Latin — 1533, repaired
[E] converso se habent inimicitiarum inclinationes: sunt autem sicut odium naturae inclinationes eiusmodi, et tanquam ira, indignatio et contrarietas quaedam imperiosa, ut res fugiat suum contrarium, aut propellat tanquam fugientia a facie eius. Eiusmodi inclinationes habet rhabarbarum in choleram, theriaca in venenum, sapphirus in anthracem, et ardores febriles, et aegritudines oculorum, amethystus in ebrietatem: iaspis in fluxum sanguinis, et noxia phantasmata: smaragdus, et agnus castus in libidinem: achates in venena: paeonia in morbum caducum: corallus in atrae bilis illusiones, et dolores stomachi: topazius in ardores spirituales, ut sunt avaritiae, luxuriae et omnes excessus amoris.
Similis est inclinatio formicarum ad origanum herbam, et ad alam vespertilionis, et ad cor upupae, a quorum praesentia fugiunt: estque etiam origanum solifugis contrarium, et salamandris resistit: et cum brassica tam pertinaci odio dissentit, ut alternatim se se conficiant; sic oleum oderunt cucumeres, ut in hamum se se curvent, ne attingant: et dicitur quod fel corvi fugat et deterret homines, et loco ubi absconditum fuerit, cum quibusdam aliis rebus: sic adamas dissidet cum magnete, ut iuxta positus non sinat ferrum abstrahi: et apium raninum fugiunt oves tanquam mortiferum: et quod mirabilius est, signum huius mortis natura pinxit in hepatibus ovium, in quibus figura apii ranini descripta naturaliter apparet: similiter caprae sic odiunt ocimum, ut nihil sibi ducant pestilentius.
Rursus inter animalia dissentiunt mures et mustelas: unde caseos, si cerebrum mustelae coagulo addatur, negant a muribus attingi, nec corrumpi praeterea vetustate: sic scorpionibus contrarius est stellio, in tantum, ut visu quoque pavorem eis afferat, et torporem frigidi sudoris: itaque in oleo putrefaciunt, et interficiunt cum eo ictus inungentes scorpionum. Est etiam inimicitia inter scorpiones et mures, quare etiam mus suppositus puncturae scorpionis, curare eam traditur. Inimicantur etiam scorpius et stelliones, aspides et ichneumones. Fertur quoque serpentibus nihil aeque adversari quam cancros, suesque percussas hoc pabulo sibi mederi. Sol etiam cum sit in cancro torqueri serpentes; etiam scorpius et crocodilus se mutuo perimunt: et si quis crocodilum ibidis penna tangat, immobile reddit: otidis avis evolat viso equo, et cervus fugit viso ariete: fugit etiam visa vipera: elephas audito grunnitu suis, et leones viso gallo timent: et pantherae non attingunt perunctos iure gallinarum, praecipue si allium ei fuerit incoctum.
Est etiam inimicitia inter vulpes, cygnos, tauros et cornices. Inter aves quoque perpetuum bellum gerunt cornices et noctuae, milvius et corvus, ficedulae et turtures, bubo et pagrus, glorius et turtur, aegypius et aquila, ceriphi et dracones. Inter aquatilia etiam inimici sunt, delphines et balenae, mustela et lupus, muraena et congrus. Item polypum in tantum locusta pavet, ut si iuxta videat, omnino moriatur. Locustam congri, rursus polypum congri lacerant: pantheris quoque esse in metu hyaenam dicitur, ut ne conetur quidem resistere, et aliquid de corio eius attingere: et si pelles utriusque contrarie suspendantur, ferunt decidere pilos pantherae. Dicitque Orus Apollo in hieroglyphicis, si quis hyaenae pelle succinctus medios se ferat in hostes, a nullo laeditur, et intrepide praeterit.
