History will live in
his recollection; distant ages will speak with his tongue. The nations
of the earth will look to him as their preceptor, and kings will sit
at his feet and learn wisdom. Oh glorious! oh celestial alchymy!"--
Here he was interrupted by the inquisitor, who had suffered him to go
on thus far, in hopes of gathering something from his unguarded
enthusiasm. "Senor," said he, "this is all rambling, visionary talk.
You are charged with sorcery, and in defence you give us a rhapsody
about alchymy. Have you nothing better than this to offer in your
defence?"
The old man slowly resumed his seat, but did not deign a reply. The
fire that had beamed in his eye gradually expired. His cheek resumed
its wonted paleness; but he did not relapse into inanity. He sat with
a steady, serene, patient look. Like one prepared not to contend, but
to suffer.
His trial continued for a long time, with cruel mockery of justice,
for no witnesses were ever in this court confronted with the accused,
and the latter had continually to defend himself in the dark. Some
unknown and powerful enemy had alleged charges against the unfortunate
alchymist, but who he could not imagine. Stranger and sojourner as he
was in the land, solitary and harmless in his pursuits, how could he
have provoked such hostility? The tide of secret testimony, however,
was too strong against him; he was convicted of the crime of magic,
and condemned to expiate his sins at the stake, at the approaching
auto da fe.
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