A Sorcerer Of The Eighteenth Century.

the address of some citizen , to present to him his letters , or where the curiosities and antiquities of the city might be seen , he had gone out without saying a word , ancl when he returned at supper time his dusty clothes testilied that ho ' had been walking all day . Tho day following ho did the same thing . A shephered boy said that he saw him walking rapidly along the banks of the Rhinethen stoppi ng suddenly and gesticulating ancl throwing his arms about

, like one possessed ; ancl the young girls passed close to him without his paying any attention to them . All these things , it must be confessed , were even more than enough to awaken conjectures as to the stranger . All that the hostess could say of him was , that he was a very sober , quiet man , always satisfied with what was set before him . Curiosityhowevercontinued to increase . It was remarked

, , that the unknown man went to his chamber immediately after supper , but did not go to bed ; ancl some of the family who happened to be awake in the middle of the night saw a li ght in his chamber . One of the youngest servants came running clown the stairs one evening , terribl y frightened , and rushed into the hall , in which stood her mistress ancl two or three neighbours . She solemnly protested that the stranger was talking earnestly with some one in

his chamber , " although no one but himself had entered—by the door at least , " added she . This made the auditors tremble . The little hussy was scolded soundly by her mistress for having listened at the lodger ' s door ; but the next evening the good lady went herself , so as the better to ascertain , ancl having applied her ear to the key-hole , she distinctly heard—what ? nobody "will over know . The truth is , she came down stairs with her spirit more troubled than

had been observed in her since the death of her husband . She threw on her cloak , and hastened to the burgomaster ' s . The following morning , the traveller went out as customarily , and returning the evening , entered his room tranquilly . But this time precautions had been taken : at each side of the door were two policemen , some of the hard y citizens of Wurtzburg , and on the stairs , in the hall , and in the street were all the women of the city remarkable for their curiosity . The number was verv s ; reat .

Suddenly the voice of the stranger was heard , rising ancl falling at intervals , as if he was discoursina- with someone . Those who were near the door heard

the following horrible invocation : "Here- !—thou whom I have so long sought — -thou shalt escape me no longer . Answer me , infernal power !—demon!—show thyself , and speak to thy master . " At that call , a sharp , shrill voice that seemed to come up from the lower regions , answered with an ironical humilit y , " Master , what dost thou desire of thy servant ? " At once , all the women who heard the awful voice fled with screams of

terror . The . men burst open the door , although not fastened , ancl seized the traveller , whom they found seated in an arm-chair , at a little distance from tho table . As to the demon , he had disappeared , but a distinct ancl strong sulphurous smell remained , as many witnesses testified . The stranger was dragged before the magistrates , and charged with using magic ancl sorcery , and of holding commerce with the devil . The following

was his only response : " I had begun a tragedy , but as my friends disturbed me continually in Weimar , where I live , I came to write here . The hero of my tragedy is a man who invokes the devil , and to whom the devil appears . I confess that I have an unfortunate habit , for which I ask pardon of the inhabitants of Wurtzburg , of reading aloud what I compose as fast as I write it . As to invoking

my , personally , the evil spirit , I am too good a Christian to do that , and you , Mr . Burgomaster , too enlightened to believe it . " The sorcerer was named Goethe , the author of " Werther , " etc ., and then engaged in the composition of " Faust . "