The Author of this piece of Superstition, who is said to have lived under the Emperor Adrian, form'd the Name from 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 presided over the seven Heavens ; and to whom he attributed 365Virtues or Powers, the Number of Days in the Year, with other idle Reveries.
This
The Gnostics, 'tis known, suppofed wondersul Virtues in Numbers ; and accordingly, this same Abraxas, or rather Abrasax, 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 the Word ; it being the Custom of the Greeks to express their Numbers by the Letters of their Alphabet : The Value of thofe 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 some superstitious People, who pretend to do Wonders hereby in the Cure of Agues and Fevers. The manner of preparing this extraordinary Medicine, they have been at the Pains to 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."