Discourse the First.

GOD rest the Soul of Monsieur the Count of Gabalis! who, as they Write me news, is lately dead of an Apoplexy. Now, the Cabalists will not fail to say, That this kind of Death[Page 2]is ordinary to those, who impru­dently manage the Secrets of the Sages; and that, since the Bles­sed Ramundus Lullius has Pro­nounced the Sentence in his Last Will and Testament, a Destroy­ing-Angel has ever been ready to strangle in a Moment, all those who have indiscreetly Revealed the Phylosophick-Mysteries.

But let them not so rashly con­demn this Wise Man, without having better Information of his Conduct. 'Tis true, He has dis­covered all to me; but not with­out all the Cabalistick Circum­spections requisite. I must do him the right, in giving this Te­stimony to his Memory, That he was a great Zealot for the Reli­gion of his Fathers, the Philoso­phers; and that he would have suffered the Flames, rather than have Prophaned the Sanctity of it, by disclosing it to any Unwor­thy[Page 3]Prince, to any Ambitious Per­son, or to one that was Inconti­nent; three sorts of People, Ex­communicated in all Ages by the Wise. By good Fortune, I am no Prince; I have little Ambiti­on; and by the Sequel of this Discourse, it may be seen, that I have a little more Chastity, than a Sage needs have. I am end u­ed with a Docible Wit, curious of Knowledge, and Bold enough: I want but a little Melancholly, to make all those who would blame the Count of Gabalis, con­fess, that he needed not have con­cealed any thing from me, in re­gard I was a Subject proper e­nough for the Secret Sciences. It is true, that without Melanchol­ly, no great Progress can be made therein: But this little Stock of it that I have, was enough to make me not to be rejected by them. You (has he said a hundred times[Page 4]to me) have Saturn in an Angle, in his House, and Retrograde; you cannot fail, one of these days, of being as Melancholly, as a Sage ought to be: For the Wisest of all Men (as we know in the Ca­bal) had, as you have, Jupiter in the Ascendant. And yet, it was never observed, that he ever so much as once Laughed, in all his Life-time; so powerful was his Saturn in him, though it was cer­tainly weaker than yours.

'Tis then my Saturn, and not Monsieur the Count ofGabalis, that the Virtuosi must Quarre [...] with, if I affect more the Divulging of their Secrets, than the Practising of Them. If the Stars do not their Duty, the Count is not in the Fault: And if I have not a Soul Great enough to attempt, to become Master o [...] Nature, to turn the Element [...] up side down, to entertain the [Page 5]Supreme Intelligences, to com­mand the Daemons, to beget Gy­ants, to create New Worlds, to speak to God in his High Throne, and to oblige the Cherubin, which defends the Entrance of Paradice, to let me come in, and take two or three Turns in his Walks; 'Tis Me, that they must blame more or less: They must not for this, insult over the Memory of this Rare Man; and say that he is Dead, for having blabbed all things to me. Is it impossible, that amongst the wandring Spi­rits, he may not have been wor­sted in a Conflict with some In­docible Hobgoblin? Perchance he is not Dead, but in Appearance; following the Custom of the Phi­losophers, who seem to Dye in one place, and transport them­selves to another. Be it how it will, I can never believe, that the Manner where-with he en­trusted[Page 6]his Treasures to me, me­rited any Punishment. You shall see, how all things passed.

Common Sense having always made me suspect, that there was a great deal of Emptiness in all that which they call Secret Sci­ences; I was never tempted to lose so much time, as to turn o­ver the Leaves of these Books, which Treat of them: But yet, not finding it reasonable to Con­demn, without knowing why, all those addicting themselves there­to, who otherwise are Wise Per­sons, very Learned for the most part, and Eminent both for the Gown and Sword. I took up a Re­solution, (that I might avoyd be­ing Unjust, and wearying my self with tedious Reading) of feigning my self a great Devo­ter to these Sciences, amongst all those, whom I could learn were[Page 7]of that Gang. I had quickly better Success, than I could possibly hope for. Since all these Gentlemen, how Mysterious, and how Re­served so-ever they may seem to be, desire nothing more, than to vent their Imaginations, and the New Discoveries, which they pretend to have made in Na­ture. In a few Dayes, I was the Confident of the most Conside­rable amongst them, and had every Day one or other of them in my Study; which I had on purpose garnished with their most Phantastick Authors. There was never a Learned Virtuoso of this Kind, but I had Correspon­dence with him. In a word, For my Zeal to this Science, I quick­ly found, that I was well Appro­ved by all. I had for my Com­panions, Princes, Great Lords, Gown-Men, Handsom Ladies, and Unhandsom too; Doctors, Pre­lates,[Page 8]Fryars, Nuns: In fine, Peo­ple of all Ranks and Qualities, Some of them, were for Converse with Angels, others with Devils, others with their Genius, others with Incubus's: Some addicted themselves to the Cure of Dis­eases, some to Star-gazing, some to the Secrets of Divinity; and almost All, to the Philosophers-Stone.

They All agreed, that these Grand Secrets, and especially, the Phylosophers-Stone, were hardly to be found out; and that but very few do attain to them: But they had all in particular, a very good Opinion of themselves, to believe, that they were of the Number of the Elect. By good Luck, with infinite Impatiency, the most Considerable of them ex­pected at this time, the Arrival of a Lord, who was a great Ca­balist, and whose Estate lyes up­on[Page 9]the Frontiers of Poland. He had promised, by Letters to the Children of Phylosophy in Paris, to come and Visit them; and so to pass from France into England. I had a Commission, to write an Answer to this Great Man: I sent him the Scheam of my Na­tivity, that he might judge, if I were capable of aspiring to the Supream Wisdom. My Scheam, and my Letter were so Happy, to oblige him to do me the Honor of Answering me; That I should be one of the first, that he would see at Paris; and that, if Heaven did not oppose, there should be nothing wanting in him, to intro­duce me into the Society of the Wise.

For the well-management of my Good Fortune, I entertain a Regular Correspondence with the Illustrious German: I propose to him, from time to time, great[Page 10]Doubts, as well grounded as I could, concerning the Harmony of the World, the Numbers of Pythagoras, the Revelations of St. John, and the First Chapter of Genesis. The Greatness of the Matter ravisht him! He writ to me unheard-of Wonders; and I plainly saw, that I had to deal with a Man of a most vigorous, and most Copious Imagination. I had Threescore or Fourscore Letters from him, of so Extraor­dinary a Style, that I could not think of Reading any other thing, even when I was alone in my Study.

I was Astonished one Remark­able Day, when I saw a Man come in a most Excellent Mein; who, Saluting me gravely, said to me in the French Tongue, but in the Accent of a Forreigner: Adore, my Son; Adore the most Glorious and Great God of the Sages: And [Page 11]let not thy self be puft up with Pride, that he sends to thee one of the Children of Wisdom, to Constitute thee a Fellow of their Society, and make thee Partaker of the Wonders of his Omnipotency.

This strange Manner of Salu­tation, did upon the suddain, sur­prize me; and I began, at first, to question, whether or no it might not be some Apparition: Nevertheless, recovering my Spi­rits the best I could, and looking upon him as Civilly as the little Fear I was seized with, could per­mit me. What ever you be (said I to him) whose Complement [...]avours not of this World, you do me a great Honor, in making me this Visit. But I beseech you, if you please, before I Worship this God of the Sages, let me know, of what God, and what Sa­ges you speak? Do me the Fa­vour, to sit down on this Chair,[Page 12]and give your self the Trouble to tell me, what this God is, what these Sages, this Company, these Wonders of Omnipotency? and after or before all this, What kind of Creature, I have the Ho­nor to speak to?

Sir, You receive me most Sage­like, (said he, smiling, and tak­ing the Chair which I Presented him) you desire me on a sud­dain, to Explain things to you; which, if you please, I shall not Resolve to Day. The Comple­ment, which I made you, are the Words which the Sages use at first, to those to whom they pur­pose to open their Hearts, and to discover their Mysteries. I had thought, that being so Wise as you seemed to me in your Letters, this Salutation would not have been unknown to you; and that it would be the most pleas­ing Complement, that could be[Page 13]made you by the Count of Ga­balis.

Ah! Sir (cryed I, remembring that I had a Ticklish Game to Play) How shall I render my self Worthy of so much Good­ness? Is it possible, that the Ex­cellentest of all Men, should be in my Study? that the Great Ga­balis, should honor me with his Visit?

I am the least of the Sages, (reply'd he, with a serious Look) and God, who dispenses the Beams of his Wisdom, by Weight and Measure, as his Sovereignty plea­ses, has given me but a small Ta­lent, in Comparison of that which I admire with Astonishment, in my Fellows. I hope, that you may equal them, one Day; if I durst judge of it by the Scheam of your Nativity, which you did me the Honor to send me: But you give me cause to Complain[Page 14]of you, Sir, (added he, Smiling) in taking me even now for a Spi­rit.

Not for a Spirit, (said I to him) but I protest to you, Sir, that calling to my Remembrance on a suddain, what Cardan relates of his Father; That being one day in his Study, he was Visited by unknown Persons, cloathed in di­vers Colours; who entertained him in a pleasant Discourse, con­cerning their Nature and Imploy­ment.—I understand you (in­terrupted the Count,) they were Sylphes, of which I shall talk to you here-after: They are a kind of Aerial Substances; who some­times come to Consult the Sages, concerning the Books of Aver­roes, which they do not well un­derstand. Cardan was but a Cox­comb, for Publishing that a­mongst his Subtilties: He had found those Memories amongst[Page 15]his Father's Papers, who was one of Us; and who, seeing that his Son was Naturally a Babbler, would Teach him nothing of what was most Considerable; but let him puzle his Brains in Astrolo­gy, by which he was not cun­ning enough, to prevent his Sons being Hanged. This Ass, was the Cause of your doing me the Injury, to take me for a Sylphe. Injury (replyed I!) Why Sir, should I be so Unfortunate to—I am not Angry at it, (interrup­ted he) since you are not oblig­ed to know before-hand, that all these Elementary Spirits are our Disciples; for they are most Hap­py, when we will stoop so low, as to Instruct them; and the least of our Sages is more knowing, than all those Little Gentlemen. But we shall talk more at large of this, some more convenient time; It is sufficient for me to[Page 16]day, that I have had the Satisfa­ction to see you. Endeavor, my Son, to make your self Worthy of Receiving the Cabalistical Illu­minations: The Hour of your Regeneration is come; The Fault is your own, if you become not a New-Creature. Pray fervent­ly to him, who only has the Power to Create new Hearts, to give you one, that may be Ca­pable of the great Things, which I have to Teach you; and to Inspire me, not to conceal any thing from you, of our Mysteries. He then rose up; and Embracing me, without giving me the Lea­sure to Answer him: Farewel, my Son, (pursued he) I must go see our Companions, which are at Paris; after which, I shall Communicate my News to you. In the mean time, Watch, Pray, Hope, and be Silent.

[Page 17]He went out of my Study, in saying that; and I complained of his short Visit, as I waited on him back, that he had the Cru­elty to leave me so quickly, af­ter he had let me be so Happy, as to have a Glimpse of his Light. But having assured me with a good Grace, that I should lose nothing by this suddain Departure; he got up into his Coach, and left me in a Surprize, which I am not able to Express. I could not believe my own Eyes, nor my own Ears: I'm sure, (said I) that this is a Man of Great Quality; that he hath an Estate of Five Thousand Pounds a Year: Be­sides, he appears very Accom­plished. Is it possible, that he can thus suffer himself to be fil­led with these Fooleries? He has talked to me of these Sylphes, with great Earnestness: Should he prove a Sorcerer in the Up­shot?[Page 18]and, Should I have been Deceived till now, in believing, that there were no such Things? But, suppose he be a Sorcerer, Are there also some of them so Devout, as this Man appears to be?

I could not Comprehend any thing of all this: Nevertheless, I resolved to see the End of it; though I well enough fore-saw, that he had some set Discour­ses to handle; and that the Dae­mon, which agitated him, was a great Moralist, and a Preach­er.

Discourse the Second.

THE Count was pleased to allow me all the Night in Prayer: And in the Morn­ing, by Break of Day, he ac­quainted me by a Note, that he would come to my House by Eight of the Clock; and that, if I pleased, we might go and take the Air together. I wait­ed for him; he came; and after Reciprocal Civilities: Let us go (said he to me) to some Place, where we may be free together, and where no Body may inter­rupt our Discourse. Ruel (said I to him) seems to be a Place very Pleasant, and very Solitary. Let us thither then, (reply'd he:) So up we get into the Coach; and all the way, I observ'd my New[Page 20]Master. I never saw in any Per­son, so great Marks of Satisfa­ction, as appeared in all his Ge­stures. He had a Spirit more mild, calm, and free, than me­thought a Sorcerer could have. All his Countenance, and Beha­viour, was not as of a Man, whose Conscience could reproach him with any thing that was Black; and I was in a marvel­lous Impatience, till I should see him enter upon the Matter: Not being able to comprehend, how a Man, who seemed to me so Ju­dicious, and so Accomplisht in all things else, should imploy his Wits in these Ridiculous Specu­lations, with which I knew him the Day before, to be infected. He discoursed to me of Policy most Divinely; and was infinit­ly pleased, to hear that I had read what Plato has writ of it. You will have need enough of[Page 21]all that, one Day, (said he to me), a little more, than you think you shall: And if we agree together to day, it is not impos­sible, but that in a small time, you may put in Practice these Sage Maxims. By this time, we were got to Ruel, and went into the Garden; the Count vouchsa­fing to Admire the Beauty of it, and walked straight to the La­byrinth.

He seeing, that we were as free from Company, as he could desire: I beseech, (cry'd he, lifting up his Eyes and Hands to­wards Heaven) I beseech the E­ternal Wisdom, that I may be Inspired in such a manner, as that I may not conceal any of these inexpressible Truths from you: How Happy shall you be, my Son, if Heaven has the Kind­ness to put those Dispositions in­to your Soul, which the High [Page 22]Mysteries require of you! You are about to Learn, how to com­mand Nature; God alone, shall be your Master; and the Sages only, shall be your Equals: The Supream Intelligences shall e­steem it a Glory, to obey your Desires: The Devils shall not dare to approach, where you are; Your Voyce shall make them tremble, in the most profound Caves of their Abyss. And all the Invisible People, who inhabit the Four Elements, shall account themselves Happy, to be the Mi­nisters of your Pleasures. I A­dore thee, O Great God! for ha­ving Crowned Man with so much Glory, and for having Establish­ed him the Soveraign Monarch over all the Works of thy Hands! Do you feel, my Son, (added he, turning himself towards me) Do you feel this Heroick Ambition, which is the certain Character[Page 23]of the Children of wisdom? Dare you desire, to Serve nothing but God only; and to Rule over all Things, which is not of God? Have you comprehended, what it is to be a Man? And, Do you not detest the being of a Slave, since you were Born to be a Soveraign? And if you have these Noble Thoughts, as the Fi­gure of your Nativity suffers me not to doubt; consider soberly, if you can have the Courage, and Strength, to Renounce all Things, which may be an Obstacle to you, in the attaining that Great­ness, to which you were Born? He stopt there, and beheld me stedfastly; as attending my An­swer, or as if he were reading my Heart.

