26s 



OF THE I» R. 0 LONGATION 



enough), I was aftonifhed beyond meafure on finding 

 him doubt of FlameFs being dead, as I had afferted. 

 — Which is as much as to fay, in plain Englifh : I 

 began to believe, that, after all ? Flamel might not be 

 dead. 



The dervife had got honeft Lucas's foul in his hands. 

 Thou art then, faid he fmiling, really fo fimple as to 

 believe that Flamel is dead ? — Pray obferve this fmile! 

 it is a part of the coflume of this impudent clafs of irn~ 

 poltors to raife a companionate fneering fmile at the 

 honeft and plain appearances of an ordinary intellect, 

 when they ftand in the way of their abfurd aflertions, 

 anct by this exceffive degree of effrontery, fo to take 

 feeble minds by furprife, that, though they have fpoke 

 nothing but plain common fenle, they begin to doubt 

 whether they may not have been faying fomething very 

 ftupid. 



J Thou thinker! then, continues the dervife, that Fla- 

 mel is dead ? There thou art very much miftaken. 

 He is ftffl in full life and vigour ; it is hardly three 

 years iince I faw him and his wife in India; he is one 

 of my bell 1 friends. — -The dervife had it in his head to 

 mention to him the very time when he and Flamel 

 fir ft became acquainted : but there he checked him- 

 felf # ; and made as if he wanted before all things to 

 inform him of the real hiftory of the french adept, 



* And why fo ? Probably becaufe "he would not let too muck 

 light fall at once 'on Lucas's underllanding. It was enough for him 

 that he had fhewn himfeif to Lucas as a real fage and an adept : all 

 the reft muffc be kept dole concealed under a rayficrious veil — for 

 preparatives were to be made, and probably iriah to be undergone 

 before the novice could be admitted to the full blaze-of light. 



What 



