Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 08
Religion
Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 08
Literature -- Collections
I chose one of my shop-lads, who was about twelve years old, and
invited Vincenzio Romoli again; and we also took a certain Agnolino
Gaddi, who was a very intimate friend of both. When we came once more
to the place appointed, the necromancer made just the same
preparations, attended by the same and even more impressive details.
Then he introduced us into the circle, which he had reconstructed with
art more admirable and yet more wondrous ceremonies. Afterwards he
appointed my friend Vincenzio to the ordering of the perfumes and the
fire, and with him Agnolino Gaddi. He next placed in my hand the
pentacle, which he bid me turn toward the points he indicated, and
under the pentacle I held the little boy, my workman. Now the
necromancer began to utter those awful invocations, calling by name on
multitudes of demons who are captains of their legions, and these he
summoned by the virtue and potency of God, the Uncreated, Living, and
Eternal, in phrases of the Hebrew, and also of the Greek and Latin
tongues; insomuch that in a short space of time the whole Coliseum was
full of a hundredfold as many as had appeared upon the first occasion.
Vincenzio Romoli, together with Agnolino, tended the fire and heaped
on quantities of precious perfumes. At the advice of the necromancer I
again demanded to be reunited with Angelica. The sorcerer turned to me
and said, "Hear you what they have replied--that in the space of one
month you will be where she is?" Then once more he prayed me to stand
firm by him, because the legions were a thousandfold more than he had
summoned, and were the most dangerous of all the denizens of hell; and
now that they had settled what I asked, it behoved us to be civil to
them and dismiss them gently. On the other side, the boy, who was
beneath the pentacle, shrieked out in terror that a million of the
fiercest men were swarming round and threatening us. He said moreover
that four huge giants had appeared, who were striving to force their
way inside the circle. Meanwhile the necromancer, trembling with fear,
kept doing his best with mild and soft persuasions to dismiss them.
Vincenzio Romoli, who quaked like an aspen-leaf, looked after the
perfumes. Though I was quite as frightened as the rest of them, I
tried to show it less, and inspired them all with marvelous courage;
but the truth is that I had given myself up for dead when I saw the
terror of the necromancer. The boy had stuck his head between his
knees, exclaiming, "This is how I will meet death, for we are
certainly dead men." Again I said to him, "These creatures are all
inferior to us, and what you see is only smoke and shadow; so then
raise your eyes." When he had raised them he cried out, "The whole
Coliseum is in flames, and the fire is advancing on us;" then covering
his face with his hands, he groaned again that he was dead, and that
he could not endure the sight longer. The necromancer appealed for my
support, entreating me to stand firm by him, and to have asafetida
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account