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  • Nov. 1, 1794
  • Page 31
  • MAGICAL SUPERSTITION.
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The Freemasons' Magazine, Nov. 1, 1794: Page 31

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    Article EARLY THEATRICAL MYSTERIES. ← Page 2 of 2
    Article MAGICAL SUPERSTITION. Page 1 of 2 →
Page 31

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Early Theatrical Mysteries.

i 4 86 he saw played and exhibited in mysteries , by persons of Poitiers , the Nativity , Passion , and Resurrection of Christ , in great triumph and splendour ; there were assembled on this occasion most of the ladies and gentlemen of the nei ghbouring counties .

Magical Superstition.

MAGICAL SUPERSTITION .

FROM THE SAME . Sometimes these superstitions are classed under the title of PHY-1 ACTERIES , or preservatives . Le Brim divides them into two kinds ; the one employed without words , and the other with words . In the first class are to be placed the talismans , which are certain figures invented by the Arabiansengraved on certain stones or

me-, tals . To make these talismans perfect , according to the minute description of an adept , and which is inserted in this work , so many wonderful things are required , that any one , in the least in his senses , must despair of accomplishing his purpose . Yet the same adept enumerates a variety of instances of their miraculous powers . He informs us of their potency as remediesand prescribes them as

excel-, lent for the head-ach , the sore throat , rheumatisms , & c . and , what is very essential , they will assist us in becoming agreeable to the ladies , in acquiring riches and honours , in being- successful in commerce or gaming ; to be men of genius , Sic . —The reader ' s curiosity is probably awakened ; I have transcribed one of his recipes , on a subject in which most aspire to be successful .

R . for JOY , BEAUTY , and STRENGTH . ENGRAVE the figure of VENUS , which is a lady holding in her hand apples and flowers , in the first scale of Libra , or of Pisces , or of Taurus . This is no difficult operation ; but the reader must first obtain the perfect talisman , on which it is to be engraved . Of the effects of these talismans there are numerous instances

recorded by old writers ; but I shall not venture to transcribe them . One lam induced to notice . It was said that the cells of the Chartreux were never troubled witli bugs ; though they bad been discovered in the cells of their domestics . Several religionists cherished an opinion that this was owing to a particular exemption with which God favoured the order ! These are the literal expressions of father

Jaques du Breul;— " God would not allow them to be afflicted and distressed by those stinking animals called bugs ; and , to show his peculiar favour , he has not exempted the cells of their servants from these creatures . "—This was a subject of serious controversy amongst the scholars of those days ; and some attributed the exemption to the use of talismans . Cardanmore philosophicallyto their not eating

, , meat ; Scaliger rallies him' on this , but gives no reason for it ; at length Vossius , in his work on idolatry , mentions this fact as very uncertain , while he at the same time brings the best proof of it , which simply proceeded from the act of cleaning their cells daily ' .

