Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/281

For in the shore of Attica the sea sounds like a Harpe. A certain stone of Megaris makes a sound like a Harpe every time the string of a Harpe is struck; so great is the power of Musick, that it appeaseth the minde, raiseth the spirit, stirreth up souldiers to fight, and refresheth the weary, calls back them that are desperate, refresheth travellers. And the Arabians say, that Camels carrying burdens are refreshed by the singing of their leaders. In like manner, they that carry great burdens, sing, and are thereby strengthened and refreshed: for asinging causeth delight and strength, pacifieth the angry, cheareth up those that are sad and heavy, pacifieth enemies, moderates the rage of mad men, chaseth away vain imaginations: Hence it is that Democritus and Theophrastus affirm that some diseases of the body, and minde may thus be cured, or caused. So we read that Therpander, and Arion of Lesbos cured the Les*ians, and Ionians by Musick; and Ismenia of Thebes cured divers of very great diseases by Musick; Moreover, Orpheus, Amphion, David, Phythagoras, Empedocles, Asclepiades, Timotheus, were wont to do many wonderful things by sounds: Sometimes they did stir up dull spirits by familiar sounds; sometimess they did restrain wanton, furious, angry spirits by more grave tones. So David with a Harp moderated Saul in a rage. So Phythagoras recalled a luxurious yong man from immoderate lust. So Timotheus stirred up King Alexander to a rage, amd again repressed him. Saxo the Grammarian, in his History of the Danes, tells of a certain Musician, who boasted that he could by his Musick make every one that heard it to be mad; and when he was constrained by the Kings command to perform the same, he endeavoured to work severall wayes upon the affections; and first, by a tone of Musicall gravity filled the hearers with a kinde of sadness and unsensibleness; then by a more lively sound he made them rejoyce, and dance; and lastly, he by a more earnest Musick, reduced them to fury and madness. We read also, that they in Apulia that were touched with a kinde of dangerous Spider, were astonished untill they heard a certain sound, at the hearing of which every one riseth up and danceth. And it is believed (Gellius being witness)