S.L. MAC GREGOR MATHERS.
WING perhaps to the circumstance that the indispensable “Baedecker” accords only a three or four line notice to the “Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal” – but few English or American visitors to Paris are acquainted with its name,
2
situation, or contents, though nearly all know at least by sight the “Bibliothèque Nationale” and the “Bibliothèque Mazarin”.
This “Library of the Arsenal,” as it is now called, was founded as a private collection by Antoine René Voyer D'Argenson, Marquis de Paulny; and was Wrst opened to the public on the 9th Floréal, in the Wfth year of the French Republic (that is to say, on 28th April, 1797), or just a century ago. This Marquis de Paulny was born in the year 1722, died in 1787, and was successively Minister of War, and Ambassador to Switzerland, to Poland, and to the Venetian Republic. His later years were devoted to the formation of this Library, said to be one of the richest private collections known. It was acquired in 1785 by the Comte D'Artois, and today belongs to the State. It is situated on the right bank of the Seine, in the Rue de Sully, near the river, and not far from the Place de la Bastille, and is known as the “Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal”. In round numbers it now possesses 700,000 printed books, and about 8000 manuscripts, many of them being of considerable value.
Among the latter is this Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin, as delivered by Abraham the Jew unto his son Lamech; which I now give to the public in printed form for the Wrst time.
Many years ago I heard of the existence of this manuscript from a celebrated occultist, since dead; and more recently my attention was again called to it by my personal friend, the well-known French author, lecturer and poet, Jules Bois, whose attention has been for some time turned to occult subjects. My Wrst-mentioned informant told me that it was known both to Bulwer Lytton and Eliphas Levi, that the former had based part of his description of the Sage Rosicrucian Mejnour on that of Abra-Melin, while the account of the so-called Observatory of Sir Philip Derval in the “Strange Story” was to an extent copied from and suggested by that of the Magical Oratory and Terrace, given in the Eleventh Chapter of the Second Book of this present work. Certainly also the manner of instruction applied by Mejnour in “Zanoni” to the Neophyte Glyndon, together with the test of leaving him alone in his abode to go on a short journey and then returning unexpectedly, is closely similar to that employed by Abra-Melin to Abraham, with this diVerence,
that the latter successfully passed through that test, while Glyndon failed. It would also be especially such experiments as those described at length in the Third Book, which the author of the “Strange Story” had in view when he makes Sir Philip Derval in the MS. history of his life speak of certain books describing occult experiments, some of which he had tried and to his surprise found succeed.
This rare and unique manuscript of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin, from which the present work is translated, is a French translation from the original Hebrew of Abraham the Jew. It is in the style of script usual at about the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth centuries, and is apparently by the same hand as another MS. of the Magic Of Picatrix
1
also in the “Bibliothèque de L'Arsenal”. I know of no other existing copy or replica of this Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin, not even in the British Museum, whose enormous collection of Occult Manuscripts I have very thoroughly studied. Neither have I ever heard by traditional report of the existence of any other copy.
2
In giving it now to the Public, I feel, therefore, that I am conferring a real beneWt upon English and especially American students of Occultism, by placing within their reach for the Wrst time a Magical work of such importance from the Occult standpoint.
The Manuscript is divided into three Books, each with its separate Title Page, surrounded by an ornamental border of simple design, in red and black ink, and which is evidently not intended to be symbolical in the slightest degree, but is simply the work of a conscientious caligraphist wishing to give an appearance of cleanness and completeness to the Title Page.
The wording of each is the same: “Livre Premier (Second or Troisième, as the case may be) de la Sacrée Magie que Dieu donna à Moyse, Aaron, David, Salomon et à d’autres Saints Patriarches et Prophetes qui enseigne la vraye sapience Divine laissée par Abraham à Lamech son Fils traduite de l’hebreu 1458”. I give the translated title at the commencement of each of the Three Books.
On the Xy-leaf of the original MS. is the following note in the handwriting of the end of the eighteenth century: —
“This Volume contains 3 Books, of which here is the Wrst. – The Abraham and the Lamech, of whom there is here made question, were Jews of the Wfteenth century, and it is well known that the Jews of that period possessing the Cabala of Solomon passed for being the best Sorcerers and Astrologers.” Then follows in another and recent hand:–
Volume composed of three parts– 1st part 102 pages.
