he will read any prayers psalms or gospels for his defence they ought to take the first place After these prayers and orations are said then let him begin to invoeate the spirit which he desireth with a gentle and loving Inchantment to all the coasts of the world with the commemoration of of his own authority and power And then let him rest a little looking about him to see if any spirit do appear which if he delay then let him repeat his invocation as abovesaid until he hath done it three times and if the spirit be pertinacious obstinate and will not appear then let him begin to conjure him with divine power so also that the conjurations and all his commemorations do agree with the nature and offices of the spirit himself and reiterate the same three times from stronger to stronger using objurgations contumelies cursings and punishments and suspension from his office and power and the like And after all the courses are finished then cease a little and if any spirit shall appear let the invocant turn himself towards the spirit and courteously receive him earnestly intreating him let him require his name and then proceeding further let him ask him â—hatsoever he will and if in any thing the spirit shall shew himself obstinate or lying let him be bound by convenient conjurations and if you doubt of any lye make without the circle with the consecrated sword the figure of a triangle or Pentagone and compel the spirit to enter into it and if thou receivest any promise which thou wouldest have to be confirmed with an oath let him stretch the sword out of the circle and swear the spirit by laying his hand upon the sword Then having obtâ—ined of the spirit that which you desire or are otherwise contented license him to depart with courteous words giving command unto him that he do no hurt and if he will not depart compel him by powerful conjurations and if need require expel him by exorcisms and by making contrary fumigations And when he is departed go not out of the circle but make a stay making prayer and giving of thanks unto God and the good Angels and also praying for your defence and conservation and then all those things being orderly performed you may depart But if your hopes are frustrated and no spirit will appear yet for this do not despair but leaving the circle return again at other times doing as before And if you shall judge that you have erred in any thing then you shall amend by adding or demishing for the constancy of reiteration doth often increase your authority and power and striketh terror into the spirits and humbleth them to obey And therefore some use to make a gate in the circle whereby they go in and out which they open and shut as they please and fortify it with holy names and pentacles This also we are to take notice of that when no spirits will appear but the Master being wearied hath determined to cease and give over let him not therefore depart without licensing the spirits for they that do neglâ—ct this are very greatly in danger except they are fortified with some sublime defence Oftentimes also the spirits do come although they appear not visible for to cause terror to him that calls them either in the thing which he useth or in the operation it self But this kind of licensing is not given simply but by a kind of dispensation with suspension until in the following terms they shall render themselves obedient Also without a Circle these spirits may be called to appear according to the way which is above delivered about the consecration of a book But when we intend to execute any effect by evil spirits where an apparition is not needful then that is to be done by making and forming that which is to be unto us an instrument or subject of the experiment itself as whether it be an image or a ring or a writing or any character candle or sacrifice or any thing of the like sort then the name of the spirit is to be wirtten therein with his character according to the exigency of the experiment either by writing it with some blood or otherwise using a perfume agreeable to the spirit Oftentimes also making prayer and orations to God and the good Angels before we invocate the evil spirit conjuring him by the divine power There is another kind of spirits which we have spoken of in our third book of occult philosophy not so hurtful and nearest to men so also that they are affected with human passions and do joy in the conversation of men and freely do inhabit with them and others do dwell in the woods and Desarts and others delight in the company of divers domestics animals and wild beasts and othersome do inhabit about fountains and meadows Whosoever therefore would call up these kind of spirits in the place where they abide it ought to be done with odoriferous perfumes and with sweet sounds and instruments of music specially composed for the business with using of songs inchantments and pleasant verses with praises and promises But those that are obstinate to yield to these things are to be compelled with threatnings comminations cursings delusions contumelies and especially by threatning them to expel them from those places where they are conversant Further if need be thou mayest betake thee to use Exorcisms but the chiefest thing that ought to be observed is constancy of mind and boldness free and alienated form fear Lastly when you would invocate these kind of spirits you ought to prepare a table in the place of invocation covered with clean linen whereupon you shall set new bread and running water or milk in new earthen vessels and new knives And you shall make a fire whereupon a perfume shall be made But let the invocant go unto the head of the table and round about it let there be seats placed for the spirits as you please and the spirits being called you shall invite them to drink and eat But if perchance you shall â—ear any evil spirit then draw a circle about it and let that part of the table at which the invocant sits be within the circle and the rest of the table without the circle In our third â—ook of Occult Philosophy we have taught how and by what means the soul is joined to the body and what happeneh to the soul after death Thou mayest know further that those souls do still love their relinquished bodies after death as it were a certain affinâ—ty alluring them such as are the souls of noxious men which have violently relinquished their bodies and souls wanting a due burial which do still wander in a liquid and turbulent spirits about their dead carcasses for these souls by the known means by which heretofore they were conjoined to their bodies by the like vapours liquors and favours are easily drawn unto them From hence it is that the souls of the dead are
hell she saith thus Procul O procul este profani Tuque invade viam vaginaque eripe ferrum Hence hence all ye profane do thou invade The way and from'ts confinement take thy blade Philostratus writeth that he compelled Apollonius a spirit obvious to him his companions to flight with contumelies and direful imprecations that the vision making a noise and with great horror vanished away from them Very many do much commend a perfume of Calamint Piony mint Palma Christi Parsley to be used in this case Many do keep present with them red coral mugwort hypericon rue or vervin for this purpose Some do use for this business the tinkling of keys sounding of consecrated bells or the terrible rattling of Armour Poll. I have sometimes heard from our Elders that they made them Sigils inscribed with Pentapentagones by virtue whereof the spirits might be expelled and driven away What sayst thou to these Cast. Averrois writeth against Algazelus affirmed such things to be almost nothing worth unless to them that have confederated with the spirits If therefore Averrois saith the truth how then can the dâ—vils kingdom stand divided against itself Poll. But we read that Solomom a singular man with God did make such Sigils Cast. We do read truly that Solomon did make them but it was at such time when he worshiped Idols and not when he was in the state of salvation Tertullian offered a more certain antidote than all the former and exhorteth us as Job the most strong champion of God to fight against all the assaults of temptation he admonisheth us to be cloathed with the silken garment of honesty the purple robe of modesty and shame-facedness and the cloak of patience and he perswadeth us to meditate upon all those things which the devil doth devise and invent to overthrow our integrity that his falling may be proved the glory of our constancy and that we be willing constantly to war against all machinations which are permitted by God for this end And the Prophet Jeremiah teacheth the same in these words The Lord of hosts is the approver of the just D. Maximus in his book de charitate commandeth us to bind and kill the devils He saith we do then bind them when by diligent observation of the Commandments of God we do diminish and quash those affections that do boil up in us and we are said to kill them when we so truly mortify our lusts that we cut him off from all occasions of accusing saying with the Prophet Depart O homicide the Lord the strong warrior is with me thou shalt fall and shalt be vanquished from me for ever Olympiadorus 10 cap. when he interpreteth the Ecclesiastical history saith that all sensual appetites are to be shut out and excluded so that the devil may not be admitted neither by the allurements of the eyes nor by itching ears nor by the petulancy and frowardness of an hurtful tongue for this he accounteth to be the most absolute seal against the power of the devils Some do admonish us in our going forth to war against the devil to use two sorts of weapons the one is pure prayer which may raise up our affections unto heaven and true and perfect knowledge which may communicate and fill our understandings with wholesome doctrines and may suggest unto us what we are to pray for that we may pray ardently according to St. James and not doubtingly In the Prophecy of Isaiah and the Epistles of St. Paul we may find the same things Isai. 59. Eph. 6. and 1 Thess. 