SEALING AND RESEALING LETTERS. 34. 1.
Since, then, I have briefly presented the miracles of their secret teachings
and exposed the condemnation of their tricks as something easy to understand, I
will, as is necessary, not keep secret the following subject as well, namely,
how they break seals and deliver letters with the very same seals. They melt
tar, pine resin, sulfur, and bitumen in equal amounts, molding it to preserve
the shape of little pellets. When it is time to unseal a letter, they coat
their tongues with oil, then use their tongue to smear the seal with oil.
Meanwhile, they heat a solution at a low temperature, apply it to the seal, and
let it alone until it completely congeals. They then use this as a seal. 2.
They also say that wax with pine resin has a similar effect, as well as a
solution of two parts mastic, one part dry bitumen. But sulfur alone is reasonably
effective, as well as gypsum powder soaked with water and resin. This
especially works wonderfully for sealing molten lead. 3. Moreover, a mixture of
Tyrrhenian wax, resin, pitch, bitumen along with mastic and smooth marble-all
boiled in equal quantities-is better than those recipes that I mentioned; but
the gypsum formula is not far inferior. In this way, then, they undertake to
dissolve seals, trying to learn the contents of letters.
I hesitated to list these tricks in my book, since I
suspected that at some point some conman would use this material as a resource
for his schemes. 4. Nevertheless, my present concern-that many young people have
the chance to be saved-has convinced me to instruct and proclaim these things
as a safeguard. Just as one will use these instructions for education in vice,
so another will learn them and be on guard. Moreover, the very magicians who
corrupt human life will be ashamed to use this art. For having learned these
things from us beforehand ... there is a chance that they will be hindered from
their insanity. But, so that your seal might not be broken, mix pig fat and
hair with the wax and seal your letters with this. (Refutation of All Heresies
4.34.1-4, in, Refutation of All Heresies [trans. M. David Litwa;
Writings from the Greco-Roman World; Atlanta: SBL Press, 2016], 153)
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