Chap. xxviii. Of the Composition and Harmony of the humane soul.

As the Consonancy of the body consists of a due measure and proportion of the members: so the

consonancy of the minde of a due temperament, and proportion of its vertues and operations which are

concupiscible, irascible, and reason, which are so proportioned together. For Reason to Concupiscence hath

the proportion Diapason; but to Anger Diatessaron: and Irascible to Concupiscible hath the proportion

Diapente. When therefore the best proportionated soul is joyned to the best proportionated body, it is

manifest that such a man also hath received a most happy lot in the distribution of gifts, for as much as the

soul agrees with the body in the disposition of Naturals, which agreement indeed is most hid, yet after some

maner shadowed to us by the wise. But to hasten to the Harmony of the soul, we must inquire into it by

those Mediums by which it passeth to us, (i.e.) by Celestial Bodies, and Sphears [spheres]; Knowing

therefore what are the powers of the soul to which the Planets answer, we shal by those things which have

been spoken of before, the more easily know their agreements amongst themselves. For the Moone governs

the powers of increasing and decreasing; the Phantasie and Wits depends on Mercury; the Concupiscible

vertue on Venus; the Vitall on the Sun; the Irascible on Mars; the Natural on Jupiter: the Receptive on

Saturn: but the Will as the Primum Mobile, and the guide of all these Powers at pleasure, being joyned with

the superior intellect, is always tending to good; which intellect indeed doth alwayes shew a pathway to the

Will, as a Candle to the eye; but it moves not it self, but is the Mistriss [mistress] of her own operation,

whence it is called Free Will; and although it alwayes tends to good, as an object sutable to it self: yet

sometimes being blinded with error, the animal power forcing it, it chooseth evil, believing it to be good.

Therefore Will is defined to be a faculty of the intellect, & Will wherby good is chosen by the help of

Grace; and Evil, that not assisting, Grace therefore, which Divines call Charity, or infused Love is in the

Will, as a first mover; which being absent, the whole consent falls into Dissonancy. Moreover, the soul

answers to the Earth by Sense, to the Water by Imagination, to the Air by Reason, to the Heaven by the

Intellect, and the soul goes out into an HArmony of them, according as these are tempered in a mortall body.

The wise Ancients therefore knowing that the Harmonious dispositions of bodies and souls are divers,

according to the diversity of the complexions of men, did not in vain use Musical sounds and singingsm as

to confirm the health of the body, and restore it being lost so to bring the minde to wholsome [wholesome]

manners, untill they make a man sutable to the Celestial Harmony, and make him wholly Celestial.

Moreover, there is nothing more efficacious to drive away evil spirits then Musicall Harmony (for they

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa: Occult Philosophy. Book II. (Part 3)

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being faln [fallen] from the Celestiall Harmony, cannot endure any true consent, as being an enemy to them,

but fly from it) as David by his Harp appeased Saul, being troubled with an evil spirit. Hence by the ancient

Prophets and Fathers, who knew these Harmonicall mysteries, singing and Musical sounds were brought

into sacred services.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 707