THE OCCULT SCIENCES. 225 



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employed a quantity of vegetable, mineral, and animal substances to create 

 smoke, which was believed to act upon the demons, and even upon the 

 influences of the stars (Fig. 165). It is evident that these fumigations, in 

 which belladonna, opiates, &c., were employed, and which produced either 

 giddiness or drowsiness, helped the magicians very much. 



The art of magic had regulated the use of perfumes for its professional cere- 

 monies, in accordance with the opinion which held the smoke of odoriferous 

 substances to be a mystic link between the earth and the stars. Thus every kind 

 of smoke was addressed to some particular planet (Fig. 165). To the Sun 

 was dedicated a mixture of saffron, amber, musk, clove, and incense, to which 

 were added the brain of an eagle and the blood of a cock. The Moon received, 

 by preference, the vapour of white poppy and camphor, burnt in the head of 

 a frog, together with the eyes of a bull and the blood of a goose. To Mars 

 was burnt sulphur, mixed with Various magic plants, such as hellebore and 

 euphorbium, to which were added the blood of a black cat and the brain of a 

 crow. It may easily be imagiped how nauseous was the odour of these 

 horrible mixtures, which ascended in a spiral column of smoke varying in 

 hue, and athwart which the lookers-on believed they could see fantastic 

 shapes. Moreover, the most singular properties were attributed to various 

 substances which were thrown upon live coals. In order to produce thunder 

 and rain, all that was necessary was to burn the liver of a chameleon. This 

 species of witchcraft was practised by a special class of sorcerers called 

 tempest-raisers. As late as the sixteenth century James VI. of Scotland had 

 Dr. Fian tortured in his presence, upon the accusation of having raised a 

 storm in which that sovereign nearly lost his life. While the chameleon's 

 liver raised a high sea, the gall of cuttle-fish, burnt with roses and aloe- 

 wood, produced earthquakes. A legion of demons and phantoms might be 

 raised by burning together coriander, parsley, and hemlock, adding to them a 

 liquor extracted from black poppy, giant fennel, red sandal-wood, henbane, 

 and other obnoxious plants. But with all these mixtures it was necessary to 

 observe the laws of sympathy and antipathy which prevail amongst the per- 

 fumes, as amongst the celestial bodies, in order to insure the success of the 

 incantations. 



The same laws of sympathy and antipathy were to be carefully observed 

 in the preparation of philters, administered for the purpose of inspiring 

 hatred or affection (Fig. 166). These philters, which in ancient times were 



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