46 SCIOPTICONMANUAL. 



celebrated as the place where the goddesses exhibited themselves to 

 mortals. Jambliches actually informs us that the ancient magicians 

 caused the gods to appear among the vapors disengaged from fire. 



" The character of these exhibitions in the ancient temple is so 

 admirably depicted in the following passage of Damascius, quoted 

 by M. Salverte, that we recognize all the optical effects which have 

 been already described. ' In a manifestation,' says he, ' which ought 

 not to be revealed, .... there appeared on the wall of the temple 

 a mass of light, which at first seemed to be very remote ; it trans- 

 formed itself in coming nearer, into a face evidently divine and 

 supernatural, of a severe aspect, but mixed with gentleness, and 

 extremely beautiful. According to the institutions of a mysterious 

 religion the Alexandrians honored it as Osiris and Adonis.' 



" These and other allusions to the operations of the ancient magic, 

 though sufficiently indicative of the methods which were employed, 

 are too meagre to convey any idea of the splendid and imposing 

 exhibitions which must have been displayed. A national system 

 of deception, intended as an instrument of government, must have 

 brought into requisition not merely the scientific skill of the age, 

 but a variety of subsidiary contrivances, calculated to astonish the 

 beholder, to confound his judgment, to dazzle his senses, and to 

 give a predominant influence to the peculiar imposture which it 

 was thought desirable to establish. The grandeur of the means 

 may be inferred from their efficacy, and from the extent of their 

 influence. 



" This defect, however, is to a certain degree supplied by an ac- 

 count of a modern necromancy, which has been left us by the cele- 

 brated Benvenuto Cellini, and in which he himself performed an 

 active part. 



" ' It happened,' says he, ' through a variety of odd accidents, that 

 I made acquaintance with a Sicilian priest, who was a man of ge- 

 nius, and well versed in the Latin and Greek authors. Happening 

 one day to have some conversation with him when the subject 

 turned upon thfe art of necromancy, I, who had a great desire to 

 know something of the matter, told him, that I had all my life 

 felt a curiosity to be acquainted with the mysteries of this art. 



" * The priest made answer, " that the man must be of a resolute 

 and steady temper who enters upon that study." I replied, " that I 

 had fortitude and resolution enough, if I could but find an oppor- 



