Comte de Gabalis [1913], at sacred-texts.com
NNNow we will add a true story concerning a Nymph of Stauffenberg. She was of marked beauty and took her seat by the roadside waiting for the master whom she had chosen for herself. These things, it is true, are thought by some theologians to be mere mockeries and trickeries of the Devil--not however by true theologians. What can be more important in the Scriptures than to negleft nothing, to weigh everything honestly and faithfully, to digest with a sober and attentive judgement, to scrutinize everything every where with accuracy, and to despise nothing unknown. Whence it is clear that these persons lightly and supinely pass over these things, being ignorant of the truth, and pleading detersions of the Devil though the
[paragraph continues] Devil himself is not known to them. It should be reflected that such marvels are permitted by God to the end that we may not all of us marry and live with Nymphs, but only one here and one there, so that the wonderful works of God among his creatures may be revealed and a surer knowledge of them spread abroad. Had these been the works of the Devil, doubtless they had deserved contempt. But they are not. The Devil cannot do such things, but only God. But let us return to our story. This Nymph had been a Water Nymph, and had married this citizen of Stauffenberg already mentioned. . . . Many other events of like nature have occurred, but by an evil example are passed over with contempt. From which the signal folly of men is abundantly clear. PARACELSI LIBER DE NYMPHIS, ETC., TRACTATUS iv. Translated from the Latin edition of the works of Paracelsus. Published at Geneva in 1658. Vol. ii.