Thaumaturgia   By: An Oxonian

OR

ELUCIDATIONS OF THE MARVELLOUS.

BY

AN OXONIAN.

1835

"Bombastes kept the devil's bird, Shut in the pommel of his sword, And taught him all the cunning pranks, Of past and future mountebanks." Hudibras .

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Demonology The Devil, a most unaccountable personage Who is he? His predilection for old women Traditions concerning evil spirits &c.

CHAPTER II.

Magic and Magical rites.

Jewish magi.

CHAPTER III.

On the several kinds of magic.

Augury, or divinations drawn from the flight and feeding of birds.

Aruspices, or divinations drawn from brute or human sacrifices.

Divisions of divination by the ancients prodigies, etc.

CHAPTER IV.

History of Oracles The principal oracles of antiquity.

The oracle of Jupiter Hammon. The oracle of Delphos, or Pythian Apollo.

Ceremonies practised on consulting oracles.

Oracles often equivocal and obscure.

Urim and Thummim.

Reputation of oracles, how lost.

Cessation of oracles.

Had demons any share in the oracles?

Of oracles, the artifices of priests of false divinities.

CHAPTER V.

The British Druids, or magi Origin of fairies Ancient superstitions Their skill in medicine, etc.

The British magi.

CHAPTER VI.

Aesculapian mysteries, etc.

CHAPTER VII.

Inferior deities attending mankind from their birth to their decease.

CHAPTER VIII.

Judicial astrology Its chemical application to the prolongation of life and health Alchymical delusions.

CHAPTER IX

Alchymical and astrological chimera.

The Horoscope, a tale of the stars.

The Fated Parricide; an oriental tale of the stars.

Application of astrology to the prolongation of life, etc.

Advertisement.

Spring. \ Summer. influences of, Autumn. the winter quarter. /

CHAPTER X.

Oneirocritical presentiment, illustrating the cause, effects, principal phenomena, and definition of dreams, etc.

Cause of Dreams.

Poetical illustrations of the effects of the imagination in dreams.

Principal phenomena in dreaming.

Definition of dreams.

CHAPTER XI.

On Incubation, or the art of healing by visionary divination.

CHAPTER XII.

On amulets, charms, talismans Philters, their origin and imaginary efficacy, etc.

Amulets used by the common people.

Eccentricities, caprices, and effects, of the imagination.

Doctrine of Effluvia Miraculous cures by means of charms, amulets, etc.

CHAPTER XIII.

On talismans some curious natural ones, etc.

CHAPTER XIV.

On the medicinal powers attributed to music by the ancients.

CHAPTER XV.

Presages, prodigies, presentiments, etc.

CHAPTER XVI.

Phenomena of meteors, optic delusions, spectra, etc.

CHAPTER XVII.

Elucidation of some ancient prodigies.

Magical pretensions of certain herbs, etc.

CHAPTER XVIII.

The practice of Obeah, or negro witchcraft charms their knowledge of vegetable poison secret poisoning.

CHAPTER XIX.

On the origin and superstitious influence of rings.

CHAPTER XX.

Celestial influences omens climacterics predominations. Lucky and unlucky days. Empirics, etc.

Absurdities of Paracelsus, and Van Helmont.

CHAPTER XXI.

Modern empiricism.

CHAPTER XXII.

The Rosicrucians or Theosophists.

THAUMATURGIA,

OR

ELUCIDATIONS OF THE MARVELLOUS.

CHAPTER I.

DEMONOLOGY THE DEVIL, A MOST UNACCOUNTABLE PERSONAGE WHO IS HE? HIS PREDILECTION FOR OLD WOMEN TRADITIONS CONCERNING EVIL SPIRITS, &C.