Chapter 9
CHAPTER VI.
Gahalis : or the Extravagant Mysteries of the Cabalists,
ON a former page we referred to a book which at one time
achieved considerable notoriety under the title of ** Count
Gabalis ; or the Extravagant mysteries of the Cabalists," the follow-
ing extract will show the nature of the work and no doubt prove
interesting.
Count Gabalis : or the Extravagant Mysteries of the Gabalists,
or, Rosy-crucians Exposed in Five Pleasant Discourses on the
Secret Sciences.
Discourse the First.
God rest the soul of Monsieur the Count of Gabalis ! who as
they write me news, is lately dead of an Apoplexy. Now the
Cabalists will not fail to say, that this kind of Death is ordinary to
those who imprudently manage the Secrets of the Sages ; and that
since the Blessed Ramundus Lullius has pronounced the sentence
in his last Will and Testament, a destroying Angel has ever been
ready to strangle in a moment, aU those who have indiscreetly
revealed the Philosophick Mysteries.
But let them not so rashly condemn this Wise Man, without
having better information of his conduct. 'Tis true he has dis-
covered all to me ; but not without all the Cabalistick Circum-
spections requisite. I must do him the right, in giving this
testimony to his memory, that he was a great Zealot for the
religion of his fathers, the Philosoph^:^ ; and that he would have
suffered the flames, rather than have profaned the Sanctity of it,
by disclosing it to any unworthy Prince, to any ambitious person,
or to one that was incontinent ; three sorts of people, excommuni-
cated in all ages by the wise. By good fortune I am no Prince ;
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Oli QABALIS : OB THE EXTRAVAGANT
I have little Ambition ; and by the Sequel of this discourse, it
may be seen that I have a little more Chastity than a Sage needs
have. I am endued with a Docible Wit ; curious of knowledge,
and Bold enough : I want but a little Melancholy to make all
those who would blame the Count of Gabalis, confess that he
needed not have concealed any thing from me, in regard I was a
Subject proper enough for the Secret Sciences. It is true that
without Melancholy, no great progress can be made therein :
but this little stock of it that I have, was enough to make me not
to be rejected by them. You (has he said a hundred times to one)
have Saturn in an Angle, in his House, and Retrograde ; you can-
not fail, one of these days, of being as Melancholy as a Sage
ought to be : for the wisest of all men (as we know in the Cabal)
had, as you have, Jupiter in the Ascendant. And yet, it was
never observed, that he ever so much as once laughed, in all his
life time, so powerful was his Saturn in him, though it was cer-
tainly weaker than yours.
'Tis then my Saturn, and not Monsieur the Count of Gabalis
that the Virttioso must quarrel with, if I affect more the Divulging of
there Secrets, than the practising of them. If the Stars do not
their duty, the Count is not in the fault, and if I have not a soul
great enough to attempt to become Master of Nature, to turn the
Elements upside down, to entertain the Supreme Intelligences, to
command the Demons, to beget Giants, to create New Worlds, to
speak to God in his High Throne, and to oblige the Cherubin,
which defends the entrance of Paradise, to let me come in, and
take two or three turns in his Walks ; 'tis me that they must
blame more or less : they must not for this insult over the memory
of this Rare Man ; and say that he is dead, for having blabbed all
things to me. Is it impossible that amongst the wandering
spirits he may not have been worsted in a conflict with some
xindocibtp Hobgoblin 1 Perchance he is not dead^ but in appear-
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MYSTERIES OF THE CABALISTS. 83
ance ; following the custom of the Philosophers, who seem to Dye
in one place, and transport themselves to another. Be it how it
will, I can never believe, that the Manner wherewith he entrusted
his Treasures to me, merited any punishment. You shall see how
all things passed.
Common sense having always made me suspect that there was
a great deal of Emptiness in all that which they call Secret
Science, I was never tempted to lose so much time, as to turn
over the leaves of those books which treat of them : but yet not
finding it reasonable to condemn without knowing why, all those
addicting themselves thereto, who otherwise are wise persons, very
learned for the most part, and eminent both for the Gown and
Sword. I took up a resolution (that I might avoid being unjust»
and wearying myself with tedious reading) of feigning myself a
great devotee to those sciences, amongst all those, whom I could
learn were of that Gang. I had quickly better success than I
could possibly hope for. Since ail these gentlemen, how mysteri-
ous and how reserved soever they may seem to be, desire noUiing
more, than to vent their imaginations, and the new discoveries
which they pretend to have made in Nature. In a few dayes I
was the Confident of the most considerable amongst them, and
had every day one or other of them in my study, which 1 had on
purpose garmshed with their most phantastick authors. There
was never a learned Virtuoso of this kind, but I had correspon-
dence with him. In a word, for my Zeal to this science, I quickly
found that I was well approved by aU. I had for my companions.
