Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/594

 Sciences favoring them, that they like apes endeavour to emulate God, and nature.

Of Enchanting Magick. There is moreover a kind of naturall Magick, which they call bewitching, medicinary, which is done by cups, love-potions, and divers medicaments of Sorcerers: Of which sort Democritus is said to make some, whereby good, happy, and fortunate sons may be begotten: and another whereby we may rightly understand the voyces of birds, as Philostratus and Porphyrie relate of ''Apollonius. Virgil'' also speaking of certain Pontick herbs, saith,

"I many times, with these have Moeris spide, Chang'd to a wolf, and in the woods to bide: From sepulchres would souls departed charm, And corn bear standing fom anothers farm."

And Pliny relates that a certain man, Demarchus Parrhasitus, in a sacrifice which the Arcades made by a humane sacrifice to Jupiter Lyceus, tasted of the entrals of a boy that was sacrificed, and turned himself into a wolfe, by reason of which changing of men into a wolf, Austin thinks that the name was put upon Pan Lyceus, and Jupiter Lyceus. The same Austin relates, that whilest he was in Italy, there were certain women Magicians like Circe, who by giving cheese to travellers turned them into cattle; and when they had carried what burdens they pleased, restored them into men again; and that the same happened to a certain Father called Prestantine. But least any one should think these things to be but foolish toyes, and things impossible, let him call to mind what Scripture mentions concerning Nebuchadnezar the King, how he was turned into an ox, and lived seven yeers with hay, and at length returned through the mercy of God into a man again, whose body after his death, his son Evilmerodac gave