Similiter habet agnus inimicitias et noxietatem lupi contra se, et horret et fugit ipsum, atque timet. Et dicunt quod si suspendatur cauda, vel pellis, vel caput lupi supra praesepe, tristantur oves, nec comedunt aliquid prae nimio timore. Et refert Plinius, quod aesalon parva avis ova corvi frangit, cuius pulli infestantur a vulpibus, invicem haec catulos ipsius, ipsamque vellit: quod si viderint, corvi contra auxiliantur, velut adversus communem hostem. Acanthis avicula in spinis vivens, iccirco asinos odit, flores spinae devorantes. Egithus vero avis minima in tantum cum asino dissentire fertur, ut sanguinem eorum constet non coire, quo etiam rudente egitho, ova et pulli pereunt. Oliva quoque cum meretrice in tantum dissentire fertur, quod si ab eadem plantata fuerit, vel infructuosa perpetuo manere, vel omnino arescere dicitur.
Nihil magis timet leo, quam faces ardentes, neque ulla alia re atque his domari creditur: et lupus neque ferrum timet, neque hastam, sed lapidem, cuius proiectu vulnere facto, gignuntur lupo vermes: reformidat camelum equus, adeo ut nec quidem speciem eius intueri, nec sentire sustineat. Elephas surdus viso ariete mitescit: coluber nudum hominem timet, quem vestitis persequitur: taurus ferociens, si ficui alligetur, conflaccescit impetus eius. Electrum omnia trahit praeter ocimum et quae oleo perlita sunt, cum quibus naturali quadam antipathia dissidet.
Quomodo investigandae et experiundae sunt rerum virtutes, quae illis a tota specie insunt, aut particulari ipsius individui dono alicui rei subagnatae.
Close translation
The inclinations of enmity work oppositely: they are inclinations of a kind of hatred of nature, and are, as it were, anger, indignation, and a certain commanding contrariety, such that a thing flees its contrary, or drives it off as though fleeing from its presence. Such inclinations are had by rhubarb against bile, theriac against poison, sapphire against carbuncle-inflammations and feverish heats and eye-troubles, amethyst against drunkenness; jasper against bleeding and harmful apparitions; emerald and chaste-tree against lust; agate against poisons; peony against the falling sickness; coral against the illusions of black bile and stomach pains; topaz against spiritual burnings, such as avarice, luxury, and all the excesses of love.
A similar inclination is that of ants against the herb marjoram, and against a bat's wing, and against a hoopoe's heart, from whose presence they flee; and marjoram is likewise opposed to sun-spiders, and resists salamanders; and it disagrees with cabbage in so persistent a hatred that they wear each other out in turn; so cucumbers hate oil so much that they curve themselves into a hook so as not to touch it; and it is said that a raven's gall drives off and deters men, in whatever place it has been hidden along with certain other things: so the diamond disagrees with the lodestone, such that placed nearby it does not allow iron to be drawn away; and sheep flee frog-parsley as though deadly — and, more marvelous still, nature has painted a sign of this deadliness in the livers of sheep, in which the shape of frog-parsley naturally appears drawn; likewise goats so hate basil that they consider nothing more pestilential to themselves.
Again, among animals, mice and weasels disagree: hence they say that if weasel's brain is added to rennet, cheeses are not touched by mice, nor further corrupted by age. So the newt is so opposed to scorpions that its very sight brings them terror and a numbness of cold sweat; and so they are putrefied in oil, and one kills scorpion-stings by anointing them with it. There is also enmity between scorpions and mice, wherefore a mouse laid upon a scorpion's sting is said to cure it. Scorpions and newts are likewise enemies, as are asps and ichneumons. It is said too that nothing is so opposed to serpents as crabs, and that swine, when bitten, heal themselves with this food. Also, when the sun is in Cancer, serpents are said to be tormented; and the scorpion and the crocodile destroy one another mutually: and if anyone touches a crocodile with an ibis feather, it is rendered motionless: the bustard flies off at the sight of a horse, and the stag flees at the sight of a ram; it flees too at the sight of a viper: the elephant fears the grunting of a pig when heard, and lions fear the sight of a cock: and panthers do not touch things anointed with the fat of hens, especially if garlic has been cooked into it.
