Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IX.djvu/728

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708 JUGGLER JUGURTHA 19th, Haller, Blitz, and others summon them again. The abb6 Mical and Maelzel in modern times astonished the world with androides, little speaking figures ; the Egyptian priests made gods and statues which prophesied and explained dreams. Stone statues of the gods which rang like a bell when struck (Pausanias, "Attica," c. 42) are still found in China as the jade-stone images of Buddha. In optics, the Chinese jugglers show a clear metallic mir- ror which, when it reflects sunshine on a wall, exhibits in the circle of light an inscription ; the secret of which was accidentally discovered several years ago in Paris by seeing a letter stamped in the back of a daguerreotype plate reflected in like manner, though not visible on the reflecting surface. The magic lantern fully explains the images of the gods shown in the water by ancient wizards, and the devils seen by Benvenuto Cellini in the Colosseum. In hydrostatics, the bottle yielding all kinds of wine, which has often appeared in romance, as on the table of Faust, has been realized by many wizards of the present day. Many tricks per- formed by modern eastern jugglers have how- ever never been fairly explained. Their placing a boy in a basket on the ground and stabbing through it, causing blood to flow and the boy to vanish and reappear, is one of these ; so too is their curious trick of making trees grow visibly in a few minutes. Something like this was shown by a Neapolitan, who professed to make lettuce seed sprout by electricity, and who thereby long puzzled the scientific world. In modern Egypt (Lane, " Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians," vol. ii.) a naked juggler is tied up in an empty bag, and comes out bringing with him plates of food and lighted candles. The Indian and Japanese jugglers are also exceedingly skilful. Common jugglers are said to have originated in Egypt, and thence made their appearance in Greece ; in Rome they were termed prtestigiatores, pi- larii (ball players), nentilatores (tossers), and saccularii, " those who tricked with bags and into pockets." The real Faust of the middle ages was a common juggler, and much below the dignity of black-art scholars like Agrippa and Paracelsus. Of his class was the Bohemian Zito. Among the most remarkable jugglers of modern times have been Pinetti, Eckartshausen, Philadelphia, and the famed Katterfelto. More recently we have had Bartolommeo, Bosco of Turin, Dobler, Prof. Anderson, Heller, Houdin, and Hermann. Most eminent of these was the Frenchman Robert Houdin, who applied to his art both genius and science. His memoirs were published in Paris in 1859. For other works on the subject, see Reginald Scot, " Dis- coverie of Witchcraft" (1584); the works of Wiegleb, Halle, Funk, and Eckartshausen ; Sir David Brewster, "Letters on Natural Magic" (London, 1831); and EusSbe Salverte, Des sci- ences occultes (2 vols., Paris, 1829). .1 1 (.1 It IIH, a Numidian king, born before the middle of the 2d century B. C., died in Rome in 104. He was the illegitimate son of Masta- nabal, youngest son of Masinissa, king of Nu- midia. Micipsa, his paternal uncle, on succeed- ing to the throne, adopted him, and had him brought up with his own sons, Hiempsal and Adherbal. Jugurtha's superior abilities and skill in all martial exercises soon excited the jealousy of Micipsa, who, to remove him out of the way, sent him in 134 with an auxiliary force to aid Scipio in the Numantine war. Ju- gurtha's courage and capacity won him the friendship of the Roman commander and offi- cers. On the conclusion of the war he return- ed to Numidia, and was received with ceremo- nious respect by Micipsa, who, to purchase his forbearance, made him at his death (118) heir to the kingdom in common with his two sons. The three princes quarrelled on their first meeting after his death, and a little later Hiempsal was assassinated by Jugurtha. Ad- herbal and his party took up arms, but were defeated, when he fled for refuge to Rome, and submitted his case to the senate, which, despite the intrigues and bribes of Jugurtha, sent com- missioners to Africa to divide Numidia be- tween the rivals. The commissioners took gifts from Jugurtha, and gave him the larger and better half of the kingdom. But he was not satisfied, and after trying in vain to pro- voke Adherbal to declare war, he invaded his territory, and compelled him to take refuge in Cirta, where on his surrender in 112 he massacred him and all his followers. The con- duct of Jugurtha now excited loud indignation at Rome, and an army was despatched to Afri- ca to depose him. But the Roman command- er and legate suffered Jugurtha to purchase peace on terms which involved no greater sac- rifice on his part than 30 elephants and an in- considerable sum of money. This shameful transaction so weakened the confidence of the Roman people in the patricians, that the praator Cassius was sent to Numidia to guarantee to Jugurtha a safe-conduct if he would go to Rome and give evidence against the generals. The king consented, proceeded to Rome, and appeared in the comitia ; but a tribune in the interest of the generals forbade him to testify, and the attempt to convict the corrupt officers proved a failure. Jugurtha remained at Rome for some time, intriguing and adding to his influence among the aristocracy. Having however procured the assassination of Massiva, a Numidian prince, who since the death of Ad- herbal had been a competitor for that kingdom, he was ordered to quit Italy. It was while leaving Rome on this occasion that he uttered the memorable exclamation, which indicates how the Romans had fallen from their ancient integrity : " Behold a city for sale, could she but find a purchaser." The war was now re- newed, and a division of the army of Spurius Albinus, under the command of his brother Aulus, was surprised by Jugurtha in its camp, the greater part cut to pieces, and the survivors compelled to pass under the yoke. This dis-