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Article THE HISTORY OF MAGIC. ← Page 13 of 15 →
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The History Of Magic.
depending on an acoustical experiment ? A clever contrivance was that which caused the Egyptian statue of Memnon to give forth melodious sounds at the rising of the sun . Similar automata were presented to Charlemagne in the ninth century by Haroun al Raschid . Again , with regard to the phantoms and the hideous and
delightful visions exhibited by the Thaumaturgists , the whole is producible by an apparatus similar to our diorama or phantasmagoria . When the latter was brought out in London , in 1802 , the effect it produced upon the audience was most startling . The frightful spectres which , advancing and receding with moving jaws , awful eyes , and hideous aspect ,
were accompanied by flashes of lightning and the pealing of thunder—exceedingly terrified many of the spectators , several of whom fainted away . We may hence receive in good faith these accounts of Thaumaturgic wonders , and that without necessity for supposing them to be , like the thousand authentic tales of modern apparitions , merely phantasies of the brain . It is now generally agreed that the ghost results either from nervous susceptibility or temporary derangements of the nervous system .
To recur once more to the wonders of initiation . —The thunder and lightning are still further instances of the clever application of science . It will easily be seen how electricity would facilitate the representation of the former , and some explosive material allied to gunpowder , the production of the latter . In Hindostan and Thibet some such substance was
employed in the fire-w orks which were used at public rejoicings ; and it has been proved by missionaries to have been known from the earliest ages . The Moors in Spain used it at the beginning of the fourteenth century , and we are not , therefore , to regard this invention as belonging exclusively to the date of its first use in this country . The Greek fire of
the seventh century was apparently compounded of phosphorous , naphtha , and other inflammable ingredients well known to modern chemistry . In addition to the secrets already mentioned , need we add those of the air-gun , steam , galvanism , and the magnet , all of which would become , in the hands of the crafty Thaumaturgistmost powerful miracle-workers ?
, In reference to the last-named agent , the compass was known in China , 2600 years before Christ ; and the Finns possess one , the origin of which is traceable to remote ages , and which could not , consequently , have been transmitted to them from England .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The History Of Magic.
depending on an acoustical experiment ? A clever contrivance was that which caused the Egyptian statue of Memnon to give forth melodious sounds at the rising of the sun . Similar automata were presented to Charlemagne in the ninth century by Haroun al Raschid . Again , with regard to the phantoms and the hideous and
delightful visions exhibited by the Thaumaturgists , the whole is producible by an apparatus similar to our diorama or phantasmagoria . When the latter was brought out in London , in 1802 , the effect it produced upon the audience was most startling . The frightful spectres which , advancing and receding with moving jaws , awful eyes , and hideous aspect ,
were accompanied by flashes of lightning and the pealing of thunder—exceedingly terrified many of the spectators , several of whom fainted away . We may hence receive in good faith these accounts of Thaumaturgic wonders , and that without necessity for supposing them to be , like the thousand authentic tales of modern apparitions , merely phantasies of the brain . It is now generally agreed that the ghost results either from nervous susceptibility or temporary derangements of the nervous system .
To recur once more to the wonders of initiation . —The thunder and lightning are still further instances of the clever application of science . It will easily be seen how electricity would facilitate the representation of the former , and some explosive material allied to gunpowder , the production of the latter . In Hindostan and Thibet some such substance was
employed in the fire-w orks which were used at public rejoicings ; and it has been proved by missionaries to have been known from the earliest ages . The Moors in Spain used it at the beginning of the fourteenth century , and we are not , therefore , to regard this invention as belonging exclusively to the date of its first use in this country . The Greek fire of
the seventh century was apparently compounded of phosphorous , naphtha , and other inflammable ingredients well known to modern chemistry . In addition to the secrets already mentioned , need we add those of the air-gun , steam , galvanism , and the magnet , all of which would become , in the hands of the crafty Thaumaturgistmost powerful miracle-workers ?
, In reference to the last-named agent , the compass was known in China , 2600 years before Christ ; and the Finns possess one , the origin of which is traceable to remote ages , and which could not , consequently , have been transmitted to them from England .