There is enmity too between foxes, swans, bulls and crows. Among birds also there is perpetual war between crows and owls, kite and raven, fig-peckers and turtledoves, the horned owl and the sea-bream [sic, as printed], the oriole and the turtledove, the vulture and the eagle, the ceryphus-bird and dragons/serpents. Among water creatures too there are enemies: dolphins and whales, weasel-fish and wolf-fish, moray and conger. Likewise the lobster so dreads the octopus that if it sees one nearby, it dies outright; conversely the octopus tears the lobster, and the conger tears the octopus. It is also said that the hyena is such a terror to panthers that they do not even attempt to resist it, nor to touch anything of its hide; and if the two skins are hung facing one another, the panther's hairs are said to fall out. And Horus Apollo says in his Hieroglyphics that if anyone, girded with a hyena's hide, goes into the midst of his enemies, he is harmed by no one, and passes through unafraid.
Likewise the lamb has enmity toward, and suffers harm from, the wolf, and dreads and flees it, and fears it. And they say that if a wolf's tail, or hide, or head is hung above a sheepfold, the sheep grow sad, and eat nothing at all from excess of fear. And Pliny relates that the little hobby-hawk breaks the raven's eggs, whose young are harassed by foxes, which in turn pluck at the hobby's own young and at the hobby herself; and if the ravens see this, they come to its aid against the fox, as against a common enemy. The little linnet, living among thorns, therefore hates donkeys, which devour the thorn's flowers. But the tiny bird called the egithus is said to be so at odds with the donkey that their blood, it is agreed, will not mix; and when the donkey brays, the egithus's eggs and young perish. The olive too is said to be so at odds with the prostitute that if planted by her hand, it either remains forever fruitless, or dries up altogether.
The lion fears nothing more than burning torches, and is believed to be tamed by nothing else so much as by these: and the wolf fears neither iron nor spear, but a stone — from a wound made by a thrown stone, worms are said to be bred in the wolf. The horse dreads the camel, so much that it cannot bear even to look upon its shape, nor to sense it. A deaf elephant grows tame at the sight of a ram: the snake fears a naked man, but pursues one who is clothed: a fierce bull, if tied to a fig tree, has its fury go slack. Amber draws all things except basil and things smeared with oil, with which it disagrees through a certain natural antipathy.
How the powers of things are to be investigated and tested — those that belong to them by their whole species, or by the particular gift of the individual thing itself, innate to some one thing alone.
Modern rendering
Enmity works the opposite way from friendship: it's a kind of natural hatred, like anger, indignation, or a commanding opposition, so that a thing flees what's contrary to it, or drives it off as if fleeing from its presence. You see this in rhubarb against bile, theriac against poison, sapphire against inflammation and fevers and eye trouble, amethyst against drunkenness, jasper against bleeding and harmful visions, emerald and chaste-tree against lust, agate against poisons, peony against epilepsy, coral against melancholy delusions and stomach pain, and topaz against burning desires like greed, indulgence, and every excess of love.
A similar tendency shows up in ants against marjoram, a bat's wing, and a hoopoe's heart — they flee all three. Marjoram is likewise opposed to sun-spiders and resists salamanders, and it disagrees with cabbage so bitterly that planted together they wear each other down. Cucumbers hate oil so much they're said to curl away from it to avoid touching it. A raven's gall is said to drive people off wherever it's hidden, along with certain other things. The diamond clashes with the lodestone — placed nearby, it stops the lodestone from drawing iron. Sheep flee "frog-parsley" as though it were deadly, and — more remarkable still — nature is said to have marked this danger right onto sheep livers, where the shape of that plant appears naturally drawn. Goats, likewise, hate basil so much they treat it as the worst thing there is.
Among animals, mice and weasels are enemies: if you add weasel brain to rennet, they say, mice won't touch the cheese, and it won't spoil with age either. The newt is so opposed to scorpions that the mere sight of it terrifies them into a cold, numbing sweat — so people rot newts in oil and use it to treat scorpion stings. Scorpions and mice are also enemies, which is why a mouse pressed onto a scorpion sting is said to cure it. Scorpions and newts are likewise enemies, as are asps and mongooses. Nothing, it's said, opposes snakes like crabs do, and pigs bitten by snakes heal themselves by eating crab. When the sun is in Cancer, snakes are said to suffer for it. Scorpions and crocodiles kill each other; touch a crocodile with an ibis feather and it freezes in place. The bustard flies off at the sight of a horse; the stag flees at the sight of a ram, and flees a viper too. An elephant fears a pig's grunt, and lions fear the sight of a rooster. Panthers won't touch anything smeared with hen fat, especially if garlic's been cooked into it.