5. which may be as a remedy against vain Ghosts that they may be expelled Poll. For a remedy against Ghosts dost thou conceive that a Ghost is diverse and different from a spirit Cast. I know not truly what I may think hereof for flowing in so spacious a sea of many opinions I am so led in doubt that I cannot easily attain to a certain Port of judgment for there are some which do suppose that these Ghosts are devils by reason of the great fear and terror wherewith they ragingly molest men by night in their houses and sometimes for their innate nature to do hurt There are others that do believe these spirits are deceitful fantasies deceiving those that are of evil belief who by their fallacious visions and Imaginations do deceive and frighten the Inhabitants in their houses and do deny that they are spirits indeed because the spirits have a body without hands or feet wherefore they can hurt no man nor make any tumult being ignorant that the Angel who also hath a body without hands and feet did carry Habakkuk with his whole dinner by the hair of his head into Babylon and afterwards brought him back again and set him in his own place neither considering that the spirit of the Lord also without a body snatched up Philip and carried him to Azotus that I may forbear to speak concerning a certain incorporeal spirit which did so disquiet the house of my grandfather that by the space of almost thirty years he caused it to be uninhabitable unless it were when a lamp was burning therein neither did that then sufficiently quiet the same for going out of the house they did so molest them with stones from above in the streets that the would cast out of their hands the hearts of Pine-trees which they used for torches Concerning the Ghost that haunted the house of Anthenodorus the Philosopher and the tumultuous spirit of C. Caligula there may more be spoken but thou hast understood the relations of them already in the foregoing discourse From all which we may easily convince the opinions of those who deny that the spirits can walk or make any motion but of how much truth we may hold the assertions of them who do suppose that these tumultuous spirits are neither devils nor phantasms but the souls of the dead now hearken unto Poll. Are there they who are of that opinion Cast. There are they who are of both opinions for they do declare that these are the souls of them who have departed from their bodies laden clogged in their sins which are therefore heard to be more or less turbulent in houses according as they have any sensible ardent spark of that sin more or less so that except in the mean time they are expelled and driven away from thence or expiated by Alms or intercessions they are compelled to a certain bound or liberty wandering thereabouts in expectation of the last Judgment Poll. Wherefore Cast. Because I believe that the souls of them which sleep in Christ do live with Christ do not wander about the earth and the souls of them who are oppressed and burthened with the grievous weight of their Sins since they are the members of Satan are bound with Satan in the chains of darkness expecting judgment in hell Poll. But Firmianus a Writer of no mean judgment thinketh the contrary in his Book which he hath written de devino
not to be called up without blood or by the application of some part of their relict body In the raising up of these shadows we are to perfume with new blood with the bones of the dead and with Flesh Eggs Milk Honey and Oil and such like things which do attribute to the souls a means apt to receive their bodies It is also to be understood those who are desirous to raise up any souls of the dead they ought to do it in those places wherein these kind of souls are most known to be conversant or for some alliance alluring those souls into their forsaken body or some kind of affection in times past impressed in them in their life drawing the said souls to certain places things or persons or for the forcible nature of some place fitted and prepared for to purge or punish these souls Which places for the most part are to be known by the experience of visions nightly incursions and apparitions and such like prodigies seen Therefore the places most fitting for these things are Church-yards And better than them are those places wherein there is the execution of criminal judgments And better than these are those places in which of late years there have been some public slaughters of men Furthermore that place is better than these where some dead carcass that came by violent death is not yet expiated nor lately buried and was lately buried for the expiation of those places is also a holy rite duly to be adhibited to the burial of the bodies and oftentimes prohibiteth the souls to come unto their bodies and expelleth them far off unto the places of judgment And from hence it is that the souls of the dead are not easily to be raised up except it be the souls of them whom we know to be evil or to have perished by a violent death and whose bodies do want a rite and due burial Now although we have spoken concerning such places of this kind it will not be safe or commodious to go unto them but it behoveth us to take to what place soever is to be chosen some principal part of the body that is relict and therewith to make perfume in due manner and to perform other competent rites It is also to be known that because the souls are certain spiritual lights therefore artificial lights especially if they be framed out of certain competent things compounded according to a true rule with congruant inscriptions of names and seals do very much avail to the raising up of departed souls Moreover these things which are now spoken of are not always sufficient to raise up souls because of an extranatural portion of understanding and reason which is above and known only to the heaven and destinies and their powers We ought therefore to allure the said souls by supernatural and coelestial powers duely administered even by those things which do mâ—â—e the very harmony of the soul as well imaginative as rational and intellectual as are voices songs sounds inchantments and religious things as prayers conjurations exorcisms and other holy rites which may very commodiously be administered hereunto The end of the fourth book of Agrippa HEPTAMERON OR MAGICAL ELEMENTS OF PETER de ABANO PHILOSOPHER IN the former book which is the fourth book of Agrippa it is sufficiently spoken concerning Magical ceremonies and Initiations But because he seemeth to have written to the 1earned and well experienced in this art because he doth not specially treat of the ceremonies but rather speaking of them in general it was therefore thought good to add hereunto the magical elements of Peter de Abano that those who are hitherto ignorant and have not tasted of magical superstitions may have them in readiness how they may exercise themselves therein For we see in this book as it were a certain introduction of magical vanity and as it were in present exercise they may behold the distinct functions of spirits how they mâ—y be drawn to discourse and communication what is to be done every day and every hour and how they shall be read as if they were described syllable by syllable In brief in this book are kept the principles of magical conveyances But because the greatest power is attributed to the Circles For they are certain fortresses to defend the operators safe from the evil spirits in the first place we will treat concerning the composition of a Circle Of the Circle and the composition thereof THE form of Circles is not always one and the same but useth to be changed according to the order of the spirits that are to be called their places times days and hours For in making a circle it ought to be considered in what time of the year what day and what hour that you make the circle what spirits you would call to what star and region they do belong and what functions they have Therefore let there be made three circles of the latitude of nine foot and let them be distant one from another a hands breadth and in the middle circle first write the name of the hour wherein you do the work In the second place write the name of the Angel of the hour In the third place the Sigil of the Angel of the hour Fourthly the name of the Angel that ruleth that day wherein you do the work and the names of his ministers In the fifth place the name of the present time Sixthly the name of the spirits ruling in that part of time and their Presidents Seventhly the name of the head of the sign ruling in that part of time wherein you work Eightly the name of the earth according to that part of time wherein you work Ninthly and for the completing of the middle circle write the name of the sun and of the moon according to the said rule of time for as the time is changed so the names are to be altered And in the outermost circle let there be drawn in the four angles the names of the presidential Angels of the air that day wherein you would do this work to wit the name of the King and his three ministers Without the Circle in four Angles let Pentagones be made In the inner circle let there be written four divine names with crosses interposed in the middle of the circle to wit towards the East let there be written Alpha and towards the West let there be writtâ—n Omega and let a cross divide the middle of the circle When the the circle is thus finished according to the rule now before written you shall proceed Of the names of the hours and the Angels ruling them IT is also to be known that the Angels do rule the hours in a successive order according to the course of the heavens and planets unto which they are subject so that that spirit which governeth the day ruleth also the first hour of the day the second from this governeth the second hour the third the third hour and so consequently and when seven
