Thaumturgy

Thaumaturgike,
is that Art Mathematicall, which giueth certaine order to make straunge
workes, of the sense to be perceiued, and of men greatly to be wondred
at. By sundry meanes, this Wonder-worke is wrought. Some,
by Pneumatithmie. As the workes of Ctesibius and
Hero, 

Some by waight. wherof Timæus speaketh. Some, by Stringes
strayned, or Springs, therwith Imitating liuely Motions. Some, by other
meanes, as the Images of Mercurie: and the brasen hed, made by
Albertus Magnus, which dyd seme to speake. Boethius was
excellent in these feates. To whom, Cassiodorus writyng, sayth.
Your purpose is to know profound thynges: and
to shew meruayles. By the disposition of your Arte, Metals do low:
Diomedes of brasse, doth blow a Trumpet loude: a brasen Serpent
hisseth: byrdes made, sing swetely. Small thynges we rehearse of you,
who can Imitate the heauen. &c. Of the straunge
Selfmouyng, which, at Saint Denys, by Paris, I saw, ones or twise (Orontius beyng then with me, in Company)
it were to straunge to tell. But some haue written it. And yet,
(I hope) it is there, of other to be sene. And by
Perspectiue also straunge thinges, are done. As partly (before)
I gaue you to vnderstand in Perspectiue. As, to see in the
Ayre, a loft, the lyuely Image of an other man, either walkyng to
and fro: or standyng still. Likewise, to come into an house, and there
to see the liuely shew of Gold, Siluer or precious stones: and commyng
to take them in your hand, to finde nought but Ayre. Hereby, haue some
men (in all other matters counted wise) fouly ouershot thẽ selues:
misdeaming of the meanes. Therfore sayd Claudius Cælestinus.
Hodie magnæ literaturæ viros & magna reputationis videmus, opera
quedam quasi miranda, supra Naturã putare: de quibus in Perspectiua
doctus causam faciliter reddidisset. That is. Now a dayes, we see some men, yea of great learnyng and
reputation, to Iudge certain workes as meruaylous, aboue the power of
Nature: Of which workes, one that were skillfull in Perspectiue might
easely haue giuen the Cause. Of Archimedes Sphære,
Cicero witnesseth.

Which is very straunge to thinke on. For when
Archimedes (sayth he) did fasten in
a Sphære, the mouynges of the Sonne, Mone, and of the fiue other
Planets, he did, as the God, which (in Timæus of Plato) did make the
world. That, one turnyng, should rule motions most vnlike in slownes,
and swiftnes. But a greater cause of meruayling we haue by
Claudianus report hereof. Who affirmeth this Archimedes
worke, to haue ben of Glasse. And discourseth of it more at large:
which I omit. The Doue of wood, which the Mathematicien Archytas
did make to flye, is by Agellius spoken of. Of Dædalus
straunge Images, Plato reporteth. Homere of Vulcans
Selfmouers, (by secret wheles) leaueth in writyng. Aristotle,
in hys Politikes, of both, maketh mention. Meruaylous was the
workemanshyp, of late dayes, performed by good skill of Trochilike.
&c. For in Noremberge, A flye of Iern, beyng let out of the
Artificers hand, did (as it were) fly about by the gestes, at the table,
and at length, as though it were weary, retourne to his masters hand
agayne. Moreouer, an Artificiall Egle, was ordred, to fly out of the
same Towne, a mighty way, and that a loft in the Ayre, toward the
Emperour comming thether: and followed hym, beyng come to the gate of
the towne. Thus, you see, what, Arte Mathematicall can performe, when Skill, will,
Industry, and Hability, are duely applyed to profe.