Princes, Great Lords, Gown-men, Handsome Ladies, and Unhand-
some too ; Doctors, Prelates, Fryars, Nuns : in fine People of all
Hanks and Qualities. Some of them were for converse with
Angels, others with Devils, others with their Genius, others with
Incubus's ; some addicted themselves to the cure of diseases, some
G 2
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84 Oabaus : or the eztravaoant
to Star-gazing, some to the secrets of Divinity, and almost all to
the Philosopher's stone.
They all agreed, that these grand secrets, and especially the
Philosopher's stone, were hardly to be found out, and that but
very few do attain to them, but they had all in particular; a very
good opinion of themselves, to believe that they were of the
number of the Elect By good luck, with infinite impatiency, the
most considerable of them expected at this time, the arrival of a
lord, who was a great Cabalist, and whose Estate lyes upon the
frontiers of Poland. He had promised by letters to the children
of Philosophy in Paris to come and visit them ; and so to pass
from France into England. I had a Commission to write an
answer to this great man : I sent him the scheme of. my Nativity,
that he might judge if I were capable of aspiring to the supreme
wisdom. My scheme and my letter were so happy to oblige him
to do me the honour of answering me ; that I should be one of
the first that he would see at Paris ; and that, if Heaven did not
oppose, there should be nothing wanting in him to introduce me
into the Society of the Wise.
In the well management of my good fortune, I entertain a
regular correspondence with the illustrious German : I propose to
him, from time to time, great doubts, as well grounded as I could,
concerning the Harmony of the World, the Numbers of Pytha-
goras, the Revelations of St. John, and the first chapter of Genesis.
The greatness of the matter ravished hun ) He writ to me
unheard of Wonders ; and I plainly saw that I had to deal with a
man of a most vigorous and most copious imagination. I was
astonished one remarkable day, when I saw a man come in a most
excellent Mien, who, saluting me gravely, said to me in the French
tongue, but in the accents of a foreigner : Adore my son ; Adore
the most glorious and great God of the Sages and let not thyself
be puflfed up with pride, that he sends to thee one of the children of
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MYSTERIES OF THE CABALIST8. 85
Wisdom to constitute thee a fellow of tbeir society, and make thee
partaker of the wonders of his Omnipotency.
This strange manner of salutation, did upon the sudden surprise
me, and I began, at first, to question, whether or no it might not
be some apparition : nevertheless, recovering my spirits the best 1
could, and looking upon him as civilly as the little fear I was
seized with, could permit me, Whatever you be (said I to him)
whose Complement savours not of this world, you do me a great
honour in making me this visit. But I beseech you, if you please,
before I worship this God of the Sages, let me know of what God
and what Sages you speak. Do me the favour to sit down on this
chair and give yourself the trouble to tell me, what this God is,
and what these Sages, this Company, these Wonders of Omnipo-
tency, and after or before all this, what kind of creature I have
the honour to speak to.
Sir, you receive me most Sage-like (said he, smiling, and taking
the chair which I presented him) you desire me on a sudden to
explain things to you, which, if you please, I shall not resolve
to-day. The Complement which I made you, are the words which
the Sages use at first, to those to whom they purpose to open their
hearts and to discover their mysteries. I had thought that being
so wise as you seemed to me in your letters, this salutation would
not have been unknown to you, and that it would be the most pleas-
ing Complement that could be made you by the Count of Gabalis.
