e infinite
and calculating eternity and in spelling out the incomprehensible, it
may happen that he does not at once recall the odd word which rules
reptiles, makes them live or destroys them. Watch! all this vermin is
about to vanish."

The old magician waved his wand and whispered a few words; in an instant
the fields, the squares, the roads, the quays along the stream, the
streets in the city, the courts of the palaces, the rooms of the houses,
were cleansed of their croaking guests, and restored to their primitive
condition.

The King smiled, proud of the power of his magician.

"It is not enough to have broken the spell of Aharon," said Ennana; "I
shall repeat it."

Ennana waved his wand in the opposite direction and muttered the
contrary formula. Immediately the frogs reappeared in greater numbers
than before, leaping and croaking. In a twinkling the whole land was
covered with them, and then Aharon stretched out his rod, and the
Egyptian magician was unable to dispel the invasion called up by his
enchantment. In vain he spoke the mysterious words, the incantation had
lost its power. The bands of wise men withdrew, pursued by the loathsome
scourge, and the brows of the Pharaoh were bent with anger, but he
hardened his heart and would not grant the prayer of Mosche; his pride
strove to struggle and to fight against the unknown God of Israel.

However, unable to get rid of the terrible reptiles, Pharaoh promised
Mosche, if he would intercede for him with his God, to grant the Hebrews
permission to go into the desert to sacrifice.

The frogs died or returned to the waters, but the Pharaoh hardened his
heart, and in spite of the gentle remonstrances of Tahoser, he did not
keep his promise.

Then was let loose upon Egypt a multitude of scourges and plagues. A
fierce warfare was waged between the wise men and the two Hebrews whose
wonders they reproduced. Mosche changed all the dust in Egypt into lice;
Ennana did the same. Mosche took two handfuls of ashes of the furnace
and sprinkled them toward the heaven in the sight of the Pharaoh, and
immediately they became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and
upon beast among the Egyptians, but not upon the Hebrews.

"Imitate that wonder!" cried the Pharaoh, beside himself with anger, and
as red as if he were standing in front of a fiery furnace, as he
addressed himself to the chief of the wise men.

"It would be useless," replied the old man, in a tone of di