a Spanish work of the fourteenth century, is a
story of a Dean of Santiago, who went to Don Illan, a magician of
Toledo, to be instructed in necromancy. Don Illan made a difficulty,
stating that the dean was a man of influence and consequently likely to
attain a high position, and that men when they rise forget easily all
past obligations, as well as the persons from whom they received them.
The dean, however, protested that, no matter to what eminence he
attained, he would never fail to remember and to help his former
friends, and the magician in particular. This being the bargain, Don
Illan led the dean into a remote apartment, first desiring his
housekeeper to procure some partridges for supper, but not to cook them
until she had his special commands. Scarcely had the dean and his friend
reached the room when two messengers arrived from the dean's uncle, the
archbishop, summoning him to his death-bed. Being unwilling, however, to
forego the lessons he was about to receive, he contented himself with a
respectful reply. Four days afterwards other messengers arrived with
letters informing the dean of the archbishop's death, and again at the
end of other seven or eight days he learned that he himself had been
appointed archbishop in his uncle's place. Don Illan solicited the
vacant deanery for his son; but the new archbishop preferred his own
brother, inviting, however, Don Illan and his son to accompany him to
his see. After awhile, the deanery was again vacant: and again the
archbishop refused Don Illan's suit, in favour of one of his own uncles.
Two years later, the archbishop was named cardinal and summoned to Rome,
with liberty to name his successor in the see. Don Illan, pressing his
suit more urgently, was again repulsed in favour of another uncle. At
length the pope died, and the new cardinal was chosen pope. Don Illan,
who had accompanied him to Rome, then reminded him that he had now no
excuse for not fulfilling the promises he had so often repeated to him.
The pope sought to put him off; but Don Illan complained in earnest of
the many promises he had made, none of which had been kept, and declared
that he had no longer any faith in his words. The pope, much angered,
threatened to have Don Illan thrown into prison as a heretic and a
sorcerer; for he knew that in Toledo he had no other means of support
but by practising the art of necromancy. Don Illan, seeing how ill the
pope had requited his services, prepared t