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Article THE DEAN AND THE MAGICIAN; ← Page 2 of 5 →
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The Dean And The Magician;
about to test your generosity . I am aware no living mortal possesses such unbounded control over the invisible agents of the universe as you do . I am dy ing with desire to become an adept in this wondrous science ; and if you accept me as your pupil , nothing I can do will be sufficient recompense . " " I do not wish , " said Don Ulan , " to offend your reverence ; but allow me to saythat the profound studies ivhich I have pursued into
, cause and effect , have taught me to judge of the heart of man as not alone inconstant and forgetful , but as naturally and instinctively evil . This , however , is but a conjecture , for I can neither read the thoughts of the heart nor trace the impressions of the soul . However , what I do know , and what my art teaches , is that you are destined for distinction , and that you will probably attain the highest dignities of the churchbut when you shall have reached the great summitthat you
; , will then remember the poor son of wisdom , of whom you now require important and dangerous service , is what I cannot , by all the means ¦ within reach of my art , even conjecture . " " Good , good ! " said the Dean , "if you Don Ulan do not yet know me , surely I know myself . Generosity and friendship ( I blush to be forced to pronounce my own eulogy ) have been , from my earliest childhoodthe deliht of my heart . Fear notmy dearest friend ( for I
can-, g , not deny myself the satisfaction of so calling you ) , fear not , from this moment , to dispose of me as you will ; my greatest happiness will henceforward be to use whatever is mine of fortune , or credit for the benefit of yourself and all who may be honoured with your friendship . " " A thousand thanks , most worthy sir , " replied Don Ulan— " now to
business . The sun has set ; if you please , we shall retire to my cabinet . " Having got lights , Don Ulan conducted his guest to the lower part of his dwelling : on reaching a door , the key of which he held in his hand , he dismissed the Moorish girl , ordering her to provide a brace of partridges for supper , but to await his further orders before dressing them ; then opening the door , he commenced descending a flight of
deep stone stairs . The Dean followed , not without some cold shudderings / which increased as the steps disappeared under his feet . As well as he could judge , the way led under the bed of the river . AVhen tbey had arrived at the bottom , they found a chamber commodiously furnished and provided with tables , on which were arranged the magic volumes of Don Ulan . Globes , planispheres , and objects of strange design occupied the remaining space . The air was kept constantly
pure ; how , it was impossible to conjecture , since it was evident , from its murmuring sound , that the water was only slig htly separated from the apartment which the party had now entered . " Here , " said the mysterious Don Ulan , offering a seat to the Dean , and p lacing another for himself , close to a small round table , " here wc have now but to choose among the elementary works of the great science to which you aspire . Let us beginfor instancewith this small
, , volume . " The book lay on tbe table , open at the first page , ivhich was covered with concentric circles , triangles , and squares , as well as other not intelligible characters and signs . " This , " commenced Don Ulan , " is the alp habet of all science . Hermes , called Trismegistus— ''
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Dean And The Magician;
about to test your generosity . I am aware no living mortal possesses such unbounded control over the invisible agents of the universe as you do . I am dy ing with desire to become an adept in this wondrous science ; and if you accept me as your pupil , nothing I can do will be sufficient recompense . " " I do not wish , " said Don Ulan , " to offend your reverence ; but allow me to saythat the profound studies ivhich I have pursued into
, cause and effect , have taught me to judge of the heart of man as not alone inconstant and forgetful , but as naturally and instinctively evil . This , however , is but a conjecture , for I can neither read the thoughts of the heart nor trace the impressions of the soul . However , what I do know , and what my art teaches , is that you are destined for distinction , and that you will probably attain the highest dignities of the churchbut when you shall have reached the great summitthat you
; , will then remember the poor son of wisdom , of whom you now require important and dangerous service , is what I cannot , by all the means ¦ within reach of my art , even conjecture . " " Good , good ! " said the Dean , "if you Don Ulan do not yet know me , surely I know myself . Generosity and friendship ( I blush to be forced to pronounce my own eulogy ) have been , from my earliest childhoodthe deliht of my heart . Fear notmy dearest friend ( for I
can-, g , not deny myself the satisfaction of so calling you ) , fear not , from this moment , to dispose of me as you will ; my greatest happiness will henceforward be to use whatever is mine of fortune , or credit for the benefit of yourself and all who may be honoured with your friendship . " " A thousand thanks , most worthy sir , " replied Don Ulan— " now to
business . The sun has set ; if you please , we shall retire to my cabinet . " Having got lights , Don Ulan conducted his guest to the lower part of his dwelling : on reaching a door , the key of which he held in his hand , he dismissed the Moorish girl , ordering her to provide a brace of partridges for supper , but to await his further orders before dressing them ; then opening the door , he commenced descending a flight of
deep stone stairs . The Dean followed , not without some cold shudderings / which increased as the steps disappeared under his feet . As well as he could judge , the way led under the bed of the river . AVhen tbey had arrived at the bottom , they found a chamber commodiously furnished and provided with tables , on which were arranged the magic volumes of Don Ulan . Globes , planispheres , and objects of strange design occupied the remaining space . The air was kept constantly
pure ; how , it was impossible to conjecture , since it was evident , from its murmuring sound , that the water was only slig htly separated from the apartment which the party had now entered . " Here , " said the mysterious Don Ulan , offering a seat to the Dean , and p lacing another for himself , close to a small round table , " here wc have now but to choose among the elementary works of the great science to which you aspire . Let us beginfor instancewith this small
, , volume . " The book lay on tbe table , open at the first page , ivhich was covered with concentric circles , triangles , and squares , as well as other not intelligible characters and signs . " This , " commenced Don Ulan , " is the alp habet of all science . Hermes , called Trismegistus— ''