Jacinth, or Hyacinth : A stone which preserves from plague and from lightning, strengthens the heart, and brings wealth, honour, prudence, and wisdom. It is recommended by Albertus Magnus as a soporific, on account of its coldness, and is ordered by Psellus in cases of coughs, ruptures, and melancholy, to be drunk in vinegar. Marbodaeus describes the wonderful properties of three species of the jacinth Pliny and Leonardus are also particular in their account of it.

Jacob's Ladder : According to the kabalistic view, Jacob's Ladder. which was disclosed to him in a vision, is a metaphorical representation of the powers of alchemy, operating through visible nature. The "Ladder" was a " Rainbow," or prismatic staircase, set up between heaven and earth. Jacob's Dream implied a history of the whole hermetic creation. There are only two original colours, red an(l blue, representing " spirit " and " matter," for orange is red mixing with the yellow light of the sun, yellow is the radiance of the sun itself, green is blue and yellow, indigo is blue tinctured with red, and violet is produced by the mingling of red and blue. The sun is alchemic gold, and the moon is alchemic silver. In the operation of these two potent spirits, or mystic rulers of the world, it is supposed astrologically that all mundane things were produced.

Jadian, or Were-tiger : (See Malays.)

Jakin and Boas : The names of the two symbolical pillars of Solomon's Kabalistic temple, and which were believed to explain all mysteries. The one was black and the other white, and they represented the powers of good and evil. It is said that they symbolise the need of "two" in the world: Human equilibrium requires two feet; the worlds gravitate by means of two forces; generation needs two sexes.

James IV. of Scotland : It was almost inevitable that the romantic nature of James IV. of Scotland should have encouraged the study of alchemy and the occult sciences in the manner he did. Dunbar in his Remonstrance, speaks of the patronage which he bestowed upon alchemists and charlatans, and in the Treasurer's accounts there are numerous payments for the " Quinta Essentia," including wages to the persons employed, utensils of various kinds and so forth. In a letter to one Master James Inglis, James says:-

"James, etc…..to dear Master James Inglis greeting. We graciously accept your kindness, by which in a letter brought to us you signify that you have beside you certain books learned in the philosophy of the true Alchemy, and that although most worthy men have sought them from you. you have nevertheless with difficulty kept them for our use, because you had heard of our enthusiasm for the art. We give you thanks; . . . and we have sent our familiar, Master James Merchenistoun, to you, that he may see to the transfer hither of those books which you wish us to have; whom receive in good faith in our name. Farewell, From our Palace at Edinburgh."

27 Sept.-Item, for a pan in Stirling for the quinta essencia, and "potingary" there. vi. s.

29 Sept.-For aqua vitae for the quinta essencia.

18 Oct.-Gallons aqua vitae for quinta essencia. iii. l. iiii. s.

10 Nov.-For four cauldrons to quinta essencia xiv. s.

24 Dec.-V cakes glass for quinta essentia. xxv. s.

31 Dec.-Paid to William Foular apothecary (potingair for potingary to the King and Queen,

distillation of waters, aqua vitae. and potingary books in English, from the 17 day of December, 1506.

(See Scotland.)

James VI.: (See Daemonologie.)

Japan : All that the word "magic" defines is to be found amongst the Japanese, in their religious beliefs and rites in their conception of Nature and in the national customs. To them all forms and objects animate or inanimate possess, equally with man, a soul with good or evil tendencies, and these entities, either of their own volition or by evocation, come into close touch with man either to his advantage or detriment. Their folklore and traditions are wrought of the marvellous and the Japanese thought of to-day is still permeated with a belief in the supernatural.

The predominant feature of the Japanese religion, Shintoism, is the worship of ancestors. allied to that of Nature. There are twelve recognised sects of Shintoism-all with ancestor-worship as their cardinal principle. The belief of the Japanese is that the disembodied spirits acquire the powers of deities and possess supernatural attributes. They become potential for good or evil and they exercise their potentialities in the same mundane sphere upon which their interests and affections centred during life. They thus become guardian divinities, and as such the object of ceremonies in their honour is to show gratitude for their services whilst upon earth and to solicit a continuance of these services beyond the grave. On this point Lafcadio Hearn wrote :-". An intimate sense of relation between the visible and invisible worlds. is the special religious characteristic of Japan among all civilised countries. To Japanese thought the dead are not less real than the living. They take part in the daily life of the people, sharing the humblest sorrows and the humblest joys. They attend the family repasts, watch over the well-being of the household, assist and rejoice in the prosperity of their descendants. They are present at the public pageants, at all the sacred festivals of Shinto, at the military games, and at all the entertainments especially provided for them. And they are universally thought of as finding pleasure in the offerings made to them or the honours conferred upon them." Every morning, before the family shrine, to be found in all Japanese homes, flowers are set and food-emblems placed as offerings of pious affection, while ancient prayers are repeated, for on the shrine, beside the symbols of the Sun-goddess and the tutelary god of the family are put the memorial tablets containing names, ages and dates of death of members of the household. There are stories of the souls of ancestors taking material form and remaining visible through centuries. In the month of July three days are set apart for the celebration of the Festival of the Dead. At this time it is thought that the disembodied souls return from the dismal region of the Shades to gaze for a while upon the beauty of their country and to visit their people. On the first morning new mats are placed upon all altars and on every household shrine, while in all the homes tiny meals are prepared in readiness for the ghostly guests. The streets at night are brilliant with many torches; in front of every house gaily-coloured lanterns are lit in welcome.

