CHAPTER II.
WITCH-SABBATH.
The satyrs did not ask my name when I joined their band; but bestowedone on me with the mask. They did not select their names from thecalendar, but chose the appellations of distinguished satanicpersonages--as, for instance, there was a Belial; a Semiazaz; aLucifer; Mephistopholes; Belzebub; Azazel; Samiel; Dromo; Asmodens,Dopziher, Flibbertigibbet, and so on.
The leader was Astaroth; me they called Belphegor, and my"blood-comrade" Behoric.
The way a blood-comradeship was formed was this: The two men slashedtheir right arms, and each drank of the blood gushing from the arm ofthe other. This was an alliance of the first degree. A secondcomradeship was formed by two men pricking their names into eachother's arms. Both ceremonies were performed only on witch-sabbath.
Great privileges were associated with blood-comradeship. The comradesshared everything; they belonged to each other. Mine is thine, andthine mine.
If one of them said: I want this, or that; the other had to give it tohim.
Whatever one commanded the other had to obey; and if one comradewanted to exchange bodies with the other, the latter was obliged toconsent and--
"But that is impossible," here interrupted the prince.
"No it isn't," spoke up the chair with like decision, "Johann Magusproves conclusively that such exchanges have been known to takeplace."
"Well, if it is possible," returned his highness, "I should like, ifyour honor and I were 'blood-comrades,' to see how we would managesuch an exchange! There's room enough in my hide for three like you;but how I could get into yours puzzles me!"
The prisoner proceeded to explain how it might be accomplished:
The entire body undergoes a change; the larger becomes smaller, and_vice versa_; so that an exchange is easily effected. It needs onlythe consent of both parties. All sorts of complications may arise fromsuch an exchange, though. Suppose I were a bridegroom, and myblood-comrade should suggest an exchange of bodies; or, if I were onmy way to the gallows, and I should ask to exchange?
One day the leader of the band said to me:
"Belphegor, you must marry. You will not be a genuine satyr until youare mated with a female member of our band."
"But where are the ladies? I have not yet seen any of them," I asked.
"I have a bride ready for you, my youngest sister Lilith. You shallsee her very soon."
I knew that a Lilith had tempted Father Adam to be untrue to MotherEve; if she and the captain's sister were one and the same, then shemust be considerably older than I. So I said:
"Does she wear a mask?"
"Certainly."
"Then I'll marry her!"
And so it was settled that I should become the leader'sbrother-in-law.
In a subterranean cavern in the Black Forest our wedding wascelebrated. The entire company of satyrs were assembled to witness theceremony, and when the numerous torches were lighted, the cavernlooked like an immensely large church with this difference: everythingwas inverted. The images of the saints stood on their heads; even thecrucifix in the chancel was upside down. The organ's base was againstthe ceiling; the winged cherubs hovered overhead feet upward; thebells swung with the clappers standing upright, and the choir chantedthe psalm backward. The priest who performed the ceremony had the mostpeculiar legs; one was at least a foot shorter than the other; andwhen an acolyte removed the mitre, the father's head came off with it.Asafoetida instead of incense was burned in the censer.
My bride, whom I saw now for the first time, was robed in garments farmore costly and magnificent than any I had ever seen on my regal wife,Sumro Begum. The fine clothes and gew-gaws concealed the contours ofher form, and a heavy gold-embroidered veil completely hid her face.The priest made us repeat the marriage service backward; and when hebade us inscribe our names in the register I took good care to lookclosely at my wife's hands. They were encased in gloves, but I couldsee that the finger nails were long and sharp--which did not augurfavorably for me should there arise any domestic differences betweenus.
Her voice was youthful enough; she did not pronounce P like M, fromwhich I concluded that she still had teeth.
We left the church to the music of the organ. I led my bride on my armto the wagon waiting for us at the entrance to the cavern. It was alarge, heavy vehicle, roomy enough for a dozen persons, and harnessedto it were six stag-beetles.
"How in the devil's name are these beetles going to drag such a heavyvehicle?" I cried angrily. "Six horses couldn't move it."
"No, of course they couldn't!" assented my wife. "The axles needgreasing. Here, rub some of this ointment on them."
I obeyed, and greased the axles with the contents of an agate boxLilith held in her hand. The entire wedding company now sprang on thewagon, leaving only the driver's seat for me and my bride. Lilith tookthe reins; the six beetles spread their wings, and off we went--theheavy wagon with its heavier load flying as swiftly and lightlythrough the air as thistle-down before a gale.
I thought it an excellent chance to get a sight of my bride's facewhile both her hands were occupied with the reins, and quickly flungback her veil.
