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

might be relieved of my misery, I would gladly reward you for it, if there were then no more gods on earth. There Saturnus had to extend his hand, and Opis as well, and immediately a virgin appeared who was from the royal court and blood of the King of the Orient, and she led an old priest by the hand in ecclesiastical clothing, who carried a book in one hand and a royal scepter in the other. He reached it toward Saturnus in a friendly manner with beneficent words, and since it was the will of them both, he gave them together in all friendliness and married them, and entrusted him with the scepter, which was covered with silver and gold, and prophesied to them both that they would beget a son in a short time, to whom they should hand over the scepter, for he would become a beneficent man toward all his enemies, as also happened, and would be the first to begin to rule and to possess royal dignity and rule without a sword. As this speech occurred, the weather was very warm, and the priest