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On magic<br />
Further, one should note that the rhythm or characteristics of one sound<br />
can mingle with, and obscure, the rhythm of another sound. As a result, it<br />
is said that when a wolf, or some say a deer, is seen by people who are<br />
bonded to the spirit of that animal, they lose their voices and cannot easily<br />
form words. And they say that when a drum made of sheep skin is located<br />
next to a drum made of wolf skin, the former loses its sound, even though<br />
otherwise it emits strong sounds when forcefully hit. The reason for this is<br />
that the spirit which somehow remains in the dead wolf skin can bond with,<br />
and control, the spirit in the sheep skin, and thus they are subject to the<br />
same antagonism and dominance which are present in the living animals.<br />
I have not personally experienced this. But it is a possibility and is reasonable,<br />
even though this relationship is not always found between living<br />
things and between species. The ass fears the wolf no less than does the<br />
sheep, and is equally frightened by its danger. Nevertheless, a drum made<br />
of the skin of a wolf does not diminish the equally strong beats from a drum<br />
made of the skin of an ass, but rather increases their loudness considerably.<br />
Let us next consider lyres whose strings are made of the tendons of<br />
sheep and wolves, which are always opposed. It is well-known by many that<br />
if two lyres or cithers are constructed in the same way, and if a string of only<br />
one of them is plucked, its sound is not only consonant with the string of<br />
the other, but it will generate the same motion in the other. This, indeed,<br />
is quite understandable. It also happens that, through a certain sound or<br />
gesture or other such thing, the presence of one person affects the soul of<br />
another person, and thus an indissoluble friendship arises. There are those<br />
we dislike without reason as soon as we see them, and also others we love<br />
without cause. This love and hate are sometimes reciprocal and sometimes<br />
not. This happens because of the domination of the one person over the<br />
other in respect to one type of feeling, which in turn is blocked by another<br />
type of feeling in the other person. Thus, we are attracted by a feeling of<br />
love for one type of dog or bird, while they may be struck by fear, and thus<br />
avoid and dislike us.<br />
This type of bonding also includes prayers and petitions, which some<br />
use to solicit both peers and superiors in cases where considerations of justice,<br />
honesty or reason produce no results. Sometimes proposals from fools<br />
and buffoons are so effective that people who are clever try to ensnare the<br />
souls of their superiors by playing such a role rather than by using more<br />
proper means. This happened during the papacy of Julius III, who rejected<br />
and dismissed those who would pray, beg or cry. But if someone<br />
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