2nd 194 3rd 117
—— 413
June, 1883.” The style of the French employed in the text of the MS. is somewhat vague and
obscure, two qualities unhappily heightened by the almost entire absence of any attempt at punctuation, and the comparative rarity of paragraphic arrangement. Even the full stop at the close of a sentence is usually omitted, neither is the commencement of a fresh one marked by a capital letter. The following example is taken from near the end of the Third Book; “Cest pourquoy la premiere chose que tu dois faire principalement ates esprits familiers sera de leur commander de ne tedire jamais aucune chose deuxmemes que lorsque tu les interrogeras amoins queles fut pour tavertir des choses qui concerne ton utilite outon prejudice parceque situ ne leur limite pas leparler ils tediront tant etdesi grandes choses quils tofusquiront lentendement et tu ne scaurois aquoy tentenir desorte que dans la confusion des choses ils pourroient te faire prevariquer ettefaire tomber dans des erreurs irreparables ne te fais jamais prier en aucune chose ou tu pourras aider et seccourir tonprochain et nattends pas quil tele demande mais tache descavoir afond,” etc. This extract may be said to give a fair idea of the average quality of the French. The style, however, of the First Book is much more colloquial than that of the Second and Third, it being especially addressed by Abraham to Lamech, his son, and the second person singular being employed throughout it. As some English readers may be ignorant of the fact, it is perhaps as well here to remark that in French “tu,” thou, is only used between very intimate friends and relations, between husband and wife lovers, etc.; while “vous,” you, is the more usual mode of address to the world in general. Again, in sacred books, in prayers, etc., “vous” is used, where we employ "thou" as having a more solemn sound than “tu”. Hence the French verb “tutoyer,” = “to be very familiar with, to be on extremely friendly terms with any one, and even to be insolently familiar”. This First Book contains advice concerning Magic, and a description of Abraham’s Travels and experiences, as well as a mention of the many marvellous works he had been able to accomplish by means of this system of Sacred Magic. The Second and Third Books (which really contain the Magic of Abra-Melin, and are practically based on the two MSS. entrusted by him to Abraham, the Jew, but with additional comments by the latter) diVer in style from
the former, the phraseology is quaint and at times vague, and the second person plural, “vous,” is employed for the most part instead of “tu”.
The work may then be thus roughly classiWed:
First Book: = Advice and Autobiography; both addressed by the Author to his son Lamech.
Second Book: = General and complete description of the means of obtaining the Magical Powers desired.
Third Book: = The application of these Powers to produce an immense number of Magical results.
Though the chapters of the Second and Third Books have special headings in the actual text, those of the First Book have none; wherefore in the “Table of Contents” I have supplemented this defect by a careful analysis of their subject matter.
This system of Sacred Magic Abraham acknowledges to have received from the Mage Abra-Melin; and claims to have himself personally and actually wrought most of the wonderful eVects described in the Third Book, and many others besides.
Who then was this Abraham the Jew? It is possible, though there is no mention of this in the MS., that he was a descendant of that Abraham the Jew who wrote the celebrated Alchemical work on twenty-one pages of bark or papyrus, which came into the hands of Nicholas Flamel, and by whose study the latter is said eventually to have attained the possession of the “Stone of the Wise”. The only remains of the Church of Saint Jacques de la Boucherie which exists at the present day, is the tower, which stands near the Place du Châtelet, about ten minutes’ walk from the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal; and there is yet a street near this tower which bears the title of “Rue Nicolas Flamel,” so that his memory still survives in Paris, together with that of the Church close to which he lived, and to which, after the attainment of the Philosopher’s Stone, he and his wife Pernelle caused a handsome peristyle to be erected.
From his own account, the author of the present work appears to have been born in A.D. 1362, and to have written this manuscript for his son, Lamech, in 1458, being then in his ninety-sixth year. That is to say, that he was the contemporary both of Nicholas Flamel and Pernelle, and also of the mystical Christian Rosenkreutz, the founder of the celebrated Rosicrucian Order or Fraternity in Europe. Like the latter, he appears to have been very early seized with the desire of obtaining Magical Knowledge; like him and Flamel, he left his home and travelled in search of the Initiated Wisdom; like them both, he returned to become a worker of wonders. At this period, it was almost universally believed that
2
situation, or contents, though nearly all know at least by sight the “Bibliothèque Nationale” and the “Bibliothèque Mazarin”.
