120. Although indeed we can say this with ground
of truth, that the constellation imageth and formeth
no man, as to [make him to be] the similitude and
image of God ; but [it formeth only] a beast in
the will, manners, and senses ; and besides that, it
hath no might nor understanding, to be able to
figure [or form] a similitude of God : Though
indeed it elevateth itself in the highest [it can], in
the will after the similitude of God, yet it generCh. 16] THREEFOLD SPIRIT AND WILL 353
ateth only a pleasant, subtle, arid lusty beast in
man (as also in other creatures) and no more.
Only the eternal essences, which are propagated
from Adam in all men, they continue with the
hidden element (wherein the image consisteth) standing in man, but yet altogether hidden, unless the
new birth in the water, and the Holy Ghost [or
spirit] of God [be attained].
221. And thereupon it comes, that man many
times in the dwelling of the brains, and of the
heart, as also in all the five senses, in the region [or
dominion] of the stars, is in his mind l often like 1or suddenly.
a wolf, a churlish dog, crafty, fierce, and greedy ;
and l often like a lion, stern, cruel, sturdy and
active in devouring of his prey ; l often like a
dog, snappish, envious, malicious ; often like an
adder and serpent, subtle, venomous, stinging,
poisonous, slanderous in his words, and mischievous
in his deeds, ill-conditioned and lying, like the
quality of the devil in the shape of a serpent at
the Tree of Temptation ; l often like a hare, timorous,
or fearful, starting and running away ; 1 often like
a toad, whose mind is so very venomous, that it
poisoneth a tender [or weak] mind to the temporal
death by its imagination, (which many times
maketh witches and sorcerers, for the first ground
serveth enough to it) ; l often like a tame beast ;
and 1 often like a merry beast, etc. all according
as the constellation stood, in 2 its incarnation in 2 the child's.
the wrestling wheel, with its virtue of the quinta
23
354 THE THREK PRINCIPLES [Ch. 16
1 in the mind esseutia, so is the starry mind on l its region
» or nativity. %ure(l '> although the hour of man's 2birth altereth
» Or over- much, and doth 3 hold in the first, whereof I will
powereth the , /•,••,! • > -L- j_u
first com- write hereafter in its place, concerning man s birth
3plexion of the r , • • i
hour of the |_or nativity J.
wbSS'g 22. And now if the glance out of this mind, out
of this or any other form not here mentioned,
glanceth [or darteth] through the eyes, then it
catch eth up its own form out of everything, as its
starry kingdom is most potent at all times of the
heaven, in the good or in the bad, in falsehood or in
truth. And this is brought before the king, and
there must the five counsellors try it, which yet
4 Or poisoned, are unrighteous knaves themselves, being 4 infected
from the stars and elements, and so set in their
region [or dominion]. And now those [counsellors]
desire nothing more than the kingdom of this
world ; and to which sort the starry house of the
brains and of the heart is most of all inclined,
for that the five counsellors also give their advice,
and will have it, be it for pomp, pride, stateliness,
riches, beauty, or voluptuous life, also for art and
8 Or virtue. 6 excellency of earthly things, 6 and for poor Lazarus
soil is notck there is no thought ; there the five counsellors are
very soon agreed, for in their own form they are
all unrighteous before God ; but according to the
region of this world they are very firm. Thus
they counsel the king, and the king giveth it to
the spirit of the soul, which gathereth up the
essences, and falleth to with hands and mouth.
Ch. 16] THREEFOLD SPIRIT AND WILL 355
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.