pallet 2
Autor: Tetragrama Ton | Publicado: 2014-02-09T03:02:00-08:00



pallet 2



The Black Pullet, or the Hen with the Golden Eggs.&nbsp;

"Comprising the Science of Magical Talismans and Rings; the art of Necromancy and the Kabbalah, for&nbsp;

conjuring the aerial and infernal spirits, sylphs, undines, and gnomes; for acquiring knowledge of the&nbsp;

secret sciences; for discovering treasures, for the gaining of power to command all beings, and for&nbsp;

unmasking all evil spells and sorceries,&nbsp;

"From the teachings of Socrates, Pythagoras, Plato, Zoroaster, son of the great Aromasis, and other&nbsp;

philosophers whose manuscripts escaped the burning of Ptolemy’s library, and translated from the&nbsp;

language of the Magi and of the Hieroglyphs, by the Doctors Mizzaboula-Jabamia, Danhuzerus,&nbsp;

Nehmahmian, Judahim, Eliaeb, and translated into French by&nbsp;

A.J.S .D.R.L.G.F.&nbsp;

in Egypt&nbsp;

740.&nbsp;

PREFACE&nbsp;

The work which we offer to the public must not be confused with a collection of reveries and errors to&nbsp;

which their authors have tried to give credence by announcing supernatural feats; which the credulous&nbsp;

and the ignorant siezed with avidity. We only quote the most respectable authorities and most dignified&nbsp;

in faith. The principles which we present are based on the doctrines of the ancients and modern, who full&nbsp;

of respect for the Divinity, were always the friends of mankind, endeavoured to recall them to virtue, by&nbsp;

showing them vice in all its deformity. We have drawn from the most pure sources, having only in view&nbsp;

the love of truth and the desire to enlighten those who desire to discover the secrets of Nature and the&nbsp;

marvels which they unfold to those who never separate the darkness which surrounds them. It is only&nbsp;

given to those who are favoured by The Great Being, to raise themselves above the terrestial sphere, and&nbsp;

to plan a bold flight in the etheric regions; it is for these priviledged men that we write.&nbsp;

To us no importance is given to the splenetic Voices which are raised against us. The silence and the&nbsp;

smile of disdain will be the only answer with which We shall oppose them, and we shall follow with firm&nbsp;

Sustained steps the route which indicates to us the luminous stars which fill the heavens, which cover our&nbsp;

heads, and which light these thousands of worlds, which bless every day with our Sovereign Master of&nbsp;

the Universe, which He has created, also ourselves, and whose Will maintains this admirable order, Which commands our admiration, our respect and our love.&nbsp;

The Black Pullet or The Hen with the Golden Eggs&nbsp;

Before beginning the subject, and to acquaint my readers of this profound Science, which until the&nbsp;

present day has been the object of research of the most constant and profound meditations, I must unbosom&nbsp;

myself how these marvelous secrets were communicated to me, and the manner in which the&nbsp;

Divine Providence allowed me to escape from the greatest dangers and, so to speak, conducted me by the&nbsp;

Divine Hand, to prove that by Divine Will it is sufficient to raise unto Himself the last of Beings or to&nbsp;

precipate to naught those who are clothed with all power on Earth. We all therefor come from God, God&nbsp;

is everything, and without God nothing can exist. Who more than I may penetrate the truth eternal and&nbsp;

sacred.&nbsp;

I formed part of the expedition to Egypt, an officer in the army of the genius. I took part in the successes&nbsp;

and reverses of this army, which victorious or obliged to cede to force from the eventualities and&nbsp;

circumstances, always covered itself with glory.&nbsp;

As there is no point in relating here any detail which deals with this memorable campaign, I will but&nbsp;

relate one single feature, with which I was touched, and is necessary for the development which I must&nbsp;

give to those whom I mentioned in my preface. I had been sent by the General, under whose orders I&nbsp;

found myself, to draw up the plans of the Pyramids; he had given me an escort of some mounted light&nbsp;

infantry horse. I arrived with them at my destination without experiencing any accident, also without&nbsp;

noticing anything that could conjecture the fate that awaited us. We had dismounted near the Pyramids,&nbsp;

our horses had been tethered; sitting on the sands we appeased the hunger that tormented us. French&nbsp;

gaiety seasoned the food which composed our frugal meal. It was on the point of ending, and I was&nbsp;

occupied with my work when all of a sudden a horde of desert Arabs fell on us. We did not have the time&nbsp;

to place ourselves in a position of defence. The blows of swords descended upon us, the bullets whistled,&nbsp;

and I received several wounds. My unhappy companions were lying on the ground dead or expiring. Our&nbsp;

cruel enemies after having removed our weapons and clothes, disappeared with our horses with the speed&nbsp;

of lightning. I remained for some time in a state of prostration, facing the sun. At last recovering some of&nbsp;

my strength, I raised myself with pain. I had two sword cuts on the head, and one on the left arm. I&nbsp;

looked around me. I saw nothing but corpses, a burning sky and arid sand in an immense desert and a&nbsp;

frightning solitude. With but the hope of a certain and cruel death, I resigned myself to saying goodbye to&nbsp;

my country to my parents and to my friends. Invoking heaven, I crawled to the Pyramid, and the blood&nbsp;

which ran with abundance from my wounds reddened the sand which was soon to be my tomb.&nbsp;

Arriving at the foot of these worldly marvels I sat down and leaned against this enormous mass that had&nbsp;

seen many centuries pass by and which would see many more pass. I thought that my existence which&nbsp;

was soon to end had come to naught just as the day which was nearing its end, the sun being on the point&nbsp;

of plunging into the ocean.&nbsp;

"Brilliant star, receive my goodbyes," I said with emotion. "My eyes will never see you again, your&nbsp;


benificent light will never shine on me again. Goodbye." As I said this goodbye which I thought was&nbsp;

eternal, the sun disappeared. The night came and covered the world with its dark curtain.&nbsp;

I was absorbed with the most sad reflections when a light noise could be heard a few paces from me. A&nbsp;

large slab of stone detached itself from the pyramid and fell on the sand; I turned to that side, and by the&nbsp;

light of a small lantern that he carried in his hand, I perceived a venerable old man who came out of the&nbsp;

pyramid. A white beard covered his chest, a turban covered his head, and the rest of his costume&nbsp;

indicated that he was a Mohammedan. He cast his eyes around; then advancing a few steps he halted&nbsp;

opposite the corpse of one of my unhappy companions of misfortune.&nbsp;

"Oh Heavens!" he cried in Turkish. "A man is wounded, a Frenchman is dead." He lifted his eyes to the&nbsp;

sky saying: "Oh Allah." He then discovered the others which he carefully examined to see if he could not&nbsp;

find one who still breathed, and to assure himself, I saw him place his hand in the region of the heart. The&nbsp;

old man recognised that they had all ceased to live. Uttering a painful groan, with tears furrowing down&nbsp;

from his eyes, he retraced his steps to re—enter the pyramid. I felt the desire to conserve my days. I had&nbsp;

already made the sacrifice of my life; hope entered my heart. Summoning all my strength, I called to&nbsp;

him; he heard me, and turning his lantern in my direction, he saw me. Advancing he gave me his hand,&nbsp;

which I seized and pressed to my ups. He saw that I was wounded and that blood was flowing from the&nbsp;

cuts on my head.&nbsp;

Placing his lantern on the ground, he removed his girdle and covered my brow. He then helped me to get&nbsp;

up. I had lost a lot of blood and was suffering from extreme weakness—I hardly had the strength to&nbsp;

support myself. Placing his lantern in my hand, then taking me in his arms, he carried me near the&nbsp;

opening in the pyramid from which he had come and placed me gently on the sand. Giving me an&nbsp;

affectionate grip of the hand, he indicated that he was re-entering the pyramid and would return&nbsp;

promptly.&nbsp;

I gave thanks to Heaven for the unexpected help that had been sent me. The old man reappeared carrying&nbsp;

a flagon. He removed the cork and poured a few drops of the liqueur into a drinking vessel which he&nbsp;

gave to me to drink. A delicious perfume diffused around me. Hardly had this Divine Liqueur penetrated&nbsp;

my stomach than I felt regenerated, and I had enough strength to enter the pyramid with my benefactor&nbsp;

and generous conductor.&nbsp;

We then stopped for a few moments. He replaced the stone that had fallen, which he adjusted with an&nbsp;

iron bar, and we descended by an easy slope into the interior of the pyramid. After having walked for&nbsp;

some time on the same path, which made several sinuous turns, we arrived at a door which he secretly&nbsp;

opened and closed with care. Then having crossed an immense hall, we entered another place. A lamp&nbsp;

hung from the ceiling; there was a table covered with books, several oriental divans or seats, and a bed&nbsp;

on which to rest. The kind old man conducted me to a seat where he made me sit down. Placing his&nbsp;

lantern on the table he opened a kind of cupboard from which he took several vases.&nbsp;

He approached me and invited me to remove my clothes with an attention and complaisance difficult to&nbsp;


describe. Having examined my wounds he applied with solemn formality several balms which came&nbsp;

from the vases of which I have previously spoken. Hardly had they been applied to my arms and head&nbsp;

than the pains were soothed. He invited me to lie on his bed, and very soon a beneficial and soothing&nbsp;

sleep weighed down my eyelids.&nbsp;

When I awoke, I looked around and saw sitting near me the good old man who did not wish to partake of&nbsp;

rest while I was asleep as he feared that I might need help. I tendered him my most grateful thanks by the&nbsp;

most expressive signs. In the same manner he signified to me that I must remain quiet. He gave me a new&nbsp;

portion of the cordial which had already proved its happy effects. Afterwards he looked at me with&nbsp;

extreme attention, and realizing that he had nothing to fear for my life, he affectionately patted my hand.&nbsp;

He then lay down on some cushions on the other side of the chamber where we were, and soon I heard&nbsp;

him sleeping profoundly and peacefully.&nbsp;

"Oh benevolent one," I said to myself, "thou art virtue par excellance and a pure emanation of the&nbsp;

Divinity; thou unitest and bringest men together and thou makest them forget the pains to which they are&nbsp;

prey. Through thee they are returned to happiness, and too thou art this happiness, the object of all their&nbsp;

wishes and all their desires."&nbsp;

My host made a movement and got up. He came to me and smiled at seeing me in a state of calm and&nbsp;

tranquility which left him in no fear of my being. He gave me to understand that he was going to leave&nbsp;

me so that he could go out of the pyramid and see what was happening outside. He brought to my side&nbsp;

that which he thought would be necessary for my needs, and then he left me alone.&nbsp;

Until this moment I had not reflected at all on what had happened to me in this exigency. I found myself&nbsp;

safe in this subterranean place, and I had no uneasiness relative to my host; however, this would have to&nbsp;

come to an end by my departing after I had been cured and re-joining the Army. I was occupied with&nbsp;

these ideas when I saw the old man re-enter. He gave me to understand that several Arab corps and&nbsp;

Mamelouks were surveying the plain and that he had seen them without being noticed because his retreat&nbsp;

was impenetrable to all eyes. He indicated that he had me in his care and regarded me as his son;&nbsp;

therefore I could deliver myself to the greatest security. I indicated to him my complete gratitude, and he&nbsp;

appeared satisfied. As I appeared to be dissatisfied to be able to express myself only by signs, he brought&nbsp;

me a book indicating that with its help we could soon communicate together without hesitation. The&nbsp;

career which I had followed since my childhood had familiarised me with meditation, I loved the&nbsp;

application of mind, and I was soon in the condition to listen to my generous old man. He also showed&nbsp;

such compliance in the lessons which he gave me that even with less good will, one would have made&nbsp;

progress. I remain silent on all that was relative to my new education. My complete cure and&nbsp;

convalescence took longer than I realized. My host went out from time to time to see what was taking&nbsp;

place as he was in complete ignorance of earthly events.&nbsp;

