Page:The Lay of the Last Minstrel - Scott (1805).djvu/307

 the scolers had lycense to go to play and sporte them in the fyldes, after the usaunce of the holde tyme. And there was also Virgilius therbye, also walkynge amonge the hylles alle about. It fortuned he spyed a great hole in the syde of a great hyll, wherein he went so depe, that he culde not see no more lyght; and then he went a lytell farther therin, and than he saw some lyght agayne, and than he went fourth streyghte, and within a lytyll wyle after he harde a voyce that called "Virgilius! Virgilius!" and loked aboute, and he colde nat see no body. Than sayd he (i.e. the voice), "Virgilius, see ye not the lyttyll bourde lyinge bysyde you there markd with that word?" Than answerd Virgilius, "I see that borde well anough." The voyce sayd, "Doo awaye that borde, and lette me out there atte." Than answered Virgilius to the voyce that was under the lytell borde, and sayd, "Who art thou that calles me so?" Than answered the Devyll, "I ama devyll conjured out of the body of a certeyne man, and banysshed here tyll the day of judgemend, without that I be delyvered by the handes of men. Thus, Virgilius, I pray the, delyvere me out of this payn, and I shall shewe unto the many bokes of nygromancy, and how thou shalt come by it lyghtly, and know the practise therein, that no man in the scyence of negromancye shall passe the. And moreover, I shall shewe and enforme the so, that thou shalt have alle thy desyre, wherby mythinke it is a great gyfte for so lytyll a doynge. For ye may also thus all your power frendys helpe, and make ryche your ennemyes."Thorough that great promyse was Virgilius tempted; he badde the fynd show the bokes to him,