This “Library of the Arsenal,” as it is now called, was founded as a private collection by Antoine René Voyer D'Argenson, Marquis de Paulny; and was Wrst opened to the public on the 9th Floréal, in the Wfth year of the French Republic (that is to say, on 28th April, 1797), or just a century ago. This Marquis de Paulny was born in the year 1722, died in 1787, and was successively Minister of War, and Ambassador to Switzerland, to Poland, and to the Venetian Republic. His later years were devoted to the formation of this Library, said to be one of the richest private collections known. It was acquired in 1785 by the Comte D'Artois, and today belongs to the State. It is situated on the right bank of the Seine, in the Rue de Sully, near the river, and not far from the Place de la Bastille, and is known as the “Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal”. In round numbers it now possesses 700,000 printed books, and about 8000 manuscripts, many of them being of considerable value.
Among the latter is this Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin, as delivered by Abraham the Jew unto his son Lamech; which I now give to the public in printed form for the Wrst time.
Many years ago I heard of the existence of this manuscript from a celebrated occultist, since dead; and more recently my attention was again called to it by my personal friend, the well-known French author, lecturer and poet, Jules Bois, whose attention has been for some time turned to occult subjects. My Wrst-mentioned informant told me that it was known both to Bulwer Lytton and Eliphas Levi, that the former had based part of his description of the Sage Rosicrucian Mejnour on that of Abra-Melin, while the account of the so-called Observatory of Sir Philip Derval in the “Strange Story” was to an extent copied from and suggested by that of the Magical Oratory and Terrace, given in the Eleventh Chapter of the Second Book of this present work. Certainly also the manner of instruction applied by Mejnour in “Zanoni” to the Neophyte Glyndon, together with the test of leaving him alone in his abode to go on a short journey and then returning unexpectedly, is closely similar to that employed by Abra-Melin to Abraham, with this diVerence,
that the latter successfully passed through that test, while Glyndon failed. It would also be especially such experiments as those described at length in the Third Book, which the author of the “Strange Story” had in view when he makes Sir Philip Derval in the MS. history of his life speak of certain books describing occult experiments, some of which he had tried and to his surprise found succeed.
This rare and unique manuscript of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin, from which the present work is translated, is a French translation from the original Hebrew of Abraham the Jew. It is in the style of script usual at about the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth centuries, and is apparently by the same hand as another MS. of the Magic Of Picatrix
1
also in the “Bibliothèque de L'Arsenal”. I know of no other existing copy or replica of this Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin, not even in the British Museum, whose enormous collection of Occult Manuscripts I have very thoroughly studied. Neither have I ever heard by traditional report of the existence of any other copy.
2
In giving it now to the Public, I feel, therefore, that I am conferring a real beneWt upon English and especially American students of Occultism, by placing within their reach for the Wrst time a Magical work of such importance from the Occult standpoint.
The Manuscript is divided into three Books, each with its separate Title Page, surrounded by an ornamental border of simple design, in red and black ink, and which is evidently not intended to be symbolical in the slightest degree, but is simply the work of a conscientious caligraphist wishing to give an appearance of cleanness and completeness to the Title Page.
The wording of each is the same: “Livre Premier (Second or Troisième, as the case may be) de la Sacrée Magie que Dieu donna à Moyse, Aaron, David, Salomon et à d’autres Saints Patriarches et Prophetes qui enseigne la vraye sapience Divine laissée par Abraham à Lamech son Fils traduite de l’hebreu 1458”. I give the translated title at the commencement of each of the Three Books.
On the Xy-leaf of the original MS. is the following note in the handwriting of the end of the eighteenth century: —
“This Volume contains 3 Books, of which here is the Wrst. – The Abraham and the Lamech, of whom there is here made question, were Jews of the Wfteenth century, and it is well known that the Jews of that period possessing the Cabala of Solomon passed for being the best Sorcerers and Astrologers.” Then follows in another and recent hand:–
Volume composed of three parts– 1st part 102 pages.
