[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
multitude. If a snake meet thee, take heed of an ill-tongued enemy; for this creature bath no power but
in his mouth. A snake creeping into the palace of Tiberius, portended his fall. Two snakes were found
in the bed of Sempronius Gracchus, wherefore a soothsayer told him, if he would let the male or the
female escape, either he or his wife would shortly die; and he, preferring the life of his wife, killed the
male and let the female go, and within a few days he died. So a viper signifies lewd women and
wicked children; and an eel signifies a man displeased with everybody, for she lives apart from all
other fishes, nor is ever found in the company of any. But, amongst all Auguries and Omens, there is
none more effectual and potent than man bimself, and none that doth signify the truth more clearly.
Thou shalt, therefore, diligently note and observe the condition of the man that meeteth thee, his age,
profession, station, stature, gesture, motion, exercise, complexion, habit, name, words, speech, and all
such like things. For seeing there are in all other animals so many discoveries of presages, without all
question these are more efficacious and clear which are infused into man's soul; which Tully himself
testifies, saying, that there is a certain Auspicium naturally in men's souls of their eternity, for the
knowing of the courses and causes of things. In the foundation of the city of Rome the head of a man
was found with his whole face, which did presage the greatness of the empire, and gave the name to
the Mountain of the Capitol. The Brutian soldiers fighting against Octavius and Antonius, found an
Aethiopian [Ethiopian] in the gate of their castle, and though they slew him as a presage of ill success,
yet they were unfortunate in battle, and both their generals, Brutus and Cassius, were slain.
The meeting of monks is commonly accounted an ill omen, and so much the rather if it be early in the
morning, because these kind of men live for the most by the sudden death of men, as vultures do by
slaughters.
Chapter lv. How Auspicas are Verified by the Light of Natural
Instinct, and of some Rules of Finding of It Out.
Auspicia and Auguria, which foretell things to come by animals and birds, Orpheus, the divine,
himself, as we read, did teach and show first of all, which afterwards were had in great esteem with all
nations. Now they are verified by the light of natural instinct, as if from this some lights of divination
may descend upon four-footed beasts, those winged, and other creatnres, by which they are able to
presage to us of the events of things; which Virgil seems to be sensible of when he sings:
Nor think I Heaven on them such knowledge states,
file:///M|/ PDF-Bücher/Esoterik & Magie/HTML/Agrippa1/agripp1c.htm (13 von 26) [20.02.2001 16:05:29]
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa: Of Occult Philosophy, Book I, (part 3)
Nor that their prudence is above the Fates.
Now, this Instinct of Nature, as saith William of Paris, is more sublime than all human apprehension,
and very near, and most like to prophecy. By this instinct there is a certain wonderful light of
divination in some animals naturally, as is manifested in some dogs, who know thieves by this instinct
and men that are hid, unknown both to themselves and men, and find them out and apprehend them,
falling upon them with a full mouth. By the like instinct vultures foresee future slaughters in battles,
and gather together into places where they shall be, as if they foresaw the flesh of dead carcasses. By
the same instinct partridges know their dam, whom they never saw, and leave the partridge which
stole away her dam's eggs and sate upon them. By the same instinct, also, certain hurtful and terrible
things are perceived, the soul being ignorant of them, whence terror and horror ceaseth when men
think nothing of these things. So a thief, lying hid in a house, although no one knows or thinks of his
being there, strikes fear and terror and a troublesomeness of mind into the inhabitants of that house,
although, haply, not of all, because the brightness of this instinct is not common to all men, yet
possessed of some of them. So an evil person, being bid in some large building, is sometimes
perceived to be there by some one that is altogether ignorant of their being there. It is mentioned in
history that Heraiscus, a certain Egyptian, a man of a divine nature, could discern evil persons, not
only by his eyes but also by their voice, he hearing them afar off, and thereupon did fall into a most
grievous headache. William of Paris also makes mention of a certain woman in his time that, by the
same instinct, perceived a man whom she loved coming two miles off. He relates, also, that in his time
a certain stork was convicted of unchastity by the smell of the male, who, being judged guilty by a
multitude of storks whom the male gathered together, discovering to them the fault of his mate, was,
her feathers being pulled off, torn in pieces by them. The same doth Varro, Aristotle and Pliny relate
concerning horses. And Pliny makes mention of a certain serpent, called the asp, that did such a like
thing, for she, coming to a certain man's table in Egypt, was there daily fed, and she, having brought
forth some young, by one of which a son of her host was killed, after she knew of it, killed that young
one, and would never return to that house any more. Now, by these examples, you see how the lights
of presage may descend upon some animals, as signs, or marks of things, and are set in their gesture,
motion, voice, flying, going, meat, color, and such like. For, according to the doctrine of the
Platonists, there is a certain power put into inferior things by which, for the most part, they agree with
the superiors; whence also the tacit consents of animals seem to agree with divine bodies, and their
bodies and affections to be affected with their powers, by the name of which they are ascribed to the
deities. We must consider, therefore, what animals are Saturnine, what are Jovial and what Martial,
and so of the rest; and, according to their properties, to draw forth their presages; so those birds wMch
resemble Saturn and Mars, are all of them called terrible and deadly, as the screech owl, the hawlet,
and others which we have mentioned before; also the horn owl, because she is a Saturnine, solitary [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
multitude. If a snake meet thee, take heed of an ill-tongued enemy; for this creature bath no power but
in his mouth. A snake creeping into the palace of Tiberius, portended his fall. Two snakes were found
in the bed of Sempronius Gracchus, wherefore a soothsayer told him, if he would let the male or the
female escape, either he or his wife would shortly die; and he, preferring the life of his wife, killed the
male and let the female go, and within a few days he died. So a viper signifies lewd women and
wicked children; and an eel signifies a man displeased with everybody, for she lives apart from all
other fishes, nor is ever found in the company of any. But, amongst all Auguries and Omens, there is
none more effectual and potent than man bimself, and none that doth signify the truth more clearly.
