Page:Famous history of the learned Friar Bacon (1).pdf/18

(18) at sundry times, to the great effusion of and often alteration of the constitution  governments; and if any thing might  contrived to prevent the like for the  they should thereby raise a lasting  to their names.

Bacon upon this concluded to frame a he of brass; and if by their art, they cause it to speak, and answer their  they required that all the sea-girt shores  England and Wales should be walled  brass, and brazen towers be raised on  frontiers of Scotland, to hinder the  and rovings of the hardy Scots.

They laboured to do this by art, but not; so they conjured up a spirit, to  of the infernal council, whether it might  done, or not. The spirit, however, was unwilling to answer till Friar Bacon with his charms to bind him in chains in  red sea or to a burning rock, and make him the sport of wrecking whirlwinds.

Terrified by this means, he said, of himself he could give no answer, but must enquire of his Lord Lucifer. They granted him two days for an answer, accordingly he returned this, “If they for two months would carefully watch the head, it should in time speak, but the certain time should  be known to them; and then if they did hear it, they should be answered.”