"But the richest happiness they esteem, is the gift of healing and medicine. It was a long time great labour and travell before they could arrive to this Blisse above set, they were at first poor gentlemen, that studied G.o.d and nature, as they themselves confesse: (saying) Seeing the only wise and mercifull G.o.d in these latter dayes hath poured out so richly his mercy and goodness to mankind, whereby wee do attain more and more to the perfect knowledge of his Son Jesus Christ and Nature: that justly we may boast of the happy time wherein there is not only discovered unto us the half part of the world which was heretofore unknown and hidden; but he hath also made manifest unto us many wonderfull and never heretofore seen works and Creatures of nature, and moreover hath raised men, indued with great wisdome, which might partly renew and reduce all Arts (in this our age, spotted and imperfect) to perfection.
"Although in Theologie, Physick, and the Mathematick, the truth doth oppose itself, nevertheless the old enemy by his subtilty and craft doth shew himself in hindering every good purpose by his instruments and contentious (wavering people) to such an intent of a generall Reformation, the most G.o.dly and Seraphically illuminated Father, our Brother C. R., a German, the chief and originall of our Fraternity, hath much and long time laboured, who by reason of his poverty (although a gentleman born, and descended of n.o.ble parents) in the 5th year of his age was placed in a Cloister, where he had learned indifferently the Greek and Latin tongues (who upon his earnest desire and request being yet in his growing years, was a.s.sociated to a Brother P. A. L., who had determined to go to Apamia).
"Although his brother dyed in Cyprus and so never came to Apamia, yet our brother C. R. did not return but shipped himself over, and went to Damasco, minding from thence to go to Apamia, but by reason of the feebleness of his body he remained still there, and by his skil in Physick, he obtained much favour with the Ishmalits. In the mean time he became by chance acquainted with the wise men of Damcar in Arabia, and beheld what great wonders they wrought and how Nature was discovered unto them; hereby was that high and n.o.ble spirit of brother C. R. so stirred up that Apamia was not so much now in his mind as Damcar; also he could not bridle his desires any longer, but made a bargain with the Arabians that they should carry him for a certain summe of money to Damcar, this was in the 16th year of his age when the Wise received him (as he himself witnesseth) not as a Stranger, but as one whom they had long expected, they called him by his name, and showed him other secrets out of his Cloyster, whereat hee could not but mightily wonder.
"He learned there better the Arabian tongue: so that the year following he translated the book M. into good Latine, and I have put it into English wearing the t.i.tle of The Wiseman"s Crown; whereunto is added A new Method of Rosie Crucian Physick. This is the place where he did learn his Physick and Philosophie, how to raise the dead; for example, as a Snake cut in pieces and rotted in dung will every piece prove a whole Snake again, &c., and then they began to practise further matters and to kill birds and to burn them before they are cold in a Gla.s.s, and so rotted, and then inclosed in a sh.e.l.l, to hatch it under a hen, and restore the same; and other strange proofs they made of Dogs, Hogs, or Horses, and by the like corruption to raise them up and again and renew them. And at last they could restore by the same course every brother that died to life again, and so continue many ages.
"Brother C. R. after many travels, returned again into Germany, and there builded a neat and fitting habitation, upon a little hill or mount, and on the hill there rested always a cloud; and he did there render himself visible or invisible, at his own will and discretion.
"After five years came into his minde the wished return of the children of Israel out of Egypt, how G.o.d would bring them out of bondage with the Instrument Moses. Then he went to his Cloyster, to which he bare affection, and desired three of his brethren to go with him to Moses, the chosen servant of G.o.d. Brother G. V., Brother J. A., and Brother J. O., who besides that they had more knowledge in the Arts than at that time many others had, he did binde those three unto himselfe, to be faithful, diligent, and secret; as also to commit carefully to writing what Moses did; and also all that which he should direct and instruct them in, to the end that those which were to come, and through especial Revelation should be received into this Fraternity, might not be deceived of the least syllable and word.
"After this manner began the Fraternity of the Rosie Cross, first by four persons, who died and rose again until Christ, and then they came to worship as the Star guided them to Bethlem of Judea, where lay our Saviour in his mother"s arms; and then they opened their treasure and presented unto Him Gifts, Gold, Frankinsense, and Myrrhe, and by the commandment of G.o.d went home to their habitation.
"These four waxing young again successively many hundreds of years, made a Magical Language and Writing, with a large Dictionary, which are yet in daily use to G.o.d"s praise and glory, and do finde great wisdome therein; they made also the first part of the Book M. which I will shortly publish by the t.i.tle of The Wiseman"s Crown."
