Latin — 1533, repaired
[XXXVI]
Sciendum vero, quo alicuius rei nobilior forma est, eo res ipsa promptior est ac propior ad recipiendum, eo etiam potentior ad agendum. Redduntur itaque incomprehensibilia [†incomprehensibilia] re mirabilia, quando scilicet materiis commixtis, opportunisque temporibus praeustis, ad vivificandum ponuntur, vitam illis ex stellis, animamque sensibilem, tanquam nobiliorem formam, conciliando. Tanta quippe est in materiis praeparatis potentia, quas tunc vitam adipisci videmus, quando qualitatum perfecta commixtio priorem iam contrarietatem fregisse videtur: perfectiorem vero adeptae sunt vitam, quatenus complexio a contrarietate est remotior.
Caelum vero, causa praepotens ab initio cuiusque rei generandae, concoctione materiae et digestione perfecta, caelestes influxus dotesque mirificas cum vita simul largitur, quatenus in ipsa vita animaque sensibili est comprehensio ad nobiliores virtutes ac sublimiores concipiendas.
Virtus praeterea caelestis alibi quidem sopita iacet, ceu sulphur a flamma remotum; in viventibus autem corporibus saepe flagrat, sicut sulphur accensum: tum vapore suo proxima omnia complet: sic miranda quaedam opera procreantur, qualia leguntur in libro Nemith, qui et legum Plutonis inscribitur, quia eiusmodi generationes monstrosae sunt, neque secundum leges naturae producuntur.
Nos enim scimus, quod ex vermibus generantur culices, ex equo vespae, ex bove apes; ex cancro, ablatis pedibus et inhumato, generatur scorpius, si madefiat [†si madefiat] et putrescat pluribus diebus. Ex anate, ubi in pulverem teratur illo in aquam proiecto, generantur ranae; si autem in pastillum coeat et per frusta incisa in loco humido et subterraneo dimittatur, generantur bufones. Ex basilico herba inter duos lapides trita generantur scorpiones; et ex capillis mulieris menstruatae sub fimo locatis fiunt serpentes. Et pilus ex cauda equi in aquam proiectus vitam concipit, et transit in vermem perniciosum.
Et est artificium, quo in ovo excubante gallina generatur forma similis homini, qualem ego vidi, et componere novi, quam magi mirandis virtutibus efficacem perhibent, et hanc veram mandragoram dicunt.
Oportet igitur cognoscere, quae et quales materiae, sive natura sive arte inchoatae vel perfectae, sive ex pluribus aggregatae, quales caelitus influxus suscipere possint. Congruitas enim rerum naturalium ad caelestia sufficit, ut ab illis hauriamus influxum: quia, cum nihil prohibeat inferioribus caelestia lumen suum diffundere, materia nulla permittitur experte fore suae virtutis. Quapropter quantumcunque materiae perfectum ac purum est, ad caelestem influxum non ineptum est. Ea enim est colligantia et continuitas materiae ad animam mundi, quae quotidie fluit supernaturalia, et super omnia quae natura praeparavit, ut, impossibile sit, praeparata materia non influi vitam aut nobiliorem quandam formam.
Quomodo certis quibusdam praeparamentis naturalibus et artificialibus, caelestia quaedam et vitalia dona desuper trahimus.
Close translation
But it is to be known that the nobler a thing's form is, the more ready and the nearer it is to receiving, and the more powerful too it is to acting. Thus incomprehensible [†incomprehensible] things are rendered marvelous, namely when, materials having been mixed and heated beforehand at opportune times, they are set to be brought to life — a life being conciliated to them from the stars, and a sensible soul, as a nobler form. So great, indeed, is the power in prepared materials, which we then see attain life, when the perfect mixture of qualities seems already to have broken the former contrariety; and the more perfect life they have attained, the further their constitution is removed from contrariety.
The heavens, moreover, as the pre-eminent cause from the beginning of the generation of any thing, once the concoction and digestion of the matter is perfected, bestow celestial influences and wondrous gifts together with life, insofar as, in that very life and sensible soul, there is a capacity for conceiving nobler and more sublime powers.
Celestial power, moreover, lies dormant elsewhere, as sulphur removed from flame; but in living bodies it often blazes, as sulphur set alight, and then fills with its vapor all things nearby: thus certain marvelous works are brought forth, such as are read of in the book of Nemith, which is also entitled the Laws of Pluto, because generations of this kind are monstrous, and are not produced according to the laws of nature.