In short, one day he was longer than usual, and on his return he informed me that the French Army had&nbsp;

evacuated Egypt and that I could not hope to leave at this time without giving an account of the days that&nbsp;

I had spent with him. I should stay with him which he would make me do by his kindness and love so&nbsp;


that in my particular case of captivity my fate would not be as cruel as I might think because he would&nbsp;

teach me things which would astonish me and I should desire nothing in the way of good fortune. I had&nbsp;

begun to understand the Turkish language. He told me to get up. I obeyed him. He took me by the hand&nbsp;

and conducted me to the end of the chamber. He opened a door opposite the one by which one entered,&nbsp;

and taking a lamp from the table we entered a vault where there were disposed in regular lines several&nbsp;

coffers which he opened. They were full of gold and gems of every kind. "You see my son that with this&nbsp;

one never fears poverty. Everything is yours; I am reaching the end of my career, and I shall be happy to&nbsp;

leave them in your possession. These treasures are not the fruit of avarice and a sordid interest. I own&nbsp;

them by the knowledge of Occult Sciences with which I am familiar and the boon which has been&nbsp;

granted to me by The Great Being to penetrate the secrets of Nature. I can still command the Powers that&nbsp;

populate the Earth and Space and are not visable to ordinary men.&nbsp;

"I like you, my dear son. I recognise in you the candour, sincerity, love of truth, and aptitude for these&nbsp;

sciences, and most of all I wish you to know that they have cost me more than eighty years of research,&nbsp;

meditation, and experience.&nbsp;

"The science of the Magicians, the language of the hieroglyphics, have been lost by the downfall of man.&nbsp;

Only I am the guardian. I will impart these precious confidences to you, and we will read together these&nbsp;

characters traced on the pyramids which have been the despair of scholars and before which they have&nbsp;

paled for many centuries."&nbsp;

The prophetic manner in which he spoke impressed me and I showed a very lively desire to understand&nbsp;

that with which he wished to acquaint me. I told him this in the Turkish language which I was beginning&nbsp;

to understand and to talk in a manner so that I could be understood.&nbsp;

"Your wishes shall be fulfilled," answered my adopted father. Then lifting one hand to the arch of&nbsp;

heaven, he spoke in a solemn tone: Love, my son, love the very good and the very grand God of the&nbsp;

philosophers, and never become proud if he brings you in contact with the children of wisdom for you to&nbsp;

associate in their company and to make you a participant in the wonders of his power.&nbsp;

After having finished this invocation of sorts, he then said while looking at me: "Such are the principles&nbsp;

which you must fathom. Try and make yourself worthy to receive the light. The hour of your&nbsp;

regeneration has come. You will become like a new individual.&nbsp;

"Pray fervidly to Him who alone has the power to create new hearts, to give you that which will make&nbsp;

you capable of great things that I have to teach you, and to inspire me to withhold from you none of the&nbsp;

mysteries of Nature. Pray. Hope. I eulogise the eternal wisdom which has been placed in my soul and&nbsp;

wish to disclose to you its ineffable truths. And you will be lucky, my son, if nature has placed in your&nbsp;

soul the resolution that these high mysteries will demand of you. You will learn to command all Nature.&nbsp;

God alone will be your master, and the enlightened Will alone be your equal. The supreme intelligences&nbsp;

will glory in obeying your desires. The Demons will not dare to be found where you are. Your voice will&nbsp;

make them tremble in the pits of the abyss, and all the invisibles who inhabit the four elements will&nbsp;


esteem themselves happy to administer to your pleasures. I adore you oh Great God for having enthroned&nbsp;

man with so much glory, and having established him as sovereign monarch of all the works made by&nbsp;

your hands.&nbsp;

"Do you feel, my son, do you feel this heroic ambition which is the sure stamp of the children of&nbsp;

wisdom? Do you dare to desire to serve only the one God and to dominate over all that is not God? Have&nbsp;

you understood what it is to prove to be a man and to be unwilling to be a slave since you are born to be&nbsp;

a Sovereign? And if you have these noble thoughts, as the signs which I have found on your&nbsp;

physiognomy do not permit me to doubt, have you considered maturely whether you have the courage&nbsp;

and the strength to renounce all the things which could possibly be an obstacle to attaining the greatness&nbsp;

for which you have been born?"&nbsp;

At this point he stopped and regarded me fixedly as if waiting for an answer, or as if he were searching to&nbsp;

read my heart.&nbsp;

I asked him, "What is that which I have to renounce?"&nbsp;

"All that is evil in order to occupy yourself only with that which is good. The proneness with which&nbsp;

nearly all of us are born to vice rather than to virtue. Those passions which render us slaves to our senses&nbsp;

which prevent us from applying ourselves to study, tasting its sweetness, and gathering its fruits. You&nbsp;

see, my dear son, that the sacrifice which I demand of you is not painful and is not above your powers;&nbsp;

on the contrary, it will make you approach perfection as near as it is possible for man to attain. Do you&nbsp;

accept that which I propose?"&nbsp;

"Oh my Father," I answered, "nothing conforms more to my desires that that one should choose propriety&nbsp;

and virtue."&nbsp;

"It suffices," answered the old man. "Before unfolding to you completely the doctrine which will initiate&nbsp;

you into the mysteries, which are most profound and the most sacred, you must understand that the&nbsp;

elements are inhabited by very perfect creatures. The immense space between heaven and earth has&nbsp;

inhabitants far more noble than the birds and the gnats. The vast seas have many other hosts than the&nbsp;

whales and dolphin. It is the same in the depths of the earth which contains other things than water and&nbsp;

minerals, and the element of fire, more noble than the other three, has not been created to abide there&nbsp;

useless and empty. The air is full of an unnumbered multitude of beings with human form—a little proud&nbsp;

in appearance but in effect docile and great lovers of the sciences; subtle but obliging to the great Mages&nbsp;

and enemies of the foolish and the ignorant: these are the sylphs. The seas and rivers are the habitat of&nbsp;

the Ondines, the earth is full practically to the center of Gnomes, guardians of the treasures and the&nbsp;

precious stones. These are the ingenious friends of man and easy to command. They supply to the&nbsp;

children of the Magicians all moneys of which they have need and only ask payment for their services in&nbsp;

the glory of being commanded.&nbsp;

"As for the Salamanders, the inhabitants of the fire regions, they serve the philosophers, but they do not&nbsp;


seek the attention of their company.&nbsp;

"I could also talk about the familiar spirits: Socrates, as well as Pythagoras and a few other wise men,&nbsp;

had his. I have one also; he is near me when I have need of him. This will no doubt seem strange to you,&nbsp;

but even if your eyes do not convince you of the truth, you will be able to believe it if you have any&nbsp;

confidence in Socrates, Plato, Pythagoras, Zoroaster, Proclus, Porphyry, Iamblichus, Ptolemy,&nbsp;

Trismegistus and other wise men to whose enlightenment one must add those who give us the natural&nbsp;

knowledge.&nbsp;

"It remains for me to speak to you of the Talismans, those magic circles, which will give you the power&nbsp;

to command all the elements, to avoid all the dangers, all the snares of your enemies, and to assure you&nbsp;

the success of all your enterprises and the fulfillment of your wishes."&nbsp;

He arose, opened a chest which was at the foot of his bed, and took out a cedarwood box covered in gold&nbsp;

veneer and enriched with diamonds of an extraordinary brilliance. The lock on which was engraved&nbsp;

hieroglyphic characters was also of gold. He opened this casket, and I saw a large quantity of talismans&nbsp;

and rings which were enriched with diamonds and engraved with magical and cabalistic symbols. It was&nbsp;

impossible to look at them without being dazzled.&nbsp;

"You see, my son, each one has its virtue, its peculiar virtue, but to make use of it you must understand&nbsp;

the language of the Magicians in order to pronounce the mysterious words engraved thereon. I will teach&nbsp;

them to you before working with you on the great performance with the spirits and the animals who are&nbsp;

submissive to my authority and who obey me blindly.&nbsp;

‘You will see when you have been initiated into all these mysteries of how many errors the majority of&nbsp;

those who pretend to be servile to nature have been guilty. They love the truth and believe they have&nbsp;

discovered it by means of abstract ideas and lose their way in the faith of a reason of which they do not&nbsp;

know the limits.&nbsp;

"The vulgar or common people do not see over the world in which they live other than an arch of&nbsp;

glittering light during the day and a scattering of stars during the night. These are the limited ones of the&nbsp;

universe. Certain of the philosophers have seen more and have increased (their knowledge) up to nearly&nbsp;

the present time to the point of affrighting our imagination. Further, what prodigious work is offered at&nbsp;

one stroke to the human spirit! Employ eternity even to survey it; take the wings of dawn, fly to the&nbsp;

planet Saturn in the skies which extend over this planet. You will find without ceasing new spheres, new&nbsp;

orbs, worlds accumulating one above another. You will find infinity in matter, in space, in movement, in&nbsp;

the number of nuances and shades which adorn them. As our souls expand with our ideas and assimilate&nbsp;

in a certain manner the objects which they penetrate, how much then must a man become elated at&nbsp;

having penetrated the inconceivable profundities. I am an upstart thanks to wisdom, and you will reach&nbsp;

this point too." He arose and took up several manuscripts which were on the table. "These precious&nbsp;

books, my dear son, will acquaint you with things unknown to the rest of humanity and which will seem&nbsp;

never to have existed. These books escaped the fire of the library of Ptolemy. They have received some&nbsp;


damage, as you see; in effect, several pages have been blackened by the fire.&nbsp;

"Ah well! It is by the knowledge which I have been able to draw from these works that I have the&nbsp;

authority to command all the beings who inhabit the aerial and terrestrial regions, known and unknown to&nbsp;

man.&nbsp;

"Oh my son! Prostrate yourself before the Divinity, deplore in His presence the errors of the human&nbsp;

spirit, and promise Him to be as virtuous as it is possible for a man to be. Guard against studying moral&nbsp;

philosophy in the ignorant writings of the multitudes, in the schemes produced by the heat of the&nbsp;

imagination, by the restlessness of the spirit, or by the desire for celebrity which torments their authors.&nbsp;

Seek guidance in those works where, having no other interest than truth or other aim than public&nbsp;

usefulness, they render to morals and to virtue the homage which they have deserved in all times and&nbsp;

from all peoples."&nbsp;

I listened to this good old man with an admiration mixed with respect; he had stopped speaking and I&nbsp;

thought I heard him still. A sweet majesty reigned in all his features, and the persuasion seemed to pour&nbsp;

from his lips like a limpid stream running down a slope to fertilize the prairies. He noticed my admiration&nbsp;

which was akin to ecstacy.&nbsp;

"My dear son," he said, "I pardon your astonishment. You have until now lived in the society of men who&nbsp;

are corrupt, who have learnt to doubt everything and to forget the respect which one owes to Him who&nbsp;

has brought forth all from nothing. Wisdom for them a meaningless difficulty, but as you learn it, it will&nbsp;

become for you a practical virtue. You will look on it as something very simple, as natural to you as the&nbsp;

air you breathe and as necessary to you for your existence. Your wounds are healing. Tomorrow I will&nbsp;

commence your education in wisdom, and I will give you the first lesson. I am now going to my aviary to&nbsp;

feed my prisoners."&nbsp;

