CHAPTER LXXXIV.
The Conjurer and his Associate execute a Plan of Vengeance against
certain Infidels who pretend to despise their Art; and Peregrine
achieves an Adventure with a young Nobleman.
By these means, the whole variety of characters undisguised passed,
as it were, in review before the confederates, who, by divers
ingenious contrivances, punished the most flagrant offenders with as
much severity as the nature of their plan would allow. At length
they projected a scheme for chastising a number of their own
acquaintance, who had all along professed the utmost contempt for
the talent of this conjurer, which they endeavoured to ridicule in
all companies, where his surprising art was the subject of discourse;
not that they had sense and discernment enough to perceive the
absurdity of his pretensions, but affected a singularity of opinions,
with a view of insulting the inferior understandings of those who
were deceived by such an idle impostor.
Peregrine, indeed, for obvious reasons, had always espoused their
judgment in this case, and joined them in reviling the public
character of his friend.
Pages:
1089
1090
1091
1092
1093
1094
1095
1096
1097
1098
1099
1100
1101
1102
1103
1104
1105
1106
1107
1108
1109
1110
1111
1112
1113