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I must pass, however, to the incubation of the gold-finding hen, which is the head and
crown of the proceedings. The grand Oromasis, the father of Zoroaster, was the first
person who possessed one of these marvellous fowls, which are hatched from an egg in
the following manner. Take aromatic woods, such as aloes, cedar, orange, citron, laurel,
iris-root, with rose-leaves dried in the sun. Place them in a golden chafing-dish; pour
balsamic oil over them; add the finest incense and clear gum. Next say: ATHAS,
SOLINAM, ERMINATOS, PASAM; set a glass over the chafing-dish; direct the rays of
the sun thereon, and the wood will kindle, the glass will melt--obviously by the magical
power which resides in the operation--a sweet odour will fill the place and the compost
will burn speedily to ashes. Place these ashes in a golden egg while still red-hot; lay the
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egg upon a black cushion; cover it with a bell-glass of faceted rock-crystal; then lift up
your eyes and stretch your arms towards heaven and cry: O SANATAPER, ISMAÏ,
NONTAPILUS, ERTIVALER, CANOPISTUS. Expose the glass to the most fierce rays
of the sun till it seems enveloped in flame, till the egg ceases to be visible, till a slight
vapour rises. Presently you will discern a black pullet just beginning to move, when if
you say: BINUSAS, TESTIPAS, it will take wings and nestle in your bosom. it is not
said that anything disastrous follows, but rather a certain advantage, which will appear in
the next paragraph.
While this is the true process of the Pyramids and easy no doubt to an heir direct of
Oromasis, it is obvious that it has its difficulties to those born merely under the common
moon of sorcery, and, merciful, like all its companions, to human limitations, the
Grimoire provides an alternative method suitable to persons of small means. Take an
unspotted egg; expose it to the meridian rays of the sun; then select the blackest hen that
you can meet with; if it have any coloured feathers, pluck them. Should the Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals not intervene opportunely, contrive to hood this bird
with a kind of black bonnet, drawn over the eyes so that it cannot see. Leave it the use of
its beak. Shut it up in a box, also lined with some black material, and large enough to
hold it comfortably. Place the box in a room where no light of day can penetrate; give
food only in the night to the fowl; see that no noise disturbs it, and set it to hatch the egg.
As everything will be black to the bird, its imagination, which is likely enough, will be
overwhelmed by the sense of blackness, and if it should survive the incarceration, it will
ultimately incubate a perfectly black chicken, provided only that the operator by his
wisdom and virtue is worthy to participate in such sacred and divine mysteries. It does
not appear how or
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why a fowl incubated after this uncomfortable fashion should have a particular instinct
for detecting the places wherein gold is hidden, but such is the faculty attributed to it, and
it can only be concluded that the Black Pullet is a degree more foolish than its idle
company of Grimoires.