government, must have brought into requisition not only the talents of all the learned men of the day, but a crowd of accessories calculated to astonish and confound the judgment, fascinate the senses, and facilitate imposture.
An account of an instance of modern necromancy has been left us by Benvenuto Cellini, who played a prominent part in a case of this sort.
He accidentally made the acquaintance of a Sicilian priest, a man of great genius and acquirements, and well versed in Greek and Latin classical lore. One day the conversation turned on necromancy, and the great goldsmith told him that he had the greatest desire to know something about this wonderful art, and that he had felt all his life a great curiosity to penetrate its mysteries.
The priest replied, that a man ought to have a very resolute and fearless character to study this art; but Benvenuto answered he had both resolution and courage. The priest went on to say, that if he had the heart to try, he would be the means of obtaining the fulfilment of his wishes. They consequently agreed upon a plan of necromantic study. One evening, Benvenuto invited one of his companions, Vincenzio Romoli, to take part in some experiments that were to be made amongst the ruins of the Coliseum. They there met the Sicilian priest, who after the manner of the ancients began to describe a number of circles in the air in the most imposing manner. He had brought with him various gums and perfumes, and had made a fire, into which his assistant necromancer was to throw them at the proper time. He commenced his conjurations, the ceremony continuing about an hour, when there appeared legions of demons, in such numbers that the whole of the ruins seemed filled with them. Benvenuto was nearly fainting with the perfumes, when the priest roused him by