Ah ! Sir (cried I, remembering that I had a ticklish game to
play) how shall I render myself worthy of so much goodness ? Is
it possible that the excellentest of all men should be in my study 1
that the great Gabalis should honour me with his visit 1
I am the least of the Sages (replied he, with a serious look) and
God, who dispenses the beams of his wisdom by weight and
measure, as his sovereignty pleases, has given me but a small
talent^ in comparison of that which I admire in my fellows. I
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86 GABALIS ; OR THE EXTRAVAGANT
hope that you may equal them, one day ; if I durst judge of it by
the scheme of your nativity, which you did me the honour to send
me : but you give me cause to complain of you, Sir (added he,
smiling) in taking me even now for a Spirit. Not for a Spirit,
(said I to him) but I protest to you. Sir, that calling to my
remembrance on a sudden, what Cardan relates of his father ; that
being one day in his study, he was visited by unknown persons,
cloathed in divers colours; who entertained him in a pleasant
discourse concerning their nature and employment. I understand
you (interrupted the Count), they were Sylphes, of which I shall
talk to you hereafter : they are a kind of Aerial substances ; who
sometimes come to consult the Sages concerning the books of
Averroes, which they do not well understand. Cardan was a
coxcomb, for publishing that amongst his subtilties : he had found
those memories amongst his father's papers, who was one of us,
and who seeing that his son was naturally a babbler, would teach
him nothing of what was most considerable ; but let him puzzle
his brains in Astrology, by which he was not cunning enough to
prevent his sons being hanged. This ass was the cause of yoitr
doing me the injury to take me for a Sylphe. Injury (replied 1 1)
Why, Sir, should I be so unfortunate to —I am not angry at it
(interrupted he) since you are not obliged to know beforehand,
that all these elementary spirits are our disciples ; for they are
most happy, when we will stoop so low, as to instruct them ; and
the least of our Sages is more knowing than all those little gentle-
men. But we shall talk more at large of this, some more con-
venient time; it is sufi&cient for me to-day, that I have had the
satisfaction to see you. Endeavour, my son, to make yourself
worthy of receiving the Cabalistical Illuminations : the hour of
your regeneration is come ; the fault is your own, if you become
not a new creature. He went out of my study, and I complained of
his short visit, as I waited on him back, that he had the cruelty to
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MYSTERIES OP THE CABALISTS. 87
leave me so quickly, after he had let me be so happy, as to have a
glimpse of his light But having assured me with a grand graee
that I should lose nothing by this sudden departure, he got up
into his coach, and left me in a surprise which I am not able to
express. I could not believe my own eyes, nor my own ears : Fm
sure (said I) that this is a man o( great quality ; that he hath an
estate of five thousand pounds a year, besides he appears very
accomplished. Is it possible that he can thus sufier himself to be
filled with these fooleries ? He has talked to me of these Sylphes
with great eamestnes : should he prove a sorcerer in the upshot 1
and should I have been deceived till now, in believing that there
were no such things 1 But suppose he was a Sorcerer, are there
also some of them so devout as this man appears to be 1
The Count was pleased to allow me all the night in Prayer, and
in the morning by break of day, he acquainted me with a note
that he would come to my house by eight of the clock, and that if
I pleased, we might go and take the air together. I waited for
him ; he came, and after reciprocal civilities, let us go (said he to
me) to some place where we may be free together and where
nobody may interrupt our discourse.
He seeing that we were as &ee &om company as he could desire
said : — How happy shall you be, my son, if heaven has the kind-
ness to put those dispositions into your soul, which the high
mysteries require of you. You are about to learn how to com-
mand nature; God above shall be your master, and the Sages
only shall be your equals, the supreme intelligences shall esteem
it as glory to obey your desires. When you shall be enrolled
amongst the children of Philosophy, and that your eyes shall be
fortified by the use of our sacred medicine, you shall immediately
discover that the Elements are inhabited by most perfect creatures,
from the knowledge and commerce of whom, the sin of the un-
fortunate Adam has excluded all his too unhappy posterity.
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88 GABALIS; OR THE EXTRAVAGANT
This immense space which is between the earth and the Heavens,
has more noble inhabitants than birds and flies ; this vast ocean
has also other troops, besides dolphins and whales ; the profundity
of the earth, is not only for moles ; and the element of fire (more
noble than the other three) was not made to be unprofitable and
void.
The air is full of an innumerable multitude of people having
human shape, somewhat fierce in appearance, but tractable upon
experience ; great lovers of the sciences, subtil, officious to the
Sages, and enemies to sots and ignorants. Their wives and their
daughter have a kind of masculine beauty, such as we describe the
Amazons to havQ. How Sir (cried I), would you persuade me, t]iat
these friends you speak of are married 1
Be not so fierce, my son (replied he) for so small a matter.
Believe whatsoever I tell you, to be solid and true. I am making
known nothing to you, but the principles of the antient Cabal,
and there needs nothing more to justify them, than that you
should believe your own eyes ; but receive with a meek spirit the
light which God sends you by my interposition. Know that the
Seas and Eivers are Inhabited, as well aa the air : the ancient
Sages have called these kind of people Undians or Nymphs.
They have but few males amongst them, but the women are there
in great numbers : their beauty is marvellous, and the daughters
of men have nothing in them comparable to these.
