_A confutation of augurie, Plato his reverend opinion thereof, of contrarie events, and false predictions._
But what credit is to be attributed to such toies and chances, which grow not of nature, but are gathered by the superstition of the interpretors? As for birds, who is so ignorant that conceiveth not, that one flieth one waie, another another waie, about their privat necessities? And yet are the other divinations more vaine and foolish. Howbeit, _Plato_ thinketh a commonwealth cannot stand without this art, and numbereth it among the liberall sciences. These fellowes promised _Pompeie_, _Cassius_, and _Cæsar_, that none of them should die before they were old, and that in their owne houses, and in great honor; and yet they all died cleane contrarilie. Howbeit doubtles, the heathen in this point were not so much to be blamed, as the sacrificing papists: for they were directed hereunto without the knowledge of Gods promises; neither knew they the end why such ceremonies and sacrifices were instituted; but onelie understood by an uncerteine and slender report, that God was woont to send good or ill successe to the children of Israell, and to the old patriarchs and fathers, upon his acceptance or disallowance of their sacrifices and oblations. But men in all ages have beene so desirous to know the effect of their purposes, the sequele of things to come, and to see the end of their feare and hope; that a seelie witch, which had learned anie thing in the art of cousenage, may make a great manie jollie fooles.
♦_Plato in Phædro, in Timeo, in lib. de Republ._♦
♦Wherein the papists are more blame worthie than the heathen.♦
_The cousening art of sortilege or lotarie, practised especiallie by Aegyptian vagabonds, of allowed lots, of Pythagoras his lot, &c._
The counterfeit _Aegyptians_, which were indeed 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 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; 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.