A friend is strangely troubled by a “spiritual creature” about
midnight. Robert Gardiner reveals to him a great philosophical secret,
which is received with common prayer. He hears of an alchemist who
gives away “great lumps” of the philosopher’s stone. He dreams that he
is to be bereft of his books.
There was trouble with Anne his nurse. She was tempted by a wicked
spirit who possessed her. He prayed with her; he anointed her with
“holy oil” twice, the wicked spirit resisting. Despite the power of
the oil Anne threw herself into the well, but was dragged out in time.
Three weeks later she evaded her keeper and cut her throat.
In 1596 Dee received a message from the Queen; he was to do what he
would in philosophy and alchemy; no one should hinder him. And so on to
the end of the _Diary_.
In the autumn of 1899 there was found in the garden of Lincoln’s
Inn a thin leaden tablet about four inches square. On one side were
eighty-one small squares, arranged in a large square, each with a
number engraved upon it. On the other side were three names—Hasmodar,
Scherchemosh, and Scharhahan, with a symbol to each. The explanation
is as follows:—The square is a charm; the number eighty-one is the
number of the Moon, each planet having its own number in the “science”
of astrology. The arrangement of the numbers in the eighty-one squares
is such that added up vertically or horizontally or diagonally the sum
shall always be the same. In this case it is 369. Why 369 I cannot
explain. On the other side the three names are the three spirits of the
Moon, each with its hieroglyph.
The writing is an expression of an invitation or a command to the
spirits to work mischief on an unfortunate man. Had the sorcerer
desired good fortune he would have used a silver plate. In either case
it was necessary to bury the plate in some secret place, unseen and
unsuspected.
The following story is gravely told by Philip Stubbes. Perhaps he did
not believe it himself; but it is certain that he meant his readers to
believe it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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