Anonymous · 1655

Arbatel of Magick (Turner 1655)

The Arbatel of Magic first appeared in Latin at Basel in 1575 and was translated into English by Robert Turner in 1655. Only its first tome, the Isagoge, was ever published: forty-nine aphorisms arranged in seven septenaries, which present magic as a pious, God-given wisdom rather than a commerce with demons. Alongside moral counsel on prayer, humility and the right use of gifts, the aphorisms describe the seven Olympic spirits who govern the provinces of the universe, their seals and offices, and the periods of history they rule. The title page also outlines the nine tomes the full work was meant to contain. This text follows the 1655 printing in the EEBO-TCP transcription.