Volume V Part 73 (1/2)

This was enough to givehim to name an hour His reply, which I have preserved, ran as follows:

”The gravity of my occupation compels me to exclude everyone, but you are an exception Come whenever you like, you will be shewn in You need not mention my name nor your own I do not ask you to share my repast, far my food is not suitable to others--to you least of all, if your appetite is what it used to be”

At nine o'clock I paidHe had a score of retorts before hiestion He toldwith colours for his own amusement, and that he had established a hat factory for Count Cobenzl, the Austrian aiven him a hundred and fifty thousand florins, which were insufficient Then we spoke of Mada too strong a dose of the Universal Medicine, and her will shews that she thought herself to be with child If she had coh it is a difficult process, and science has not advanced far enough for us to be able to guarantee the sex of the child”

When he heard the nature of my disease, he wanted ive me fifteen pills, which would effectually cure me, and restore istrum, which he called athoeter It was a white liquid contained in a well-stoppered phial He told me that this liquid was the universal spirit of nature, and that if the wax on the stopper was pricked ever so lightly, the whole of the contents would disappear I begged hiave me the phial and a pin, and I pricked the wax, and to lo! the phial was eood is all this?”

”I cannot tell you; that is my secret”

He wanted to astonish me before I went, and asked me if I had any money about ot up, and without saying what he was going to do he took a burning coal and put it on a metal plate, and placed a twelve-sols piece with a srain on the coal He then blew it, and in two minutes it seemed on fire

”Wait a et cool;” and it cooled almost directly

”Take it; it is yours,” said he

I took up the piece of old I felt perfectly certain that he had sold piece coated with silver for it I did not care to tell him as much, but to let him see that I was not taken in, I said,--

”It is really very wonderful, but another ti to do, so that the operation ht be attentively watched, and the piece ofcoal”

”Those that are capable of entertaining doubts of ue, ”are not worthy to speak to ance, to which I was accustomed

This was the last time I saw this celebrated and learned i six or seven years after The piece of old, and two months after Field-ave it hi, and stopped at Brussels to await the answer of the letter which I had written to M de Bragadin Five days after I got the letter with a bill of exchange for two hundred ducats

I thought of staying in Brussels to get cured, but Daturi told me that he had heard from a rope-dancer that his father and mother and the whole fao there, assuring me that I should be carefully looked after

He had not o to Brunswick, as I was curious to see again the mother of my Godson, so I started the same day

At Ruremonde I was so ill that I had to stop for thirty-six hours

At Wesel I wished to get rid of my post-chaise, for the horses of the country are not used to going between shafts, but as my surprise to meet General Bekw there

After the usual coeneral had condoled with me on my weak state of health, he said he should like to buy e, in which I could travel all over Gereneral adviseddoctor from the University of Leyden, ould understandis easier than to influence a sick man, especially if he be in search of fortune, and knows not where to look for the fickle Goddess

General Bekw----, as in garrison at Wesel, sent for Dr Pipers, and was present at my confession and even at the exa the disgusting state in which I was, suffice it to say that I shudder still when I think of it