Another night Cellini and the sorcerer repaired to the ruins of the
Colosseum. The artist was accompanied by a boy of twelve years of
age, who was in his employ, and by two friends, Agnolino Gaddi and
the before-mentioned Romoli. The necromancer, after describing the
usual magic circle and building a fire, “began to utter those awful
invocations, calling by name on multitudes of demons who are captains
of their legions . . . ; insomuch that in a short space of time the
whole Colosseum was full of a hundredfold as many as had appeared
upon the first occasion.” At the advice of the wizard, Cellini again
asked to be reunited with his mistress. The sorcerer turned to him
and said: “Hear you what they have replied; that in the space of one
month you will be where she is.” The company within the magic circle
were now confronted by a great company of demons. The boy declared
that he saw four armed giants of immense stature who were endeavoring
to get within the circle. They trembled with fear. The necromancer,
to calm the fright of the boy, assured him that what they beheld
was but _smoke and shadows_, and that the spirits were under his
power. As the smoke died out, the demons faded away, and Cellini and
his friends left the place fully satisfied of the reality of the
conjurations. As they left the Colosseum, the boy declared that he
saw two of the demons leaping and skipping before them, and often
upon the roofs of the houses. The priest paid no attention to them,
but endeavored to persuade the goldsmith to renew the attempt on some
future occasion, in order to discover the secret treasures of the
earth. But Cellini did not care to meddle more in the black art. {15}
What are we to believe about this magic invocation? Was Cellini
romancing? Though a vainglorious, egotistical man, he was truthful,
and his memoirs may be relied on.
John Addington Symonds, one of the translators of Cellini’s
autobiography, remarks: “Imagination and the awe-inspiring influences
of the place, even if we eliminate a possible magic lantern among the
conjurer’s appurtenances, are enough to account for what Cellini saw.
He was credulous; he was superstitious.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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