To the unprejudiced Reader As the fall of man made himself and all other creatures subject to vanity; so, by reason thereof, the most noble arid excellent Arts wherewith the Rational soul was indued, are by the rusty canker of Time brought unto Corruption.
For Magick itself, which the ancients did so divinely contemplate, is scandalized with bearing the badge of all diabolical sorceries: which Art (saith Mirandula) Pauci intelligent, multi reprehending, & sect canes ignotos semper alternant:
Few understood, many reprehend, and as dogges barke at those they know not: so doe many condemn and hate the things they understand not.
Many men there are, that abhor the very name and word Magus, because of Simon Magus, who being not Magus, but Goes, that is, familiar with evil Spirits, usurped that Title.
But Magicke and Witchcraft are far differing Sciences; whereof Pliny1 being ignorant, scoffeth thereat: for Nero (saith Pliny) who had the most excellent Magicians of the East sent to him by Tyridates king of Armenia, who held that kingdom by him, found the Art after long study and labour altogether ridiculous. Now Witchcraft and Sorcery, are works done merely by the devil,
which with respect unto some covenant made with man, he acteth by men his instruments, to accomplish his evil ends: of these, the histories of all ages, people and countries, as also the holy Scriptures, afford us sundry examples.
But Magus is a Persian word primitively, whereby is expressed such a one as is altogether conversant in things divine; as Plato aftermath, the Art of Magick is the art of worshipping God: and the Persians call their gods , hence Apollonius saith, that Magus is either [illegible Greek]2 or [illegible Greek]3, that is, that Magus is a name sometime of him that is a god by nature, & sometimes of him that is in the service of God: in which latter sense it is taken in Matt., 2.1,2. when the wise men came to worship Jesus, and this is the first and highest kind, which is called divine Magick; and these the Latins did entitle sapientes, or wise men: for the feare and worship of God, is the beginning of knowledge.
These wise men the Greeks call Philosophers; and amongst the Egyptians they were termed Priests; the Hebrews termed them Cabalistos, Prophets, Scribes and Pharisees; and amongst the Babylonians they were differenced by the name of Caldeans; & by the Persians they were called Magicians: and one speaking of Sosthenes, one of the ancient Magicians, useth these words:
