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 [voices] 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 [rejoicing], and swells over its banks. There are in Lydia those which they call the Nymphs Ilands

[Islands], which at the sound of a Trumpet forthwith come into the middle of the sea, and turning round lead

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 [soldiers] 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 refreshed: for asinging causeth delight and strength, pacifieth the

angry, cheareth [cheers] up those that are sad and heavy, pacifieth enemies, moderates the rage of mad men,

chaseth away vain imaginations: Hence it is that Democritus and Theophrastus affirm 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 Les*ians [inhabitants of Lesbos], and Ionians by Musick; and Ismenia of Thebes cured divers of very

great diseases by Musick; Moreover, Orpheus, Amphion, David, Phythagoras [Pythagoras], Empedocles,

Asclepiades, Timotheus, were wont to do many wonderful things by sounds: Sometimes they did stir up dull

spirits by familiar sounds; sometimess they did restrain wanton, furious, angry spirits by more grave tones.

So David with a Harp moderated Saul in a rage. So Phythagoras [Pythagoras] recalled a luxurious yong

[young] man from immoderate lust. So Timotheus stirred up King Alexander to a rage, amd again repressed

him. Saxo the Grammarian, in his History of the Danes, tells of a certain 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 Kings

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa: Occult Philosophy. Book II. (Part 3)

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command to perform the same, he endeavoured to work severall wayes upon the affections; and first, by a

tone of Musicall gravity filled the hearers with a kinde of sadness and unsensibleness; then by a more lively

sound he made them rejoyce [rejoice], 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 astonished untill they heard a certain sound, at the hearing of which every one riseth up and danceth.

And it is believed (Gellius 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 Democritus

himself confesseth that the Consort of Pipers, hath been a cure for very many diseases.

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