The earth is filled almost to the centre with Gnomes or
Pharyes, a people of small stature, ihe guardians of treasures, of
mines, and of precious stones. They are ingenious, friends of
men, and easy to be commanded. They furnish the children of
the Sages with as much money as they have need of, and never ask
any other reward than the glory of being commanded. The
Gnomides or Wives of these Gnomes or Hiaryes, are little, but
very handsome and their habit marvellously curious. ... As
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MYSTERIES OP THE CABALISTS. 89
for the Salamanders, the inhabitants of the region of fire, they
serve the Philosophers, but they seek not for their company with
any great eagerness. Tlie wives of the Salamanders are fair, nay,
rather more fair than all others, seeing they are of a purer element.
You will be charmed more with the b^uty of their wit than of
their body, yet you cannot choose but * be grieved for these poor
wretches when they shall tell you that their soul is mortal, and
that they have no hope of enjoying eternal happiness, and of the
Supreme Being, which they acknowledge and religiously adore.
They will tell us, that being composed of the most pure parts of
the elements which they inhabit, and not having in them any con-
trary qualities, seeing they are made but of one element, they die
not but after many Ages, but alas ! what is such a Time, in respect
of Eternity? They must eternally resolve into their nothing.
This consideration does" sorely afflict them ; and we have trouble
enough, to comfort them concerning it.
Our Fathers, the Philosophers, speaking to God face to face,
complained to him of the unhappiness of these people, and God
whose mercy is without bounds, revealed to them, that it was not
impossible to find out a remedy for this evil He inspired them,
that by the same means as man, by the alliance which he con-
tracted with God, has been made partaker of Divinity: the
Sylphs, the Gnomes, the Nymphs, and the Salamanders by the
alliance which they might contract with man, might be made par-
takers of immortality. So a She-Nymph or a Sylphide becomes
Immortal, and capable of the blessing to which we aspire, when
they shafrbe^'happy as to be married to a Sage ; a Gnome, or a
Sylph ceases to be mortal, from the moment that he espouses one
of our daughters.
Hence arose the error of the former ages, of Tertullian, of Justin
Martyr, of Lactantius, Cyprian, Clemens Alexandrinus, Athen-
goras the Christian Philosopher, and generally of all the writers of
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90 GABALIS; OU THE EXTBAVAQANT
that time. They had learnt that these elementary Demi-men, had
endeavoured a commerce with maids, and they have from thence
imagined that the fall of the angels had not happened, but for the
love which they were touched with after women. Certain Gnomes,
desirous of becoming immortal, had a mind to gain the good affec-
tions of our daughters, and had brought abundance of precious
stones of which they are the natural guardians, and these authors,
relying on the Book of Enoch, which they misunderstood, thought
that it was the attempt which these Amorous Angels had offered
to the chastity of our wives. In the beginning these children of
heaven begat famous giants by making themselves beloved by the
daughters of men, and the old Cabalists, Josephine and Philo (as
all the Jews are ignorant) and after them all the other Authors,
which I have just now named, as well as Origen and Macrebius,
and have not known that they were the Sylphs, and other people
of the elements that under the name of the Children of Elohim,
are distinguished from the children of men. Likewise that which
the Sage Saint Augustine, has had the modesty to leave unde-
termined, touching the pursuits which those called Faunes or
Satyrs, made after the Africans of his time, is cleared by that
which I have now alleged of the desire which all these elementary
inhabitants have, of allying themselves to men ; as the only means
to attain to the immortality which they have not.
No, no ! Our Sages have never erred so as to attribute the fall
of the first Angels to their love of women, no more than they have
put men under the power of the Devil ; by imputing all the adven-
tures of the Nymphs and Sylphs to him, of which the historians
speak BO largely. There wsts nothing criminal in all that. They
were the Sylphs, which endeavoured to become Immortal. Their
innocent pursuits, far enough from being able to scandalize the
Philosophers, have appeared so just to us, that we are all resolved
by common consent, utterly to renounce women ; and entirely
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MYSTERIES OF THE CABALIST8. 91
to give ourselves to the immortalizing of the Nymphs and
Satyrs.
Good Lord (cried I) What do I hearl Was there ever such
marvellous F . Yes, my son (interrupted the Count) admire the
marvellous felicity of the Sages ! Instead of women, whose fading
beauty passes away in a short time, and is followed with horrible
wrinkles and ugliness, the Philosophers enjoy beauties which never
wax old, and whom th^ have the glory to make immortal.
Guess at the love and the acknowledgment of those invisible mis-
tresses, and with what ardour they strive to please the charitable
philosopher, who labours to immortalize them.