There's enmity too between foxes, swans, bulls, and crows. Among birds there's a permanent war between crows and owls, kites and ravens, fig-peckers and turtledoves, horned owls and sea-bream, orioles and turtledoves, vultures and eagles, and a bird called the ceryphus and serpents. Among water creatures: dolphins and whales, weasel-fish and wolf-fish, moray eels and conger eels are enemies. The lobster is so afraid of the octopus that just seeing one nearby kills it outright — while the octopus tears apart the lobster, and the conger eel tears apart the octopus. The panther is said to be so terrified of the hyena that it won't even try to fight back or touch its hide, and if the two skins are hung facing each other, the panther's fur is said to fall out. Horus Apollo writes in his Hieroglyphics that a man wearing a hyena hide can walk straight into enemy territory unharmed and unafraid.
The lamb, likewise, is harmed by and afraid of the wolf, and dreads, flees, and fears it. They say that hanging a wolf's tail, hide, or head over a sheepfold makes the sheep miserable, and they won't eat anything, they're so afraid. Pliny records that the little hobby-hawk breaks ravens' eggs, and its own chicks get harassed by foxes, which pluck at both the chicks and the hobby herself — and if ravens see this happening, they come to the hobby's defense against the fox, as against a shared enemy. The linnet, which lives among thorns, hates donkeys because they eat the thorn's flowers. A tiny bird called the egithus is said to be so opposed to the donkey that their blood won't mix, and when a donkey brays, the egithus's eggs and chicks die. The olive tree, too, is said to clash so badly with a prostitute that if she plants one, it either stays permanently barren or dries up completely.
Nothing frightens a lion more than a burning torch, and nothing else is thought to tame it as well. The wolf fears neither iron nor spear, but does fear a thrown stone — a wound from one is said to breed worms in the wolf. The horse dreads the camel so much it can't bear even to look at one, let alone sense its presence. A deaf elephant calms down at the sight of a ram. A snake fears a naked man but chases a clothed one. A raging bull, tied to a fig tree, loses its fury. Amber attracts everything except basil and anything coated in oil, with which it has a natural antipathy.
How to investigate and test the powers that belong to things across their whole species, versus those that are the individual gift of just one particular thing.
Editorial flags — draft status
- list: the full antipathy catalogue (gemstone-vs-ailment list; ant/marjoram/bat-wing/hoopoe-heart; cucumber/oil; raven-gall; diamond/lodestone; mouse/weasel/cheese; newt/scorpion; scorpion/mouse; scorpion/newt; asp/ichneumon; serpent/crab; scorpion/crocodile; ibis-feather/crocodile; bustard/horse; stag/ram-viper; elephant/pig; lion/cock; panther/hen-fat-garlic; fox/swan/bull/crow; the bird-enmity list crow-owl/kite-raven/fig-pecker-turtledove/horned-owl-seabream/oriole-turtledove/vulture-eagle/ceriphus-dragon; the water-creature list dolphin-whale/weasel-fish-wolf-fish/moray-conger; lobster/octopus/conger; panther/hyena; wolf/sheepfold; hobby-hawk/raven/fox; linnet/donkey; egithus/donkey; olive/prostitute; lion/torches; wolf/thrown-stone; horse/camel; deaf-elephant/ram; snake/naked-clothed; bull/fig-tree; amber/basil-oil) is dense and several creature names are of uncertain identity even before OCR damage (ceriphi, egithus, cestris) — every item should be re-keyed against page images rather than guessed at; a wrong pairing here is exactly the worst-case error the spec warns against.
- uncertain: 'ficedulae et turtures... bubo et pagrus' — pairing an owl (bubo) with 'pagrus' (a sea-bream, a fish) as mid-list among otherwise all-bird enmities is suspicious and may reflect OCR corruption of a different bird name; flagged rather than silently corrected.
- uncertain: 'elephas surdus' (deaf elephant) calmed by sight of a ram — 'surdus' (deaf) is retained literally though it reads oddly; possible OCR substitution for another adjective, not emended without source confirmation.