How much soever the begin­ning of this Discourse had made me hope, that we should enter presently upon the Matter; so [Page 24]much the more was I become desperate at what he had last said. The word RENOƲNCE, so affrighted me, that I question­ed, whether or no he was not a­bout to propose to me, the Re­nouncing of my Baptism, or Pa­radise. So that, not knowing how to get out of these Streights: Renounce, (said I to him!) Why, Sir, need I Renounce any thing? Truly, (reply'd he) there is need enough; and so much need, that we must begin with that Point first: I know not whether or no you can resolve upon it; but I know very well, that Wisdom does not inhabit a Body subject to Sin, no more, than it enters into a Soul, pre­possessed with Error or Malice. The Sages will never admit you into their Society, if you do not Renounce from this very present, a Thing which cannot stand in[Page 25]Competition with Wisdom. You must (added he, stooping down, and whispering in my Ear) You must Renounce all Carnal Commerce with Women.

I could not forbear breaking out into a fit of Laughter at this pleasant Proposition. Well Sir, (cryed I!) you have quitted me for a very small Matter: I had thought, that you would have proposed to me some strange Re­nunciation; but since it is only Women, I assure you, that Work is long since done. I am very Chast (God be thanked!) Never­theless, Sir, in regard that Solo­mon was Wiser than I, it may be, shall ever be, and that all his Wisdom could not hinder him from being Corrupted by them. I beseech you tell me, what Ex­pedient you Gentlemen take, to keep you from this Sex? And, what Inconvenience there would[Page 26]be, if in the Philosophers Paradice, every Adam had his Eve.

There you ask great Matters, (reply'd he, consulting with him­self, if he should Answer my Que­stion or not) but yet since I see, that you desert Women without a­ny Trouble, I shall tell you one of the Reasons, which have ob­liged the Sages to impose this Condition on their Disciples; and from thence you will know in what Ignorance all those Live, who are not of our Number.

When you shall be enrolled a­mongst the Children of Philoso­phy, and that your Eyes shall be Fortifyed by the use of our Sa­cred Medicine; you shall imme­diatly discover, that the Elements are inhabited by most Perfect Creatures; from the Knowledge and Commerce of whom, the Sin of the Unfortunate Adam, has ex­cluded all his too Unhappy Po­sterity.[Page 27]This immense Space, which is between the Earth, and the Heavens, has more Noble In­habitants, than Birds and Flyes: This vast Ocean has also other Troops, besides Dolphins and Whales: The Profoundity of the Earth, is not only for Moles; And the Element of Fire, (more No­ble than the other Three) was not made to be Unprofitable and Voyd.

The Air is full of an innu­merable Multitude of People, ha­ving Human Shape, somewhat Fierce in appearance, but Tract­able upon experience: Great Lo­vers of the Sciences, Subtil, Of­ficious to the Sages, and Enemies to Sots and Ignorants. Their Wives, and their Daughters have a kind of Masculine Beauty, such as we describe the Amazons to have. How Sir, (cryed I!) Would you perswade me, that these[Page 28]Fiends you speak of, are Marry­ed.

Be not so Fierce, my Son, (re­ply'd he) for so small a Matter. Believe whatsoever I tell you, to be Solid and true. I am mak­ing known nothing to you, but the Principles of the Antient Cabal; and there needs nothing more to justify them, than that you should believe your own Eyes: But re­ceive with a Meek Spirit, the Light which God sends you by my Interposition. Forget all that you may have heard touching these Matters, in the Schools of the Ignorants: whereat you will be displeased, when you shall be convinced by Experience, and be obliged to disown, what former­ly you had a good Opinion of to no purpose.

Listen then to the End; and know, that the Seas and Rivers are Inhabited, as well as the Air: [Page 29]The Antient Sages have called these kind of People Ʋndians or Nymphs. They have but few Males amongst them; but the Women are there in great Num­bers: Their Beauty is marvel­lous; and the Daughters of Men have nothing in them, compara­ble to these.

The Earth is filled almost to the Center with Gnomes or Pha­ryes; a People of small Stature; the Guardians of Treasures, of Mines, and of Precious Stones. They are Ingenious, Friends of Men, and easie to be command­ded. They furnish the Children of the Sages with as much Mo­ney, as they have need of; and never ask any other Reward of their Services, than the Glory of being Commanded. The Gno­mides or Wives of these Gnomes or Pharyes, are Little, but very[Page 30]Handsom; and their Habit mar­vellously Curious.

As for the Salamanders, the In­habitants of the Region of Fire: They serve the Philosophers, but they seek not for their Company with any great Eagerness; and their Wives and Daughters will rarely be seen. They do wisely, (interrupted I) and for my share, I shall excuse their Appearing to me. Why [...]o, ( [...]aid the Count?) Why, Sir, (reply'd I?) What Business can I have, to Converse with so ugly a Creature as a Sa­lamander, be it either Male or Fe­male? You are mistaken, (an­swered he) that is the Idea, which the ignorant Painters and Sculp­ters have given them: The Wives of the Salamanders are Fair; nay, rather more Fair, than all others, seeing they are of a purer Element. But I forbear to speak more of that, and shall give [Page 31]but a slight Description of these People; because you shall see them your self, at your Leasure; and that very easily too, if you have the Curiosity for it. You shall see their Habits, their Diet, their Manners, their Policy, and their Admirable Laws. You will be Charmed more, with the Beauty of their Wit, than that of their Body: Yet you cannot choose, but be grieved for these poor Wretches, when they shall tell you, That their Soul is Mortal; and that they have no Hope of enjoying Eternal Happyness, and of the Supreme Being, which they acknowledge, and Religi­ously adore. They will tell us, That being Composed of the most pure Parts of the Elements, which they inhabit; and not ha­ving in them any contrary Qua­lities, seeing they are made but of one Element, they Dye not but[Page 32]after many Ages: But Alas! What is such a Time, in respect of E­ternity? They must Eternally re­solve into their Nothing. This Consideration does sorely afflict them; and we have Trouble e­nough, to comfort them concern­ing it.

Our Fathers, the Philosophers, speaking to God Face to Face, complained to him of the Un­happyness of these People; and God, whose Mercy is without bounds, revealed to them, that it was not impossible to find out a Remedy for this Evil. He in­spired them, that by the same Means as Man, by the Alliance which he Contracted with God, has been made Partakers of the Divinity: The Sylphs, the Gnomes, the Nymphs, and the Salamanders, by the Alliance which they might Contract with Man, might be made Partakers of Immorta­lity.[Page 33]So a She-Nymph, or a Syl­phide becomes Immortal, and ca­pable of the Blessing to which we aspire, when they shall be so happy as to be married to a Sage; a Gnome, or a Sylphe ceases to be Mortal, from the moment that he Espouses one of our Daugh­ters.

Hence arose the Error of the former Ages, of Tertullian, of Justin Martyr, of Lactantius, Cy­prian, Clemens Alexandrinus, A­thenagoras the Christian Philoso­pher; and generally, of all the Writers of that time They had learnt, that these Elementary Demi­men, had endeavored a Commerce with Maids; and they have from thence imagined, that the Fall of the Angels had not hap­pened, but for the Love which they were touched with after Women Certain Gnomes, desirous of becoming Immortal, had a[Page 34]mind to gain the good Affecti­ons of our Daughters; and had brought abundance of Precious Stones, of which they are the Natural [...]uardians: And these Authors, relying on the Book of Enoch, which they mis-under­stood, thought that it was the Attempt which these Amorous Angels had offered to the Cha­stity of our Wives. In the Be­ginning, these Children of Hea­ven begat Famous Gyants, by making themselves beloved by the Daughters of Men: And the ill Cabalists, Josephus and Philo, (as all the Jews are ignorant) and after them all the other Au­thors, which I have just now na­med, as well as Origen and Ma­crobius, have said, that they were Angels; and have not known, that they were the Sylphes, and other People of the Elements; that under the Name of the Chil­dren [Page 35]of Elohim, are distinguish­ed from the Children of Men. Likewise, that which the Sage Saint Augustine, has had the Mo­desty to leave undetermined, touching the Pursuits which those called Faunes or Satyrs, made after the Africans of his time, is cleared by that which I have now alledged, of the Desire which all these Elementary Inhabitants have, of Allying themselves to Men; as the only means to at­tain to the Immortality which they have not.

No, no! Our Sages have ne­ver Err'd so, as to attribute the Fall of the first Angels, to their Love of Women, no more than they have put Men under the Power of the Devil; by imput­ing all the Adventures of the Nymphs and Sylphs to him, of which the Historians speak so largely. There was nothing Cri­minal[Page 36]in all that. They were the Sylphs, which endeavoured to become Immortal. Their In­nocent Pursuits, far enough from being able to scandalize the Phi­losophers, have appeared so Just to us, that we are all resolved by common Consent, utterly to Re­nounce Women; and intirely to give our selves to the Immor­talizing of the Nymphs and Sylphs.

Good Lord, (cryed I!) What do I hear? Was there ever such marvellous F— Yes, my Son, (interrupted the Count) Admire the marvellous Felicity of the Sages! Instead of Women, whose fading Beauty pass away in a short time, and are followed with horrible Wrinkles and Ug­lyness, the Philosophers enjoy Beau­ties which never wax old, and whom they have the glory to make Immortal. Guess at the [Page 37]Love and Acknowledgment of these invisible Mistresses; and with what Ardor they strive to please the Charitable Philosopher, who Labours to Immortalize them.

Ah! Sir, (cryed I once again) I Renounce—. Yes, my Son, (pursued he, without giving me the Leasure to finish) Renounce the fading Pleasures, which are to be had with Women; the Fair­est amongst them all, is Loath­som, in respect of the Homeliest Sylphide: No Displeasure ever follows our Sage Embraces. Mi­serable Ignorants! How should you complain, that ye have not the Power to tast of the Phyloso­phick Pleasures!

Miserable Count de Gabalis, (in­terrupted I, in an Accent mixed with Choler and Compassion!) Will you give me leave to tell you at last, That I Renounce this[Page 38]senseless Wisdom; That I find this Visionary Philosophy very Ri­diculous: That I detest the Abo­minable Embraces, which make you affect these Phantasms; and that I tremble for you, and won­der that some one of these pre­tended Sylphides does not hurry you to Hell, in the middle of your Transports and Raptures; and for fear, lest so honest a Man as you, should not perceive the End of your foolish Chymerick Zeal, and should not Repent of so great a Crime.

Oh! Oh! (answered he, Re­coyling two or three Paces back, and earnestly looking upon me with an Angry Countenance) Mischief light on thy indocible Spirit! His Action, I must con­fess, affrighted me; but it was yet worse, when I perceived, that going further from me, he drew out of his Pocket a Paper; which[Page 39]I could easily see at that distance, to be full of Characters; yet I could not well discern it. He read them gravely, and spake low. I guessed, that he was in­voking some Spirit for my Ruin, and Repented me more than a little for my inconsiderate Zeal. If I escape this adventure, (said I) I'le never have to do with a Ca­balist more. I fixed my eyes up­on him, as upon a Judge that was ready to condemn me to Death; When at last, I perceiv­ed; that his looks became serene. 'Tis hard (said he, smiling, and coming towards me again) 'Tis hard for you to kick against the Pricks. You are a Vessel of E­lection. Heaven has ordained you, to be the greatest Cabalist of your Age. Behold the Scheme of your Nativity, which cannot fail. If it be not now, and that too by my means, 'twill be a [Page 40]great wonder, as appears by this Saturn retrograde.

Alas, Sir, (said I to him) if I must become a Sage, it will ne­ver be but by the means of the Great Gabalis: But to deal free­ly with you, I am affraid, that you will find it a difficult mat­ter to bend me to this Philoso­phical Mode. It seems (continued he) that you should be but ill read in Physicks, that cannot be perswaded of the existance of these People? I know not, (answered I) but I cannot Imagine that these can be any things else but Fiends disguised. Do you still (said he) rather believe your own Whim­seys, than Natural Reason? than Plato, Pythagorus, Celsus, Psellus, Proclus, Porphyrius, Jam­licus, Plotinus, Trismegistus, Nol­lius, Dorneus, Fludd; than the great Philippus Aureolus Theophra­ctus Bombst Paracelsus de Honein­hem; [Page 41]and than all our Society?

I would believe you (Answe­red I) as soon, nay sooner, than all these: But, Dear Sir, could you not so order the business with the rest of your society, that I might not be obliged to have Carnal knowledge of these Elementary Ladies? Away, a­way, (reply'd he) you have your own Liberty, without doubt; for no-body loves, unless he has a mind to it. Few of the Sages have been able to defend them­selves from their charms: But it has been observed, that some re­serving themselves wholly and en­tirely for great things, (as you will know in time) would never do this honor to the Nymphs. I will be then of this number, (said I:) But yet neither can I resolve to loose time about the ceremonies which I have heard a Prelate say, must be practized[Page 42]by those who mean to converse with their Genius's. This Prelate knew not what he said, (said the Count;) for you shall see ere long, that there are no Genius's there; and besides, that never any Sage employed either Ceremonies or Superstition for the familiarity of the Genius's, no more than for the People of whom we speak.

The Cabalistes do nothing, but by the Principles of Nature: And if there are sometimes found in our Books certain strange words, characters, or Fumigations, 'tis but to conceal the Philosophical Principles from the Ignorant. Ad­mire the Simplicity of Nature, in all her most marvellous Ope­rations! And in this Simplicity, a Harmony, and Agreement so great, so just, and so necessary, that it will make you return back, in despite of your self, from your [Page 43]weak Imaginations. That which I am now going about to tell you, we teach those of our Dis­ciples, which we will not let al­together enter into the Sanctuary of Nature; and whom we will nevertheless, not utterly deprive of the Society of the Elementary People, meerly out of the com­passion which we have for these poor wretches.

The Salamanders (as you have already, perhaps, comprehended) are Composed of the most sub­tile Parts of the Sphaere of Fire, conglobated and organiz'd by the Action of the Universal Fire, (concerning which, I shall one day entertain you further) so cal­led, because it is principal of all the Motions of Nature.

The Sylphes in like manner, are Composed of the purest A­tomes of the Air: The Nymphs, [Page 44]of the most delicate parts of the Water; and the Gnomes of the subt­lest parts of the Earth. There was a great Proportion betwixt Adam, and these so perfect Creatures; because they being composed of that which was most pure in the four Elements; He comprehended the perfections of these four sorts of People, and was their Natural King. But since the time that his sin pre­cipitated him into the Excre­ments of the Elements, (as you shall see hereafter) the Harmo­ny was disordered, and there was no more proportion, he be­ing become Impure, and Dull, in respect of these substances so pure and so subtil. What re­medy for this evil? How shall we remount this throne, and recover this lost Soveraignty? O Nature! Why do they study thee so little? Do you not com­prehend[Page 45]my Son, with what sim­plicity nature can render to man the Goods which he has lost?

Alas! Sir (reply'd I) I am ve­ry ignorant in all these simpli­cities, you speak of. And yet (pursued he) it is very easie to become knowing in them.

If we would recover that Em­pire over the Salamanders: we must purifie and exalt the Ele­ment of Fire which is in us, and raise up the tone of this slackned string, we need do no more, but concenter the Fire of the World by Concave Mirrours in a Globe of Glass. And herein, is that great piece of Art which all the Ancients have so Religi­ously concealed, and which the Divine Theophrastus has discove­red. There is formed in this Globe a Solar powder, which being purified by it self from the[Page 46]Mixture of other Elements; and being prepared according to art, becomes in a very little time, Soveraignly proper to exalt the Fire which is in us, and make us become (according to our Phrase) of a Fiery Nature. From that time the inhabitants of the Sphere of Fire become our inferi­ors, and ravisht to see our mu­tual Harmony re-stablisht, and that we once more approach to them: They have all the kindness for us which they have for their own Species, all the respect which they owe to the Image and to the Lieutenant of their Creator; and all the concern which may make evident in them, the desire of obtaining by us, the immorta­lity which they want. 'Tis true, that as they are more subtil than those of the other Elements, they live a very long time, so they are not very forward, to impor­tune[Page 47]the Sages to make them immortal. You may accommo­date your self with one of these, if the aversion which you have witnessed to me last not with you to the end: perchance, she will never speak to you of that which you fear so much.

