The priest one evening made his preparations, and bade me find a
comrade, or not more than two. I invited Vincenzio Romoli, a very dear
friend of mine, and the priest took with him a native of Pistoja, who
also cultivated the black art. We went together to the Coliseum; and
there the priest, having arrayed himself in necromancer’s robes, began
to describe circles on the earth with the finest ceremonies that can be
imagined. I must say that he had made us bring precious perfumes and
fire, and also drugs of fetid odour. When the preliminaries were
completed, he made the entrance into the circle; and taking us by the
hand, introduced us one by one inside it. Then he assigned our several
functions; to the necromancer, his comrade, he gave the pentacle to
hold; the other two of us had to look after the fire and the perfumes;
and then he began his incantations. This lasted more than an hour and a
half; when several legions appeared, and the Coliseum was all full of
devils. I was occupied with the precious perfumes, and when the priest
perceived in what numbers they were present, he turned to me and said:
“Benvenuto, ask them something.” I called on them to reunite me with my
Sicilian Angelica. That night we obtained no answer; but I enjoyed the
greatest satisfaction of my curiosity in such matters. The necromancer
said that we should have to go a second time, and that I should obtain
the full accomplishment of my request; but he wished me to bring with me
a little boy of pure virginity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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