Several Tracts Pertaining to the Archidoxa

self-willed thoughts, that is, out of the labor of the mind with which a person goes about the day and with which his heart and mind are full. Just as to gamblers, one dreams much of gambling, of dice, and cards, sometimes how they win or lose much money; thus also to soldiers of war matters, munitions, cannons, powder, armor, and all kinds of weapons, and how they often retain or lose the victory. Likewise also to the drunkards, of good wine and how they often drink deep glasses full, and otherwise of all kinds of gluttony.

Likewise, the robber dreams of robbery, and how they often help to perform a highwayman's service; thus the murderer of murder, the lecher of lechery and whoredom. That is all their night-spirit, which plays with them and drives and incites them further in such lusts of theirs, and ignites such a thing in the mind to such an extent, and makes such a fire, that it can hardly be extinguished, as one sees especially in lechers and lecherous women. In this, many Nigromantische necromantic lechers have exerted themselves, namely, how they might obtain an experiment whereby they could anticipate and appear in the dreams and sleep of their paramour, so that they might thereafter have a more ardent love for them. Many have made characters and words, sometimes written their names with their own blood upon virgin parchment or the like, and placed it under the bed or bolster. Others have taken their belts, laces, garters, and the like, and made knots on them, and also placed them under the bed or bolster. Thus the maids have also done to the fellows, with their belts, breeches-straps, ribbons, veils, etc., and started much of the like, but have never obtained or found anything true that was always certain to succeed for them. They have also forgotten faith in this. Thus also to all artists in dreams and sleep, many teachings of the arts have appeared and been opened, who have been inflamed toward the arts at all times with burning minds. There, their imagination has accomplished wonders above all wonders, and drawn to itself in sleep the Euestrum a Paracelsian term for the astral body or spirit-image of every philosopher, who has then taught them such arts of his, which still happens to many, but the greater part