“In all probability his family, finding that they could not prevail on him to go down to his bedchamber, had ordered his bed up to him: for we found him lying in bed at the top of his observatory. An apothecary of the neighbourhood, and the Bramin of the parish had been called before we arrived. The latter was trumpeting into his ear: ‘Brother, dear brother, your salvation is at stake: you cannot with a safe conscience expect a comet at this hour of the day: you damn yourself.’

“ ‘That is my business,’ said Codindo.

“ ‘What answer will you give to Brama, before whom you are going to appear?’ replied the Bramin.

“ ‘ Mr. Rector,’ says Codindo, without stirring his eye from the telescope, ‘my answer shall be, that it is your trade to exhort me for my money, and the apothecary’s there, to extol his warm water to me; that the physician does his duty of feeling my pulse, and learning nothing from it; and I my own, of waiting for the comet.’