Foras teaches the virtues of herbs and stones alongside logic and ethics. Appearing as a strong man, he offers long life, eloquence and invisibility, then turns his knowledge towards treasure and the recovery of lost things. [1]
Teaching the virtues of herbs and precious stones, logic and ethics; granting eloquence, longevity and invisibility in the main reading; discovering treasure and recovering lost things. [1]
Foras appears as a strong man. He teaches how to recognise the virtues of herbs and precious stones and gives full instruction in logic and ethics. At request he makes people invisible, long-lived and eloquent; he also discovers treasure and recovers lost things. The mighty president governs twenty-nine legions. [1]
Invisible or invincible
A footnote reports ‘invincible’ in one or two codices, against ‘invisible’ in the majority. The editor considers the strong human form a possible reason to favour invincibility, then suggests that it would more likely be mental than physical. [1]
Scot’s Foras, also named Forcas, explicitly grants invisibility and wit as well as eloquence and long life. [1][2]
S. L. MacGregor Mathers, translated; Aleister Crowley, edited, The Book of the Goetia of Solomon the King (1904), first-edition facsimile supplied by Keep Silence. Shemhamphorash, entry 31 and invisible/invincible footnote; printed p. 20, PDF p. 17
Reginald Scot, The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584); Brinsley Nicholson’s reprint of the first edition (1886), Project Gutenberg transcription. Book XV, chapter II, Foras; 1886 reprint page 320
