CHA P. XVIII. Of Magick and Incantations. ESIDES the Methods of foretelling future Events already men Btioned, and that Divination which is commonly called Phyfical, be cause it makes Predictions without any Supernatural Affiftance, by the mere Knowledge of Phyfical or Natural Caufes; there are feveral others, moft of which are comprehended under the Names of Maria, and Exodai, i. e. Magick and Incantations; between which, though fome make a nice Distinction, yet they bear a near Relation to each other, and therefore I fhall treat of them conjun&tly in this Place. And though fome of the Species of these Divinations might be invented in later Ages, and never practis'd in old Greece, whofe Customs alone it is my chief Design to defcribe, not meddling with those Innovations that were introduced in later Times, after the Grecians were fubjected to the Roman Empire; yet fince it is very difficult to determine exactly of all, which were truly ancient, and which were truly modern; fince alfo there is frequent Mention of them in Writers of the middle Ages, efpecially thofe that lived towards the Declination of the Roman Greatness, I fhall beg the Reader's Leave to give a brief Account of the moft remarkable of them: For to enumerate all would be an endless as well as unreasonable Undertaking; and a great many of them (fuch as those wherein the Incubi and Succubi were concern'd) contain in them too much of Profaneness and Horror to be entertained by any civilized Ear. Magical Arts are faid by the Grecians to have been invented in Perfia, where at the firft they were had in great Honour and Reputation; for the May were those that apply'd themselves to the Study of Philofophy, and the ftrict Search after the most curious Works and Myfteries of Nature: They were ufually chofen to fuperintend the divine Worfhip, and all religious Rites and Ceremonies; they continually attended upon the Kings, to advise them in all Affairs of Moment, and were preferred to the highest Honours, and Places of the greatest Trust. But afterwards the Cafe was alter'd; for when they left off the Contemplation of Nature, and betook themselves to the Invocation of Damons and other mean Arts, their former Credit and Esteem was very much diminished. This Art is faid to have been introduced among the Grecians by Oetha nes, who came into Greece with Xerxes, and difperfed the Rudiments of it where-ever he had Opportunity. It was afterwards much improved, and brought to fome Perfection by Democritus, who is faid to have learned it out of the Writings of certain Phanicians. But I fhall not trouble you with any more Stories concerning its Original or Progress, it being more pertinent to my Defign to give you a fhort Account of the various Species thereof. First then, Nexegarria was a Divination, in which Answers were given by deceased Perfons. It was fometimes performed by the Magical Ufe of a Bone, or Vein of a dead Body, efpecially by the Theffali ans: ans: Or by pouring warm Blood into a Carcafs, as it were to renew Life in it, as Erictho doth in Lucian; or by fome other Inchantments, to reftore 'dead Men to Life; with which the Poet was very well acquainted, when he said, Dum vocem defuncto in corpore quærit, While he feeks Answers from the lifeless Load, The congeal'd Gore grows warm with reeking Blood, Sometimes they used to raise the Ghoft of deceafed Perfons by various Invocations and Ceremonies: Ulyffes, in the Ninth Book of Homer's Odyfeis, having facrificed black Sheep in a Ditch, and pour'd forth certain Libations, invites the Ghofts, particularly that of Tirefias, to drink of the Blood, after which they become willing to answer his Questions, The like is done by Tirefias in Statius, by Efon in Valerius Flaccus, by Nero in Pliny. Gregory Nazianzen fpeaks allo * άνατεμνομένων παρθέ νων τε καὶ παιδῶν ἐπὶ ψυχαγωγία· of Virgins and Boys laughtered at the Evocation of Ghosts. The moft ufual Ceremonies ufed on thefe Occafions are thus defcrib'd by Seneca, who has introduced Tirefias confulting the Ghosts in a dark and gloomy Grove *: Hinc ut facerdos intulit fenior gradum, Some other Ceremonies alfo were practifed, which differ'd not much from those used in Parentations, of which I shall give a more particular Account in the following Books. a