The Book of ceremonial Magic

p. 27
third borrows all its importance from the second, in which, upon both counts, the interest
evidently centres. As regards its origin, its authorship, and even its scope, there is,
however, considerable mystery. Within my own knowledge, there are no copies in
manuscript, or none at least which are prior to the end of the sixteenth century. It
appeared in a tiny volume at Basle and bore the date 1575. 1 Back-dating and imputed
authorship are the two crying bibliographical sins of Grimoires and magical handbooks,
and the antiquity of the Arbatel rests under a certain suspicion on account of its literary
connections; at the same time it would require the knowledge of an expert in typography
to pronounce certainly on the reliability of the date indicated. The text is in Latin, but
there is a slender possibility in favour of its being the work of an Italian. 2 It makes a
reference to Theophrastic Magic, which indicates the influence of Paracelsus, and,
although it is difficult to speak with any certainty, seems to hint at an early period of that
influence, the period, in fact, of Benedictus Figulus, slightly antedating Rosicrucian
enthusiasm, and thus accounting for the omission of all Rosicrucian references, which, in
view both of matter and manner, might have been irresistibly expected had the work been
posterior to the year 1610.
It should be observed that the Arbatel has no connection with the cycle, hereinafter
considered, of the Keys of Solomon,
p. 28
and it is permeated with Christian ideas. The authorship is completely unknown. Arbatel,
or לאתעברא {Hebrew ARBOTAL}, is probably not an assumed name, but indicative of an
instructing or revealing Angel. The use of this Hebrew term is, however, peculiar in
connection with the fact that the references to the Old Testament are few and
unimportant, while the sayings of Christ, and the New Testament narrative generally, are
subjects of continual citation. Solomon, moreover, is not mentioned in the frequent
enumerations of adepts and wise men.
So far concerning the origin, authorship and date of the book. It remains to say that it is
incomplete. Of the nine "Tomes" into which it purports to be divided, we possess only
one. It is not unlikely that the rest were never written, because the author has left us a
plan of his entire proposal, and it is evident that his first book more than once overlaps
what should have followed. As it stands, the Arbatel of Magic is concerned with the most
general precepts of Magical Arts--in other words, with the Institutions. It is entitled
Isagoge, which means essential or fundamental instruction. The missing books are those
of Microcosmical Magic, or Spiritual Wisdom; Olympic Magic, that is, the evocation of
the Spirits of Olympus; Hesiodiacal and Homeric Magic, being the operations of Cacodaimones;
Roman or Sibylline Magic, concerning Tutelary Spirits; Pythagorical Magic,
dealing with the Genii of the Arts; the Magic of Apollonius, giving power over the
enemies of mankind; Hermetic or Egyptian Magic; and that, finally, which depends
solely on the Word of God and is called Prophetical Magic.