Those who have recently lost some relative go to the cemeteries to pray and burn incense and leave offerings of water and flowers set in bamboo vases. On the third day the souls of those who are undergoing penance are fed, also those who have no friends 'among the living to care for them. The evening of this day is the time of the ghosts' departure, and for this thousands of little boats are fashioned and laden with food-offerings and tender messages of farewell. When the night falls, tiny lanterns are lit and hung at the miniature prows and the ghosts are supposed to step aboard. Then the craft are set free upon river, lake and sea, the water gleaming with glow of thousands of lights. On this day no sailor dreams of putting out to sea-for this one night it belongs to the dead. It is believed that if a ship fails to come to port before the sailing of the ghost-fleet the dead arise from the deep and the sailors can hear their mournful whispering, while the white breakers are their hands clutching the shores, vainly trying to return.

In the Shinto pantheon there are deities representing well nigh everything in heaven and earth; from the mountain of Fiyiama to the household kitchen, from Wisdom to Scarecrows, from Caligraphy to Poverty, Laughter to Small pox. When babes are a week old they are taken to the temple and placed under the protection of some god chosen by the parents, but in later years he may choose his patron god for himself beside the tutelary one.

In remote parts of Japan may still be found traces of an older form of Shinto in which phallic symbols had their place as representing life-giving power and therefore used as a magical exorcism of evil influences, especially that of disease. In this connection appears a dwarf-god who is said to have first taught mankind the art of magic and medicine In Shinto there are no idols, their place being taken by shintia, god-bodies, concrete objects in which the divine spirit is supposed to dwell, such as the mirror, jewel and sword of the Sun-goddess, worshipped at the famous Ise shrine. Pilgrims from all parts of Japan make their way to this shrine, acquiring merit and purification thereby. These pilgrims receive from the priests objects of talismanic properties called harai, these also serving as evidence of having been at the holy place. In former days they were recognised as passports. The term harai signifies to " drive out," to " sweep away," and has reference to the purification of the individual from his sins. These objects are in the form of small envelopes or paper boxes each containing shavings of the wands used by the Ise priests at the half-yearly festivals held to purify the nation in general from the consequences of the sins of the preceding six months. The list includes witchcraft, also wounding and homicide, these latter being regarded more as uncleanness than as a moral stigma. On the pilgrims return home the harai are placed upon the "god's-shelf."

On fete-days are still practised the ancient ordeals. These are three in number, the Kugadachi, in which priests, wrought to ecstatic frenzy by participation in a rhythmic dance, pour upon their bodies boiling water without receiving harm from the process; the Hiwatari consisting of walking barefoot over a bed of live coals, priests and people alike participating, and Tsurugi-watari, the climbing of a ladder of sword-blades. These are regarded as tests of purity of character, this being thought to confer an immunity from hurt in these ordeals. The attendant rites consist of exorcism of evil spirits by the waving of wands and magical finger-knots, and invocation of the gods who are then believed to be actually present.

Possession by Divinities -In connection with some of the Shinto sects occult rites are practised to bring about possession of a selected person by the actual spirits of the gods. Priests and laymen alike develop and practice this art, undergoing a period of purification by means of various austerities. Prophecy, divination and the cure of disease are the objects of these rites. The ceremony may take place in a temple or ordinary house where the " gods' shelf" makes the shrine. In the rites gohei, the Shinto symbols of consecration are used, the pendant form for purification and exorcism of evil influences, and an upright gohei affixed to a wand signifying the shintai, or god-body, is the central object. The medium, called maeza takes his Seat in the midst. Next him in importance is the functionary, the maeza who presides over the ceremony. It is he who builds the magical pyre in a brass bowl and burns in the flames strips of paper inscribed with characters, effigies of disease and trouble. There is a clapping of hands to call the attention of the gods and chants are intoned, accompanied by the shaking of metal-ringed crosiers and the tinkle of pilgrim bells. After the fire is burnt out, the bowl is removed and sheets of paper placed in symbolic form, upon which is then put the upright gohei wand. There is further chanting, the medium closes his eyes and clasps his hands into which the maeza now thrusts the wand. All then await the advent of the god which is indicated by the violent shaking of the wand and convulsive throes on the part of the medium, who is now considered to have become the god. The maeza reverently prostrates himself before the entranced nahaza, and asks the name of the god who has deigned to come. This done and answered, he next offers his petitions, to which the god replies. The ceremony is concluded by a prayer and the medium is awakened by beating upon his back and the massaging of his limbs out of their cataleptic contraction. These possession-rites are 'also conducted by the pilgrims who ascend the mountain of Ontake.

