Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/593

 and many others, many of whose works are yet entire, and many fragments are yet extant, and have come into my hands. Some modern men have also wrote of naturall Magick, but they but a few things, as Albertus, Arnoldus de villa nova, Raimundus Lullie, Bacon, and Apponus, and the Author of the book to Alfonsus, set forth under the name of Picatrix, who also together with naturall Magick, mixeth much superstition, which indeed the rest have done.

Of Mathematicall Magick. There are moreover other most witty emulators of nature and most bold inquisitors, which promise they can by the influences of the heavens, obtained without naturall vertues, but only by Mathematicall learming, produce works like to those of nature, as walking, or talking bodies, which have not animall vertues: such was the wooden dove of Archita, which did flie, and the statue of Mercury which did speak; and the brazen head made by Albertus Magnus, which they say did speak. Boetius a man of a great wit and much learning, excelled in these things, to whom Cassiodorus writing concerning such like things, saith, to thee it is appointed to know hard things, and shew miracles: by the ingenuity of thy art metals speak, Diomedes in brass trumpets, the brazen Serpent hisseth, birds are feigned, and those which know no proper sound, are heard sending forth sweet melody, we relate small things of him, who hath power to imitate the heavens; concerning these arts I think that is spoken which we read in Plato in the eleventh book of Laws. There is an art given to mortall men, by which they should generate certain latter things, not partaking of truth or divinity, but should deduce certain representations of affinity with them: and thus far have Magicians gone, being men most bold to do all things, especially that old strong Serpent, the promiser of all