fernal council in imitation of the celestial council described in
the Book of Job. The source for the parliament of devils is the
apocryphal book _Evangelium Nicodemi_. An early metrical tract under
the title of the _Parlement of Devils_ was printed two or three times
in London about 1520. A "Pandemonium" is also found in Tasso, Milton,
and Chateaubriand. The _Parlement of Foules_ (14th century) is but a
modification of the _Parlement of Devils_, for the devil and the fool
were originally identical in person and may be traced back to the
demonic clown of the ancient heathen cult (cf. the present writer's
book, _The Origin of the German Carnival Comedy_, p. 37). A far echo
is Thomas Chatterton's poem _The Parliament of Sprites_.

This story recalls to us the saying that the heart of a beautiful
woman is the most beloved hiding-place of at least seven devils.

THE DEVIL AND TOM WALKER

BY WASHINGTON IRVING

By his interest in popular legends the first of the great American
writers shows his sympathy with the Romantic movement, which prevailed
in his time in all the countries of Europe. His devil, however, has
not been imported from the lands across the Atlantic, but is a part of
the superstitions of the New World. The author himself did not believe
in "Old Scratch." The real devils for him were the slave-traders and
the witch-hunters of Salem fame. It is interesting now to read a
contemporary critic of Washington Irving's devil-story: "If Mr. Irving
believes in the existence of Tom Walker's master, we can scarcely
conceive how he can so earnestly jest about him; at all events, we
would counsel him to beware lest his own spells should prove fatal to
him" (_Eclectic Review_, 1825). Few people in those days had the
courage to take Old Nick good-naturedly. "Even the clever Madame de
Stael," said Goethe, "was greatly scandalized that I kept the devil in
such good-humour."

The devil appears in many colours, principally, however, in black and
red. It is a common belief in Scotland that the devil is a black man,
as may also be seen in Robert Louis Stevenson's story "Thrawn Janet."
There is no warrant in the biblical tradition for a black devil.
Satan, however, appeared as an Ethiopian as far back as the days of
the Church Fathers. The black colour presumably is intended to suggest
his place of abode, whereas red denotes the scorching fires of hell.
The devil was considered as a sort of eternal Salamander. In the New