Ah ! Sir (cried I once again), I renounce . Yes, you Sir,
(pursued he, without giving me the leisure to finish) Renounce the
fading pleasures which are to be had with women ; the fisdrest
among them all is loathsome in respect of the homeliest Syphide :
no displeasure ever follows our Sage embraces. Miserable Ig-
norants ! How should you complain, that ye have not the power
to taste of the Philosophick pleasures. Miserable Count de
Gabalis (interrupted I, in an accent mixed with Choler and Com-
pasion) Will you give me leave to tell you at last, that I renounce
this senseless wisdom ; that I find this visionary philosophy very
ridiculous ; that I detest the abominable embraces which make
you affect these Phantasms ; and that I tremble for you, and
wonder that some one of these pretended Sylphides does not hurry
you to Hell, in the middle of your transports and raptures ; and
for fear, lest so honest a man as you, should not perceive the end
of your foolish Chymerick Zeal, and should not repent of so great
a crime. Oh ! Oh ! (answered he) mischief light on thy indocible
spirit. His action, I must confess, affrighted me ; but it was yet
worse, when I perceived, that going further from me, he drdw out
of his pocket a Paper which I could easily see at that distance to
be full of Characters ; yet I could not well discern it. He read
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92 GABALIS: OR THE EXTRAVAGANT
them gravely, and spake low. I guessed that he was invoking
some spirit for my ruin, and repented me more than a little for
my inconsiderate Zeal. If I escape this adventure (cried I), I'll
never have to do with a Cabalist more. I fixed my eyes upon
him, as upon a judge that was ready to condemn me to death ;
when at last I perceived that his looks became serene. 'Tis hard,
(said he, smiling, and coming towards me again) 'Tis hard for you
to kick against the Pricks. You are a vessel of Election.
Heaven has ordained you to be the greatest Cabalist of your age.
Behold the scheme of your Nativity, which cannot fail. If it be
not now, and that too by my means, 'twill be a great wonder, as
it appears by this Saturn retrograde.
Alas, sir (said I to him) if I must become a Sage, it will never
be but by the means of the Great Gabalis ; but to deal freely with
you, I am afraid, that you will find it a difficult matter to bend
me to this Philosophical mode. It seems (continued he) that yon
should be but ill read in Physicks, that cannot be persuaded of
the existence of these people 1 I know not (answered I) but I
cannot imagine that these can be anything else but friends dis-
guised. Do you still (said he) rather believe your own Whimseys,
than Natural Reason? than Plato, Pythagoras, Celsus, Psellus,
Proclus, Porphyrins, Jamlicus, Plotinus, Trismegistus, Noblius,
Domeus, Fludd ; than the great Phillippus Aureolus Theophractus
Bombst Paracelsus de Honeinhem ; and than all our Society.
I would believe you (answered I) as soon, nay sooner than all
these ; but, dear sir, could you not so order the business with the
rest of your society, that I might not be obliged to have carnal
knowledge of these elementary ladies 1 Away, away (replied he)
you have your own liberty, without doubt; for nobody loves,
unless he has a mind to it. Few of the Sages have been able to
defend themselves from their Charms, but it has been observed
that some reserving themselves wholly and entirely for great
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MYSTBBIE8 OF THE CABALIST8. 93
things (as you will know in time), would never do this honour to
the Nymphs. I will be then of this number (said I), but yet
neither can I resolve to lose time about the ceremonies which I
have heard a Prelate say, must be practised by those who mean to
converse with their Geniuses. This Prelate knew not what he said
(said the Count), for you shall see ere long, that there are no
Geniuses there ; and besides, that never any Sage employed either
ceremonies or superstition for the familiarity of the Geniuses, no
more than for the people of whom we speak.
The Cabalists do nothing, but by the principles of nature : and
and if there are sometimes found in our books certain strange words,
characters, or fumigations, 'tis but to conceal the philosophical
principles from the ignorant Admire the simplicity of Nature, iu
all her most marvellous operations ! And in this simplicity, a Har-
mony and Agreement so great, so just, and so necessary that it
will make you return back in despite of yourself from your weak
imaginations. That which 1 am now about to tell you, we teach
those of our disciples, which we will not let altogether enter into
the Sanctuary of Nature ; and to whom we will nevertheless, not
utterly deprive of the Society of the elementary people, merely out
of the compassion which we have for these poor wretches.
The Salamanders (as you have already, perhaps, comprehended)
are composed of the most subtile parts of the Sphere of Fire, con-
globated and organized by the action of the universal fire (concern-
ing which, I shall one day entertain you further) so called, because
it is principal of all the motions of nature.