And for these, and such like marueilous Actes and Feates, Naturally,
Mathematically, and Mechanically, wrought and contriued:

ought any honest Student, and Modest Christian Philosopher, be counted,
& called a Coniurer? Shall the folly
of Idiotes, and the Mallice of the Scornfull, so much preuaile, that He,
who seeketh no worldly gaine or glory at their handes: But onely, of
God, the threasor of heauenly wisedome, & knowledge of pure veritie:
Shall he (I say) in the meane
space, be robbed and spoiled of his honest name and fame? He that seketh
(by S. Paules aduertisement) in the Creatures Properties, and
wonderfull vertues, to finde iuste cause, to glorifie the Æternall, and
Almightie Creator by: Shall that man, be (in hugger mugger) condemned,
as a Companion of the Helhoundes, and a Caller, and Coniurer of wicked
and damned Spirites? He that bewaileth his great want of time,
sufficient (to his contentation) for learning of Godly wisdome, and
Godly Verities in: and onely therin setteth all his delight: Will that
mã leese and abuse his time, in dealing with the Chiefe enemie of Christ
our Redemer: the deadly foe of all mankinde: the subtile and impudent
peruerter of Godly Veritie: the Hypocriticall Crocodile: the Enuious
Basiliske, continually desirous, in the twinke of an eye, to destroy all
Mankinde, both in Body and Soule, æternally? Surely (for my part,
somewhat to say herein) I haue not learned to make so brutish, and
so wicked a Bargaine. Should I, for my xx. or xxv. yeares Studie:
for two or three thousand Markes spending: seuen or eight thousand Miles
going and trauailing, onely for good learninges sake: And that, in all
maner of wethers: in all maner of waies and passages: both early and
late: in daunger of violence by man: in daunger of destruction by wilde
beastes: in hunger: in thirst: in perilous heates by day, with toyle on
foote: in daungerous dampes of colde, by night, almost bereuing life:
(as God knoweth): with lodginges, oft times, to small ease: and somtime
to lesse securitie. And for much more (then all this) done &
suffred, for Learning and attaining of Wisedome: Should I (I pray
you) for all this, no otherwise, nor more warily: or (by Gods
mercifulnes) no more luckily, haue fished, with so large, and costly,
a Nette, so long time in drawing (and that with the helpe and
aduise of Lady Philosophie, & Queene Theologie): but at length, to
haue catched, and drawen vp, a Frog? Nay, a Deuill? For, so, doth the Common peuish Pratler
Imagine and Iangle: And, so, doth the Malicious skorner, secretly wishe,
& brauely and boldly face down, behinde my backe. Ah, what a
miserable thing, is this kinde of Men? How great is the blindnes &
boldnes, of the Multitude, in thinges aboue their Capacitie? What a
Land: what a People: what Maners: what Times are these? Are they become
Deuils, them selues: and, by false witnesse bearing against their
Neighbour, would they also, become Murderers? Doth God, so long geue
them respite, to reclaime them selues in, from this horrible slaundering
of the giltlesse: contrary to their owne Consciences: and yet will they
not cease? Doth the Innocent, forbeare the calling of them, Iuridically
to aunswere him, according to the rigour of the Lawes: and will they
despise his Charitable pacience? As they, against him, by name, do
forge, fable, rage, and raise slaunder, by Worde & Print: Will they
prouoke him, by worde and Print, likewise, to Note their Names to the
World: with their particular deuises, fables, beastly Imaginations, and
vnchristen-like slaunders? Well: Well. O (you such) my vnkinde
Countrey men. O vnnaturall Countrey men. O vnthankfull
Countrey men. O Brainsicke, Rashe, Spitefull, and Disdainfull
Countrey men. Why oppresse you me, thus violently, with your slaundering
of me: Contrary to Veritie: and contrary to your owne Consciences?
And I, to this hower, neither by worde, deede, or thought, haue
bene, any way, hurtfull, damageable, or iniurious to you, or yours?
Haue I, so long, so dearly, so farre, so carefully, so painfully,
so daungerously sought & trauailed for the learning of Wisedome,
& atteyning of Vertue: And in the end (in your iudgemẽt) am I
become, worse, then when I begã? Worse, thẽ a Mad man? A dangerous
Member in the Common Wealth: and no Member of the Church of Christ? Call
you this, to be Learned? Call you this, to be a Philosopher? and a louer
of Wisedome? To forsake the straight heauenly way: and to wallow in the
broad way of damnation? To forsake the light of heauenly Wisedome: and to lurke in
the dungeon of the Prince of darkenesse? To forsake the Veritie of God,
& his Creatures: and to fawne vpon the Impudent, Craftie, Obstinate
Lier, and continuall disgracer of Gods Veritie, to the vttermost of his
power? To forsake the Life & Blisse Æternall: and to cleaue vnto the
Author of Death euerlasting? that Murderous Tyrant, most gredily
awaiting the Pray of Mans Soule? Well: I thanke God and our Lorde
Iesus Christ, for the Comfort which I haue by the Examples of other men,
before my time: To whom, neither in godlines of life, nor in perfection
of learning, I am worthy to be compared: and yet, they sustained
the very like Iniuries, that I do: or rather, greater. Pacient
Socrates, his Apologie will testifie: Apuleius his
Apologies, will declare the Brutishnesse of the Multitude.
Ioannes Picus, Earle of Mirandula, his Apologie will teach
you, of the Raging slaunder of the Malicious Ignorant against him.
Ioannes Trithemius, his Apologie will specifie, how he had
occasion to make publike Protestation: as well by reason of the Rude
Simple: as also, in respect of such, as were counted to be of the wisest
sort of men. “Many could I recite: But
I deferre the precise and determined handling of this matter: being loth
to detect the Folly & Mallice of my Natiue Countrey men. Who, so hardly, can disgest or like any extraordinary course of
Philosophicall Studies: not falling within the Cumpasse of their
Capacitie: or where they are not made priuie of the true and secrete
cause, of such wonderfull Philosophicall Feates.” These men, are of fower sortes, chiefly. The first,
I may name, Vaine pratling busie bodies: The second, Fond
Frendes: The third, Imperfectly zelous: and the fourth,
Malicious Ignorant. To eche of these (briefly, and in charitie)
I will say a word or two, and so returne to my Præface.

