Historical Dissertation on Abaris

Muretus (η) describes this species of magic thus:

"They falsely claimed that certain admirable works of magic were accomplished, stars were dragged down from the sky, the courses of rivers changed, the souls of the dead called forth from the underworld, diseases inflicted upon others or driven away from them."
Xenophon (ϑ), Strabo (ι), Plutarch (κ), Lucian (λ), and Herodianus (μ) are believed to testify that the Persians were addicted to this, for they are said to have had the powers and excellence of herbs, trees, gems, and other things well known and understood, to have issued oracles, to have predicted future things, and for that reason to have been considered familiar to the gods. Whoever wishes to see more about the Magi of the Persians should go especially to Xenophon (ν), Clement of Alexandria (ξ), and Jacobus Perizonius (o). The other species of magic, which was called sympatheia and sometimes also mageia, concerned itself only with the more accurate knowledge of natural things, whence also it is defined by Philo (π) as being an "optikē epistēmē optical science, which illuminates the works of nature with marvelous fantasies." Who also in another place (ρ) describes the magi such that he calls them those who "ta physeōs erga diereunōmenous investigate the works of nature." Hence also it happened that the Greeks called those who were studious of this kind of magic theologous theologians or philosophous philosophers, the Gauls Druids, the Romans Wise Men, the Egyptians Prophets or Priests, and the Indians Gymnosophists. On which matter one might especially see Cicero (σ), Apuleius (τ), Merula (υ), Desiderius Heraldus (φ), and Caspar Barthius (χ). Some believe that those Wise Men who came from the East to adore our Savior recently born also applied their work to this magic. I trust that these things reported about the various species of magic satisfy my goal. From which it happens that I willingly omit here the various divisions of magic of various people, nor shall I detain the benevolent reader any longer with a more prolix definition of the same, or a narration of the various names of magi and other things pertaining to the magic art. Whoever wishes to see more on this matter should go to Nonnus (ψ), Maimonides (ω), Tatianus (α), and Martin Del-Rio (β) in his peculiar book written on this matter, where he is especially concerned to destroy curious arts and vain superstitions with arguments.