It will not be so with the Sylphs, the Gnomes, and the Nymphs; For they living a less time, have more need of us: and so their famili­arity is more easie to obtain. You need but shut up a glass fill'd with Conglobated Air, Water, or Earth, and expose it to the Sun for a month; Then separate the Element according to art, which is very easie to do, if it be Earth or Water. 'Tis a mar­vellous thing to see, what a ver­tue every one of these purified Elements have to attract the Nymphes, Sylphs, and Gnomes. In taking but never so little, everyday,[Page 48]for about a month together, one shall see in the Air the volant Re­publique of the Sylphs; The Nymphes come in shoales up the Rivers, and the Guardians of Trea­sures, presenting you with their riches. Thus without Characters, without Ceremonies, without Bar­barous words, you become abso­lute Master over all these people. They require no worship of the Sages, since they know well e­nough that he is nobler than they. Thus venerable Nature teaches her Children how to repair the Elements by the Elements. Thus is Harmony re-established. Thus man recovers his natural Empire, and can do all things in the Ele­ments, without Daemon, or unlaw­ful art. Thus you see, my Son, that the Sages are more innocent than you thought. You say no­thing to me—

I admire Sir (said I) and I be­gin[Page 49]to fear, that you will make me become a Chymist. Ah! God preserve thee from that, my Child, (cryed he) 'Tis not to these fooleries that your Nativity designs you, I will warrant you on the contrary, from being troubled about that: I told you already, That the Sages shew not these things, but to those whom they will not admit into their Society. You shall have all these Advantages, and others infinitely more Glorious, and more Plea­sant, by wayes cleerly more Phy­losophical. I had not described these Methods to you, but to let you see the Innocence of this Phylosophy, and to take you out of these Panick Fears.

I thank God, Sir, (answered I) I am not at present, in any such Fear as I was even now. And although I do not yet resolve up­on the Accommodation, which you[Page 50]pose to me with the Salamanders; I cannot refrain from having the Curiosity to learn how you have discovered, that these Nymphs, and these Sylphs Dye? Truly (re­plyed he) they tell us so, and we see them Dye. How, (said I) Can you see them Dye, and yet your Commerce renders them Immortal? That would be well, (pur [...]ued he) if the Number of the Sages equalled the Number of these People: Besides that, there are many amongst them, who rather choose to Dye, than ha­zard by becoming Immortal, the being so unhappy as they see the Devils are. And 'tis the De­vil, who Inspired them with these Opinions; for there is no Mischief, which he doth not do, to hinder these poor Creatures from becoming Immortal by our Allyance. Insomuch, that I look upon it, (and so ought you, my [Page 51]Son) as a most pernicious Temp­tation, and a Motion of very lit­tle Charity, to have this Aversion which you shew to it.

Moreover, as concerning their Death, of which you speak: What was it that obliged the O­racle of Apollo, to say, That all those who speak Oracles, were Mortal, as well as he; as Por­phyrius reports? And, What think you, was the meaning of that Voyce, which was heard on all the Coast of Italy, and struck so great a Terror into all those who were upon the Sea? THE GREAT PAN IS DEAD! They were the People of the Air; who gave notice to the People of the Water, that the Chiefest, and most A­ged of all the Sylphs, was newly Dead.

At that time, when this Voyce was heard, (said I to him) I sup­pose, that the World worshipped[Page 52] Pan, and the Nymphs: And that these Gentlemen, whose Com­merce you are Preaching of to me, were the False Gods of the Heathens.

'Tis true, my Son, (reply'd he) The Sages have alwayes been of that opinion, That the Devil ne­ver had the Power to make him­self Worshipped. He is too Un­happy, and too Weak, ever to have had this Pleasure, and this Authority. But he has been able to perswade the Elementary Hosts, to shew themselves to Men, and make men erect Temples to them; and by the Natural Do­minion, which every one has o­ver the Element which he inha­bits, they trouble the Air, and the Sea, set the Earth in Com­bustion, and dispense the Fire of Heaven, according to their Hu­mour: Insomuch, that they had no great trouble to be taken for[Page 53] Deities, so long as the Sovereign Being differ'd the Salvation of the World. But the Devil ne­ver received all the Advantage of his Malice, which he hoped he should: For it has happened from thence, that Pan, the Nymphs, and the rest of the Elementary People, having found the Means of changing this Commerce of Worship, into a Commerce of Love; (for you may remember, that amongst the Antients, Pan was the King of those Gods whom they called Incubuses, and who alwayes earnestly sought the Ac­quaintance of Maids) many Hea­thens have escaped the Devil, and shall never Burn in Hell.

I do not well understand you, Sir, (said I.) You have not mind­ed me, to understand me, (con­tinued he, smiling, and in a jeer­ing Tone.) Behold what you pass over! and likewise, what[Page 54]your Doctors pass over, who know not what these Excellent Physicks mean! Behold the Great Mystery of all this Part of Phy­losophy, which concerns the Ele­ments; and which will take a­way (if you have but never so little Love for your self) this Re­pugnance to Phylosophy, which you have witnessed to me this Day! Know then, my Son; and go not about to divulge this great Arcanum to any unworthy Igno­rant. Know, that as the Sylphs acquire an Immortal Soul, by the Allyance which they Con­tract with the Men who are Pre­destinated; so also, the Men who have no right to Eternal Glory: Those Miserable Wretches, whose Immortality is but a lamentable Advantage, for whom the Mes­sias was not sent—

Then, you Gentlemen of the Cabal, are Jansenists likewise, (in­terrupted[Page 55]I?) We know not what that is, my Child, (pro­ceeded he, somewhat Angryly) and we [...]corn to inform our selves, wherein consists the different Sects, and divers Religions, with which the Ignorant puzzle their Heads. We keep to the Anti­ent Religion of our Fathers, the Philosophers; wherein 'tis very necessary, that I instruct you. But to come again to the pur­pose: These Men, whose sad Im­mortality is nothing but an E­ternal Misfortune; The unhappy Children, whom the Sovereign Father has neglected, have also this Recourse, that they may be­come Mortal, by Contracting an Allyance with these Elementary People. So that you see, the Sa­ges hazard nothing for Eternity. If they are Predestinated, they have the Pleasure to carry with them to Heaven (in quitting the[Page 56]Prison of this Body) the Syl­phide, or Nymph, which they have Immortalized: And if they be not Predestinated, the Com­merce of the Nymph renders their Soul Mortal, and delivers them from the Horrors of the Second Death. So the Devil saw all the Pagans escape, who Allyed them­selves to the Nymphs: And so the Sages, or Friends of the Sa­ges, when God Inspires us to Com­municate to any one, the Four Elementary Secrets, (which I have now been teaching you) free themselves from the Peril of be­ing Damned.

Without Lying, Sir, (cryed I, not daring to put him again in­to an ill Humor; and finding it requisite to defer the telling him plainly my Opinion, till I should have discovered all the Secrets of his Cabal, which I judged by this Glimps, must needs be very full [Page 57]of Pleasure and Divertisement:) Without Lying, You advance Wisdom to a great Height! And you had reason to tell me, That this surpassed all our Doctors: And I believe, that this likewise passes all our Magistrates too: And that, if they could discover who those were, that ecsaped the Devil by this means, (as Ig­norance is very Unjust) they would engage in the Devil's In­terest, against these Fugitives, and make a strong Party for him.

Yes, It is for that, (pursued the Count) that I have so strictly com­manded you; and do again com­mand you, to keep Religiously this Secret. Your Judges are strange Persons! They Condemn a most innocent Action, as a dis­mal Crime. What a Barbarity was it, to Burn those two Priests, which the Prince of Miranda [Page 58]sayes he knew of, who had each of them his Sylphide, for the space of Forty Years! What an In­human thing was it, to put Joan Herviller to death, for having la­boured Six and Forty Years, to Immortalize a Gnome! And, What a piece of Ignorance was that of Bodin, to represent her as a Witch; that from thence he might take advantage to Authorize popular Errors, touching pretended Sor­cerers; in a Book as Impertinent, as his Common-Wealth is Reaso­nable.

But it is late; and I do not consider, that you have not yet Dined. 'Tis your self, that you mean, Sir, (said I) for as for my part, I could listen to you till to Morrow, without Inconvenience. For me! Alas! (reply'd he, Laughing, and walking towards the Gate) 'Tis easily seen, that you understand but little, what[Page 59] Phylosophy is. The Sages Eat but for their Pleasure, and never for Necessity. I had a quite contra­ry Idea of Wisdom, (answered I;) I had thought, that you Wise-men should never Eat but to sa­tisfy Nature. You are abused, (said the Count.) How long think you, that our Sages can subsist without Eating? How can I tell? (answered I) Moses and Elias, you know, Fasted forty Dayes: You Sages, I make no doubt, may do it some few Dayes less. What a great piece of Business would that be? (Replyed he) The most Wise Man that ever was, the Di­vine, the almost Adorable Para­celsus, affirms, that he has seen many of the Sages Fast Twenty Years, without Eating any thing whatsoever. He himself, before he attained to the Monarchy of Wisdom, whereof we have just­ly presented him the Scepter: He,[Page 60]I say, would undertake to Live many Years without Eating, by taking but half a Scruple of his Solar Quintescence. And if you would have the Pleasure to make any one Live without Vic­tuals, you need do no more, but prepare the Earth, as I told you it must be prepared, for the So­ciety of the Gnomes: This Earth applyed to the Navle, and re­newed when it is too dry, will cause any one to Live without Eating or Drinking and that with­out any trouble.

And the use of this Catholick-Cabalistical-Medicine, frees us much better from all the importunate Necessities, to which Nature makes the Ignorant subject: We Eat not, but when it pleases us; and all the Superfluity of Food Passing away by an insensible Transpiration, we are never a­shamed to be Men. Here he held[Page 61]his peace, perceiving that we were near our Servants. So we went to the Village, to take a short Refreshment; following the Cus­tom of the Philosophick-Heroes.

Discourse the Third.

AFter Dinner, we return to to the Labyrinth. But I was somewhat Melancholly: & the Pity which I was Affected with, at the Extravagancy of the Count, whom I plainly saw incu­rable, hindered me from taking so much Pleasure at all things, which he had told me, as I should have done; If I had hoped to have brought him back to his right Wits. I studied for some­thing[Page 62]of Antiquity, to puzzle him with, which he should not be able to Answer. For to al­ledge to him the Sense of the Church, was in vain; he having declared, that he only adhered to the Antient Religion of his Fa­thers, the Philosophers: And to have gone about to Convince a Cabalist by Reason, would have been an Enterprize altogether as frivolous. Besides, I cared not to venture on a Dispute with a Man, whose Principles I did not yet understand.

It came into my Mind, that what he had told me, concerning the False Gods, in whose place he had substituted the Sylphs, and the other Elementary People, might be Refuted by the Oracles of the Heathens, which the Scripture mentions alwayes as Devils, not as Sylphs. But for as much, as I did not know, if in the Sen [...]e of[Page 63]his Cabal, the Count would not attribute the Answers of the O­racles to some Natural Cause; I believed, that it would not be improper, to put him upon Ex­plaining what was his real O­pinion herein.

He gave me a good Opportu­nity of breaking to him the Mat­ter. Just as we were ready to enter into the Labyrinth, turning himself about towards the Gar­den: Truly, (said he) it is very Handsom, and these Statues make a Noble Show. The Cardinal (reply'd I) who caused them to be set here, had an Imagination a little unworthy of his Great Genius: He fancied, that the greatest part of these Images had formerly yielded Oracles: And for this very Conceit, he paid a dear Rate for them. 'Tis the Infirmi­ty of many People, (said the Count) that Ignorance makes them[Page 64]dayly commit a kind of Idolatry, which is very Criminal; since they preserve with so much Care, and put so great an Esteem upon Idols, which they believe the De­vil has heretofore made use of, to make himself Adored. O God! Shall it never be known in the World, that Thou, from the Birth of Times, hast precipitated thine Enemies under thy Foot-stool? And that Thou keepest the De­vils Prisoners under the Earth, in Tormenting Darkness? This Cu­riosity, somewhat Blame-worthy, of collecting on this manner, these pretended Organs of the Devils, might become Innocent, (my Son) if they would suffer themselves to be perswaded, that the Angels of Darkness have ne­ver been permitted to speak in Oracles.

I do not believe, (interrupted I) that it would be an easie Mat­ter[Page 65]to Establish this Maxim a­mongst the Wits; but it might be done with those of solid Parts. For it has been not long since de­cided in a Conference, made ex­pressly on this Subject, by the Wits of the highest Rank; That all these pretended Oracles, were nothing but the Subtilty of Ava­ricious Priests amongst the Gen­tils, or else a Politick Stratagem of Princes.

Were these (said the Count) Mahometans, sent on an Ambassy to your King, who held this Con­ference, and thus decided this Question? No, Sir, (answered I.) Of what Religion then, were these Gentlemen, (replyed he) since they reckon the Holy Scrip­tures as nothing; which in so ma­ny Places, make mention of so many different Oracles? And prin­cipally, of the Pythons; who made their Residence, and gave[Page 66]out their Answers, by those Parts designed for the Multiplication of the Image of God? I alledged, (replyed I) the Examples of those, who discours'd from their Bellyes, and instanced to the Company, that King Saul had Banished them his Kingdom; where nevertheless he found one who was the Fore-teller of his Death, whose Voyce had the Ad­mirable Power to Raise up Samuel at his Request, and to his Ruin. Yet would not these Wife-Men decide it otherwise, than that there were never any O­racles.

If the Scriptures did not shew it plainly, (said the Count) they might be convinced by all Anti­quity; wherein it were an easie thing, to bring them a thousand marvellous Proofs. So many Virgins, big with the Destiny of Mortals, who were Deliver'd of [Page 67]the good or ill Fortune of those who consulted them. Why did you not alledge to them Chryso­stom, Origen, and Oecumenius? who make mention of those Divine Men, whom the Greeks called ENGASTRIMANDRES; whose Prophetick Bellies delivered out in an Articulate Voyce, so Fa­mous Oracles. And if your Gentle­men loved neither the Scriptures, nor the Fathers; those Miracu­lous Maids should have been in­stanced, of whom Pansanias, the Greek speaks; who changed them­selves into Doves, and in that Form delivered the Famous Ora­cles of the Colombae Dodonides. Or you might have said, for the Glory of your Nation, That there were long since in Gaule, those Illustrious Maids, who Metamor­phosed themselves into all Shapes, according to the Pleasure of those who Consulted them; & who, be­sides[Page 68](the Famous Oracles which they gave out) had a marvellous Command over the Ships at Sea, and a Soveraign healing Autho­rity over the most Incurable Dis­eases.

