Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-06
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FRIAR BAOOEs BRASS HEAD.


In ~ Nuss and incleWl room, whose
appliances denSlSd Ghe abode OF TIC
scho.lr ami philosopher, slt the
EARNED and fanouS trur Roger
Blp4n, Beside him, a dusty table WA
thl,kly an swn with sGronS OF lMrch'
mem, rch with age and erndltloni
whre q nrge chest, heavily barred
and bo1ed, WAS filled with other
treasures IN mlnuscrp,, each worth
more thNn 80 weight in virgin gold.
At the lalghCr end OF the room q
vast chimney, with Smoky furnaces
and cruubles, containing crude and
half smPlled ores, ANA aLp the various
properties OF the llchemIst, occupied
one side OF she apartment. In one cor
ner, u huge iron mC,Eal shielded by
screens or meuaN from contact WIN
any spark which night fly from the
furnaces, WAS filled with IN inodproui
mixture of LrimNuue and saltptHer
and a black duAt which locked dixie
powdered chancoal Everywhere, or
floor and tube, stood such rude in
strliments to aid in chemistry and u.s.
1ronomy MS the time afforded, while
AID about We're such evidences OF
work and study ais made the place
seem G' much The workshop OF the ar
usan as the library of the scholar,
Stretched across the upper end OF
the apartment, "a heavy green curtain
fell in broken folds over some object
.,,hu,,h IL ,,,,ts initnnIc1 IN nnnpaul He
fore this curtain sar the great NEGRO,
mancer, OF whose art all Eng'ana
spoke In whispered wonder, and with
hated breath, "the learned Friar Ba
con of Oxford"
No longer an inmate OF the college
from whose walls his suspected magic
had caused him 10 be driven forth, he
dwelt solitary among the surrounding
rustlcs who feared and Stunned him.
and in secret wrought those mSslerl
Gus works which made him dreaded
amCng men.
lie was now only 1 little past middle
life, u man Of commanding figure nnd
noble head, which seemed heavy viii
the weight of knowledge It carried
and now dropped YEARLY upon his
hands as he sat stepped IN thought
HIS revere was broken by the en-
trance Of his servant Mles, the only
RETAINER he could keep about him, q
half-witted, faithful fellow, who chung
gratefully 10 the hand which fed him
81 cry you mercy good master
aaid Aliles, haStl.y entering, but J
could not stay upon ceremony. y lorQ
is without the door, asking entrance
TO you, III Is n fellow in q scarlet Goa
and wonderful fine otherwise. He
declares that he Is from ONford, and
will have speech with you. And, al
though ! said nob.dy could enter, hi
VIII come in whether ! will or no. Al
which !, fearing he might be the EVIL
One himself took to my heels to tel,
rhee about him.
Let him come in," answered thu
friar, reused by the servants lon6
speech from his deep abstraction vi
is Clement, the cardinal, the Pope'i
legate to England. Stay, Miles, throw
a cloth over the pile Of manuscripts
yonder. Pull Out that cur,oir
straight. Now give me the book Of thu
Gospels. 1t is enough, Show the car
dinll hither,"
\ moment later, and the Cardinal
Clement, himself the next success p Il
the papHl throne, entered the apart
ment.
We'll frar, at last we have found
your secret hiding place, 1t Is no easy
Journey hlther, and the road is az
hard and narrow as thar which leads
to Paradise
81 ann sorry for the trouble youl
lordship took in coming and Shouts
have been happy If it might have been
spared YOU"
(Which means, 80 ] take IT, good
friar, that you are not glad at my
coming But believe me, come with
mo evil intent, nor for anything except
friendship. krow how they have
treated thee at Oxford, and in good
earnest ! have BEEN always sorry for
1T. Learning is not so plenty, that il
should be put down; and from whai
| know of thy wonderful inventions,
they are NOT those that the devil
teaches his followers, but always OF
good service TO the cause of Truth
and the true Church, pray thee do
not dlstrust my motive. ! come in
Briendly gu,se, unattended avs thou
seest, and with the desire but to be in
Structed in some OF thy magic dis
coveIies, and see what they may avail
TO science"
"My discoveries are naught," an
severed the friar, still keeping up The
reserved manner he had worn since
the entrance Of his visitor. Thou
hast heard of the magic powder which
has so frighted the learned magnatss
of the college that they drove me out
side their walls. 1t Is but compost.
tlon of simple substances. which with
out any magic ant, when touched with
spark, will give forth II sembIance Of
lightning and thunder. II thou wishest
] can, in n few minutes, show thee the
secret of it,
mo, no, good frlar," returned the
cardinal shrinking away little UNI
t3aSlly from the MORTAR in the corner,
which Bacon approached. 81 trust
thy word, and | am no foO TO believe
stories Of any wizard s-craft. But
there Is another matter of which !
come to inquire of thee. Thou hast
huge head, they tell me, Of which thou
makest ~ Familiar, that tells the