Of Finding the Angels and Their Orders
Perrone Compagni — Table of Comparison
1533 edition (3:4): W, 3: 3 + W, 3: 57 + many additions
This chapter, De duobus ceremonialis magiae adminiculis, religione et superstitione (“Of Finding the Angels and Their Orders”), occupies a significant place in Agrippa's systematic exposition of occult philosophy. In the 1533 Cologne printed edition (De occulta philosophia libri tres, sigla K in Perrone Compagni's critical apparatus), the text represents Agrippa's mature formulation of the ideas it addresses, the product of over two decades of reading, travel, and revision since the composition of the Würzburg draft.
This chapter derives from W 3:3, W 3:57 of the Würzburg draft, but has been substantially expanded — Perrone Compagni notes many additions. The scale of interpolation suggests Agrippa rethought and broadened the original argument considerably; the 1533 text is in essence a new development of the earlier material rather than a simple revision.
The extent of revision in this chapter illustrates the dynamic character of Agrippa's rewriting process. Rather than simply updating facts, he appears to have substantially reconfigured the argument. Comparison with the partial edition A — which represents an intermediate stage — may reveal whether the additions were introduced gradually or in a single later revision.
Scholarly Perspectives
The chapter on finding the angels and their orders represents the taxonomic heart of Book III's angelology. Lehrich (2003) analyses DOP's angel-hierarchy in relation to Pseudo-Dionysian celestial hierarchy, arguing that Agrippa's innovation is to treat the angelic orders not merely as theological categories but as operative principles accessible to the trained magician. The angels are, in effect, the personified intelligences that govern the celestial powers described in Book II; contact with them is the culmination of the ascending magical programme.