Josephus says that the antediluvians were well acquainted with
astrology, and inscribed the principles thereof on pillars to
preserve them to posterity from the Flood; for it was by this
art, he believes, that they were enabled to foresee the coming
Deluge. Subsequent to the Flood, the Assyrians were the first
people who turned their attention to astrology. The Chaldeans,
Egyptians, and Arabians soon became acquainted with the art, and
by perseverance brought it to perfection and high estimation. In
several nations none but those skilled in astrology were admitted
to the administration of sacred rites or to the management of
state affairs.
In China, by the sacrifice of blood and the repetitions of
several superstitious invocations to the sun and moon, devils
were brought up from their place of abode, if not repose. In
Tartary the magicians offered to the ocean, the mountains, and
the stars, divers sorts of incense, by which means the spirits
were compelled to appear. In the East and West Indies the power
of magic was equally powerful. Greek and Roman magicians
invocated spirits by prayers to the moon, and sacrifices of milk,
honey, and blood. In our own country, incantation[Pg 350]
and conjuration, as already observed, were by no means
uncommon.
When Chiancungi and his sister Napala first attempted to call
up spirits, they began with the spirit Bokim, in the twentieth
degree. They commenced their operations in a vault hung round
with black cloth. Having drawn their circle of the order of
thrones and the seven planets, and stamped their magical
characters in the centre thereof, they proceeded to the
ceremonies of conjuration without anything appearing. This caused
them to become so desperate that they left the circle and betook
themselves to the most detestable branch of magic—compact,
or confederacy; through which they obtained from Bokim 155 years
of life, and almost unlimited magical power, on the condition
that in return their bodies and souls should at last be given to
him. They performed strange miracles in every country. By the
assistance of these magicians, the Tartars destroyed above one
hundred ships belonging to the Chinese. Many a loss did they
bring upon those against whom they had a private grudge, or
against whom they were hired. Kingdoms were ruined, children
slain, fruits withered, corn blasted, silk destroyed, navigation
impeded, and adult lives sacrificed. Chiancungi had numerous
public contests with magicians of several countries in magical
science, in which art he was said to excel them all.
Lewis Gawfridi, a French priest, was another famous magician,
who had compact with the devil of a closer relationship than
common men of his craft could pretend to have. He served Satan
for fourteen years in performing detestable
works—sacrificing children, worshipping the devil in
various shapes, and tempting people to become magicians, and to
take part in disgraceful nocturnal conventions.
A wonderful relation is given in support of the belief of
magicians having power over spirits. The story is[Pg 351]
this:—A newly-married man was amusing himself with his
companions, when, in case he should lose his wedding ring, he put
it on the finger of a statue of Venus. Returning to take his
ring, he found the finger so bent that the ornament intended for
his bride could not be removed. At night the image of Venus
appeared to him and said, "Thou hast espoused me, and shalt not
enjoy the society of any other woman." Again returning to the
statue in the morning he found the finger straight, and
discovered that the ring was gone. So greatly was he troubled,
that he consulted a magician, who put him on a plan of obtaining
his ring and releasing him of his engagement with Venus. The
magician wrote a letter to a principal spirit in the dominion to
which Venus belonged, and, giving it to the unhappy young man,
instructed him to watch at a certain time and place, when he
would see a troop of spirits pass by him, one of which, he said,
would be seated on a chariot; and he it was for whom the letter
was written. The young man, on acting as directed, espied the
spirits, and gave the letter to the one for which it was
intended. As soon as the fiend read its contents he burst into a
rage, exclaiming, "How long shall we be subject to this accursed
magician?" With hesitation, he called on a most beautiful woman
near the chariot, and commanded her to return the ring to its
owner, an order she reluctantly obeyed.
Henry Cornelius Agrippa, who was born at Cologne in 1486, was
an astrologer and magician. When travelling, he paid his hotel
bills with pieces of horn, which appeared as gold to those to
whom they were presented. A foolish fellow entered Agrippa's
study, and raised the devil therein during the magician's
absence. The novice, being unable to subdue the fiend, lost his
life. On Agrippa coming home, he found several spirits dancing on
the house-top. He ordered them to enter the dead body, which they
did, and then he cast it into a pit. Though[Pg 352]
Agrippa seldom left his study or conversed with any one, he was
well acquainted with everything going on at home and abroad.
People were of opinion that a black dog he kept was an evil
spirit, which duly informed him of what was taking place far and
near.
Every magical charm had its first principles according to
certain laws; and the garments worn by magicians were
manufactured and stitched at stated hours. The time was generally
in the hour of Luna or of Saturn, in the moon's increase. Their
needles were made of hedgehog's prickles, or bones of animals, as
iron or steel possessed virtues not always favourable to magic.
Their ointments were of man's fat, blood, hog's grease, oil, etc.
Their characters were ancient Hebrew, and their speech in the
learned languages; their fires were kindled with sweet wood and
oil or resin; and their candles, of the fat of men and children.
Their vessels were earthenware; their candlesticks had three
feet, of dead men's bones. Their capes were like pyramids, with
lappets or ears on each side, and lined with fur. Their gowns
were, for ordinary purposes, long, reaching to the ground, and
lined with fox-skin. Their girdles were three inches broad,
having cabalistical names, signs, and circles inscribed
thereon.
