40. CHAPTER XL.
OF THE SORCERERS IN THE ISLE OF MINDA.
“Tiffin! tiffin!” cried Media; “time for tiffin! Up,
comrades! and while the mat is being spread, walk we to
the bow, and inhale the breeze for an appetite. Hark ye,
Vee-Vee! forget not that calabash with the sea-blue seal,
and a round ring for a brand. Rare old stuff, that, Mohi;
older than you: the circumnavigator, I call it. My sire
had a canoe launched for the express purpose of carrying it
thrice round Mardi for a flavor. It was many moons on
the voyage; the mariners never sailed faster than three
knots. Ten would spoil the best wine ever floated.”
Tiffin over, and the blue-sealed calabash all but hid in the
great cloud raised by our pipes, Media proposed to board it
in the smoke. So, goblet in hand, we all gallantly charged,
and came off victorious from the fray.
Then seated again, and serenely puffing in a circle, the
circumnavigator meanwhile pleasantly going the rounds,
Media called upon Mohi for something entertaining.
Now, of all the old gossips in Mardi, surely our delightful
old Diodorus was furnished with the greatest possible variety
of histories, chronicles, anecdotes, memoirs, legends, traditions,
and biographies. There was no end to the library
he carried. In himself, he was the whole history of Mardi,
amplified, not abridged, in one volume.
In obedience, then, to King Media's command, Mohi regaled
the company with a narrative, in substance as follows:—
In a certain quarter of the Archipelago was an island
called Minda; and in Minda were many sorcerers, employed
in the social differences and animosities of the people of that
unfortunate land. If a Mindarian deemed himself aggrieved
or insulted by a countryman, he forthwith repaired to one of
these sorcerers; who, for an adequate consideration, set to
work with his spells, keeping himself in the dark, and directing
them against the obnoxious individual. And full soon, by
certain peculiar sensations, this individual, discovering what
was going on, would straightway hie to his own professor of
the sable art, who, being well feed, in due time brought
about certain counter-charms, so that in the end it sometimes
fell out that neither party was gainer or loser, save by
the sum of his fees.
But the worst of it was, that in some cases all knowledge
of these spells were at the outset hidden from the victim;
who, hearing too late of the mischief brewing, almost always
fell a prey to his foe; which calamity was held the height
of the art. But as the great body of sorcerers were about
matched in point of skill, it followed that the parties employing
them were so likewise. Hence arose those interminable
contests, in which many moons were spent, both parties
toiling after their common destruction.
Indeed, to say nothing of the obstinacy evinced by their
employers, it was marvelous, the pertinacity of the sorcerers
themselves. To the very last tooth in their employer's
pouches, they would stick to their spells; never giving over
till he was financially or physically defunct.
But much as they were vilified, no people in Minda were
half so disinterested as they. Certain indispensable conditions
secured, some of them were as ready to undertake
the perdition of one man as another; good, bad, or indifferent,
it made little matter.
What wonder, then, that such abominable mercenaries
should cause a mighty deal of mischief in Minda; privately
going about, inciting peaceable folks to enmities with their
neighbors; and with marvelous alacrity, proposing themselves
as the very sorcerers to rid them of the annoyances
suggested as existing.
Indeed, it even happened that a sorcerer would be secretly
retained to work spells upon a victim, who, from his
bodily sensations, suspecting something wrong, but knowing
not what, would repair to that self-same sorcerer, engaging
him to counteract any mischief that might be brewing. And
this worthy would at once undertake the business; when,
having both parties in his hands, he kept them forever in
suspense; meanwhile seeing to it well, that they failed not
in handsomely remunerating him for his pains.
At one time, there was a prodigious excitement about
these sorcerers, growing out of some alarming revelations
concerning their practices. In several villages of Minda,
they were sought to be put down. But fruitless the attempt;
it was soon discovered that already their spells were
so spread abroad, and they themselves so mixed up with the
every-day affairs of the isle, that it was better to let their
vocation alone, than, by endeavoring to suppress it, breed
additional troubles. Ah! they were a knowing and a cunning
set, those sorcerers; very hard to overcome, cajole, or
circumvent.
But in the name of the Magi, what were these spells of
theirs, so potent and occult? On all hands it was agreed,
that they derived their greatest virtue from the fumes of
certain compounds, whose ingredients—horrible to tell—
were mostly obtained from the human heart; and that by
variously mixing these ingredients, they adapted their multifarious
enchantments.
They were a vain and arrogant race. Upon the strength
of their dealing in the dark, they affected even more mystery
than belonged to them; when interrogated concerning their
science, would confound the inquirer by answers couched in
an extraordinary jargon, employing words almost as long as
anacondas. But all this greatly prevailed with the common
people.
Nor was it one of the least remarkable things, that oftentimes
two sorcerers, contrarily employed upon a Mindarian,
—one to attack, the other to defend,—would nevertheless
be upon the most friendly terms with each other; which
curious circumstance never begat the slightest suspicions in
the mind of the victim.
Another phenomenon: If from any cause, two sorcerers
fell out, they seldom exercised their spells upon each other;
ascribable to this, perhaps,—that both being versed in the
art, neither could hope to get the advantage.
But for all the opprobrium cast upon these sorcerers,
part of which they deserved, the evils imputed to them
were mainly, though indirectly, ascribable to the very
persons who abused them; nay, to the very persons who
employed them; the latter being by far the loudest in their
vilifyings; for which, indeed, they had excellent reason.
Nor was it to be denied, that in certain respects, the sorcerers
were productive of considerable good. The nature of
their pursuits leading them deep into the arcana of mind, they
often lighted upon important discoveries; along with much
that was cumbersome, accumulated valuable examples concerning
the inner working of the hearts of the Mindarians;
and often waxed eloquent in elucidating the mysteries of
iniquity.
Yet was all this their lore graven upon so uncouth, outlandish,
and antiquated tablets, that it was all but lost to
the mass of their countrymen; and some old sachem of a
wise man is quoted as having said, that their treasures were
locked up after such a fashion, that for old iron, the key
was worth more than the chest and its contents.
