[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
moon-maker.
While shut up in that town, where he eventually committed suicide, he kept alive the hopes of
his deluded followers for two months by assuring them that it was written in the Book of Fate,
that the star of Islam should wane when the moon should rise every night from a well in the
town, which was esteemed holy; and causing a luminous body, having the appearance of the full
moon, to rise every night from the well, thus encouraging the belief that the prophecy was about
to be fulfilled. The illusion forms a striking incident in Moore's story of The Veiled Prophet of
Khorasan
"They turned, and, as he spoke,
A sudden splendour all around them broke,
And they beheld an orb, ample and bright,
Rise from the Holy Well, and cast its light
Round the rich city and the plain for miles,--
Flinging such radiance o'er the gilded tiles
Of many a dome and fair-roofed imaret,
As autumn suns shed round then when they set."
D'Herbelot, who gathered from Oriental sources the particulars which he gives of the impostor's
career and fate, throws no light upon the mode in which the mock-moon was produced, and
hazards no conjecture on the subject. Among the more remarkable examples of the necromancy
of the middle ages, the deception practised upon the Greek Emperor, Basil, by the patriarch,
Theodore Santabaren, must be mentioned. It is said that the emperor, inconsolable for the loss
of his son, had recourse to the patriarch, who had the repute of a worker of miracles. The
ecclesiastical magician exhibited to him the image of his beloved son, magnificently attired; the
youth rushed towards him, threw himself into his arms, and immediately disappeared.
Salverte observes that this illusion, which escaped the researches of Godwin, could, not have
been wrought by the aid of a youth who resembled the young prince, and was attired like him.
The existence of such a person, betrayed by so remarkable a resemblance, and by the trick of
http://thelearnedpig.com.pa/magos/books/frost/chap03.html (2 of 9) [4/23/2002 3:44:35 PM]
Lives of Conjurors--Chapter III
the exhibition, could not have failed to be discovered and denounced, even if we could explain
the vanishing of the image at the moment of the embrace for which the fond father longed. Basil
must have been shown the aerial image of a picture of his son, which, as it was moved nearer to
the concave mirror, seemed to advance into his arms. The powers of the concave mirror have
been frequently availed of in this manner in exhibiting the image of an absent or deceased friend
or relative. For this purpose, a strongly illuminated picture or bust is placed before the mirror.
which, by the aid of a lens, gives a distinct aerial image of the figure. If the background is
blackened, so that there is no light about the figure but what fills on it, the effect is the more
striking and complete.
As in all exhibitions with concave mirrors the size of the aerial image is to that of the real object
as their distances from the mirror, the magician may, by varying the distance of the object,
increase or diminish the size of the image. In doing this, however, the distance of the image
from the mirror is changed at the same time, so that it quits the position most suitable for its
exhibition. This defect may be removed by simultaneously changing the place both of the mirror
and the object, so that the image may remain stationary, expanding itself gradually to a gigantic
size, or growing smaller by degrees until it vanishes.
Benno charges several of the medieval Popes with sorcery, but there were only two of the
successors of Peter by whom magic can fairly be said to have been practised, and the grounds of
the allegation are slight oven in their cases. Silvester II, who died in 1003, was originally a monk
of Fleury, in Burgundy, and then bore the name of Gerbert. Love of science, and a desire to
study Arab lore, led him to Cordova, where he remained several years, and attained great
proficiency in astronomy and geometry. To him is ascribed the introduction into Europe of the
Arabic numerals. Leaving Cordova for Paris, he was appointed by Hugh Capet preceptor to his
son, Robert, and afterwards Archbishop of Rheims; but, a dispute arising as to the validity of this
preferment, he resigned it, and went to Germany, where he found a friend and patron in Otho
III. Subsequently he became Archbishop of Ravenna, and another step seated him on the
Pontifical throne.
The practice of magic by this fortunate monk rests on the authority of William of Malmesbury, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl chiara76.opx.pl
moon-maker.
