Page:Philochristus, Abbott, 1878.djvu/53

Rh and manifesting in his face that he had received an answer from the unclean spirit, turned from us to the possessed, and fixing his eye full upon his face, he cried in a loud voice: "Thou unclean spirit, thine hour is come. Thy name is revealed unto me, and thy shape likewise. In vain thou wouldst evade my sight, assuming the semblance of a long black worm. Lo! by the mysterious power of King Solomon's ring and these strong roots I will draw thee out of the poor boy's nostrils in the presence of this assembly: and when I say the word, thou, obedient to my commands, shalt leave the body which thou defilest, and, in thy passage, thou shalt overturn yonder vessel of water. Dost hear me? Thy name is Ialdabaoth."

Hereat the demoniac shrieked and raved louder than before, and a deep voice, deeper than the voice of a youth, cried out from within him, "I am Ialdabaoth, the worm of darkness; depart from me." The crowd shouted, and the sorcerer, turning to us, "Sirs," said he, "ye see how the evil spirit is already half conquered; for he hath confessed his name and nature to be even as I foretold." Then turning to the boy and applying a ring to his nostrils, he cried aloud, "Come forth, Ialdabaoth!" And with very great quickness, so that the motion could scarce be perceived (all the time shouting charms and incantations with a loud voice), he drew forth from the nostrils of the demoniac a shape like unto a long black worm. Now verily the crowd shrieked as if they themselves were possessed; but the boy sat, not struggling, but still and pale, as though no life were in him. But the exorcist, turning himself quickly round to the vessel of water behind him, "Away," he cried, "away, worm of darkness! Back, Ialdabaoth, to the abyss! Back through the air, and dash down yonder bucket as thou fliest!" At the word,