“The Freemasons' Magazine: 1794-11-01, Page 31” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 10 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fmm/issues/fmm_01111794/page/31/.
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Title Category Page
THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE, OR GENERAL AND COMPLETE LIBRARY. FOR NOVEMBER 1794. Article 1
1st EPISTLE OF ST. PETER, 17th VERSE. Article 3
MASONIC PRECEPTS: Article 6
MEMOIRS OF THE FREEMASONS AT NAPLES. Article 11
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE RELIGIOUS AND MILITARY ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM. Article 15
MR. TASKER'S LETTERS Article 21
Untitled Article 23
TIPPING BROWN, M. D. Article 24
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE. Article 26
EXAMPLES OF THE VIOLENCE WITH WHICH THE LEARNED HAVE CONTENDED ABOUT TRIFLES. FROM D'lSRAELI'S "CURIOSITIES OF LITERATURE." VOL. II. Article 28
EARLY THEATRICAL MYSTERIES. Article 30
MAGICAL SUPERSTITION. Article 31
DETACHED THOUGHTS, Article 32
ON DESPAIR. Article 33
ON MILITARY DISCIPLINE. Article 34
ON WISDOM. Article 35
A CURE FOR THE BITE OF A VIPER. Article 35
ON THE COMPARATIVE MORALITY OF THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS. Article 36
ON THE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS. Article 39
ON THE VARIETY OF CONJECTURES CONCERNING THE APPEARANCE AND DEPARTURE OF SWALLOWS. Article 42
AUTHENTIC AND INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF THE ADVENTURES OF THE MUTINEERS Article 44
ANECDOTES OF CHAPELAIN, A GREAT MISER. Article 51
POETRY. Article 52
WHISKY: AN IRISH BACCHANALIAN SONG. Article 53
CONTEMPLATING THE PERIOD OF ALL HUMAN GLORY, AMONG THE TOMBS IN WESTMINSTER-ABBEY. Article 55
ODE TO FEMALE FRIENDSHIP. Article 56
STRICTURES ON PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 57
PROLOGUE TO EMILIA GALOTTI. Article 59
EPILOGUE. Article 59
MONTHLY CHRONICLE. Article 62
LIST OF GENTLEMEN NOMINATED AS SHERIFFS FOR 1795. Article 67
COUNTRY NEWS. Article 68
PROMOTIONS. Article 70
Untitled Article 70
Untitled Article 70
BANKRUPTS. Article 71
Untitled Article 72
LONDON : Article 72
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 73
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Page 31

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Early Theatrical Mysteries.

i 4 86 he saw played and exhibited in mysteries , by persons of Poitiers , the Nativity , Passion , and Resurrection of Christ , in great triumph and splendour ; there were assembled on this occasion most of the ladies and gentlemen of the nei ghbouring counties .

Magical Superstition.

MAGICAL SUPERSTITION .

FROM THE SAME . Sometimes these superstitions are classed under the title of PHY-1 ACTERIES , or preservatives . Le Brim divides them into two kinds ; the one employed without words , and the other with words . In the first class are to be placed the talismans , which are certain figures invented by the Arabiansengraved on certain stones or

me-, tals . To make these talismans perfect , according to the minute description of an adept , and which is inserted in this work , so many wonderful things are required , that any one , in the least in his senses , must despair of accomplishing his purpose . Yet the same adept enumerates a variety of instances of their miraculous powers . He informs us of their potency as remediesand prescribes them as

excel-, lent for the head-ach , the sore throat , rheumatisms , & c . and , what is very essential , they will assist us in becoming agreeable to the ladies , in acquiring riches and honours , in being- successful in commerce or gaming ; to be men of genius , Sic . —The reader ' s curiosity is probably awakened ; I have transcribed one of his recipes , on a subject in which most aspire to be successful .

R . for JOY , BEAUTY , and STRENGTH . ENGRAVE the figure of VENUS , which is a lady holding in her hand apples and flowers , in the first scale of Libra , or of Pisces , or of Taurus . This is no difficult operation ; but the reader must first obtain the perfect talisman , on which it is to be engraved . Of the effects of these talismans there are numerous instances

recorded by old writers ; but I shall not venture to transcribe them . One lam induced to notice . It was said that the cells of the Chartreux were never troubled witli bugs ; though they bad been discovered in the cells of their domestics . Several religionists cherished an opinion that this was owing to a particular exemption with which God favoured the order ! These are the literal expressions of father

Jaques du Breul;— " God would not allow them to be afflicted and distressed by those stinking animals called bugs ; and , to show his peculiar favour , he has not exempted the cells of their servants from these creatures . "—This was a subject of serious controversy amongst the scholars of those days ; and some attributed the exemption to the use of talismans . Cardanmore philosophicallyto their not eating

, , meat ; Scaliger rallies him' on this , but gives no reason for it ; at length Vossius , in his work on idolatry , mentions this fact as very uncertain , while he at the same time brings the best proof of it , which simply proceeded from the act of cleaning their cells daily ' .

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