Thou shalt, therefore, diligently note and observe the condition of the man that meeteth thee, his age,
profession, station, stature, gesture, motion, exercise, complexion, habit, name, words, speech, and all
such like things. For seeing there are in all other animals so many discoveries of presages, without all
question these are more efficacious and clear which are infused into man's soul; which Tully himself
testifies, saying, that there is a certain Auspicium naturally in men's souls of their eternity, for the
knowing of the courses and causes of things. In the foundation of the city of Rome the head of a man
was found with his whole face, which did presage the greatness of the empire, and gave the name to
the Mountain of the Capitol. The Brutian soldiers fighting against Octavius and Antonius, found an
Aethiopian [Ethiopian] in the gate of their castle, and though they slew him as a presage of ill success,
yet they were unfortunate in battle, and both their generals, Brutus and Cassius, were slain.
The meeting of monks is commonly accounted an ill omen, and so much the rather if it be early in the
morning, because these kind of men live for the most by the sudden death of men, as vultures do by
slaughters.
Chapter lv. How Auspicas are Verified by the Light of Natural
Instinct, and of some Rules of Finding of It Out.
Auspicia and Auguria, which foretell things to come by animals and birds, Orpheus, the divine,
himself, as we read, did teach and show first of all, which afterwards were had in great esteem with all
nations. Now they are verified by the light of natural instinct, as if from this some lights of divination
may descend upon four-footed beasts, those winged, and other creatnres, by which they are able to
presage to us of the events of things; which Virgil seems to be sensible of when he sings:
Nor think I Heaven on them such knowledge states,
file:///M|/ PDF-Bücher/Esoterik & Magie/HTML/Agrippa1/agripp1c.htm (13 von 26) [20.02.2001 16:05:29]
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa: Of Occult Philosophy, Book I, (part 3)
Nor that their prudence is above the Fates.
Now, this Instinct of Nature, as saith William of Paris, is more sublime than all human apprehension,
and very near, and most like to prophecy. By this instinct there is a certain wonderful light of
divination in some animals naturally, as is manifested in some dogs, who know thieves by this instinct
and men that are hid, unknown both to themselves and men, and find them out and apprehend them,
falling upon them with a full mouth. By the like instinct vultures foresee future slaughters in battles,
and gather together into places where they shall be, as if they foresaw the flesh of dead carcasses. By
the same instinct partridges know their dam, whom they never saw, and leave the partridge which
stole away her dam's eggs and sate upon them. By the same instinct, also, certain hurtful and terrible
things are perceived, the soul being ignorant of them, whence terror and horror ceaseth when men
think nothing of these things. So a thief, lying hid in a house, although no one knows or thinks of his
being there, strikes fear and terror and a troublesomeness of mind into the inhabitants of that house,
although, haply, not of all, because the brightness of this instinct is not common to all men, yet
possessed of some of them. So an evil person, being bid in some large building, is sometimes
perceived to be there by some one that is altogether ignorant of their being there. It is mentioned in
history that Heraiscus, a certain Egyptian, a man of a divine nature, could discern evil persons, not
only by his eyes but also by their voice, he hearing them afar off, and thereupon did fall into a most
grievous headache. William of Paris also makes mention of a certain woman in his time that, by the
same instinct, perceived a man whom she loved coming two miles off. He relates, also, that in his time
a certain stork was convicted of unchastity by the smell of the male, who, being judged guilty by a
multitude of storks whom the male gathered together, discovering to them the fault of his mate, was,
her feathers being pulled off, torn in pieces by them. The same doth Varro, Aristotle and Pliny relate
concerning horses. And Pliny makes mention of a certain serpent, called the asp, that did such a like
thing, for she, coming to a certain man's table in Egypt, was there daily fed, and she, having brought
forth some young, by one of which a son of her host was killed, after she knew of it, killed that young
one, and would never return to that house any more. Now, by these examples, you see how the lights
of presage may descend upon some animals, as signs, or marks of things, and are set in their gesture,
motion, voice, flying, going, meat, color, and such like. For, according to the doctrine of the
Platonists, there is a certain power put into inferior things by which, for the most part, they agree with
the superiors; whence also the tacit consents of animals seem to agree with divine bodies, and their
bodies and affections to be affected with their powers, by the name of which they are ascribed to the
deities. We must consider, therefore, what animals are Saturnine, what are Jovial and what Martial,
and so of the rest; and, according to their properties, to draw forth their presages; so those birds wMch
resemble Saturn and Mars, are all of them called terrible and deadly, as the screech owl, the hawlet,
and others which we have mentioned before; also the horn owl, because she is a Saturnine, solitary [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]