Necromancers of Old: Raising of Ghosts a Favorite Exploit

1878

The raising of ghosts was a favorite exploit of the necromancers of old.

The fame of Torraiva, the Spanish magician, has been immortalized in Don Quixote. The demons that celebrated Italian artist, Benvenuto Cellini, describes as having seen when he got within the conjuror's circle, and which amazement magnified into several legions, are now believed to have been merely figures produced by a magic lantern; and their appearing in an atmosphere of perfumes is accounted for by the burning of odoriferous woods, in order to dim the visions of the spectators.

When the Emperor Charles the Fourth was married to the Bavarian Princess Sophia, in the city of Prague, the father of the tribe brought with him a wagon load of magicians to assist him in the festivities. Two of the chief proficients in the part — Zytho, the Bohemian sorcerer, and Guion, the Bavarian — appeared as rivals in an extraordinary trial before an exalted assembly. After superhuman efforts to astonish, Zytho opened his jaws from ear to ear, and swallowed his companion until his teeth touched his shoes, which he spat out because he said they had not been cleaned. The admiration of the audience was succeeded by feelings of horror, but Zytho calmed their apprehensions by restoring the vanquished Guion in his perfect corporal proportions to life — a triumph of art inexplicable.