The Author of this piece of Superstition, who is said tohave lived under the Emperor Adrian, form'd the Namefrom that of the Deity he adored, Abrasax, or Abraxas;whom he made God-paramount; having several petty Divinities under him, and particularly seven Angels who presidedover the seven Heavens ; and to whom he attributed 365Virtues or Powers, the Number of Days in the Year, withother idle Reveries.
This
The Gnostics, 'tis known, suppofed wondersul Virtues inNumbers ; and accordingly, this same Abraxas, or ratherAbrasax, was thus denominated, as including or comprehending the Power or Virtue of 365 dependent Intelligences:which Number is express'd by the Greek Letters of theWord ; it being the Custom of the Greeks to express theirNumbers by the Letters of their Alphabet : The Value ofthofe in the present Word are thus;
A B P A Ε A Σ
1. 2. 100. 1. 60. 1. 2oo.
which added together make the Number 365.
Abracadabra still continues in use and esteem among somesuperstitious People, who pretend to do Wonders hereby inthe Cure of Agues and Fevers. The manner of preparingthis extraordinary Medicine, they have been at the Painsto describe in the following Verses.
Sæpius & Subrer repetas, mirabile dictu;
Donec in anguslum redigatur littera conum.
That is, "The Word is first to be wrote at length,
Abracadabra ; then, under that
Abracadabr ; and in the third Line
Abracadab ; &c."