For we know that gnats are generated from worms, wasps from a horse, bees from an ox; that from a crab, its feet removed, unburied, a scorpion is generated, if it be moistened [†if moistened] and left to putrefy for several days. From a duck, when it is ground to powder and that powder is cast into water, frogs are generated; but if it is gathered into a little cake and, cut into pieces, is left in a damp, underground place, toads are generated. From basil crushed between two stones, scorpions are generated; and from the hairs of a menstruating woman placed under dung, serpents are made. And a hair from a horse's tail, cast into water, conceives life, and turns into a destructive worm.
And there is a craft by which, in an egg a hen is brooding, a form like unto a man is generated — such as I myself have seen, and know how to make — which the magicians assert to be effective through wondrous powers, and which they call the true mandrake.
It is therefore necessary to know which, and what kind of, materials — whether begun or perfected by nature or by art, or gathered together out of several — are able to receive influence from the heavens. For the fittingness of natural things for the celestial is sufficient for us to draw influence from them: because, since nothing prevents the heavens from diffusing their light upon lower things, no matter is permitted to be without a share of its power. Wherefore, however perfect and pure any matter is, it is not unfit to receive celestial influence. For such is the bond and continuity of matter with the soul of the world, which daily pours forth supernatural things, and above all things that nature has prepared, that it is impossible for prepared matter not to have life, or some nobler form, poured into it.
How, by certain natural and artificial preparations, we draw down from above certain celestial and vital gifts.
Modern rendering
Here's the rule: the nobler a thing's form, the readier and more receptive it is, and the more capable it is of acting in turn. That's what makes seemingly impossible things happen: when materials are mixed and warmed at the right astrological moments and set up to come alive, they take on life from the stars, and a sense-bearing soul as a nobler form. Prepared materials genuinely have that much power — we see them come alive once a perfect blend of qualities has broken down their original internal conflict. And the more fully that internal conflict is resolved, the more complete a life they achieve.
The heavens, as the dominant cause behind the generation of anything from the start, pour in celestial influences and remarkable gifts together with life itself, once the matter has been properly "cooked" and processed — to whatever degree that life and sense-bearing soul is capable of taking on nobler, more elevated powers.
Celestial power otherwise lies dormant, like sulphur kept away from flame; but in living bodies it often blazes up, like sulphur set alight, filling everything nearby with its vapor. That's how certain marvelous effects are produced — the kind described in the book called Nemith, also known as the Laws of Pluto, because generation of this sort is monstrous and doesn't follow the ordinary laws of nature.
We know, for instance, that gnats come from worms, wasps from a horse, bees from an ox. A crab, with its legs removed and left unburied, produces a scorpion if it's dampened and left to rot for several days. A duck, ground to powder and thrown into water, produces frogs; but if that powder is worked into a small cake, cut into pieces, and left in a damp underground spot, it produces toads. Basil crushed between two stones produces scorpions. Hair from a menstruating woman, buried under dung, turns into serpents. And a single hair from a horse's tail, thrown into water, comes alive and turns into a harmful worm.
There's also a technique by which, in an egg a hen is sitting on, a human-shaped form is produced — I've seen this myself, and I know how to make it. Magicians claim it has remarkable powers, and call it the true mandrake.
So it's worth knowing which materials — whether started or finished by nature or by craft, or assembled from several ingredients — are capable of receiving influence from the heavens. Natural things simply being suited to the heavens is enough for them to draw influence from them, because nothing stops the heavens from spreading their light onto everything below, and no matter is excluded from a share of that power. So however refined and pure any given matter is, it's capable of receiving celestial influence. Matter is bound to the soul of the world so tightly and continuously — and that soul is constantly pouring supernatural gifts into everything nature has prepared — that properly prepared matter cannot fail to receive life, or some nobler form, from it.
How, through certain natural and artificial preparations, we draw down certain celestial and life-giving gifts from above.
Editorial flags — draft status
- uncertain: 'fm reMo' (scorpion-from-crab recipe) reconstructed as 'si madefiat' (if moistened) — this is a lower-confidence guess filling a badly damaged short phrase; the general sense (leave to putrefy after some preparation) is clear from context but the exact verb is not certain.
- list: The spontaneous-generation catalogue (gnats from worms, wasps from a horse, bees from an ox, scorpion from a crab, frogs/toads from duck-powder, scorpions from basil, serpents from menstrual hair, the horsehair-worm, and the egg-mandrake homunculus) is a list of discrete recipe-like claims; flagged in full since each item is a specific claim that should be checked against a clean source text, consistent with spec rule 3's treatment of recipe/list material even though it is not a formal correspondence table.
- uncertain: Book title 'Nemith' (= 'Laws of Pluto') kept as printed; not independently verified against a modern critical edition in this pass.