of the eighth order. The last spirits of our ninth sphere, as well as the angelic intelligences of the ninth order, are charged with preserving all sublunary things and attending to generation. The spirits of the last and lowest celestial class are natural. Since they are composed of elemental substance, they are not spirits in the proper theological sense. Because of their delicacy, purity, subtlety and ability to penetrate the ethereal essence, we give them the title of spirits. They drew their origin from the purest mercury of the ancient limbo to assist nature and serve her ministry. This is why everything created in nature—vegetable, animal or mineral—flows from it and from the parts of the elements, and is even attracted by its beneficent, magnetic power, just as the rational soul is held within the organs of the human body by this strong bond of love that attracts it, and by identity of nature, and is held by the body, which has become an instrument suited to everything that works what you [illegible].

All the remaining pure, simple and incorruptible essences, such as the sun, heavenly bodies, angels and rational soul, and

the pure elements, are drawn from the deep dungeon of nothingness. Thus all are dispersed throughout every part of the universe, where they discharge their own different functions and ministries according to their merit and elevation, their nature and the rank assigned them in this lower world. Since no one except the ancient Egyptians has spoken of these natural spirits disposed in this manner and according to this method, we must explain it after them and open the path we must follow. The Arabs and Greeks drew it from them themselves, as with everything we have learned from them; they drew it from the same source. If we thoroughly examine the order previously observed concerning celestial spirits, we shall perceive a similar one among these latter spirits.

We therefore divide into three classes or orders, which they call families, οἰκίας, this triple distinction of angels. Those of the first order, following the first hierarchy, occupy the first place by their dignity rather than by their order. That place is a seat of gold, or intermingled with gold and stones. They are incorruptible spirits, freed from everything enveloping impure

matter, to whom everything great and marvelous that nature works throughout the universe is attributed. They have no commerce with corruptible things. After them follow the mercurial spirits and those of their own nature, who perform in their kingdom what the celestial Intelligences governing the nine spheres perform. Those of the third and lowest order are Tartarean or quasi-satyr-like: that is, the central spirits believed destined to distribute the powers of sensible, material things.

We can further divide this triplicity into nine distinctions according to the nine degrees or families assigned to intellectual essences and planets. To the universal primum mobile of things to be created, we grant every privilege of the first angels and first intelligences of the primum mobile. All the ideas of forms dispersed confusedly within the starry heaven and infused into the second intellectual spirits remain hidden in the world of our stone. Saturn's sphere contains the same thing as the third order of Angels, and likewise lead in this elemental kingdom.

Tin performs among metals what Jupiter performs

among the planets, and the fourth intelligences of the fourth order among angels. One must judge the remaining metals, adjusted, assigned and subjected to their planets, in the same way as the intellectual essences.

As there are nine orders of spiritual spirits sharing the character and good genius of glorious spirits and angels and imitating their nature, so in this lower world there are spirits of fields and woods following evil spirits, or infernal spirits called cacodemons. They conform to one another in their operations. The Egyptians claim they are generated from the dregs and filth of the Elements and believe that, according to the place they occupy, they are fiery, watery, terrestrial or aerial. The Central spirits are all those who, from matter's center where they are chained as within a dark prison or dwelling of sulfur, do everything capable of harming and causing loss. They seem born for the ruin and overthrow of the whole universe, as those, as those who are the authors of all evils. Some among them, who are indeed the foremost,

seek through prayers some share in the dark majesty and infernal empire of Pluto, prince of darkness. They dwell upon his sulfurous seat, from which the four rivers of hell are said to flow. These are the four worst qualities of the elements, by means of which, like four furies, they sow all, all kinds of enmities, hatreds, antipathies, wars, corruptions, and death itself among created things.

Because Pluto wished to contend with gold, unquestionably the first of all metals, he was cast into a dark, shadowy prison as into a lake of sulfur. Bound with indissoluble chains, he pays the eternal penalties due to his crime. His power, as chief of them all, is so great that he rages cruelly against every body subject to him. With the most horrible cold he freezes the hottest; burns the coldest; breaks the hardest; dries the moistest; condenses aerial bodies; and, more cruel than a monster, hurls himself upon his

father, devours the children he engenders and, imitating a tiger or like a lion, kills and destroys in bloody slaughter what his first creator brought to birth. I say more: though it is horrible to say, more venomous than a basilisk, he kills with his sight and breath, spreads deadly poison over everything he touches, and generates all the kinds of diseases with which he teems in this world. If he is mixed with cruel spirits such as salts and sulfurs, he contrives even greater losses and plans bloodier slaughters.

What, I ask you, is worse than common quicksilver with sulfur, as it is found in imperfect metals, or with salts, as can be seen in sublimed air?

The princes of lies immediately follow the Tartarean Spirits. They can catch fire and burn, being of common sulfur and a vulgar spirit. Through their natural antipathy they resist in everything the spirits of the heavenly bodies of the second order that preside

over the starry heaven and seek to efface and destroy all the ideas of forms impressed upon their seeds. For this spirit carries sword and fire onto their seat, burning and destroying everything it touches. It does not spare even Venus and scorns Mars's sword. It rages cruelly against the sun and moon, which fear nothing, and burns everything with hellfire. It overcomes the bronze-footed bulls that vomit fire and flames and are destined to plow Mars's earth; they cannot preserve or defend against it what has been created in nature. It vomits more flames than Mount Etna. The bed of mercury and its companions is fire filled with flames and sulfur, where they are punished for their misdeeds. It is an immense gulf of stench and corruption whose foul odor can infect the whole earth. It is the abyss of all the worst qualities, and its body joined with ours is the reservoir of every evil and contains more diseases capable of destroying and utterly ruining nature than Pandora's box.

They are followed by antimonial spirits, opposed to the planet Saturn and the angels of the third order in all their functions and good offices. They agree with infernal spirits in inventing every evil and pernicious art. This is why they are called vessels of iniquities or reservoirs of all malignities. Under the appearance of bringing some good or advantage, they destroy and ruin everything with which they are mixed, stripping it of its powers. Their cruelty is such that those things can do nothing in their presence and find themselves deprived of their properties. These spirits exercise their violence especially against Mars, prince of gods and metals, who lays down his arms before them. They are therefore regarded as torments and exterminating executioners.

This spirit is the Dragon whose breath kills all animals and fills and infects the whole upper region of the air with its venom. It is a sword very sharp on both sides: that is, it burns and corrupts bodies through sulfur's combustibility

and mercury's subtle penetration. Like a cruel traitor, it rages so fiercely against the heart and noble parts that it almost drives them from the body. Like a faithless guest, it lives only by ruining others. Like the great Fourbas, it wrestles, surpasses and defeats those it attacks, and like another Hercules it does not spare its mother, who is mercury. It is said to be the most animated of the spirits of hell. It is Pluto's infernal bath and the water of the Styx, which hell's furies use to destroy everything. From time to time it assumes new forms of the demon Proteus, the better to seduce. It is a deceiving spirit bringing death under the hope of healing. It devours a bitter pill in order to deceive beneath this outward appearance and offers a poisoned cup sweetened with sugar. It offers life and launches death. It is compared to three-mouthed Cerberus because it kills with its foaming pus and deadly poison; hence it is called poisoned liquor and the entrance to hell, because it endangers the lives of those who use it.