They would have rejected all these Excellent Proofs, as Apocry­phal, (said I to him.) Is it (con­tinued he) because Antiquity renders them suspicious? You should but have alledged the O­racles, which are still yielded dayly. In what Part of the World, (said I?) At Paris, (re­ply'd he.) At Paris? (cryed I) Yes, at Paris, (continued he) Are you a Master in Israel, and do you not know that? Do they not dayly Consult the A­quatick Oracles, in Glasses of Wa­ter, or in Basins? The Aerial O­racles, in Looking-Glasses, and on Maidens Hands? Do they not by this Means, recover lost Neck­laces[Page 69]or Bracelets, and stolen Watches? Do they not hereby learn News from far Countries? & can they not see those that are Absent? What is this, Sir, (said I) that you tell me? I tell you, (reply'd he) what I am sure, happens every Day, and of which it will be no difficult Matter, to find a thousand Ocular Witnes­ses. I do not believe that, Sir, (answered I:) The Magistrates would make a severe Example of any one, who should be found culpable of so punishable an A­ction; and they would never suf­fer such Idolatry—Alas! How discreet you are, (interrupted the Count!) There is not so much Harm in all this, as you think: And Providence will never per­mit these Remains of Phylosophy, to be wholly Extirpated, that have escaped the miserable Ship­wrack, which Truth has suffered.[Page 70]If there be still left among the People any Footsteps of the Illu­strious Power of the Divine Names; VVould you give your Vote for their Effacing? And that they should lose the Respect and Acknowledgment due to the great Name AGLA; which o­perates all these Marvels, even then when it is invoked by Ig­norants, and by Sinners; and which would work far different Miracles, in the Mouth of a Ca­balist. If you would have Con­vinced these Gentlemen of the Truth of Oracles, you needed but have Exalted your Imagination, and your Faith; and turning your Face towards the East, have cry­ed with a loud Voyce, Ag—Hold, Sir, (interrupted I!) I durst not have put in Execution this kind of Argument to such civil Persons, as those were with me; for they would have taken[Page 71]me for a Mad-man: Certainly, they would have had no Faith in all this. And if I had known, how to have wrought this Caba­listick Operation, of which you are speaking to me, it would ne­ver have come out of my Mouth; because I have still less Faith than they. Well, well, (said the Count) if you have none, we shall make it come to you. But further; If you had thought, that your Gen­tlemen had not given Credit to what they might have seen day­ly at Paris; you might have re­cited to them a History of a ve­ry fresh Date. The Oracle which Caelius Rodiginus said, that he him­self had seen given forth, about the latter End of the past Age, by that extraordinary Man, who spake and fore-told Things to come, by the same Organ which the Euricles, mentioned by Plu­tark, did. I would not (answe­red[Page 72]I) have cited Rodiginus; That Citation had been Pedantick: Be­sides, 'tis ten to one, if some of them had not told me, that this Man was certainly Possessed with a Devil.

That had been said most Fryar-like, (replyed he.) Sir, (inter­rupted I) in despight of that Caba­listick Aversion, which I perceive you have for the Fryars; I can­not but be on their sides, in this Point. I believe, that there is not so great Harm, in denying utterly, that ever there were any such things as Oracles, as in saying, That it was not the Devil who spake in them. For in a word, The Fathers, and the Divines—For in a word, (interrupted he) The Divines, Do they not agree, that the Wise Sambetha, who was the Antientest of all the Sy­bils, was the Daughter of Noah? Well, Sir, (said I) And what of [Page 73]that? Did not Plutarch (pursued he) say, That the Antientest Sy­bil was the First who delivered out Oracles at Delphos? This Spi­rit which Sambetha lodged in her Bosom, was not then a Devil, nor her Apollo a False God; seeing that Idolatry did not begin till a long time after the Division of Languages: And it would be ve­ry absurd, to Attribute to the Father of Lyes, those sacred Books of the Sybils, and all the Proofs of the True Religion, which the Fathers have drawn from them. Neither, my Child, (continued he, smiling) is it for you to break the Marriage, which a great Cardinal has made of David, and the Sybil; nor accuse this know­ing Person, for having put a great Prophet, and a miserable Energu­mena in one Parallel. For either David strengthens the Testimony of the Sybil, or the Sybil weakens [Page 74]the Authority of David. I be­seech you, Sir, (interrupted I) fall to your Seriousness again.

I will, I will (said he) upon Condition, that you will not ac­cuse me too much for it. Is the Devil, in your Opinion, ever di­vided against himself? And is he any time against his own Inte­rests? Why not? (said I to him) Why not? (said he) Because that which Tertullian hath so Hap­pily, and so Magnificiently cal­led the Reason of God, finds it not convenient. Satan is never divi­ded against himself. It then fol­lows, that either the Devil never spake in Oracles, or that he ne­ver spake against his own Inte­rest. And then it follows; That if the Oracles have spoken against the Interests of the Devil, it was not the Devil that spake in the Oracles. But (said I to him) could not God force the Devil to bear [Page 75]Witness to the Truth, and speak against himself? But (reply'd he) If God did not force him? Nay, in that Case (answered I) you have less Reason than the Fryers!

Let us see then, (pursued he) Let us proceed Invincibly, and like good Christians. I will not produce the Testimonies of those Oracles, of which the Fa­thers of the Church make relati­on; although I am perswaded of the Veneration which you have for these Great Men. Religion, and Interest, which was their Bu­siness, might have over-swayed them; and their Zeal for the Truth, might have induced them; seeing it was cold enough, and naked enough in their Age, to have borrowed for the cloathing it, some Habit, and some Orna­ment, even from Falshood it self. They were Men; and by Con­sequence, [Page 76]following the Maxim of the Poet of the Synagogue, may have been Unfaithful Witnes­ses.

I am therefore about to produce a Man, who cannot be suspected in this Cause; a Pagan: and a­nother kind of Pagan, than Lu­cretius, Lucian, or the Epicureans: A Pagan possest with a Real Be­lief, that there are Gods and De­vils, without number. He was a Man superstitious above mea­sure; and a Great Magician, or I am much mistaken in saying it; and by Consequence, a great Friend of the Devil: 'Tis Por­phyrius. Behold some of the O­racles which he relates, word for word.

[Page 77]

You see here, (my Son) that this Oracle, savours not very much of the Devil. At least, (answer­ed I) the Devil in this, is very wide from the Character which is given of him. Here is ano­ther (answered he) which is ra­ther better.

Well, Sir! What say you now to this? I would say to both these, (reply'd I) That God can force the Father of Lyes, to bear Witness to the Truth. Pray then observe another, (continued the Count) which will clear you of this Scruple.

[Page 80]

You see plainly, (my Son) that he, whatsoever he be, that speaks in these Oracles, and who so well explains to the Pagans, the Es­sence, the Unity, the Immensity, and the Eternity of God; He de­clares, that he is Mortal, and that he is but a Spark of God. It is not therefore the Devil who Speaks, since he is Immortal; and that God would not force him to say, that he was not so. It is concluded, that Satan is never di­vided[Page 81]against himself. For, Would it be the way to make him Ado­red, to say, that there is but one God? He sayes, That he is Mor­tal. Since when, has the Devil been so Humble, as to take a­way from his Natural Qualities? You may see then, (my Son) that if the Being of Him who is called by way of Excellence, the God of Knowledge, subsists, it can­not be the Devil, who spake in the Oracles.

But if it be not the Devil, (said I to him) either Lying out of the Wantonness of his Heart, or tel­ling Truth by Constraint, when he speaks of God; To what then will your Cabal attribute all these Oracles, which you maintain, have been really given forth? Is it to an Exhalation of the Earth, as A­ristotle, Cicero, and Plutarch sup­pose? No such thing, my Child, (said the Count) Thanks to the[Page 82]Sacred Cabal, I have not my Ima­gination clouded to such a De­gree. How? (replyed I) Do you Esteem this Opinion so Phana­tick? The Favourers of it, are Persons of clear Sense: They are not, my Child, I can assure you, of this Judgment, (continued he) It is impossible, to attribute to this Exhaltion, all what has pas­sed in these Oracles. As for Ex­ample; That Man (spoken of by Tacitus) who appeared in a Dream to the Priests of Hercules's Temple in Armenia, and commanded them to get them Horses ready for Hun­ting. Thus far might it have been an Exhalation: But when these Coursers returned at Night quite tyred, and their Quivers emptied of all their Arrows; and that the next Morning, there were found as many Beasts kil'd in the Forrest, as they had put Arrows into their Quivers: You must[Page 83]confess, that it could not be an Exhaltion, that could work this Effect. It could less be the De­vil; for that would be to have a Notion not at all Reasonable, nor Cabalistick, of the Misery of the Enemy of God, to think, that he were permitted to divert him­self with Coursing of Hares, and Wild-Beasts.

To what then (said I to him) does the Sacred Cabal attribute all this? Hold (answered he) be­fore I discover this Mystery to you, I must cure your Spirits of this Fancy, with which they may be prepossessed, concerning this pretended Exhalation; for me­thought, that you cited with an Emphasis, Aristotle, Plutarch, and Cicero: You might likewise have cited Jamblicus, who, as great a Wit as he was, was some time in this Error; which neverthe­less, he soon quitted, after he[Page 84]had better examined the Matter in the Book of Mysteries.

Petrus Aponius, Pomponacius, Le­vinius, Sirenius, and Lucilius Va­ninus, are infinitly pleased to have found this Defect in any of the Antients. All these pretended great Wits, who when they speak of Divine things, rather say what they desire, than what they know; they will not allow any thing Supernatural to be in Oracles, for fear of acknow­ledging something above man, They are so afraid, to have a Ladder made them to Climb up to God; that they dare not ac­knowledge by degrees, these Spiritual Creatures: they rather choose to build one, to Descend by it into nothing. Instead of raiseing themselves up towards Heaven, they Creep down into the Earth: and instead of mans searching among the Superiour[Page 85]Beings, for the Cause of these Transports, which carry him above himself, and make him in a manner a Divinity, they weakly Attribute to impower­ful Exhalation. This force of penetrating into what is to come, of discovering things con­ceal'd, and Advancing himself up, even to the highest Secrets of the Divine Essence.

Such is the misery of Man, when the Spirit of Contradicti­on, and Humor of thinking con­trary to others, does possess him! Far off from attaining his Ends, he runs himself into a mist, and loses himself. These Libertines will not subject men to Substances, less material than himself, and yet, subject him to an Exhala­tion: And without considering that there is no parallel between this Chymerick Smoke, and the Soul of man, between this Va­pour[Page 86]and future things, between this frivolous Cause, and these miraculous Effects. It suffices them to be singular, to believe, that they are reasonable; 'Tis enough for them to deny Spirits, and also to uphold the power of them.

Then does singularity so much displease you, Sir? (interrupted I) Ah my Son! (said he to me) 'Tis the Pest of good sense, and the stumbling-block of the greatest Wits. Aristotle as great a Logician as he was, knew not how to avoid this infection, or phantasy of singularity, much less those whom it works up­on as violently as him; He could not avoid (I say) puzling himself, nor knew he how to get clear again. He says in his Book of The Generation of Animalls, and in his Morals, That the Wit and Un­derstanding of a man comes to[Page 87]him from without, and that it cannot come to us from our Fa­ther, and by the spirituality of the operations of our Soul, he concludes, that it is of another nature, than this material com­position which it Animates, and whereof the groseness does but cloud the speculations, not at all contributing to their Production. Blind Aristotle! since that accor­ding to your sense, our materi­al Composition cannot be the fource of our spiritual Thoughts, what do you mean, that a weak Exhalation, can be the cause of most sublime Thoughts, and of the Raptures wherewith the Phy­thians were seized, when they thus gave out their Oracles. You may easily see (my Child) that this great Wit Came short; and that his Singularity was the Cause of it. You reason very justly, Sir, (said I to him, be­ing[Page 88]infinitly pleased to hear at last, that he spake very good Sense; and hoping Folly was not an incureable evil) I would to God that—

Plutarch, though otherwise solid, (continued he, interrupting me) in his Dialogue, is sorry, that the Oracles were Ceas'd. He Objects convincing reasons, which he leaves unresolved. Why does he not answer, to what is said? That if it be an Exhalation, which is cause of this Transport, all those who approach the Prophetick Tripos, would be seized with an Enthu­siasme; and not one Maid only, and she also must be a Virgin. But how could this Voice make an Articulate Sound, through the Belly? Moreover, this. Exhala­tion is a Natural Cause, and of necessity, must work its Effect regularly, and always; Why[Page 89]then is not this Maid inspir'd, but then when she is consulted? And what is more to the Purpose? Why has the Earth ceased to vent those Divine Vapors? Is it less Earth, than it was? Has it received other Influences? Hath it other Rivers, and other Seas? Who else has thus open'd its Pores, or chang'd its Na­ture.

I admire Pomponacius, Lucilius, and other Libertines, for having taken this Idaea of Plutarch, and left the manner whereby he ex­plains it. He spake more Judici­ously, than Cicero and Aristotle, as being a Man of good Reason: But not knowing what to con­clude of all these Oracles, after a tedious irresolution, he gives his Opinion, that this Exhalati­on which he believed came out of the Earth, was a most Divine Spi­rit. So he Attributed to the Di­vinity, [Page 90]these Motions, and these extraordinary Lights of the Pri­estesses of Apollo. This Divining Vapour (says he) is a most Divine Breath, and a most Holy Spirit. Pomponacius, Lucilius, and the Mo­dern Athists, do not conclude it in this phrase of Speech, which supposes a Divinity. These Ex­halations (say they) were of the nature of those Vapours which infested the Hypocondriacks, who spake Languages which they un­derstood not. But Fernelius re­futes these Impious Wretches ve­ry well, by proving, that the Bile, which is a smarting humour, cannot cause this diversity of Lan­guages, which is one of the most marvellous Effects of consideration, and an Artificial Expression of our thoughts. Nevertheless he has decided the point but imperfect­ly; when he has subscribed to Psellius, and all those who have[Page 91]not penetrated deep enough in­to our holy Phylosophy. Not knowing where to find the cau­ses of these so unapprehensible Effects. He has imitated the Wo­men and Nunns, and attributed them to the Devil. To what then must they be attributed, (said I to him) for I have been long expecting this Cabalistique se­cret.

Plutarch also has very well ob­served (said he to me) and he had done well, if he had stopped there. This irregular manner of explain­ing it self by an indecent Organ, not being grave enough, nor be­fitting the Majesty of the Gods (said this Pagan) and that which the Oracles did say, surpassing al­so the power of the Soul of Man; Those have rendred a great ser­vice to Phylosophy, who have established mortal creatures be­tween the Gods and Men, to [Page 92]whom might be imputed all that which surpasses humane weakness, and which approaches not to the Divine Granduer.

This is the opinion of all the An­cient Phylosophy. The Platonists and Pythagorians took it from the Egyptians, and they from Joseph the Patriarch, and from the He­brews, who dwelt in Eygypt be­fore their passage through the Red-Sea. The Hebrews called these substances which are between an Angel and a Man, Sadaim; and the Greeks transposing the Silla­bles, and adding two Letters, cal­led them Diamonas. These Demons according to the antient Phyloso­phers, were an Aerial People, bearing rule over the Elements, Mortal, ingendring and multiply­ing; unknown in this Age, by by those who make but little search after Truth in her ancient Dwel­ling, that is to say, in the Cabal, [Page 93]and in the Theology of the He­brews, who had found out amongst them the particular art of enter­taining this Aerial Nation, and of conversing with all the inha­bitants of the Air.—

Why, Look ye here, Sir, you are come again to your Sylphes (interrupted I) yes my Son (con­tinued he) The Teraphim of the Jews, was nothing but the cere­mony which was to be observed for this commerce; and the Jew Micha who complained in the Book of Judges, that they had ta­ken away his Gods, crys not but for the loss of a little Statue in which the Sylphes entertained him. The Gods which Rachel stole from her Father was also a Teraphim. Micha and Laban were neither re­proved of Idolatry, and Jacob would never have been perswa­ded to live forty Years with an Idolater, nor have espoused his[Page 94]Daughter, it was but a Com­merce with the Sylphes; and we know by tradition, that the Sy­nagoge was permitted this com­merce, and the Idolatry of Davids Wife was but a Teraphim, by fa­vo [...] of which she entertained the Elementary People. For you may well imagine that the Prophet after Gods own Heart, would not have suffered Idolatry in his House.

