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And do you blame him for that?

He has averred that he has power over spirits and shades of the dead.

[Grasping his cloak.] Libanius!

All on board the ship were full of the most marvellous stories, and here[He shows a letter], here, my colleague, Eusebius, writes at length on the subject.

Spirits and shades

At Ephesus lately, in a large assembly both of his partisans and his opponents. Maximus applied forbidden arts to the statue of Hecate. It took place in the goddess's temple. Eusebius writes that he himself was present, and saw everything from first to last. All was in pitch-black darkness. Maximus uttered strange incantations; then he chanted a hymn, which no one understood. Then the marble torch in the statue's hand burst into flame

Impious doings!

[Breathlessly.] And then?