Codindo immediately drew a glass out of his pocket, took the infant’s left ear, rubb’d his eyes, turn’d his spectacles again and again, peep’d at that ear, did the like to the right ear, and pronounced, “that the young prince’s reign would be happy, if it proved long.”

“I understand you,” replied Erguebzed: “my son will do the finest things in the world, if he has time. But, zounds! what I want to have told me is, that he will have time. What matter is it to me, after he is dead, that he would have been the greatest prince upon earth, had he lived. I have sent for you to cast my son’s horoscope, and you make me his funeral oration.”

Codindo assured the prince, that he was sorry he was not more knowing; but beseeched his highness to consider, that his knowledge was sufficient for the little time he had been a conjurer. In effect, the moment before, what was Codindo?