"What!", I said to him. "Your prisoners! With your philosophy and the love of humanity which&nbsp;

characterizes you, do you deprive living creatures of their liberty?"&nbsp;

He smiled at my observation. "My dear son, that which I do is necessary to facilitate my mysterious&nbsp;

operations, but the destiny of those submissive to my laws is perhaps sweeter than if they enjoyed&nbsp;

complete liberty. Besides, they have never known the prize and so cannot desire it. Tomorrow you will&nbsp;

have the answer to all these enigmas.&nbsp;

He then left me to enter the cave where he had led me when he showed me the chests filled with gold and&nbsp;

precious stones. Soon he came back. I got up. He told me to approach the awning so that we could eat&nbsp;

something before going to sleep. He picked up the papers that were on the table. He took a seat and told&nbsp;

me to sit by his side. I obeyed, but as I did not see any food, he laughingly added that this food was not&nbsp;

very substantial but that in a moment I would see that he had cooks and slaves equally clever and&nbsp;

intelligent. He immediately pronounced these words: Ag, Gemenos, Tur, Nicophanta, and blew three&nbsp;

times on a ring which he had on his finger. Immediately the place was lit up by seven chandeliers of rock&nbsp;


crystal which appeared from the void. Nine slaves entered bringing various viands on golden plates and&nbsp;

wine in vessels of the greatest richness. Incense burned in tripods, and celestial music could be heard.&nbsp;

Everything was placed on the table in the most beautiful order, and the slaves stood to attention around&nbsp;

us to serve.&nbsp;

"You see, my son," the good old man repeated to me, "I have but to command to be obeyed. Eat, serve&nbsp;

yourself, and choose what will gratify you."&nbsp;

Everything which I tasted was delicious. Then I took my goblet, and the wine, like nectar, which had&nbsp;

been poured into it, its bouquet forefunner to its delicate taste, appealed agreeably to my sense of smell.&nbsp;

When it had astonished my pallet and I had relished it, it seemed as though a divine fire flowed through&nbsp;

my veins and as if I had acquired a new existence. I looked at the slaves who served us; they were all in&nbsp;

the flower of their youth, of the greatest beauty, and dressed in rose silk tunics with white belts. They had&nbsp;

flowing golden curls waving on their shoulders. With lowered eyes of respect, they attended to the orders&nbsp;

of their master.&nbsp;

The old man allowed me to finish my survey, and he then followed up with: "My son you have appeased&nbsp;

your hunger?" "Yes, my Father." He raised his hand and said: Osuam, Bedac, Acgos, and the slaves&nbsp;

hurried to remove all that was on the table. They went out, the chandeliers disappeared, and two beds&nbsp;

arranged themselves on each side of the apartment which was no longer lit except for the lamp that cast a&nbsp;

soft light not unlike twilight.&nbsp;

"There, my dear son, is the manner in which you will be served every day. Your occupations will vary&nbsp;

innumerably and thus will preserve you from tediousness. Deliver yourself to sleep, I will do the same,&nbsp;

and tomorrow when day appears, I will keep my word which I have given to you."&nbsp;

"But my Father, the daylight will never penetrate into your abode; how can you know when break of day&nbsp;

will appear?"&nbsp;

"That depends on my will, my son; it is another surprise that I will arrange for you. Until tomorrow,&nbsp;

sleep in peace."&nbsp;

He extended his hand to me, and I pressed it to my heart. He approached his bed, lay down and soon&nbsp;

sleep weighed down his eyes. I imitated him for a little while after which I fell asleep.&nbsp;

Then I opened my eyes the lamp had vanished, daylight lit the chamber, and the rays of sun penetrated&nbsp;

there. The old man was walking with a book in his hand. The movement that I made interrupted his&nbsp;

perusal. He looked at me smilingly. I got up hurriedly and flew into the arms he opened to me.&nbsp;

"My father, I salute you."&nbsp;

"You have rested well, my dear son," he said, as I judge by the calm which reigns on your countenance.&nbsp;


Render homage to God who has permitted you to enjoy again this beautiful day, which lights you, and&nbsp;

ere I initiate you into the mysteries of wisdom, I will have a conversation with you on a point of my&nbsp;

doctrine which is necessary for developments." He gave me a book and opening it said: "Here is the first&nbsp;

page and the prayer which you must address to the Great Being." And I read that which follows:&nbsp;

Oration of the Sages.&nbsp;

Immortal, Eternal, Ineffable, and Sacred Father of all things, who is carried on the chariot rolling without&nbsp;

cease, of the worlds which rotate always. Ruler of the Etheric Plain where Your throne of power is&nbsp;

exalted and from whose heights Thy formidable eyes discover everything and Your beautiful and saintly&nbsp;

ears hear everything. Harken to Your children whom You have loved from their birth through all time.&nbsp;

Since Your lasting, great, and eternal majesty shines brightly over the world and the starry heavens, Thou&nbsp;

art raised above them. Oh, sparkling fire! There You light and maintain Yourself in the appropriate&nbsp;

splendour. There comes forth from Your being never-failing streams of light which nourish Your infinite&nbsp;

spirit. This infinite spirit generates all things and makes this inexhaustible treasure of matter which&nbsp;

cannot fail to procreate that which always surrounds it because of the forms without number with which&nbsp;

it is filled and with which You have filled it since the beginning of time. From this spirit the very saintly&nbsp;

kings who are standing around Your throne and who compose Your court also draw their origin. Oh,&nbsp;

Universal Father! Oh, Unique One! Oh, Father of blissful mortals and immortals! You have particularly&nbsp;

created the powers which are marvelously like Your eternal thought and Your adorable essence. You&nbsp;

have established them superior to the angels who announce Your wishes to the world. Finally, You have&nbsp;

created us sovereigns over the elements. Our continued exertion is to praise You and to adore Your&nbsp;

desires. We burn with the desire to be possessed of You. Oh, Father! Oh, Mother, the most tender of&nbsp;

Mothers! Oh, admirable example of tender sentiments of Mothers! Oh, Son, the flower of all Sons! Oh,&nbsp;

mould of all our shapes! Well beloved spirit, soul, harmony, and number of all things, we adore You.&nbsp;

When I had finished, he said to me: "My dear son, I have spoken to you of the spirits that populate the&nbsp;

firmament, the sea, the earth, and fire, that is to say the elements. I have spoken to you of the spirits and&nbsp;

am going to go into greater detail to extend the limits of your intelligence and to give you the means of&nbsp;

penetrating into and understanding the sacred mysteries which will be divulged to you.&nbsp;

"When the universe was full of life, this unique son, this God-engendered, had received a spherical body,&nbsp;

the most perfect of all; he was subject to circular movement, the simplest of all, the most suitable to his&nbsp;

shape. The Supreme Being surveyed his work with complaisance, and having compared it with the model&nbsp;

which He followed in his operations, He recognised with pleasure that the principal traits of the original&nbsp;

repeated themselves in the copy. He did not grant him eternity for these two worlds could not have the&nbsp;

same perfections. He made time, the mobile image of immobile eternity, which measures the duration of&nbsp;

the sensible world as eternity measures that of the intellectual world, and for that He left traces of his&nbsp;

presence and his movements. The Supreme Being kindled the sun and cast him with the other planets&nbsp;

into the vast solitude of the airs. It is from there that this heavenly body floods the sky with its light.&nbsp;

The contriver of all things then addressed His commandment to the spirits to whom he had entrusted the&nbsp;


administration of the heavenly bodies.&nbsp;

"Gods, who owe your birth to Me, listen to My sovereign commands. You do not have the right to&nbsp;

immortality; but you participate in it by the power of My will, more powerful than the bonds which unite&nbsp;

the parts of which you are composed. It remains for the perfection of all this to fill with inhabitants the&nbsp;

seas, the earth, and the airs. If they should owe the day to Me immediately, escape the empire of death,&nbsp;

they would become equal to the gods themselves. I thus lay on you the care of producing them. Agents of&nbsp;

My power, unite to these perishable bodies the favor of immortality which you have received from My&nbsp;

hand. Mold in particular those beings who command other animals and who are submissive to you; who&nbsp;

are born by your orders; who increase by your good deeds, and who after their death are reunited with&nbsp;

you and participate in your happiness."&nbsp;

He spoke, and suddenly, pouring into the basin where he had kneeded the Soul of the World the&nbsp;

remainder of this Soul held in reserve, he then fashioned the individual Souls, and joining to those of&nbsp;

men a small portion of the Divine Essence, he attached to them irrevocable destinies. Finally, having&nbsp;

appointed to the inferior gods the successive reclothement of mortal bodies to provide for and control&nbsp;

their needs, the Supreme Being re-entered into eternal rest. The inferior gods were obliged to employ the&nbsp;

same means in developing us and thus the maladies of the body and the even more dangerous ones of the&nbsp;

soul. All that is good in the universe in general and in man in particular derives from the Supreme God;&nbsp;

all that is defective comes from the vices inherent in matter.&nbsp;

"The earth and the heavens are populated, my dear son, with Spirits to whom the Supreme Being has&nbsp;

confided the administration of the Universe; He has distributed them everywhere nature appears to be&nbsp;

animated but principally in those regions which stretch around and above us from the earth up to the&nbsp;

sphere of the Moon. It is there where an immense authority is exercised, they dispensing life and death,&nbsp;

the good and the bad, light and darkness.&nbsp;

"Each nation, each individual finds in these invisible representatives an ardent friend to protect him, an&nbsp;

enemy no less ardent to pursue him. They are clothed in an aerial body; their essence holds the middle&nbsp;

between Divine Nature and nature; they surpass us in intelligence; some of them are subject to our&nbsp;

passions, mostly in the changes which pass them on to a superior rank. Because of their innumerable&nbsp;

multitude, spirits are divided into four classes: the first of perfect beings whom the common herd adore&nbsp;

and who reside in the stars; the second, those of the spirits properly called and of whom I conversed with&nbsp;

you; the third, those beings less perfect who however, render great service to humanity; the fourth, those&nbsp;

of our souls, after they have been separated from the bodies which they inhabited. We may discern from&nbsp;

the first three the honors which will one day become part of our nature if we cultivate exclusively&nbsp;

wisdom and virtue.&nbsp;

"To render you more sensible of that which I have put forward to you relative to the spirits, I will give&nbsp;

you an account of what befell me with those who are submissive to me. Know also that they only&nbsp;

communicate to souls after a long time of preparation in meditation and prayer. The dominion which I&nbsp;

have obtained over my spirit is the result of my constancy in the practice of the virtues. In the beginning I&nbsp;


saw him only rarely; one day yielding to my repeated entreaties he transported me to the realm of the&nbsp;

spirits. Listen, my son, to the story of my voyage.&nbsp;

‘The moment of departure having arrived, I felt my soul detatch itself from the bonds which attached it to&nbsp;

the body, and I found myself in the middle of a new world of animated substances, good or malignant,&nbsp;

blithe or sad, prudent or careless. We followed them for some time, and I thought I recognized some who&nbsp;

were directing the interests of nations and those of individuals, the researches of sages and the opinions&nbsp;

of the multitude.&nbsp;

"Soon a woman of gigantic stature extended her black veils over the vault of the skies; and having&nbsp;

descended slowly to earth, she gave her orders to the cortege which had accompanied her. We glided into&nbsp;

several houses. Sleep and its ministers scattered poppies with full hands; and while silence and peace&nbsp;

spread gently around virtuous men, remorses and frightful spectres shook the beds of the wicked with&nbsp;

violence.&nbsp;

"‘Dawn and the hours open the barriers of the day,’ my guide said to me. ‘It is time to rise into the air.&nbsp;