These Elementary Nations, so long as God deferred the Salva­tion of the World, by punishment of the first Sin, took pleasure to ex­plain to men through the Oracles, what they knew of God; to teach them to live morally, to give them most sage and proffitable councels, such as those which we find in Plu­tarch, and in all the Historians. But since that God took pitty of the World, and would himself be­come its Doctor, these little Ma­sters[Page 95]retired themselves, and hence proceeded the Silence of the O­racles.

The result then of all your dis­course, Sir (said I) is, that there have certainly been Oracles, and that it was the Sylphs who delive­red them, and who still do yeild them dayly in Drinking Glasses, or Looking Glasses. The Sylphs, or the Salamanders, the Gnomes or the Ʋndians (replyed the Count) If it be so, (said I) All the Elementary People are very dishonest. Why so (said he?) Why, was there e­ver such knavery seen (pursued I) as all those answers in a dou­ble sence, which they always gave out? Always, (replyed he?) no no, not always. That Sylphide who appeared to Q. Curtius Rufus the Roman in Africa, at the Town of Adrimetum, who fore-told to him that he should one day attain to the dignity of Proconsul: [Page 96]Did she speak obscurely? And does not Tacitus, and Plinius Se­cundus relate, how those things came to pass, which she fore-told? That in [...]cription, and the Famous Pistures, mentioned in the Histo­ry of Spain, which were seen by the unfortunate King Don Rogri­do the Second, that his curiosity in opening the Enchanted Cave, and his Incontinence, in deflouring the Elvira.Daugh­ter of the Count Don Julian, should be punished by men Habited and Armed after the same manner as those Pict­ures were, and that these swar­thy men, being the Arabians or Moores should Conquer Spain, and Raign a long time therein. Could all this be more clear, and did not the fulfilling thereof that same year, Justify it suffici­ently? Came not the Moores to Dethrone this Effeminate King?[Page 97]as you know the History: And you may plainly see, that the Devil, who since the Reign, of the Messias, does not dispose of Empires, could not be the An­thor of this Oracle, and that it was certainly some great Cabalist, who had learnt it of some of the most knowing Salamanders. For as the Salamanders do very much love Chastity, they willingly fore­warn us of the Mischiefs which must happen in the World by the Defect of this Virtue.

But, with your Pardon Sir, (said I to him) do you esteem that Heteroclite Organ, becoming the Cabalistick-Modesty, out of which they use to Preach their Morality? Alass! (said the Count, smiling) now have you again your Imagi­nation clouded; and you see not the Physical Reason for this, that the enflamed Salamander is naturally delighted to be in[Page 98]the most Fiery Places, and is at­tracted by the—I understand, I understand you, (interrupted I) you need not give your self the trouble to explain it further.

And as to the Obscurity of some Oracles, (proceeded he, se­riously) which you call an Impo­sture; Is not Darkness the ordi­nary Habit of Truth? Is not God pleased to conceal himself in their dark Shaddows? And the conti­nual Oracle, which he has left to his Children, the Holy Scriptures, were not they clouded with an Adorable Obscurity, which con­founds and distracts the Proud, as much as his Light guides the Humble?

If you have but this Difficul­ty, my Son, I would advise you, not to defer your entring into a Commerce with the Elementary People. You shall find them ve­ry Honest, full of Understanding, [Page 99]Lovers to do good, and fearing God. And I should councel you, to begin with a Salamander: For you have Mars in the Height of Heaven, in your Figure; which is an infallible Signe, that there is a great deal of Fire in your Ac­tions. And as for your Marriage, I am of opinion, that if you take a Sylphide, you would be Happyer with her, than any of the others; as having Jupiter at the Angle of your Ascendant, which VENƲS looks upon from a Sextile. Now Jupiter Rules over the Air, and the People of the Air. Never­theless, you must consult your Heart above all; for as you will one day see, 'tis by the Interior Stars, which the Sage is Govern­ed by: And the Stars of the Ex­terior Heaven, serve but to make him know more certainly, the Aspects of the Stars of the Inte­rior Heaven, which is in every[Page 100]Creature. So therefore, 'tis you now, that must tell me what your Inclination is; to the end, that we may proceed to your Al­liance with these Elementary Peo­ple, which you shall like best. Sir, (answered I) This Affair, in my Opinion, requires a little Consi­deration. I like you for this An­swer, (said he to me, laying his Hand upon my Shoulder.) Con­sult this Affair seriously with him, who for Excellency we call, The Angel of the great Council. Go kneel down to Prayer, and I shall come to you to Morrow at Two a Clock in the Afternoon.

We came back for Paris; and I, as we were upon our way, put him again upon the Discourse a­gainst Atheists and Libertines: But I never heard one argue, nor speak so well, such high, and such so­lid Things, for the Existence of God, and against the Blindness of[Page 101]those, who spend their Lives, with­out giving up themselves intirely to a serious and continual Wor­ship of him; from whom we have, and who likewise preserves our Being. I was amazed at the Cha­racter of this Man; and was not able to comprehend how it could be, that he should at the same time, be so Strong, and so Weak; so Admirable, and so Ridiculous.

Discourse the Fourth.

I Expected at my House, my Lord the Count of Gabalis, as we had agreed upon it, at our Parting. He came at the prefixed Hour: And accosting me with a smiling Look; Well [Page 102]now, my Son, (said he to me) which sort of the Invisible Peo­ple, has God given you the grea­test Appetite to? And, What Al­liance do you like best; that of the Salamanders, of the Gnomes, of the Sylphs, or of the Nymphs? Sir, (answer'd I) I have not yet fully resolved upon this Marriage. Why? where sticks it now? (demanded he.) To deal freely and plainly with you, Sir, (re­plyed I to him) I cannot yet cure my Imagination; that still represents to me, all these Hosts of the Elements, as Legions of De­vils. O Lord! (cryed he) thou God of Light, I beseech thee, dis­sipate the Clouds, which Igno­rance, and perverse Education, have thrust into the Spirit of this idcredulous Man; whom Thou hast made me know, is one de­signed for so great Things! And you, my Son, Do not shut up[Page 103]the Passage to this Truth, which­might enter into you. Be do­cible: But now, I dispence with your being so; for I might so be Injurious to the Truth, to prepare its wayes: She knows how to force open Gates of Iron, and can enter where she lists, in despight of all the Resistance of Falshood. What can induce you to oppose it? Is it because you think, that God could not create these Sub­stances in the Elements, such as I have been painting out to you?

I am not well satisfyed, (said I to him) whether or no there be a Possibility in the Thing it self; if one Element can furnish Blood, Flesh, and Bones; if there can be a Temperament without Mixture, and Actions without Contrariety. But suppose God could make it, What solid Proof is there, that he did make it?

Shall I convince you now pre­sently[Page 104](replyed he) without any more ado? I will cause to come hither the Sylphs of Cardan: You may understand from their own Mouths, what they are, and what I have been teaching you of them. By no means, I beseech you, (cry­ed I out, affrightedly) Forbear, I conjure you, this kind of Proof, till such time as I shall be per­swaded, that these same People are not Enemies to God: For as to that, I should rather choose to Dye, than give this trouble to my Conscience of—

Behold! Behold the ignorant and false Piety of these unhappy Times! (interrupted the Count, in a Cholerick Tone.) Why then do they not blot out of the Kalen­der of Saints, the greatest of all the Anachorites? And, Why do they not burn his Statues? 'Tis a great wonder, that they insult not over his venerable Ashes![Page 105]And that they scatter them not in the VVind, as they have done to those unhappy Wretches, who have been Accused for having had Commerce with the Devils. Are we advised to Exorcize the Sylphs? And have they not been treated as Men? What have you to say to that Master Scrupulous, you, and all your miserable Do­ctors? The Sylphe, who discour­sed of his own Nature to this Pa­triarch, Was it, in your opinion, an Imp of the Devil? Was it with a Fiend, that this incomparable Man argued about the Gospel? And will you accuse him, for having profaned the adorable My­steries, in discoursing them with a Phantasme, an Enemy of God? Athanasius, and Hierom, are then very unworthy of the great Name, which they have amongst your Wise-Men, for having writ with so much Eloquence, the Elogy of [Page 106]a Man who treated the Devils so Humanly. If they took this Sylphe for a Devil, the Adventure should have been concealed, or the Preaching of a Spirit retrac­ted, and this so pathetick Apo­strophe, which the Anachoret, (more zealous, & more credulous than you) made at the City of Alexandria: And if they have ta­ken it for a Creature, having a share, as it assured him, in the Redemption as well as we. And if this Apparition, according to their opinion, be an extraordina­ry Favor which God did the Saint, whose Life they writ; Are you in your Wits, that would appear to be wiser than Athanasius and Hierom; and more Holy than the Divine Saint Anthony? What would you have said to this Man, had you been of the Number of the Ten Thousand solitary Per­sons, to whom he related the [Page 107]Conversation, which he had new­ly enjoy'd with the Sylphe? Wi­ser, and more enlightned, than all these Terrestrial Angels. You had, without doubt, remonstra­ted to the Holy Abbot, that his Adventure was but a meer Illusi­on: And you had diswaded his Disciple Athanasius, from publish­ing to all the World, a History so little conformable to Religion, to Phylosophy, and to Common Sense. Is it not true?

'Tis true (said I to him) that I should have been of opinion ei­ther to have said nothing at all, else to have said nothing at all, else to have said more. Athanasius and Hierom (pursued he) cared not for saying more, for they knew no better than that; and if they had known all, which they could not do, unless they had been of us, they would not have rashly devulged the secrets of the Sages.

[Page 108]But why (said I) did not this Sylphe propose to Saint Anthony, what you proposed to me to day? what's that (said the Count, Smil­ing) Marriage? alas! Had this been to any purpose? 'Tis true (replyed I) that in all likelyhood, the Good Man would not have accepted the proffer. No cer­tainly (said the Count) for it would have been to tempt God, to have Marryed at that Age, and to have desired Children of him. How? (demanded I) then do they Marry with these Sylphes, to have Children by them? Why, (said he) who was ever permit­ted to be Marryed for any other end? I did not think, (answer­red I) that this had been intend­ed for Propagation. I had sup­posed, that the End, and Intenti­on of all this, had been but to Immortalize the Sylphides.

Ha! (pursued lie) you are[Page 109]Waggish. The Charity of the Phylosophers proposes for its end, the immortality of the Sylphides: but Nature makes them desire to see them Fruitful. You shall see when you please, in the Air the Phylosophique Families. It were a happy World, were there none but these Families, and if there were none of the Children of Sin. What do you mean by the Children of Sin? Sir (inter­rupted I.)

They are (my Son, continued he) They are all those Children who are born after the ordinary way; Children conceived by the Will of the Flesh, not by the Will of God; Children of Wrath, and of the Curse; In a word, Children of Man and Woman. You have a mind to interrupt me. I perceive, what you would say to me. 'Tis true, (my Child) You must know that it was ne­ver[Page 110]the Will of God, that Man and Woman should have Chil­dren as they have. The design of the most prudent Artist was far more noble, he intended to have peopled the World, after a different manner than it is. If the miserable Adam, had not foo­lishly disobeyed the order which he had from God, not to touch Eve; and that he had been con­tented with the other Fruits of the Garden of pleasure, with all the Beautys of the Nymphs and Sylphides: The World had not suffered the shame of seeing it self peopled with Men so imperfect, that they may pass for Monsters, where the Children of Phyloso­phers are present.

How Sir (said I to him) you think, so far as I perceive, that the Sin of Adam was something else than eating of the Apple? Why, my Son (replied the Count)[Page 111]are you of the Number of those, who have the simplicity, to take the History of the Apple, in the litteral sence? Alas! you must know, that the Holy Tongue uses innocent Metaphors, to remove from us, the unseemly Ideas of an action, which has been cause of all the miseries of mankind. For so, when Saloman said, I will get upon the Palm, and I will gather the Fruits thereof; He had another Appetite than eating Dates. This Tongue which the Angels consecrate, and whereof they make use, to sing their Hymns to the Living God; has not a term to express that, which it names figuratively an Apple or Date. But the Sage unriddles these chast figures, when he sees that the Pal­lat and Mouth of Eve escape unpu­nished, and that she brings forth with pain, he knew that it was not the Pallat that had been cri­minal;[Page 112]and discovering what the first Sin was, by the care which the first Sinners took to cover with leaves certain parts of their Bodies; He concluded that God would not have had men multi­ply by this beastly way. O A­dam! thou shouldest not have be­got men, but such as should have been like thy self, or else. Heroes or Gyants.

Alas! what expedient (interrup­ted I) can there be for reparation of one or other of these marvellous generations. Obey God (replyed he) Touch none but the Nymphs, the Gnomes, the Sylphides, or the Sala­manders. So should we see He­roes born, and the Ʋniverse fill'd with marvellous People, repleat with strength and wisdome. God would have us conjecture the difference, which there was be­tween that Innocent, and this Culpable World which we see;[Page 113]By permitting us from time to time, to see Children Born, af­ter that manner which he had pro­jected. Then has there Sir (in­terrupted I) been now and then seen of these Children of the E­lements? If so, a Licenciate of Sor­bonne, who quoted to me the o­ther day, St. Augustin, St. Jerom and Gregory of Nazianzen, is mistaken, believing that there could not be any fruit produced, of these amours with Spirits for our Wives, or by the commerce that men might have with certain Devils, which he called Hyphialtes.

Lactantius has discoursed it bet­ter (replyed the Count) and the solid Thomas Aquinas, has wisely resolved it, that the commerces would not only be Fruitful, but that the Children which are Born from them, are of a more gene­rous, and more heroick nature. You shall read at large, when you[Page 114]please, the great Atchievements of the puissant and famous men, which Moses writes of: born af­ter this manner; we have the Histories by us. In the Book of the Wars of the Lord, mentio­ned in the three and twentyeth Chapter of Numbers. In the mean time Judge what the World would be, if all its Inhabitants were, for example, like Zoroaster.

Zoroaster, (said I) who by re­port was the Author of Necroman­cy? The very same (said the Count) of whom the Ignorants write this Calumny. He had the Honour to be son of the Salamander Oromasis, and Vesta, the Wife of Noah: He lived twelve Hundred Years, the most Sage Monarch of the World; and then was carried up by his Father Oromasis, into the Region of the Salamanders. I do not doubt (said I to him) but that Zoroaster [Page 115]is with the Salamander Oromasis in the Region of Fire: But I would not do to Noah that injury, which you do him.

