Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-12-10
OF FAMOUS MAGICIANS.
KING ARTHUR AND MERLIN THE
ENCHANTER.
Legends Of wonderful Magician OF the
Middle Ages-Corneltus AgrpPa's
Black Dog and the Story
Of His Death.

The supremely ambitious nature OF
man has been evinced from the earli-
est periods OF creation by his keen de-
sire to probe the secrets OF the world
unknown" to penetrate the future.
and even to command and control fu-
ture events
The dark period of $50 years says
the Sat. Evening Post between tao
entrance of the Saxons under Hengist
and their conversion to Christianity.
was the age of the famous King
Arthur and his friend Merlin the en-
chapter. The earliest OF the prose
romances relating to Arthur Is the
history of Merlin, who notwithstand-
ing the remarkable traditions concern
ing his occult powers, may not nave
been altogether a fictitious parsonage.
We may imagine him to have been
minister of surprising ability whose
deeds have been passed on to posterlty
through the customary course OF eN-
ageration and establishment, till his
original virtues have been lost alto
Cether in a halo of Obscurity and ro-
mances. However that may be, Mer-
lin, according to tradition, was the
son of a demon and an innocent young
lady. and favorite minister OF Cter
Pendragon, the British King, who
founded the order of the Round Table
at Carduel, now Carlisle. Merlin
served Utter in his armor with the
beautiful Yguerne, Duchess of Tinta-
diel, and was afterwards the wise
counsellor of their son, the ever fam
GUS Arthur when the latter was
chosen King in consequence OF having
unfixed from miraculous stone
sword which two hundred and one of
the most valiant barons in the realm
had been singly unable to extract.
Arthur had long wars to sustain
against the Gauls and Saxons, and. at
the beginning. with those of his Bar
ons who disapproved Of his singular
mode OF election. In all these con-
tests Merlin was of the greatest SER
vice, as he changed himself into a
dwarf. a harp player. or stag. as the
interest OF his master required; or at
least threw on the bystanders u spell
to fascinate their eyes, and cause them
to see the thing that was not
On one occasion he made an expe-
dition to Rome. entered the kings
palace in the shape of an enormous
stag and in this character delivered
q formal harangue to the amazement
of all present. At length this re-
nowned magician disappeared entirely
81 NJ
heard in the forest where he was en-
closed in a bush of hawthorn. into
which somewhat awkward residence
he had been entrapped by means Of a
charm which he had communicated to
his mistress Viviane. who not believ-
ing in the spell had tried it on her
lover The lady. we are told. was
rueful in discovering the extreme po-
tency Of Merlins charm; but there
was no extracting her swain from his
thorny coverture.
The conduct of the alchemists Of
the middle ages presents to the meta
physician and the moralist a problem
Of very difficult solution. OF Cornelius
Agrippa many extraordinary deeds
are related. He wrote three books Of
considerable size on magic and in
common with others, sought the art
of transmitting the baser metals into
gold.
The earl OF Surrey it seems be-
came acquainted with Agrippa at the
Court OF John George Elector of Sax
ony. On this occasion there were
present beside the English nobleman,
Erasmus, and many other persons emil
nent in the republic of letters. These
persons desired him before the elector
to exhibit something memorable.
Erasmus earnestly requested to behold
Tully in the act Of delivering his ora
ton for Roscius. After marshalling
the concourse of spectators Tully ap-
peared at the command of Agrippa,
and from the rOstrum pronounced the
Grafton precisely in the words in which
it has been handed down to us!
The story adds that. when Sir
Thomas More was at the same place,
Agrippa showed him the whole de-
struction of Troy in dream. 10
Thomas. Lord Cromwell he exhibited,
in a perspective glass. King Henry
VIII. and all his lords hunting in his
forest at Windsor. 10 Charles v. he
showed David Solomon. Gideon and
the rest, with the Nine Worthless, in
their habits and similitude. as they
lived. Agrippa, according to the tes-
timony OF Jovius had an attendant
devil who accompanied him in all his
travels. in the shape OF black dog.
When he lay on his deathbed he was
earnestly exhorted to repent of his
sins.
Being in consequence struck with a.
deep contrition, he took hold of the
dog and removed from him a collar
studded with nails. which formed a
necromantic inscription. at the same
time saying to him. ',Begone, wretched
animal, which has been the cause of
my entire destruction" 1t is added
that the dog Immediately ran awav
aud plunged itself into the River
Soane. after which it was seen no
more.
HIS single Campaign Speech.