THE counterfeit Aegyptians, which were indeed1 cousening vagabonds, practising the art called Sortilegium, had no small credit among the multitude: howbeit, their divinations were as was their fast and loose, and as the witches cures and hurtes, & as the soothsaiers answers, and as the conjurors raisings up of spirits, and as Apollos or the Rood of graces oracles, and as the jugglers knacks of legierdemaine, and as the papists exorcismes, and as the witches charmes, and as the counterfeit visions, and as the couseners knaveries. Hereupon it was said; Non inveniatur p. 198 inter vos menahas, that is Sortilegus, which were like to these Aegyptian couseners. As for other lots, they were used, and that lawfullie; as appeareth by Jonas and others that were holie men, and as may be seene among all commonwelths, for the deciding of diverse controversies, &c: wherein thy neighbour is not misused, nor God anie waie offended. But in truth I thinke, bicause of the cousenage that so easilie may be used herein, God forbad it in the commonwealth of the Jewes, though in the good use thereof it was allowed in matters of great weight;2 as appeareth both in the old and new testament; and that as well in doubtfull cases and distributions, as in elections and inheritances, and pacification of variances. I omit to speake anie thing of the lots comprised in verses, concerning the lucke ensuing, either of Virgil, Homer, or anie other, wherein fortune is gathered by the sudden turning unto them: bicause it is a childish and ridiculous toie, and like unto childrens plaie at Primus secundus, or the game called The philosophers table: but herein I will referre you to the bable it selfe, or else to Bodin, or to some such sober writer thereupon; of whome there is no want.
There is a lot also called Pythagoras3 lot, which (some saie) Aristotle beleeved: and that is, where the characters of letters have certeine proper numbers; whereby they divine (through the proper names of men) so as the numbers of each letters being gathered in a summe, and put togither, give victorie to them whose summe is the greater; whether the question be of warre, life, matrimonie, victorie, &c: even as the unequall number of vowels in proper names portendeth lacke of sight, halting, &c: which the godfathers and godmothers might easilie prevent, if the case stood so.
- 3 Of Pythagoras lot. p. 198