CHAPTER III 



BELIEF IN ASTROLOGY AND ALCHEMY THEIR 

 INDIRECT BENEFIT TO MANKIND THE BELIEF 

 IN WITCHCRAFT. 



" Du wirst auf die Sternen-stunde warten 

 Bis dir die irdische entfliehtl glaub mir 

 In deiner Brust sind deiner Schicksals Sterne. 

 Vertrauen zu dir selbst. Entschlossenheit 

 1st deine Venus 1 Der Maleficus, 

 Der einzige der dir Schadet, ist der Zweifel." * 



IT has often happened in the individual experiences 

 of men that their mistakes, their failures, and sometimes 

 even their superstitious follies, have led to success in 

 the purposes they had in view, when their wisest 

 thoughts, best laid plans and well constructed efforts 

 had proved vain and abortive. The history of the 

 Middle Ages shows the same results to have attended 

 the growth of knowledge and the progress of science. 

 All that philosophy could teach and academical learn- 

 ing show, after hundreds of years devoted to their 

 study, was emptiness and- vanity. We now know 



* Schiller : Die Piccolomini 2-Aufzug. 6-Auftritt. 

 37 