Buddhism, which shares with Shinto the devotions of Japan, enjoins meditation as a means of attaining to supernatural knowledge and occult power. It is said that to those who in truth and constancy put in force the doctrines of Buddha the following ten powers will be granted. (1). They know the thoughts of others. (2). Their sight, piercing as that of the celestials, beholds without mist all that happens in the earth. (3). They know the past and present. (4). They perceive the uninterrupted succession of the ages of the world. (5). Their hearing is so fine that they perceive and can interpret all the harmonies of the three worlds and the ten divisions of the universe. (6). They are not subject to bodily conditions and can assume any appearance at will. (7). They distinguish the shadowing of lucky or unlucky words, whether they are near or far 'away. (8). They possess the knowledge of all forms, and knowing that form is void, they can assume every sort of form; and knowing that vacancy is form, they can annihilate and render nought all forms. (9). They possess a knowledge of all laws. (10). They possess the perfect science of contemplation. It is said that methods are thus known by which it is possible to so radically change the psychological condition of the individual that he is enabled to recognise the character of the opposition between subjective and objective. These two extremes are reconciled in a higher condition of consciousness, a higher form of life, a more profound and complete activity which concerns the inmost depths of the self. To the " Zen" monasteries, belonging to a Buddhist sect of that name, anyone who is so inclined may retire for temporary meditation and for the development of these special faculties, which are mainly produced by entering upon a calm mental state, not exactly passive, but in which the attention is not devoted to any one thing, but is evenly distributed in all directions, producing a sort of void and "waiting." The spirit thus obtains entire repose and a satisfaction of the thirst for the ideal. This mystical retirement is sought by statesmen and generals, by scientific professional and business-men, and it is said that the force which accumulates within them by practising the "Zen" methods is of effective service to them in practical life.

Many of the customs of the Japanese have a magical significance. At the Festival of the New Year extending over three days it is considered of the first importance to insure good luck and happiness for the coming year by means of many traditional observances. Houses are thoroughly cleansed materially and spiritually, this last is getting rid of the evil spirits by throwing out beans and peas from the open slides of the houses. The gateways are decorated with straw ropes made to represent the lucky, Chinese numbers of three, five and seven. Mirror cakes, associated with the sun-goddess are eaten, 'also lobsters, longevity being symbolised by their bent and ancient, appearance, the pine-tree branches used for decoration at this time 'also signifying long life.

Divination is performed by various methods: by divining rods, by the reading of lines and cracks in the shoulder-blade of a deer, and by the classical form taken from the Confucian " Yih-king " or Book of Changes, this involving the use of eight diagrams and sixty-four diagrams. One method of" raising spirits" used by the Japanese, especially by girls who have lost their lovers by death, is to put into a paper lantern a hundred rushlights and repeat an incantation of a hundred lines. One of these rushlights is taken out 'at the end of each line and the would-be ghost-seer then goes out in the dark with one light still burning and blows it out when the ghost ought to appear.

Charms are everywhere, fashioned of all substances 'and in all forms, such as strips of paper bearing magical inscriptions to avert evil, fragments of temples, carven rice-grains representing the gods of Luck, sutras to frighten the demons, copies of Buddha's footprint, and paper tickets bearing the name of a god are often 'affixed outside the doors of houses to combat the god of Poverty.

