264 



We have learnt that magnetism is not limited to ferru- 

 ginous matter ; we know that the ancient doctrine of 

 the universality of the property is true. Kircher, in 

 his strange work on Magnetism, published in the early 

 part of the seventeenth century* a curious exemplifi- 

 cation of the most unwearying industry and careful 

 experiment, combined with the influences of the credulity 

 and superstitions of his age attributes to this power 

 nearly all the cosmical phenomena with which, in his 

 time, men were acquainted. He curiously anticipates 

 the use of the supposed virtue of magnetic traction 

 in the curative art; and as the titles of his con- 

 cluding chapters sufficiently show, he was a firm be- 

 liever in animal magnetism, f But it is not with 

 any reference to these that we refer to the work of 

 Athanasii Kircheri, Societatis Jesu, Maynes, sive de 

 Magnetivd Arte, but to show that two hundred years 

 since, man was near a great truth ; but the time of its 

 development being not yet come, it was allowed to sleep 

 for more than two centuries, and the shadow of night 



# The whole of the title of Kircher's book will convey some idea 

 of the subjects embraced: Athanasii Kircheri Societatis Jesu 

 Magues, sive de Arte Magnetica; opus tripartitum, quo Universa 

 jSIagnetis Natura ejusque in omnibus Scientiis et Artibus usus 

 nova methodo explicatur : ac praeterea e viribus et prodigiosis 

 effectibus Magneticarum aliarumque abditarum Naturae Motionum 

 in Elementis, Lapidibus, Plantis, Aniinalibus elucescentium : 

 multa hucusque incognita Natures Arcana, per Physica, Medica, 

 Chymica, et Mathematica omnis generis Experimenta recluduntur 

 Editio Tertia: ab ipso Authors recognita emendataque, ac inultis 

 novorum Experimentorum Problematibus aucta. Romas, 1654. 



f The following are the titles of the concluding chapters of 

 Kircher's book : De magnetismo solis et lunce in maria. De mag- 

 netica vi plantarum. De insitionis magneticis miraculis. De mag- 

 netismo virgulfB auriferce sen divinatoriee. J)e plantis heliotropiis 

 eorumque magnetismo. De magnetismo rerum medicinalium. De vi 

 attractiva potentice imaginativce. De magnetismo musicce. De 

 magnetismo amoris. 