See the tutelary spirits of Egypt soaring over the different towns and regions which the Nile irrigates.&nbsp;

They dispel as much as possible the evils with which they are menaced; nevertheless, their countryside&nbsp;

will be devastated because the spirits enveloped in dark clouds are advancing and thundering against us;&nbsp;

he then announced to me the arrival of the army of which you formed a part because he had knowledge&nbsp;

of its comming.&nbsp;

‘Observe now these assiduous agents, who, with a flight as rapid and as restless as the swallow, skim&nbsp;

over the earth and cast piercing looks on all sides for greed and avidity; these are the inspectors of human&nbsp;

affairs. Some spread their sweet influence over the mortals whom they protect; others launch the&nbsp;

relentless Nemesis against grave transgressions. See these mediators, these expounders who rise and&nbsp;

descend without cease; they carry your prayers and your offerings to the gods; they bring back to us&nbsp;

happy or distressing dreams and the secrets of the future which are then revealed to you by the mouth of&nbsp;

the oracles.’&nbsp;

"Oh my protector!" I cried suddenly, "here are beings which in their stature and sinister appearance&nbsp;

inspire terror; they come to us.&nbsp;

"‘Flee,’ he said to me, ‘they are unhappy, the good fortune of others irritates them, and they spare only&nbsp;

those who pass their life in sufferings and in tears.’&nbsp;

"Escaping from their fury, we found objects no less afflicting. Discord, the detestable and eternal source&nbsp;

of dissentions which torment men, marched proudly above their heads and whispered outrage and&nbsp;

vengeance into their hearts. With timid steps and lowered eyes, the prayers trailed on their steps and&nbsp;

endeavoured to recall everywhere the calm they had showed themselves. Glory was pursued by envy&nbsp;

who tore her own sides; truth by impos re who changed its face from moment to moment; each virtue by&nbsp;

several vices which carried snares or knives.&nbsp;


"Fortune appeared suddenly. My guide said to me, ‘You can speak with her.’ I felicitated her on the gifts&nbsp;

which she distributed to mortals. She told me in a serious tone that she did not give but took a great&nbsp;

interest. While uttering these words, she soaked the flowers and fruits which she held in one hand in a&nbsp;

poisoned cup which she held in the other.&nbsp;

"Then passed near us two powerful spirits who left long trails of light after them. The one was war and&nbsp;

the other wisdom.&nbsp;

"My guide told me two armies were approaching each other and were on the point of coming to blows.&nbsp;

Wisdom would place herself near the general whose cause was just and he would be the victor because&nbsp;

worth must triumph.&nbsp;

"‘Let us leave these unhappy spheres,’ said my spirit. We leapt the limits of the sphere of darkness and&nbsp;

death with the speed of lightning and of thought. We then shot above the sphere of the Moon, and we&nbsp;

reached the regions lit by eternal day. ‘Let us stop for an instant,’ said my guide. ‘Cast your eyes over the&nbsp;

magnificent spectacle which surrounds you; listen to the divine harmony which is produced by the&nbsp;

regular movement of the celestial bodies; look how to each planet, each star, is attached a spirit which&nbsp;

directs its course. These heavenly bodies are populated by sublime intelligences of a nature superior to&nbsp;

ours.&nbsp;

‘With my eyes fixed on the sun, I contemplated with ravishment the spirit who with a vigorous arm&nbsp;

pushes this scintillating globe on the course which he has decreed. I watched him cast aside with fury the&nbsp;

souls who endeavoured to plunge into the boiling surges of this sphere to purify themselves although&nbsp;

they were not worthy of this blessing. Touched by their misfortune, I begged my conductor to take me&nbsp;

away from this sight and to lead me into the distance towards an enclosure where one could escape the&nbsp;

rays of light which were too brilliant. I hoped to catch a glimpse of the Sovereign of the Universe&nbsp;

surrounded by the assistants of His throne and of those pure beings who our philosophers call numbers,&nbsp;

eternal ideas or spirits of the mortals. My spirit told me that the Sovereign inhabits regions inaccessable&nbsp;

to humans, that we should offer him our homage and descend to earth.&nbsp;

"Hardly had he spoken when we found ourselves in the same place from whence we had made our&nbsp;

departure. He said to me, ‘I have let you become acquainted with that which no mortal has ever been&nbsp;

permitted to glimpse. From this moment it is no longer forbidden to me to hide anything from you.’ And&nbsp;

he unveiled to me all the mysteries in which I will let you participate. To convince you of the truth of all&nbsp;

that I have given out to you, you will see my spirit, who will become yours since I have adopted you as&nbsp;

my son. He will see in you another me.’&nbsp;

He pronounced these two words: Koux, Ompax. In that instant I saw appear a young man of the most&nbsp;

beautiful stature; the remainder of his person shone with all the charms, and on the summit of his head&nbsp;

shone a flame of which my eyes could not sustain the brilliance. He said smiling at the old man: Oles,&nbsp;

Nothos, Perius. The old man took his hand and answered: Solathas, Zanteur, Dinanteur. The spirit took&nbsp;

his place by his side.&nbsp;


The old man noticed that the spirit’s light dazzled my eyes. "When you have been initiated into the&nbsp;

mysteries of wisdom, you will be able to contemplate this fire without danger and even to stand the rays&nbsp;

of the sun. Let us begin the initiation, let us stand."&nbsp;

I executed this order which he had given as did the spirit. He placed his hand on my head and said:&nbsp;

"Sina, Misas, Tanaim, Orsel, Misanthos." A voice which came from the cavern wherein were the coffers&nbsp;

containing all the precious stones gave this answer:&nbsp;

"Torzas, Elicanthus, Orbitau ." Hardly had the last word been pronounced than we found ourselves in the&nbsp;

most profound darkness. The fire which shone on the head of the spirit had also disappeared.&nbsp;

"Be without dread or fear," the old man said.&nbsp;

"My father, am I not with you?"&nbsp;

"Your answer pleases me, it proclaims confidence. You will now test the effects of it." He then said:&nbsp;

"Thomatos, Benasser, Elianter." Everything was then lit up but by a seemingly dark light, and I saw enter&nbsp;

several individuals who took up positions around the room. "Here are all the spirits who will be&nbsp;

subservient to you; I will proclaim them to you." He took me by the hand and conducted me around the&nbsp;

room. He stopped in front of every spirit and said to me, "Repeat with me: Litau, Izer, Osnas." I obeyed&nbsp;

and each spirit bowed saying, "Nanther." There were thirty-three. When we had reached the last one, he&nbsp;

told me to return to the place which I had occupied. Then he took a wand six feet in length having at one&nbsp;

end the head of a serpent and at the other the tail. On the wand were plates of gold the same as the head&nbsp;

and tail on which were engraved the characters as illustrated in Figure 1. He formed a circle by uniting&nbsp;

each end by a golden chain which he passed through two links; he put it on the ground and placed&nbsp;

himself in the center.&nbsp;

"What do you wish to see at this moment, my son?" he asked me.&nbsp;

"The plain on which you found me at the point of death from pain and want," I answered.&nbsp;

He raised his hands toward heaven and said, "Soutram, Ubarsinens." Immediately the spirits approached&nbsp;

me and taking me in their arms, they lifted&nbsp;

No. 1&nbsp;

Figure of the Wand stained with blood of the lamb.&nbsp;


These characters should be written on the wand with India ink.&nbsp;

me, and I found myself transported to the foot of the Pyramid. I saw a multitude of Arabs on horseback&nbsp;

who were surveying it. Although I had not noticed him, the old man was near me enjoying my&nbsp;

astonishment. "You see, my son, how all the spirits are submissive to you, how they will obey you and&nbsp;

await your orders. Do you wish to return to the place which you left or to soar for some time in the&nbsp;

middle of the aerial parts? Do you know that you can see all that is happening around you and that you&nbsp;

are visible only to the Great Being who wishes to accord you wisdom and to those who accompany&nbsp;

you?" I testified to the desire to survey the immensity. "Pronounce Saram while extending your arms&nbsp;

towards the east, and you will be satisfied." I uttered this word and made the indicated sign. The spirits&nbsp;

lifted me up as well as the old man. We approached the clouds, and the vast horizon opened to my&nbsp;

enchanted eyes. The old man once again said to me: "You see I have not made vain promises, you will&nbsp;

have the same success in all your undertakings, but let us return to the Pyramid. The spirits await us, and&nbsp;

we will continue our workings." He said "Rabiam," and very soon we re-entered the abode of the old&nbsp;

man.&nbsp;

When we were seated, the spirits disappeared, only the first one remaining with us. All the insignia were&nbsp;

changed, and a very intense light illuminated the vault. He then formed the second Magic Circle.&nbsp;


Placing himself therein, the old man said to me: "Go near your spirit. I give you permission for I know&nbsp;

that you have a pure heart, that you have never been guilty of any action which would make you blush. If&nbsp;

that were not the case, you would be struck down dead on entering this circle. Go, my son." I followed&nbsp;

his instructions. He opened the casket where all the rings were to be found, and drew out that one shown&nbsp;

in Figure 3 as well as the talisman which he placed in my hands.&nbsp;


"This one will serve to conjur the celestial and infernal powers. Put the ring on your finger and the&nbsp;

talisman over your heart, then pronounce the following words: Siras, Etar, Besanar, and you will&nbsp;

perceive the effects."&nbsp;

Hardly had these words come from my mouth than I saw a multitude of spirits and figures of different&nbsp;

shapes. The spirit who was at my side said to me: "Command and order and your desires will be&nbsp;

satisfied." The old man added, "My son, the sky and the hells are at your orders. I think that at this&nbsp;

moment you are not in want of anything; therefore, if you believe me, put off until later proving the&nbsp;

Intelligence and activity of these spirits. To make them disappear, remove the ring from your finger and&nbsp;

the talisman from the place which it occupies, and they will return to their sphere." I did that which he&nbsp;


ordered me to do, and they all went like a dream.&nbsp;

"There remain many things for me to teach you to make you at ease with these rings and talismans. This&nbsp;

instruction will be the object of very important work which we shall do together with the help of our&nbsp;

spirit.&nbsp;

"Let us follow the course of our experiences. Stay where you are." He gave me another ring and talisman&nbsp;

(Figure No. 4).&nbsp;

"These two precious objects, my son, are destined to make you loved by the most beautiful portion of the&nbsp;

human race. There is not a woman who would not be happy to please you and who would not employ all&nbsp;

possible means to be successful at it. Do you wish the most beautiful odalisque of the Grand Caliph&nbsp;


These characters should be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

should be brought before you in an instant? Put the ring on the second finger of your left hand, press the&nbsp;

talisman against your lips, and say tenderly in a whisper: o Nades, Suradis, Manier." Suddenly a spirit&nbsp;

with rose-coloured wings appeared; he placed himself on his knees before me. "He awaits your orders,"&nbsp;

the old man said. "Say to him: Sader, Prostas, Solaster." I repeated these words, and the spirit vanished.&nbsp;

"He is going to traverse an immense space with the rapidity of thought, and the most beautiful forms will&nbsp;

appear before your eyes and will serve as a model to paint those houris which our Divine Prophet&nbsp;

promises to his faithful servants. O my son, how blessed you are; not every mortal obtains from the Great&nbsp;

Spirit such favours as I can see by the speed with which your wishes are executed."&nbsp;