The injury, is not so great as you may believe; (answered the Count) all these Patriarches e­steemed it a great honour to be the supposed Fathers which the Children of God had by their Wives: But still this is out of your Element. Let us come to Oromasis, he was beloved by Vesta, the Wife of Noah. This Vesta being Dead, was the Tutelar Ge­nius of Rome; and the sacred Fire, which she ordained that the Virgins should preserve with so much Care, was, in ho­nour of the Salamander her Gal­lant. Besides Zoroaster, there was born from their Loines, a Daughter of rare Beauty, and of an excellent Wisdom; It was the divine Egeria, from whom[Page 116] Numa Pauphilius received all his Laws. She obliged Numa, who loved her, to erect a Temple to her mother Vesta, where that sacred Fire was kept in honour of her Father Oromasis. Behold the verity of the Fable, which the Roman Poets and Histori­ans have conceived of the Nymph Egeria. Gulielmus Postel­lus, one of the least ignorant of all those who have studied the Cabal in his ordinary Books, has observ'd that Vesta, was the Daughter of Noah: But he was ignorant that Egeria was Daugh­ter of that Vesta, and having read the secret Books of the an­cient Cabal, of which the Prince of Miranda bought a Copy at so dear a rate. He has con­founded things, believing only that Egeria was the good Ge­nius of Noah's Wife: But we learn in these Books, that Egeria [Page 117]was Conceived upon the Waters, at that time when as Noah was tossed to and fro, on those re­venging Waves, which drown'd the Universe: The women then were reduced to that small num­ber, who were sav'd in the Ca­balisque Ark, which this second Father of the world had built. This great man lamented to see the dreadful punishment, with which the Lord chastised the Crime, caused by the Love, which Adam had had for his Eve. Seeing that Adam had de­stroyed his Posterity, by prefer­ring Eve before the Daughters of the Elements; and by taking her from the Salamanders or Sylphs, which knew how to make them­selves beloved by her. Noah, I say, became Wise by the sad example of Adam, consented, that Vesta his Wife, should be given to the Salamander Oroma-Oromasis, [Page 118]Prince of the Igne­an Substances; and perswad­ed his three Children also, to give their three Wives, to the Princes of the three other Ele­ments. The Universe in a lit­tle time was repeopled with He­roick Men, so Wise, so Beautiful, and so Admirable, that their Po­sterity admiring their Vertue, have adored them as Deities. One of the Children of Noah Rebelled against the Counsel of his Father, not being able to resist the attractions of his Wife, no more than Adam could the Charms of his Eve: But as the sin of Adam had left a Tincture upon the Souls of all his Descen­dants; so this want of compla­cency, which Cham had for the Sylphs, marked all his Po­sterity Black. Hence comes (say our Cabalistes) that Horrible Blackness of the Aethiopians, and[Page 119]all those hideous People, who are commanded to dwell under the Torrid Zone, as a punishent for the profane Appetite of their Father.

These are very particular Re­lations Sir (said I, admiring the Extravagancy of this man) and it seemes, that your Cabal is of marvellous use, for the giving Light to Antiquity. So marvel­lous (reply'd he Gravely) that without it, Scripture, History, Fable, and Nature, are obscure and unintelligible. You believe, for Example, that the injury which Cham did to his Father, was such, as it seemes to be by the Letter: Truly, it is clear ano­ther thing. Noah came out of the Ark, and seeing that Vesta his Wife did nothing but trick up her self, for the Commerce which she had with her Gallant Oromasis, becomes passionately in[Page 120]love with her again; Cham fear­ing that his Father would stock the Earth with another Race of people as black as his Aethi­opians, took his opportunity one day, when the good old Man was overcome with Wine, and Gelt him without Mercy. Do you Laugh?

I laugh at the indiscreet Zeal of Cham. (Said I to him) You should rather admire (replied the Count) the goodness of the Salamander Oromasis, whose jea­lousy did not hinder him from pitying the disgrace of his Ri­val. He taught his Son Zora­ster, otherwise called Japhet, the Name of the Almighty God, which expresses his Eternal Fae­cundity: Japhet pronounced six times, altervatively with his Brother Sem, going backward towards the Patriarch, the pow­erful name JABAMIAH; and so[Page 121]they restored the old Man whole again. This History, ill under­stood by the Greeks, made them say, that the Ancientest of the Gods, had been Gelded by one of his Children: But here you see the truth of the business. Where you may observe, how much in their morality, the peo­ple of the Fire are more Hu­mane than ours, and indeed, exceeding that of the people of the Air, or of the Water; For the Jealousy of these is cruel, as the Divine Paracelsus has shewn us in an Adventure which he relates, and which was seen by all the People of the City of Stauf­femberg. A Phylosopher, with whom a Nymph was entred in­to a Commerce of Immortality, was so dishonest a Man, as to fall in Love with a Woman: But as he Dined with his new Mistress, and certain of his Friends, there[Page 122]was seen in the Air, the Loveli­est Creature of the World; which was the Invisible Lover, that had a mind to let her self be seen by the Friends of her unfaithful Gal­lant; that they might Judg how little reason he could have, to prefer a Woman before her. Af­ter which the enraged Nymph struck him dead immediately.

Ha! Sir, (cryed I) that might give me sufficient Disgust against these so Jealous Lovers. I con­fess, (pursued he) that their Jea­lousy is a little violent. But if amongst our Women, we have seen enraged Lovers kill their perju­red Gallants; we should not won­der, that these Lovers, so fair, and so faithful, are transported when they are dealt falsly with: So much the more, in regard that they require Men but to abstain from Women, whose Defects they cannot abide; and that they per­mit[Page 123]us to Love amongst them, as many as we please. They pre­fer the Interest and Immortality of their Fellows, before their own particular Satisfaction: And they are glad, that the Sages give to their Republick so many Immor­tal Children, as they are able to give.

But pray, Sir, (demanded I) How comes it to pass, that there are so few Examples of all this which you tell me? There are a great number, my Child (an­swered he) But Men make not a true Reflection, where they ad­joyn not their Faith; where (I say) they explain it ill, for want of a true Knowlede of our Prin­ciples. They attribute to the Devils, all that which should be attributed to the People of the Elements. A little Gnome got in­to the Affections of the Famous Magdalen of the Cross, Abbess of[Page 124]a Monastery at Cordova in Spain; she made him Happy, when she was but twelve Years old; and they continued their Commerce for the space of thirty Years: un­til an Ignorant Director perswa­ded Magdalen, that her Lover was a Fiend; and forced her to demand Absolution of Pope Paul the Third. Yet it is impossible, that this could be a Daemon: For all Europe knew, and Cassidorus Renius has made known to all Po­sterity, the great Miracles which dayly were wrought in favor of this Holy Woman; which cer­tainly had never come to pass, if her Commerce with the Gnome had been so Diabolick, as the Ve­nerable Director imagined. The same Doctor would have affirm­ed very positively, if I am not mistaken, That the Sylphe who Immortalized himself with Ger­trude, the young Religious Nun, [Page 125]at the Monastery of Nazareth, in the Dioecess of Cologne, was some Devil. Truly, (said I to him) so do I too. Ah! my Son, (pursu­ed the Count, smiling) if that were true, the Devil would not be very miserable; could he have the Pow­er to entertain a Commerce of Gallantry with a pritty Wench of Thirteen Years old, and write her Amorous Letters, which were found in her Cabinet.

No, no, (my Child) Believe; that the Devil in his Region of Death, has Employment more sad, and more conformable to the Shame which the God of Purity has ordain'd for him. But so it is, that Men voluntarily shut their Eyes. We find, for example, in Titus Livius, that Romulus was the Son of Mars: Your great Wits say, 'Tis a Fable: Your Divines, That he was the Son of an Incu­bus: The merry Wags, That Mi­striss[Page 126] Sylvia had lost her Gloves, and for an Excuse to hide her Shame, gave out a Report, that the God had stoln them. We, who know Nature, and whom God has called from Darkness to this admirable Light; we know, that this pretended Mars was a Salamander, who enamoured with the Young Silvia, made her the Mother of Romulus. This He­roe, who after he had founded his Magnificient City, was car­ryed away by his Father in a Fla­ming Chariot, as Zoroaster was by Oramasis.

Another Salamander was the Fa­ther of Servius Tullius. Titus Li­vius sayes, That it was the God of Fire, being deceived by the Resemblance; and the Ignorants have followed the same Opinion of it, as of the Father of Romu­lus. The Famous Hercules, the Invincible Alexander, were Sons [Page 127]of some of the great Sylphs. The Historians not knowing this, have said, that Jupiter was their Fa­ther. They said true: For as you have learnt; These Sylphs Nymphs, and Salamanders, being made Deities; The Historians, who believed them so, call all those who were born of them, Children of the Gods.

Such was the Divine Plato, the more Divine Apollonius Thianeus, Theseus, Achilles, Sarpedon, the Pi­ous Aeneas, and the Famous Mel­chisedeck: For, Do you know who was the Father of Melchisedeck? No truly, (said I to him) for St. Paul knew it not. Then say, that he would not tell it, (con­tinued the Count) and that he was not permitted to reveal the Cabalistick Mysteries. He knew well enough, that the Father of Milchisedeck was a Sylphe; and that the King of Salem was Con­ceived[Page 128]in the Ark, by the Wife of Sem. The manner of this Priests sacrifizing, was the same which his Cousin Egeria taught King Numa; as also, the Adoration of a Sovereign Divinity, without Image, and without Statue. For which reason, the Romans becom­ing Idolaters, sometime after burnt the Holy Books of Numa, which Egeria had dictated. The first God of the Romans, was the True God; Their Sacrifices were true: They offered Bread and Wine to the Soveraign Master of the World: But all this was afterwards per­verted. Nevertheless, God was pleased, in reward of this first Worship, to give to this City, which had acknowledged his So­veraignty, the Empire of the U­niverse. The same Sacrifice, which Melchisedeck—

I beseech you, Sir, (interrup­ted I) let us leave off this of Mel­chisedeck, [Page 129]the Sylphe that begot him, his Cousin Egeria, and the Sacrifice of Bread and Wine. These Examples are fetcht a far off; you would oblige me, would you produce some Examples of a fresher Date: For I have heard a Doctor say, being asked what was become of all the Compa­nions of that Satyre, which ap­peared to Saint Anthony, and which you call a Sylphe, That all those kind of People now are Dead. So all the Elementary People may possibly be perished; since you affirm them to be Mortal, and that we hear no more News of them.

Would to God! (said the Count in a Fury) Would to God, that I knew nothing, that so I might keep this Ignorant still in his Ig­norance; who maintains so sot­tishly, what he understands not! May God confound him, and all such as he is! Where has he[Page 130]learnt, that the Elements are voyd? and that these marvellous Peo­ple are reduced to their No­thing? Would he but give him­self the trouble to read a few Histories, and not attribute to the Devil, what is done by Nature; as the good Old Wives do all that, which passes their Chymerick Theory; There would at all times, and in all places, be found Proofs e­nough of what I am telling you.

What would your Doctor say to this Authentick History, which happened not long since in Spain? A Beauteous Sylphide made her self be beloved by a Spaniard, lived three Years with him, had three pretty Children by him, and then dyed. Must we say, that this was a Devil? What a wise Answer would this be! Ac­cording to what Physicks, could the Devil organize the Body of a Woman, Conceive, Bring-forth,[Page 131]and give Suck? VVhat Proof is there in the Scripture, of this Ex­travagant Power, which your Di­vines are obliged, in this Rancoun­ter, to give to the Devil? And with what probable Reason could their weak Physicks furnish them? The Jesuit Delrio, being of a large Faith, relates at large, many of these Adventures; and without troubling himself for Physical Reasons, dispatches the Business in a word; saying, That these Sylphides were Daemons: So true it is, that the greatest Doctors, do for the most part, know no more of them, than simple Women! So true it is, that God is pleased to re­tire into his Cloudy Throne, and thickning the darkness which en­compasseth his Omnipotent Ma­jesty, he inhabits an inaccessible Light, and lets not his Truths be seen but by the humble of Heart. Learn to be Humble, my Son, if[Page 132]you would penetrate the sacred Clouds, which environ Truth. Learn of the Sages not to give to the Devil's any power over na­ture, since the Fatal stone has clo­sed them in the Pits of the Abyss. Learn of the Pyhlosophers, to search always after Natural causes, in a­ny extraordinary Accident; and when Natural causes fail; have recourse to God, and to his Ho­ly Angels, but never to the De­vil's, who have no power over a­ny thing, but to suffer; other­wise you will blaspheme, many times when you think not on't, and you will attribute to the De­vil the Honour of the most mar­vellous works of nature.

When you shall be told, for example, That the Divine Apollo­nius Thianeus was conceived with­out the operation of any Man, and that one of the most illustrious Sa­lamanders descended to immorta­lize[Page 133]himself with his Mother: Will you say that this Salaman­der was a Daemon, and will you ascribe the Glory to the Devil, of generating one of the greatest Men, that ever proceeded from our Phylosophick Marriages.

But Sir, (interrupted I) this A­pollonius, is reputed amongst us, for a great Sorcerer, and that is all the good they say of him. Behold (proceeded the Count) one of the most admirable effects of Igno­rance, and ill Education! Be­cause we have heard our Nurses, tell us tales of Witches and Con­jures; whatsoever is done by ex­traordinary means, must needs have the Devil for its Author. The great Doctors are at a fine pass, they shall not be believed, if they spake not as our Nurses do. Apollonius was not begot by a Man: He understood the Lan­guage of Birds; He was seen in[Page 134]two divers parts of the World in one day: He vanished from be­fore the Emperour Domitian, who would have punished him; He raised a Maid from the Dead, by vertue of Onomancy; He told at Ephesus before an Assembly of all Asia, that at that very instant the Tyrant was kill'd at Rome. How lies the question to Judge of this Man? The Nurse says, that he is a Sorcerer; St. Jerom, and St. Justin the Martyr say, that he was but a great Philosopher: Jerom, Justin, and our Cabalists, they must be Phantasticks; and the silly VVoman must carry it. Ha! Let the Ignorant perish in his Igno­rance: But you, my Child, save your self from the Shipwrack.

VVhen you shall read that the famous Merlin, was born with­out the operation of any Man, of a Religious VVoman, the Daugh­ter of the King of Great Brittain, [Page 135]and that he foretold what should come to pass, more clearly than ever Tyresias did; Say not with the People, that he was the Son of an Incubus, since it was no such thing; nor did he ever prophecy by the art of the Devil: Because the Devil is the most ignorant of all Creatures, according to the Holy Cabal. Say with the Sages, that the Brittish Princess was com­forted in her Solitude, by a Sylph, who had pitty on her: that he took care to divert her, that he knew how to please her, and that Merlin their Son, was Edu­cated by the Sylph, in all the Se­cret Sciences, and taught by him to do all the Marvels, which the story of England relates of him.

Nor must you do injury to the Earls of Cleave, to say that the Devil is their Father: And have a better Opinion of the Sylphe, of whom the History sayes, that[Page 136]he came to Cleve in a Miraculous Ship, drawn by a Swan, who was tyed to it by a Silver Chain. This Sylphe, after he had divers Children by the Heiress of Cleve, went away at Noon-day, in the sight of a VVorld of People, in his Airy Ship. VVhat has he done to your Doctors, that should make them rank him amongst the Devils?