spirits which were so formidable to the inhabitants that sometimes in the day-time and when they were watching they would cast them into dreams so always that the shapes and forms which they then saw were ever present in their memory Where at length a certain Philosopher named Anthenodorus happened to purchase that house and prepared and furnished the same for himself to dwell in and because all men had an evil suspicion of that house he forthwith commanded his servants to provide him a bed and tables that after he had completed and finished his study he might go to bed He therefore saith Pliny when he went in in the evening and applied himself to his study suddenly heard the locks to shake open and the chains to be moved nevertheless he did not lift up his eyes nor stirred from his book but stopped his ears with his fingers lest that furious tumult might work a vain fear upon him but the noise still approaching nearer unto him at length he looked up and saw an effiges like unto a finger beckening and calling unto him which he little regarded until it had touched him three times and the noise drew near unto the table and then he looked up and took a light beheld the spirit as it were an old man worn away with withered leaness and deformity his beard hanging down long horrible and deformed hair his legs and feet were as it were laden with chains and fetters he went towards a gate which was bolted and there left the Philosopher and vanished away Castor What fearful things thou relatest Pollux but what was the event of this sad spectacle Pollux The next day he related the whole matter to the Magistrates in order as he had seen the same admonishing them that they should dig diligently about the threshold of the door for there it was probable they might find something which might cause the house to be quiet and habitable Castor What did they find Pollux Having digged up the earth Pliny saith they found a dead carcase bound and intangled in chains and fetters his flesh being consumed with devouring time which without delay they caused to be buried according to the Christian ceremonies Castor But this being performed did the house afterwards become quiet and habitable Pollux Yes very well Castor What madness therefore possesseth them who prophane and destroy Church-yards where the sacred organs of the holy and blessed spirit do rest and do give the bones of the dead for meat to the spirit Zazelus of whom mention is made in the 3 of the Kings and we read in Pausanias amongst the histories of Delphos that he was called Eurynomus Poll. Thou shalt find that the Governors of Cities that were of the opinion and judgment of Christians did subvert destroy and prophane these holy places that herein the youth might dance their mocking interludes after the furious sound of the drum or tabor and sing Iopaeen or there the poor inferior old women did sell base trumpery or Lupines which God would have to be purged with holy prayer for the salvation of souls or breaking of bread to the hungry Castor But it is an impious and heathenish thing so to have touched the anointed of God Pollux And worse than heathenish for the heathens did highly esteem the rites and ceremonies of burials as Elpinor is witness in Homer where he yeildeth up his life and in Homer he speaketh to Ulysses I intreat thee O Ulysses to be mindful of me and not depart away hence and leave me uninterred lest that not being ritely buried I shall be made the wrath of the Gods And Achita the Philosopher in Flaccus thus speaketh to the Mariner Me quoque divexi Rapidus comes rionis Illyricis Notus obruit undis At tu Nauta vagae ne parce malignus arenae Ossibus capiti inhumato Particulam dare si quodcunque minabitur Eurus Fluctibus Hesperiis Venusinae Plectantur silvae te sospite multaque merces Unde potest tibi defluat aequo Ab Jove Neptuno sacri Custode Tarenti Negligis immeritis nocituram Post modo te natis fraudem committere fo rs Debita Jura vicesque superbae Te manent ipsum praecibus non linquar multis Teque piacula nulla resolvent Orion's rapid Comrade Notus me O'erwhelmed in th' Illyrian Sea Oh Seaman frowning not forbear to spread Upon my bones and inhum'd head A â—ittle fleeting sand what th' east doth threat Hesperian waves may only beat Vainly Venusimu's woods whilst safe and rich Thou climbst to fortunes highest pitch Jove kind and Neptune too Tarentum's power Thou slights what on the guiltless score Of thy ensuing sons may fall like Urne Like funeral and proud return May wait thee too my curses shall have force Whence no Attonements get remorse And Polinurus to Aeneas in his sixth book of Virgils Aeneids Nunc me fluctus habent versantque in littore venti Quod te per Caeli jucundum humen auras Per genitorem oro per spem surgentis Juli. Eripe me his invicte malis aut tu mihi terram Injice namque potes I 'm now i' th' waves winds toss me 'gainst the shore By heavens rejoicing light I thee implore And by the Air by old Anchyses too And by the hopes of young Julius thou Unconquer'd Hero help me but away From these sad troubles or my body lay I' th' earth for thou canst do 't Castor Have the Gentiles so greatly esteemed the ceremony of burials Pollux Yes very much for their religion did hold that the soul of a body which was uninterred was void of any intelligible essence and left to the power and command of a raging furious phansie and subject to the torment and affliction of corporal qualities so that it being an airy body sometimes the departed shadow would speak unto his remaining friends and sometimes evilly vex and torment his enemies with revenge as in the Poet Dido threathneth Aeneas saying Omnibus umbra locis adero dabis improbe penas My ghost shall every where attend thee Villian I will torment thee Suetonius as we have shewn before addeth the like concerning the dead body of C. Caligula the Emperor in the Garden of Lamius being not duly buried for this body because it was only covered with a light turf did very much disquiet and trouble the possessors of the Garden with violent incursions in the night until by his sisters who were returned from banishment it was taken up again and ritely and duly by them buried Castor And the house wherein the same Emperor died could by no other way or means be freed from the fury of these shadows or spirits as history makes mention but by burning thereof Pollux Aristotle speaking of miracles mentioneth a certain mountain in Norway named Hechelberg environed about with the Sea that continually sent forth such lamentable voices like the yelling and howling of infernal devils insomuch that the noise and clamour of their terrible roaring might be heard almost
premio Cast. How is that Poll. These are his words Let not any man conceive that the souls of the dead are judged immediately after death for they are all detained in one common custody until the time shall come wherein the Almighty Judge shall make examination and inquisition of their deeds Then they who shall be found righteous shall receive the reward of immortality but they whose sins and wickedness shall then be detected shall not arise again but shall be inclosed with the wicked in darkness and destined to eternal punishments Cast. St. Augustine subscribeth to Lactantius in his Enchiridion saying that the time which is interposed between the death of mankind and the last resurrection containeth the souls in secret hidden receptacles where every soul receiveth condign rest or misery for the good or evil which he did in the body while he lived Poll. Neither doth St. Ambrose disagree from this in his second book of Cain and Abel he saith that the soul is loosed from the body and after the end of this life is suspended to the ambiguous time of the last judgment Cast. So also some have declared that the soul of Trajanus Caesar did wander about but the soul of St. George was freed from such suffrage Poll. Thou hast even now spoke and that truly that spacious is the sea of various opinions concerning these spirits for so indeed it is but what Port thou toutchest at I desire thee it may not seem troublesome to thee to tell me for I am not as yet satisfied of the certainty hereof by our discourse Cast. That which thou desirest I conceive to be this I hold that these tumultuous spirits are meer images of Satan which are not to be feared neither is their any credit to be given to their answers and are in no wise the souls of the dead which either live with Christ if they have done well or else are bound in chains with Satan if they have done evil Poll. It remaineth that we fift out this Castor for it happeneth now sometimes that my Father appeareth to me in my sleep perhaps that may also seem unto thee to be a Spirit Cast. It may seem so but I will not in any thing contradict thee beyond reason of myself I will add nothing but at leastwise I will annihilate thy opinion with the assertions of St. Augustine Poll. What assertions are those Cast In his 11 book which he intitleth De mortuorum cura he offereth them as a means saying Human infirmaty doth so believe of himself that when he seeth any one that is dead in his sleep he supposeth that he seeth the soul of that dead person but when he dreameth of any one that is alive he then is out of doubt that neither his soul nor his body but the similitude of the man appeared unto him as if they could be ignorant that the souls of dead men do not appear unto them in dreams but only the similitudes of the persons deceased And he proveth both these to be done by two examples which were as Mediolanus whereof the first he sheweth to have been the image of a certain father that was dead who appeared to his son admonishing him that he should not pay again a debt to an unjust creditor which the father had paid him before for he saith the case was thus the father had paid a debt to a certain creditor which after the death of the father the creditor endeavoured by force to recover the same again of his son who was ignorant