He had finished speaking when the spirit with the rose-coloured wings arrived carrying in his arms a&nbsp;

woman enveloped in a large white veil. She seemed to be asleep, and he placed her gently on a couch&nbsp;

which appeared near me. He raised the veil which hid her. Never had anything so beautiful been offered&nbsp;

to my eyes; she was Venus with all the charms of innocence. She sighed and opened the most beautiful&nbsp;

eyes in the world which came to rest on me0 In a most harmonious voice she uttered a cry of surprise&nbsp;

saying, "It is he." The old man told me to approach the beauty, place a knee on the ground, for it is thus&nbsp;

that one should speak to her, and to take her hand. I obeyed, and the divinity to whom I addressed my&nbsp;

homage said to me: "I have seen thee in a dream, and the reality thereof makes thee more dear to my&nbsp;

heart. I prefer you to the Sultan who for a long time has fatigued me with his homage." "That is enough,"&nbsp;

said the old man, and he said forcefully, "Mammes Laher." Four slaves appeared to remove the couch&nbsp;

and she who had made such a vivid impression on my heart. The old man noticed my emotion and the&nbsp;

pain which resulted from her departure. He said to me, "You will see her again. Understand that in order&nbsp;

to possess wisdom, it is necessary to know how to resist the allurements of voluptuousness."&nbsp;

His words made me come to myself, and I said to him, "Pardon, my father, but you have seen her, that is&nbsp;

my excuse."&nbsp;

I replaced the ring and the talisman in the casket, and he gave me that which is illustrated in Figure No.&nbsp;

5.&nbsp;


These characters should be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

"This talisman and this ring are not less valuable. They will enable you to discover all the treasures&nbsp;

which exist and to ensure you the possession of them. Place the ring on the second finger of your right&nbsp;

hand, enclose the talisman with the thumb and little finger of your left hand, and say, Onaim, Perantes,&nbsp;

Rasonastos." I repeated these three words, and seven spirits of a bronze colour appeared, each carrying a&nbsp;


large hide bag which they emptied at my feet. They contained gold coins which rolled in the middle of&nbsp;

the hail where we were. I had not noticed that one of the spirits had on his shoulder a black bird, its head&nbsp;

covered with a kind of hood. "It is this bird," the old man said to me, "who has made them find all this&nbsp;

treasure. Do not think that these are some of what you have seen here. You can assure yourself of this." I&nbsp;

replied, "You are for me the truth itself. My father! Do you believe that I would insult you by doubting?"&nbsp;

He made a sign, and the spirits replaced the gold in the bags and disappeared.&nbsp;

"You see, my son, what the virtues of these talismans and rings are. When you know them all, you will&nbsp;

be able, without my aid, to perform such miracles as you judge proper. Replace in the casket those of&nbsp;

which you have made proof, and take this one (Figure No. 6).&nbsp;

"They will enable you to discover the most hidden secrets; you will be able to penetrate everywhere&nbsp;

without being seen, and not a single word in the universe can be uttered without it coming to your ears,&nbsp;

whether you wish to listen to it yourself or to have it&nbsp;


These characters should be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

brought back to us by your agents when you order them to do so. To prove it to you, repeat these words&nbsp;

and place the talisman near your ear while you hold the ring tightly in your left hand: Nitrae, Radou,&nbsp;

Sunandam." I distinctly heard a voice which said to me: "The Grand Mogul has decided in his private&nbsp;

council that he must declare war on the Emperor of China." Another voice said to me: "All is rumour in&nbsp;

Constantinople. Last night the Sultana was carried off, and the Grand Sultan is in despair. He has had all&nbsp;

the eunuchs thrown into the sea after having had them beheaded." "Oh Heavens! What mischief I have&nbsp;

done without wishing it," I cried in pain. "Well, my son," the old man said, "it is a lesson for you to&nbsp;

learn— not to be enslaved by your passions and to know how to curb them. This is enough for today,&nbsp;

tomorrow we will continue."&nbsp;

The next day we followed the course of our mysterious operations. The spirit had not left us. "You see,&nbsp;

my son," said the old man, "that everything becomes easy with confidence and a pure soul without stain."&nbsp;

He opened the casket and took from it the talisman and ring (Figure No. 7).&nbsp;

When he had placed them in my hands, he pronounced two words, which I will teach you. "Place this&nbsp;

ring on the little finger of your left hand and the talisman to your right ear, and the most discreet man will&nbsp;

divulge to you his most hidden thoughts. Here are the two words: Noctar, Raiban, and if you add a third&nbsp;

word, which is Biranther, your greatest enemies will not be able to prevent themselves from loudly&nbsp;

publishing their projects against you. In order to convince you, I am going to have appear before you one&nbsp;

of the Beys of Cairo, and he will impart to you all of his schemes against the French." He then said&nbsp;

"Nocdar," to the spirit who then vanished like lightening. A quarter of an hour after he returned with the&nbsp;

Bey who said: "We have made a treaty of alliance with the English, and the armistice concluded with the&nbsp;

French will be broken without warning." He disappeared with the spirit after the old man had said:&nbsp;


These magical characters should be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

"Zelander. The Mufti of the Grand Mosque will appear before your eyes and show you a manuscript of a&nbsp;

work which he has composed and which he has refused to show to his best friends, even the Grand&nbsp;

Visir." I did that which has previously been indicated, and very soon the Mufti appeared and placing his&nbsp;

manuscript on the table, he said to me: "Tonas, Zugar," which means in the language of the magi: read&nbsp;

and believe. The old man looked at him affectionately; he gave him his hand pronounced with sweetness&nbsp;

and expression, o Solem. The Mufti, after bowing, disappeared.&nbsp;


"Return the talisman and the ring to me," the old man said, "and take this." (Figure No. 8)&nbsp;

Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

"It will serve to activate as many spirits as you wish to undertake or to stop operations which would be&nbsp;

contrary to you. The magic words are: Zorami, Zaitux, Elastot. We will not at this moment make any&nbsp;

experiments; tomorrow we will go to the shores of the Nile and we will have constructed a bridge of a&nbsp;

single arch on which we shall pass to the other side of the river.&nbsp;

"Here is the next talisman and its ring (Figure No. 9).&nbsp;


These characters should be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

They have the property of destroying everything, of commanding the elements, of calling down the&nbsp;

thunder, hail, the stars, earthquakes, hurricanes, water spouts on land and sea, and of preserving our&nbsp;

friends from all accidents. Here are the words which one must pronounce (the numbers indicate each&nbsp;

thing that you wish to operate): first, you pronounce: Ditau, Hurandos; second, Ridas, Talimol; third,&nbsp;

Atrosis, Narpida; fourth, Uusur, Itar; fifth, Hispen, Tromador; sixth, Paranthes, Histanos.&nbsp;


Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

"The talisman and the ring (Figure No. 10) will make you invisible to all eyes, even those of the spirits.&nbsp;

Only the Great Being could be witness to your steps and your actions. You will penetrate everywhere&nbsp;

into the bosom of the seas, into the bowels of the earth, you can likewise survey the airs, and no action of&nbsp;

men can be hidden from you. Say only: Benatir, Cararkau, Dedos, Etinarmi."&nbsp;

I repeated these four words, and through the walls of the Pyramid I saw two Arabs who were on the plain&nbsp;

and who were profiting by the obscurity to ransack a tomb where they hoped to find something of value.&nbsp;

"You will be able, when you wish, to prove the other things which I will have taught you, it will only be&nbsp;

necessary to place the ring successively on the different fingers of the right hand.&nbsp;


Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

"The talisman and ring (Figure No. 11) will serve to transport you into whatever part of the world you&nbsp;

judge appropriate without running any danger. Say merely these words: Raditus, Polastrien, Terpandu,&nbsp;

Ostrata, Pericatur, Ermas. But I hope that you will not make use of these means to leave me without my&nbsp;

consent. Promise it to me." "My father, I swear to it."&nbsp;


Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

"With the talisman and the ring (Figure No. 12) you will be able to open all locks, no matter what secrets&nbsp;

have been employed to shut them; you will not need a key. Simply by touching them with the ring and&nbsp;

pronouncing these three words: Saritap, Pernisox, Ottarim, they will open of themselves without&nbsp;

difficulty. Make proof of this on the spot, my son," the old man told me. "Close the casket which you see&nbsp;

on that table." I did this, and after having assured myself that nothing could open it but the key, I touched&nbsp;

it with the ring and pronounced the magic words, and it opened of its own accord. "It will be the same,"&nbsp;

added the old man, "with all the doors of prisons, fortified castles, where they might lock you up.&nbsp;


Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

"With the talisman and ring (Figure No. 13), you will be able to see what takes place in all houses&nbsp;

without being obliged to enter them; you will be able to read the thoughts of everyone whom you&nbsp;

approach and with whom you find yourself, and you will be able to render them service or do them injury&nbsp;

as you wish. It will be sufficient to place the talisman on your head and then to blow on the ring saying: o&nbsp;

Tarot, Nizael, Estarnas, Tantarez these words are for knowing the thoughts of people.&nbsp;

"In order to render service to those who deserve it, you say: Nista, Saper, Visnos, and they will&nbsp;

immediately enjoy all sorts of prosperities.&nbsp;


"To punish the wicked and your enemies, you will say: Xatros, Nifer, Roxas, Rortos, and they will at&nbsp;

once suffer punishment and frightful torment. What you have already seen should prove to you that I&nbsp;

have advanced nothing which cannot be realised; therefore it is useless to make proof thereof.&nbsp;

Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

"The talisman and the ring (Figure No. 14) will serve you to destroy all the projects which could be made&nbsp;

against you, and if any spirit wished to oppose your wishes, you could force him to submit to you. Place&nbsp;

the talisman on a table under your left hand and with the ring on the second finger of the right hand, you&nbsp;

say in a bass voice, while inclining your head:&nbsp;

Senapos, Terfita, Estamos, Perfiter, Notarin.&nbsp;


"The talisman and ring (Figure No. 15) have a property as extraordinary as agreeable; they will give&nbsp;

Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

you all the virtues, all the talents, and the inclination to do good by changing all substances which are of&nbsp;

a bad quality and rendering them excellent. For the first object, while elevating the talisman and with the&nbsp;

ring placed on the first joint of the third finger of the left hand, it is sufficient to pronounce these words:&nbsp;

Turan, Estonos, Fuza.&nbsp;

"For the second operation you say: Vazotas, Testanar, and you will see operate the wonder which I have&nbsp;


proclaimed to you.&nbsp;

"The talisman and the ring (Figure No. 16) will assist you to know all the minerals and vegetables, their&nbsp;

virtues and properties, and you will possess the universal medicine. There is no illness that you will not&nbsp;

be able to cure and no cure that you will undertake without success. Aesculapius and Hippocrates will&nbsp;

only be novices compared to you. You pronounce only these words: Reterrem, Salibat, Cratares, Hisater,&nbsp;

and when you are near a sick person you will carry thet talisman on the stomach and the ring with a St.&nbsp;

Andrew’s Cross around your neck on a ribbon the colour of fire.&nbsp;

Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;


"The talisman and the ring (Figure No. 17) will keep you safe in the midst of the most ferocious animals,&nbsp;

to subdue them to your will, to know by their different cries what they want as they have a language&nbsp;

among themselves. Mad animals will keep at a distance from you, and you will make them perish&nbsp;

forthwith by pronouncing the words which I am going to indicate to you.&nbsp;

"For the first operation it is sufficient to say: Hocatos, Imorad, Surater, Markila. For the second:&nbsp;

Trumantrem, Ricona, Estupit, Oxa.&nbsp;

Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;


Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

"The talisman and ring (Figure No. 18) will enable you to know the good or bad intentions of all the&nbsp;

individuals whom you will meet to guarantee you of it and to impress on their face a mark which will be&nbsp;

noticed by everyone. It is sufficient to pronounce these mysterious words, while placing the talisman on&nbsp;

your heart and the ring on the little finger of your right hand. You will then say: Crostes, Furinot, Katipa,&nbsp;