But will you likewise handle so roughly the honour of the House of Lusignan? And will you give a Diabolick Genealogy to the Earls of Poitiers? what will you say to their renowned Mother? I Believe Sir, (interrupted I) that you are going about to tell me the tale of Melusina. Nay, If you deny the History of Melusina, (re­plyed he) I have done with you. If you deny that, I say, we must burn the Books of the great Pa­racelsus, who maintains in five or [Page 137]six several places, that there is nothing more certain, than that this Melusina was a Nymph; and you must also give your Histori­ans the Lye, who say, that since her Death, or to speak more pro­perly, since she disappeared from the eyes of her Husband, she has ne­ver failed (at all times when any of her posterity have been threatned by some misfortune, or that some King of France should dye in any extraordinary manner) to appear in Mourning, upon the great Tower of the Castle of Lusignan, which she had caused to be built. You will have a quarrel with all those who are descended from this Nymph, or who are allied to this Family; if you are obstinate to maintain that this was a Devil.

Think you Sir (said I to him) that these Lords are any thing more pleased, to deduce their Pe­digree from the Sylphs? They [Page 138]would be better pleased, without doubt (replyed he) if they knew that which I teach you; and they would esteem for a great honour these extraordinary Births. They would know, if they had any Light of the Cabal, that this way of Generation, being more con­formable to the manner, by which God intended in the beginning, that the World should be mul­tiplyed; the Children which should so be born are more happy, more valiant, more wise, more renowned, and more blest by God. Is it not more Glorious for these Illustrious Men to descend from these Creatures so perfect, so pru­dent, and so powerfull, than from some foul Fiend, or some infamous Asmodeus?

Sir, (said I to him) our Di­vines will not say, That the De­vil is the Father of all those Men, who are born without our [Page 139]knowing who put them into the World. They acknowledge, that the Devil is a Spirit, and there­fore not able to beget. Gregory of Nicene, (continued the Count) sayes not so, for he is of opini­on, that the Devils multiply a­mongst themselves, as Men do. VVe are not of his mind, (repli'd I) but it happens (say our Doctors) that—Hold! Do not say (in­terrupted the Count) Do not say, what they say; for, you will al­ledge as they do, a very sottish, and very dishonest Notion. What an abominable defeat have they found out? 'Tis an astonishment to think, how they have all una­nimously embraced this filthy Conceit, and how they have ordinarily taken pleasure, to post from Whimseys to impostures, to profit the lazy Brutality of such as devoted themselves to Solitari­ness, and quickly to advance the[Page 140]Fame of these miraculous Men in the World, whose illustrious Me­mory they Celebrate from so vile an Original. Do they call this Philosophizing? Is it worthy of God, to say, that he has this kind­ness for the Devil, to countenance these abominations, to allow them the favour of being Fruitful, which has been refused to the greatest Saints, and to recompence these Fiends, by Creating for these Embrios of iniquity, more He­roique Souls, then for those who have been formed in the Chasti­ty of Legitimate marriage? Is it not a disparagement to say with your Doctors, that the Devil can by this detestable Artifice: make a Virgin conceive during her sleep, without any prejudice to her Vir­ginity? Which is as absurd as the story which Thomas Aquinas, (otherwise a most Solid Author, and who knew a little of the Ca­bal)[Page 141]forgetting himself, relates in his Sixteenth Quodlibet, of a Maid that lay with her Father, to whom he makes the same happen, as some of the Heretick Rabins say, happened to the Daughter of Jeremiah, whom they make to conceive the great Cabalist Ben-Syrach, only by going into the Bath after the Prophet. I should judg, that this impertinence was imagi­ned by some—

Give me leave, Sir, to interrupt your declamation (said I to him) I protest, that, to appease you, I could wish our Doctors had con­trived some other Solution, by which such pure Ears as yours, might be lesse offended: Or else they should have utterly denyed the matter, on which the questi­on is founded.

What an Admirable expedient (replyed the Count) have you thought upon, which is to deny[Page 142]real things! Put the case that you were one of these great Doctors, with your Gown lined with Er­min, and suppose that the Blessed Danhuzerus, came to you as to the Oracle of his Religion—

At this moment, up came a Laquey to tell me, that a young Lord was come to visit me. I would not have him see me by any means. (said the Count) I beg your pardon Sir, (said I to him) You may guess, by this Lords Name, that there is no shifting him off, if I should send him word that I am not to be spoken with. Be pleased therefore to give your self the trouble of go­ing into that study. 'Tis no trou­ble (said he) I will make my self invisible. Ah! Sir, (cry'd I) No witchcraft, I beseech you, I do not understand that Sport. What ignorance is it, (said the Count, Laughing and shrugging up his[Page 143]shoulders) not to know, that to be invisible, is but to put before ones self, something contrary to the light! He went into my stu­dy, and the young Lord came, almost at the same instant, into my Chamber: Of whom I Craved pardon, that I did not waite upon him up.

Discourse the Fifth.

THe great Lord being gone, and I come back from wai­ting on him to his Coach, found the Count of Gabalis in my Chamber. 'Tis a great loss to us: (said he to me) that this Lord who has now taken his leave of you, must one day come to[Page 144]be one of the Seventy two Princes of the Sanhadrin of the new Law; had it not been for that, he would have been a worthy Subject for our holy Cabal; He has a Wit pro­found, quaint, vast, sublime, and bold. Look here upon the Figure of Geomancy, which I have cast for him, during the time that you have been talking together. I never saw Happyer Points, and such as marked out so fair a Soul.

Behold this Terms of Geomancy. MO­THER, VVhat Mag­nanimity she gives him? This Terms of Geomancy. DAUGH­TER will procure the Purple for him. I wish ill to him, and his Fortune; For this reason, that it takes from Phylosophy a Subject, which perchance may surpass you. But, where were we, when he came?

You speak to me, Sir, (said I) of a Blessed Person, whom I ne­ver[Page 145]saw in all the Roman Callen­der; I think you called him Dan­huzerus. Tis true, (pursued he) I remember it. I was saying to you, that you should put your self in the place of one of your Doctors, and suppose, that the bles­sed Danhuzerus came to lay open to you his Conscience, and say to you:

Sir, I come from beyond the Alps to wait on you, at the re­port of your Wisdome; I have a little scruple, which gives me some trouble of Conscience. There is in a mountaine of Italy, a Nymph who keeps her Court there: a thousand Nymphs serve her, al­most as Beautiful as she; like­wise handsome Men, very wise, and very honest persons. Thither they come from all the Habitable Earth; they love these Nymphs, and are beloved by them: There they lead the sweetest life of the World.[Page 146]They have most beautiful Chil­dren by those whom they love. They worship the living God: They hurt no Man; And they hope for Immortality. I walked one day up this mountain, and pleased the Queen of the Nymphs: she became visible and shewed me her Char­ming Court. The Sages, who perceived that she loved me, re­spected me almost, as if I had been their Prince: They exhort me to listen and yeild my self to the Sighs and Beauty of the Nymph. She relates her passion to me; Nor forgets she any thing, that may touch my heart: And in fine, declares that she shall die, if I will not Love her; and that, if I will love her, she will ac­knowledge, her self obliged to me for her Immortality. The Reasons of those Wise men, have convinced my Spirit, and the Attractions of the Nymph have [Page 147]gained my heart. I love, I have very hopefull Children by her▪ But in the midst of my Felicity, I am sometimes troubled, when I remember, that the Church of Rome does not at all approve of this. I come therefore, to you, Sir, to consult you, that I may know, what this Nymph, these Sages, these Children, may be; and in what estate is my Con­science. Come on, now Master Doctor, what answer will you make to the Lord Danhuze­rus?

I would say to him, (answered I.) My Lord Danhuzerus, saving the Respect which I owe you; You are a little mad, or else, your Vision is Witchcraft; Your Children, and your Mistresse, are filthy Fiends; and I am of O­pinion, that your Conscience is seared to some purpose.

[Page 148]With this Answer, my Child, you might very well merit a Do­ctor's Cap: But never to be re­ceived into our Society (conti­nued the Count, with a great Sigh). Behold the barbarous Dis­position of all the Doctors of this Age! A poor Sylphe dares not shew his Head amongst us, but he is presently taken for a Fiend. A Nymph cannot labor to become Immortal, without passing for an unclean Spirit: And a Salaman­der must not shew himself, lest he be accounted a Devil; and the pure Flames, which compose him, for Hell-Fire, which he carryes along with him. They have con­trived, that they may dispel these Suspicions, to make the Signe of the Cross, when they shall appear; Kneel down before the Divine Names, and pronounce them too, with Reverence: And yet all these Precautions are vain. Nor [Page 149]can all your Tricks ever procure, that they should be reputed Ene­mies of God, whom they Adore more Religiously, than those who fly from them.

Very good, Sir, (said I to him) You think, it seems, that these People are wondrous Devout like­wise. Very Devout, (answered he) and very Zealous for the Dei­ty. The excellent Discourses, which they make of the Divine Essence, and their admirable Pray­ers, do greatly Edify us. Have they Prayers too? (said I to him) I should be glad to see One of their making. 'Tis easie to satis­fy you, (replyed he) and to the end, that I may clear you from having any suspicion, and that you may not suspect me for the Contriver of it: Listen to that, which the Salamander, who an­swered in the Temple of Del­phos, taught the Pagans, and which[Page 150] Porphyrius relates. It contains sub­lime Theology: And you will see by it, that he received not from these Sage Creatures, any other Doctrine, than that the World should Worship the onely True God.

What say you to this Prayer of the Salamanders? Is it not ve­ry Wise, very Lofty, and very Devout? And likewise very Ob­scure, (answered I) I once heard a Preacher paraphrase upon this; and he proved by it, that the Devil, besides the other Vices which he has, is above all, a great Hypo­crite.[Page 153]Alas! (cryed the Count) Then, What Recourse have ye, to betake your selves to, O ye poor Elementary People! Ye tell Marvels of the Nature of God, Of the Father, Of the Son, Of the Holy Ghost; Of the Assistant In­telligences, Of Angels, and Of the Heavens! Ye make admira­ble Prayers, and ye teach them to Men: And yet after all, ye are but Fiends and Hypocrites!

Sir, (interrupted I) you do me no pleasure at all, in invoking, on this manner, this sort of People. Alas, my Son! (continued he) Be not troubled, that I call upon them; but that your weakness hin­ders you from admiring hereafter, that you saw not so many Examples, as you will wish you had done, of their Alliance with Men. Alas! Where is the Women, whose I­magination your Doctors have not Corrupted; so much, as that [Page 154]she thinks not but with Horror, on this Commerce; and trembles at the very Aspect of a Sylphe? Where is the Man, who flyes not from the Sight of them, if he pretends but never so little to be a virtuous honest Man? How rarely do we find a Man of worth, who desires their Familiarity? Nor are there any but Debauched Persons, or Covetous, or Ambiti­ous, or Impostors, who seek for this Honour; which yet they shall never attain to, I assure you: For, The Fear of the Lord, is the Beginning of Wisdom.

What then (said I) shall be­come of all these Airy People, since all such as are Honest, are so set against them? Well, (said he) The Arme of God is not shortned; and the Devil shall not draw to himself, all the Advantages, he hopes for, from the Ignorance and Error, which he has vented to[Page 155]their prejudice: For besides the Philosophers, who are a great number, and remedy it the best they can, by utterly Renouncing Women; God has permitted all these People, to use all Inno­cent Arts, which they can con­trive, to converse with Men, without their Knowledge. What do you tell me, Sir? (cryed I) I tell you Truth, (pursued he) Do you believe, that a Dog may have Children by a Woman? No, (answered I.) Nor a Munky? (added he) Neither, (replyed I.) Nor a Bear? (continued he) Nei­ther Dog, nor Munkey, nor Bear, (said I to him.) For that is im­possible, without all doubt: 'Tis against Nature, against Reason, and against Common Sense. Ve­ry good, (said the Count) But are not the Kings of the Goths, de­scended from a Bear, and a Swe­dish Princess? 'Tis true, (said I)[Page 156]the History sayes it. And were not the Pegusians, and Syonians of India, (reply'd he) Born from a Dog, and a Woman? I have read that too, (said I to him.) And had not that Portugess Woman, (continu­ed he) who was exposed in a De­sart Island, Children by a great Munkey? Our Divines, Sir, (said I) answer to that, That the De­vil, taking the Shape of these Beasts—You are going to al­ledge again, (interrupted the Count) the Nonsensical Imagina­tions of your Authors. Pray, comprehend once for all, that the Sylphes, seeing themselves taken for Devils, when they appear in Human Shape, to diminish this Aversion, which is had against them, take the Shapes of these Beasts; and so address themselves to the wanton Frailty of Women; who are affrighted at a Lovely Sylphide, but not at a Dog, or[Page 157] Munkey. I could tell you many Tales of your little Bolognian Dogs, and certain pretty Ladyes in the World: But I have a greater Secret to teach you.

Know, my Son, that many a one thinks himself the Son of a Man, who is the Son of a Sylphe. Another thinks, that he is in Bed with his Wife; and without ever knowing it, he Immortalized a Sylphe. This Woman supposes, that she is Embracing her Hus­band; and she is Hugging be­twixt her Arms, a Salamander: And that Girle durst swear when she awakes, that she is a Virgin; that has had in her Sleep, an Honour that she little dreamt on. So the Devil, and the Ignorants, are equally abused.

Well, (said I) But could not the Devil awaken that sleeping Maid, to hinder this Salamander from becoming Immortal? He [Page 158]could do it, (replyed the Count) if the Sages did not take an or­der for that: But we teach all these People, the way to bind the Devils, and to make Oppo­sition to their subtil Endeavours. Did I not tell you, the other day, That the Sylphes, and the other Lords of the Elements, were ve­ry Happy, when we shewed them the Cabal? Were it not for us, the Devil, their great Enemy, would sorely disquiet them; and they would be hard put to it, to Immortalize themselves, without the Maids knowing it.

I cannot (replyed I) sufficient­ly admire the profound Ignorance we live in: We always believed, that the Powers of the Air, do often assist Lovers, in attaining what they desired: And it seems, the thing is clearly otherwise; For the Powers of the Air, have need of the Assistance of Men, to serve[Page 159]them in their Amours. 'Tis just as you say, my Son, (pursued the Count) The Sages give Suc­cour to these poor People; with­out them, Alas, too unhappy, and too feeble, to resist the Devil: For, when a Sylphe has learnt of us, to pronounce Cabalistickly the powerful Name of NEH­MAHMIHAH; and to joyne in form, with the most delicious Name ELIAEL, all the Powers of Darkness, take their Flight; and the Sylphe enjoyes peacably, that which he Loves.

So was that ingenious Sylphe immortalized, who took upon him the shape of the Lover of a Lady of Sevil; The History is well enough known. The Young Spanish Lady was faire; but as Cruel, as Fair. A Castillian Gentle­man, who loved her to no pur­pose, took a Resolution one morn­ing, to leave her, without speak­ing [Page 160]to her; and to Travel, till such time as he should be cured of his unprofitable passion. A Sylphe finding this Faire one to his likeing, thought it his best course, to lay hold on this opportunity; and Arming himself with all that, which one of our Sages had taught him, to defend himself with, against the Stratagems, which the Devil, envious of his good for­tune, might contrive for the disap­pointing him. He goes to see the Gentlewoman taking the shape of her absent Lover. He com­plaines, sighs, and is repulsed: He presses, he Sollicites, he per­severes. After many Months, he works upon her, makes himself beloved; he perswades; and in short, is happy. There was born from their Loves, a Son, whose Birth was kept secret; and the Addresse of this Aeryal Lover, managed privately, from the [Page 161]knowledge of her Parents. The Love continues; and she is bles­sed with a second Great Belly. In the mean time, the Gentle­man cured by Absence, comes back, to Sevil; and impatient to see his inhumane Mistresse a­gain, makes all the hast he could to tell her; That at last, he is in a condition of Displeasing her no more; and that he is come to declare to her, that he had done Loving her.

