crowd of many thousands to the court-house, where the tribunal was yet assembled, and with loud complaints brought forth fresh accusations against the knave, who, in their persons, had affronted the whole citizens. They were complimented on their good services—the arrow was placed as a corpus delicti among the criminal proceedings,—and as there seemed to be some difficulty in keeping the rogue in prison, it was resolved to fire the pile without farther delay: especially as the auspicious burning of the Magician had been already engrossed in the protocol of the proceedings as having happened that day, and, according to an ancient and wise law, nothing which had once been recorded could be afterwards altered in any wise.
Three councillors marched in solemn and high judicial array, to the pile, with the constables, preceded by the assistants of the executioner, bearing burning torches, and followed by all the people who had remained in the town, in expectation of the issue.
When they approached the gate they heard from afar a shouting as of ten thousand tipsy people; and soon, oh marvellous! their own feet began to skip under them, and skipping they went out at the gate, and saw a numberless crowd of spectators, every instant swelled by the crowds which streamed towards them, all leaping with the greatest exertion around the pile.
Upon the pile stood the Magician—to whose whistle they danced—beating time with his feet. All danced who had feetu to dance,—children, and grandmothers,—and grave-looking men who never had dreamed of dancing in their lives before, and old men, and nuns, and noble knights, and fishwomen—all in the most motley crowd. Sometimes the Magician led them through batreel, and sometimes through a waltz,—now he allowed them to recover breath in a minuet, and presently he set them a-dancing with increased vigour at a Swabian jig or a Cosaque, even the ex ecutioner and his assistants were footing it upon the pile it-
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