Garinos.&nbsp;

"The talisman and the ring (Figure No. 19) will&nbsp;


give you all talents and a profound understanding of all the arts so that you can perform with as much&nbsp;

brilliance as the greatest masters and foremost artists. It is sufficient to carry the talisman and the ring in&nbsp;

a manner you judge suitable while pronouncing these seven words: Ritas, Onalun, Tersorit, Ombas,&nbsp;

Serpitas, Quitathar, Zamarath while adding afterwards the name of the art or the talent which you wish to&nbsp;

possess.&nbsp;

"The talisman and the ring (Figure No. 20) will help you to win at lotteries and to make certain when&nbsp;

playing a game that you will obtain the fortune of your adversaries. You will place the talisman on your&nbsp;

left arm, adjusting it with a white ribbon, and the ring on the little finger of your right hand; then you will&nbsp;

say these words: Rokes for a selection, Pilatus for a combination of two numbers, Zotas for dice, Tulitas&nbsp;

for four winning numbers, Xatanitos for five winning numbers. Be sure to pronounce all the words when&nbsp;

you are on a quine, and for a card game you will pronounce them each time the cards are shuffled, if it is&nbsp;


you or your partner, and before commencing you will touch your left arm on the spot where the talisman&nbsp;

is to be found with your right hand, and you will kiss your ring. All this must be done without drawing&nbsp;

the attention of your adversary.&nbsp;

Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;


"The talisman and the ring (Figure No. 21) will enable you to direct all the infernal powers against your&nbsp;

enemies or against those who would injure your friends. You will carry it in a manner which you&nbsp;

consider suitable and pronounce merely these three words: Osthariman, Visantiparos, Noctatur.&nbsp;


Characters to be engraved on the inside of the ring.&nbsp;

"The talisman and the ring (Figure No. 22) will serve you to recognise what the infernal powers wish to&nbsp;

undertake, and you can abort all their projects by placing the talisman on your chest and the ring on the&nbsp;

first joint of the little finger of the left hand. You pronounce these words: Actatos, Catipta, Bejouran,&nbsp;

Itapan, Marnutus.&nbsp;

Composition of the Talismans and the Rings.&nbsp;


"As it is possible that you have not had the means of making talismans and rings similar to mine," the old&nbsp;

man said to me, "you will make them up in the manner which I will indicate. Know that the rings are of&nbsp;

bronzed steel with the characters engraved thereon. The talismans should be made of silk cloth in the&nbsp;

dimensions of the figures.&nbsp;

No. 1. White satin embroidered in gold.&nbsp;

No. 2. Red satin embroidered in silver.&nbsp;

No. 3. Sky-blue satin embroidered in silver.&nbsp;

No. 4. Black satin embroidered in silver.&nbsp;

No. 5. Green satin embroidered in gold.&nbsp;

No. 6. Violet satin embroidered in silver.&nbsp;

No. 7. Golden-yellow satin embroidered in gold.&nbsp;

No. 8. Lilac satin with shaded silk.&nbsp;

No. 9. Poppy-red satin embroidered in silver.&nbsp;

No. 10. Yellow satin embroidered in black silk.&nbsp;

No. 11. Puce satin embroidered in gold.&nbsp;

No. 12. Dark blue satin embroidered in silver.&nbsp;

No. 13. Pale grey satin embroidered in gold.&nbsp;

No. 14. Rose satin embroidered in silver.&nbsp;

No. 15. Golden-yellow satin embroidered in silver.&nbsp;

No. 16. Orange satin embroidered in silver.&nbsp;

No. 17. Dark green satin embroidered in gold.&nbsp;

No. 18. Black satin embroidered in gold.&nbsp;


No. 19. White satin embroidered in black silk.&nbsp;

No. 20. Cherry satin embroidered in silver.&nbsp;

No. 21. Grey-White satin, shaded.&nbsp;

No. 22. Red satin, embroidered in the middle with gold, the border in silver, and the signs in black and&nbsp;

white silk.&nbsp;

The old man, after having given me this information, replaced all the talismans and rings in the casket.&nbsp;

The spirit who was at my side closed it arid gave him the key. The old man said to me: "All the wonders&nbsp;

which have been performed in front of You, my dear son, ought not to leave any doubt of the Power and&nbsp;

virtue of these talismans and rings. If you have not experienced any obstacle in your enterprises, it is&nbsp;

because your heart is pure, that your soul is without stain, and that virtue, probity, and honour will&nbsp;

always be dear to you. A man who had the least reproach to make to himself, who had destroyed the&nbsp;

good of others, or who had only the intention of so doing, would not be able to participate in our&nbsp;

mysteries. In vain would he have in his possession all that you see, our magical language known to him.&nbsp;

The celestial powers—aerial, infernal, terrestrial, and those of the oceans and fire—would rebel against&nbsp;

him. All that he wished to undertake would turn to his shame and his confusion, and at each invocation&nbsp;

which he might make, the powers that he implored for help and intervention would answer him:&nbsp;

Renounce thy projects. Thou art guilty. Before commanding us, purify thyself, expiate thy faults.&nbsp;

"If after these emanations he continued to conjure the powers, he would finish by being punished and&nbsp;

would without fail lose his life. Remember then, my dear son, that all is possible with virtue and that not&nbsp;

one fault will remain unpunished. There are still two prayers which you must be careful to recite before&nbsp;

and after each conjuration that you wish to do; here they are:&nbsp;

First Prayer.&nbsp;

The Celestial Fire above is an incorruptable flame, always scintillating, the source of life, fountain of all&nbsp;

the Beings, and principle of all things. This flame produces all and nothing perishes except which it&nbsp;

consumes: it makes itself known by it-self. This fire cannot be contained in any place; it is without body&nbsp;

or matter. It encompasses the skies, and from it emanates a little spark which makes all fire of the Sun, of&nbsp;

the Moon, and the Stars. That is what I know of God: do not try to know more because that is beyond&nbsp;

you, such judge as thou art. Moreover, know that the unjust or wicked man can-not hide himself in front&nbsp;

of God; no address or any excuse can disguise anything from his piercing eyes. All is clear to God: God&nbsp;

is everywhere.&nbsp;

Second Prayer.&nbsp;

There is in God as immense profundity of flame; the heart ought not, however, to fear to touch or to be&nbsp;


touched by this adorable fire; it will not be consumed by this sweet fire, whose tranquil and perishable&nbsp;

heat makes the union, harmony, and duration of the world. Nothing exists except by this fire which is&nbsp;

God. No one has engendered it; it is without mother, it knows all, and no one is able to know anything of&nbsp;

it. It is immovable in its projects and its name is ineffable. Here then is that which is God; because for us,&nbsp;

who are his messengers, we are but a small part of God.&nbsp;

"You see, my son, that all the instructions that I give you have as a basis the respect which one owes to&nbsp;

God, Who is the principle of all things and Whose ineffable and limitless goodness fills us to the brim&nbsp;

each day with all His goodness, when we render ourselves worthy of it by our respect and our submission&nbsp;

to His will and His immutable decree."&nbsp;

The old man after these short reflections said to me: "You have no doubt noticed, my son, that I have&nbsp;

spoken to you about the birds to whom I was going to give food, and you have seen spirits who had one&nbsp;

with them; when the pieces of gold were deposited at your feet, it was these birds who enabled them to&nbsp;

discover it by their instinct and by the magical and cabalistic words which one pronounced. To procure&nbsp;

these birds there are difficulties without number that one must conquer, and the profane, those who are&nbsp;

not initiated into our mysteries, make useless efforts to obtain them. It is of the marvelous Black Hen that&nbsp;

I am going to converse with you. The great Oromasis, father of Zoroaster, was the first who possessed&nbsp;

one; it is from him that I possess the secret of calling them into existence, and here is the manuscript in&nbsp;

which is contained the manner of hatching these birds who are as rare as precious." He opened for me at&nbsp;

the same time this manuscript whose cover was a thin plate of gold covered with diamonds, rubies,&nbsp;

topazes and sapphires whose brilliance it was impossible to bear. The paper was of a dazzling whiteness,&nbsp;

and the hieroglyphic characters were traced by hand in rose-coloured ink.&nbsp;

"I will teach YOU to read in this book as I can," he said to me, "but let us occupy ourselves with the way&nbsp;

to hatch the Black Hen and to procure the eggs which she will come forth." He took several pieces of&nbsp;

aromatic woods such as aloes, cedar, or lemon, laurel, some root of Iris, and some roses whose leaves&nbsp;

had been dried in the sun. (Translators note: the author distinctly states leaves, not petals.) He put the lot&nbsp;

in a chafing-dish of gold. poured on top thereof balsamic oil of the purest essence, transparent gum, and&nbsp;

having pronounced the words: Athas, Solinam, Erminatos, Pasaim, the sun-light penetrated the vault. He&nbsp;

placed a glass on the chafing-dish. At the same moment that the sun’s struck the glass, the perfumes and&nbsp;

pieces of odorous wood which were in the dish burst into flame, the glass liquified, and an agreeable&nbsp;

odor was diffused in the vault. Very soon nothing was left but cinders. The old man, who had not ceased&nbsp;

to watch with the greatest attention, took a golden egg which been in a black velvet bag and which I had&nbsp;

not noticed. He opened this egg, closed the burning cinders therein, and placed it then on a black cushion.&nbsp;

He covered it with a faceted rock-crystal bell; then, raising his eyes and his arms toward the vault, he&nbsp;

cried: o Sanataper, Ismai, Nontapilus, Ertivaler, Canopistus. The sun seemed to dart its rays on this bell&nbsp;

with still greater force and violence.&nbsp;

The bell became the colour of fire, the golden egg disappeared before my eyes, a thin vapour rose in the&nbsp;

air, and I saw a little black pullet which stirred, got to its feet and clucked faintly. The old man extended&nbsp;

one of his fingers to it, and it placed itself thereon. He then pronounced these two words: Binusas,&nbsp;

Testipas, and the winged creature glided onto his breast.&nbsp;


There," said the old man, "is the manner of procuring a Black Hen. In a few days it will be of ordinary&nbsp;

size, and I will instruct it in front of you. You will see the instinct of this animal to discover the most&nbsp;

hidden treasures and that the smallest particle of gold cannot escape it. Let us give thanks to the Great&nbsp;

Being who has permitted us to penetrate these mysteries and to perform such prodigies and marvels. We&nbsp;

will say together the two prayers recounted further back." After having fulfilled this duty, he said to me,&nbsp;

"My son, this is enough. We will take a little rest." The sun had shone on us for some time. It&nbsp;

disappeared, and its light was replaced by that of several chandeliers. The spirit, who had not left us, took&nbsp;

a lyre, and accompanying himself he sang in the language of the magicians of the Eternal Power and the&nbsp;

marvels of nature.&nbsp;

