On the Occult Philosophy or the Secret Miraculous Birth of the Seven Planets and Metals

and prophesied to them both that they would bear a son in a short time, to whom they should deliver the scepter. For he would become a benevolent human being against all his enemies, as also happened, and would become the first to begin to rule and to possess royal dignity and reign without a sword. As this speech occurred, it was very warm weather, and the priest promised them in marriage. And there rose from the depths of the earth a very warm mist from the sunset to the sunrise, so that the world was filled with it. It hung itself up above so that a great rain fell upon the earth. It vanished and became again, and the rays of the sun easily dried the moisture completely out. As that happened, the child in the womb felt no more moisture and began to suffer hunger. The fruit came to the end, for the world desired to multiply, and the third day of