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46 SCIOPTICONMANUAL. celebrated as the place where the goddesses exhibited themselves to mortals. Jambliches actually informs us that the ancient magicians caused the gods to appear among the vapors disengaged from fire. " The character of these exhibitions in the ancient temple is so admirably depicted in the following passage of Damascius, quoted by M. Salverte, that we recognize all the optical effects which have been already described. ' In a manifestation,' says he,' which ought not to be revealed, .... there appeared on the wall of the temple a mass of light, which at first seemed to be very remote; it trans- formed itself in coming nearer, into a face evidently divine and supernatural, of a severe aspect, but mixed with gentleness, and extremely beautiful. According to the institutions of a mysterious religion the Alexandrians honored it as Osiris and Adonis.' " These and other allusions to the operations of the ancient magic, though sufficiently indicative of the methods which were employed, are too meagre to convey any idea of the splendid and imposing exhibitions which must have been displayed. A national system of deception, intended as an instrument of government, must have brought into requisition not merely the scientific skill of the age, but a variety of subsidiary contrivances, calculated to astonish the beholder, to confound his judgment, to dazzle his senses, and to give a predominant influence to the peculiar imposture which it was thought desirable to establish. The grandeur of the means may be inferred from their efficacy, and from the extent of their influence. " This defect, however, is to a certain degree supplied by an ac- count of a modern necromancy, which has been left us by the cele- brated Benvenuto Cellini, and in which he himself performed an active part. " ' It happened,' says he, ' through a variety of odd accidents, that I made acquaintance with a Sicilian priest, who was a man of ge- nius, and well versed in the Latin and Greek authors. Happening one day to have some conversation with him when the subject turned upon thfe art of necromancy, I, who had a great desire to know something of the matter, told him, that I had all my life felt a curiosity to be acquainted with the mysteries of this art. " * The priest made answer, " that the man must be of a resolute and steady temper who enters upon that study." I replied, " that I had fortitude and resolution enough, if I could but find an oppor-