Some magicians had such piercing sight that they could
discover everything, however carefully concealed, and look into
futurity with a certainty of making known what was to come to
pass. Lilly the astrologer was a great authority in England. He
was consulted by the Royalists, (with the king's privity) as to
whether the king would escape from Hampton Court, and whether he
would or should sign the propositions of Parliament. For giving
his opinion on these and a few other subjects, the astrologer
received £20. In Lilly's Astrological Predictions in
1648 occurs the following passage:—
"In the year 1656, the aphelium of Mars, who is the general
signification of England, will be in Virgo, which[Pg 353] is
assuredly the ascendant of the English monarchy, but Aries of the
kingdom. When this apsis, therefore, of Mars shall appear in
Virgo, who shall expect less than a strange catastrophe of human
affairs in the commonwealth, monarchy, and kingdom of England?
There will then, either in or about these times, or near that
year, appear in this kingdom so strange a revolution of fate, so
grand a catastrophe and great mutation unto this monarchy and
government, as never yet appeared; of which, as the time now
stands, I have no liberty or encouragement to deliver my
opinion—only, it will be ominous to London, unto her
merchants at sea, to her traffic on land, to her poor, to her
rich, to all sorts of people inhabiting in her or her liberties,
by reason of consuming fires and devastating plagues."
Accomplished events, even those which happened in his own
time, and information obtained from the writings of ancient
astrologers, enabled Lilly to predict important results. We find
in a work On the Probable Effects of the Great Conjunction of
Saturn and Jupiter, that "the mean or second greatest
conjunction that happened in 1603"—Lilly was born in
1602—"was in the eighth degree of Sagittarius, the opposite
sign of the ascendant of London. They were nearly conjoined the
greater part of the year in which Queen Elizabeth died; and there
was a severe plague in London, whereof died, in 1603 and 1604,
more than 68,000 persons; and the year after, or in 1605, the
Gunpowder Plot was nearly being carried into execution.
"The next conjunction happened in the seventh degree of Leo,
in 1623. Within two years after, King James I. died; and there
was also a severe plague in London, which carried off 35,417
persons, in 1625; and, what was observable, in 1639 there was a
great eclipse of the sun, in ten degrees of Gemini, in opposition
to the place of the first conjunction, in 1603; and exactly when
Mars arrived to ten degrees of Pisces, or in quartile to
both[Pg
354] places, the Long Parliament began; and near the
same time the Scots and English disagreed; and when Charles I.
applied to the citizens of London, they refused to lend him money
to be employed against them. It is also remarkable that Leo, the
sign where the conjunction happened, was the ascendant in King
Charles's nativity; and how unfortunate he was afterwards till
his death, is pretty well known.
"The next took place in 1643, in the sign of Pisces, which
found the king and his subjects in open arms, and was followed by
dreadful civil wars in England, that terminated in beheading the
king."
Whether Lilly did really foresee what he pretended had been
revealed to him, we shall not here affirm or deny, but, there can
be no doubt, many strange circumstances following his predictions
went far to support his claim to the prophetic mantle. Further
quotations from the same work will supply additional matter for
reflection:—
"The fourth conjunction in this trigon took place in 1663, in
Sagittarius, again opposite to the ascendant of London. The year
after followed a war with the Dutch, and in 1665 they took our
valuable Hamburgh fleet; and in that year also was the great
plague in London, that carried away 68,586 people. This was
followed by the dreadful fire of London, in 1666, that destroyed
13,200 houses, and consumed nearly 400 streets.
"The next happened in Leo, in 1682, and was repeated in 1683,
when Lord William Russell was beheaded; and, two years after,
Charles II. died.
"The next was in seven degrees of Aries, the ascendant of
England, in 1702. That year King William died, and war commenced
with France. In short, whoever takes his ephemeris in one hand
and history in the other, will have no difficulty in convincing
himself of the efficacy of such configurations; and though, by
changing the[Pg 355] signs, they may vary the effects
and also the places most subject to their influence, yet it will
appear that the observations of different authors (wherein they
all agree that England is most passive to the fiery trigon) are
founded on truth.
"The conjunction under consideration happened in the earthy
triplicity, to which Ptolemy refers to Europe in general;
however, the places most particularly under the sign Virgo are
France, and more especially Paris; and some authors say Lyons,
and the principal port of the Turkish dominions. Indeed it is
curious to observe that the Turks have got possession of nearly
all the places said by Ptolemy to be under this sign, wherein the
conjunction happened, and I have no doubt will most sensibly feel
the effects of it; neither will Russia and some parts of Germany
and Switzerland escape its influence.
"As the signs of Sagittarius and Pisces are also afflicted,
and Jupiter so oppressed by the conjunction, Spain and Portugal
will likewise be sensible of their effects; neither do I like the
mischievous position of Mars in Taurus, the ascendant of Ireland,
particularly as he is upon the mid-heaven, and so near the
mundane quartile of Saturn and Mars.
"Most authors agree that evil configurations in Virgo are
generally attended with bloodshed, and that configurations in
earthly signs have more signification of feuds, dissatisfaction,
and secret contrivances among the common people, than they have
of wars and differences between kings and rulers, who are more
properly denoted by princely or fiery signs."
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