Paul Summers Young

  The Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus in XVII books. Translated formerly out of the Arabic into Greek and thence into Latin and Dutch and now out of the original into English By that learned divine Doctor Everard. London Printed by Robert White for The Brewster and Greg. Moule at the Three Bibles in the Poultry under Mildred's Church. 1650 To the Reader Judicious Reader, This book may justly challenge the first place for antiquity from all the books in the world, being written some hundreds of years before Moses his time, as I shall endeavour to make good.  The original - as far as is known to us - is Arabic, and several translations thereof have been published, as Greek, Latin, French, Dutch, &c. but never English before.  It is a pity the learned translator - Doctor Everard - had not lived and received himself the hounour and thanks due to him from Englishmen, for his good will to and pains for them in translating a book of such infinite worth out o...

I have drawn the following list of criteria for associating images or words not from a treatise on magic but from a sixteenth century mnemonics or ars memoriae . The quotation is interesting because - quite apart from any Hermetic presumption - the author has identified in the context of his own culture a number of associative automatisms commonly accepted as effective.  1. By similitude, which is in turn subdivided into similitude of substance (man as a microcosmic image of the macrocosm), quality (the ten figures for the ren commandments), by metonymy and antonomasia (Atalas for astronomers or astronomy, the bear for an irascible man, the lion for pride, Cicero for rhetoric). 2. By homonymy: the animal dog for the constellation Dog. 3. By irony or contrast: the fool for the sage. 4. By sign: the spoor for the wolf, or the mirror in which Titus admired himself for Titus. 5. By a word of different pronunciation: sanum  for sane . 6. By similarity of name: Arista for Aristotle....

  The title page is as good a place as any to start. Foucault's Pendulum falls into ten parts named for the sephirot, commencing at Keter, finishing at Malkut. Though it is not quite that straightforward, because nobody could be so immersed in Borges as Eco and not engage in some 'serpent-swallowing-tail'. I have always loved the version of the Tree of Life in the book, but have never tried to trace it until this afternoon (being the Equinox), and the weekend of Yom Kippur. An image search led me to a copy of 'De Divinis Attributis quae Sephirot  ab Hebrais nuncupantur eisudem; De Causis Antipathias et Sympathiae Rerum Naturalium, eisudem de modo et potestate quam Daemones habent intelligendi, ac commouendi conceptus animae, passionisque appetitus' (Venice, Dominicum de Farris 1589) of Caesar Aevolus, or Evoli, in an online catalogue for an auction held in 2003.  On the path between Netzach and Hod is a menorah and the Ark; from Chokmah appear rays, or a cast shadow...

  A Fair in Spitalfields where all the knick-knacks of astrology are exposed to open sale, to all that will see  for their love and buy for their money. Where, first,  Mr. William Lilly  presents you with his pack, wherein he has to sell: 1. The Introduction. 2. Nativities calculated. 3. The Great Ephemerides. 4. Monarchy, or No Monarchy. 5. The Caricature of King Charles. 6. Anus Tenebrosus. Second,  Nicholas Culpeper brings under his velvet jacket: 1. His Challenges against the Doctors of Physick. 2. A Pocket Medicine. 3. An Almanack and Conjuring Circle. Third,  Mr. Bowker unlocked his pack, wherein is: 1. The 12. Signs of the Zodiack. 2. The 12. Houses. 3. The 7. Planets. 4. The Year's Predictions, and the Starry Globe. Written by  J.B. Gent.  and Printed by J.C. in the yeare 1652. The Prologue. In the greener studies, much I have admir'd the Muses' rare inventions, and desir'd for recreation of't; to play upon the flowery banks of sugared Hel...

 

  Of the Hunting of the Bear, and first of her nature and properties. There be Bears of two sorts, one much greater than the other naturally, although they be of equal age, or how long so ever they live, but their properties and conditions are all one, saving the greater be much stronger, the which I account no difference of nature. They are naturally very cruel and harmful unto all tame beasts, and are very strong in all parts of their bodies but only the head. A small blow on the head kills them. They go to make in December, some sooner and some later, according to their rest and good feeding; their heat endures fifteen days and not past. When the She-Bear feels her young within her, she withdraws herself into some cave or rock, and there abides until she bring forth her whelps; therefore, you shall seldom hear of a Bear taken when she is with whelp.  Sometimes, a Bear, especially a male, will keep close in his den forty days and nights without either meat or drink, having n...

  Of the Hunting of the Wolf, and first of their Nature and Properties. The Wolf is a beast sufficiently known in France and other countries where he is bred, but here in England they be not to be found in any place. In Ireland - as I have heard - there are great store of them, and because many Noblemen and Gentlemen have a desire to bring that country to be inhabited and civilly governed - and would God there were more of the same mind - therefore, I have thought good to set down the nature and manner of hunting the Wolf according to mine author.  The Wolf - says he - goes a-clycketing in February, in such sort as a dog lines a birth when she goes sault, wherein they abide ten or twelve days. Many Wolves - where store be - follow one She-Wolf, even as dogs follow a bitch, but she will never be lined but only with one. She will suffer many to follow her, and will carry them after her sometimes eight or ten days without meat, drink or rest, and when they are ouverwearied, she s...

  An Advertisment of the Translator. I find in mine author nothing written either of the Wild Cat or of the Marten, and yet both those are vermin which we use here in England commonly to hunt, and in my judgement as necessary to be hunted as any vermin can be. For the question may be doubtful, whether either Fox or Badger do more hurt than the Wild Cat does.  Since there are few Gentlemen in England but have commodity by Conies, either great or small, and I am sure that there is no vermin which more hurts in a warren of Conies than a Wild Cat does; and therewithal, I have heard some Hunters say that she leaves as great a scent, and makes as good a cry for the time as any vermin that is hunted, especially the Marten passes all other for sweetness of scent, and her case is a noble fur. The Wild Cat's case is nothing so good fur, but it is very warm and medicinable for sundry aches and pains in the bones and joints; also, his grease is very good for sinews that be shrunk. These t...

  Of the Hunting of the Fox and Badger. Now to speak of Fox Hounds and Terriers, and how you should enter them to take the Fox, the Badger, and suchlike vermin. You must understand there are sundry sorts of Terriers, whereof we hold opinion that one sort came out of Flanders or the Low Countries, as Irtoys and thereabouts, and have crooked legs, and are short-haired most commonly. Another sort there is which are shagged and straight-legged; those with crooked legs will take earth better than the other, and are better for the Badger, because they will lie longer at a vermin, but the others with straight legs serve for two purposes, for they will hunt above the ground as well as other hounds, and enter the earth with more fury than the others, but they will not abide so long, because they are too eager in fight, and therefore are constrained to come out to take the air. There are both good and bad of both sorts, and because it is good pastime and brave fight without great pain or tra...