Latin — 1533, repaired
Nemo ignorat malos daemones malis ac profanis artibus allici posse, quemadmodum narrat Psellus Gnosticos magos consuevisse, apud quos execranda et abominabiles turpitudines exequebantur, quales olim in sacris Priapi, et in servitio idoli quod vocabatur Panor: cui pudendis discoopertis sacrificabatur. Neque istis dissimile est, si modo veritas et non fabula est, quod legitur de Templariorum detestanda haeresi; et similia hodie de maleficis mulieribus constant, quae quidem anilis dementia saepe in eiusmodi flagitiis errare deprehenditur. His igitur et his similibus mali daemones alliciuntur, atque conspirant: quemadmodum malignus daemon de Cynope mago ad Ioannem: "omnis," inquit, "potestas Satanae illic inhabitat, et coniurationem init cum universis principatibus, et pariter nos ipsi cum eo, et obedit nobis Cynops, et nos vicissim obedimus illi." Nemo rursus ignorat e converso bonis operibus, pura mente, mysticis orationibus, devotis suppliciis et similibus, supercaelestes angelos nobis conciliari. Nemo igitur dubitet simili modo certis quibusdam mundanis materiis mundana numina quoque allici posse, vel saltem daemones, huiusmodi numinum ministros sive pedissequos, ut inquit Mercurius, daemones aereos, non supercaelestes, nedum sublimiores. Sic legimus veteres sacerdotes fecisse statuas et imagines, futura praenuntiaturas, spiritusque stellarum ipsis infudisse, non tam materiis certis cohibitos, quam eisdem gaudentes: quatenus videlicet eiusmodi materias ipsi sibi congruas dignoscentes, semper libenter habitent in eisdem, perque illas loquantur, efficiantque miranda, non secus atque soleant daemones humana corpora occupantes.
Close translation
No one is unaware that evil daemons can be allured by evil and profane arts, just as Psellus relates that the Gnostic magi were accustomed to do — among whom execrable and abominable filthinesses were carried out, of the sort once practiced in the rites of Priapus, and in the service of the idol called Panor, to whom sacrifice was made with the shameful parts uncovered. Nor is that unlike this, if what is read concerning the detestable heresy of the Templars is truth and not fable; and similar things are today established concerning maleficent women, whose old-womanish dementia is often caught erring in disgraces of this kind. By these things, then, and things like them, evil daemons are allured, and conspire together — just as the malign daemon, speaking through the magician Cynops, said to John: "All the power of Satan dwells there, and enters into a conspiracy with all the principalities, and we ourselves likewise with it, and Cynops obeys us, and we in turn obey him." No one, again, is unaware that, conversely, by good works, a pure mind, mystical prayers, devout supplications, and the like, supercelestial angels are conciliated to us. Let no one, therefore, doubt that in a similar way certain worldly materials can also allure worldly divinities — or at least the daemons who are the servants or followers of such divinities, whom Mercurius calls aerial daemons, not supercelestial ones, still less higher ones. Thus we read that the ancient priests made statues and images that would foretell future things, and poured the spirits of the stars into them — the spirits not so much confined by certain materials as delighting in them: inasmuch as they, recognizing such materials as suited to themselves, are always glad to dwell in them, and speak through them, and work marvels, no differently than daemons are accustomed to do when occupying human bodies.
Modern rendering
Everyone knows that evil daemons can be lured in by evil and profane rites — Psellus tells us this was the regular practice of the Gnostic magicians, among whom vile and abominable acts of shame were carried out, the kind once seen in the rites of Priapus, and in the cult of the idol called Panor, to whom sacrifice was offered with the genitals exposed. Something similar — if what is written about the detestable heresy of the Templars is true and not just a story — and the same kind of thing is reported today of maleficent women, whose senile confusion is often caught up in disgraceful acts of this sort. Evil daemons are drawn in and conspire with people through these practices and others like them — as when the malicious daemon, speaking through the magician Cynops, told John: "All of Satan's power lives there, and it has made a pact with every principality, and we ourselves have too, and Cynops obeys us, and we obey him in turn." On the other hand, everyone also knows that good works, a pure mind, mystical prayers, devout petitions, and the like win over supercelestial angels to our side. So no one should doubt that, in the same way, certain worldly materials can also draw in worldly divine powers — or at least the daemons who serve or accompany those powers, whom Hermes calls aerial daemons, not supercelestial ones, let alone anything higher. This is why we read that the ancient priests made statues and images able to foretell the future, pouring the spirits of the stars into them — spirits that were not so much trapped by particular materials as pleased by them: recognizing those materials as suited to their own nature, they are glad to live inside them, speak through them, and perform wonders, exactly the way daemons do when they take possession of human bodies.
Editorial flags — draft status
- uncertain: Idol-name 'Panor' and the magician-name 'Cynops' (in the anecdote addressed 'ad Ioannem') are plain in the OCR but their identity/source is not independently confirmed here; flagging for check against a critical edition rather than guessing a correction.