Asmodeus; or, The Devil on Two SticksLe Sage, Alain René
General
Asmodeus; or, The Devil on Two Sticks
Le Sage, Alain René
Devil -- Fiction; French fiction -- Translations into English; Good and evil -- Fiction; Madrid (Spain) -- Fiction
As he looked on these apparitions, Zambullo trembled. "What!" said the
Devil to him, "you are agitated! Is it with fear of these ghostly
visitants? Let not their ghastly apparel alarm you! Look at it well!
It will adorn your own majestic person some of these days. It is the
uniform of the shades: collect yourself, and fear nothing. Is it
possible your assurance can fail you now,--you, who have had the daring
to look on me? These gentry are harmless compared with myself."
The Student, at these words, recalling his wonted courage, looked on
the phantoms with tranquillity; which the Demon perceiving: "Bravo!"
said he. "Well! now," he continued, "regard these shadows with
attention! You will perceive that the occupant of the stately mausoleum
is confounded with the inhabitant of the unstoned grave. The ranks
by which they were distinguished in their lives died with them; and
the grand chamberlain and the prime minister are no more now than the
lowliest citizen that moulders in this church. The greatness of these
noble shades ended with their days, as that of the strutting hero of a
tragedy falls with the curtain."
"I have a remark to make," interrupted Leandro. "I see a lonely spirit
hovering about, and seeming to shun all contact with his fellows."
"Rather say," replied the Demon, "and you will speak the truth, that
his fellows shun all company with him: and what now think you is that
poor ghost? He was an old notary, who had the vanity to be buried in a
leaden coffin; which has so offended the self-love of the more humble
tenants of the surrounding tombs, that they resolved to black-ball him,
and will not therefore permit his shade to mix with theirs."
"I have another observation yet to make," resumed Don Cleophas. "Two
shadows, just now, on meeting, stopped for a moment to look upon each
other, and then passed each on his way." "They are, or rather were, two
intimate friends," replied the Devil; "one was a painter, and the other
a musician: they both drew their inspiration from the bottle; but
were, otherwise, honest fellows enough. It is worthy of note that they
both brushed off in the same year; and when their spirits meet, struck
by the remembrance of their former delights, they say to each other by
their sorrowful but expressive silence: 'Ah! my friend, we shall drink
no more.'"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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