st terms, encouraged his people to seek it, in
any and every form, scientific as well as literary and philosophic,
and stated confidently that education would surely redound to the
benefit of the Church and deserved to be the special object of
ecclesiastical favor.

First, however, let me quote the bull _Super illius specula_, of which
President White has said so much. I present a close, almost literal,
translation of the document as it is to be found in the collections of
Thomassetti and Coquelines. As President White conceded that my
translation of the previous document of Pope John {147} with regard to
alchemy was flawless, I shall be careful not to undo his compliment.
[Footnote 20]

[Footnote 20: The full Latin text of this bull will be found in the
appendix.]

"Seeking to discover how the sons of men know and serve God by the
practice of the Christian religion, we look down from the
watch-tower where, though unworthy, we have been placed by the
favoring clemency of Him who made the first man after His own image
and likeness; setting him over earthly things; adorning him with
heavenly virtues; recalling him when a wanderer; bestowing on him a
law; freeing him from slavery; finding him when he was lost; and
finally ransoming him from captivity by the merit of His passion.
With grief we discover, and the very thought of it wrings our soul
with anguish, that there are many Christians only in name; many who
turn away from the light which once was theirs, and allow their
minds to be so clouded with the darkness of error as to enter into a
league with death and a compact with hell. They sacrifice to demons
and adore them, they make or cause to be made images, rings,
mirrors, phials or some such things in which by the art of magic
evil spirits are to be enclosed. From them they seek and receive
replies, and ask aid in satisfying their evil desires. For a foul
purpose they submit to the foulest slavery. Alas! this deadly malady
is increasing more than usual in the world and inflicting greater
and greater ravages on the flock of Christ.

"Section I.--Since, therefore, we are bound by the duty of our
pastoral office to bring back to the fold of Christ the sheep who
are wandering through devious ways and to exclude from the Lord's
flock those who are diseased lest they should infect the rest, We,
by this edict, which, in accordance with the counsel of our brother
bisho