Preface

V/* cs- y/tYA
gotten Mrs. j|0 CBeyne row, C In- Iso a SW
Henry Cornelius Agrippa's
Fourth BOOK O F
OCCULT PHILOSOPHY*
AND
GEOMANC Y.
Magical Elements of
PETER de ABANO.
ASTRONOMICAL GEOMANCY:
the:’
NATURE of SPIRITS;
And ARBATEL of
M A G I C.
*
Ifnft Trai.flaied imo Inghjh hy Robot Turner, I'lulomatliecs. 1555.
’ :
And rtpiintcd with great Improvements, 1 783.
3
^ A
HISTORICAL }
medical
v
The P R EFACE.
To the unprejudiced Reader.
AS the fall of man made himfelf and all other creatures fubjech to vanity ; fo, by reafon thereof the mod noble and excellent arts wherewith the rational foul was endued, are by the ru fly canker of time brought into corrup- tion. For Magic itfelf which the ancients did fo divinely contemplate, is fcandalized with bearing the badge of all diabolical forceries : which art (faith Mirandula) Fauci intelligunt , multi repnhendunt, & ficut canes ignotos Jemper al~ latrant : Few underhand, many reprehend, and as dogs bark at thofe they know not : fo do many condemn and hate the things they under- hand not. Many men there are, that abhor the veiy name and word Magus, becaufe of Simon Magus, who being indeed not Magus . but Goes, that is, familiar with evil fpirits, ufurped that title But Magic and Witchcraft are far diffe- tem fciences ; whereof Pliny being ignorant, coffeth thereat: for JVero \ faith Pliny*) who : tiie moh excellent Magicians of the Eah fent
Pm by lytidales King of Armenia, who held t tat kingdom by him, found the art afier Iona*
iv The Preface .
finely and labour altogether ridiculous. Now Witchcraft and Sorcery, are works done meet- ly b\ the Devil, which with refptcf unto lome covenant made with man, he adleih by men ins inf niments, to accomplifh his evil ends : of thtfe, the hif orits of all ages, people and coun- trys, as alfo the holy Suiptures, affoid us fun- diy examples.
But 'Magus is a Peifian word primitively, whereby is expief fuch a one as is altogether converfant in things divine ; and as Plato af- firmed], the art of Magic is the art of worfliip- ing God; and the Fetfians called their gods Magnus, hence Appollouius faith, that Magus * is either o kaha phufm Iheos or therapemees *1 hcone, that is, that Magus is a name fnmetimes oi him that is a God by nature, and fometimes of him that is in the fervice of God : in W’hich latter fenfe it is taken in Matth ii. i, 2 "hen the wife men came to woiftiip Jefus, and this is the frf and hightf kind wl ich is called di- vine Magic; and thtfe t he Latin* did in title [apian ties. 01 wife men: lor the fear and wot flip of God, is the beginning of knowledge. lhefe wife men the Greeks call 1 hilo/ophn s ; and a- mong the Egyptians they were termed Pwfls : the Hebrews teimed tliem (abahjlos, 1'iopl ets.
Scribes, and l haiafccs ; and anxi i f 1 e Fa
by Ionian'
7 he Preface . v
bvJoniim they where kn vvn by the name of Cal leans ; and by the Perfians they were called M igician i : and one fpeaking of Snflhcnes , one °1 the ancient Magicians, ufeth thefc words : El wrwn D:un merika m je late profeqnitur, b an- gcloi minifir os Dei fed veri rjn veneralioni novit ajji- jlere ; idem rtawioiias pi odd terrcnos , Cages, hu* mane ta tii inimicas : Soflhenes aferibeth the due Majedy to the true God, and acknowledged! that his Angels are miuifiers and meffengers w!,,*ch attend the woifhip of the true God ; he alfo hath delivered, that there are Devils earthly and wandering, and enemies to mankind
So that the word Migus of itfelf imports a contemplator of divine and heavenly Sciences ; but under the name of Magic are all unlawful Arts comprehended ; as Necromancy and witchcraft, and luch Arts which are effioded by
combination with the Devil, and whereof he is a party.
