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Porta's Observations on Magic and the Magician

The Instruction of a Magician, and what manner of man a Magician ought to be his is what is required to instruct a Magician, both what he must know, and what he must observe; that being sufficiently instructed in every way, he may bring very strange and wonderful things to us. Seeing Magick, as we showed before, as a practical part of Natural Philosophy, it behooves a Magician, and one that aspires to the dignity of the profession, to be an exact and very perfect Philosopher. For Philosophy teaches, what are the effects of fire, earth, air, and water, the principal matter of the heavens; and what is the cause of the flowing of the sea, and of the diverse colored rainbow; and the of the loud thunder, and of comets, and fiery lights that appear by night, and of earth-quakes; and what are the beginnings of gold and of iron; and what is the whole force of hidden nature. Then also he must be a skillful Physician; for both these sciences are very like and near together; and physic, by creeping under color of Magick, has purchased favor among men. And surely it is a great help unto us in the kind; for it teaches mixtures and temperatures, and so shows us how to compound and lay things together for such purposes. Moreover, it is required of him, that he be a Herbalist, not only able to discern common Simples, but very skillful and sharp-sighted in the nature of all plants; for the uncertain names of plants, and their near likeness of one to another, so that they can hardly be discerned, has put us to much trouble in some of our works and experiments. And as there is no greater inconvenience to any artificer, than not to know his tools that he must work with; so the knowledge of plants is so necessary to this profession, that indeed it is all in all. He must be as well, very knowing in the nature of metals, minerals, gems and stones. Furthermore, what cunning he must have in the art of distillation, which follows and resembles the showers and dew of heaven, as the daughter the mother; I think no man will doubt of it; for it yields daily very strange inventions, and most witty devices, and shows how to find out many things profitable for the use of man. As for example, to draw out of things dewey vapors, unsavory and gross scents or spirits, clots, and gummy or filmy humors; and that intimate essence which lurks in the inmost bowels of things, to fetch it forth, and sublimate it, that it may be of the greater strength.

And this he must learn to do, not after a rude and homely manner, but with knowledge of the causes and reasons thereof. He must also know the Mathematical Sciences, and especially astrology; for that shows how the stars are moved in the heavens, and what is the cause of the darkening of the moon; and how the sun, that golden planet, measures out the parts of the world, and governs it by twelve signs; for by the sundry motions and aspects of the heavens, the celestial bodies are beneficial to the earth; and from thence many things receive both active and passive powers, and their manifold properties; the difficulty of which point long troubled the Platoniks minds', how these inferior things should receive influence from heaven. Moreover, he must be skillful in the optics, that he may know how the sight may be deceived, and how the likeness of a vision that is seen in the water, may be seen hanging without in the air, by the help of certain glasses of diverse fashions; and how to make one see that plainly which is a great way off, and how to throw fire very far from us; upon which sights, the greatest part of the secrecies of Magick does depend.

These are the Sciences which Magick takes to her self for servants and helpers; and he that knows not this, is unworthy to be named a Magician. He must be a skillful workman, both by natural gifts, and also by the practice of his own hands; for knowledge without practice and workmanship, and practice without knowledge, are worth nothing; these are so linked together, that the one without the other is but vain and to no purpose. Some there are so apt for these enterprises, even by the gifts of Nature, that God may seem to have mad them hereunto. Neither yet do I speak this, as if Art could not perfect anything; for I know that good things may be made better, and there are means to remedy and help forward that which lacks perfection. First, let a man consider and prepare things providently and skillfully, and then let him fall to work, and do nothing unadvisedly. This I thought good to speak of, that if at any time the ignorant be deceived herein, he may not lay the fault upon us, but upon his own unskillfulness; for this is the infirmity of the scholar, and not of the teacher; for if rude and ignorant men shall deal in these matters, this Science will be much discredited, and those strange effects will be accounted haphazard, which are most certain, and follow their necessary causes. If you would have your works appear more wonderful, you must not let the cause be known; for that is a wonder to us, which we see to be done, and yet know not the cause of it; for he that knows the causes of a thing done, does not so admire the doing of it; and nothing is counted unusual and rare, but only so far forth as the causes thereof are not known.

Aristotle in his books of Handy-trades, says, that master-builders frame and make their tools to work with; but the principles thereof, which move admiration, those they conceal. A certain man put out a candle; and putting it to a stone or a wall, lighted it again; and this seemed a great wonder; but when once they perceived that he touched it with brimstone, then said Galen it ceased to be a wonder. Lastly, the professor of this Science must also be rich; for if we lack money, we shall hardly work in these cases; for it is not Philosophy that can make us rich; we must first be rich, that we may play the Philosophers. He must spare for no charges, but be prodigal in seeking things out; and while he is busy and careful in seeking, he must be patient also, and think it not much to recall many things; neither must he spare for any pains; for the secrets of nature are not revealed to lazy and idle persons. Wherefore Epicarmus said very well, that men purchase all things at God's hands by the price of their labor. And if the effect of they work be not answerable to my description, thou must know that you have failed in some one point or another; for I have set down these things briefly, as being made for witty and skillful workmen, and not for rude and young beginners.