In his Apologue to the sixth book of "The Holy Guide," after stating that Moses was the father of the Rosie Crucians, that they were the Officers of the Generalissimo of the World, of the order of Elias or Disciples of Ezekiel, &c., John Heydon proceeds:--"But there is yet arguments to procure Mr. Walfoord and T. Williams, Rosie Crucians by elections, and that is the miracles that were done by them, in my sight, for it should seem Rosie Crucians were not only initiated into the Mosaical Theory, but have arrived also to the power of working Miracles, as Moses, Elias, Ezekiel, and the succeeding Prophets did, as being transported where they please, as Habakkuk was from Jewry to Babylon, or as Philip, after he had baptized the Eunuch, to Azotus, and one of these went from me to a friend of mine in Devonshire, and came and brought me an answer to London the same day, which is four dayes journey; they taught me excellent predictions of Astrology, and Earthquakes; they slack the Plague in Cities; they silence the violent Winds and Tempests; they calm the rage of the Sea and Rivers; they walk in the Air; they frustrate the malicious aspects of Witches; they cure all Diseases; I desired one of these to tell me whether my Complexion were capable of the society of my good Genius?
When I see you again, said he, I will tell you, which is when he pleases to come to me, for I know not where to go to him. When I saw him then he said, Ye should pray to G.o.d; for a good and holy man can offer no greater nor more acceptable sacrifice to G.o.d than the oblation of himself, his soul.
"He said also, that the good Genii are as the benigne eyes of G.o.d, running to and fro in the world, with love and pitty beholding the innocent endeavours of harmless and single hearted men, ever ready to do them good, and to help them; and at his going away he bid me beware of my seeming friends who would do me all the hurt they could, and cause the Governours of the nations to be angry with me, and set bounds to my liberty; which truly happened to me, as they did indeed; many things more he told me before we parted, but I shall not name them here.
"In this Rosie Crucian Physick or Medicines, I happily and unexpectedly light upon in Arabia, which will prove a restauration of health to all that are afflicted with that sickness which we ordinarily call natural, and all other Diseases, as the Gout, Dropsie, Leprosie, and falling sickness; and these men may be said to have no small insight in the body, and that Walfoord, Williams, and others of the Fraternity now living, may bear up in the same likely Equipage, with those n.o.ble Divine spirits their Predecessors; though the unskilfulness in men commonly acknowledges more of supernatural a.s.sistance in hot, unsettled fancies, and perplexed melancholy, than in the calm and distinct use of reason; yet for mine own part, but not without submission to better judgments, I look upon these Rosie Crucians above all men truly inspired, and more than any that professed or pretended themselves so this sixteen hundred years, and I am ravished with admiration of their miracles and transcendent mechanical inventions, for the solving the Phenomena in the world: I may without offence therefore compare them with Bezaliel and Aholiab, those skilful and cunning workers of the Tabernacle, who, as Moses testifies, were filled with the Spirit of G.o.d, and therefore were of an excellent understanding to find out all manner of curious work.
"Nor is it any argument that these Rosie Crucians are not inspired, because they do not say they are; which to me is no argument at all; but the suppression of what so happened, would argue much more sobriety and modesty; when as the profession of it with sober men, would be suspected of some piece of melancholy and distraction, especially in those things, where the grand pleasure is the evidence and exercise of Reason, not a bare belief, or an ineffable sense of life, in respect whereof there is no true Christian but he is inspired; but if any more zealous pretender to prudence and righteousness, wanting either leisure or ability to examine these Rosie Crucian Medicines to the bottome, shall notwithstanding either condemn them or admire them, he hath unbecomingly and indiscreetly ventured out of his own sphere, and I cannot acquit him of injustice or folly. Nor am I a Rosie Crucian, nor do I speak of spite, or hope of gain, or for any such matter, there is no cause, G.o.d knows; I envie no man, be he what he will be, I am no Phisitian, never was, nor never mean to be; what I am it makes no matter as to my profession.
"Lastly, these holy and good men would have me know that the greatest sweet and perfection of a vertuous soul, is the kindly accomplishment of her own nature, in true wisdome and divine love; and these miraculous things that are done by them, are, that that worth and knowledge that is in them may be taken notice of, and that G.o.d thereby may be glorified, whose witnesses they are; but no other happiness accrues to them from this, but hereby they may be in a better capacity of making others happy.
_Spittle-fields, this 10th of May, 1662._
JOHN HEYDON."
As, of course, it is impossible to give any lengthy extracts from the works of this celebrated John Heydon, a few quotations from the Index to his Holy Guide will show the nature of the work and must suffice for our present purpose. "How by numbers the Rosie Crucians fore-know all future things, command all nature and do miracles, etc. The resolution of all manner of questions, and how by numbers you may be happy, etc. How to make a man live to two hundred years. How to avoid all disease. The Rosie Crucian way to get health. How to live twenty years without food, as many creatures do. How to raise a dead bird to life. Of generating many serpents of one," etc., etc.
CHAPTER VI.
_Gabalis: 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 t.i.tle of "Count Gabalis; or the Extravagant mysteries of the Cabalists," the following 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.
