THE STUDY OF MAGIC UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
[Italian.]
n the island of Sicily, and in the fair and famous city of Messina, dwelt a man, Lactantius by name, who was a great proficient in two different arts. By day, and ostensibly to his fellow-citizens, he carried on the trade of a tailor; but by night, and secretly, he studied the art of necromancy. One evening, when he had locked himself in his room, and was occupied with all kinds of magic works, as ill luck would have it, a young man, one of his apprentices, came to the door. Dionysius, such was his name, had returned to fetch from the chamber of Lactantius something which he had forgotten. When he perceived that the door was closed, but at the same time heard a noise within, he crept gently up, peeped through the keyhole, and witnessed his master's magic doings. Such delight did this give the young man, that from that moment he thought of nothing but how he might secretly learn his master's art. Needle, thimble, and shears thenceforth were little troubled by him; he cared alone to learn that which no one cared to teach him, and so from having been an industrious, attentive, useful workman, he became careless, idle, and inattentive. Lactantius perceiving this change in his apprentice, discharged him from his service, and sent him back to his father, who was much grieved in consequence.
The father having repeatedly lectured his son, with tears besought him to attend to his duty, and taking him back to the tailor, earnestly begged him to receive his son once again, desiring him, should he again neglect his business, to punish him severely.
Lactantius, out of kindness to the poor man, was soon persuaded; he again received his pupil, and instructed him carefully every day in cutting out and sewing. As, however, Dionysius would absolutely learn nothing, his master gave him many a sound caning, so that the poor apprentice, who received more blows than bread, was always black and blue, all of which he bore with the greatest patience, so insensible had he become to everything through the engrossing desire to learn that secret art which he night after night watched his master carry on, as he stood peeping through the keyhole.
Lactantius, who took him for the stupid lout he appeared to be, at last gave himself no further trouble to conceal his witchcraft from him, thinking that as he could not even learn the business of tailoring, which is so easy, he would far less comprehend witchcraft, which is really a puzzling art. He therefore no longer made a secret of his practices to Dionysius, who now thought himself the most fortunate of men, and who although others considered him such a blockhead, in a very short time became such a proficient in the magic art, that he understood more of it than his master.
One day, as the father was passing by Lactantius' house, not seeing his son in the shop, he entered, and found that, instead of working with the other apprentices, he was cleaning the house, and in short, performing all the offices of a housemaid.
This so disturbed the good man, that he took his son home with him, and thus lectured him: "Thou knowest, Dionysius, how much I have expended on thee, in the hope that thou wouldst learn a useful business, whereby one day to support thyself and me; but, alas! I have sown my seed on the waters, for thou refusest to learn anything. Truly this will be my death, for I am so poor I know not how to support myself, nor have I any means of providing for thee. Therefore, I beseech thee, my son, learn to support thyself in any respectable way thou canst."
Having said this, the old man began to weep, when Dionysius, moved by his distress, replied: "Dear father, I thank you a thousand times, and from my heart, for all the trouble and anxiety you have had on my account: but I beg you will not think, because I did not learn tailoring, as you wished me, that I have therefore passed the time in idleness. On the contrary, by night-watching and unwearied efforts, I have learned an art which I hope hereafter to exercise so efficaciously that you and I shall live all our days in peace and joy. That you may not imagine that I say this merely to satisfy you for the moment, I will at once give you a proof of what I affirm.