An account of an instance of modern necromancy has been left us by Benvenuto Cellini, who played a prominent part in a case of this sort. He accidentally made the acquaintance of a Sicilian priest, a man of great genius and acquirements, and well versed in Greek and Latin classical lore. One day the conversation turned on necromancy, and the great goldsmith told him that he had the greatest desire to know something about this wonderful art, and that he had felt all his life a great curiosity to penetrate its mysteries. The priest replied, that a man ought to have a very resolute and fearless character to study this art; but Benvenuto answered he had both resolution and courage. The priest went on to say, that if he had the heart to try, he would be the means of obtaining the fulfilment of his wishes. They consequently agreed upon a plan of necromantic study. One evening, Benvenuto invited one of his companions, Vincenzio Romoli, to take part in some experiments that were to be made amongst the ruins of the Coliseum. They there met the Sicilian priest, who after the manner of the ancients began to describe a number of circles in the air in the most imposing manner. He had brought with him various gums and perfumes, and had made a fire, into which his assistant necromancer was to throw them at the proper time. He commenced his conjurations, the ceremony continuing about an hour, when there appeared legions of demons, in such numbers that the whole of the ruins seemed filled with them. Benvenuto was nearly fainting with the perfumes, when the priest roused him by telling him to ask for something. He replied, that he wished to be transported to the side of his Sicilian mistress; but the demons were evidently unpropitious, for nothing came of it. His instructor, however, told him that they must repeat their experiments a second time, and that Benvenuto must bring with him a child that had never committed sin. The next time Benvenuto took with him a boy of twelve years old whom he had in his service, and his friends Romoli and Guddi. When they arrived at the place of meeting, they found the priest had made the same preparations as before. This time, however, he used more powerful conjurations, calling on a number of demons by their names, in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; so that the ruin was filled with a still greater mass of them than on the other occasion. The fire and perfumes were put under the charge of Guddi and Romoli, and he gave Benvenuto a magic picture to hold in a certain direction, the boy being placed underneath it. The priest told him again to wish to be in the company of his lady love, but on his expressing the wish, the magician told him that the demons still refused to do his bidding in this way, but that he should visit her once more in a month’s time. The poor boy underneath the magic picture was seized with a terrible fright, and exclaimed, that he saw millions of