68 LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



even if we could explain how the son could be so 

 instantaneously disentangled from his father's 

 embrace. The emperor, in short, saw the aerial 

 image of a picture of his son on horseback ; and 

 as the picture was brought nearer the mirror, the 

 image advanced into his arms, when it of course 

 eluded his affectionate grasp. 



These and other allusions to the operations of 

 the ancient magic, though sufficiently indicative 

 of the methods which were employed, are too 

 meagre to convey any idea of the splendid and 

 imposing exhibitions which must have been dis- 

 played. A national system of deception, intended 

 as an instrument of government, must have 

 brought into requisition not merely the scientific 

 skill of the age, but a variety of subsidiary con- 

 trivances calculated to astonish the beholder, to 

 confound his judgment, to dazzle his senses, and 

 to give a predominant influence to the peculiar 

 imposture which it was thought desirable to 

 establish. The grandeur of the means may be 

 inferred from their efficacy, and from the extent 

 of their influence. 



This defect, however, is, to a certain degree, 

 supplied by an account of a modern necromancy, 

 which has been left us by the celebrated Ben- 

 venuto Cellini, and in which he himself performed 

 an active part. 



** It happened," says he, " through a variety of 

 odd accidents, that I made acquaintance with a 

 Sicilian priest, who was a man of genius, and 

 well versed in the Latin and Greek authors. 

 Happening one day to have some conversation 

 with him when the subject turned upon the art 

 of necromancy, I, who had a great desire to know 



