THE WIZARD THAT WAS MADE TO WAIT
In Santiago de
Compostela, there was once a
dean of the cathedral who was greedy to learn
the art of magic. He heard a rumor that a man
named Ulan, who lived in the city of Toledo,
knew more things respecting this art than any
other man, and he set off to Toledo to find him.
The day the dean arrived, he went directly to
the place where Illán lived and found him at his
books, in a room at the rear of the house. Ulan
greeted the dean
kindly, but begged that he put
off the business of his journey until after they
had eaten. He showed him to a cool apartment
and told him he was very glad that he had come.
After dinner, the dean explained the purpose of
his journey, and asked Illán to teach him the
occult science. Ulan told him that he had
divined that his visitor was a dean, a man of
good position and promising future; he told
him, also, however, that he feared that should
he teach him as he asked, the dean would forget
him afterward. The dean promised that he
would never forget the kindness shown him by
Illán, and said he
would be forever in his debt.
When that vow was made,Illán told the dean
that the magic arts could be learned only in a
retired place, and he took him by the hand and
led him into an adjoining room, where there
was a large iron ring in the floor. First, however,
he instructed his serving-woman that they
would have partridge for dinner, though he told
her not to put them on the fire until he bade her
do so. The two men together lifted the iron ring,
and they began to descend a stairway hewn with
skill from stone; so far did they descend these
stairs that the dean would have sworn they had
gone beneath the bed of the Tagus. At the foot
of the stairway there was a cell, and then a
library, and then a sort of cabinet, or private
study, filled with instruments of magic. They
thumbed through the books, and as they were
doing this, two men entered with a letter for the
dean. This letter had been sent him by the
bishop, his uncle, and it informed him that his
uncle was taken very ill; if the dean wished to
see him alive, the letter said, he should return
home without delay. This news vexed the dean
greatly, in the first instance because of his
uncle's illness, but second because he was
obliged to interrupt his studies. He resolved to
send his regrets, and he sent the letter to the
bishop. In three days, several men arrived,
dressed in mourning and bringing further
letters for the dean, informing him that his
uncle the bishop had died, that a successor was
being chosen, and that it was hoped that by the
grace of God he himself would be elected. These
letters also said that he should not trouble
himself to come, since it would be much better
if he were elected in absentia.
Ten days later, two very well-turned-out
squires came to where the dean was at his
studies; they threw themselves at his feet,
kissed his hand, and addressed him as "bishop."
When Illán saw these things, he went with
great happiness to the new prelate and told him
he thanked God that such good news should
make its way to his humble house. Then he
asked that one of his sons be given the vacant
deanship. The bishop informed him that he had
reserved that position for his own brother, but
that he was indeed resolved to show Illan's son
favor, and that the three of them should set off
together for Santiago at once.
The three men set off for Santiago, where
they were received with great honors. Six
months later, the bishop received messengers
from the Pope, who offered him the
archbishopric of Tolosa and left to the bishop
himself the choice of his successor. When
Illán
learned this news, he reminded the bishop of
his old promise and requested the bishopric for
his son. The new archbishop informed Illan
that he had reserved the bishopric for his own
uncle, his father's brother, but that he was
indeed resolved to show Illan's son favor, and
that they should set off together for Tolosa at
once. Illán had no choice but to agree.
The three men set off for Tolosa, where they
were received with great honors and with
masses. Two years later, the archbishop
received
messengers from the Pope, who
offered him a cardinal's biretta and left to the
archbishop himself the choice of his successor.
When Illán learned this news, he reminded the
archbishop of his old promise and requested the
archbishopric for his son. The new cardinal
informed Illán that he had reserved the
archbishopric for his own uncle, his mother's
brother, but that he was indeed resolved to
show Illan's son favor, and he insisted that they
set out together for Rome
at once. Illán
had no
choice but to agree.
The three men set out together for Rome,
where they were received with great honors and
with masses and processions. Four years later
the Pope died, and our cardinal was
unanimously elected to the Holy See by his
brother cardinals.
When Illán learned this
news, he kissed the feet of His Holiness,
reminded him of his old promise, and requested
that his son be made cardinal in His Holiness'
place. The Pope threatened
Illán with
imprisonment,telling him that he knew very
well he was a wizard who when he had lived in
Toledo had been no better than a teacher of
magic arts. The
miserable Illán said he would
return to Spain, then, and begged of the Pope a
morsel to eat along the way. The Pope refused.
Then it was that Illán
(whose face had become
young again in a most extraordinary way) said
in a firm and steady voice:
"Then I shall have to eat those partridges
that I ordered up for tonight's supper."
The serving-woman appeared
and Illán told
her to put the partridges on the fire. At those
words, the Pope found himself in the cell under
Illan's house in Toledo, a poor dean of the
cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, and so
ashamed of his ingratitude that he could find no
words by which to beg Illan's forgiveness. Illán
declared that the trial to which he'd put the
dean sufficed; he refused him his portion of the
partridges and went with him to the door,
where he wished him a pleasant journey and
sent him off most courteously.
(From the Libro de
Patronio by the Infante
don Juan Manuel, who took it in turn from an
Arabic volume, The Forty
Mornings and the
Forty Nights)
History of Infamy, J.L.Borges.
