InalltheearliestdevelopmentsofhumanthoughtwefindastrongtendencytoascribemysteriouspowersoverNaturetomenandwomenespeciallygiftedorskilled。Survivalsofthisviewarefoundtothisdayamongsavagesandbarbariansleftbehindintheevolutionofcivilization，andespeciallyisthisthecaseamongthetribesofAustralia，Africa，andthePacificcoastofAmerica。Eveninthemostenlightenednationsstillappearpopularbeliefs，observances，orsayings，drawnfromthisearlierphaseofthought。
Betweentheprehistoricsavagedevelopingthistheory，andthereforeendeavouringtodealwiththepowersofNaturebymagic，andthemodernmanwhohasoutgrownit，appearsalonglineofnationsstrugglingupwardthroughit。Asthehieroglyphs，cuneiforminscriptions，andvariousotherrecordsofantiquityareread，thedevelopmentofthisbeliefcanbestudiedinEgypt，India，Babylonia，Assyria，Persia，andPhoenicia。FromthesecivilizationsitcameintotheearlythoughtofGreeceandRome，butespeciallyintotheJewishandChristiansacredbooks。
BothintheOldTestamentandintheNewwefindmagic，witchcraft，andsoothsayingconstantlyreferredtoasrealities。[266]
[266]Formagicinprehistorictimesandsurvivalsofitsince，withabundantcitationofauthorities，seeTylor，PrimitiveCulture，chap。iv；alsoTheEarlyHistoryofMankind，bythesameauthor，thirdedition，pp。115etseq。，alsop。380。；alsoAndrewLang，Myth，Ritual，andReligion，vol。i，chapiv。FormagicinEgypt，seeLenormant，ChaldeanMagic，chaps。vi-viii；alsoMaspero，HistoireAnciennedesPeuplesdel’Orient；alsoMasperoandSayce，TheDawnofCivilization，p。282，andforthethreatofmagicianstowreckheaven，seeibid，p。17，note，andespeciallythecitationsfromChabas，LePapyrusMagiqueHarris，inchap。vii；alsoMaury，LaMagieetl’Astrologiedansl’AntiquiteetauMoyenAge。FormagicinChaldea，seeLenormantasabove；alsoMasperoandSayce，pp。780etseq。ForexamplesofmagicalpowersinIndia，seeMaxMuller’sSacredBooksoftheEast，vol。xvi，pp。121etseq。ForalegendaryviewofmagicinMedia，seetheZendAvesta，parti，p。14，translatedbyDarmsteter；andforamorehighlydevelopedview，seetheZendAvesta，partiii，p。239，translatedbyMill。FormagicinGreeceandRome，andespeciallyintheNeoplatonicschool，aswellasintheMiddleAges，seeespeciallyMaury，LaMagieetl’Astrologie，chaps。iii-v。Forvarioussortsofmagicrecognisedandcondemnedinoursacredbooks，seeDeuteronomyxviii，10，11；andfortheburningofmagicalbooksatEphesusundertheinfluenceofSt。Paul，seeActsxix，14。SeealsoEwald，HistoryofIsrael，Martineau’stranslation，fourthedition，vol。iii，pp。45-51。Foraveryelaboratesummingupofthepassagesinoursacredbooksrecognizingmagicasafact，seeDeHaen，DeMagia，Leipsic，1775，chaps。i，ii，andiii，ofthefirstpart。Forthegeneralsubjectofmagic，seeEnnemoser，HistoryofMagic，translatedbyHowitt，which，however，constantlymixessorcerywithmagicproper。
ThefirstdistinctimpulsetowardahigherviewofresearchintonaturallawswasgivenbythephilosophersofGreece。Itistruethatphilosophicaloppositiontophysicalresearchwasattimesstrong，andthatevenagreatthinkerlikeSocratesconsideredcertainphysicalinvestigationsasanimpiousintrusionintotheworkofthegods。ItisalsotruethatPlatoandAristotle，whilebringingtheirthoughtstobearupontheworldwithgreatbeautyandforce，didmuchtodrawmankindawayfromthosemethodswhichinmoderntimeshaveproducedthebestresults。