G.o.d 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 p.r.o.nounced the sentence in his last Will and Testament, a destroying Angel has ever been ready to strangle in a moment, all 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 discovered all to me; but not without all the Cabalistick Circ.u.mspectious 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 Philosophers; and that he would have suffered the flames, rather than have profaned the Sanct.i.ty of it, by disclosing it to any unworthy Prince, to any ambitious person, or to one that was incontinent; three sorts of people, excommunicated in all ages by the wise. By good fortune I am no Prince; I have little Ambition; and by the Sequel of this discourse, it may be seen that I have a little more Chast.i.ty 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 cannot 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 certainly weaker than yours.
"Tis then my Saturn, and not Monsieur the Count of Gabalis that the _Virtuoso_ 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 G.o.d 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 undocible Hobgoblin? Perchance he is not dead, but in appearance; 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 pa.s.sed.
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 all these gentlemen, how mysterious and how reserved soever they may seem to be, desire nothing 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 I had on purpose garnished with their most phantastick authors. There was never a learned Virtuoso of this kind, but I had correspondence with him. In a word, for my Zeal to this science, I quickly found that I was well approved by all. I had for my companions, Princes, Great Lords, Gown-men, Handsome Ladies, and Unhandsome too; Doctors, Prelates, Fryars, Nuns: in fine People of all Ranks 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 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 pa.s.s 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 ill.u.s.trious 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 Pythagoras, the Revelations of St. John, and the first chapter of Genesis. The greatness of the matter ravished him! 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 G.o.d of the Sages and let not thyself be puffed up with pride, that he sends to thee one of the children of Wisdom to const.i.tute thee a fellow of their 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 I 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 G.o.d of the Sages, let me know of what G.o.d 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 G.o.d is, and what these Sages, this Company, these Wonders of Omnipotency, 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 pleasing 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? that the great Gabalis should honour me with his visit?
I am the least of the Sages (replied he, with a serious look) and G.o.d, 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 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 c.o.xcomb, 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 a.s.s was the cause of your doing me the injury to take me for a Sylphe. Injury (replied I!) 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 gentlemen. But we shall talk more at large of this, some more convenient time; it is sufficient 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 leave me so quickly, after he had let me be so happy, as to have a glimpse of his light. But having a.s.sured me with a grand grace 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: I"m sure (said I) that this is a man of 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 suffer himself to be filled with these fooleries? He has talked to me of these Sylphes with great earnestnes: should he prove a sorcerer in the upshot? and should I have been deceived till now, in believing that there were no such things? But suppose he was a Sorcerer, are there also some of them so devout as this man appears to be?
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 n.o.body may interrupt our discourse.
He seeing that we were as free from company as he could desire said:--How happy shall you be, my son, if heaven has the kindness to put those dispositions into your soul, which the high mysteries require of you. You are about to learn how to command nature; G.o.d 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 unfortunate Adam has excluded all his too unhappy posterity. This immense s.p.a.ce which is between the earth and the Heavens, has more n.o.ble 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 n.o.ble than the other three) was not made to be unprofitable and void.
The air is full of an innumerable mult.i.tude 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 have. How Sir (cried I), would you persuade me, that these friends you speak of are married?
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 G.o.d sends you by my interposition. Know that the Seas and Rivers are Inhabited, as well as 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, the 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 Pharyes, are little, but very handsome and their habit marvellously curious.... As 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. The 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 beauty 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 contrary 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 G.o.d face to face, complained to him of the unhappiness of these people, and G.o.d 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 contracted with G.o.d, 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 partakers of immortality. So a She-Nymph or a Sylphide becomes Immortal, and capable of the blessing to which we aspire, when they shall be so 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, Athengoras the Christian Philosopher, and generally of all the writers of 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 affections 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 chast.i.ty 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 undetermined, 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 adventures of the Nymphs and Sylphs to him, of which the historians speak so largely. There was 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 to give ourselves to the immortalizing of the Nymphs and Satyrs.
Good Lord (cried I) What do I hear? 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 pa.s.ses away in a short time, and is followed with horrible wrinkles and ugliness, the Philosophers enjoy beauties which never wax old, and whom they have the glory to make immortal. Guess at the love and the acknowledgment of those invisible mistresses, 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 fairest among them all is loathsome in respect of the homeliest Syphide: no displeasure ever follows our Sage embraces. Miserable Ignorants! 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 Compasion) 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 h.e.l.l, 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 drew 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 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 p.r.i.c.ks. 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 you should be but ill read in Physicks, that cannot be persuaded of the existence of these people? I know not (answered I) but I cannot imagine that these can be anything else but friends disguised. Do you still (said he) rather believe your own Whimseys, than Natural Reason? than Plato, Pythagoras, Celsus, Psellus, Proclus, Porphyrius, Jamlicus, Plotinus, Trismegistus, n.o.blius, Dorneus, 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? Away, away (replied he) you have your own liberty, without doubt; for n.o.body 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 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 superst.i.tion 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 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, in all her most marvellous operations! And in this simplicity, a Harmony 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 I 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 compa.s.sion 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, conglobated and organized by the action of the universal fire (concerning which, I shall one day entertain you further) so called, because it is princ.i.p.al of all the motions of nature.