An essay for the recording of illustrious providences

There are some who if a Cat accidentally come into the Room, though they neither see it, nor are told of it, will presently be in a Sweat and ready to die away. There was lately one living in Stow Market, that when ever it Thundered would fall into a violent Vomiting, and so continue until the Thunder-storm was over. A Woman had such an An•••athy against Cheese that if she did but eat a piece of Bread, cut with a Knife, which a little before had cut Cheese, it would cause a Deliquium, yet the same Woman when she was with Child delighted in no meat so much as in Cheese. There was lately (I know not but that he ⟨p. 102⟩may be living still) a Man that if Pork, or any thing made of Swines flesh were brought into the room, he would fall into a convu•• sive Sardonian Laughter; nor can he for h•• heart leave as long as that object is before him, so that if it should not be removed, he would certainly laugh himself to death. It is evident that the peculiar Antipathies of some persons are caused by the imaginations of their Parents. There was one that would fall into a Syncope if either a Calves-head or a Cabbage were brought near him. There were noevi materni upon the Hypochondria of this person, on his right side there was the form of a Calves head, on his left side a Cabbage imprinted there by the Imagination of his Longing Mother. Most Wonderful is that which L•bavius and others report, concerning a Man that would be surprised with a Lipothymy at the sight of his own Son; nay, upon his approaching near unto him, though he saw him not, for which some assigned this reason, that the Mother when she was with Child, used to feed upon such Meats as were abominable to the Father (concerning the rationality of this con••ture see S•. Kenelm Digby's discourse of Bodies, P. 409, 410.) but others said that the Midwife who brought him into the World was a ⟨p. 103⟩Witch. No• are the Sympathies in Nature less Wonderful than the Antipathies. There is a mutual Friendship between the Olive tree and the Myrtle. There is a certain Stone called Pantarbe which draws Gold unto it. So does the Adamas hairs and twigs. The Sympathy between the Load-stone and Iron, which do mutually attract each other, is admirable. There is no Philosopher but speaketh of this. Some have published whole Treatises (both profitable and pleasant) upon this Argument;