of the payment thereof to whom the image of his father appeared when he was sleeping and shewed him where the writing was hid Whereupon the son awaking from his sleep sought for the paper in the place he was directed and found it and thereby overthrew the malice of his deceitful creditor The second example is whereby the same St. Augustine sheweth that the living do appear to the living in their sleep for he saith that Eurologius the Rhetorician professing the Rhetorick of Cicero at Carthage he found a difficult and obscure place that was not declared unto him so that waking and sleeping he vexed himself by reason of his ignorance but in a certain night the image of Aurelius Augustine appeared to him and taught him in what manner the dark and difficult place was to be understood Poll. Augustine doth therefore conclude without doubt that they are not souls Cast. He doth so conclude and the greater to strengthen such his judgment he addeth that if the souls of the dead have any interest or council in the affairs of the living he undoubtedly knew that his own pious mother did not desert him not for one night but when she was living followed him both by sea and land neither did he at any time sustain any anguish of heart but comforted his sorrows And that this may not seem too hard a speech the president of Christ teacheth that they do not err who affirm that the good Angels by the appointment of God and divine dispensation do sometimes come to and visit men both living and sleeping and sometimes to the place where souls endure punishment notwithstanding it is not unto all but only unto those who have so lived that God shall judge them worthy of his mercy or unto those upon whom without any respect unto their deserts God will be pleased to glorify his unspeakable mercy that by the prayers of the living they may obtain pardon of their sins and deliverance from the prison of torments Poll. I have sometimes read that the same St. Augustine did write that it is better for a man to doubt of secret things than to contend about things uncertain Cast. That is certainly true neither doth he declare himself to be an offence to those who do leave all these things to the unsearchable judgments of God and labour not to find out the secrets thereof Poll. Because I have easily understood thy answers hitherto I will not desist till thou hast fully resolved me concerning this subject I desire therefore to know whether all miracles which the devils perform are done really or imaginary phantâ—sies Cast. That they perform many things really and many things only seemingly we have already manifested out of the writings of St. Augustine For that great prelate of the Christian Church writeth in the 11 chapter of his book de Trinitate that it is a very easy thing for the wicked Spirits through the airy substance of their bodies to perform many things which seem wonderful to the souls that are oppressed with earthly bodies to be done He also saith that earthly bodies may be so qualified with art and exercise that in public Theatres they may perform such wonderful things that those who never have seen them will not believe them but that they were done by the assistance of the devil and his ministers to make their bodies of such an airy element that the flesh wonders at Or else which is much
Henry Cornelius Agrippa's Fourth BOOK OF OCCULT PHILOSOPHY AND GEOMANCY Magical Elements of PETER de ABANO ASTRONOMICAL GEOMANCY THE NATURE of SPIRITS And ARBATEL of MAGICK Translated into English by Robert Turner Philomathées LONDON Printed in the Year M. DC LV. The PREFACE To the unprejudiced Reader AS the fall of man made himself and all other creatures subject to vanity so by reason thereof the most noble and excellent arts wherewith the rational soul was endued are by the rusty canker of time brought into corruption For Magick itself which the ancients did so divinely contemplate is scandalized with bearing the badge of all diabolical sorceries which art saith Mirandula Pauci intelligunt multi reprihendunt sicut canes ignotos semper allatrant Few understand many reprehend and as dogs bark at those they know not so do many condemn and hate the things they understand not Many men there are that abhor the very name and word Magus because of Simon Magus who being indeed not Magus but Goes that is familiar with evil spirits usurped that title But Magick and Witchcraft are far different sciences whereof Pliny being ignorant scoffeth thereat for Nero saith Pliny who had the most excellent Magicians of the East sent him by Tyridates King of Armenia who held that kingdom by him found the art after long study and labour altogether ridiculous Now Witchcraft and Sorcery are works done meerly by the Devil which with respect unto some covenant made with man he acteth by men his instruments to accomplish his evil ends of these the histories of all ages people and countrys as also the holy Scriptures afford us sundry examples But Magus is a Persian word primitively whereby is exprest such a one as is altogether conversant in things divine and as Plato affirmeth the art of Magick is the art of worshiping God the Persians called their gods Magoús hence Appollonius saith that Magus is either o kaká phúsin Theós or therapeutées Theóne that is that Magus is a name sometimes of him that is a God by nature and sometimes of him that is in the service of God in which latter sense it is taken in Matth. 2.1 2. when the wise men came to worship Jesus and this is the first and highest kind which is called divine Magick and these the Latins did intitle sapienties or wise men for the fear and worship of God is the begining of knowledge These wise men the Greeks call Philosophers and among the Egyptians they were termed Priests the Hebrews termed them Cabalistos Prophets Scribes and Pharisees and amongst the Babylonians they where known by the name of Caldeans and by the Persians they were called Magicians and one speaking of Sosthenes one of the ancient Magicians useth these words Et verum Deum merita majestate prosequitur angelos ministros Dei sed veri ejus venerationi novit assistere idem daemonas prodit terrenos Vagos humanetatis inimicos Sosthenes ascribeth the due Majesty to the true God and acknowledgeth that his Angels are ministers and messengers which attend the worship of the true God he also hath delivered that there are Devils earthly and wandering and enemies to mankind So that the word Magus of itself imports a contemplator of divine and heavenly Sciences but under the name of Magick are all unlawful Arts comprehended as Necromancy and witchcraft and such Arts which are effected by combination with the Devil and whereof he is a party These Witches and Necromancers are also called Malefici or venefici sorcerers or poisoners of which name Witches are rightly called who without the art of Magick do indeed use the help of the devil himself to do mischief practicing to mix the powder of dead bodies with other things by the help of the Devil prepared and at other times to make pictures of wax clay or otherwise as it were sacramentaliter to effect those things which the Devil by other means bringeth to pass Such were and to this day partly if not altogether are the corruptions which havâ— made odious the very name of Magick having chiefly sought as the manner of all impostures is to countefeit the highest and most noble part of it A second kind of Magick is Astrology which judgeth of the events of things to come natural and human by the motions and influences of the stars upon these lower elements by them observed and understood Philo Judeus affirmeth that by this part of Magick or Astrology together with the motions of the stars and other heavenly bodies Abraham found out the knowledge of the true God while he lived in Caldea Qui contemplatione Creaturarum cognovit Creatorem saith Damascen who knew the Creator by the contemplation of the creature Josephus reporteth of Abraham that he instructed the Egyptians in Arithmetick and Astronomy who before Abraham's coming unto them knew none of these Sciences Abraham sanctitate sapientia omnium praestantissimus primum Caldaeos deinde Phenices demum Egyptios Sacerdotes Astrologia Divina docuerit Abraham the holiest and wisest of men did first teach the Caldeans then the Phoenicians lastly the Egyptian Priests Astrology and Divine knowledge Without doubt Hermes Trismegistus that divine Magician and Philosopher who as some say lived long before Noah attained to much Divine knowledge of the Creator through the study of Magick and Astrology as his writings to this day extant among us testify The third kind of Magick containeth the whole Philosophy of nature which bringeth to light the inmost virtues and extracteth them out of natures hidden bosom to human use Virtutes in centro centri latentes Virtues hidden in the centre of the Centre according to the Chymists of this sort were Albertus Arnaldus de villa nova Raymond Bacon and others c. The Magick these men professed are thus defined Magia est connexio a viro sapiente agentium per naturam cum patientibus sibi congruenter respondentibus ut inde opera prodeant non sine eorum admiratione qui causam ignorant Magick is the connexion of natural agents and patients aâ—swerable to each other wrought by a wise man to the bringing forth of such effects as are wonderful to those that know not their causes In all these Zoroaster was well learned especially in the first and the highest for in his Oracles he confesseth God to be the first and the highest he believeth of the Trinity which he would not investigate by any natural knowledge he speaketh of Angels and of Paradise approveth the immortallity of the soul teacheth Truth Faith Hope and Love discoursing of the abstinence and charity of the Magi. Of this Zoroaster Eusebius in the Theology of the Phoenicions using Zoroaster's own words Haec ad verbum scribit saith Eusebius Deus primus incorruptibillium sempiternus ingenitus expers partium sibiipsi simillimus bonorum omnium auriga munera non expectans optimus prudentissimus pater juris sine doctrina justitiam perdoctus natura perfectus sapiens sacrae
