Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-10-21
MAGIC And ITS origin.
HERMANN EXPLAINS HOW MAGlOIANS FIRST
GAINED PROMINENCE.
The Black Art" as a Fine Art-Progrsss Of
knowledge Gas Changed l! From Terror to
an Object Of Ridicula.

The origin of the magic must forever
remain as obscure as is the origin OF
any OF the great sciences or studies. To
many advanced thinkers the origin OF
man is much more obscure than the
origin Of magic.
During a long period OF time the
world was governed by magic, an art
which, as the subimity of its origin was
credited. appeared little less than
participation in the powers Of divinity,
and which, at the commencement OF
our era, was even admired by our re-
ligious philosophers "as the science
which unveils the operations Of nature
AID leads to the completion Of celestial
powers.
A hundred and fifty years later than
the period Just mentioned the number OF
It's professors, and still more the worth
lessuess of the charlatans who made IL
their trade, held magic up TO the con-
tempt Of all enlightened men. So much,
indeed, was this the case, that Philos-
traths, in his biography Of Apollonius
OF Tyans, asserts with eagerness that
his hero was no magician. In resuming
It's Importance, during the darkness Of
the Middle Ages, magic seems an object
of horror and dread, but the progress OF
knowledge and the dawn of truth In the
last and in the present age have again
reduced it IN an object OF ridlcule.
NAMED BY THE GREERs.
The Greeks gave the title OF Magic
to the science in which they had been
instructed by the Magi, and they thus
established TO the founder OF that re-
liglon the claim Of its invention. But,
according to Ammianus Marcellinus,
Zoroaster had no other merit than that
Of making considerable additions to the
art OF magic as it was practced by the
Chaldeans.
In the wars carried on against Minus
by Zoroaster, who was King Of Bactria,
Arnobeus af1irms that on both sides
magical arts were employed, In common
with more ordinary weapons. The
prophets of the Arieni, according TO the
traditions preserved by his disciples,
were subject from the cradle TO the
prosecutions OF the magicians, and just
before his birth the world teemed with
these pretenders to supernatural
powers. ST. EpiphaniuS relates that
Nimrod, Ia founding Bactra, es .aO-
lished there the sciences OF magic and
OF astronomy, the invention OF which
was subseQ attributed TO Zoroas-
ter. Cassien speaks OF treatise on
magic which existed in the fifth CEN
fury. aud which is attributed to Ham,
the son Of Noah. The father Of the
Church just quoted places the COM
meucement of magic aud OF enchant.
ments as far back as the time OF Jared,
the fourth from Seth, the son OF Adam.
Magic holds prominent place In the
traditions OF the Hebrews. The an
Gent inhabitants of the land of Canaan
had incurred the divine wrath by the
use of entertainments. The Amalekites,
fighting with the Hebrews in their flight
from Egypt, and Balaam, besieged in
his city by the King of the Philippians
aud subsequently by Moses, alike recur-
red TO magic as mode OF defense. The
priests OF Egypt were looked upon even
in Hindostan as the most subtle OF all
magicians. Justin relates that Joseph,
having been carried into Egypt as a
slave, acquired there the arts of magic.
which enable him TO foresee and to avert
the horrors Of famine, which, without
this interposition, must have depopu.
lated that beautiful kingdom.