Oedip. verf. 547. This Divination, if the Dead appear'd only in airy Forms, like Shades, was call'd Exoparía and Yuuavia. It might, I fuppofe, be perform'd in any Place; but fome Places were appropriated to this Ufe, and called Nexoμarria, feveral of which are mentioned by the ancient Poets; but two of them were moft remarkable: The first in Thefprotia, where Orpheus is faid to have reftored to Life his Wife Eury dice; and Periander, the Tyrant of Corinth, was affrighted by the Apparition of his Wife Meliffa, whom he had murder'd: The other in Campania, at the Lake Avernus, celebrated by Homer and Virgil, in their Stories of Ulyffes and Eneas. Υδρομαντεία, οι Divination by Water, fometimes called Πηομαντεία, when it was done by Fountain-Water: In this they observed the various Impreffions, Changes, Fluxes, Refluxes, Swellings, Diminutions, Colours, Images, &c. in the Water. Sometimes they dipp'd a Lookingglafs into the Water, when they defir'd to know what would become of a fick Perfon; for, as he look'd well or ill in the Glafs, accordingly they prefum'd of his future Condition. Sometimes they fill'd a Bowl with Water, and let down into it a Ring equally poifed on each fide, and hanging by a Thread tied to one of their Fingers; then in a Form of Prayer requefted of the Gods to declare, or confirm the Question in difpute; whereupon, if the Thing propofed was true, the Ring of its own accord would ftrike against the Side of the Bowl a fet Number of Times. Sometimes they threw three Stones into the Water, and observed the Turns they made in finking. Inftead of Water, fometimes they made ufe of Oil and Wine, and then the Liquor was call'd ra and instead of Stones, they fometimes ufed Wedges of Gold or Silver. This Divination was fometimes performed in a Bason, and thence call'd Δεκανομαντεία, which alfo was fometimes praftifed in a different manner, thus: They diftinguish'd the Stones or Wedges with certain Characters, and then, having invoked the Damon in a fet Form, propofed the Question they had a mind to be fatisfied about; to which an Anfwer was return'd in a small Voice, not unlike an Hifs, proceeding out of the Water. The Scholiaft upon Lycophron is of Opinion, that this Method of Divination was as ancient as the Trojan War, and practis'd by Ulyffes; which he thinks gave Occafion for all the Poetical Fictions of his Defcent into the infernal Regions, to confult Tirefias's Ghoft. Sometimes Divination by Water was performed with a Looking-Glass, and called Kanneqμaria. Sometimes alfo Glaffes were used, and the Images of what should happen reprefented without Water. Sometimes it was perform'd in a Veffel of Water, the middle Part of which was called jáspa, and thence the Divination was termed Tasesuarria, the Manner of which was thus: They filled certain round Glaffes with fair Water, about which they placed light Torches ; then invok'd a Damon, praying in a low, murmuring Voice, and propos'd the Question to be folved: A chafte and unpolluted Boy, or a Woman big with Child, was appointed to obferve, with greateft Care Herodotus Terpsichore, Alexandr. v. 813. p. 84. Edit. nostræ. and and Exactness, all the Alterations in the Glaffes; at the fame time defiring, befeeching, and also commanding an Anfwer, which at length the Damon ufed to return by Images in the Glaffes, which, by Reflection from the Water, reprefented what fhould come to pass. Κρυσαλλομαντεία was perform'd by polifhed and enchanted Crylals, in which future Events were fignified by certain Marks and Figures. Danturoμartria was a Divination by Rings enchanted, or made according to fome Pofition of the Celestial Bodies. A Ring of this fort Gyges the King of Lydia had, which when he turned to the Palm of his Hand, he became invifible to others, but could fee every body; and by the Help of this he enjoy'd his Mistress the Queen, and flew his Master Candaules, whom afterward he fucceeded. Some ascribe the Invention of this Divination to Helena the Wife of Menelaus, who in Photius's Bibliotheca is faid to have found out a Santuλwv nañeg, the Lots which confifted of Rings, and with these to have conquer'd Alexander. But this is rather to be understood concerning the Game of Lots, than any fort of Divination. Orepartia was perform'd by the Nails of an