The Sylphes in like manner, are composed of the purest atoms
of the air : the Nymphs of the most delicate parts of the water,
and the Gnomes of the subtlest parts of the Earth. There was a
great proportion betwixt Adam and these so perfect Creatures ;
because they being composed of that which was most pure in the
four elements j he comprehended the perfection of these four sorts of
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94 GABALIS; OR THE EXTRAVAGANT
people, and was their natural King. But since the time that his sin
precipitated him into the excrements of the elements (as you shall
see hereafter) the Harmony was disordered, and there was no more
proportion, he being become impure and dull in respect of the
substances so pure and so subtil. What remedy for this evil ]
How shall we remount this throne and recover this lost sove-
reignty 1 0 Nature ! Why do they study thee so little 1 Do you'
not comprehend my son, with what simplicity nature can render
to man the goods which he has lost 1 Alas ! Sir (replied I), I am
very ignorant in all these simplicities, you speak of. But yet (pur-
sued he) it is very easy to become knowing in them.
If we would recover that empire over the Salamanders, we must
purifie, and exalt the element of fire which is in us, and raise up
the tone of this slackened string, we need do no more, but con-
centre the fire of the world by concave mirrors in a globe of glass.
And herein, is that great piece of art which all the ancients have
so religiously concealed, and which the divine Theophrastus has
discovered. There is formed in this globe a solar powder, which
being purified by itself from the mixture of other elements, and
being prepared according to art, becomes in a very little time,
sovereignly proper to exalt the fire which is in us, and make us
become (according to our phrase) of a fiery nature. From that
time the inhabitants of the sphere of fire become our inferiors, and
iravished to see our mutual harmony re-established, and that we
once more approach to them. They have all the kindness for us
which they have for their own species, all the respect which they
owe to the image and to the lieutenant of their Creator ; and all
the concern which may make evident in them, the deske of obtain-
ing by us the immortality \^hich they want. 'Tis true that
as they are more subtil than those of the other elements,
they live a very long time, so they are not very forward to im-
portune the Sages to make them immortal. You may accommo-
date yourself with one of these, if the, aversion which you have
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MYSTERIES 6f THE CABAUSTS. 05
witnessed to me last not with you to the end : perchance, she will
never speak to you of that which you fear so much.
It will not be so with the Sylphs, the Gnomes and the Nymphs,
for they living a less time, have more need of us, and so their
fEimiliarity is more easie to obtain. You need but shut up a glass
filled with conglobated air, water or earth, and expose it to the
sun for a month; then separate the element according to art,
which is very easie to do, if it be earth or water. 'Tis a marvel-
lous thing to see, what a vertue any one of these purified
elements have to attract the Nymphs, Sylphs, and Gnomes. In
taking but never so little every day, for about a month together,
one shall see in the air the volant republique of the Sylphs ; the
Nymphs come in shoals up the rivers, and the guardians of trea-
sures, presenting you with their riches. Thus, without characters,
without ceremonies, without barbarous words you become absolute
master over all these people. They require no worship of the
Sages, since they know well enough that he is nobler than they.
Thus venerable nature teaches her children how to repair the
elements by the elements. Thus is harmony re-established.
Thus man recovers his natural empire, and can do all things in
the elements, without demons, or unlawful art Thus you see,
my son, that the Sages are more innocent than you thought*
You say nothing to me .
I admire sir (said I), and I begin to fear that you will make me
to become a Chymist. Ah ! God preserve thee fi:om that, my
child (cried he). Tis not to these fooleries that your nativity
designs you, I will warrant you on the contrary, from being
troubled about that : I told you already, that the Sages shew not
these things, but to those whom they will not admit into their
society. You shall have all these advantages, and others infinitely
more glorious, and more pleasant, by ways clearly more philosophi-
cal. I had not described those methods to you, but to let you
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96 CABALIS; OR THE EXTRAVAGANT
see the innooeuce of this Philosophy, and to take you out of these
panic fears.
I thank God, sir (answered I), I am not at present, in any such
fear as I was even now. And although I do not yet resolve upon
the accommodation which you propose to me with the Salaman-
ders ; I cannot refrain from having the curiosity to learn how you
have discovered that these Nymphs and these Sylphs die. Truly
(replied he) they tell us so, and we see them die. How (said I)
can you see them die, and yet your commerce renders them
immortal 1 That would be well (pursued he) if the number of the
Sages equalled the number of these people : besides that, there
are many amongst them, who rather choose to die, than hazard by
becoming immortal, the being so unhappy as they see the devils
ara And 'tis the devil, who inspired with these opinions : for
there is no mischief, which he doth not do to hinder the poor
creatures from becoming immortal by our alliance. Insomuch
that I look upon it (and so ought you my son) as a most pernici-
ous temptation, and a motion of very little charity, to have this
aversion which you show to it.
