The World Bewitched, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. That all the different ſorts of Witchcraft, that have been in uſe, proceeded from the ſame Original.
Sect. 1. I have hitherto treated of thoſe Arts, that to ſay properly, are Sciencies, ſuppoſed to be acquired ſeveral ways, by the Communication with the Gods, or with the Spirits. Now I ſhall Treat of Magick, which refers to Action. That name is now determin'd to that particular practice, thô it has been given in general to all the other Sciencies, of which I have ſpoken in the foregoing Chapter. If comes from the Grecians, thô it be not a Greek word. 'Tis univerſally believ'd, that it is a Perſian word; now that Tongue had Anciently many things common with the Hebrew, as well in the Stile as in the Etymologie; But in Hebrew foreign Hagah, ſignifies to cenſider, to reflect and foreign Mahgeh, thinking Perſon, one who tells Secrets and Myſteries. I have explain'd what the Magi were in my Commentary upon Daniel, Sect 62, where the matter required it; they, were at firſt honeſt Men, who endeavoured to penetrate into the ſecrets of Nature, by lawfull means, and attained to the performance of things above the common Belief, Nam quod ego apud plurimos lego, Perſarum lingua, magus eſt, qui noſtra ſacerdoss. for as I read, in ſeveral Authors, a Magus in the Perſian Tongue ſignifies a Prieſt in ours. Theſe are the words of Apuleius in his Apology, and Plato calls Magick, foreign, the Cure of the Gods, 'and Porphyrie foreign ſays, that Divines and Phyſicians were called by the Perſians, Magi; which title was given to both in the Countrey. Heſychius likewiſe ſays, that a pious Man and well inform'd in the knowledge of Divine things, or a Prieſt is called Magus, foreign; and Cicero de Divinatione, ſapientum & doctorum genus magorum habebatur in Perſis; amongſt the Perſians, the Magi were look'd upon as Wiſe and learned Men.
Sect. 2. 'Tis very probable, that when thoſe Men were got at Court and in great eſteem amongſt the Vulgar, their Art was not ſufficient to keep up their Reputation; then they begun to uſe Craft and Cheats, and even ſome of them, abuſed that Art ſo far, as to joyn Malice to Deception, and not to ſpare either the Goods, or the Blood or ſeveral Perſons; ſo that as on the one ſide, the Pagans extreamly honoured that ſort of People, becauſe of their Wit and parts; ſo they deſpiſed them upon another Account, and had a great hatred for them. Thence proceeded that ſome have Anciently been famous in the Magick Art, as well for the good, as the bad uſe they made of it, as Apollonius of Tyanis, whoſe Life has been written by Philoſtrates, and Elymas, who reſiſted St. Paul, Acts, 13. Verſe 8. And the Wiſemen of Egypt and Babylon, who were called to expound the Dreams of their Kings. Gen. Chap. 4. Verſe 8. And Daniel, Chap. 2. Verſe 4. Even Moſes, Daniel, the Wiſemen of the Eaſt, who ſought the King of the Jews newly born; all thoſe Men were famous for Magick, thô Authors ſpeak variouſly of them, either with or againſt them, there is ſo much difference betwixt the ſame Sciences and the ſame Actions, by the good or bad uſe that is made of them. Nevertheleſs, it was properly that Art, to which we now give the name of Magick. Agrippa of Nettinheim, diſtinguiſhes it in Two ſorts, one of which may be called Natural Magick and the other Artificial; becauſe the firſt having Natural cauſes, produces Natural Effects, but the Second being an invention of Art, Nature has no ſhare in it's Operations. I mean that as it is neceſſary in all Arts and Handicrafts, that Nature ſhould ſupply the matter and power of Action, thô the Workman imploys them this or that way, only by the rules of his Art. It goes even ſo with the Artiſts of whom I ſpeak, and not as which a Husbandman, who can only prepare the Ground, caſt his Seed upon, or plant a Tree upon it, but muſt expect the Harveſt and Fruit from Nature it ſelf, holpen with his Art.
Sect. 3. They believe, ſays Agrippa, that Natural Magick is but the higheſt Degree of power, in Natural Sciences; for which Reaſon they call it the extream and laſt perfection of the knowledge of Nature; ſaying, that it is the active part of Natural Wiſdom, which, by the help of Natural power uſed in proper time, operates wonderful effects, and raiſes Admiration. The Moors and Indians made a ſpecial uſe of that Magick, that is, as much as it was able to produce effects, by the power of Herbs, Stones, and other things of the ſame kind. Moreover, ſays again Agrippa, for that Reaſon, Natural Magick is that, which penetrates the Virtues of all Natural things, and which with a ſubtle diſcerning, having exactly ſearched into their Indurations, and Sympathies, diſcovers ſo far their ſecret powers, that by them it produces wonders, which amaze Humane underſtanding; not ſo much by Art, as Nature, to which, as to its Soveraign Art ſubmits it ſelf, and only lends her the helping Hand. Thus we can by Natural ways produce ripe Fruits before their Seaſon, and even infects, only by ſupplying the want of time, by Natural means unknown to other Men; as it is done, thô in a leſs Degree of perfection, by Gardners, each of whom, ſtrives to be the firſt in getting early Fruits, helping Nature by Art, and ſtill however by the means of Nature her ſelf. The difference only conſiſts in this, that a Magus, who wholly gives up himſelf to his ſtudy, penetrates much farther into the knowledge of the power of Nature, than the Vulgar, and even thoſe learned, who care not to take that trouble upon them. But as all theſe things are done without the particular aſſiſtance and concourſe of God and the Spirits, they concern not the preſent queſtion; however we mention them, that we may learn to diſtinguiſh them from the ſubject in Hand, and all it's dependencies, of which we intend to give a clear and undeniable notion.