Nature and her manifestations are the result of indwelling soul-life and the Japanese mind, imbued with this belief has peopled nature with multiform shapes. There are dragons with lairs in ocean and river which yet can fly abroad in the air while from their panting breath come the clouds of rain and tempests of lightning. In the mountains and forests are bird-like gnomes who often beset way-faring men and women and steal away their wits. There are 'also mountain men, huge hairy monkeys, who help the wood-cutters in return for food, and mountain-women, ogres with bodies grown over with long white hair, who flit like evil moths in search of human flesh. Then legend tells of the Senrim, hermits of the mountains, who knew all the secrets of magic, wizards who were attended by wise toads and flying tortoises, who could conjure magical animals out of gourds, who could project their souls into space. To animals were also ascribed supernatural powers. The fox is believed to possess such gifts to an almost limitless extent, for he has miraculous vision and hearing, he can read the inmost thoughts of man, he can transform himself and assume any shape 'at will. He loves to delude mankind and work destruction thereby to this end often taking the form of 'a beautiful and seductive woman whose embrace means madness and death. To the 'agency of this animal is attributed demoniacal possession, thu, occurring mostly among ignorant and superstitious women of the lower classes. The cat is not regarded with 'any kindly feeling by the Japanese, this being ascribed to the fact that this animal, together with the serpent, were the only creatures who did not weep at Buddha's death. This animal has also the power of bewitchment and possesses vampire proclivities. Among sailors, however, the cat is held in estimation, for it is thought to possess the power of warding off the evil spirits which haunt the sea. The images of animals are thought to be also endowed with life. There are tales of bronze horses and deer, of huge carven dragons and stone tortoises wandering abroad at night, terrorising the people and only laid to rest by summary decapitation. Butterflies are thought to be the wandering souls of the living who may be dreaming or sunk in reverie; white butterflies are the souls of the dead. Fireflies keep afar evil spirits, and an ointment compounded of their delicate bodies defies any poison.

Trees occupy a foremost place in the tradition and legends of Japan. The people regard them with great affection, and there are stories of men who, seeing a tree they loved withering and dying, committed hara-kiri. before it praying the gods that their life so given might pass into the tree and give it renewed vigour. The willow is one of the most eerie of trees, the willow-spirit often becoming a beautiful maiden and wedding a human lover The pine tree brings good fortune, especially in the matte of happy marriages. It is also a token of longevity. Tree spirits can sometimes be inimical to man and it is recorded of one that to stay its disturbing wanderings it was necessary to cut it down, when from the stump flowed a stream of blood.

The element of Fire figures largely in the Japanese world of marvels. It is worshipped in connection with the rites of the Sun-goddess and even the kitchen-furnace becomes the object of a sort of cult. There is the lamp of Buddha while messages from Hades come to this world in the shape of fire-wheels, Phantom-fires flicker about and flames burn in the cemeteries; there are demon-lights fox-flames and dragon-torches. From the eyes and mouth of. certain birds, such as the blue heron, fire darts forth il white flames. Globes of fire, enshrining human faces and forms, sometimes hang like fruit in the branches of the trees. The dolls of Japanese children are believed to hi endowed with life, deriving a soul from the love expended upon them by their human possessors. Some of these doll were credited with supernatural powers, they could confer maternity upon a childless woman, and they could brin_g misfortune upon any who ill-treated them. When old an faded, these dolls are dedicated to Kojin the many-armed who dwells in the enokie tree, and there are reverently laid upon his shrine, bodies which once held a tiny soul. (See Lafcadio Hearn's Kokoro, Percival Lowell's Occult Japan F. Hadland Davis' Myths and Legends of Japan.) K.N.

Jasper : Prevents fever and dropsy, strengthens the brain and promotes eloquence; it is a preservative against defluxions, the nightmare, and epilepsy, and is often me with in the east as a counter-charm. Marbodaeus mention.' seventeen species of this stone, but that" like the emerald' is most noted for its magical virtues.

Jean : A magician, votary of Apollonius of Tyana. He wen from town to town, wearing an iron collar, and making hi living by the performance of deeds of charletanry. A Lyons he attained some measure of fame by his miraculous cures, and was admitted to the presence of the sovereign to whom he presented a magnificent enchanted sword. In battle this weapon became surrounded by nine score drawn knives. Jean also gave this prince a shield containing magic mirror which would divulge the greatest secret The arms vanished, or were stolen.

Jean, or Iwan Basilowitz : Grand Duke of Muscory in the fourteenth century. When at the point of death he fell into terrible swoons, during which his soul made toilsom journeys. In the first he was tormented for having kept innocent prisoners in his dungeons, in the second, he was tortured still more for having ground the people under heavy tasks; during the third voyage he died, but his body disappeared mysteriously before he could be buried, and i was thought that the devil had taken him.

Jean d'Arras : A French writer of the fourteenth century, who compiled a chronicle of Melusine from popular stories which he collected.

