Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/582

 touched are presently transmuted into Gold, or Silver, all which are found vain, fictitious, and false, as often as they are practised according to letter. Yet such things are delivered, and writ by great and grave Philosophers, and holy men, whose traditions, who dare say are false? Nay, it were impious to think that they were lyes. There is therefore another meaning then what is written in letters, and that is vailed with divers mysteries, and as yet clearly explained by none of the Masters, and which I believe no man can attain to by reading of books only, without a skilfull, and faithfull master, unless he be divinely illuminated, as very few are. Therefore it is a vanity for any man that searcheth into the secrets of nature, to give himself to bare reading. For they that thus do, are, being ensnared in the gins of the exterior spirits, to whom it is given to rule, made dangerous slaves, not knowing themselves, and go back into the footsteps of their flocks, seeking without themselves, what they have in themselves. And this is that which I would have you know, because in us is the operator of all wonderfull effects, who knows how to discern, and effect, and that without any sin or offence to God, whatsoever the monstrous Mathematicians, the prodigious Magicians, the envious Alchymists, and bewitching Necromancers can do by spirits. In us I say is the operator of Miracles.

"Not the bright stars of th' skie, nor flames of Hell, But th' spirit that these doth make, doth in us dwell."

But of these I shall discourse more fully, but in your presence (for these things are not to be written, but to be infused by a few sacred words, and with face to face), and that when I shall haply see you. Now as concerning those books which you desire of me, some of them were sometimes in my custody, but now are not. But as for those books which you have of mine which were made in my youth, being intituled, Of Occult Philosophy, the two former of them were dificient in many things, the third is wholy imperfect, and contains but a certain Epitome of my writings. But I will (God willing)