It happens also sometimes, that not only they that are asleep, but also they that are

watchfull do with a kind of instigation of minde, Divine, which Divination Aristotle cals
ravishment, or a kind of madness, and teacheth that it proceeds from a melancholy
humor, saying in his Treatise of divination: Melancholy men, by reason of their
earnestness, do far better conjecture, and quickly conceive a habit, and most easily
receive an impression of the Celestials. And in his Problemes saith, that the Sibyls, and
the Bacchides, and Niceratus the Syracusan, and Amon, were by their naturall
Melancholy complexion Prophets, and Poets. The cause therefore of this madness, if it be
any thing within the body, is a melancholy humor, not that which they call black choller
[choler], which is so obstinate, and terrible a thing, that the violence of it is said by
Physitians [physicians], and Naturall Phylosophers [philosophers], besides madness,
which it doth induce, also to entice evill spirits to seize upon mens bodies. Therefore we
understand a melancholy humor here, to be a naturall, and white choller [choler]. For this,
when it is stirred up, burns, and stirs up a madness conducing to knowledge, and
divination, especially if it be helped by any Celestiall influx, especially of Saturn, who
seeing he is cold, and dry, as is a melancholy humor, hath his influence upon it,
increaseth, and preserveth it. Besides, seeing he is the Author of secret contemplation,
and estranged from all publike [public] affairs, and the highest of all the planets, doth
alwaies as with call his mind from outward businesses, so also makes it ascend higher,
and bestows upon him the knowledge, and passages of future things. And this is
Aristotles meaning in his book of Problemes. By Melancholy, saith he, some men are
made as it were divine, foretelling things to come, and some men are made Poets. He
saith also, that all men that were excellent in any Science, were for the most part
melancholy. Democritus, and Plato attest the same, saying, that there were some
melancholy men, that had such excellent wits, that they were thought, and seemed to be
more divine then humane. So also there have been many melancholy men at first rude,
ignorant, and untractable, as they say Hesiod, Ion, Tynnichus, Calcinenses, Homer, and
Lucretius were, who on a suddain were taken with a madness, and became Poets, and
prophecied wonderfull, and divine things, which they themselves scarce understood.
Whence divine Plato in Ion saith, many Prophets, after the violence of their madness was
abated, do not well understand what they wrote, yet treated acurately [accurately] of each
Art in their madness, as all Artists by reading of them judge. So great also they say the
power of melancholy is of, that by its force, Celestiall spirits also are sometimes drawn
into mens bodies, by whose presence, and instinct, antiquity testifies men have been
made drunk, and spake most wonderful things. And that they think happens under a
threefold [three-fold] difference, according to a threefold apprehension of the soul, viz.
imaginative, rationall, and mentall. They say therefore, when the mind is forced with a
melancholy humor, nothing moderating the power of the body, and passing beyond the
bonds of the members, is wholly carried into imagination, and doth suddenly become a
seat for inferior spirits, by whom it oftentimes receives wonderfull wayes, and forms of
manuall Arts. So we see that any most ignorant man doth presently become an excellent
painter, or contrivers of building, and to become a master in any such Art. But when
these kinds of spirits portend to us future things, they shew those things which belong to
the disturbing of the Elements, and changes of times, as rain, tempests, innundations,
earthquakes, great mortality, famine, slaughter, and the like. As we read in Aulus Gelius,
that Cornelius Patarus his Priest did at the time, when Cesar, and Pompey were to fight
in Thessalia, being taken with a madness, foretell the time, order, and issue of the battell
[battle]. But when the mind is turned wholly into reason, it becomes a receptacle for
midle [middle] spirits. Hence it obtains the knowledge, and understanding of natural, and
humane things. So we see that a man sometimes doth on a suddain become a Philosopher,
Physitian [physician], or an excellent Orator, and foretels [foretells] mutations of
Kingdomes, and restitutions of Ages, and such things as belong to them, as the Sybill
[Sibyl] did to the Romanes; but when the mind is wholly elevated into the understanding,
then it becomes a receptacle of sublime spirits, and learns of them the secrets of divine
things, such as the Law of God, the orders of Angels, and such things as belong to the
knowledge of things eternall, and salvation of souls. It foresees things which are
appointed by Gods speciall predestination, as future prodigies, or miracles, the prophet to
come, and the changing of the law. So the Sybills [Sibyls] Prophecyed of Christ a long
time before his coming. So Virgil understanding that Christ was at hand, and remembring
what the Sybill [Sibyl] Cumaea had said, sang thus to Pollio.
Last times are come, Cumæa's prophesie
Now from high heaven springs a new progenie,
And times great order now again is born,
The Maid returns, Saturnian Realms return.
And a little after intimating that originall sin shall be of no effect, saith,
If any prints of our old vice remain'd
By thee they'r voyd, and fear shall leave the Land;
He a Gods life shall take, with Gods shall see
Mixt Heroes, and himself their object be,
Rule with paternall power th' appeased earth
He shall ----------
Then he