Moreover, as concerning their death, of which you speak : what
was it that obliged the Oracle of Apollo, to say, that all those who
speak Oracles, were mortal, as well as he ; as Porphyrins reports ]
And, what think you, was the meaning of that voice which was
heard on all the coast of Italy, and struck so great a terror into
all those who were upon the sea 1 The Great Pan is Dead ! They
were the people of the air : who gave notice to the people of the
water that the chiefest and most aged of all the Sylphs, was
newly dead.
At that time when this voice was heard (said I to him) I suppose
that the world worshipped Pan and the Nymphs : and that these
gentlemen, whose commerce you are preaching of to me, were the
false gods of the heathen. 'Tis true, my son (replied he) the
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Sages have always been of that opinion, that the Devil never had
the power to make himself worshipped. He is too unhappy, and
too weak, ever to have had this pleasure, and this authority. But
he has been able to persuade the elementary hosts to shew them-
selves to men, and make men erect temples to them ; and by the
natural dominion which every one has over the element which he
inhabits, they trouble the air, and the sea^ set the earth in com*
bustion, and dispense the fire of heaven, according to their humour:
insomuch that they had no great trouble to be taken for Deities,
so long as the sovereign being dispensed the salvation of the
world. But the devil never received all the advantage of his
malice, which he hoped he should ; for it has happened from
thence, that Pan, the Nymphs, and the rest of the elementary
people, having foimd the means of changing this commerce of
worship, into a commerce of love ; (for you may remember, that
amongst the ancients. Pan was the king of those gods whom they
called Incubuses, and who always earnestly sought the acquaint-
ance of maids), many heathens have escaped the devil, and shall
never bum in hell.
I do not well imderatand you, sir (said I) You hav6 not minded
me, to imderstand me (continued he, smiling, and in a jeering
tone). Behold what you pass over ! and likewise what your
doctors pass over, who know not what these excellent Physicks
mean ! Behold the great mystery of all this part of philosophy,
which C/Oncems the elements, and which will take away (if you
have but never so little love for yourself), this repugnance to
philosophy, which you have witnessed to me this day ! Know then,
my son ; and go not about to divulge this great Arcanum to any
unworthy ignorant. Know, that as the Sylphs acquire an immor-
tal soul, by the alliance which they contract with the men who
are predestinated ; so also, the men who have no right to eternal
glory : those miserable wretches, whose immortality is but a
lamentable advantage, for whom the Messiaa was sent —
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98 GABALIS ; OR THE EXTRAVAGANT
Then, you gentlemen of the Cabal, are Jansenists likewise (in-
terrupted 1 1) We know not what that is, my child (proceeded he,
somewhat angrily) and we scorn to inform ourselves wherein
consists the dififerent sects and divers religions, with which the
ignorant puzzle their heads. We keep to the ancient religion of
our fathers, the Philosophers ; wherein 'tis very necessary that I
instruct you. But come again to the purpose : these men whose
sad immortality is nothing but an eternal misfortune; the un-
happy children, whom the Sovereign Father has neglected, have
also this recourse, that they may become mortal, by contracting
alliance with these elementary people. So that you see, the Sages
hazard nothing for Eternity. If they are predestinated, they have
the pleasure to carry with them to heaven (in quitting the prison
of this body) the Sylphide or Nymph, which they have immortal-
ised ! and if they be not predestinated, the commerce of the
Nymph renders their soul mortal, and delivers them from the
horrors of the second death. So the Devil saw all the Pagans
escape, who allied themselves to the Nymphs : and so the Sages,
or friends of the Sages, when God inspires us to communicate to
any one, the four elementary secrets (which I have now been
teaching you), free themselves from the Peril of being damned.
Without lying, sir (cried I), not daring to put him again into
an ill humour, and finding it requisite to defer the telling him
plainly my opinion, till I should have discovered all the secrets of
his Cabal, which I judged by this glimpse, must needs be very full
of pleasure and divertisement) : without lying, you advance
wisdom to a great height ! And you had reason to tell me, that
this surpassed all our doctors ; and I believe, that this likewise
passes all our magistrates too ; and that, if they could discover
who those were that escaped the devil by this means (as ignorance
is very unjust), they would engage in the devil's interest, against
these fugitives and make a strong party for him. Yes, it i^ for
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MYSTERIES OF THE CABALISTS. 99
t^at (pursued the Count) that I have so strictly commanded you ;
to keep religiously this secret. Your judges are strange persons.