delectable experiments of the sacred deities So that as by the reading of our other books of Occult Philosophy thou mayest earnestly covet the knowledge of these things even so with reading this Book thou shalt truely triumph Wherefore let silence hide these things within the secret Closets of thy Religious Breast and conceal them with constant Taciturnity This therefore is to be known That the names of the intelligent presidents of every one of the Planets are constituted after this manner that is to say by collecting together the letters out of the figure of the World from the rising of the body of the Planet according to the succession of the Signs through the several degrees and out of the several degrees from the Aspects of the Planet himself the calculation being made from the degree of the ascendant In the like manner are constituted the names of the Princes of the evil Spirits they are taken under all the Planets of the presidents in a retrograde order the projection being made contrary to the succession of the Signs from the begining of the seventh house Now the name of the supreme and highest intelligence which many do suppose to be the soul of the world is collected out of the four Cardinal points of the figure of the world after the manner already delivered and by the opposite and contrary way is known the name of the great Daemon or evil Spirit upon the four Cadent Angles In the like manner shalt thou understand the names of the great presidential Spirits ruling in the Air from the four Angles of the succedant houses so that as to obtain the names of the good spirits the calculation is to be made according to the succession of the signs begining from the degree of the ascendant and to attain to the names of the evil spirits by working the contrary way You must also observe that the names of the evil spirits are extracted as well from the names of the good spirits as of the evil so notwithstanding that if we enter the table with the name of a good spirit of the second order the name of the evil spirit shall be extracted from the order of the Princes and Governors but if we enter the table with the name of a good Spirit of the third order or with the name of an evil Spirit a Governor after what manner soever they are extracted whether by this table or from a celestial figure the names which do proceed from hence shall be the names of the evil spirits the Ministers of the inferior order It is further to be noted That as often as we enter this table with the good Spirits of the second order the names extracted are of the second order and if under them we extract the name of an evil Spirit he is of the superior order of the Governors The same order is if we enter with the name of an evil Spirit of the superior order If therefore we enter this table with the names of the Spirits of the third order or with the names of the ministering Spirits as well of the good Spirits as of the evil the names extracted shall be the names of the ministering Spirits of the inferior order But many Magicians men of no small Authority will have the tables of this kind to be extended with Latin Letters so that by the same tables also out of the name of any office or effect might be found out the name of any spirit as well good as evil by the same manner which is above delivered by taking the name of the office or of the effect in the column of letters in their own line under their own star And of this practice Trismegistus is a great Author who delivered this kind of calculation in Egyptian letters not unproperly also may they be referred to other letters of other tongues for the reasons assigned to the signs for truly he only is extant of all men who have treated concerning the attaining to the names of spirits Therefore the force secrecy and power in what manner the sacred names of spirits are truly rightly found out consisteth in the disposing of vowels which do make the name of a spirit wherewith is constituted the true name right word Now this art is thus perfected and brought to pass first we are to take heed of placing the vowels of the letters which are found by the calculation of the celestial fiâ—ure to find the names of the spirits of the second order Presidents and Governors And this in the good spirits is thus brought to effect by considering the stars which do constitute and make the letters and by placing them according to their order First let the degree of the eleventh house be substracted from the degree of that star which is First in order and that which remaineth thereof let it be projected from the degree of the ascendant and where that number endeth there is part of the vowel of the First letter begin therefore to calculate the vowels of these letters according to their number and order and the vowel which falleth in the place of the star which is the first in order the same vowel is attributed to the First letter Then afterwards thou shalt find the part of the second letter but substracting the degree of a star which is the second in order from the first star and that which remaineth cast from the ascendant And this is the part from which thou shalt begin the calculation of the vowels and that vowel which falleth upon the second star the same is the vowel of the second letter and so consequently mayest thou search out the vowels of the following letters always by substracting the degree of the following star from the degree of the star next preceding and going before And so also all calculations and numerations in the names of the good spirits ought to be made according to the successions of the signs And in calculating the nâ—mes of the evil spirits where in the names of the good spirits is taking the degree of the eleventh house in these ought to be taken the degree of the twelfth house And all numerations and calculations may be made with the succession of the signs by taking the beginning from the degree of the tenth house But in all extractions by tables the vowels are placed after another manner In the first place therefore is taken the certain number of letters making the name itself is thus numbered from the beginning of the column of the first letter or whereupon the name is extracted and the letter on which this number falleth is referred to the first letter of the name extracted by taking the distance of the one from the other according to the order of the alphabet But the number of that distance is projected from the beginning of his column and where it endeth there is part of the first vowel from thence therefore thou shalt calculâ—te the vowels themselves in their own
which are either perfumes unctions and meats or drinks which you may understand in our first book of Occult Philosophy But he that is willing always and readily to receive the oracles of a dream let him make unto himself a ring of the Sun or of Saturn for this purpose There is also an image to be made of excellent efficacy and power to work this effect which being put under his head when he goeth to sleep doth effectually give true dreams of what thing soever the mind hath before determined or consulted on The table of numbers do likewise confer to receive an oracle being duely formed under their own Constellations And these thou mayest know in the third book of Occult Philosophy Holy tables and papers do also serve to this effect being specially composed and consecrated such as is the Almudel of Solomon and the table of the revolutions of the name Tetragrammaton And those things which are of this kind and written unto these things out divers figures numbers holy pictures with the inscriptions of the holy names of God and of Angels the composition whereof is taken out of divers places of the holy Scriptures Psalms and versicles and other certain promises of the divine revelations and prophecies To the same effect do conduce holy prayers imprecations as well unto God as to the holy Angels and heros the imprecations of which prayers are to be composed as we have before shewn according to some religious similitude of miracles graces and the like making mention of those things which we intend to do as out of the old Testament of the dream of Jacob Joseph Pharaoh Daniel and Nebuchadnezzer if out of the new Testament of the dream of Joseph the husband of the virgin Mary of the dream of the three wisemen of John the Evangelist sleeping upon the breast of our Lord and whatsoever of the like kind can be found in religion miracles and revelations as the revelation of the cross to Helen the revelations of Constantine and Charles the great the revelations of Bridget Cyril Methodius Mechtild Joachim Merhir and such like According to which let the deprecations be composed if when he goeth to sleep it be with a firm intention and the rest well disposing themselves let them pray devoutly and without doubt they will afford a powerful effect Now he that knoweth how to compose those things which we have now spoken of he shall receive the most true oracles of dreams And this he shall do observe those things which in the second book of Occult Philosophy are directed concerning this thing He that is desirous therefore to receive an oracle let him abstain from supper and from drink and be otherwise well disposed his brain being free from turbulent vapours let him also have his bed-chamber fair and clean exorcised and consecrated if he will then let him perfume the same with some convenient fumigation and let him anoint his temples with some unguent efficatious hereunto and put a ring upon his finger of the things above spoken of let him take either some image or holy table or holy paper and place the same under his head then having made a devout prayer let him go unto his bed and meditating upon that thing which he desireth to know let him so sleep for so shall he receive a most certain and