s, vol. iv. p. 60.) As private reason always
prevents, or outstrips, public wisdom, the president Montesquieu (Esprit
des Loix, l. xii. c. 5, 6) rejects the existence of magic.]

[Footnote 45: See Oeuvres de Bayle, tom. iii. p. 567-589. The sceptic of
Rotterdam exhibits, according to his custom, a strange medley of loose
knowledge and lively wit.]

[Footnote 46: The Pagans distinguished between good and bad magic, the
Theurgic and the Goetic, (Hist. de l'Academie, &c., tom. vii. p. 25.)
But they could not have defended this obscure distinction against the
acute logic of Bayle. In the Jewish and Christian system, all daemons
are infernal spirits; and all commerce with them is idolatry, apostasy
&c., which deserves death and damnation.]

[Footnote 47: The Canidia of Horace (Carm. l. v. Od. 5, with Dacier's
and Sanadon's illustrations) is a vulgar witch. The Erictho of Lucan
(Pharsal. vi. 430-830) is tedious, disgusting, but sometimes sublime.
She chides the delay of the Furies, and threatens, with tremendous
obscurity, to pronounce their real names; to reveal the true infernal
countenance of Hecate; to invoke the secret powers that lie below hell,
&c.]

[Footnote 48: Genus hominum potentibus infidum, sperantibus fallax, quod
in civitate nostra et vetabitur semper et retinebitur. Tacit. Hist. i.
22. See Augustin. de Civitate Dei, l. viii. c. 19, and the Theodosian
Code l. ix. tit. xvi., with Godefroy's Commentary.]

[Footnote 49: The persecution of Antioch was occasioned by a criminal
consultation. The twenty-four letters of the alphabet were arranged
round a magic tripod: and a dancing ring, which had been placed in the
centre, pointed to the four first letters in the name of the future
emperor, O. E. O Triangle. Theodorus (perhaps with many others, who
owned the fatal syllables) was executed. Theodosius succeeded. Lardner
(Heathen Testimonies, vol. iv. p. 353-372) has copiously and fairly
examined this dark transaction of the reign of Valens.]

[Footnote 50: Limus ut hic durescit, et haec ut cera liquescit

Uno eodemque igni--Virgil. Bucolic. viii. 80.

Devovet absentes, simulacraque cerea figit.
--Ovid. in Epist. Hypsil. ad Jason 91.

Such vain incantations could affect the mind, and increase the disease
of Germanicus. Tacit. Annal. ii. 69.]

[Footnote 51: See Heineccius, Antiquitat. Juris Roman. tom. ii. p. 353,
&c. Cod. Theodosian. l. ix. tit. 7, with Godefroy's Commentary.]

[Footnote 52: The cruel