Jean de Meung : Jean de Meung owes his celebrity to his poetical genius rather than his alchemical powers; to his Roman de 'a Rose, rather than to his rhyming treatise upon the hermetic philosophy. He was born about 1280, and flourished through the reigns of Louis X., Philip the Long, Charles IV., and Philip de Valois. He appears to have possessed a light and railing wit, and a keen appreciation of a jest; and it may well be doubted whether he was altogether sincere in his praises of alchemy. Having composed a quatrain on woman, which stigmatized her in the strongest terms, the ladies of Charles VI.'s court resolved to revenge their affronted honour, and surrounding him in the royal antechamber, desired the courtiers present to strip him preparatory to their inflicting a sound flagellation. Jean solicited to be heard before he was condemned and punished; and having obtained an interval of grace, set forth, with fluent eloquence, that he was certainly the author of the calumnious verses, but that they were not intended to vilipend all womankind. He referred only to the vicious and debased, and not to such models of purity as he saw around him. Nevertheless, if any lady present felt that the verses really applied to her, he was her very humble servant, and would submit to a well-deserved chastisement. Like most of the medieval poets, Jean de Meung was a bitter enemy of the priesthood, and he contrived with great ingenuity a posthumous satire upon their inordinate greed. He bequeathed in his will, as a gift to the Cordeliers, a chest of immense weight. As his fame as an alchemist was wide-spread, the brotherhood accepted the legacy in the belief that the chest contained the golden results of his quest of the Philosopher's Stone. But when they opened it. their dismayed eyes rested only on a pile of slates, covered with the most unintelligible hieroglyphics and cabalistic characters. The perpetrator of this practical joke was hardly, we think, a very sincere believer in the wonders of alchemy. (See Devon, Witchcraft In.)

Jeanne, D'Arc : Jeanne d'Arc was born in the village of Domremy, near Vaucouleurs, on the border of Champagne and Lorraine, on Jan. 6th, 1412. She was taught to spin and sew, but not to read or write, these accomplishments being unusual and unnecessary to people in her station of life. Her parents were devout, and she was brought up piously. Her nature was gentle, modest, and religious but with no physical weakness or morbidity; on the contrary. she was exceptionally strong, as her later history shows.

At or about the age of thirteen, Jeanne began to experience what psychology now calls "auditory hallucinations." In other words, she heard "voices "-usually accompanied by a bright light-when no visible person was present. This, of course, is a common symptom of impending mental disorder; but no insanity developed in Jeanne d'Arc. Startled she naturally was at first, but continuation led to familiarity and trust. The voices gave good counsel of a very commonplace kind. as, for instance, that she "must be a good girl and go often to church." Soon, however, she began to have visions; saw St. Michael, St. Catharine, and St. Margaret; was given instructions as to her mission; eventually made her way to the Dauphin. put herself at the head of 6,000 men, and advanced to the relief of Orleans, which was surrounded by the victorious English. After a fortnight of hard fighting, the siege was raised, and the enemy driven off. The tide of war had turned, and in three months the Dauphin was crowned king at Rheims as Charles the Seventh.

At this point, Jeanne felt that her mission was accomplished. But her wish to return to her family was over-ruled by king and archbishop, 'and she took part in the further fighting against the allied English and Burgundian forces, showing great bravery 'and tactical skill. But in November, 1430, in a desperate sally from Compiegne - which was besieged by the Duke of Burgundy- she fell into the enemy's hands, was sold to the English, and thrown into 'a dungeon 'at their headquarters in Rouen.

After a year's imprisonment she was brought to trial before the Bishop of Beauvais, in 'an ecclesiastical court. The charges were heresy 'and sorcery. Learned doctors of the Church, subtle lawyers, did their best to entangle the simple girl in their dialectical toils but she showed 'a remarkable power of keeping to her 'affirmations 'and of avoiding heretical statements. " God has 'always been my Lord in all that I have done," she said. But the trial was only pretence, for her fate was 'already decided. She was condemned to the stake. To the end, she solemnly 'affirmed the reality of her "voices," and the truth of her depositions. Her last word, 'as the smoke 'and flame rolled round her, was "Jesus." Said an English soldier, 'awestruck by the manner of her passing: " We 'are lost; we have burned 'a Saint." The idea was corroborated in popular opinion by events which followed, for speedy death-as if by Heaven's 'anger-overtook her judges 'and 'accusers. Inspired by her example and claims, 'and helped by dissension and weakening on the side of the enemy, the French took heart once more; 'and the English were 'all-but swept out of the country.

Jeanne's family was rewarded by ennoblement, under the name of D Lys. Twenty-five years 'after her death, the Pope acceded to a petition that the process by which she was condemned should be re-examined. The result was that the judgment was reversed, and her innocence established and proclaimed.