Sect. 4. We have hitherto ſeen the Magick of the Pagans, included within the bounds of Nature. Now I deſire the Reader to remember what I have ſaid in my Commentary upon Daniel, Sect. 26. viz. That to the Magick antiently in uſe Mathematicks, Phyſick, and Divinity were ordinarily conjoyned; ſome giving up themſelves to one of thoſe Sciences, and others to another, whence proceeded a difference of Names, betwixt the Students of Magick; ſome of whom were called Mathematicians, and others Phyſicians, or by a more odious name, Poiſoners. The former applyed themſelve chiefly to perform wonderful things; and the others to perpetrate Wickedneſs. Amongſt their Wonders may be counted the Wooden Dove of Architas, that fly'd, and the Statues of Mercury that ſpake; but the imployment of Poiſoners was to annoy Men, their Goods and their Beaſts, by many things commonly unknown. And having learned the Virtues and Properties of them by their Study, they put them, in uſe in ſuch a concealed and imperceptible way, that one could ſcatce belieye what he ſaw effected; and this is, what they really operated. But as to what they boaſted of beſides, or perhaps, imagin'd themſelves capable of; it was, that by the virtues of Simples, and ſome other Drugs mixed together, they could transform Men into Beaſts, Beaſts into Men, Beaſts and Men into other Beaſts and Men, conjure up Ghoſts, or raiſe the Dead out of their Graves, &c.
Sect. 5. Now we muſt ſpeak of Magick meerly Artificial, which may rightly be ſo called, becauſe Nature has no ſhare in it; but that is a work of Art alone, which however preſuppoſes Nature; one may alſo very fitly give the names of Witchcraft, Conjuration, and Inchanting in general, to all the various practiſes that are made of it; for we call Witchcraft whatever is operated by the power of the Devil, with the communication of Men, which is never done, without uſing ſome ſort of Conjuration , and Inchanting. That Art which required of its Profeſſors a particular way of living, always conſiſted in the uſe of ſome certain Signs and Words, that they utter'd or wrote, and in extraordinary Geſtures, in conſideration of which, the Demons were ready at all times to diſcover to them hidden things; and to operate in their behalf, ſupernatural Wonders. This was therefore the opinion of the Heathens, that beſides natural Magick, they believed themſelves capable of producing the moſt wonderful effects by the power of Demons, whom they knew how to make comply, by their Conjurations, to whatever they deſired.
Sect. 6. We muſt carefully obſerve this, becauſe, natural Magick is not commonly accurately diſtinguiſhed from the Artificial, either by the Antients or by the Moderns; and that which belongs to one, is frequently attributed to the other: even thoſe that meddle with it, having committed as many miſtakes as the others. For ſome of them, ſays Agrippa, are come to that heighth of Folly, as to believe, that by the different Concourſe and Aſpects of the Stars, with the interpoſition of time and proportions duely obſerved, they may, in a certain inſtant, acquire a ſenſible Idaea of Celeſtial things, and a Spirit of Life and Underſtanding; which being Interrogated by them, will give them Anſwers, and diſcover 'em hidden things. On the other ſide, they aſcribe to Nature what is above her power, which I cannot better expreſs, than by the very words of Agrippa, who proceeds thus. I deſire you to take notice, that thoſe Magicians, not only rake up into natural things, but even in a manner remove Nature out of her place; which they endeavour to do by Motions, by Numbers, by Geſtures, by Sounds, by Voices, by Congregations, by Lights, by the Inclinations of the Mind, and by Words. Thus it was that the Inhabitants of Pſilli and Marſi conjured Serpents, and put them to flight; thus Orpheus by his ſinging allay'd the Tempeſts, for the ſake of the Argonauts; Thus, as Homer relates, by ſome certain words, the blood of Ʋlyſſes was ſtopp'd. There was a puniſhment ordained by the Law of the 12 Tables, to thoſe that ſhould uſe ſuch ſort of Inchantments againſt Corn.
Sect. 7. It muſt not ſeem ſtrange to us that things ſhould be ſo, in the Pagans time, for Magick conſider'd in general, and in it ſelf, was eſteemed, becauſe of its depth, and honoured as Divine, taking the word in the ſenſe of the Heathens, and as it may be attributed to their Deities, which have been deſ…ribed before. Beſides, Magick was reverenced, becauſe of Efficacy and Power, beloved for its ſerviceableneſs in the good uſe of it, but hated and deteſted, by reaſon of its malignity, and the diſturbance it cauſed, when it was abuſed. The ſame Agrippa will tell us, in the words of Porphyry, which was the opinion of the moſt ingenious Heathens upon that ſubject. Porphyry ſays he, treating of Witchcraft, and of the Magick of Divine things, concludes at laſt, that it may render the Souls of Men capable of receiving Spirits and Angels, but he abſolutely denies, that one may approach God by that Art.