greatly neglected, the walls of the building were falling into ruin,
and everything was in disorder. Trithemius, by his good management and
regularity, introduced a reform in every branch of expenditure. The
monastery was repaired, and a yearly surplus, instead of a deficiency,
rewarded him for his pains. He did not like to see the monks idle, or
occupied solely between prayers for their business, and chess for
their relaxation. He, therefore, set them to work to copy the writings
of eminent authors. They laboured so assiduously, that, in the course
of a few years, their library, which had contained only about forty
volumes, was enriched with several hundred valuable manuscripts,
comprising many of the classical Latin authors, besides the works of
the early fathers, and the principal historians and philosophers of
more modern date. He retained the dignity of Abbot of Spannheim for
twenty-one years, when the monks, tired of the severe discipline he
maintained, revolted against him, and chose another abbot in his
place. He was afterwards made Abbot of St. James, in Wurtzburg, where
he died in 1516.

During his learned leisure at Spannheim, he wrote several works
upon the occult sciences, the chief of which are an essay on geomancy,
or divination by means of lines and circles on the ground; another
upon sorcery; a third upon alchymy; and a fourth upon the government
of the world by its presiding angels, which was translated into
English, and published by the famous William Lilly in 1647.

It has been alleged by the believers in the possibility of
transmutation, that the prosperity of the abbey of Spannheim, while
under his superintendence, was owing more to the philosopher's stone
than to wise economy. Trithemius, in common with many other learned
men, has been accused of magic; and a marvellous story is told of his