I hefe Witches and Necromancers are alfo called Milifici or vtnifici ; forcerers or poifoners ; of which name VVitches are rightly called, who without the art of Magic do indeed ufe the ielp of the devil himfelf to do mifehief ; prac- tlclnS to mix the powder of dead bodies with oth r things by the help of the Devil prepared; and at other times to make pi&ures of wax, or
A 3 clay
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The Preface.
clay; or otherwife ( as it were facr amentaliter ) to died; thole things which the Devil by other means bringeih to pals. Such were, and to this day partly, if not altogether, are the cor- ruptions which have made odious the very name of Magic, having chiefly fought, as the man- ner of all impoflures is, to counterfeit the high- eR and rriofl noble part ot it.
A fecond kind of Magic is Aflrology, which ludgeth of the events of things to come, natural and human, by the motions and influences of the flars upon thefe lower elements, by them obferved and underflood.
Philo J udeus affimelh, that by tliis part of Magic or Aflrology, together with the moti- ons of the flars and other heavenly bodies, Abraham found out the knowledge of the true Ood while lie lived in Caldca , Qui contemplations
'fee- • ,
Creaturarum , cognevit Crealomm flaith Damajcen) who knew the Cieator by the contemplation of the creature. Jofephus repot teth of Abraham , that he inftru&ed the Egyptians in Arithmetic and Aftronomy ; who before Abrahams coining unto them, knew none of thefe Sciences,
Abraham (anditate hr japieniia omnium prcejlan- tijjimus primum (mtdceos, dande Phcnices , demum Kgyptios Sacer dotes, AJhologia hr Diviua docuerit.
Abraham the holiefl and wifeft of men, did firft
teach
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The Preface .
teach the Caldeans, then the Phoenicians, and laflly the Egyptian Piieils, Aflrology and Divine knowledge.
Without doubt Hermes Trifmegijlus , that di- vine Magician and Philofopher, who (as Tome %) lived long before Noah, attained to much Divine knowledge of the Creator through the itudy of Magick and Aflrology ; as his writings to this day extant among us do teflify.
i he third kind of Magic containeth the whole Philophy of nature ; which bringeth to light the in moll virtues, and extradeth them out of natures hidden bofom to human ufe : Vir lutes in centra centri lalenles ; Virtues hidden in the centre of the centre, according to the Chy miffs : of this fort were Albcrlus , Anialdus de villa nova, Rarnond , Eicon , and others, be.
The Magic thefe men profeffed are thus de- fined. - Magi a eft connexio a viro fapiente agentium pe> naturam cum paluntibus , Jibi , congruentor re- Jpondentibus , ut inde opera prodeant, non fine corum admua.lv ne qui caujam ignorant. Magic is the connexion of natural agents and patients, an- iwerable to each other, wrought by a wife man, to the bringing forth of fuch effects as are won- derful to thofe that know not their caufes.
in all thefe, %oroaJler was well learned efoe- cially 111 the fit It and the higheft i for in his
A 4 Oracles
viii 7 he Preface .
Oracles he confeffeth God to be the firfl and the highed ; he believeth in the Trinity, which be could not inveftigate by any natural know- .ledge : he fpeakefch of Angels and of Paradife; approveth the immortality of the foul ; teacheih Truth, Faith, Hope, and Love ; difcourfing of the abflinence and chanty of the Magi
Of this 2ipr of the Phoenicians, ufing /^ma/teds own words: Hat ad verburri [dibit (faith P.ufebim) Deui primus inumuplibillmm , Jempiternm ingenitus, expers parti - um, fibiipfi fimillimu* , bonorum omnium auriga , mumera non exp e Bam, oplimus , prude?ihffimus. pa - ter juris, fine doBrina jujhtiam perdottus , natura perfcBus, fapiens. jacra natura unicus inventor , &c. Thus faith ? ‘nroafler , word for word : God the find, incorruptable, ever lading, unbegotton, without parts, mod like himf If. the guide of all good, expelling no reward, the bed, the wifefl, the father of right, having learned juf- tice without teaching, perfed, wife by nature, the only inventor thereof.
