ho had been completely
initiated in the Eleusinian mysteries, they said to them last of all the
awful and powerful words, "_Konx, ompax_." If you want to know what the
usual result was, just say them to somebody, and you will see,
instantly. The ancient Hebrews believed that there was a secret name of
God, usually thought to be inexpressible, and only to be represented by
a mystic figure kept in the Temple, and that if any one could learn it,
and repeat it, he could rule the intelligent and unintelligent creation
at his will. It is supposed by some, that Jehovah is the word which
stands for this secret name; and some Hebraists think that the word
"Yahveh" is much more nearly the right one. The Mohammedans, who have
received many notions from the Jews, believe the same story about the
secret name of God, and they think it was engraved on Solomon's signet,
as all readers of the Arabian Nights will very well remember. The Jews
believed that if you pronounced the word "Satan" any evil spirit that
happened to be by could in consequence instantly pop into you if he
wished, and possess you, as the devils in the New Testament possessed
people.

Some ancient cities had a secret name, and it was believed that if their
enemies could find this out, they could conjure with it so as to destroy
such cities. Thus, the secret name of Rome was Valentia, and the word
was very carefully kept, with the intention that none should know it
except one or two of the chief pontiffs. Mr. Borrow, in one of his
books, tells about a charm which a gipsy woman knew, and which she used
to repeat to herself as a means of obtaining supernatural aid when she
happened to want it. This was, "Saboca enrecar maria ereria." He induced
her after much effort to repeat the words to him, but she always wished
she had not, with an evident conviction that some harm would result. He
explained to her that they consisted of a very simple phrase, but it
made no difference.

An ancient physician named Serenus Sammonicus, used to be quite sure of
curing fevers, by means of what he called Abracadabra, which was a sort
of inscription to be written on something and worn on the patient's
person. It was as follows:

ABRACADABRA
BRACADABR
RACADAB
ACADA
CAD
A.

Another gentleman of the same school used to cure sore eyes by hanging
round the patient's neck an inscription made up of only two letters, A
and Z; but how he mixed them we unfortunatel