Languages & literature > Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane > Volume 3

G I L B L A S. 89
Veffions. In one, they played at draughts and
primero ; and in the other, ten or twelve perfons
were liftening very attentively to adifpute between
two profefled wits. We had no occafion to go near
them, in order to learn that a metaphyfical pro-
pofition was the fubjeft of their difpute : for they
talked with fuch warmth and tranfport, that they
looked like people pofieffed. I imagine if Eleazar’s *
ring had been put under their nofes, we (hould
have feen devils iflue with their breath. " Good
God ! (faid 1 to my companion) what pafTion !
what lungs ! Thefe difputants were certainly bom
to be public criers. The greateft part of mankind
are mifplaced.” “ Yes, truly ; (he replied) thefe
people feem to be of the race of Novius f, that
Roman banker, whofe voice exceeded the noife of
carmen. But (added he) what gives me the great-
eft difguft at their difcourfe, is, that our ears are
Aunned to no purpofe.” We removed at a dif*
tance from thofe vociferous metaphyficians, and by
* Eleazar, a famous magician who caft out devils,
by tying to the jiofe of the poireffed, a certain myftical
ring, which the daemon no fooner fmelled, than he over¬
turned and abandoned the patient. He performed before
the Emperor Vefpafian, and in Older to fhew the power
he had over the devil, commanded hyn to overfet a
pitcher of water. This the daemon immediately com¬
plied with, to the aflbnifhment of all prefent.
f Novius, whom M. La Sage honours with the title
of banker, was no other than a rankufurer, who, from
being a Have came to be a rich citizen of Rome. Ho¬
race, who has perpetuated his infamy, has alfo immorta¬
lized the loudnefs of his voice in the fixth fatire of his
Bril book.
—at hie plauftra ducenta
Concurrantque foro triafunera magna fonabit
Cornua quod, vincatque tubas — — that