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for the heads at the Nolan gate； for the brazen fly over another gate； and even for the Grotto of Posilippoall of them things which in one respect or other served to put a magical constraint upon fate； and the first two of which seemed to determine the whole fortune of the city。 Medieval Rome also preserved confused recollections of the same kind。 At the church of Sant' Ambrogio at Milan； there was an ancient marble Hercules； so long； it was said； as this stood in its place； so long would the Empire last。 That of the Germans is probably meant； as the coronation of their emperors at Milan took place in this church。 The Florentines were convinced that the temple of Mars； afterwards transformed into the Baptistery； would stand to the end of time； according to the constellation under which it had been built； they had； as Christians； removed from it the marble equestrian statue； but since the destruction of the latter would have brought some great calamity on the cityalso according to a constellationthey set it upon a tower by the Arno。 When Totila conquered Florence； the statue fell into the river； and was not fished out again till Charlemagne refounded the city。 It was then placed on a pillar at the entrance to the Ponte Vecchio； and on this spot Buondelmonti was slain in 1215。 The origin of the great feud between Guelph and Ghibelline was thus associated with the dreaded idol。 During the inundation of 1333 the statue vanished for ever。
But the same Telesma reappears elsewhere。 Guido Bonatto； already mentioned； was not satisfied； at the refounding of the walls of Forli； with requiring certain symbolic acts of reconciliation from the two parties。 By burying a bronze or stone equestrian statue； which he had produced by astrological or magical arts； he believed that he had defended the city from ruin； and even from capture and plunder。 When Cardinal Albornoz was governor of Romagna some sixty years later； the statue was accidentally dug up and then shown to the people； probably by the order of the Cardinal； that it might be known by what means the cruel Montefeltro had defended himself against the Roman Church。 And again； half a century later； when an attempt to surprise Forli had failed； men began to talk afresh of the virtue of the statue； which had perhaps been saved and reburied。 It was the last time that they could do so； for a year later Forli was really taken。 The foundation of buildings all through the fifteenth century was associated not only with astrology but also with magic。 The large number of gold and silver medals which Paul II buried in the foundation of his buildings was noticed； and Platina was by no means displeased to recognize an old pagan Telesma in the fact。 Neither Paul nor his biographer were in any way conscious of the mediaeval religious significance of such an offering。
But this official magic； which in many cases only rests on hearsay； was comparatively unimportant by the side of the secret arts practiced for personal ends。
The form which these most often took in daily life is shown by Ariosto in his comedy of the necromancers。 His hero is one of the many Jewish exiles from Spain； although he also gives himself out for a Greek； an Egyptian； and an African； and is constantly changing his name and costume。 He pretends that his incantations can darken the day and lighten the darkness； that he can move the earth； make himself invisible； and change men into beasts； but these vaunts are only an advertisement。 His true object is to make his account out of unhappy and troubled marriages； and the traces which he leaves behind him in his course are like the slime of a snail； or often like the ruin wrought by a hailstorm。 To attain his ends he can persuade people that the box in which a lover is hidden is full of ghosts； or that he can make a corpse talk。 It is at all events a good sign that poets and novelists could reckon on popular applause in holding up this class of men to ridicule。 Bandello not only treats this sorcery of a Lombard monk as a miserable； and in its consequences terrible； piece of knavery； but he also describes with unaffected indignation the disasters which never cease to pursue the credulous fool。 'A man hopes with 〃Solomon's Key' and other magical books to find the treasures hidden in the bosom of the earth； to force his lady to do his will； to find out the secret of princes； and to transport himself in the twinkling of an eye from Milan to Rome。 The more often he is deceived； the more steadfastly he believes。。。。 Do you remember the time； Signor Carlo； when a friend of ours； in order to win a favour of his beloved； filled his room with skulls and bones like a churchyard？' The most loathsome tasks were prescribedto draw three teeth from a corpse or a nail from its finger； and the like； and while the hocus…pocus of the incantation was going on； the unhappy participants sometimes died of terror。
Benvenuto Cellini did not die during the well…known incantation （1532） in the Colosseum at Rome； although both he and his companions witnessed no ordinary horrors； the Sicilian priest； who probably expected to find him a useful coadjutor in the future； paid him the compliment as they went home of saying that he had never met a man of so sturdy a courage。 Every reader will make his own reflections on the proceedings themselves。 The narcotic fumes and the fact that the imaginations of the spectators were predisposed for all possible terrors； are the chief points to be noticed； and explain why the lad who formed one of the party； and on whom they made most impression； saw much more than the others。 but it may be inferred that Benvenuto himself was the one whom it was wished to impress； since the dangerous beginning of the incantation can have had no other aim than to arouse curiosity。 For Benvenuto had to think before the fair Angelica occurred to him； and the magician told him afterwards that love…making was folly compared with the finding of treasures。 Further； it must not be forgotten that it flattered his vanity to be able to say； 'The demons have kept their word； and Angelica came into my hands； as they promised； just a month later' （I； cap。 68）。 Even on the supposition that Benvenuto gradually lied himself into believing the whole story； it would still be permanently valuable as evidence of the mode of thought then prevalent。
As a rule； however； the Italian artists； even 'the odd； capricious； and eccentric' among them； had little to do with magic。 One of them； in his anatomical studies； may have cut himself a jacket out of the skin of a corpse； but at the advice of his confessor he put it again into the grave。 Indeed the frequent study of anatomy probably did more than anything else to destroy the belief in the magical influence of various parts of the body； while at the same time the incessant observation and representation of the human form made the artist familiar with a magic of a wholly different sort。
In general； notwithstanding the instances which have been quoted； magic seems to have been markedly on the decline at the beginning of the sixteenth centurythat is to say； at a time w