Horror! the blood froze in my veins. They were the repulsive featuresof the witch I had heard boast on the _kempenei_, that she would catchme yet, and prepare me for the bridle.
Beyond a doubt she was Father Adam's temptress, for there werewrinkles enough on her hideous face to represent the many centurieswhich had passed since her little affair with the first man; while,for the development of such a moustache from the delicate peach-down,which makes a woman's lips so kissable, would require many a cycle oftime!
"I will jump from the wagon!" I cried in terror.
"Better put your arms around me to keep from falling out!" laughed myterrible bride, and then I noticed for the first time that we were atleast five hundred feet above the earth.
To force me to adopt her suggestion, Lilith guided the beetles towardthe spire of the Cologne Cathedral, against which we struck with suchviolence that to save myself from tumbling from my seat I had to flingmy arm around Lilith's waist, at which the entire company laugheduproariously.
At last, to my great relief, we descended to the earth, and alightedin a lonely forest, at another of the witches' meeting places, wherewe were greeted by a weird company that assembled from all quarters ofthe globe. They came through the air, riding on brooms, on chairs, onbenches--
"I don't believe a single word of the ridiculous story!" hereemphatically exclaimed the prince.
"I do," with equal emphasis affirmed the chair. "Johannes de Kembachhas described witches' journeys in almost the same language; and thelearned Majolus testifies to the flying wagon, which a servant inmistake greased with witch ointment instead of axle grease. Moreover,a similar tale is related by Torquemada, in his Hexameron--arecognized authority on such matters."
The prisoner continued his confession:
The witches, as I said, came through the air accompanied by theirgallants; the demons rose, with their attendants, from the ground.Among the latter were several of the celebrities from whom the satyrshad borrowed the name they bore.
Semiazaz is the jester of the demon-crew, also the musician; and whenhe plays, all the rest have to dance. His nose is a clarionet; heplays it with his ears instead of his fingers with which he thrums onthe skeleton ribs of a cow, as on a harp; and he beats the drum withhis tail.
Behoric, my blood-comrade's god-father, is a huge fellow with anelephant's trunk, with which he signs his name. That is why N. P.(_nasu propria_) instead of M. P. (_manu propria_) is always appendedto this demon's signature. Behoric is also an elegant cavalier. Hewears his tail jauntily over one shoulder, and fans himself, when hegets too warm, with the brush at the tip.
All of the demons, with a single exception, had wings like a bat. Mynamesake alone differed in this respect from his fellows. His wingswere formed from the quills which have been used on earth to sign andwrite documents worthy of the infernal regions.
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There was the quill used by Pilate to sign the accusation againstJesus Christ, and the release of Barabbas; the quill with whichAretino indited his sonnets; the quill used by Queen Elizabeth to signMary Stuart's death sentence; the quill with which Catharine de Mediciordered the horrors of St. Bartholomew's night; the quill with whichPope Leo X. wrote indulgences for money; the quill with which PopeInnocent wrote the words: "_Sint ut sunt aut non sint_;" the quillwith which a distinguished Archbishop wrote his ambiguous answer:"_Reginam occidere nolite timere bonum est_;" the quill that wrote atShylock's order the contract for a pound of human flesh; the quillused by the mortal foe of the Foscari to write in his book "_LaPagata_;" the quill with which King Philip signed the death warrant ofhis son; the quill with which Tetzel scrawled his pamphlet attackingLuther--and all the rest of the quills which have been used for suchlike infamous deeds, were to be found in Belphegor's wings.
They were gigantic wings, too, much longer than those of roc; andwhenever Behoric needed a pen he would pluck from them the quill whichbest suited the document he wanted to sign. After all the demons andwitches were assembled they began to plan evil deeds; and my bridebeing the heroine of the hour, she had the right to offer the firstsuggestion:
"There is an inn near the '_kempenei_,'" she began, "whose owner is inleague with the commandant of Bilsen to counterfeit money, and waylaytravellers. The counterfeit money is started into circulation by theinn-keeper, who gives it to the caravans which stop at his house forrefreshment, in exchange for the genuine money they leave with him.This publican has become repentant, and wants to atone for hismisdeeds. He confessed his criminal practices in a letter to thegovernor, and told where the commandant fabricated the false coin.This letter I managed to have conveyed to the commandant instead of tothe governor, and tonight, the former with his troops is going to paya visit to the inn. What say you, friends: how many souls shall wesend to hell?"
"All of them! All of them!" yelled the witches. "We will have some funthis night! Ho, Lucifer! We await you!"
A terrific noise and rumbling was heard, and the ground opened, aswhen an earthquake cleaves the crust of the globe. From the abyss rosehis infernal majesty, the king of evil, before whom the entire companyknelt--or rather squatted on their heels--
"What was he like?" queried the prince.