Vaine pratling busie bodies, vse your idle assemblies, and
conferences, otherwise, then in talke of matter, either aboue your
Capacities, for hardnesse: or contrary to your Consciences, in Veritie.

Fonde Frendes, leaue of, so to commend your vnacquainted frend,
vpon blinde affection: As, because he knoweth more, then the common
Student: that, therfore, he must needes be skilfull, and a doer, in such
matter and maner, as you terme Coniuring. Weening, thereby, you
aduaunce his fame: and that you make other men, great marueilers of your
hap, to haue such a learned frend. Cease to ascribe Impietie, where you
pretend Amitie. For, if your tounges were true, then were that your
frend, Vntrue, both to God, and his Soueraigne. Such
Frendes and Fondlinges, I shake of, and renounce you:
Shake you of, your Folly.

Imperfectly zelous, to you, do I say: that (perhaps) well, do you
Meane: But farre you misse the Marke: If a Lambe you will kill, to feede
the flocke with his bloud. Sheepe, with Lambes bloud, haue no naturall
sustenaunce: No more, is Christes flocke, with horrible slaunders, duely
ædified. Nor your faire pretense, by such rashe ragged Rhetorike, any
whit, well graced. But such, as so vse me, will finde a fowle Cracke in
their Credite. Speake that you know: And know, as you ought: Know not,
by Heare say, when life lieth in daunger. Search to the quicke, &
let Charitie be your guide.

Malicious Ignorant, what shall I say to thee? Prohibe linguam
tuam a malo. A detractione parcite linguæ. Cause thy toung to refraine frõ euill. Refraine your toung from
slaunder. Though your tounges be sharpned, Serpent like,
& Adders poyson lye in your lippes:
yet take heede, and thinke, betimes, with your selfe, Vir linguosus
non stabilietur in terra. Virum violentum venabitur malum, donec
præcipitetur. For, sure I am, Quia faciet Dominus Iudicium
afflicti: & vindictam pauperum.