unpolluted Boy, cover'd with Oil and Soot, which they turn'd to the Sun, the Reflexion of whofe Rays was believed to represent by certain Images the Things they had a mind to be fatisfied about. Asgoμarria foretold future Events from certain Spectres or other Appearances in the Air and fometimes thus; They folded their Heads in a Napkin, and, having placed a Bowl full of Water in the open Air, propofed their Queftion in a fmall whifpering Voice; at which time if the Water boiled or fermented, they thought what they had spoken was approved of and confirmed. Aquaria was fometimes perform'd by a precious Stone, call'd Siderites, which they wash'd in Spring-Water in the Night by Candle-light: the Perfon that confulted it was to be purify'd from all manner of Pollu tion, and to have his Face cover'd: this done, he repeated divers Prayers and placed certain Characters in an appointed Order; and then the Stone moved of itself, and in a soft, gentle Murmur, or (as fome fay) in a Voice like that of a Child, return'd an Anfwer. By a Stone of this nature Helena is reported to have foretold the Destruction of Troy. Theocritus has given us an Account of two forts of Divination praatis'd by a Country Swain, to try what Share he had in his Mistress's Affections: His Words are these : Εἴνων πραν, ὅκα μεν μεμναμψία εἰ φιλέεις με, All this I knew, when I defign'd to prove Idyll. iii. v, 28. I press'd I prefs'd the Long-live, but in vain did prefs, Mr. Creech. Where the Shepherd complains he had found his Suit was rejected these two Ways Firft, by the Herb Telephilum, which being crushed in his. Hand, or upon his Arm, returned no Sound; for it was ufual to strike that, or fome other Herb against their Arms, and if they crackled in breaking, Good; if not, it was unlucky Omen. Not much unlike this was the Divination by Laurel-leaves, which they threw into the Fire, and obferv'd how they crackled in burning; from which Noise, fome fay, Laurel was call'd Japvn, q. own. The other Way of Divining, mention'd by Theocritus, was by a Sieve, which an old Gypfie used in telling filly People their Fortunes. This they call'd Konvoμarreia; it was generally practised to discover Thieves, or others fufpected of any Crime, in this manner: They tied a Thread to the Sieve, by which it was upheld, or elfe placed a Pair of Sheers, which they held up by two Fingers; then prayed to the Gods to direct and affift them; after that, they repeated the Names of the Perfons under Sufpicion, and he, at whofe Name the Sieve whirled round, or moved, was thought to have committed the Fact. Another fort of Divination was commonly practifed upon the fame Account, which was called Ağvouarriz, from Ain, i. e. an Ax or Hatchet, which they fixed fo exactly upon a round Stake, that neither End might out-poife, or weigh down the other; then they pray'd, and repeated the Names of those they fufpected; and the Perfon, at whofe Name the Hatchet made any the leaft Motion, was found guilty. Kepaλovoμavтeia was by the Head of an Afs (as the Name imports) which they broil'd on Coals; and, after having mutter'd a few Prayers, they repeated the Perfons Names as before; or the Crime, in cafe one was only fufpected; at which, if the Jaws made any Motion, and the Teeth chatter'd against one another, they thought the Villain fufficiently discover'd. Alex Suoμarreia was a very myfterious Divination, in which they made ufe of a Cock in difcovering fecret and unknown Tranfactions, or future Events. It was effected after this Manner: Having wrote in the Duft the twenty-four Letters of the Alphabet, and laid a Grain of Wheat or Barley upon every one of them, a Cock magically prepared was let loose amongst them, and thofe Letters, out of which he picked the Corns, being join'd together, were thought to declare whatever they were defirous to be certified of. This Divination the famous Magician Jamblichus, Proclus's Mafter, is faid to have made ufe of with a Defign to find out the Perfon who was to fucceed Valens Cæfar in the Empire but the Cock picking up only four of the Grain, viz. thofe that lay upon the Letters ,, o,, left uncertain, whether Theodofius, Theodotus, Theodorus, or Theodectes, was the Perfon defign'd by the Fates to be Emperor. However, Valens being informed of the Matter, |