Page images
PDF
EPUB

seems to have obtained, down to a late period, on account of the following circumstance: it was the prevailing opinion, that these evil spirits continued to preserve an intercourse with such mortals as were versed

tal deities being considered devils, we have the testimony of Moses and the Psalmist; "But Jeshurun forsook God, which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up." Deut. ch. xxxii. v. 15. 17.— “Insomuch that they worshipped their idols, which turned to their own decay; yea they offered their sons and their daughters unto devils. And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and their daughters: whom they offered unto the idols of Canaan," Ps. cvi. v. 36, 37.

The same is asserted by St. Paul of the Gentile divinities; "But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God," 1 Cor. ch. x. v. 20. Having been hence adopted by the Christian fathers, as may be seen in all the writers on magick, it is nothing surprising that it became a prevailing opinion throughout Christendom.

But it seems to have been no less generally adopted throughout the east, and on authority as highly esteemed by the natives, as that to which it owes it propagation in Europe. This may be at least maintained on the authority of that marvellous ritual, which gave a direction to the popular opinion in matters of superstition. "What," cried the mother of Aladdin, "was your lamp then the occasion of that cursed genie's addressing himself rather to me than to you?—I would rather you would sell it, than run the hazard of being again frightened to death by touching it; and if you would take my advice you would part also with the ring, and not have any thing to do with genies, who, as our prophet has told us, are only devils." Arab. Night. Entert. Vol. II. stor. of Aladd.

in the practice of magick and sorcery. Over these arts they were particularly supposed to preside and many of the proficients in the occult sciences were supposed to have bound themselves by a compact to these evil powers to yield themselves up to them after death, on condition of being instructed in their supernatural knowledge, and being rendered a temporary obedience.

It would be foreign from the present design to examine minutely into the origin of the superstitions which gave rise to this general belief. It is sufficient to observe, that these opinions of magical power were much, if not chiefly, tinctured by the antient Pagan notions of enchantment, and by superstitions which from the earliest periods were prevalent in the east. The former seem to have descended from the Romans progressively, and to have been naturally blended with the Italian notions on this subject. The latter appear to have been imported from the east as well by the settlement of the Moors in the southern

Thus Del Rio expresses himself on this subject, quoting one of the Christian fathers. "Sic interpretor D. Clementis verba de angelis peccatoribus;" "Docuerunt" ait "homines quod dæmones artibus quibusdam obedire mortalibus id est magicis invocationibus possent." Disquis. Magic. lib. i. cap. 3. p. 4.

R

parts of Europe, as by the various expeditions undertaken by the Crusaders, where they also became blended with the Gothick superstitions which originally descended from the north of Europe. In this manner, from

To such an alarming degree had those notions spread over the southern parts of Europe, and so implicitly were they received by the natives, that it became necessary to restrain their growth by general councils. The following extract from a curious inquirer into these subjects, gives a faithful picture of the state of popular opinion, at this early period in Europe; and shews that it consisted of a strange mixture of Pagan, northern and eastern superstitions. "Certaine generall councils, by their decrees, have condemned the confessions and erroneous credulity of witches to be vain, fantasticall and fabulous. And even those, which are parcele of their league, whereupon our witch-mongers doo so build; to wit, their night-walkings and meetings with Herodias and the Pagan gods, at which time they should passe so farre in so little space on cock-horse; their transubstantiation, their eating of children, and their pulling of them from their mothers' sides; their entering into men's houses, through chinks and little holes, where a flie can scarce wring out, and the disquieting of the inhabitants all which are not only said by a generall council to be meere fantasticall imaginations in dreams, but so affirmed by the antient writers. The words of the council are these; It may not be omitted, that certaine wicked women, following Sathans provocations, being seduced by the illusions of devils, believe and profess that in the night-time they ride abroad with Diana, the goddesse of the Pagans, or else with Herodias, with an innumerable multitude, upon certain beasts, and passe over manie countries and nations; in the silence of the night, and do whatever these ladies or fairies command." Reg. Scott. Myst. of Witchcr. B. iii. ch. 16.

:

considering that the Pagan and Saracenick opinions of enchantment, combined with the popular notions of the fallen angels presiding over these arts, we acquire an easy solution of the difficulty before us; and learn the cause of the names ascribed to the chief of these dæmons. Thus the Pagan title of Hecate or Proserpine was retained to the principal spirit who presided over witchcraft and sorcery: and thus the prince of hell was in like manner denominated after the Pagan mythology. "The husband of this infernall goddesse," says a popular writer of the 16th century, 66 was PLUTO, or Dis, so called of the name of Riches: as wee know that amongst the Hebrews likewise, the divell for the same reason is called Mammona. Hee was called also ads, not that he is ads, that is to say, in darknes and invisible; but because he was the cause, and authour of the death, destruction and desolation of mankind by his temptation. And for this cause he is termed adŋs of the Hebrew word Ed; and is the very Ophoneus, or Serpent, the sworne enemie of God. The Ægyptians did by another name call this prince of divels Serapis,' &c.—

P. Le Loier Treat. of Strang. Sights and Appar. p. 15.

66

'The eastern denomination of this infernal chief was the same, and thus the title became more generally adopted. Supra mortales omnes Magicis dediti fuere Persæ-duos credidere deos auctores rerum et dominos; alterum bonum Oromagam vel Oromagdam, quem solem censebant, et malum alterum, Arimanum sive PLUTONEM: deinde ab his duplicem magicam deduxerunt; unam quæ superstitiosa tota cultum falsorum deorum tradebat; alteram quæ naturas intimas rerum callebat, quam Persis utramque Apuleius adscribit."

To these causes we may consequently attribute the circumstance of the European writers giving the name of Pluto to the infernal spirit in preference to any other of his various appellations. And conformably to these received opinions, we find that the poets, who draw their subjects from those ages, and who had occasion to mention the chief of the evil spirits, generally adopted this title; and at the same time assigned him all those attributes, which, being given to him

a DEL RIO. Disquis. Magic. lib. i. cap. 3. pag. 4. Vid. supr. p. 240. n. x. which contains a remark, subjoined by the authour to the present quotation.

« PreviousContinue »