undoubted oracle by a dream when the Moon goeth through thâ—t sign which was in the ninth house of his nativity and also when she goeth through the sign of the ninth house of the revolution of his nativity and when she is in the ninth sign from the sign of perfection And this is the way and means whereby we may obtain all sciences and arts whatsoever suddenly and perfectly with a true illumination of our understanding although all inferior familiar spirits whatsoever do conduce to this effect and sometimes also evil spirits sensibly informing us intrinsically or extrinsically But if we would call any evil spirit to the circle it first behoveth us to consider and to know his nature to which of the planets it agreeth and what offices are distributed to him from the Planet and being known let there be sought out a place fit and proper for his invocation according to the nature of the Planet and the quality of the offices of the said spirit as near as the same may be done as if their power be over the Sea Rivers or Floods then let the the place be chosen in the shore and so of the rest Then let there be chosen a convenient time both for the quality of the air serene clear quiet and fitting for the spirits to assume bodies as also of the quality and nature of the planet and of the spirit as to wit on his day or the time wherein he ruleth he may be fortunate or unfortunate sometimes of the day and sometimes of the night as the stars and spirits do require These things being considered let there be a circle framed in the place elected as well for the defence of the invocant as for the confirmation of the spirit And in the circle itself there are to be written the divine general names and those things which do yield defence unto us and with them those divine names which do rule this planet and the offices of the spirit himself there shall also be written therein the names of the good spirits which do bear rule and are able to bind and constrain that spirit which we intend to call And if we will any more fortify and strengthen our circle we may add characters and pentacles agreeing to the work then also if we will we may either within or without the circle frame an angular figure with the inscription of such convenient numbers as are congruent amongst themselves to our work which are also to be known according to the manner of numbers and figures of which in the second book of occult philosophy it is sufficiently spoken Furthermore he is to be provided of lights perfumes unguents and medicines compounded according to the nature of the planet and spirit which do partly agree with the spirit by reason of their natural and coelestial virtue and partly are exhibited to the spirit for religious and superstitious worship Then he must be furnished with holy and consecrated things necessary as well for the defence of the invocant and his fellows as also serving for bonds to bind and constrain the spirits such as are either holy papers lamens pictures pentacles swords scepters garments of convenient matter and colour and things of the like sort Then when all these things are provided and the Master and his fellows being in the circle in the first place let him consecrate the circle and all those things which he useth which being performed with a conenient gesture and countenance let him begin to pray with a loud voice after this manner First let him make an oration unto God and then let him intreat the good spirits and if
the Conjuration of Sunday The Spirits of the Air of Tuesday are under the East-wind their nature is to cause wars mortallity death and combustions and to give two thousand Soldiers at a time to bring death infirmities or health The manner of their appearing you may see in the former book Considerations of Wednesday THE Angel of Wednesday his Sigil Planet the Sign governing that Planet and the name of the second heaven Raphaël ☿ ♊ ♠Raquie The Angels of Wednesday Raphael Meil Seraphiel The Angels of the air ruling on Wednesday Mediat or Modiat Rex Ministers Suquinos Sallales The wind to which the said Angels of the Air are subject The South-west-wind The Angels of the second heaven governing Wednesday which ought to be called from the four parts of the world At the East Mathlai Tarmiel Baraborat At the West Jerescue Mitraton At the north Thiel Rael Jariahel Venahel Velel Abuiori Ucirnuel At the south Milliel Nelapa Babel Caluel Vel Laquel The fumigation of Wednesday Mastick The Conjuration of Wednesday COnjuro confirmo vos angeli fortes sancti potentes in nomine fortes metuendissimi ben dicti Ja Adonay Eloim Saday Saday Saday Eie Eie Eie Asamie Asaraie in nomine Adonay Dei Israel qui creavit luminaria magna ad distinguendum diem à nocte per nomen omnium Angelorum deservientium in exercitu secundo coram Tetra Angelo majori atque forti potenti per nomen Stellae quae est Mercurius per nomen Sigilli quae sigillatur a Deo fortissimo honorato per omnia praedicta supet te Raphael Angele magne conjuro qui es praepositus diei quartae per nomen sanctum quod erat scriptum in fronte Aaron sacerdotis altissimi creatoris per nomina Angelorum qui in gratiam Salvatoris confirmati sunt per nomen sedis Ammalium habentium senas alas quòd pro me labores c. As in the Conjuration of Sunday The Spirits of the air of Wednesday are subject to the South-west-wind their nature is to give all metals to reveal all earthly things past present and to come to pacify Judges to give victories in war to re-edify and teach experiments and all decayed sciences and to change bodies mixt of elements coditionally out of one into another to give infirmities or health to raise the poor and cast down the high ones to bind or loose spirits to open locks or bolts such-kind of spirits have the operation of others but not in their perfect power but in virtue or knowledge In what manner they appear it is before spoken Considerations of Thursday THE Angel of Thursday his Sigil Planet the sign of the Planet and the name of the sixth heaven Sachiel ♃ ♠♓ Zebul The Angels of Thursday Sachiel Castiel Asasiel The Angels of the Air governing Thursday Suth Rex Ministers Maguth Gutrix The wind which the said Angels of the Air are under The South-wind But because there are no Angels of the Air to be found above the fifth heaven therefore on Thursday say the prayers following in the four parts of the world At the east O Deus magne excelse honorate per infinita secula That is to say O great and most high God honoured world without end At the west O Deus sapiens clare juste ac divina clementia ego rogo te piissime Pater quod meum petitionem quod meum opus meum laborem hodie debeam complere perfecte intelligere Tu qui vivis regnas per infinita secula seculorum Amen That is to say O wise pure and just God of divine clemency I beseech thee most holy father that this day I may perfectly understand and accomplish my petition work and labour thou who livest and reignest world without end Amen At the north O Deus potens fortis sine principio That is to say O God strong and mighty from everlasting At the south O Deus potens misericors That is to say O mighty and merciful God The perfume of Thursday Saffron The Conjuration of Thursday COnjuro confirmo super vos Angeli sancti per nomen Cados Cados Cados Eschereie Eschereie Eschereie Hatim ya fortis firmator seculorum Cantine Jaym Janic Anic Calbat Sabbac Berisay Alnaym per nomen Adonay qui creavit pisces reptilia in aquis aves super faciem terrae volantes versus coelos die quinto per nomina Angelorum servientium in sexto exercitu coram Pastore Angelo sancto magno potenti principe per nomen stellae quae est Jupiter per nomen Sigili sui per nomen Adonay summi Dei omnium creatoris per nomen omnium stellarum per vim virtutem earum per nomina praedicta conjuro te Sachiel Angele magne qui es praepositus diei Jovis ut pro me labores c. As in the conjuration of the Lord's day The Conjuration of Thursday I Conjure and confirm upon you ye holy Angels and by the name Cados Cados Cados Eschereie Eschereie Eschereie Hatim ya strong founder of the worlds Cantine Jaym Janic Anic Calbot Sabbac Berisay Alnaym and by name Adonay who created fishes and creeping things in the waters and birds upon the face of the earth and flying towards heaven in the fifth day and by the names of the Angels serving in the fixth host before Pastor a holy Angel and a great and powerful Prince and by the name of his star which is Jupeter and by the name of his seal and by the name Adonay the great God creator of all things and by the name of all stars and by their power and virtue and by all the names aforesaid I conjure thee Sachiel a great Angel who art chief ruler of Thursday that for me thou labour c. The spirits of the Air of Thursday are subject to the south wind their nature is to procure the love of women to cause men to be merry and joyful to pacify strife and contentions to appease enemies to heal the diseased and to disease the whole and procureth losses or taketh them away Their manner of appearing is spoken of already Considerations of Friday THE Angel of Friday his Sigil his Planet the sign governing that Planet and name of the third heaven Anaël ♀ ♈ ♎ Sagun The Angels of Friday Anael Rachiel Sachiel The Angels of the Air reigning on Friday Sarabotes King Ministers Amahiel Aba Abalidoth Blaef Tho wind which the said Angels of the Air are under The west-wind Angels of the third heaven ruling on Friday which are to be called from the four parts of the world At the east Setchiel Chedusitaniel Corat Tamael Tenaciel At the west Turiel Coniel Babiel Kadie Maltiel Huphaltiel At the north Peniel Penael Penat Raphael Raniel Doremiel At the south Porna Sachiel Chermiel Samael Santanael Famiel The Perfume of Friday Pepperwort The Conjuration of Friday COnjuro