The life of the Maid supplies 'a problem which orthodox science cannot solve. She was 'a simple peasant girl, with no 'ambitious hankering after a career. She rebelled pathetically 'against her mission. " I had far rather rest 'and spin by my mother's side, for this is no work of my choosing, but I must go 'and do it, for my Lord wills it.,, She cannot be dismissed on the "simple idiot" theory of Voltaire, for her genius in war 'and her aptitude-in repartee undoubtedly prove exceptional mental powers, unschooled though she was in what we call education. We cannot call her a mere hysteric, for her health and strength were superb. It is on record that 'a man of science said to 'an Abbe "Come to the Salpetriere Hospital, 'and I will show you twenty Jeannes d'Arc." To which the Abbe -responded: "Has one of them given us back Alsace 'and Lorraine ?" The retort was certainly neat. Still, though the Salpetriere hysterics have not won back Alsace 'and Lorraine, it is nevertheless true that many great movements have sprung from fraud or hallucination. May it not have been so with Jeanne? She delivered France, 'and her importance in history is great; but may not her mission 'and her doings have been the outcome of merely subjective hallucinations, induced by the brooding of her specially religious 'and patriotic mind on the woes of her country ? The army, being ignorant 'and superstitious, would readily believe in the Supernatural nature of her mission, 'and great energy and valour would result-for a man fights well when he feels that Providence is on his side.

This is the most usual kind of theory in explanation of the facts. But it is not fully satisfactory. How came it-one may ask-that this untutored peasant girl could persuade not only the rude soldiery, but also the Dauphin and the Court, of her Divine appointment? How came -she to be given the command of an army? Surely a post of such responsibility and power would not be given to an Ignorant girl of eighteen, on the mere strength of her own claim to inspiration. It seems, at least, very improbable.

Now it so happens (though the materialistic school of historians conveniently ignore or belittle it) that there is strong evidence in support of the idea that Jeanne gave the Dauphin some proof of the possession of supernormal faculties. In fact, the evidence is so strong that Mr. Andrew Lang called it "unimpeachable "-and Mr. Lang did not usually err on the side of credulity in these matters. Among other curious things, Jeanne seems to have repeated to Charles the words of 'a prayer which he had made mentally; and she also made some kind of clairvoyant discovery of a sword hidden behind the altar of Fierbois church. Schiller's magnificent dramatic poem-" Die Jungfrau von Orleans "-though unhistorical in some details, is substantially 'accurate on these points concerning clairvoyance and mind-reading.

The best books on the Maid are those of Mr. Anatole France (two vols.), 'and Mr. Andrew Lang, giving respectively the sceptical and the believing side as to the explanation of her experiences. There is also a very useful little book by Miss C. M. Antony, with preface by Father R. H. Benson.

Jelaleddin, Ruml : A Sufi poet of the thirteenth century, A.D. He teaches the Suit doctrine that the chief end of man is so to emancipate himself from human thoughts and wishes, human needs and the outward impressions of the senses, that he may become a mere mirror for the Deity. So refined an essence does his mind become that it is 'as nearly as possible nothing ; yet while in this state it can, by a union with the Divine Essence, mysteriously become the All. In his teachings he declares that names and words must-not be taken for the things they represent:-"Names thou mayst know; go, seek the truth they name Search not the brook, but heaven, for the moon."

Jennings, Hargrave : (See Rosicrucians.)

Jesodoth : The angel through which Elohim, the source of knowledge, understanding 'and wisdom, was imparted to the earth. This belief is of Jewish origin.

Jet : Its virtues are thus described by Pliny, according to the version of Holland: " In burning, the perfume thereof chaseth away serpents, and bringeth women again that lie in 'a traunce by the suffocation or rising of the mother; the said smoke discovereth the falling sicknesse and bewraieth whether a young damsel be a maiden or no; the same being boiled in wine helpeth the toothache, and tempered with wax cureth the swelling glandules named the king's evil. They say that the magicians use this jeat stone much in their sorceries, which they practice by the means of red hot axes, which they call axinomancia, for they 'affirm that being cast thereupon it will burne and consume, if that ewe desire and wish shall happen accordingly." Jet is known in Prussia as black amber.

Jets : (See Siberia.)

Jettatura : The Italian name for the power of the " evil eye." In order to guard 'against it magicians say that horns must be worn on the body.

Jinn : Singular Jinnee, plural Jineeyeh, Arabian spirits, perhaps animistic, but more probably strictly mythological like the Persian divs (q.v.). The jinn were created out of fire, and occupied the earth for several thousand years before Adam; they were perverse, and would not reform, 'although prophets were sent to reclaim them; they were eventually driven from the earth, 'and took refuge in the outlying islands of the sea. One of the number named Azazeel (afterwards called Iblees) had been carried off 'as a prisoner by the 'angels; he grew up 'amongst them, 'and became their chief, but having refused, when commanded, to prostrate himself before Adam, he was degraded to the condition of a sheytan, and becomes the father of the sheytans, or devils. The jinn are not immortal, but destined ultimately to die: they eat and drink and propagate their species ; they live in communities, and are ruled over by princes: they can make themselves visible or invisible, and assume the forms of various animals, such as serpents, cats and dogs. There are good jinn and bad jinns. They frequent baths, wells, latrines, ovens, ruined houses, rivers, cross roads 'and market places. Finally, like the demons of the Rabbins, they ascend to heaven and learn the future by eavesdropping. But with all their power and knowledge, they are liable to be reduced to obedience by means of talismans or magic arts, and become obsequious servants until the spell is broken.