While shut up in that town, where he eventually committed suicide, he kept alive the hopes of
his deluded followers for two months by assuring them that it was written in the Book of Fate,
that the star of Islam should wane when the moon should rise every night from a well in the
town, which was esteemed holy; and causing a luminous body, having the appearance of the full
moon, to rise every night from the well, thus encouraging the belief that the prophecy was about
to be fulfilled. The illusion forms a striking incident in Moore's story of The Veiled Prophet of
Khorasan
"They turned, and, as he spoke,
A sudden splendour all around them broke,
And they beheld an orb, ample and bright,
Rise from the Holy Well, and cast its light
Round the rich city and the plain for miles,--
Flinging such radiance o'er the gilded tiles
Of many a dome and fair-roofed imaret,
As autumn suns shed round then when they set."
D'Herbelot, who gathered from Oriental sources the particulars which he gives of the impostor's
career and fate, throws no light upon the mode in which the mock-moon was produced, and
hazards no conjecture on the subject. Among the more remarkable examples of the necromancy
of the middle ages, the deception practised upon the Greek Emperor, Basil, by the patriarch,
Theodore Santabaren, must be mentioned. It is said that the emperor, inconsolable for the loss
of his son, had recourse to the patriarch, who had the repute of a worker of miracles. The
ecclesiastical magician exhibited to him the image of his beloved son, magnificently attired; the
youth rushed towards him, threw himself into his arms, and immediately disappeared.
Salverte observes that this illusion, which escaped the researches of Godwin, could, not have
been wrought by the aid of a youth who resembled the young prince, and was attired like him.
The existence of such a person, betrayed by so remarkable a resemblance, and by the trick of
http://thelearnedpig.com.pa/magos/books/frost/chap03.html (2 of 9) [4/23/2002 3:44:35 PM]
Lives of Conjurors--Chapter III
the exhibition, could not have failed to be discovered and denounced, even if we could explain
the vanishing of the image at the moment of the embrace for which the fond father longed. Basil
must have been shown the aerial image of a picture of his son, which, as it was moved nearer to
the concave mirror, seemed to advance into his arms. The powers of the concave mirror have
been frequently availed of in this manner in exhibiting the image of an absent or deceased friend
or relative. For this purpose, a strongly illuminated picture or bust is placed before the mirror.
which, by the aid of a lens, gives a distinct aerial image of the figure. If the background is
blackened, so that there is no light about the figure but what fills on it, the effect is the more
striking and complete.
As in all exhibitions with concave mirrors the size of the aerial image is to that of the real object
as their distances from the mirror, the magician may, by varying the distance of the object,
increase or diminish the size of the image. In doing this, however, the distance of the image
from the mirror is changed at the same time, so that it quits the position most suitable for its
exhibition. This defect may be removed by simultaneously changing the place both of the mirror
and the object, so that the image may remain stationary, expanding itself gradually to a gigantic
size, or growing smaller by degrees until it vanishes.
Benno charges several of the medieval Popes with sorcery, but there were only two of the
successors of Peter by whom magic can fairly be said to have been practised, and the grounds of
the allegation are slight oven in their cases. Silvester II, who died in 1003, was originally a monk
of Fleury, in Burgundy, and then bore the name of Gerbert. Love of science, and a desire to
study Arab lore, led him to Cordova, where he remained several years, and attained great
proficiency in astronomy and geometry. To him is ascribed the introduction into Europe of the
Arabic numerals. Leaving Cordova for Paris, he was appointed by Hugh Capet preceptor to his
son, Robert, and afterwards Archbishop of Rheims; but, a dispute arising as to the validity of this
preferment, he resigned it, and went to Germany, where he found a friend and patron in Otho
III. Subsequently he became Archbishop of Ravenna, and another step seated him on the
Pontifical throne.
The practice of magic by this fortunate monk rests on the authority of William of Malmesbury, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]