Friends of God
A mystical society founded in Germany in the fourteenth century, for the purpose of ministering to the poor by preaching and sacrament. Its members included men and women of every rank and station; not only monks and nuns, but knights, farmers, artizans, merchants. Their law was: "That universal love, commanded by Christ, and not to be gainsaid by his vicar." Their prophecies and warnings roused the ire of certain of the clergy, and they were charged with sectarianism. Fritzlar, Martin Von: German alchemist. (Circa, 1750.) The dates of the birth and death of this alchemist have never been ascertained, but he is known to have lived in the first half of the eighteenth century, while he appears to have been a Hessian, resident chiefly at the village of Firtzlar. While a young man, he studied pharmacy, intending to make it his profession; but he soon grew interested in the quest of gold-making, and, when the celebrated alchemist, Lascaris, came to Germany, Martin hastened to his presence with a view to gleaning his secrets. Along with several other young men, the Hessian was allowed to witness numerous experiments, and while he watched them, it seemed to him that the great secret lay open before him; but afterwards, when he made attempts on his own account, he found that Lascaris had duped him shamefully, and had even taken advantage of his ignorance. Thereupon, in contradistinction to the majority of thwarted alchemists, he renounced the futile search altogether, vowed fealty to his original calling, and devoted the rest of his life thereto. Fumigation in Exorcism: One of the most important rites Galactides or Galaricides : Perhaps a species of emerald. It is greatly valued by magicians, its property being to make magical writings heard, and ghosts appear, to return answers. It promotes love and friendship.
Galeotti, Martius: Italian Astrologer. (1442-1494). Born in 1442, this Italian astrologer and theologian, appears to have been a native of Narni, in Umbria; but it would seem that he left Italy while a young man, and settled for a while at Boulogne. Here, he gave grave offence to the Church of Rome by promulgating the doctrine that good works are not the road to salvation, and that this is only to be obtained by faith in Christ; and, finding the priests around him growing daily more and more hostile, Galeotti saw fit to leave France for Hungary, where he became secretary to the king, Matthias Covirnus, and also tutor to the latter's son, Prince John. His secretarial and tutorial duties, however, did not occupy the whole of his time; and, besides making himself an expert astrologer, he wrote a book called, De jocose Dictis et Factis Regis Matthiæ Covirni. Some of the tenets contained therein were the means of his incurring fresh ill-will from the clergy; and eventually, their rancour became so great, indeed, that the writer was seized and taken to Venice, where he was imprisoned for a while. He was released anon, chiefly owing to the influence of the Pope, Sixtus IV, whose tutor he is said to have been at an earlier and indeterminate date; and, thereupon, Galeotti returned to France, where he came under the notice of the king, Louis XI., who appointed him his state-astrologer. Thenceforth, for many years, the Italian acted in this onerous capacity, sometimes living within the precincts of the royal castle of Plessis-les-Tours, sometimes at the town of Lyons; and once, in 1478, while staying at the latter place, and being informed that Louis was approaching, he rode out to meet him, fell from his horse, and died shortly afterwards as a result of injuries sustained in the fall. An especial interest attaches to Galeotti in that he appears in Sir Walter Scott's inimitable story of medieval France, Quentin Durward. Early in the tale, soon after Quentin has entered the Scots Guard of Louis XI., the latter and his new guardsman are depicted as visiting the astrologer, the King being anxious for a prophecy regarding Quentin's immediate future. The scene is a very memorable and graphic one, among the best in the whole book; and it is historically valuable, moreover, containing, as it does, what is probably a fairly accurate description of the kind of study used generally by an astrologer in the middle ages. Galeotti is represented, "curiously examining a specimen, just issued from the Frankfort Press, of the newly invented art of printing"; and the King questions him about this novel process, whereupon the seer speaks of the vast changes it is destined to bring about throughout the whole world. Now, it was by no means thoughtlessly or carelessly, that Sir Walter introduced this passage, for, though the novelist himself does not refer to the matter in his notes, and though Andrew Lang says nothing thereon in those annotations which he furnished for the "Border Waverley," it is a fact that Louis was keenly interested in printing; and, soon Gastromancy during the exorcism of an evil spirit, appears to have been the fumigation of the victim; and for this, various prescriptions are given throughout occult history. If it is found difficult to dislodge the demon, a picture of him is sometimes drawn, which is to be thrown into the fire after having been signed with the cross, sprinkled with holy water, and fumigated." At other times, if the evil spirit refuses to give his name, the exorcist will fumigate the possessed one. 66