It is far from clear or certain, that the jinn of the east were borrowed from the mythology or philosophy of the west, and the practice of translating the Arabic word jinn by the Latin term

"genius" arose more from an apparent resemblance in the names, than from 'any identity in the nature and functions of those imaginary beings. This similarity of name, however, must have been purely accidental, for the Arabs knew little or nothing of the Latin language, and not a single term derived immediately from it; demon, therefore, and not genius was the word which they would have used if they had borrowed this part of their creed from the west. Jinn appears, moreover, to be a genuine Arabic word, derived from 'a root signifying "to veil " or conceal " ; it, therefore, means properly, that which is veiled 'and cannot be seen." " In one sense,' says Fruzabadi, author of the Camus, "the word Jinn signifies 'any 'spiritual being concealed from 'all our senses, 'and, for that reason, the converse of a material being. Taken in this extensive sense, the word Jinn comprehends devils as well 'as 'angels, but there are some properties common to both angels and Jinn; some peculiar to each. Every angel is a Jinn, but every Jinn is not an angel. In another sense, this term is applied peculiarly to a particular kind of spiritual beings ; for such beings are of three kinds; the good, which are angels; the bad, devils; and the intermediate, comprehending both good 'and bad, who form the class of Jinn." Thus the Arabs acknowledge good 'and bad genii, in that respect agreeing with the Greeks, but differing from the Persians. The genii, so long familiarized to European readers by the Arabian Nights, were not the same beings, mentioned by the Arabian lexicographer, but the Divs and Divatis of Indian romance, dressed up in a foreign 'attire, to please the taste of readers in Persia and Arabia.

The principal differences, therefore, between the genii of the west and the jinn of the east, seem to have been these; the genii were deities of an inferior rank, the constant companions and guardians of men, capable of giving useful or prophetic impulses, acting as a species of mediators 'and messengers between the gods and men. Some were supposed to be friendly, others hostile, 'and many believed one of each kind to be 'attached, from his birth, to every mortal. The former was called Agathod'a1mon, the latter Cacodaemon; 'and one of the latter who appeared to Cassius is represented 'as a man of vast stature and of a black hue, whence, no doubt, that colour has been given, in latter times, to the devil. The good genius prompted men to good, the evil to bad 'actions. That of each individual was as a shadow of himself. Often he was represented 'as a serpent; his age 'also varied; he was generally crowned with a chaplet of plane leaves. In coins of Trajan and Hadrian the genius places a patera with his right hand on 'an 'altar, 'and holds 'a sort of scourge in his left. His sacrifices were wholly bloodless, consisting of wine and flowers, 'and the person who performed the oblation was the first to taste the cup. They were adored with prostrations, particularly on the birthday, which was placed under their especial care.

The Roman men swore by their Genius, the women by their Juno. The genius of the reigning Prince was an oath of extraordinary solemnity. There were local as well 'as individual genii, concerning whom many particulars may be found in " Vossius," de Idol.

The Jinn, on the contrary, who seem to be the linear descendants of the Devate's and Rakshasas of the Hindu mythology, were never worshipped by the Arabs, nor considered as anything more than the 'agents of the Deity. Since the establishment of Mohammedanism, indeed, they have been described 'as invisible spirits, 'and their feats and deformities which figure in romance 'are as little believed by Asiatics, as the tales of " Arthur's Round Table" are by ourselves. Their existence as superhuman beings is maintained by the Mussulman doctors, but that has little connection with their character 'and functions as delineated by poets.

Jinnistan : An imaginary country which, according to a popular belief among the Persians, was the residence of the jinn who had submitted to Solomon.

Johannites : A mystic sect who follow the tenets of the late Father John of Cronstadt, where they publish an organ, and pursue their propaganda by means of itinerant pamphlet-sellers. They are said to 'abduct Jewish children, and because of this rumour they have on more than one occasion come under police supervision. They have several times unsuccessfully fixed the date of the Last Judgment. They declared in Father John's life-time that all the powers of heaven had descended into Cronstadt, 'and were personified in the entourage of Father John. They exhorted all believers to make confession to Father John, who alone could rescue sinners from the depths of hell. The orthodox clergy would not know the Lord, but Father John would gather together in. Cronstadt 244,000 of the blessed, and then " leave the earth." Another affirmation of theirs is that all children who 'are new-born 'are " little devils," who must be "stamped out" immediately 'after birth. The Johannites urged the people to sell 'all their possessions and send the proceeds to Father John, or entrust them to the keeping of the pamphlet-sellers. Evidence is forthcoming tending to show that Father John was unaware of the abuse of his name, and on one occasion, in reply to a telegram from Bishop Nikander, of Perm, he strongly repudiated any connection with certain Johannite propagandists in the Perm Government.