bo that a Magician is no other but divinorwn culior ir interpret, a dudious obferver and ex- pounder of divine things ; and the art itftlf is none other than quam Naturatis Philofophia ab • Joint a conjummalio , than the abfoltue perfeftion of natural Philolophy, Meverthelefs there is a
mixture
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The Preface .
mixture in all things, of good with evil, of fall* hood with truth, of corruption with purity. The good, the truth, the purity, in every kind, may well be embraced : as in the ancient wor- fliiping of God by Sacrifice, there was no man knowing God among the Elders, that did for- bear to wo) (hip the God of all power or con- demn that kind of Worlhip, becaufe the De- vil was fo adored in the image of Baal, Da- gun. Attar olh , Cheiuojh , Jupiter, Apollo , and the hke.
Neither d d the abufe of Aftrology terrify Abraham , (if we believe the mod ancient and religious vY liters \ fiom obferving the motions ana natures of the heavenly bodies. Neither can it dehort wile and learned men in thefe du)s hom attributing tliofe virtues influences, ana inclinations, to the Stars and other Lights ol heaven, which God hath given to thole his glorious creatures.
I mull expd fome calumnies and obtre$a- tions againll this from the malicious piejudiced man, and the lazy affetflers of ignorance, of whom this age fwarms : but the voice and found of tne Snake and the Goole is all one. but out ftomachs are not now lo queazy and tender, alter io long time feeding upon fohd Divinity ; nor are we fo umbragious and fiart-
A 5 ling,
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the Preface .
ling*, having been To long enlightened in God's path, that we fhould relapfe into that childifli Age, in which Ariflotle's Metaphyfics, in a coun- cil in France , was forbid to be read.
But I incite the Reader to a charitable opini- on hereof, with a Chriffan Proteflation of an innocent purpofe therein ; and intreat the Reader to follow this advice of 7 abans Qui liti- gant, fmt amho in con/pcclu tuo mail & rei. And if there be any fcandal in this enterprize of mine, it is taken, not given. And this comfort 1 have in that Axiome of Trifinegijlus , Qui plus eft, fumme phylofbphatur. And therefore I pre- fent it without difguife, and objetff to it all of candor and indifference : and of readers, of whom there be four forts, as one obferves : Spunges, which attract all without diflinguifh- ing ; Hour-glaffes, which receive, and pour out as faff ; Bags, which retain only the dregs of Spices, and let the Wine efcape : and Sieves, which retain the beff only. Some there are of the lafl fort, and to them I prefect this Occult Philofophy , knowing that they may reap good thereby. And they who are fevere a - gainff it, they fhall pardon this my opinion, that Rich their feverity proceeds from Sclf- guiltinefs ; and give me leave to apply that of Ennodius , that it is the nature of the Self-
wicked nefs
The Preface .
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wickednefs, to think that of others, which they themfelves deferve. And it is all the comfort which the guilty have. Not to find any innocent But that amongfl others this may find tome acceptation, is the defire of.
R. TURNER.
London, Auguft , 1554.
A 6 .
To
Ml
V » ■
K ** i ,
To his /pedal friend Mr. R. Turner, on his judicious Iranjlation uf Corn. Agrippa.
AS one thatjufl out of a trance appears.
Am tz’d with llranger fights, whole fecret fears
Are fcarcely pal, but doubtful whether he May credit’s eyes, remained! Itcdlaftly Fix’d on thofe objeds ; j ufl like him 1 Hand, Rapt in amazement to behold that can By art come near the Gods, that far excel The Angels that in thofe bright fpheres do dwell. Behold Agrippa mounting the lofty Ikies, Talking with Gods ; and then anon he pries Int’ earth’s deep cabinet, as C Mercury ,
All kinds of fpirits willing fubjeds be,
And more than this his book fupplies : but we Blind mortals, no ways could be led to fee That light without a taper, then thou to us. Mud be Agtippa and an Oedipas.
Agrippa once again appears, by thee Pull'd out o’ tir allies of Antiquity.
Let fquint-ey’d envy pine away, whilfl thou Wear'll crowns of Praife on thy deferving brow.