Chapter XVI, Section 1

CHAPTER XVI. How the Operations of Several Virtues Pass from One Thing Into Another, and Are Communicated One to the Other . Thou must know that so great is the power of natural things that they not only work upon all things that are near them, by their virtue, but also besides this, they infuse into them a like power, through which, by the same virtue, they also work upon other things, as we see in the loadstone, which stone indeed doth not only draw iron rings, but infuseth a virtue into the rings themselves, whereby they can do the same, which Austin and Albertus say they saw. After this manner it is, as they say, that a wanton, grounded in boldness and impudence, is like to infect all that are near her, by this property, whereby they are made like herself. So Paul saith to the Corinthians, Evil communications doth corrupt good manners. Therefore they say if any one shall put on the inward garment of a wanton, or shall have about him that looking-glass which she daily looks into, he shall thereby become bold, confident, impudent and wanton. In like manner, they say, that a cloth that was about a corpse hath received from thence the property of sadness and melancholy; and that the halter wherewith a man was hanged hath certain wonderful properties. The like story tells Pliny: If any shall put a green lizard, made blind, together with iron or gold rings, into a glass vessel, putting under them some earth, and then shutting the vessel, and when it appears that the lizard hath received his sight, shall put him out of the glass, that those rings shall help sore eyes. The same may be done with rings and a weasel, whose eyes after they are, with any kind of prick, put out, it is certain are restored to sight again. Upon the same account rings are put for a certain time in the nest of sparrows or swallows, which afterwards are used to procure love and favor.