Three books of occult philosophy written by Henry Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheim ... ; translated out of the Latin into the English tongue by J.F.

CHAP. XXIV. Of Musicall Harmony, of the force and power thereof.

MUsical Harmony also is not destitute of the gifts of the Stars; for it is a most powerful imaginer of all things, which whilst it follows opportunely the Celestial bodies, doth wonderfully allure the Celestial influence, and doth change the affections, intentions, gestures, motions, actions and dispositions of all the hearers, and doth quietly allure them to its own properties, as to gladness, lamentation, to boldness, or rest, and the like; also it allures Beasts, Serpents, Birds, Dolphins to the hearing of its pleasant tunes. So Birds are allured with Pipes, and Harts are caught by the same. Fish in the lake of Alexandria are delighted with a noise. Musick hath caused friendship betwixt Men and Dolphins. The sound of the Harp doth lead up and down the Hyperborean Swans. Melodious voyces tame the Indian Elephants: and the very Elements delight in Musick. The Hulesian fountain otherwise calm, and quiet, if the Trumpet sound, riseth up rejoycing, and swells over its banks. There are in Lydia those which they call the Nymphs Ilands, which at the sound of a Trumpet forthwith come into the middle of the sea, and turning round ••ead a dance, and then are returned to the shores; M. Varro testifies that he saw them. And there are more wonderful

things then these. For in the shore of Attica the sea sounds like a Harpe. A certain stone of Megaris makes a sound like a Harpe every time the string of a Harpe is struck; so great is the power of Musick, that it appeaseth the minde, raiseth the spirit, stirreth up souldiers to fight, and refresheth the weary, calls back them that are desperate, refresheth travellers. And the Arabians say, that Camels carrying burdens are refreshed by the singing of their leaders. In like manner, they that carry great burdens, sing, and are thereby strengthened and refresh∣ed: for singing causeth delight and strength, pacifieth the an∣gry, cheareth up those that are sad and heavy, pacifieth ene∣mies, moderates the rage of mad men, chaseth away vain ima∣ginations: Hence it is that Democritus and Theophrastus af∣firm that some diseases of the body, and minde may thus be cured, or caused. So we read that Therpander, and Arion of Lesbos cured the Lesbians, and Jonians by Musick; and Ismenia of Thebes cured divers of very great diseases by Musick; More∣over, Orpheus, Amphion, David, Phythagoras, Empedocles, Asclepiades, Timotheus, were wont to do many wonderful things by sounds: Sometimes they did stir up dull spirits by familiar sounds; sometimes they did restrain wanton, furious, angry spirits by more grave tones. So David with a Harp mo∣derated Saul in a rage. So Phythagoras recalled a luxurious yong man from immoderate lust. So Timotheus stirred up King Alexander to a rage, and again repressed him. Saxo the Gram∣matian, in his History of the Danes, tells of a certan Musician who boasted that he could by his Musick make every one that heard it to be mad; and when he was constrained by the King command to perform the same, he endeavoured to work seve∣rall wayes upon the affections; and first, by a tone of Musical gravity filled the hearers with a kinde of sadness and unsensi∣bleness; then by a more lively sound he made them rejoyce, and dance; and lastly, he by a more earnest Musick, reduced them to fury and madness. We read also, that they in Apulia that were touched with a kinde of dangerous Spider, were astonish∣ed untill they heard a certain sound, at the hearing of which every one riseth up and danceth. And it is believed (Gelli••••

being witness) that they that are pained with the Sciatica, are eased at the sound of a Pipe. Also Theophrastus reports, that the sound of a Flute cures the biting of Spiders. And Democri∣tus himself confesseth that the Consort of Pipers, hath been a cure for very many diseases.