Three Books of Occult Philosophy/Book 1/Chapter 72

by Henry Cornelius Agrippa

A cold Snake being charm'd, burst in the Meads.

And in another place.

Charms bear Corn standing from anothers Farm.

And Ovid in his book, sine Titulo, saith.

With charms doth with'ring Ceres dye,
    Dried are the fountains all,
Acorns from Okes, inchanted Grapes
    And Apples from trees fall.

If these things were not true, there would not be such strict penall Statutes made against them, that should inchant fruit. And Tibullus saith of a certain Imchantress,

Her with Charms drawing Stars from Heaven, I
And turning th' Course of rivers, did espy,
She parts the earth, and Ghosts from Sepulchers
Draws up, and fetcheth bones away from th' fires,
And at her pleasure scatters Clouds i'th' Air,
And makes it Snow in Summer hot, and fair.

Of all which that Inchantress seems to boast her self in Ovid, when she saith,

----- At will, I make swift streams retire
To their fountains, whilest their banks admire;
Sea toss, and smooth; clear Clouds, with Clouds deform.
With Spells, and Charms I break the Vipers jaw,
Cleave Solid Rocks, Oakes from their seasures draw,
Whole Woods remove, the airy Mountains shake,
Earth for to groan, and Ghosts from graves awake,
And thee O Moon I draw -----

Moreover all Poets sing, and Philosophers do not deny, that by verses many wonderfull things may be done, as Corn to be removed, Lightenings to be commanded, diseases to be cured, and such like. For Cato himself in Country affairs used some inchantments against the diseases of beasts, which as yet are extant in his writings. Also Josephus testifies that Solomon was skilled in those kinds of inchantments. Also Celsus Africanus reports, according to the Egyptian doctrine, that mans body, according to the number of the faces of the Zodiack Signs, was taken care of by so many, viz. thirty six spirits, whereof each undertake, and defend their proper part, whose names they call with a peculiar voice, which being called upon, restore to health with their inchantments the diseased parts of the body.

Chapter lxxiii. Of the vertue of writting, and of making imprecations, and inscriptions.

The use of words, and speech, is to express the inwards of the mind, and from thence to draw forth the secrets of the thoughts, and to declare the will of the speaker. Now writing is the last expression of the mind, and is the number of speech and voice, as also the collection, state, end, continuing, and iteration, making a habit, which is not perfected with the act of ones voice. And whatsoever is in the mind, in voice, in word, in oration, and in speech, the whole, and all of this is in writing also. And as nothing which is conceived in the mind is not expressed by voice, so nothing which is expressed is not also written. And therefore Magicians command, that in every work, there be imprecations, and inscriptions made, by which the operator may express his affection: that if he gather an Hearb, or a Stone, he declare for what use he doth it; if he make a picture, he say, and write to what end he maketh it; with imprecations, and inscriptions. Albertus also in his book called Speculum,