Imagine, if you please, the A­stonishment of this young Wo­man; Her Tears, her Reproaches, and their Surprizing Dialogue: She affirmes, that she has made him happy: Which he denys, And would have reminded him, that their Child was in such a place; that he is the Father of it; and that she is bigg of another, which he is also Father of. He is obstinate, to disown all. She[Page 162]Throws her self against the ground, and Teares her Haires: The Parents come running in at her Crys, the desperate Lover continues her Complaints, and Invectives. The Gentleman pro­duces Testimony, that he had been absent the space of two years. The first Child is sought for, and found; and the second was born in the right Term.

And what part plaid the Airy-Lover, (interrupted I) all this while? I see well enough, (an­swered the Count) that you are displeased, that he should forsake his Mistresse, leaving her to the Rigour of her Parents, and to the Fury of the Inquisitors. But he had reason to complain of her: She was not devout enough; for when these Gentlemen immorta­lize themselves, they work serious­ly, and live very holily; That they loose not the Right, which they[Page 163]came to acquire of Soveraign good: So they would have the person, to whom they are al­lied, live with exemplary inno­cence; as may be seen, in that Fa­mous Adventure of A Young Lord of Bavaria.

He was not to be comforted for the Death of his Wife, whom he loved passionatly; A Sylphide was advised by one of our Sages, to take upon her the shape of this Woman: She was perswa­ded to it, and presents her self to the afflicted young Man, say­ing; That God had raised her from the dead again, to comfort him in his extream Affliction. They live together many years, and had many Lovely Children together: But the young Man was not so honest, as he should be, to retain his discreet Sylphide. He swore, and spoke lewd un­civil Words: She reproved him[Page 164]sometimes. But seeing that her Cautions were unprofitable, she vanished one day from him, and left him nothing but her Gloaths, and the Repentance of his not having followed her Holy Coun­cels. Thus you see (my Son) that the Sylphes have sometimes reason to vanish away: And you see, that the Devil cannot hin­der, any more than your Capri­cious Doctors, the People of the Elements, that they should not la­bour, with success, to their immor­tality, when they are assisted by some of our Sages.

But, in good earnest, Sir, (said I) Are you perswaded, that the Devil is so great an Enemy, to these Suborners of Pretty Matdens? A mortal Enemy, (said the Count) especially to Sylphes, Nymphs, and Salamanders. But, as for the Gnomes or Pharyes, he does not hate them so much, because they, as I[Page 165]believe, you have heard say, af­frighted by the Terrible distracti­on, which the Devil's make in the Center of the Earth, choose rather to live Mortals, than run the Risque of being so Tormented, if they should acquire Immorta­lity. Hence it comes to pass, that the Gnomes, and the Devil's their Neighbours, have a very great Commerce. They per­swade these Gnomes, who are na­turally great Friends of Man, that it is to do him great service, and to deliver him from great perril, in obliging him to re­nounce this Immortality. By this, they ingage them to furnish him, whom they can perswade to this Renunciation, with all the mony which he shall demand; To prevent the dangers, which might threaten his life, during a certain time, or some such other Condition, as shall best please[Page 166]the Man or Woman, with whom they make this unhappy Com­pact. So the Devil, wicked as he is, by his Treaty with this Gnome, makes the Soul of a man become Mortal, and deprives it of the right of Eternal Life.

How Sir! (cryed I) These com­pacts, in your opinion, of which the Demonographes relate so ma­ny examples, are they not with the Devil? No surely (continued the Count) has not the Prince of the World, been chased out of it? Is he not shut up? Is he not bound? Is he not cursed and damned from off the earth, and Throne down to remain at the bottom of the work of the Su­preme Architect; can he mount up into the Region of Light, and there make his concentred Dark­ness resplendant? No, He can do nothing against man. He can[Page 167]only inspire the Gnomes, who are his Neighbours, to make these propositions to such men whom he most fears may be saved, to the end that their Soul may die with their Body.

Then do you believe, (added I) that the Souls dye? They dye, My Child (answered he). And those who make these compacts (pursued I) are not they damned? They cannot be (said he) for their Soul dies with their body. They are quitted then at an easie rate (continued I) and are but slightly punished for having committed so Enormous a Crime, as renouncing their Baptisme, and the death of Christ.

Do you esteem it (replyed the Count) a slight punishment to re­enter into the Black Abyss of Nothing? Know that it is a far greater pain, than to be damned; for there is still a remainder of [Page 168]Mercy, in the Justice which God exercises against sinners in Hell. Since it is a great favour not to consume them in the Fire which burns them. To be Nothing, is a greater Misery, than to be in Hell: This is the Doctrine, which the Sages Preach to the Gnomes, when they call them together, to make them understand, what an Injury they do themselves, to prefer Death before Immortality; and Nothing, before the Hope of Eternal Happyness; which they justly might lay claim to, if they would ally themselves with men, and not Solicite these Criminal Renunciations. Some of them who believe, we marry to our Daughters.

Do you preach the Gospel then to these Subteranean people? Sir (said I to him). Why should we not? (replyed he) We are their Doctors, as well as of the[Page 169]other People of the Fire, of the Air, and of the Water: For the Philosophick Charity, is extended indifferently to all the Children of God. For, as they are now subtil, and more clear, than com­monly the Children of Men; so are they more Docible, and more capable of Discipline, & listen to the Divine Truths, with an At­tention and Respect which asto­nishes us.

It must needs be a Ravishing Sight, (said I, smiling) to see a Rosy-Crusian Philosopher, in a Chair preaching to all these little Gentle-Folke. You shall have the Plea­sure of it, my Son, when you please, (said the Count.) And if you desire it, I will assemble them this very Evening, and Preach to them at Midnight. At Midnight (cryed I!) I have heard say, that That is the Hour of their Sab­bath. At this the Count fell a[Page 170]Laughing: You put me in mind (said he) of all the Fooleries, which Demonographers relate, con­cerning this Business of their Ima­ginary Sabbath. I could wish, for the rarity of the Conceipt, that you would believe them too.

Alas! For those Tales of the Sabbath, (replyed I) I do not be­lieve one of them. You do well, my Son, (said he) for (once more I must tell you) the Devil has not the Power to sport himself so with Mankind, nor to treat or correspond with them; much­less, to make himself Adored, as the Inquisitors believe. That which has given Rise to this Popular Report, is, That the Sages (as I have been telling you) assembling the Inhabitants of the Elements, to Preach to them the Mysteries of the Secret Sciences, and their Morality: And as it ordinari­ly happens, that some Gnome, [Page 171]being convinced of his gross Er­ror, and apprehending the Hor­ror of being reduced to Nothing, consents to his Immortalization: Then has he a pritty Maid given him, is Marryed; and the Wed­ding Celebrated with all the Re­joycing, w^ch so great a Conquest, as has then newly been made, re­quires. These are those Revel­lings, and Tokens of Joy, which Aristotle says, were heard in certain Islands; where nevertheless, they could not see any Body. The Great Orpheus was the first, who convocated the Subterranean Peo­ple: At his first Sermon, Sabasius the Antientest of the Gnomes, was Immortalized; And it was from this Sabasius, that this Assembly took its Name; in which the Sa­ges addressed their Discourses to him, so long as he Lived: As it appears in the Hymns of the Di­vine Orpheus. The Ignorant have[Page 172]confounded these Things; and taken occasion to make a thou­sand Impertinent Stories, and to describe an Assembly, which we convoque not, but to the Glory of the Soveraign Being.

I did never imagine, that this Sabbath (said I to him) had been an Assembly for Devotion: Yet it is (continued he) a most Holy, and most Cabalistick one: Which the World will not easily be per­swaded to. But such is the Deplo­rable Blindness of this unjust Age, that Men still do besot themselves with a vulgar Report, & will not suffer themselves to be unde­ceived. The Sages have a fine time of it that the Sots are believed before them. A Philosopher would have a worthy Task, to take a Survey of all the absurd Falsities, and Chymaeras, which have been forged; and to give manifest Proofs against them. For, whatsoever Experience, or [Page 173]whatsoever solid Reason he might imploy, Should there but come a Man in a Square Cap, and write underneath, This is False; Expe­rience and Demonstration have no more Force; and it is no more in the Power of Truth, to Re-esta­blish its Empire: Men will be­lieve this Square Cap, before their own Eyes.

The Famous Cabalist Zede­chias, was moved in his Spirit, in the Reign of your King Pe­pin, to Convince the World, that the Elements are Inhabited by all these People, whose Nature I have been describing to you. The Expedient to bring all this about, was in this manner; He advised the Sylphs, to shew themselves in the Air to all the World. They did it with great Magnifi­cence: These Creatures appear­ing in the Air, in Human Shape; Sometimes ranged in Battle, [Page 174]Marching in good Order, or stan­ding to their Arms, or Encamped under most Majestick Pavillions: At other times, on Airy Ships of an Admirable Structure, whose Flying Navy was tost about at the Will of the Zephirus's. Well, and what was the Issue of all this? Do you think, that this Ignorant Age fell into a Consultation, a­bout the Nature of these Marvel­lous Spectacles? The People pre­sently believed, that they were Sorcerers, who had gotten a Pow­er in the Air, there to exercise their Conjurations, and to make it Hail upon their Corn-Fields. The Learned Men, the Divines, and the Lawyers, were presently of the same Opinion with the Rab­ble. The Emperors also believed; and this Ridiculous Chymaera got such Credit amongst All, that the Wise Charlemaine, and after him Lewis the Debonaire inflicted grie­vous[Page 175]Torments on all those pre­tended Tyrants of the Air. See this in the First Chapter of the Ca­pitularies of these two Emperors.

The Sylphs, seeing the People, the Pedants, and the Crowned Heads also, thus taking up Arms against them, resolved to make them lose this Evil Opinion, which they had of their Innocent Fleet; and to manifest themselves whol­ly and clearly to Men in all Pla­ces; to let them see their Beau­tiful Wives, their Common-Wealth, and their Government; and then to come down into the Earth, in divers Parts of the World. They did, as they had projected; and the People who saw these Men descend, remove thither from all Places, already possessed with an Opinion, that they were Sorcerers, who had left their Companions, to throw Poy­son upon their Fruits, and into[Page 176]their Wells: Being transported with the Fury which Inspired them with such Imaginations, they dragged these Innocents to Punishment. It is incredible, what a great Number of them were made to suffer by Fire, and Water, over all this Kingdom.

It chanced one Day amongst o­thers, that at Lyons, there was seen to descend from one of these Airy Ships, Three Men, and a Woman: All the City gathered together about them; crying that they are Magicians, and that Gri­moaldus, the Duke of Bennevent, the Enemy of Charlemaine, sent them to destroy the Harvest of the French. The Four Innocents said what they could, for their Justi­fication; that they were of that Country; that they had but a little while since, been carryed up into the Air by Miraculous Men, who had caused them to see[Page 177]unheard-of Wonders; and had intreated them to give a Relation of them. The inraged People would not hear their Defence, but went about to Burn them; when it happened, that the good Man, Agobard, afterwards Bishop of Lyons, who was a Monk in this City, and having acquired a great Authority amongst them, passing by, came to appease the Tumult: And after hearing the Peoples Ac­cusation, and the Defence of the Accused, gravely declared, that both one, and the other were false: That these People had not descended down out of the Air; and that, what the others affirm­ed to have seen, was impossible.

The People believing more what their good Father Agobard, had said, than their own Eyes, were Appeased, set at Liberty the Four Ambassadors of the Sylphs, and received with Admiration,[Page 178]the Book which Agobard writ, for Confirmation of the Sentence, which he had given: So the Te­stimony of the Four Witnesses, became invalid.

In the mean time, they having escaped the Punishment, were at Liberty to relate what they had seen; the which was not al­together without Fruit: For, if you well remember, that Age of Charlemaine was very fruitful in Heroick Men: For it may be con­jectured, that the Woman, who had been amongst the Sylphs, found Belief amongst the Ladies of that Time. So that, by the Grace of God, many Sylphes were Immortalized: Many Sylphides also became Immortal, by the Relation which these Three Men gave of their Beauty; which thing induced the People of those Times, to apply themselves to philosophy, more than before. And[Page 179]hence proceeded all those Stories of Fees, or Fairies, which you find in the Amorous Legends of that Age of Charlemaine, and his Court. All those pretended Fees, were Sylphides and Nymphs. Have you read these Stories of Heroes and Fees? No, Sir, (said I to him.)

I am sorry for it (continued he) for they would have given you some Idea of the State, to which the Sages have resolved one day to reduce the World. Those Heroick men, those amours of the Nimphs, those journies to the Terrestial Paradice, those in­chanted Pallaces and Groves, and and all those charming adventures which there we read of, are but a little Idea of the life which the Sages lead, and of what the World shall be, when they shall make Wisdom-raign therein. None shall be seen there but Heroes; the meanest of our Children, shall[Page 180]have the force of Zoroaster, Apol­lonius, or Melchisedeck, and the greatest part of them, shall be accomplished as the Children which Adam had had by Eve if he had not sinned with her.

Did you not tell me Sir (in­terrupted I) that God would not that Adam and Eve should have had Children; that Adam should only have meddled with the Sylphides, and that Eve should not so much as think on any but the Sylphs, or the Salamanders? 'Tis true (said the Count) they ought not to have got Children, by that way which they did. Does your Cabal then Sir (continued I) teach some in­vention for Man and Woman to make Children otherwise than by the ordinary Method? Yes, be­lieve me, does it (Answered he). I beseech you Sir (pursued I) do me the favour to teach it me. Hold, Sir, you shall not know[Page 181]that to day, an't please you. (Said he to me smiling) I will revenge the People of the Elements, on you, for having had so great trou­ble to undeceive you, of their be­ing thought Devils. I doubt not but you are now come out of your Panick fears. I leave you therefore, to give you leasure to meditate, and deliberate before God, which species of Elementa­ry substances, it will be prope­rest for his Glory, and for yours, to make sharer of your Immorta­lity.

I shall go, in the mean time, to recollect my self a little, in order to the discourse which you have put me upon making to the Gnomes, to night. Do you go (said I) do expound to them, some Chap­ter of Averroes. I believe (said the Count) that from thence might be drawn a very good subject; for I have a design to preach to [Page 182]them of the excellence of Man, to induce them to seek out for an alliance with us. And Aver­roes after Aristotle has held two things, which it would be well that I should clear. The one is of the nature of the understand­ing, & the other is of the Sovereign Good. He says, that there is but one sole Understanding Created, which is the Image of the Uncre­ated, and that this only Under­standing suffices for all men: This requires explanation. And con­cerning the Soveraign good, A­verroes says, that it consists in the conversation of Angels; which is not Cabalistick enough. For Man during this life, may, and is Cre­ated to enjoy God, as you will ere long perceive; and as you will make tryal of, when you shall be in the Rank of the Sages.

So ended the Discourse with the Count of Gabalis. He came[Page 183]again the next morning, and brought me the Sermon which he had made to the Subterranean People: 'Tis very marvellous! I would give it you, with the re­mainder of the entertainment which a Viscountess and I had with this great Man, if I were sure that all my Readers had a right understanding, and would not take it ill, that I should divertise my self at the expence of Fools. If I see that they will oblige my Book, as much as it will do others; and that they do not do me the unjustice to suspect me, as though I would give credit to the secret Sciences under pretence of making them Ridiculous; I may conti­nue to make my self merry with the Count of Gabalis, and sud­dainly give you another Tome.