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Crystal Balls and Crystal Gazing: Mirror

The Persian poet Jami writes thus of a magic mirror in the poem "Salaman and Absal": (Jami's "Salaman and Absal," trans. by Edward Fitzgerald, Boston, 1899.) Then from his secret Art the Sage Vizyr A Magic Mirror made; a Mirror like The bosom of All-wise Intelligence, Reflecting in its mystic compass all Within the sev'nfold volume of the World Invol'd; and looking in that Mirror's face The Shah beheld the face of his Desire.

Roger Bacon (1214-1292) was probably the most gifted man of the thirteenth century, and his writings testify to an extraordinarily clear perception of the essential principles of scientific research. However, his true greatness was not generally appreciated in his own age, and popular fancy wove about his name a fabric of legend in which he appeared as an arch-necromancer and magician. The curious old work entitled "The Famous Historie of Fryar Bacon" gives a number of the strange recitals which became current in England in regard to Bacon's wonderful powers.

One of these treats of a marvellous "glass" made by the friar, in which events happening at far-distant places were mirrored. On one occasion two young men, between whom the friendliest feelings existed, came to Bacon and requested him to let them see in the mirror what their fathers were doing at the time. The friar consented, but the experiment, while successful, was the cause of a terrible misfortune. The story is as follows: