A System of Pyrotechny. James Cutbush
manner. In all periods of the world, priests have acted as jugglers to simple and ignorant people."
The most ludicrous account of the necromantic art, by which similar tricks were performed, is that given by Celini, (Life of Benvenuto Celini, a Florentine Artist, by T. Nugent, LL. D. &c.) of a Sicilian priest, who drew circles on the floor with various ceremonies, using fire and different perfumes. Having made an opening to the circle, and thrown perfumes into the fire at a proper time, he observes, that in the space of an hour and half, "there appeared several legions of devils, insomuch that the amphitheatre was quite filled with them." Benvenuto, it seems, at the instance of the priest, asked some favours of them, which, however, he never realized. At a second exhibition he held a pentagorun, while the priests questioned the leaders of the demons "by the virtue and power of the eternal uncreated God," using the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages. The Demons appeared more numerous than at first, and more formidable. He states that "quivering like an aspen leaf, he took good care of the perfumes," and was directed by the priest "to burn proper perfumes." This ceremony was continued until the "bell rang for morning prayers," and the priest "stripped off his gown and took up a wallet-full of books," declaring, "that as often as he had entered magic circles, nothing so extraordinary had ever happened to him!" How is it, in the language of professor Beckman, that "in all periods of the world, priests have acted as jugglers to simple and ignorant people?" * * * * *
This same Benvenuto Celini, however, was a man of intelligence. He wrote a work called the History of Jewelry; in which the first idea of phosphorescent mineral bodies is to be found. This work was written in the beginning of the 16th century. His life, although singularly marked, what with popes, priests, artists, and necromancers, presents a singular retrospect.
What was more absurd, and even profane, than the tricks of Joseph Balsamo, called Il Conte Cagliostro, who with Schœpfer, revived the study of the magical arts; and who with invocations, friction, fumigations, and optical deceptions astonished the ignorant of their day. Whether like Æneas, in his descent to hell, they made their way with their falchions through crowds of ghosts, or like Dioscorides, relied on the efficacy of herbs, or like Paracelsus, carried an evil spirit in their canes, or wore a jewel like Shakspeare's toad, which possessed marvellous virtues, or employed the magic stone (agate) of the east, and invoked their urim and thummim—it is certain they worked upon the imagination of the people. By the application of conium maculatum, (hemlock) consisted the ceremony of ordaining a Hierophant; by the hartshorn of Orpheus, they had a divine remedy for the passions of the body; and by a mixture of new mustard and olive oil, they could produce a symphony, which invoked the spirits, and, Pythonesis like, declare to the people, that they "had devils in their bellies!!"
Of the phial of Cagliostro, Cardan relates that he had this phial twice exhibited to him, and complains bitterly of having seen nothing, after the anthem Sancte Michael, but some bubbles that issued from the bottom, though it was believed that these bubbles were angels! He says, "Nihil tamen omnino vidi poste hanc invocationem nisi bulas pauculas quasdam ex imo gutti fundo exæstuantes." Aulus Gellius and Hero mention tricks of this kind practised by the Egyptians. Roger Bacon, the alchymist, was excommunicated by the pope, and imprisoned ten years, for supposed dealings with the devil.
Equally absurd to a man of reflection, are the observations of antiquated writers on spontaneous generation, by heat. Borello (Physical History) tells us, "that fresh water craw fish may be regenerated, by their own powder, calcined in a crucible, then boiled in water with a little sand, and left to cool, for a few days; when the animalcula will appear swimming merrily in the liquor, and must be then nourished with beef blood, till they attain the proper size to stock your ponds with."[11] The Sieur Pogeris and M. de Chamberlan, both agree with Signior Borello, but, in the chemistry of the matter, they add that the operation must be performed, during the full of the moon! If this lunar system be adopted, would not the crab also, have been a more favourable sign to have ruled the nativity of craw fish?
Swift, however, alludes to these agencies, fallacious as they are, in the following lines:
"So chymists boast they have a power,
"From the dead ashes of a flower,
"Some faint resemblance to produce,
"But not the virtue, taste, or juice."
Rochos, equally absurd with Borello, says, in The Art of Nature, that the ashes of toads will produce the very same effect, as the powder of crabs' eyes! Reasoning upon that ridiculous and unnatural principle of Cæsalpinus, in his comment on Aristotle, Quæcumque ex semine fiunt, eadem fieri posse sine semine, the procreation of eels from rye-meal, or mutton broth was predicated.
Julius Camillus, however, would out-do nature herself; for Amatus Lusitanus affirms, that he has seen his phials full of homunculi complete in all their parts! Paracelsus (De Rerum Natura,) had the same and many other absurd notions. What, we may truly say, has not been palmed upon the world, when we are told, that the following translation from a Hague Gazette, which appeared in the British Evening Post, No. 1645, contained facts, which were confidently believed by the ignorant:
"Mr. Tunestrick, by origin an Englishman, has just exhibited at Versailles, a very singular experiment. He opened the head of a sheep, and a horse from side to side, by driving a large iron wedge into the skull, by means of a mallet; drew the wedge out afterwards, with pincers, and recalled the animals to life, by injecting through their exterior aperture with a tin syringe, a spirituous liquor of his own composition, to which he attributes surprising effects! The taste of this liquor resembles that of Commandus Balm!!" The remarkable effects of galvanism, however, are well authenticated; but resuscitation, notwithstanding all apparent life, has in no instance, to our knowledge, been effected. (See Ure's Chemical Dictionary, article Galvanism.)
Among other tricks, we may mention those with serpents, especially in the East Indies, and neighbouring islands, where a certain class of people exhibit them for money.[12]
Persons who could walk over red-hot coals, or red-hot iron, or who could hold them in their hands and their teeth, are frequently mentioned. In the end of the 17th century, Richardson, an Englishman, was a great adept in this performance. We are assured he could chew burning coals, pour melted lead upon his tongue, swallow melted glass, &c; but the fact is incredible.
It is true, that the skin may be prepared in such a way as to become callous and insensible against the impression made on the feet and hands. It may be rendered as firm as shoes and gloves. Such callosity may be produced, if the skin is continually compressed, singed, pricked, or injured in any other manner. Beckman relates, that in 1765, he visited the copper-works at Awestad, when one of the workmen, for some money, took some of the melted copper in his hand, and after showing it, threw it against a wall. He performed a variety of other experiments with the melted metal.
The workmen at the Swedish melting-house have exhibited the same thing to some travellers in the 17th century. The skin is first rendered callous by frequently moistening it, as Beckman says, with sulphuric acid; and also, he remarks, by using the juice of certain plants. The skin must also be rubbed frequently, and for a long time, with oil. Haller, in his Elementa Physiologica, V. p. 16, speaks of this fact.
The manner of rendering the hands callous, or insensible, so that they may take up, and hold, ignited iron, charcoal, or other substances, may be seen in an English publication of 1667. The Journal des Savants, of 1677, contains the secret. "It consists in applying to the hands, various pastes, with spirits of sulphur, (sulphuric acid,) which destroys the epidermis, &c. and the nervous energy." This corroborates the account by Beckman. We read that Richardson had prepared his tongue in such a manner, that he could hold on the point of it a live coal, covering it first with pitch, rosin, and sulphur, and could hold a piece of ignited iron between his teeth. After showing the coal on his tongue, he would then extinguish it in his mouth. The Mémoires de l'Académie state, that a person who is salivated can put a live coal in his mouth. The Dictionnaire de l'Industrie observes, that the sulphur diminishes the heat of the coal, for the flame is less hot than