Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/427

 that they being struck are pained, and may be burnt in the fire, into conspicuous ashes, which as is recorded, was done in Tuscia. And although it be a spirituall body, yet it is most sensible, and being touched, suffers; and although it be cut asunder, yet comes together again, as air and water, but yet in the mean time is much pained. Hence it is that they fear the edge of the sword, and any weapon. Hence in Virgil the Sybill saith to Aeneas,

"Do thou go on thy way and draw thy sword."

Upon which Servius saith that she would have Aeneas have his sword consecrated. Orpheus also describes the kinds of Demoniacall bodies; there is indeed one body, which onely abides the fire, but being seen, doth not suffer, which Orpheus calls fiery, and Celestiall Demons : the other is contemperated with the mixtion of fire, and air, whence they are called Etheriall, and Aeriall; to which if any waterish thing was added, there arose a third kinde, whence they are Called watery, which sometimes are seen: to which if any earthiness be added, this is not very thick; they are called Terrene Demons, and they are more conspicuous, and sensible. Now the bodies of sublime Demons are nourished of the most pure Etheriall element, and are not rashly to be seen of any, unless they be sent from God; being weaved of such bright threads, and so small, that they transmit all the rayes of our sight by their finess, and reverberate them with splendor, and deceive by their subtlety; of which Calcidius saith, Etheriall, and Aeriall Demons, because their bodies have not so much fire as that they are conspicuous, nor yet so much earth that the solidity of them resists the touch, and their whole composure being made up of the clearness of the skie, and moisture of the air, hath joyned together an indissoluble superficies. The other Demons are neither so appearable, nor invisible, being sometimes conspicuous are turned into divers figures, and put upon themselves bodies like shadows, of blood-less images, drawing the filthiness of a gross body, and they have too much communion with the