Latin — 1533, repaired
[†...] dictum est de virtutibus et mirabili efficacia rerum naturalium. Restat nunc videre rem magnae mirabilitatis, et ipsa est ligatio: hominum in amorem vel odium, in aegritudines et sanitates, et eiusmodi. Item ligatio furum et latronum, ut in aliquo loco furari non possint: ligatio mercatorum, ut in aliquo loco emere vel vendere nequeant: ligatio exercitus, ut metam aliquam transire non possit: ligatio navium, ut nullo ventorum, etiam infinitis velis pervenientium, tensis, portum egredi minime valeant. Item ligatio molendini, ut nullo impetu volvi possit: ligatio cisternae, vel fontis, ut aqua exinde hauriri nequeat: ligatio agri, ut fruges in eo produci nequeant: ligatio loci alicuius, ut in eo aedificari nihil possit: ligatio ignis, ut in aliquo loco accendi non possit, et quod aliquod combustibile apposito fortissimo igne non ardeat. Item ligatio fulgurum et tempestatum, ut nocere non possint. Item ligatio canum, ut latrare non possint: ligatio avium et ferarum, ut volare vel fugere nequeant: et horum similia, vix credibilia, quae tamen saepius experientia cognita sunt. Fiunt autem ligationes huiusmodi per veneficia, per collyria, unguenta, potiones, per phylacteria et philtra, per alligationes et suspensiones, per annulos, per fascinationes, per sortes, imaginationes et animi excessus, per imagines et characteres, per incantationes et imprecationes, per lumina, per sonos, per numeros, per verba et nomina, invocationes, sacrificia, adiurationes, exorcismata, consecrationes, devotiones, perque varias superstitiones et observationes, horumque similia.
Close translation
[†...] it has been said concerning the powers and marvellous efficacy of natural things. It remains now to look at a matter of great marvellousness, and this is binding: the binding of men into love or hatred, into sicknesses and health, and the like. Also the binding of thieves and robbers, so that in some place they cannot steal; the binding of merchants, so that in some place they can neither buy nor sell; the binding of an army, so that it cannot cross some boundary; the binding of ships, so that by no winds, though sails be set to any number of them, they can in the least manage to leave port. Also the binding of a mill, so that it cannot be turned by any force; the binding of a cistern or spring, so that water cannot be drawn from it; the binding of a field, so that crops cannot be produced in it; the binding of some place, so that nothing can be built on it; the binding of fire, so that it cannot be kindled in some place, and so that something combustible does not burn even when the strongest fire is applied to it. Also the binding of lightnings and storms, so that they cannot cause harm. Also the binding of dogs, so that they cannot bark; the binding of birds and wild beasts, so that they cannot fly or flee — and things like these, scarcely credible, which nevertheless have quite often been learned by experience. Now bindings of this sort are made through sorceries, through eye-salves, ointments, potions, through amulets and love-philtres, through tyings and hangings-up, through rings, through fascinations, through lots, imaginings and excesses of mind, through images and characters, through incantations and imprecations, through lights, through sounds, through numbers, through words and names, invocations, sacrifices, adjurations, exorcisms, consecrations, devotions, and through various superstitions and observances, and things like these.
Modern rendering
[†...] we've discussed the powers and remarkable effects of natural things. Now it's time to look at something truly remarkable: binding. This means binding people into love or hatred, into sickness or health, and so on. It also covers binding thieves and robbers so they cannot steal in a given place; binding merchants so they cannot buy or sell there; binding an army so it cannot cross a certain line; binding ships so that no wind, however many sails are set, can get them out of port. It covers binding a mill so no force can turn it; binding a well or spring so water cannot be drawn from it; binding a field so it produces no crops; binding a piece of land so nothing can be built on it; binding fire so it cannot be lit in a given place, or so that something flammable will not burn even under the strongest flame. It covers binding lightning and storms so they cannot do harm; binding dogs so they cannot bark; binding birds and wild animals so they cannot fly or flee — and similar things, hard to credit, yet which experience has confirmed often enough. Bindings like these are carried out through poisons and potions, through eye-salves, ointments, and draughts, through amulets and love-philtres, through tying things up and hanging them, through rings, through the evil eye, through lots and feats of imagination and trance, through images and symbolic characters, through spells and curses, through lights, sounds, and numbers, through words and names, invocations, sacrifices, solemn charges, exorcisms, consecrations, devotions, and through all sorts of other superstitious practices and observances.
Editorial flags — draft status
- lacuna: Opening clause before 'dictum est de virtutibus' is OCR-damaged past safe recovery (dropcap loss plus corruption); marked [†...] in latin/close/modern.
- list: Long enumeration of ligatio-types (love/hate, thieves, merchants, army, ships, mill, cistern, field, building-site, fire, lightning, dogs, birds/beasts) and the enumeration of methods (veneficia, collyria, unguenta, philtra, annuli, characteres, etc.) — legible but flagged for verification against page images per spec rule 3, as these are catalog-style lists.