Jacob, called the Teutonic philosopher, was a noted visionary of the 17th century, born in a village of Germany near Gorlitz, in 1575. He was bred a shoemaker; and marrying, supported a large family by this occupation; until, after amusing himself with chemistry, a visionary turn of mind, heated by sermons and German divinity, got the better of his common sense, and produced raptures and notions of divine illumination. These he first gave vent to in 1612, by a treatise entitled Aurora, or the rising of the Sun; being a mixture of astrology, philosophy, chemistry, and divinity, written in a quaint obscure style. This being censured by the magistrates of Gorlitz, he remained silent for seven years; but improving that interval by pursuing the flights of his imagination, he resumed his pen; and resolving to redeem the time he had lost, in the remaining five years of his life, he published above 20 books, which greatly needed what he concluded with, A table of his principles, or a key to his writings; though this has not proved sufficient to render them intelligible to common apprehensions. The key above mentioned appeared in 1624, and he did not long survive it. For early in the morning of the 18th of November that year, he called one of his sons, and asked him "if he also heard that excellent music?" to which being answered in the negative, he ordered the door to be set open, that the music might be the better heard. He asked afterwards what o'clock it was? and being told it had struck two, he said "It is not yet my time; my time is three hours hence." In the interim he was heard to speak these words: