The alchymist readily avowed his belief in them; and that
there had been instances of their attending upon philosophers, and
administering to their wishes. He related many miracles said to have
been performed by Apollonius Thyaneus, through the aid of spirits or
demons; insomuch that he was set up by the heathens in opposition to
the Messiah; and was even regarded with reverence by many Christians.
The familiars eagerly demanded whether he believed Apollonius to be a
true and worthy philosopher. The unaffected piety of the alchymist
protected him even in the midst of his simplicity; for he condemned
Apollonius as a sorcerer and an impostor. No art could draw from him
an admission that he had ever employed or invoked spiritual agencies
in the prosecution of his pursuits, though he believed himself to have
been frequently impeded by their invisible interference.
The inquisitors were sorely vexed at not being able to inveigle him
into a confession of a criminal nature; they attributed their failure
to craft, to obstinacy, to every cause but the right one, namely, that
the harmless visionary had nothing guilty to confess. They had
abundant proof of a secret nature against him; but it was the practice
of the inquisition to endeavour to procure confession from the
prisoners.
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