aSi PARACELSUS 



other things possessing great magic powers, of which 

 very little is publicly known, because our art has been 

 neglected, and the majority of men do not even know 

 that it exists." 



** It would not be proper to explain all the virtues and 

 powers of the electrum, because the sophist would begin 

 to blaspheme, and the ignorant would become angry ; 

 the idiot would ridicule and the wicked misuse it ; and 

 we are therefore forced to be silent in regard to some of 

 its principal virtues. But there are a few wonderful 

 qualities which it possesses, and of which we will speak. 

 We have observed them personally, and we know that 

 we are speaking the truth. We have seen finger-rings 

 made of the electrum that cured their wearers of spasms 

 and paralytic affections, of epilepsy and apoplexy; and 

 the application of such a ring, even during the most 

 violent paroxysm of an epileptic attack, was always fol- 

 lowed by immediate relief. We have seen such a ring 

 begin to sweat at the beginning of a hidden disease." 



"The electrum is antipathetic to all evil influences, 

 because there is hidden in it a heavenly power and 

 the influence of all the seven planets. Therefore the 

 Egyptians and Chaldeans and the Magi of Persia used 

 it against evil spirits, and made great discoveries by its 

 use. If I were to tell all I know about the virtues of 

 the electrum, the sophists would denounce me for being 

 the greatest sorcerer in the world." 



" I will, however, say that I have known a person in 

 Spain who possessed a bell made out of the electrum, 

 and weighing about two pounds, and by ringing that 

 bell he could cause various kinds of spectres and ap- 

 paritions to appear, and they would obey his commands. 

 Before using the bell he always wrote some words or 

 characters on its inside. He then rang the bell, and 

 immediately the spirits appeared in such a shape as he 

 ordered them to take. He was even able to attract by 

 the sound of that bell the spectres of men or animals. 