John King : A spirit. (See Spiritualism.)

John of Nottingham : English Magician. (See England.)

John XXII., Pope : Jacques Duese, subsequently Pope John XXII. was born at Cahors in France towards the close of the 12th century. The exact date of his 'advent is indeterminate, but it is reported that his parents were in affluent circumstances, and it has even been suggested that they belonged to the noblesse. Jacques was educated first at a Dominican priory in his native village, and afterwards at Montpellier; while subsequently he proceeded to Paris, where he studied both law 'and medicine. Leaving the Sorbonne, he was still 'at 'a loss to know what profession to follow; but, chancing to become intimate with one Bishop Louis, a son of Charles II., King of Naples, the young man decided to enter the church, being doubtless prompted to this step by the conviction that his new friend's influence would help him forward in the clerical career. Nor was the future pontiff disappointed herein, for in the year 1300, at the instance of the Neapolitan sovereign, he was elevated to the episcopal see of Frejus, while in 1308 he was 'appointed Chancellor of Naples. He soon showed himself 'a man of no mean 'ability in ecclesiastical affairs, and in 1310 Pope Clement V. saw fit to summon him to Avignon, being anxious to consult him anent certain points; while in 1312 Jacques was made Bishop of Porto, and four years later he was elected to the pontifical crown 'and sceptre.

Thenceforth he lived always at Avignon, but his life was by no means 'a quiet or untroubled one. Early in his reign the throne of Germany became vacant, Louis of Bavaria 'and Frederick of Austria both contended for it, and Jacques gave great offence by supporting the claims of the latter; while at a later date he raised a storm by preaching a somewhat heterodox sermon, its purport being that the souls of those who have died in 'a state of grace go straight into Abraham's bosom, 'and do not enjoy the beatific vision of the Lord till after the Resurrection and the last judgment. This doctrine was hotly opposed by many clerics, notably Thomas of England, who had the courage to preach against it openly at Avignon; and so great was the disfavour which John incurred, in fact, that for several years after his death in 1334 he was widely regarded as Anti-Christ.

Jacques has frequently been credited with avarice, and it is true that he made stupendous efforts to raise money, imposing numerous taxes unheard of before his regime. Indeed, he manifested considerable ingenuity in this relation, and so the tradition that he dabbled in hermetic philosophy is probably founded on hard fact. It must be conceded, on the one hand, that in the course of his reign he issued a stringent bull against alchemists; but then, this was directed rather against the charlatans of the craft than against those who were seeking the philosopher's stone with real earnestness, and with the aid of scientific knowledge. It is more than likely, moreover, that Jacques sent forth this mandate largely with a view to blinding those who had charged him with essaying the practice at issue himself; 'and, be that as it may, it is certain that he believed in magic and was interested in science. His credulity as regards the former is demonstrated by his bringing a charge of sorcery against Geraud, Bishop of Cahors; while his scientific predilections are evinced by the fact that he kept up a laboratory in the palace at Avignon, and was wont to spend much time therein. Doubtless some of this time was given to physiological and pathological studies, for various works of a medical nature are ascribed to Jacques, in particular a collection of prescriptions, a treatise on diseases of the eye, and another on the formation of the foetus. But it may well be supposed that the avaricious prelate's activities in his laboratory were 'also bestowed in some measure on alchemistic researches, 'and the theory is buttressed by his having been a friend of Arnold de Villanova; while more important still, among the writings attributed to Jacques is L' Art Transmutatoire, published at Lyons in 1557. Besides, the pontiff left behind him on his death a vast sum of money 'and a mass of priceless jewels, and it was commonly asserted, among the 'alchemists of the day, that these and also two hundred huge ingots had all been manufactured by the deceased. The story of the unbounded wealth he had 'amassed in this way gradually blossomed and bore fruit, and one of Jacques' medieval biographers credits him with having concocted a quantity of gold equivalent to 660,000 pound sterling.

Judah Ha-Levi (1085-1140) : Celebrated Hebrew theologian and mystic. He seems to have had some conception of elementary spirits, for of the angels he says that" some are created for the time being, out of the subtle elements of matter."

Jung-Stilling : (See Spiritualism.)