On Popular Illufions. 37 



probable, that for a long time, magicians were 

 iuppofed to operate only by natural means, the 

 powers of which could not be eftimated in times 

 of general ignorance. The repetition of verfes, 

 or the preparation of herbs, were the firft ma- 

 gical afts : Cicero imputes the origin of the 

 Avord Saga to the ideas I have been defcribing. 

 Sagire enim /entire acute eji ; ex qtiofaga ams, quia 

 multa Jcire vclunt^ ^ fagaces di£fi canes*. But by 

 degrees, religious opinions were interwoven with 

 magic, and a"t length Plato's hypothefis of aerial 

 demons furnifhed a fyftem from which magical 

 arts were explained v/ith fufficient plaufibility. 

 ^ianquam Platoni credam^ fays Apuleius, inter Deos 

 (^ homines, natura et loco medias quafdam divorum 

 potejlates interfitas, eajque divinationes ciin5fas & ma- 

 gorum miracula gubernare-\. After the eftablifh- 

 ment of chriftianity thefe operations were afcribed 

 to diabolical influence, exerted by compafl with 

 the magician. The differences of this opinion 

 will be explained prefently. 



Magic is ufually divided into natural and 

 divine, lawful:}:, and unlawful Ij. Necromancy 

 confided in employing members of dead bodies 

 as charms or remedies: according to this defi- 

 nition, it was necromantic in all the colleges of 

 Europe to infert the human fkull as a remedy 

 in their difpenfatories. But a complete table of 



* De Divinat. lib. II. % Or ceremonial, 



t Apologia, Prima. ,» || Or demoniacal. 



D 2 its 



