in Samaria that he
was something great, had misled all the people of that city, so that
he was generally regarded there as a sort of divine man, because
"through the effect of his magic he had for a long time turned the
heads of all the inhabitants;" that is to say, he had seduced and
dazzled them by his knaveries, as has often happened in many other
places. For it is evidently shown that he could never succeed in
working any wonder, not only by the silence of the Scripture on that
point, but also on seeing the miracles of St. Philip he was so
surprised at them, and so filled with admiration, that he directly
asked to be baptized, and never after quitted this apostle. But having
offered some money to St. Peter, in order to obtain from him the
apostolical gift, he was severely reprimanded by him, and threatened
with the most terrible punishments, to which he made no other reply
than to entreat the apostles to intercede for him themselves with
Jesus Christ, that nothing of the kind might happen to him. This is
all we have that is certain and authentic on the subject of Simon the
magician. But in times nearer to the apostles, the authors of
apocryphal books and stories invented at pleasure, profited well by
the profession of magic, which Simon had for a long time skillfully
practiced; and because the magic art is fruitful in wonders, which
certainly render a narrative agreeable and amusing, they attributed
endless prodigies to him; amongst others they imagined that, in a sort
of public discussion between him and St. Peter, he raised himself into
the air, and was precipitated from thence to the ground at the prayers
of that apostle. Sigebert mentions this, and, if I mistake not, it has
appeared in print at Florence. The most ancient apocryphal works
which remain to us, are the Recognitions of St. Clement, and the
Apostolical Constitutions. In the first, they make Simon say that he
can render himself invisible, traverse the most frightful precipices,
fall from a great height without hurting himself, bind with his own
bonds those who enchained him, open fastened doors, animate statues,
pass through fire without burning himself, change his form,
metamorphose himself into a goat or a sheep, fly in the air, &c. In
the second they make St. Peter say, that Simon being at Rome, and gone
to the theatre about noon, he ordered the people to go back and make
room for him, promising them that he would rise up into the air. It is
added,