a mile and the flocking together of great ravens and vultures near it did prohibit any access thereunto And he reported that in Lyppora near about the Aeolian Islands there was a certain hill from whence in the night there was heard Cymbals and sounds of tinkling instruments of brass with certain secret and hidden screechings laughings and roarings of spirits But even now Castor thou didst make mention of Zazelus whom also thou didst assert to have have been called Eurynomus by Pausania I desire the to shew me something more largely concerning this spirit Castor They do declare that he lives altogether by the flesh of the dead so as sometimes he doth not leave the bones Pollux Saxo Grammaticus in the fifth book of his Danish history doth most truly subscribe their consents and agreements to this thy assertion for there he sets before our eyes an admirable history of one Asuitus and Asmundus which easily proveth all thy sayings Castor I beseech thee declare this unto me Pollux Pollux Give attention it is thus Asuitus and Asmundus had sworn with mutual vows each to other that he which should live longest of them would entomb himself alive Now sickness did consume away Asuitus before Asmundus whereupon Asmundus for his oath of friendship sake with his dog and his horse entombed himself alive in a vast deep den having carried with him some meat whereupon a long time he fed And at length Ericus the King of Succia came into that place with an Army and broke open the tomb of Asuitus supposing their had been treasure hid therein but when the cave was opened he drew out Asmundus and brought him into the light who was covered with a deformed sharp countenance a deadly deformity and gored with blood flowing from his fresh wounds Castor But this story pertaineth not to our purpose Pollux Truly it doth if you diligently mark these verses which set forth the cause of his wounds Castor Shew me those verses if thou hast them Pollux They are these which follow Quid stupedis qui relictum me Colore cernitis Obsolescit nempe vivus omnis inter mortuos Nescio quo Stygii numinis ausu Missus ab inferis Spiritus affiuit Savis alipedem dentibus â—dit Infandoque Canem praebuit ori Non contentus equi vel canis esu Mox in me rapidos traâ—stulit ungues Discissaque gena sustulit aurem Huic laceri vultus horret imago Emicat inque fero vulnere sanguis Haud impune tamen monstâ—ifer egit Nam ferro servi mox caput ejus Persodique nocens stipite Corpus Why are ye amaz'd to see me pale 'Mongst th' dead what 's living needs must fail By what straâ—ge warrant from black hell A Spirit sent I know not fell With mercileâ—s teeth upon my Hâ—rsâ— And next my Dog without remorâ—e Devour'd but not with Dog and Horse Contented he on me the force Of his sharp nails try'd hence did tear Part of this cheek and one whole ear So my torn face doth look thus ill And all this blood appeareth still But yet this monstrous fiend from me I do assure you escaped not free His head my sword did from him take And 's trunk to th' ground I fixt with stake Castor I observe here that Asmundus did cut the head of the spirit Zazelus or Eurynomus and struck and pierced his body with a club what have spirits bodies that may be seen and handled by men Pollux Cortesius doth not deny but that their natures may receive the habit and covering of vegitable bodies and be transformed in several kinds of shapes whereby they can the more craftily and subtilly delude and deceive the improvident wits of men Basilius Magnus also testifieth the same and witnesseth that they have bodies appropriated to themselves as likewise also have the pure Angels Psellus a Necromanâ—er doth also report the same and he also teacheth That sometimes they sleep or rest and do change their places and shew themselves visible to the senses of men Socrates asserteth that a Spirit did speak with him which also sometimes he saw and felt but their bodies cannot be discerned to be different in sex But Marcus Cherronesus an excellent searcher into the natures of Spirits writeth that they have simple bodies and that there doth belong a difference of sex to compound bodies yet their bodies are easily drawn to motion and flexibility and naturally apt to receive every configuration For saith he even as the clouds do shew forth the apparition and resemblance sometimes of men and sometimes of every thing you conceive so likewise do the bodies of Spirits receive various shapes as they please by reason whereof they transform themselves into the forms sometimes of men and sometimes of women Nevertheless this is not free to them all but only to the fiery and airy Spirits For he teacheth that the Spirits of the water have more slow and less active bodies which by reason of the slowness and softness of that element they do most especially resemble birds and women of which kind the Naiades and Nereides are celebrated by the Poets Trimetius testifies that the Devils do desire to assume the shapes of men rather than any other form but when they cannot find the matter of the air convenient and befitting for that purpose And he saith that they frame such kind of appearances to themselves as the contrary humour or vapour will afford and so they are seen sometimes in the form and shape of a Lion a Wolf a Sow an Ass a Centaure of a Man horned having feet like a Goat such as it is reported were seen in the mountain of Thrungia where there was heard a terrible roaring Castor Porphyrius in Eusebius in his fourth book of Evangelical preparations teacheth that some of these are good spirits and some bad but I have counted them to be all evil Pollux Pollux Then it seemeth that thou art not seduced with the assertions either of Porphyrius or Apuieus or Proclus or of some other Platonicks which are mentioned in St. Augustines book of the City of God 1 2 and 3 chapter who also do affirm that there are some of these Spirits good for Eusebius in the said book and 6 Chapter and St. Augustine concerning the same in his book of The City of God the 9 Chapter and the 8 with very great and strong arguments do convince the Platonicks that none of these Daemons are good but all evil and that we do also approve of from their names which are every where set forth in holy Scripture for the Devil is called Diabolus that is flowing downwards that he which swelling with pride determined to reign in high places fell flowing downwards to the lowest parts like the torrent of a violent stream as Cassiodorus writeth And he is called Sathan that is an adversary who as St. Jerome testifieth by reason of the corruption of his own malice he continually resisteth and is an adversary against God who is the
subsist without an Enemy which virtue no sooner had the Almighty indued man withal but he forthwith added unto him an enemy lest that virtue should lose its nature being stupified with idleness He saith that a man cannot otherwise attain to the highest step unless he have always an active hand and that he shall establish and build up his salvation with a continual warfare and contention for God will not that mortal men shall come to immortal blessedness with an easy journey but he must wrestle and strive with sails and oars against the author and inventor of all evils and errors who causeth and worketh execrable things and miracles Cast. But sometimes it cometh to pass that by reason of the subtil snares and stratagems of the devil which he so craftily prepareth against us and especially against simple persons whom he intangleth with vain religions so that we cannot resist him or if we suppose our selves to be very able to withstand him yet nevertheless we shall be very much deceived by him as we read he oftentimes did to the good but almost foolish pastor of whom Tritemius maketh menâ—ion Poll. But what happened to this good Pastor and whom thou termest simple Cast. Tritemius saith Insomuch that he was not strong in faith therefore he made more account of the name of Saint Blaze and attributed more power and custody unto it than unto the name of God the best and greatest good Poll. In what manner Cast. He had in his walking staff or pastoral crook a Schedule inscribed with the name of St. Blaze by the power and virtue of which staff he did believe his swine were safely defended from the ravening of the wolves and he did attribute so great a deity to this Schedule that he would leave his herd of swine to feed in the fields alone notwithstanding a certain time coming when the pastor was absent from his flock and a certain man coming in the mean time saw the devil keeping them and he asked him what he kept here who is the worst persecutor of the salvation of men he answered I keep these swine The other replied By whose command the devil saith By the foolish confidence of the pastor for he included a certain Schedule in his staff unto which he ascribeth divine virtue or to the inscription of the name of St. Blaze and now contrary to his own law he believeth that his hogs are thereby defended from the injury of wolves inhering to me with a false superstition where when he hath been by me called again and again and hath not appeared I have taken this custody upon myself instead of St. Blaze for I always freely stand instead of God and his saints so also now most freely do I keep his swine for St. Blaze that I may magnify and confirm the foolish man in his vain confidence and thereby I may seduce him so that he may esteem this Schedule more than God Poll. This is a pleasant story but I do not wonder that the devil should impose so much upon so simple a pastor when he doth in many things prevail over the more wise if they do fit themselves to his opportunities which the Church contradicteth Poll. But are all things wrought and brought to pass by means of the devil which men call miracles Cast. No for we must give unto nature that which seemeth to belong unto her who is said to be the greatest worker of miracles as that which we have experienced in the stone Asbestos which as Solinus witnesseth being once set on fire cannot be quenched and the root Baara described by Josephus in the history of Jerusalem which he testified to be the colour of a flame of fire splendent shining in the night