The Count de Gabalis: being a diverting history of the Rosicrucian doctrine of spirits, viz. slyphs, salamanders, gnomes, and dæmons; shewing their various influences upon human bodies. Done from the Paris edition. To which is prefixed, Monsieur Bayle's account of this work: and of the sect of Rosicrucians ... / [ Villars].

  • Villars, abbé de (Nicolas-Pierre-Henri), 1635-1673.
Date:
1714
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Count de Gabalis: being a diverting history of the Rosicrucian doctrine of spirits, viz. slyphs, salamanders, gnomes, and dæmons; shewing their various influences upon human bodies. Done from the Paris edition. To which is prefixed, Monsieur Bayle's account of this work: and of the sect of Rosicrucians ... / [ Villars]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    talk unclean Things ^ fhe often fchoofd him $ but feeing that her Admonitions were to no pur- pofe, fhe vaniflfd from him one Day, and left him nothing hut her old Petticoat and the Re¬ gret of not tollowing her holy Counfels. Thus you fee, my Child, that the Sylphs have fome- times reafon to difappear -, and you fee too, that the Devil cannot hinder the People of the Ele¬ ments from working out their Immortality, when they are fuccourd by any one of our Sa¬ ges. But, in good earneft, Sir, (reply’d I) are you perfwaded that the Devil is fo great an Enemy of thofe Seducers of Damfels. A mortal Ene¬ my, (faid the Count) efpecially to the Nymphs, Sylphs, and Salamanders : For as for the Gnomes, they do not hate them altogether fo much ^ be- caufe, as I believe I’ve told you alreadjg thefe fame Gnomes, frighted at the Howlings of the Devils, which they hear in the Centre of the Earth, rather chufe to continue mortal, than to run the Rifque of being lo tormented, had they acquir’d Immortality. Thence it comes to pafs, that thofe Gnomes, and the Devils their Neigh¬ bours, have fome Correfpondence together. The latter perfwade the Gnomes, who are naturally great Friends to Man, that ’tis doing him very great Service, and delivering him from a great Danger, to oblige him to renounce his Immor¬ tality. They therefore engage to fupply him whom the}r can perfwade to fuch Renunciati¬ on, with whate\rer Money he fhall demand, or to avert any Danger that ma}r threaten his Life during a certain Space of Time, or fuch other Condition as fhall be agreeable to him who makes this unhappy Covenant : Thus the Devil, by aj