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Anselm After nothing had been omitted that related to the affair of the money, the exorcist being put upon it by Polus, began to put questions to the spirit about several arts, as alchemy and magic. To these things the spirit gave answers, putting off the resolution of these questions for the pres ent, promising it would make larger discoveries as soon as ever, by his assistance, it should get out of the clutches of its keeper, the devil; and, if you please, you may let this be the third act of this play.

As to the fourth act, Faunus began in good earnest everywhere to talk high, and to talk of nothing else in all companies and at the table, and to promise glorious things to monasteries, and talked of nothing that was low and mean. He goes to the place and finds the tokens, but did not dare to dig for the treasure, because the spirit had thrown this caution in the way, that it would be extremely dangerous to touch the treasure before the masses had been performed. By this time a great many of the wiser sort had smelt out the plot, while Faunus at the same time was everywhere proclaiming his folly; though he was privately cautioned by his friends, and especially his abbot, that he who had hitherto had the reputation of a prudent man should not give the world a specimen of his being quite the contrary. But the imagination of the thing had so entirely possessed his mind that all that could be said of him had no influence upon him, to make him doubt of the matter, and he dreamt of nothing but specters and devils. The very habit of his mind was got into his face, that he was so pale, and meager, and dejected, that you would say he was rather a sprite than a man. And, in short, he was not far from being stark mad, and would have been so had it not been timely prevented. Thomas Well, let this be the last act of the play.

Anselm-Well, you shall have it. Polus and his son-inlaw hammered out this piece betwixt them. They counterfeited an epistle written in a strange antique character, and not upon common paper, but such as gold beaters put their leaf gold in, a reddish paper, you know. The form of the epistle was thus:

Faunus, long a captive, but now free. To Faunus, his gracious deliverer, sends eternal health. There is no need, my dear Faunus, that thou shouldest macerate thyself any longer in this affair. God has respected the pious intention of thy mind, and by the merit of it has delivered me from torments,

and I now live happily among the angels. Thou hast a place provided for thee with St. Austin, which is next to the choir of the apostles: when thou comest to us I will give thee public thanks. In the mean time see that thou livest merrily.

From the Imperial Heaven, the Ides of September, Anno 1498.
Under the seal of my own ring.

This epistle was laid privately under the altar where Faunus was to perform divine service. This being done there was one appointed to advertise him of it, as if he had found it by chance. And now he carries the letter about him, and shows it as a very sacred thing, and believes nothing more firmly than that it was brought from heaven by an angel.

Thomas-This is not delivering the man from his madness, but changing the sort of it.

Anselm Why truly, so it is, only he is now more pleasantly mad than before.

LUTHER'S TABLE TALK.

[MARTIN LUTHER was born of humble parents at Eisleben, November 10, 1483. He was educated at the University of Erfurt; entered an Augustinian monastery; and became professor of philosophy at Wittenberg (1508). When the Dominican Tetzel was commissioned to sell indulgences, Luther drew up ninety-five propositions condemning the practice and nailed them to the church door at Wittenberg. For this he was denounced as a heretic, excommunicated by the Pope (1520), and summoned to appear at the Diet of Worms, convened April 1521. There he made the celebrated speech which ended with: "Here I take my stand. I can do naught else. So help me God. Amen." On his return from Worms he was ostensibly taken prisoner by his friend, the Elector of Saxony, and lodged in the castle of Wartburg, where he remained for a year and occupied his time in a translation of the New Testament. He afterwards resumed his university duties at Wittenberg, and, having renounced his monastic vows, in 1525 married Katharina von Bora, an emancipated nun. He died at Eisleben, February 18, 1546. Luther's works are very voluminous, partly in Latin and partly in German, Among those of more general interest are his "Table Talk," 99 66 Letters," and "Sermons." His translation of the whole Bible (published in 1534) permanently established the literary language of Germany.]

THE DEVIL AND HIS WORKS.

THE greatest punishment God can inflict on the wicked, is when the church, to chastise them, delivers them over to Satan, who, with God's permission, kills them, or makes them undergo great calamities. Many devils are in woods, in waters,

The Boy Luther in the House of Frau Cotta

From the painting by G. Spangenberg

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