The old man listened with attention to the accents of the spirit. For myself I was enchanted, arid he&nbsp;

smiled in observing me. "This is enough," he said to the spirit. "Before delivering ourselves to rest, I&nbsp;

wish to show you the means of having a Black Hen without having recourse to those which I have used,&nbsp;

for it would be difficult to obtain the perfumes and the other materials which I placed in the chaffing-dish&nbsp;

if others than you or I wished to perform this great work. But if someday you find someone who is&nbsp;

worthy of being initiated, here is the means which you should employ. Take an egg which you will&nbsp;

expose at noon to the gleams of the sun, observing that it has not the least stain. Then you choose a hen&nbsp;

as black as possible; if it has any feathers of another colour, you will pull them out. You will cover its&nbsp;

head with a hood of black material in such a manner that it can-not distinguish anything. You will allow&nbsp;

it the use of it's beak. Enclose it in a box lined also with black material, big enough to contain it, and&nbsp;

place that in a room where daylight cannot penetrate. Be careful to bring it food only at night. When all&nbsp;

these indispensible precautions have been taken, you will give it the egg to sit on, taking care that it is not&nbsp;

disturbed by any noise. It all depends on the blackness of this hen, its imagination will be impressed with&nbsp;

it, and at the proper time you will see hatched a hen which is completely black. But I repeat to you, is&nbsp;

necessary that those who perform this shall be worthy by their wisdom and virtue to participate in these&nbsp;

sacred and divine mysteries. For, if we are not able to read the hearts of men, it is not the same with the&nbsp;

Great Spirit; all is known to him and he penetrates our most secret intentions and our most hidden&nbsp;

thoughts. It is after that that He accords or refuses to us His favours and His gifts.&nbsp;

"Our sitting has been so long," he added, "that We must take some food before delivering ourselves to&nbsp;

rest." He clapped his hands three times, and the Slaves, the spirits who had previously appeared, offered&nbsp;

themselves again to my attention, and in an instant we had all the viands that could satisfy taste aroma,&nbsp;

and the eyes. The meal was very gay; the old man annimated it by his sallies. The spirit was also of the&nbsp;

party. I was as inspired, and I joined the conversation. At last sleep weighed down our eyes, and we left&nbsp;

the table to taste its sweetness.&nbsp;

The most agreeable dreams lulled me with their cheerful images, and when I awoke daylight lit up our&nbsp;

abode. I did not see the old man or the spirit. I thought that they had gone out, and I abandoned myself to&nbsp;

my reflections. The present assures me of the future, nothing could make me anxious. If fortune gives&nbsp;

happiness, I said to myself, who will be happier than I. I cannot see any wish which will not be&nbsp;

accomplished at once; my lot would be envied if it were known by the remainder of men. I want to be&nbsp;

able to return to my country soon. As I followed up this idea, I heard a slight noise and saw the old man&nbsp;


enter followed by the spirit. They approached me, both took me by the hand, and I left my bed of rest at&nbsp;

once.&nbsp;

‘You have rested well, my dear son," the old man said. "During your sleep I went out with the spirit to&nbsp;

visit my birds, and I am going to make you acquainted with their talents. At the same instant he touched a&nbsp;

spring which was in the wall, a section opened, and seven black birds which I recognised as hens were&nbsp;

brought in in a cage by two black slaves. "These animals have a marvelous instinct for finding gold. You&nbsp;

will be the judge." He placed several pieces of gold under the cushions, in the crevices of walls under the&nbsp;

folds of his turban, then said to the slaves: Tournabos, Fativos, Almabisos. They opened the cage,&nbsp;

uncovered the heads of the birds, and the hens came out and flew immediately in the different places&nbsp;

where the gold was hidden. They picked up the pieces in their beaks and deposited them at the feet of the&nbsp;

old man. He took these birds one after the other and carressed them. He said to me: "You see how tame&nbsp;

they are; we will go out for a while on the plain; I have placed in the sand several pieces of gold. We will&nbsp;

release our birds, and soon they will have discovered the treasure." He made a sign to the slaves who&nbsp;

reclosed the birds in the cage we departed.&nbsp;

As soon as we had come out of the Pyramid for about five hundred paces onto the plain, he released the&nbsp;

birds. They went a few paces; soon it seemed that their instinct indicated to them where the treasure was&nbsp;

to be found. They flew in that direction, and all seven of them started scratching. They soon discovered&nbsp;

the sacks, and one of them started to cackle; we approached and saw the sacks which the old man had&nbsp;

hidden. I could not prevent myself from showing my surprise. "My son, you see that all is possible with&nbsp;

the aid of God and his powerful protection." We took the sacks and re-entered the Pyramid.&nbsp;

He had the birds re-enclosed with the same precautions as were taken to let them out. He then said to me:&nbsp;

"Let us see what condition my new-born is in." He opened a little box lined with down in which he had&nbsp;

enclosed it, and already feathers were beginning to appear. "A few more days," he said, "and it will be&nbsp;

able to receive the first lessons. He replaced the box in its place. "Since we have been together," said the&nbsp;

old man, "we have not gone out; we will make a little excursion into the country and wear the costume of&nbsp;

the locality." The spirit covered his head with a turban and dressed completely like a Turk. I did the&nbsp;

same, and we prepared to depart. Before leaving I saw the old man take a talisman and a ring. I remarked&nbsp;

on it, and he told me that perhaps it might be necessary for us and that precaution was the mother of&nbsp;

security. We then went our way and walked quietly for some time. The old man spoke to us of the&nbsp;

changes which took place in the world from time to time, of the revolution of the stars and the planets.&nbsp;

He seemed to give notice to us and to fore-shadow things which would follow. All of a sudden a horde of&nbsp;

Arabs pounced upon us with raised swords. The old man looked at them without fright, and he raised his&nbsp;

hand; the brigands stopped. He pronounced the words prescribed for the talisman (Figure No. 10) and we&nbsp;

became invisible. The astonished Arabs looked on all sides without seeing us. It is impossible to paint a&nbsp;

picture of the astonishment of these villains. Their chief appeared astounded. The old man smiled. He&nbsp;

pronounced the word Natarter in a loud voice, and they took flight with lightening rapidity. "Be calm,"&nbsp;

said the old man. "For a long time they will not dare to appear in this territory."&nbsp;

We continued walking for some time. The time passed with an extraordinary rapidity; the conversation of&nbsp;


the old man was so varied, so instructive, that it was impossible to listen to him without being charmed&nbsp;

by all that he said. "Let us return to our abode." After having pronounced these words, he looked at the&nbsp;

sun and cried: "Brilliant star, image of the Divinity, thou who vivifies the earth and gives life to nature,&nbsp;

receive my homage; may I ere I leave the earth constantly enjoy thy light."&nbsp;

"What has given birth to these somber ideas," I immediately cried. "Why do you think of leaving earth?"&nbsp;

"Ah, my son! Each day which passes, each that we take leads us towards the tomb. Lucky is the just man&nbsp;

who can go to sleep in peace in the care of God to enjoy thereafter the rewards promised to virtue. Also,&nbsp;

my son, do you believe that I do not concern myself with my last hour? At my age it is permitted to think&nbsp;

of it, and I have always lived in a manner so as to be able to die without fear. I am 270 years old, and I&nbsp;

have seen many things pass; I will pass also when my turn comes. And now enough of this matter. I see&nbsp;

that I trouble you, and that is not my intention. Let us talk of other things.&nbsp;

"The talisman and ring (Figure No. 20) will furnish you with the means to win at lotteries. I wish also to&nbsp;

indicate to you an infallible calculation to obtain the same advantages. It is really very simple. You take a&nbsp;

game of piquet composed of thirty-two cards. You shuffle them, cut and extract nineteen cards one after&nbsp;

the other commencing with that which is underneath. Take their numbers: know, the ace is 11, the king 4,&nbsp;

the queen 3, the knave 2, and the other cards their numerical value. Add up the total. Then add the 30 or&nbsp;

31 days of the month in which you find yourself, your age, the day of your birth, that is to say, the first,&nbsp;

second or third or such other day, and a date when you have proved something happy or agreeable: you&nbsp;

add all these numbers, you take a third of it, and you place in the lottery the numbers which this addition&nbsp;

has given you. You can be certain that these numbers will come out in totality or in part on the different&nbsp;

wheels. For instance, if you find the numbers 13, 52, 73, you can take again 31, 25, 37, and the unities.&nbsp;

This calculation is infallible. You can convince yourself. The number 30 is priviledged, and it is from&nbsp;

this that all is calculated for 3 times 30 makes 90; it is from this that one does not wish to exceed this&nbsp;

number in the lottery. It is the same with all games.&nbsp;

"The numbers which have 3 for a root are the most fortunate; odd is all. God, after having created the&nbsp;

world and being occupied for six days in establishing the admirable order which exists, rested on the&nbsp;

seventh, which is odd. Let us take God as an example and a model in all that we do and we will be&nbsp;

assured in all that we undertake. You have noticed, my son, that odd numbers are the basis of all the&nbsp;

mysterious operations into which I have initiated you."&nbsp;

We continued our route and arrived at the Pyramid. He opened the door, and we went down. Arriving in&nbsp;

the hall, we sat down on a sofa which faced the table on which was the casket of the tasilmans. The old&nbsp;

man replaced the one which had served to clear away the Arabs, and we remained in silence for some&nbsp;

time.&nbsp;

The old man appeared tired. He reclined on the and soon he was asleep. I cast my eyes on his venerable&nbsp;

figure, and I admired his serenity, Calmness spread over all his features. I remarked about this to the&nbsp;

spirit who told me: "It is the image of his soul. I have obeyed him for more than a century. You cannot&nbsp;


have any idea of his virtue, of his wisdom, of his goodness. His days are numerous, and all are marked by&nbsp;

some good deed, of the unhappy he has rescued without their ever knowing who the being was who came&nbsp;

to their help. If the eternal Soul who has created all should take the figure of a mortal, it is his which He&nbsp;

would borrow. Is not the just man in effect the image of God on earth? Many have taken title, but how&nbsp;

many have usurped it and merited little." After having pronounced these words, the spirit got up, knelt on&nbsp;

the ground near the old man, and raising his hands and eyes towards heaven, said in a solemn tone which&nbsp;

awed me:&nbsp;

"Eternal Spirit, Who hears me and Who reads heart, prolong the life of this virtuous man. Ensure that he&nbsp;

adorns by his presence for a long time to come the earth which You enrich with Thy gifts, unless You&nbsp;

have reserved for him near Thee a reward worthy of him."&nbsp;

The sentiments with which he expressed these words keenly moved me. Tears wet my eyes, and I fell on&nbsp;

my knees as he had.&nbsp;

The old man awoke at this moment, and casting his eyes on us, he said to us with a smile, "What are you&nbsp;

doing, my children?" I answered that we were praying to the Great Being to conserve our father for us.&nbsp;

"My good friends," answered the old man, "our life has a term set by Providence which we cannot&nbsp;

extend: everything begins, everything must end; God alone is eternal. The only thing which can survive&nbsp;

us is the memory of our virtues and the good examples which we have set. While like voyagers we can&nbsp;

perceive the course of our destiny and what good or evil we have done as we have been more or less the&nbsp;

slaves of our passions, happy is he who has been able to command himself and to distinguish the&nbsp;

happiness which is praiseworthy from what is not. For myself, I have been happy enough; I made the&nbsp;

distinction in the springtime of my life, and in the winter I taste the sweetness. I shall soon return into the&nbsp;

bosom of Him who has created me; a dream announced it to me in my sleep. In a few hours my soul will&nbsp;

leave its mortal remains and will rise towards the celestial regions."&nbsp;

"Oh heavens! my father," I cried, "what do you announce?"&nbsp;

"What you must await like myself, my dear son but I bless my departure since I have the consolation in&nbsp;

dying of leaving my heritage to a man who is deserving, who loves virtue, who practices it, and who will&nbsp;

never step aside from it. I will inform you of my last wishes, and you will execute them punctually if you&nbsp;

love me and if you are grateful."&nbsp;

"Oh my father!" I cried, "can you doubt it?"&nbsp;

