THE WIZARD THAT WAS MADE TO WAIT, J.L. Borges

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.