but so difficult to be taken that it always flies from under the hand of him that would take it and deceiveth his eyes so long until it be sprinkled with the urine of a menstruous woman and when it is retained by this means it may not be gathered or plucked up without danger for present death followeth him that gathereth or plucketh it up unless he shall be forâ—ifiâ—d with a presâ—rvative about his neck of the samâ— root For which cause they who want the same root do scarify it round about and having bound the root about with a bond they tye the â—ame to a dog and sudenly depart away Whereupon the dog too much endeavouring to follow after him drawâ—th up the root and as if the dog where to perform the turn of his master he forthwith dies and afterwardâ— the same root may be taken and handled without any danger to any man And the same Josephus teacheth that the same root is of such present force for expiations that also those who are vexed and tormented with unclean spirits are immediately delivered if they carry this root about them Notwithstanding there is nothing hindereth but that art also may imitate nature in the working of miracles as we may read in Aristotle of the Greek fire that would burn in water of which the said author in his singular treatise concerning this hath described very many compositions And concerning the fire which is extinguished with oil and kindled with cold water when it is besprinkled over therewith Poll. It sometimes happened that the devils do cloath themselves sometimes in more slender and sometimes in more gross habits that thereby they may very much affright and molest men with horrible phantasies and terrible sights with ghosts appearing in divers and several shapes aspects What cannot we be fortified with any thing to force and compel them to fly from us Cast. Origen in his book against Celsus saith that there is no way more certain than the naming of JESUS the true God For he saith he hath oftentimes seen innumerable spirits so driven away both from the souls and bodies of men St. Athanasius in his book de variis Quaestion testifieth that the most present remedy against the insultations of evil spirits is the begining of the 67 Psalm Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered Cyprian in his book Quod idola dii non sint commandeth that the devils should be conjured away by the true God Some men have declared that fire which is the most holy of all elements and the creed and also the instrument whereon the fire was carried were very profitable for this purpose from whence in their sacrifices about the sepulchers of the dead they diligently observed the use of lights or else from thence that Pythagoras did determine that God could in no wise be truly worshipped without lights burning Some others do bind swords for this intent and purpose taking the same out of the 11 Ode of Homer where he writeth that Ulysses when he offered a sacrifice to his mother had a sword drawn present by him wherewith he expelled and drove away the spirits from the blood of his sacrifice And in the sixth of Virgil when the Sybil led Aeneas into
meridional Spirits are predâ—stinated to this purpose such as Nisrach and Kollen that do so frame and contrive unlawful loves which produce shame and dishonesty revellings and grâ—â—andizings surfeitings with excessive drunkenâ—ss wanton dances gluttony and vomiting tâ—ey 〈◊〉 about lakes fish-ponds and rivers aâ—◠〈◊〉 are the worst soul and most fraudulent kind â—f Spiriâ—s anâ— by Alâ—inach an occidental spirâ—â— â—e 〈◊〉 seâ—k sâ—ipwrecks tempests earthquakes 〈…〉 and frequâ—ntly subverteth and over 〈◊〉 ships and if he will appear visible he 〈…〉 and is seen in the shape of a woman The 〈◊〉 Astronomers before spoken of do say 〈…〉 spirits of the air do cause thunders 〈…〉 and tâ—underbolts that so they might 〈…〉 and infect the air and produce pestilence 〈…〉 Of such kind of spirits St. John 〈…〉 in the 9 Chapter of the Revelaâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 Meceris for their tutelar which is a spirit causing heat in the time of noon St. Paul calleâ—h him The prince of the power of the air and the spirit that ruleth in the children of disobedience Castor Are there so many monsters in phlegeton Pollux Pollux And many more for the same Hebrew Assertors do declare and maintain that there are are spirits of the fiery element raging about like the fierce Panthers which are conversant under the lunary regions that whatsoever is committed to them they forthwith execute the same And there are spirits of the earth which inhabit in groves woods and wildernesses and are the plague and mischief of hunters and sometimes they frequent open fields endeavouring to seduce travellers and passengers out of their right way or to deceive them with false and wicked illusions or else they seek to afflict men with a hurtful melancholy to make them furious or mad that they may hurt them and sometimes almost kill them The chief of these are Sanyaab and Achimael which are oriental spirits a kind unapt for wickedness by reason of the constancy of their dispositions There are also subterranean spirits which do inhabit in dens and caverns of the earth and in remote concavities of mountains that they might invade deep pits and the bowels of the earth these do dig up metals and keep treasures which oftentimes they do transport from one place to another lest any man should make use thereof they stir up winds with flashing flames of fires they smite the foundations of buildings acting frightful dances in the night from which they suddenly vanish away with making a noise and sound of bells thereby causing fear in the beholders and sometimes dissembling and faining themselves to be the souls of the dead notwithstanding they are ignorant in compassing their deceits upon women of which company the Negromancers do say is Gazael Fegor and Anarazol Meridian spirits Castor How warily ought a man to walk Pollux amongst so many gins and snares Pollux A man never walketh safely unless he fortify and strengthen himself with the armour of God which is that his loins be girt about him with truth and having on the breast-plate of righteousness let him walk with his feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace and let him take the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation whereby he shall dash in pieces all the darts of his adversaries But hear further there are also besides these other lying spirits although they are all lyars yet these are more apt to lie they are called Pythons from whence Apollo is called Pythius They have a Prince of whom mention is made in the book of the Kings where it is said I will be a lying Spirit in the mouth of all thy prophets from whom the spirits of iniquity do but a little differ which also are called vessels of wrath Belial whom they have interpreted to be without any equal and Paul calleth him an apostate or transgressor is filthily inserviant for the worst inventions Plato affirmeth Theut to have have been such a one who was the first that found out and invented plays and dice to whom we will join the Monk who invented the use of Gunpowder in his Engins of war Of these Jacob makes mention in Genesis where he blessed his Sons he saith Simeon and Levi are bloody vessels of iniquity Oh my soul come not thou into their counsels The Psalmist termeth these Spirits vessels of death Jeremiah vesâ—els of wrath Ezekiel calleth them vessels of death and destruction The Nâ—gromancers do call the said Belial Chodar an oriental spirit which hath under him also the spirits of Juglers who do imitate and endeavour to act miracles that they may seduce false Magicians and wicked persons It is apparently manifest that the serpent which deceived Eve was such a seducer and Satan is his Prince of whom it is spoken in the Revelations that he should deceive the whole world And such a one was he that at Tubinga in the sight of many people devoured a whole Chariot and some horses Castor And what shall be the end of these false Prophets and workers of wickedness I can scarce believe that there is any angle or corner in the whole fabrick of the world that is free from them Poll. Scarce the smallest mite that may be seen Castor Therefore thou dost truly call the world the receptacle of those fâ—lse lights Poll. If it were not morâ— sâ—fely purged with the Sword of the word of God it would forthwith be worse Castor Without doubt Pollux Nevertheless I have seen many that remain whom I have not yet inscribed in this frantique Catalogue Castor Who are they Pollux False accusers and spies obedient to Astaroth who is called a devil among the Greeks and John calleth him the accuser of the brethren Also there are tempters and deceivers that lie in wait to deceive who are present with every man and these we term evil Angels which have Mammon for their King and they do affect men with an insatiable avarice and thirsty desire after authority and dominion There are others called Lucifugi which fly from the light never appearing in the day but delighting in darkness maliciously vexing and troubling men and sometimes by Gods permission either by some touching breathing or inspiration do hurt to them but truly they are a kind which are unapt for to do much wickedness because they eschew and fly from any communication with men Pliny the 2d relates that there was such a one at Athens in a certain spacious house which Anthenodorus the Philosopher happened to purchase And Suetonius in his sixth book of Caesar makes mention of another to have long continued in the garden of Lamianus Castor I desire if it be not too Irksom to thee declare unto me what Pliny speaketh concerning this spirit of Anthenodorus Pollux The story is something long and prolixious yet it shall not much trouble me to relate it It is thus Pliny in the seventh book of his Epistles writeth of a certain large spacious house at Athens which no body would inhabit by reason of the nocturnal incursions of