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Arbatel de Magia Veterum
(1575)
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 arid excellent
Arts wherewith the Rational soul was inbued are, by the rusty
canker of Time, brought unto 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 reprehendunt, & sicut
canes ignotos semper allatrant -- few understood, many reprehend,
and, as dogges barke at those they know not, so doe 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 not "Magus" but "Goes" -- that is,
familiar with evil Spirits -- usurped that title. But Magick and
Witchcraft are far differing Sciences, whereof Pliny, being
ignorant, scoffeth thereat [Nat. Hist., lib. 30.], for Nero (saith Pliny),
who had the most excellent Magicians of the East sent to 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 merely 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 countries, as also the holy
Scriptures, afford us sundry examples.
But magus is a Persian word primitively, whereby is expressed
such a one as is altogether conversant in things divine. As Plato
affirmeth, the Art of Magick is the art of worshipping God, and
the Persians call their gods magos, hence Apollonius
saith, that magus is either [illegible Greek] or [illegible Greek],
that is, that Magus is a name sometime 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 Matt., 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 entitle
sapientes or wise men, for the feare and worship of God,
is the beginning of knowledge. These wise men the Greeks call
Philosophers, and amongst the Egyptians they were termed
Priests; the Hebrews termed them Cabalistos, Prophets, Scribes, and Pharisees; and amongst the Babylonians they were differenced
by the name of Caldeans; 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 dæmonas prodit
terrenos, Vagos, humanitatis inimicos; Sosthenes, and ascribeth
the due Majesty to the true God, & 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 & heavenly Sciences, but under the name "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 names witches
are rightly called, who, without the Art of Magick, do indeed use
the help of the devil himself to do mischief; practising 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 have made odious the very name of Magick, having chiefly
sought, as the manner of all impostures is, to counterfeit the
highest and most noble part of it.
A second kind of Magick is Astrologie, which judgeth of the events
of things to come, natural and humane, by the motions and influences
of the stars upon the lower elements, by them observed and understood.
Philo Judaeus affirmeth that by this part of Magick or
Astrologie, 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 Arithmetic
and Astronomy, who, before Abraham's coming unto them, knew
none of these Sciences.
Abraham sanctitate & sapientia omnium præstantissimus,
primum Caldæos, deinde Phoenices, 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, Astrologie 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 Astrologie, as his writings testifie.
The third kind of Magick containeth the whole Philosophy of Nature,
which bringeth to light the innermost virtues, and extracteth
them out of Nature's hidden bosome to humane use: Virtutes
in centro centri latentes -- virtues hidden in the centre of
the Centre, according to the Chymists. Of this sort were Albertus,
Arnoldus de villa Nova, Raymond, Bacon, and others.
The Magick these men professed is thus defined: Magia est
connexio a viro sapiente agentium per naturam cum patientibus,
sibi, congruenter respondentibus, ut inde opera prodeant, non
sine corum admiratione qui causam ignorant -- Magick is the
connexion of natural agents and patients, answerable each to 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 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 immortality 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 Phoenicians, using Zoroaster's own words: Hæc ad verbum scribit
(saith Eusebius) Deus primus, incorruptibilium, sempiternus,
ingenitus, expers partium sibi ipsi simillimus, bonorum omnium
auriga, munera non expectans, optimus, prudentissimus, pater juris,
sine doctrina justitiam per doctus, natur perfectus, sapiens,
sacræ naturæ unicus inventor, etc. Thus saith
Zoroaster, word for word: God the first, incorruptable,
everlasting, unbegotten, without parts, most like himself, the
guide of all good, expecting no reward, the best, the wisest,
the father of right, having learned justice without teaching,
perfect, wise by nature, the onely inventor thereof.
So that a Magician is no other but divinorum cultor & interpres -- a studious observer and expounder of divine things. And the Art
itself is none other quam Naturalis Philosophiæ absoluta
consummatio -- the absolute perfection of Natural Philosophy.
Nevertheless there is a mixture in all things, good with evil,
of falsehood with truth, of corruption with purity. The good,
the truth, the purity, in every kinde, may well be embraced. As
in the ancient worshipping of God by sacrifice, there was no man
knowing God among the Elders that did not forbear to worship
the God of all power or condemn that kinde of Worship, because
the devil was so adored in the image of Baal, Dagon, Astaroth,
Chemosh, Jupiter, Apollo, and the like.
Neither did the abuse of Astrology terrify Abraham (if
we believe the most ancient and religious writers) from observing
the motions and natures of the heavenly bodies. Neither can it
[deter] wise and learned men in these days from attributing those
vertues, influences, and inclinations to the stars and other
Lights of Heaven, which God hath given to those his glorious creatures.
I must expect some calumnies and obtrectations against this, from
the malicious prejudiced men, and the lazie affecters of Ignorance,
of whom this age swarms, but the voice and sound of the Snake
and Goose is all one. But our stomacks are not now so queazie
and tender, after so long time feeding upon solid Divinity, nor
we so umbragious and startling, having been so long enlightened
in God's path, that we should relapse into that childish Age in which Aristotle's Metaphysicks, in a council in France, was forbid to be read.
But I incite the reader to a charitable opinion hereof, with a
Christian Protestation of an innocent purpose therein, and entreat
the reader, to the reader to follow, this advice: Tabæus,
Qui litigant, sint ambo in conspectis tuo mali & rei -- and
if there be any scandal in this enterprise of mine, it is taken,
not given. And this comfort I have in that axiome of Trismegistus:
Qui pius est, summe philosopatur -- and therefore I present
it without disguise -- and object it to all of candor and indifferencie.
And of Readers, of whom there be four sorts, as one observes:
Spunges, which attract all without distinguishing; Hour-glasses,
which receive, and pour out as fast; Bags, which retain only
the dregs of Spices and let the Wine escape; and Sieves, which
retain the best onely. Some there are of the last sort, and to
them I present this Occult Philosophy, knowing that they
may reap good thereby. And they who are severe against it, they
all pardon this, my opinion, that such their severity proceeds
from Self-guiltiness, and give me leave to apply that of Ennodius, that it is the nature of self-wickedness to think that of others which [they] themselves deserve. And it is all the comfort which [the] guilty have not to find any innocent.
But that amongst others this may find some acceptance, is the desire of
R. Turner
London, ult. Aug., l654
Contents
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