2nd 194 3rd 117
—— 413
June, 1883.” The style of the French employed in the text of the MS. is somewhat vague and
obscure, two qualities unhappily heightened by the almost entire absence of any attempt at punctuation, and the comparative rarity of paragraphic arrangement. Even the full stop at the close of a sentence is usually omitted, neither is the commencement of a fresh one marked by a capital letter. The following example is taken from near the end of the Third Book; “Cest pourquoy la premiere chose que tu dois faire principalement ates esprits familiers sera de leur commander de ne tedire jamais aucune chose deuxmemes que lorsque tu les interrogeras amoins queles fut pour tavertir des choses qui concerne ton utilite outon prejudice parceque situ ne leur limite pas leparler ils tediront tant etdesi grandes choses quils tofusquiront lentendement et tu ne scaurois aquoy tentenir desorte que dans la confusion des choses ils pourroient te faire prevariquer ettefaire tomber dans des erreurs irreparables ne te fais jamais prier en aucune chose ou tu pourras aider et seccourir tonprochain et nattends pas quil tele demande mais tache descavoir afond,” etc. This extract may be said to give a fair idea of the average quality of the French. The style, however, of the First Book is much more colloquial than that of the Second and Third, it being especially addressed by Abraham to Lamech, his son, and the second person singular being employed throughout it. As some English readers may be ignorant of the fact, it is perhaps as well here to remark that in French “tu,” thou, is only used between very intimate friends and relations, between husband and wife lovers, etc.; while “vous,” you, is the more usual mode of address to the world in general. Again, in sacred books, in prayers, etc., “vous” is used, where we employ "thou" as having a more solemn sound than “tu”. Hence the French verb “tutoyer,” = “to be very familiar with, to be on extremely friendly terms with any one, and even to be insolently familiar”. This First Book contains advice concerning Magic, and a description of Abraham’s Travels and experiences, as well as a mention of the many marvellous works he had been able to accomplish by means of this system of Sacred Magic. The Second and Third Books (which really contain the Magic of Abra-Melin, and are practically based on the two MSS. entrusted by him to Abraham, the Jew, but with additional comments by the latter) diVer in style from
the former, the phraseology is quaint and at times vague, and the second person plural, “vous,” is employed for the most part instead of “tu”.
The work may then be thus roughly classiWed:
First Book: = Advice and Autobiography; both addressed by the Author to his son Lamech.
Second Book: = General and complete description of the means of obtaining the Magical Powers desired.
Third Book: = The application of these Powers to produce an immense number of Magical results.
Though the chapters of the Second and Third Books have special headings in the actual text, those of the First Book have none; wherefore in the “Table of Contents” I have supplemented this defect by a careful analysis of their subject matter.
This system of Sacred Magic Abraham acknowledges to have received from the Mage Abra-Melin; and claims to have himself personally and actually wrought most of the wonderful eVects described in the Third Book, and many others besides.
Who then was this Abraham the Jew? It is possible, though there is no mention of this in the MS., that he was a descendant of that Abraham the Jew who wrote the celebrated Alchemical work on twenty-one pages of bark or papyrus, which came into the hands of Nicholas Flamel, and by whose study the latter is said eventually to have attained the possession of the “Stone of the Wise”. The only remains of the Church of Saint Jacques de la Boucherie which exists at the present day, is the tower, which stands near the Place du Châtelet, about ten minutes’ walk from the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal; and there is yet a street near this tower which bears the title of “Rue Nicolas Flamel,” so that his memory still survives in Paris, together with that of the Church close to which he lived, and to which, after the attainment of the Philosopher’s Stone, he and his wife Pernelle caused a handsome peristyle to be erected.
From his own account, the author of the present work appears to have been born in A.D. 1362, and to have written this manuscript for his son, Lamech, in 1458, being then in his ninety-sixth year. That is to say, that he was the contemporary both of Nicholas Flamel and Pernelle, and also of the mystical Christian Rosenkreutz, the founder of the celebrated Rosicrucian Order or Fraternity in Europe. Like the latter, he appears to have been very early seized with the desire of obtaining Magical Knowledge; like him and Flamel, he left his home and travelled in search of the Initiated Wisdom; like them both, he returned to become a worker of wonders. At this period, it was almost universally believed that
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