Three Books of Occult Philosophy

matter, which no one until now has attempted to restore Agrippa is referring to the "restoration" of Magic to its ancient, philosophical, and "pious" roots, purging it of what he considered medieval superstitions.. However, these works of ours are not dedicated to you because they are worthy of you, but so that they might open a path for me to your goodwill. I ask, therefore, if it is not improper, that they might find some acceptance with you. I offer all prayers for you, hoping that if these studies of my youth should come to public notice under the patronage of your greatness, and—once envy original: "invidia"; in this context, the malicious or religious censorship that often targeted occult scholars. has been put to flight—the memory of them should remain by right of perpetuity for the benefit of our good conscience. For many things in them seem to me, even as an older man, to be both most useful and necessary to know. Thus, you hold here a work not only of my youth but also of my present age; indeed, I have corrected many errors of that youthful effort, inserted many things in several places, and enlarged it by many chapters, which can easily be detected from the inequality of the style itself,