cussed with him the advantages of several forms of divi- 

 nation; von Erbach explained that astragalomancy or 

 divination by inscribed tablets, cephalomancy or divination 

 by an ass's head (a method in vogue among the Jews), 

 molybdomancy and alectryomancy were too trifling processes 

 hardly appropriate for the momentous issue at stake; that 

 coscinomancy and clidomancy were designed chiefly to detect 

 common thieves; and that a combination of geomancy, sero- 

 mancy, pyromancy, and hydromancy, or divination by the 

 four elements earth, air, fire and water, might be efficacious ; 

 but he recommended that an appeal should be made through 

 Demonomancy. Of the latter the magician gave an obscure 

 account in mystical language, which aroused the Emperor's 

 curiosity, his fears and his hopes. 



On the appointed night, a fortnight after this interview, 

 the Emperor accompanied by a trusted and armed valet-de- 

 chambre, was driven, as directed by the artful pretender in 

 devil's lore, to a secluded spot in the hill country at the far 

 side of a forest well known to his Majesty through occa- 

 sional hunting expeditions. Having descended a rugged 

 ravine bounded by vertical walls that nearly touched over- 

 head, they alighted near the mouth of a deep cavern, the 

 entrance to which "was curiously concealed by natural ob- 

 stacles, and which the Emperor could not remember having 

 before seen. Most inopportunely a violent thunderstorm 

 broke over their heads, the Emperor took refuge in a dimly 

 lighted, rather frail tent, and awaited a signal from Dr. von 

 Erbach who had disappeared within the cavern. 



In about half an hour, which seemed much longer to 

 Rudolph, the unmusical clang of a Chinese gong, an instru- 

 ment then almost unknown in the country, issued from the 

 cave, and his Majesty fearlessly entered, leaving his attendant 

 in the tent. At the end of a curved gallery, lit by torches 



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