"No, my dear son, I do not doubt at all. Now listen to me. All these treasures, all the jewels enclosed in&nbsp;

this subterranean apartment, also the talismans and the rings, the slaves, and the birds which you have&nbsp;

seen are yours. To you Odous," he said to the spirit, "I cannot do more than pronounce all my tenderness&nbsp;

for one whom I have found worthy to succeed me. Love him, serve him as you would me, and from the&nbsp;

Celestial Sphere to which I shall soon arise, I will watch over you." He clapped his hands and all the&nbsp;

slaves appeared. "Here is your master," he said to them. "Be obedient to him, I order you." They all came&nbsp;


and prostrated themselves at my feet. "Extend your hand over them as a sign of domination," the old man&nbsp;

said to me. I obeyed. They arose, and the old man’s having made a sign, they disappeared.&nbsp;

He added, "Take the gold urn which you will find in the cabinet on the right and place it on the table.&nbsp;

When I no longer exist, place my body in the middle of this chamber. Take the aromatic woods, which&nbsp;

you will find near the coffers filled with gold, and surround me with them. After having poured over the&nbsp;

pyre the liquid enclosed in the vase suspended from the roof, you will use the talisman with which I&nbsp;

formed the egg in which was enclosed the Black Hen. After having pronounced the mysterious words,&nbsp;

you will set the funeral-pile on fire to consume my mortal remains. Take the ashes and enclose them in&nbsp;

the urn. Conserve them. Men, cherish my memory; I die content. I would have liked to show you the&nbsp;

means of instructing the little Black Pullet, but Heaven which knows our projects has not wished it so.&nbsp;

Odous will teach you; he also knows this secret. I feel my soul ready to fly away. Come, my dear son,&nbsp;

dry your tears so that I can press you once again to my heart. Remember, death is only dreaded by the&nbsp;

guilty and the unjust man." I approached him and he gave me a last kiss. "Good-bye, my dear son," he&nbsp;

said. "Listen to my last wishes."&nbsp;

While I was still bending over the sofa, he expired. I could not help myself saying, while sobbing, that&nbsp;

the death of the just is sweet and worthy of envy. I fell almost unconscious at the feet of my benefactor.&nbsp;

Odous brought me back to my senses by observing that we had to obey our father. We then punctually&nbsp;

performed that which he had ordered, and soon there remained only the ashes of the most just and most&nbsp;

virtuous of men.&nbsp;

I said to Odous, "We will leave this day and make all the necessary arrangements for returning to my&nbsp;

country. "I am with you," answered the spirit. "Your wishes are law for me; command and I obey." I had&nbsp;

all the slaves brought before me and had them put on French costumes. It sufficed me to have recourse to&nbsp;

the talismans. I had all the treasures and the effects which were in the underground vaults transported to&nbsp;

the banks of the Nile and provided for the precious urn which I personally kept. Odous found a boat. We&nbsp;

went down the river, and very soon we entered the roadstead where a vessel was about to set sail for&nbsp;

Marseilles. I boarded with all my people, and soon we were in mid-ocean. The captain of the vessel and&nbsp;

the sailors examined us with extreme curiosity. As I spoke all languages at will, they were even more&nbsp;

surprised.&nbsp;

Night came and the wind rose. The captain told me that he feared a storm. I told him that his vessel was&nbsp;

good and would resist it. That which he foretold arrived; the sea became furious. Fear and despair were&nbsp;

on all faces. The pilot could no longer control the ship. Only I, calm and tranquil, seemed unmoved.&nbsp;

Provided with the talisman and ring (Figure No. 9) and pronouncing the mysterious words, I seized the&nbsp;

tiller and the vessel which, the instant before, was the plaything of the winds and the surrounding waves,&nbsp;

sailed forward lightly over the vast bosom of the sea. The whole crew regarded me as a god, even giving&nbsp;

me that name. "I am but man," I told them. "My friends, I do not frighten easily, I know the art of&nbsp;

navigation, and you see, it is only necessary to be composed to stand the storm at bay."&nbsp;

The rest of our voyage was very happy. We arrived at Marseilles, and we passed through quarantine&nbsp;


before stepping ashore. I paid for my passage and that of my followers with a generosity which&nbsp;

astonished the captain. I gave a present to each man of the crew, and I departed crowned with their&nbsp;

blessings. I stayed for some time at Marseilles. Having written to the place of my birth, I found that my&nbsp;

parents no longer were alive. They had died during my absence leaving me sole heir to their estates&nbsp;

which I sold and the proceeds of which were sent to me. I bought a lovely property on the outskirts of&nbsp;

Marseilles, the beautiful sky of Provence pleasing me. I improved my house, and I had a delightful stay.&nbsp;

The riches I possessed were such that I could obtain at will all that I desired, even to place myself to my&nbsp;

satisfaction. I had a few friends to whom I gave advice, who followed it, and who were all astonished at&nbsp;

their prosperity. They were ignorant as to the source. I did not share my secrets with anyone.&nbsp;

Inclination has made me write this little volume. If those who procure it know how to profit from it and&nbsp;

are worthy of penetrating the mysteries and the secrets it contains, they will gamble with luck reserved&nbsp;

for virtue and wisdom. They must not become discouraged. Constant and stubborn work will surmount&nbsp;

everything says an ancient proverb. They should thus work, and if success does not crown their efforts,&nbsp;

they must lay the blame on themselves. It is because they are not pure and virtuous. The incredulous, the&nbsp;

ignorant, and many others whom it is useless to designate will treat me as a fool, a visionary, an&nbsp;

importunist. It matters little to me. The truth is there. I do not seek to repel injuries, still less censure.&nbsp;

Certain family libraries, which have no other merit than to get hold of what belongs to others, will&nbsp;

perhaps make haste to publish a surreptitious edition of this work. This is the only thing which I will&nbsp;

punish with a talisman which I am keeping to myself and a ring more curious still. I reserve for myself&nbsp;

the decoration the perpetrator with two ears six inches longer than those provided of yore for King Midas&nbsp;

who had been well judged. It is a warning which I give in passing to certain editors. You notice that for a&nbsp;

sorcerer I do not push my vengeance very far.&nbsp;

And you, for whom I have written this work, you who seek to enlighten yourself, to penetrate, to&nbsp;

understand the mysteries and the secrets of nature, work with consistency, persevere, purify yourself to&nbsp;

obtain success, the object of your wishes and your desires. Consider that the smallest stain with which&nbsp;

your heart and your soul will be contaminated will be an invincible obstacle against success. You will see&nbsp;

the harbour without being able to enter and will be shipwrecked at the moment when you believe&nbsp;

yourself saved. Watch, pray, hope. Adieu my dear and well loved readers. May you be able to play with&nbsp;

all the ease which has become my lot. Amen.&nbsp;

The old man did not indicate to me the method of instructing the Black Pullet which he had hatched, but&nbsp;

before expiring, he informed me that Odous would impart the important secret to me. When we were&nbsp;

installed in my home in Marseilles, I reminded him of the old man’s promise. The Hen was of ordinary&nbsp;

size and was eager to satisfy me. It had become so familiar that it hardly ever left me. I took particular&nbsp;

care of it during our voyage, and if I have not mentioned this fact, it is because I judged it of little&nbsp;

importance. We therefore occupied ourselves with the education of our bird. We placed a piece of gold in&nbsp;

the basket where it was in the habit of sleeping and covered its eyes with the hood of which I have&nbsp;

already spoken. Two or three days after that preliminary operation, each morning when I took it food to&nbsp;

eat, it scratched in its basket, and taking the piece of gold in its beak, it guarded it until I took it.&nbsp;

One can see that the instinct of this bird was as extraordinary as marvelous. Odous said to me, "I have&nbsp;


never yet seen as intelligent a one, but also, it is necessary to admit that our good and respected father&nbsp;

employed a means to give it birth which was known only to himself and which he had never put into&nbsp;

operation in front of me. This proves the tenderness and friendship he had given you. It will be necessary&nbsp;

as from tomorrow to hide a piece of gold in the garden. We will carry our Hen to some distance, and we&nbsp;

will see if she discovers it." The next morning we did as agreed. I uncovered the head of my bird; it&nbsp;

stayed on my knees for some time, looking in different directions. Finally, it jumped lightly to the ground&nbsp;

and ran to the foot of a big tree which was opposite us. It started to scratch animatedly. Odous said to me:&nbsp;

"I guarantee that there is some treasure hidden at the foot of that tree. Let the Hen carry on." She&nbsp;

scratched all the time and to shorten the operation, I took a spade which the gardner had left nearby, and&nbsp;

after having scooped out about two feet, I discovered a case about four feet square and surrounded with&nbsp;

iron bands. As we did not have the key, I sent Odous to find the talisman (Figure No. 12). He returned&nbsp;

promptly and hardly had I attacked the lock with the ring than it opened, and we discovered several sacks&nbsp;

filled with gold and silver, plate, diamonds, jewels, and several other precious objects which were valued&nbsp;

at 1,500,000 francs. It seemed that these riches had been concealed in this place during the time of the&nbsp;

civil troubles, and as the owners died without revealing their secret, nobody had any knowledge of this&nbsp;

deposit. I had bought this property from distant relatives. I could not prevent myself, nor could Odous,&nbsp;

from admiring the instinct of our Black Hen, but it was equally necessary for it to find the other piece of&nbsp;

hidden gold. We advanced a few steps, and she followed us. Soon she went ahead of us and stopped near&nbsp;

the place where the gold was hidden. She soon found it and taking it in her beak, she deposited it at my&nbsp;

feet. "Charming bird," I cried! "How precious you are to me. You have put me in the place of a better&nbsp;

man, the most tender and respected of fathers to me."&nbsp;

Odous said to me: "See if she will listen to the sacred words which must be pronounced every day to the&nbsp;

Black Hen to indicate to her that she must look for things." He then articulated certain words, Nozos,&nbsp;

Taraim, Ostus. The Hen appeared to pay attention and to understand because she started to scratch near&nbsp;

us and found a ruby mounted in a golden ring. "I am going to pronounce three other words which should&nbsp;

indicate to her that she should repose near her master." He then said: Seras, Coristan, Abattuzas. The Hen&nbsp;

came and placed herself at my feet. Odous added: "All the hens which you possess know these words but&nbsp;

it has taken some time to teach them. One must hold them with a ribbon: when pronouncing the first&nbsp;

words, one must make them walk; when pronouncing the second, one stops them. As these birds are&nbsp;

endowed with a particular instinct, they then do that which one desires."&nbsp;

Having the casket brought in by my slaves, I added the Pullet’s findings to those which I already&nbsp;

possessed.&nbsp;

I had an elegant pavilion constructed of Cremona marble, and I placed the urn containing the ashes of the&nbsp;

old man on a black marble pedestal with a silver plaque which expressed my recognition and regrets. I&nbsp;

had cypresses and weeping willows planted, and every day at the rising of the sun, I went, followed by&nbsp;

Odous, to visit this pavilion and to pass an hour in support of our good father, remembering the lessons&nbsp;

and examples of virtue which he had given me. I will cite several events with great solemnity: that on&nbsp;

which he saved my life by taking me into the Pyramid and the anniversary of his death. This day was&nbsp;

consecrated to grief and meditation in my house. And once every year all my slaves entered the drove&nbsp;

which I had had surrounded with a metal grill so that nobody could enter. Also, the thickness of the&nbsp;


bushes and the winding paths which had to be wandered through before arriving at the pavilion prevented&nbsp;

the most piercing eye from seeing it. My days passed between work, study, meditation, and walking&nbsp;

exercise. I received a few visitors in my home, but nobody had an inkling of that which passed in my&nbsp;

private life. To live happily, live concealed, as a Sage said. And this proverb is the rule and foundation of&nbsp;




my conduct.&nbsp;