The Magician's Glass

: STORIES OF SATAN, GHOSTS, ETC.
: Welsh Folk-lore

This glass, into which a person looked when he wished to solve the

future, or to ascertain whom he or she was to marry, was used by Welsh,

as well as other magicians. The glass gave back the features of the

person sought after, and reflected the future career of the seeker after

the hidden future. It was required that the spectator should concentrate

all his attention on the glass, and, on the principle that they who gazed
br /> long should not gaze in vain, he obtained the desired glimpse. Cwrt

Cadno, already referred to, professed to have such a glass.



But, the magician's glass is an instrument so often mentioned in

connection with necromancy in all parts of the world, that more need not

be said of it.



I will now give a few stories illustrative of the conjuror's power.







A Conjuror's Punishment of an Innkeeper for his exorbitant charges.





A famous conjuror, Dick Spot, was on his way to Llanrwst, and he turned

into a public house at Henllan for refreshments. He called for a glass

of beer and bread and cheese, and was charged tenpence for the same,

fourpence for the beer, and sixpence for the bread and cheese. This

charge he considered outrageous, but he paid the demand, and before

departing he took a scrap of paper and wrote on it a spell, and hid it

under the table, and then went on his way. That evening, soon after the

landlord and landlady had retired for the night, leaving the servant girl

to clear up, they were surprised to hear in the kitchen an unaccountable

noise; shouting and jumping was the order of the day, or rather night, in

that room. The good people heard the girl shout at the top of her

voice--



Six and four are ten,

Count it o'er again,



and then she danced like mad round and round the kitchen. They sternly

requested the girl to cease yelling, and to come to bed, but the only

answer they received was--



Six and four are ten,

Count it o'er again,



and with accelerated speed she danced round and round the kitchen.



The thought now struck the landlord that the girl had gone out of her

mind, and so he got up, and went to see what was the matter with her,

with the intention of trying to get her away from the kitchen. But the

moment he placed his foot in the kitchen, he gave a jump, and joined the

girl in her mad dance, and with her he shrieked out--



Six and four are ten,

Count it o'er again.



So now the noise was doubled, and the good wife, finding that her husband

did not return to her, became very angry, if not jealous. She shouted to

them to cease their row, but all to no purpose, for the dancing and the

shouting continued. Then she left her bed and went to the kitchen door,

and greatly disgusted she was to see her husband and maid dancing

together in that shameless manner. She stood at the door a moment or two

observing their frantic behaviour, and then she determined forcibly to

put a stop to the proceedings, so into the room she bounded, but with a

hop and a jump she joined in the dance, and sang out in chorus with the

other two--



Six and four are ten,

Count it o'er again.



The uproar now was great indeed, and roused the neighbours from their

sleep. They from outside heard the mad dance and the words, and guessed

that Dick Spot had been the cause of all this. One of those present

hurried after the conjuror, who, fortunately, was close at hand, and

desired him to return to the inn to release the people from his spell.

Oh, said Dick, take the piece of paper that is under the table and

burn it, and they will then stop their row. The man returned to the

inn, pushed open the door, rushed to the table, and cast the paper into

the fire, and then the trio became quiet. But they had nearly exhausted

themselves by their severe exertions ere they were released from the

power of the spell.



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