CHIMERICAL SCIENCES. 395 



exifts but on the ftage, or in childilh roman- 



ces. 



XIV. (3.) Sorcery^ or witcbcraft, is the third 

 art that pretends to borrow the aid and minif- 

 try of the devil, and to perform miraculous 

 operations by invoking demons, either in ob- 

 fcure retreats, or in the darkneis of the night, 

 or in an afTembly of wizards or witches, which 

 they call afabbat. It would require a large vo- 

 lume to relate all the influence which this chi- 

 merical and abfurd art has had on the minds of 

 weak men in all ages, from the creation of the 

 world to the age which immediately preceded 

 the prefent : to what degree credulous people 

 have believed it : in how ferious and important 

 a manner it has been treated by prieifo, by 

 princes and magiftrates, and what horrible 

 cruelties they have been induced from thence 

 to commit. Thefe magiftrates were certainly 

 no conjurers : they no ways refembled them, 

 but in wickedneis. Since philofophy has con- 

 fined forcery to the wardrobe of ancient reve- 

 ries ; and fince wife legiflators have prohibited 

 the tribunals from exercifing their powers againft 

 it, and priefts from pretending to exorcifms ; 

 there is no longer to be found in the world 

 cither demon, forcerer, witch, conjurer, or 

 iabbat. 



XV. (4.) The fame feverity, however, ha?? 

 not been ihown to Alcbymy, though it jullly 



merits 



