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The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction - Volume 20, No. 557, July 14, 1832 by Various
page 32 of 51 (62%)
Some recent French publication has trumped up a story about Bonaparte and
the magicians, when that extraordinary man was in Egypt, and separated
from the fair Josephine, who was then, though his wife, supposed to be the
object of his amorous affections; and they make the conqueror--the victor
of the battle of the Pyramids, turn pale, and then yellow with jealousy,
at the revelations which were made to him by the wise men of Egypt. But
besides the characters of Napoleon and of Josephine, I have other grounds
(not necessary to explain here) for believing that the whole of this
incident, is but a parody of the following well known story.

An honest Neapolitan trader who happened to be for some months on the
coast of Africa, about Tunis, and in Egypt, became all at once anxious to
know something of the proceedings of a buxom wife he had left behind him
at the town of the Torre del Greco, not far from the city of Naples, and
was persuaded one night to consult the magicians.

An innocent boy was procured, as usual, who, when the charm began to work,
said he saw a woman in a blue jacket that had a great deal of gold lace
upon it, in a bright yellow robe of very ample dimensions, with a necklace
of coral round her neck, immense earrings to her ears, and a long silver
thing, shaped like an arrow, thrust through her hair which was much
bundled on the top of her head. In short he described most accurately the
gala dress of the Neapolitan's _cara sposa_, and afterwards her features
to the very turn of her nose. She was then kneeling by the side of a box,
in which was seated a man in black, fast asleep. The Neapolitan knew this
must be the confessional.

When told to look again, the scene was changed to a very large and curious
house, such as the _seer_ had never seen, all crowded with people, and
dazzling to the eye from an immensity of gilding and wax-lights. This the
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