by his bedside. No one knew where to look for him, although one of the forementioned ladders had been removed and placed as though a person had wished to climb into the tower by its means. But this supposition was abandoned as the ladder was six ells to short. Whilst every one was considering for what purpose this great ladder could have been placed against the ruined tower, they observed that the door was open, and upon entering, and ascending the stairs, they found the goldsmith's apprentice fast asleep upon a heap of rubbish, considerably above the hole which has been alluded to; so fast, indeed, that it was with difficulty they could awake him. Now, when he awoke, he was not in the least aware where he was, nor how he had come thither: but everybody especially wondered how a slight lad could convey so large a ladder to the tower, which the strongest labourer could not effect by himself; and, further, how he had been able to climb from the ladder to the hole, seeing that the former was some ells to short to reach it, consequently, it was a matter of doubt whether he had effected it by natural means. The above-mentioned author writes-"A curious circumstance occured to me, which many will remember, how, about two-and-thirty years ago, a certain student at Armstadt got exceedingly drunk, and in this state proceeded to his hotel, took his landlord's sword in his hand, then ran out of the house, and, with many curses and imprecations, challenged his host to come forth. Upon the neighbours and citizens collecting together for the purpose of quelling this disturbance, the fuddled student rushed back into the house, ran up to the garret, clambered dexterously through an attic window on to the roof, up to the very ridge, where he danced away as if he had been on terra firma, and hurled the tiles at those who wished to seize him, until by fair words he was at last persuaded to descend from his perilous position. The citizens placed him in confinement, in the watch-house, and, as he was exceedingly riotous, he came in for his share of blows: notwithstanding that his priests and tutors plied him with good admonition, it was all thrown away, until he had slept off the fumes of intoxication. He was then totally ignorant of what he had done; and when, at a subsequent period, he must needs go perfectly sober on to the roof, and skip after the fashion of his drunken moments, he was within an ace of losing his life." "Now," says our author, "although this is not a case of somnambulism, yet it originates the question, how this drunken man could be preserved in his dangerous situation?" If now it should be required how it is that somnambulists can control their movements, we reply that the spiritus animales, or animal spirits and muscles, put the half-sleeping body in motion, and carry it along with them, working on it by phantasies and images, which are shadowed forth in dreams. Many various causes, also, contribute thereto, as the moon, unwholesomne vapors, drunkenness, inordinate indulgence in food or liquor, as also melancholy, and a disturbed state of the brain, as Vossius writes excellently in his 25th chap. De Idol. Semnius, in his 2nd book, chap. 5, de Occult nat. Mirac. is of opinion that the reason why people walking in their sleep do not fall is, that their bodies become filled with wind and air from the unnatural heat of their spirits which makes them lighter; and that their security is effected, as Vossius and Sennertus also hold, by the determination of the animal spirits to their limbs, so that they can lay hold of anything; and, therefore, when these somnambulists awake and see their danger, and the animal spirits flow back from the muscles and tendons to the heart, the body sinks and falls down. Felix Maurus, in his Great Wonders of the World part 1. page 72, and seq., has treated more at large upon this subject. CHAPTER XII. "By my prescience I find my zenith doth depend upon A most auspicious star; whose influence, TEMP., Act i., Scene 1. OF HOROSCOPES. No one will deny that the knowledge of the stars is a very profitable and excellent science, from which men can discover a variety of things, provided it is not pushed to superstitious usages. It is a piece of great rashness to suppose that the horoscope, or the star presiding over a man's birth, can know and prophesy to him what good fortune, or ill luck, what diseases, what sort of marriage, and the like, will be his portion. Also, what shall be a man's vocation and profession, whom he or she shall have for a wife or husband, and what will befall him to-morrow; whether he shall be pious or wicked, rich or poor, in good health or sickly, honorable or despised, beloved or hated, fortunate or unfortunate whether he shall die in his bed or in battle, be killed by thieves, drowned or burned, and whether he shall die a peaceable or violent death, &c., &c. See Hildebrand in his book of Arts and Wonders, part 3. L. Dunte, Decis. cas. Consc., chap. 3, qust. 3, lays down that, according to his views, the heavens are divided into twelve houses, in which the planets are placed. The first house points out the degree of health to be enjoyed (according as this or that planet shines in it, and is, in their phraseology, the lord of the ascendant); the second refers to riches; the third house relates to marriage, and whether we shall live in harmony with the brothers-in-law; the fourth to personal estates; the fifth to children, whether they shall be numerous or few, boys or girls; the sixth to housekeeping, what description of men or maid servants we shall have; the seventh |