They condemn a most innocent action as a dismal crime. What a
barbarity was it, to bum those two priests which the Prince of
Miranda says he knew of, who had each of them his Sylphide, for
the space of forty years ! What an inhuman thing was it to put
Joan Hervilles to death, for having laboured six and forty years,
to immortalise a Gnome ! And, what a piece of ignorance was
that of Bodin, to represent her as a witch ; and that from thence
he might take advantage to authorise popular errors, touching
pretended Sorcerers ; in a book as impertinent as his Common-
wealth is reasonable.
But it is late ; and I do not consider, that you have not yet
dined. 'Tis yourself, that you mean, sir (said I), for as for my
part, I could listen to you till to-morrow, without inconvenience.
For me ! Alas ! (replied he, laughing, and walking towards the
gate), 'tis easily seen that you understand but little what philoso-
phy is. The Sages eat but for their pleasure, and never for
necessity. I had a quite contrary idea of Wisdom (answered I),
I had thought that you wise men should never eat but to satisfy
nature. You are abused (said the Coimt). How long think you,
that our Sages can subsist without eating 1 How can I telll
(answered I), Moses and Elias, you know, fasted forty days : you
Sages, I make no doubt, may do it, some days less. What a great
piece of business would that be (replied be), the most wise men
that ever was, the Divine, the almost adorable Paracelsus, affirms,
that he has seen many of the Sages fast twenty years, without
eating anything whatsoever. He himself, before he attained to the
monarchy of wisdom, whereof we have justly presented him the
sceptre, he, I say, would undertake to live many years without
eating, by taking but half a scruple of his Solar Quintescence.
And if you would have the pleasure to make any one live without
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100 GiLBALIS; OR THE BXTRAVAGANT
victuals, you need do no more, but prepare the earth, as I told
you it must be prepared, for the Society of the Gnomes : this
earth applied to the navle, and renewed when it is dry, will cause
any one to live without eating or drinking, and that without any
trouble.
And the use of this Catholic-Cabalistical Medicine, frees us
much better from all the importimate necessities, to which nature
makes the ignorant subject ; we eat not, but when it pleases us ;
and all the superfluity of food passing away by an insensible
Transpiration, we are never ashamed to be men. There he held
his peace.
In succeeding interviews the Count de Gabalis further explains
to his interlocutor the nature and pursuits cf the elementary
spirits ; asserts that it was they only, and not the vile gods of the
Greeks and Romans, that delivered the oracles of old ; that they
continually kept watch over man to do him service, and to warn
him of approaching evil. It was they who sent omens and fur-
nished him with the understanding to interpret them, and who
filled his mind with presentiments when some great calamity was
impending over him, that he might perchance avoid it They also
sent him dreams for the regulation of his fate. But " alas," con-
tinues the Count, " men ignorantly misunderstand and reject their
kindness. A poor Sylph hardly dares to shew himself lest he
should be mistaken for an imp of evil; an Undine cannot en-
deavour to acquire an immortal soul, by loving a man, without
running the risk of being considered a vile, impure phantom ; and
a Salamander, if he shews himself in his glory, is taken for a devil,
and the pure light which surrounds him considered the fire of
heU. It is in vain that, to dispel these unworthy suspicions, they
make the sign of the cross when they appear, and bend their knees
when the Divine name is uttered. All their efforts are useless.
Obstinate man persists in^ considering them enemies of that God
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IfTSTBRIES OP THE CABALISTS. 101
whom they know, and whom thej adore more rehgiously than men
do. The prayer which you will find preserved by Porphyne, and
which was offered up in the Temple of Delphos for the enlighten-
ment of the Pagans, waa the prayer of a Salamander." In short
without continuing to quote the words of the Count de Gabalis, he
asserted that all the supernatural appearances with which the
histoiy of every age and nation was full, were to be, and could
only be, explained by the agency of these elemental sprites ; that
the deeds attributed to devils, imps and witches, were the crea-
tions of a false and degrading superstition, unworthy to be believed
by philosophers. There were no fiends with
" 'aeiy tonguee that syllable mena' names
Oq saods, and shores, and desert wildernesses."
but beneficent spirits, the friends of man. The peris of eastern
romance, the/^c«, the/o^cw, and the feiries of European legends,
were names which, in their ignorance, the people of different
countries had given to the Sylphs. Vulcan, Bacchus, and Pan,
though the Greeks did not know it, were Gnomes ; Neptime and
Venus, and all the Naiads and Nereids, were but the Undines of
the Rosicrucians ; Apollo was a Salamander, and Mercury a Sylph ;
and not one of the personages of the multi£uious mythology of
the Greeks and Romans, but could be ranged undw one or other
of these classes.
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