Among one of these sets of students, was a young man, son of the
Marquis de Villena, on whom, after having accomplished his studies,
the lot fell. He succeeded, however, in cheating the devil, leaving
him his shadow instead of his body.
Don Juan de Dios, Professor of Humanities in the University in the
early part of the last century, gives the following version of the
story, extracted, as he says, from an ancient manuscript. It will be
perceived he has marred the supernatural part of the tale, and ejected
the devil from it altogether.
As to the fable of the Cave of San Cyprian, says he, all that we
have been able to verify is, that where the stone cross stands, in the
small square or place called by the name of the Seminary of
Carvajal, there was the parochial church of San Cyprian. A descent
of twenty steps led down to a subterranean Sacristy, spacious and
vaulted like a cave. Here a Sacristan once taught magic, judicial
astrology, geomancy, hydromancy, pyromancy, acromancy, chiromancy,
necromancy, &c.
The extract goes on to state that seven students engaged at a time
with the Sacristan, at a fixed stipend. Lots were cast among them
which one of their number should pay for the whole, with the
understanding that he on whom the lot fell, if he did not pay
promptly, should be detained in a chamber of the Sacristy, until the
funds were forthcoming. This became thenceforth the usual practice.
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