The Incredulity and Misbelief of Sorcery Fully Convicted

This should be found neither bad nor strange, seeing that Emperors and Kings possess such a great and powerful jealousy for the authority of their Empires and Kingdoms. Even that great Ottoman Emperor Mehmed II, known as "The Conqueror," who took Constantinople in 1453., the one who took Constantinople, could not suffer in his time that his boastful falconers should bring him the news that two of his falcons had so set upon an Eagle that they had forced it to the ground by the strength of their blows. Indeed, he had them killed, saying that one must not strike against his King. This teaches us that rebellion against one's Prince is a thing so unnatural that Emperors and Kings cannot even tolerate it among animals. The Eagle is an Imperial bird, which marks and represents the coat of arms of the Empire: whoever even attempts to scratch such a beautiful representation, and bring down this bird which from its very birth aims for and always has its eyes fixed toward the Sun, must be banished from Heaven and earth.

If the Monarchs and Kings of this World are so jealous of their authority and greatness that they punish with death even the birds who dare to attack or undertake anything against their King; what must that great Almighty King, sovereign Master of Heaven and earth, be against Demons, Magicians, and Sorcerers—those birds of prey from Hell—who are a hundred times bolder than the proudest of men? Seeing as they have no other aim, design, nor undertaking than against Him, and against His most noble creatures, and would willingly remove Him from His Throne like ravaging falcons, if this same great God, having shortened their leashes The "longes" or leashes used in falconry to restrain the birds., had not entirely bridled and annihilated their power.

I shall leave this to be pursued by someone else, for fear of wandering too far from my subject: it being, moreover, very certain that one sees no more frequent examples in this century—