On the Secret Works of Art and Nature and the Nullity of Magic

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patron, whom death, however, robbed from him all too soon. And from this time on, the storm gathered even more strongly over our learned monk. Although some obscurities and contradictions prevail in the existing reports regarding the circumstances and persons, as far as the latter is concerned, some name the General of the Order, Hieronymus ab Ascoli, who later became Pope under the name Nicolaus IV, and others name the General Raymundus Galfredus as his judge; yet it remains certain that he was placed in a harsh prison and was only freed after many years, toward the end of the reign of Pope Nicolaus IV—whom he had sought in vain to appease upon his ascension—and shortly before his death, through the mediation of some distinguished persons. This occurred in the year 1292 or 1294.

Writings.

The historians attribute a large number of works to our author. However, their number decreases noticeably when one looks at them more closely, and one finds that their number was merely increased by a separation of the same. This will become clearer immediately when I describe those present in print. The main book of Roger is his so-called