Belphagor

  Florentine council, and our hero was compelled to attend. Arriving with no very pleasant

  sensations at Paris, he was introduced into the royal presence, when he assured his

  majesty that though it was true he had acquired some fame in the course of his demoniac

  practice, he could by no means always boast of success, and that some devils were of

  such a desperate character as not to pay the least alien-lion to threats, enchantments, or even the exorcisms of religion itself. He would, nevertheless, do his majesty’s pleasure,

  entreating at the same time to be held excused if it should happen to prove an obstinate

  case. To this the king made answer, that be the case what it might, he would certainly

  hang him if he did not succeed. It is impossible to describe poor Matteo’s terror and

  perplexity on hearing these words; but at length mustering courage, he ordered the

  possessed princess to be brought into his presence. Approaching as usual close to her ear, he conjured Roderigo in the most humble terms, by all he had ever done for him, not to

  abandon him in such a dilemma, but to show some sense of gratitude for past services

  and to leave the princess. “Ah! thou traitorous villain!” cried Roderigo, “hast thou,

  indeed, ventured to meddle in this business? Dost thou boast thyself a rich man at my

  expense? I will now convince the world and thee of the extent of my power, both to give

  and to take away. I shall have the pleasure of seeing thee hanged before thou leavest this place.” Poor Matteo finding there was no remedy, said nothing more, but, like a wise

  man, set his head to work in order to discover some other means of expelling the spirit;

  for which purpose he said to the king, “Sire, it is as I feared: there are certain spirits of so malignant a character that there is no keeping any terms with them, and this is one of

  them. However, I will make a last attempt, and I trust that it will succeed according to our wishes. If not, I am in your majesty’s power, and I hope you will take compassion on my

  innocence. In the first place, I have to entreat that your majesty will order a large stage to be erected in the centre of the great square, such as will admit the nobility and clergy of

  the whole city. The stage ought to be adorned with all kinds of silks and with cloth of gold, and with an altar raised in the middle. Tomorrow morning I would have your

  majesty, with your full train of lords and ecclesiastics in attendance, seated in order and in magnificent array, as spectators of the scene at the said place. There, after having

  celebrated solemn mass, the possessed princess must appear; but I have in particular to

  entreat that on one side of the square may be stationed a band of men with drums,

  trumpets, horns, tambours, bagpipes, cymbals, and kettle-drums, and all other kinds of

  instruments that make the most infernal noise. Now, when I take my hat off, let the whole band strike up, and approach with the most horrid uproar towards the stage. This, along

  with a few other secret remedies which I shall apply, will surely compel the spirit to

  depart.”

  These preparations were accordingly made by the royal command; and when the day,

  being Sunday morning, arrived, the stage was seen crowded with people of rank and the

  square with the people. Mass was celebrated, and the possessed princess conducted

  between two bishops, with a train of nobles, to the spot. Now, when Roderigo beheld so

  vast a concourse of people, together with all this awful preparation, he was almost struck dumb with astonishment, and said to himself, “I wonder what that cowardly wretch is

  thinking of doing now? Does he imagine I have never seen finer things than these in the

  regions above—ay! and more horrid things below? However, I will soon make him

  repent it, at all events.” Matteo then approaching him, besought him to come out; but

  Roderigo replied, “Oh, you think you have done a fine thing now! What do you mean to

  do with all this trumpery? Can you escape my power, think you, in this way, or elude the

  vengeance of the king? Thou poltroon villain, I will have thee hanged for this!” And as

  Matteo continued the more to entreat him, his adversay still vilified him in the same

  strain. So Matteo, believing there was no time to be lost, made the sign with his hat, when all the musicians who had been stationed there for the purpose suddenly struck up a

  hideous din, and ringing a thousand peals, approached the spot. Roderigo pricked up his

  ears at the sound, quite at a loss what to think, and rather in a perturbed tone of voice he asked Matteo what it meant. To this the latter returned, apparently much alarmed: “Alas!

  dear Roderigo, it is your wife; she is coming for you!” It is impossible to give an idea of the anguish of Roderigo’s mind and the strange alteration which his feelings underwent at

  that name. The moment the name of “wife” was pronounced, be had no longer presence

  of mind to consider whether it were probable, or even possible, that it could be her.

  Without replying a single word, he leaped out and fled in the utmost terror, leaving the

  lady to herself, and preferring rather to return to his infernal abode and render an account of his adventures, than run the risk of any further sufferings and vexations under the

  matrimonial yoke. And thus Belphagor again made his appearance in the infernal

  domains, bearing ample testimony to the evils introduced into a household by a wife;

  while Matteo, on his part, who knew more of the matter than the devil, returned

  triumphantly home, not a little proud of the victory he had achieved.