I cannot answer that question, your highness--and for a very goodreason, as will be learned further on. When Lucifer appeared all thewitches disrobed--
"Not to the buff?" again interrupted the prince.
Yes, your highness, and further. They took off their skins, too; andwhen their hideous, wrinkled, warty hides were stripped off, theywere the most beautiful and fascinating fairies.
My Lilith was more transcendently lovely than any image of a goddess Iever saw--she was perfect beauty idealized! Your highness willunderstand now why I had no eyes for the prince of darkness. I hadlost command of my head--for one kiss from Lilith's ravishing lips Iwould have bonded my soul to the devil.
Behoric, the real demon, for whom my blood-comrade was called, nowtook a black book from his knapsack, and bade his namesake stepforward to be stigmatized. This was accomplished as follows: Behoricplucked a quill from Belphegor's wings, and with the nib made tinypunctures in my comrade's arm, thus forming letters. After making apuncture in the flesh he would make a dot with the bloody quill-pointon a page in the black book. When his task was finished, the name"Behoric" gleamed in red letters on my comrade's arm; and in lettersof flame on the page in the black book.
The demon then presented to his namesake a thaler, as christeninggift; after which, he turned to me, and said I should also receive athaler if I would allow him to register my name among those of thechosen ones of hell.
Not for a dozen thalers would I have consented; but, for one kiss frommy fascinating Lilith, I would have done anything asked of me.
I extended my arm for the stigma; but my blood-comrade stepped up tome and said:
"Comrade, do you see this thaler which I got in exchange for my soul?I want you to give me your bride for it."
As I have told you, a blood-comrade dare not refuse the request madeby his fellow. I pocketed the thaler, placed Lilith's beautiful handin Behoric's palm, and saw them move away to join the dancers.
Behoric and Belphegor now seized my collar, and importuned me to havemy name recorded in the black book; but, with the loss of my bride,all desire to join the demon ranks vanished.
In vain I made all sorts of excuses; they would not release me. Atlast, I cried with simulated anger: "To the devil with you! Not asingle member of my family ever was known to sign a contract whensober! I will eat and drink, then I'll talk business with you!"
Hardly had the last word crossed my lips, when before me stood a tableloaded with delicious viands, and rare wines. The wedding guestsseated themselves around the table, and proceeded to enjoy the repast,but to my extreme disappointment both wines and food were withouttaste. There was no substance to the former, no savor to the latter.
I began to quarrel with the demons:
"I can't eat this food," I exclaimed irritably. "I can't eat meatwithout salt."
"Salt?" repeated one of them. "Where should we get salt? There is noocean in hell."
"But,"--I persisted--"I must have some salt--and if you have to fetchme Lot's wife--"
"Don't scold so, little man," jestingly interrupted Lilith, pulling mymustache. "Here--taste what is on my lips."
"I don't want honey--I want salt," I yelled, pushing her away."_Donner und Blitz!_ Give me salt, or I'll skin Lucifer!"
Now, a curse has the same effect on a demon that a prayer has on anangel.
The younger devils rushed with all speed possible to Lucifer's palaceto fetch the only salt-cellar in the infernal regions; it is for thesole use of the king of evil. This salt-cellar is a large mussel-shelland looks like a christening bowl; it is filled with salt collectedfrom the tears shed by penitent sinners who delayed their repentanceuntil it was too late.
Two active little imps dragged the salt-cellar to my side.
"Here's salt at last--God be praised!" I exclaimed in a loud voice.
The next instant the table with its viands disappeared amid anunearthly din, and rumbling as of thunder. The demons sank cursinginto the earth; the witches flew yelling into the air, and I fellbackward to the ground unconscious.
When I came to my senses, I was lying in a peat bog one hundred andtwenty miles from the Black Forest, in which I had celebrated mymarriage the night before with the beautiful Lilith.
"Either you are a madman, or you dreamed all this nonsense," in astern tone observed the prince, at the conclusion of Hugo's recital."I don't believe a single word of it."
"Well," commented the chair with less emphasis; "one thing is clear:Among the many lies the rascal has entertained us with for weeks, thislast tale is the only one to bear a semblance to the truth. Similaroccurrences are related by Majolus, and Ghirlandinus; also by theworld-renowned Boccaccio, whose statements no one would think ofdoubting. I say that, for once, the accused has adhered strictly tothe truth."
"Very good," decisively responded the prince. "Then, as he did notsign the compact with Satan, he cannot be charged with _pactumdiabolicum implicitum_. Consequently, this indictment may also beexpunged from the record."
PART XII.
THE BREAD OF SHAME.