Page:Man Who Laughs (Estes and Lauriat 1869) v2.djvu/51

Rh a certain amount of rashness. He who had so recommended silence to others had here a rough lesson. Garrule sana teipsum.

The three doctors sat at Bishopsgate, at the end of a room on the ground-floor, in three arm-chairs covered with black leather, with three busts,—those of Minos, Æacus, and Rhadamanthus,—on the wall above their heads, a table before them, and at their feet a form for the accused. Ursus, introduced by a tipstaff, of placid but severe expression, entered, perceived the doctors, and immediately in his own mind gave to each of them the name of the judge of the infernal regions represented by the bust placed above his head. Minos, the president, the representative of theology, made him a sign to sit down on the form.

Ursus made a proper bow,—that is to say, bowed to the ground; and knowing that bears are charmed by honey and doctors by Latin, he said, keeping his body still bent respectfully: "Tres faciunt capitulum!" Then, with head still inclined (for modesty disarms), he sat down on the form.

Each of the three doctors had before him a bundle of papers, of which he was turning the leaves. Minos began:—

"You speak in public?"

"Yes," replied Ursus.

"By what right?"

"I am a philosopher."

"That gives no right."

"I am also a mountebank," said Ursus.

"That is a different thing."

Ursus breathed again, but with humility.

Minos resumed: "As a mountebank, you may speak; as a philosopher, you must keep silence."

"I will try," said Ursus. Then he thought to