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nature of the persons among whom he was to act, and conducted himself accordingly. The story in Plutarch is
this.
 So soone as Sertorius arriued from Africa, he straight leauied men of warre, and with them subdued the
people of Spaine fronting upon his marches, of which the more part did willingly submit themselves, upon the
bruit that ran of him to be mercifull and courteous, and a valiant man besides in present danger, Furthermore,
he lacked no fine deuises and subtilties to win their goodwils: as among others, the policy, and deuise of the
hind. There was a poore man of the countrey called Spanus, who meeting by chance one day with a hind in his
way that had newly calved, flying from the hunters, he let the damme go, not being able to take her; and
running after her calfe tooke it, which was a young hind, and of a strange haire, for she was all milk-white. It
chanced so, that Sertorius was at that time in those parts. So, this poore man presented Sertorius with his
young hind, which he gladly receiued, and which with time he made so tame, that she would come to him
when he called her, and follow him where-euer he went, being nothing the wilder for the daily sight of such a
number of armed souldiers together as they were, nor yet afraid of the noise and tumult of the campe.
Insomuch as Sertorius by little and little made it a miracle, making the simple barbarous people beleeue that it
was a gift that Diana had sent him, by the which she made him understand of many and sundrie things to
come: knowing well inough of himselfe, that the barbarous people were men easily deceiued, and quickly
caught by any subtill superstition, besides that by art also he brought them to beleeue it as a thing verie true.
For when he had any secret intelligence giuen him, that the enemies would inuade some part of the countries
and prouinces subject vnto him, or that they had taken any of his forts from him by any intelligence or sudden
attempt, he straight told them that his hind spake to him as he slept, and had warned him both to arme his
men, and put himselfe in strength. In like manner if he had heard any newes that one of his lieutenants had
wonne a battell, or that he had any aduantage of his enemies, he would hide the messenger, and bring his hind
abroad with a garland and coller of nosegayes: and then say, it was a token of some good newes comming
towards him, perswading them withall to be of good cheare; and so did sacrifice to the Gods, to giue them
thankes for the good tidings he should heare before it were long. Thus by putting this superstition into their
heades, he made them the more tractable and obedient to his will, in so much as they thought they were not
now gouerned any more by a stranger wiser than themselues, but were steadfastly perswaded that they were
rather led by some certaine God. 
 Now was Sertorius very heauie, that no man could tell him what was become of his white hind: for thereby
all his subtilltie and finenesse to keepe the barbarous people in obedience was taken away, and then specially
when they stood in need of most comfort. But by good hap, certaine of his souldiers that had lost themselves
in the night, met with the hind in their way, and knowing her by her colour, tooke her and brought her backe
againe. Sertorius hearing of her, promised them a good reward, so that they would tell no liuing creature that
they brought her againe, and thereupon made her to be secretly kept. Then within a few dayes after, he came
abroad among them, and with a pleasant countenance told the noble men and chiefe captaines of these
barbarous people, how the Gods had reuealed it to him in his dreame, that he should shortly have a maruellous
good thing happen to him: and with these words sate downe in his chaire to give audience. Whereupon they
that kept the hind not farre from thence, did secretly let her go. The hind being loose, when she had spied
Sertorius, ranne straight to his chaire with great joy, and put her head betwixt his legges, and layed her mouth
in his right hand, as she before was wont to do. Sertorius also made very much of her, and of purpose
appeared maruellous glad, shewing such tender affection to the hind, as it seemed the water stood in his eyes
for joy. The barbarous people that stood there by and beheld the same, at the first were much amazed
therewith, but afterwards when they had better bethought themselues, for ioy they clapped their hands
together, and waited upon Sertorius to his lodging with great and ioyfull shouts, saying, and steadfastly
beleeuing, that he he was a heavenly creature, and beloued of the Gods. [117]
SERTORIUS. 51
Lives of the Necromancers
CASTING OUT DEVILS.
We are now brought down to the era of the Christian religion; and there is repeated mention of sorcery in the
books of the New Testament.
One of the most frequent miracles recorded of Jesus Christ is called the  casting out devils. The Pharisees in
the Evangelist, for the purpose of depreciating this evidence of his divine mission, are recorded to have said,
 this fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. Jesus, among other remarks in
refutation of this opprobrium, rejoins upon them,  If I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your
children cast them out? [118] Here then we have a plain insinuation of sorcery from the lips of Christ
himself, at the same time that he appears to admit that his adversaries produced supernatural achievements
similar to his own.
SIMON MAGUS.
But the most remarkable passage in the New Testament on the subject of sorcery, is one which describes the
proceedings of Simon Magus, as follows.
 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. But there was a certain man, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]