The Second Book Of Occult Philosophy, or Magic
by Henry Cornelius Agrippa
Annotated by Donald Tyson
Chapter III
How Great Virtues Numbers Have, As Well In Natural Things, As In Supernatural.
That thre lies wonderful efficacy, and virtue in numbers, as well to good as to bad, not only most eminent philosophers do unanimously teach, but also Catholic doctors, and especially Hierom, Austin, Origen, Ambrose, Gregory of Nazianzen, Athanasius, Basilius, Hilarius, Rabanus, Bede, and many more confirm. Hence Hilarius in his Commentaries upon the psalms, testifies that the seventy elders,1 according to the efficacy of numbers, brought the psalms into order. Rabanus also, a famous doctor, composed an excellent book of the virtues of numbers.
But now how great virtues numbers have in nature, is manifest in the herb which is called cinquefoil, i.e. five-leaved grass; for this resists poisons by virtue of the number of five; also drives away devils, conduceth to expiation;2 and one leaf of it taken twice in a day in wine, cures the fever of one day: three the tertian fever: four the quartan.3 In like manner four grains of the seed of turnisole4 being drunk, cures the quartan, but three the tertian. In like manner vervain5 is said to cure fevers, being drunk in wine, if in tertians it be cut from the third joint, in quartans from the fourth. A serpent, if he be once struck with a spear, dieth, if twice, recovers strength. These and many such as these are read, and testified in divers authors.
We must know now whence these are done, which certainly have a cause, which is a various proportion of various numbers amongst themselves. There is also a wonderful experiment of the number seven, that every seventh male,6 born without a female coming betwixt, hath power to cure the King's Evil by his touch alone, or word. Also every seventh daughter that is born, is said wonderfully to help forward the birth of children: neither is the natural number here considered, but the formal consideration that is in the number.
And let that which we spake before, be always be kept in mind, viz. that these powers are not in vocal, or numbers of merchants buying, and selling, but in rational, formal, and natural; these are distinct mysteries of God, and nature. But he that knows how to join together the vocal numbers, and natural with divine, and order them into the same harmony, shall be able to work and know wonderful things by numbers; the Pythagorians profess that they can prognosticate many things by the numbers of names,7 in which truly, unless thre did lie a great mystery, John had not said in the Revelation,8 he which hath understanding, let him compute the number of the name of the beast, which is the number of a man, and this is the most famous manner of computing amongst the hebrews, and Cabalists, as we shall show afterwards.
But this you must know, that simple numbers signify divine things: numbers of ten; celestial: numbers of an hundred; terrestrial: numbers of a thousand; those things that shall be in a future age. Besides, seeing the parts of the mind are according to an arithmetical mediocrity, by reason of the identity, or equality of excess, coupled together: but the body, whose parts differ in their greatness, is according to a geometrical mediocrity, coumpounded: but an animal consists of both, viz. sould and body, according to that mediocrity, which is suitable to harmony: hence it is that numbers do work and very much upon the soul, figures upon the body, and harmony upon the whole animal.
Notes - Chapter III
1. seventy elders - Numbers 11:16.
2. expiation - The averting of evil.
3. four the quartan -
It is reported, that foure branches [of cinquefoil] hereof cureth quartaine agues, three tertians, and one branch quotidians: which things are most vaine and frivolous, as likewise many other such like, which are not only found in Dioscorides, but also in other Authors, which we willingly withstand. (Gerard 1633, 2:382-H:992)
4. turnisole - Small, or female, turnsole (Crozophoratinctoria). Also called heliotrophium minus according to Gerar, not because it turns to face the Sun, but because it flowers at the summer solstice. It is a small trailing plant with little gray and yellow flowers irregularly placed. Not to be confused with great turnsole (Heliotrophius eurpoaeum).
5. vervain -
It [vervain] is reported to be of singular force against the Tertian and Quartane Fevers: but you must observe mother Bombies rules, to take iust so many knots or sprigs, and no more, lest it fall out so that it do you no good, if you catch no harm by it. Many odde old wives fables are written of Vervaine tending to witchcraft and sorcerie, which you may read elsewhere, for I am not willing to trouble your ears with reporting such trifles, as honest ears abhorre to heare. (Gerard 1633, 2:246-C:718-9)
Mother Bombie is the John Doe of witches. Gerard seems to have been a little frightened of the whole subject of magic.
6. seventh male - The power of healing is also said to reside in the seventh son of a seventh son.
7. numbers of names -
...of the discoveries made by Pythagoras, one of the most unerring, is the fact, that in the name given to infants, an odd number of vowels is protentous of lameness, loss of eyesight, or similar accidents, on the right [male] side ofthe body, and an even number fo vowels of the like infirmities on the left [female]." (Pliny 28.6 [Bostock and Riley 5:287-8])
8. In the Revelation - Revelation 13:18