Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Cornelius Agrippa

To the Most Renowned and Illustrious Prince, Hermannus of Wyda, Prince Elector, Duke of Westphalia, and Angaria, Lord Arch-Bishop of Colonia, and Paderborne, his most gracious Lord, Henry Cornelius Agrippa of Nettes-heim.

It is a very excellent opinion of the Ancient Magicians (most Illustrious Prince) that we ought to labour in nothing more in this life, then that we degenerate not from the Excellency of the mind, by which we come neerest to God and put on the Divine nature: least at any time our mind waxing dull by vain idleness should decline to the frailty of our earthly body and vices of the flesh: so we should loose it, as it were cast down by the dark precipiced of perverse lusts. Wherefore we ought so to order our mind, that it by it self being mindfull of its own dignity and excellency, should alwayes both Think, do and operate something worthy of it self; But the knowledge of the Divine science, doth only and very powerfully perform this for us. When we by the remembrance of its majesty being alwaies busied in Divine studies do every moment contemplate Divine things, by a sage and diligent inquisition, and by all the degrees of the creatures ascending even to the Archetype himself, do draw from him the infallible vertue of all things, which those that neglect, trusting only to naturall and worldly things, are wont often to be confounded by divers errors & fallacies, and very oft to be deceived by evill spirits; But the understanding of Divine things, purgeth the mind from errors, and rendreth it Divine, giveth infallible power to our works, and driveth far the deceith and obstacles of all evil spirits, and together subjects them to our commands; Yea it compels even good Angels and all the powers of the world unto our service viz. the virtue of our works being drawn from the Archetype himself, To whom when we ascend all creatures necessarily obey us, and all the quire [choir] of heaven do follow us: For (as Homer saith) none of the gods durst remain in their seats, Jove being moved; and then presently he ruleth (as saith Aristophanes) by one of the gods, whose right it is to execute his commands, who then out of his duty doth manage our petitions according to our desire. Seeing therefore (most Illustrious Prince) you have a Divine and immortall soul given you, which seeing the goodness of the Divine providence, a well disposed fate, and the bounty of nature have in such manner gifted, that by the acuteness of your understanding, and perfectness of senses you are able to view, search, contemplate, discern and pierce thorow the pleasant theaters of naturall things, the sublime house of the heavens, and the most difficult passages of Divine things: I being bound to you by the band of these your great vertues am so far a debtor as to communicate without envy by the true account of all opinions, Those mysteries of Divine and Ceremoniall Magick which I have truly learned, and not to hide the knowledge of those things, whatsoever concerning these matters the Isiaci those old Priests of the Egyptians, and Caldeans [Chaldaeans], the ancient prophets of the Babylonians, the Cabalists, the Divine Magicians of the Hebrews, also the Orpheans, Pythagoreans and Platonists, the profoundest Philosophers of Greece, further what the Bragmanni [Brahmans] of the Indians, the Gymnosophists of Ethiopia, and the uncorrupted Theologians of our Religion have delivered, and by what force of words, power of Seals, by what charms of Benedictions and imprecations, and by what vertue of observations they in old times wrought so stupendious and wonderfull prodigies, imitating to you in this third book of Occult Philosophy and exposing to the light those things which have been buryed in the dust of antiquity and involved in the obscurity of oblivion, as in Cymmerian darkness even to this day. We present therefore now to you, a compleat and perfect work in these three books of Occult Philosophy or Magick, Which we have perfected with diligent care, and bvery great labor and pains both of mind and body; and though it be untrimmed in respect of words, yet its most elaborate truly in respect of the matter: Wherefore I desire this one favor, that you would not expect the grace of an Oration, or the elegancy of speech in these books, which we long since wrote in our youth when our speech was as yet rough, and our language rude; and now we have respect, not to the stile of an Oration, but only to the series or order of sentences; We have studyed the less elegancy of speech, abundance of matter succeeding in the place thereof; and we suppose we have sufficiently satisfied our duty, if we shall to the utmost of our power perform those things we have promised to declare concerning the secrets of Magick, and have freed our conscience from a due debt. But seeing without doubt, many scoffing Sophisters will conspire against me, especially of those who boast themselves to be allyed to God, and fully replenished with Divinity, and presum to censure the leaves of the Sibilles [Sybils], and will undertake to judge and condemn to the fire these our works even before they have read or rightly understood any thing of them (because such lettice agrees not with their lips, and such sweet oyntment [ointment] with their nose and also by reason of that sparke of hatred long since conceived against me, and scarce containing it self under the ashes.) Therefore (most Illustrious Prince and wise Prelate) we further submit this work ascribed by me to the merits of your vertue, and now made yours, to your censure, and commend it to your protection, That, if the base and perfidious Sophisters would defame it, by the grosse madness of their envy and malice, you would by the prespicacy of your discretion and candor of judgement, happily protect and defend it.
Farewell and prosper.