destrueret；　affirmans　quod　esset　ab　ipso　Sathana
  conflatum　prestigiosa　et　dyabolica　arte；　quare　pater
  mens　confregit　illud　in　duos　partes；　quas　quidem　ego
  Johannes　de　Vinceto　salvas　servavi　et　adaptavi　sicut
  apparet　die　lune　proximo　post　festum　beate　Marie
  Virginis　anni　gratie　MCCCCXLV。〃
  Modernized　Version　of　the　Black…Letter　Translation。
  〃THYS　rellike　ys　a　ryghte　mistycall　worke　and　a
  marvaylous；　ye　whyche　myne　aunceteres　aforetyme　dyd
  conveigh　hider　with　them　from　Armoryke　which　ys　to
  seien　Britaine　ye　Lesse　and　a　certayne　holye　clerke
  should　allweyes　beare　my　fadir　on　honde　that　he　owghte
  uttirly　for　to　frusshe　ye　same；　affyrmynge　that　yt　was
  fourmed　and　conflatyd　of　Sathanas　hym　selfe　by　arte
  magike　and　dyvellysshe　wherefore　my　fadir　dyd　take　ye
  same　and　tobrast　yt　yn　tweye；　but　I；　John　de　Vincey；
  dyd　save　whool　ye　tweye　partes　therof　and　topeecyd
  them　togydder　agayne　soe　as　yee　se；　on　this　daye
  mondaye　next　folIowynge　after　ye　feeste　of　Seynte
  Marye　ye　Blessed　Vyrgyne　yn　ye　yeere　of　Salvacioun
  fowertene　hundreth　and　fyve　and　fowerti。〃
  The　next　and；　save　one；　last　entry　was　Elizabethan；
  and　dated　1564；　〃A　most　strange　historie；　and　one　that
  did　cost　my　father　his　life；　for　in　seekynge　for　the
  place　upon　the　east　coast　of　Africa；　his　pinnace　was
  sunk　by　a　Portuguese　galleon　off　Lorenzo　Marquez；　and
  he　himself　perished。John　Vincey。〃
  Then　came　the　last　entry；　apparently；　to　judge　by　the
  style　of　writing；　made　by　some　representative　of　the
  family　in　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century。　It　was
  a　misquotation　of　the　well…known　lines　in　Hamlet；　and
  ran　thus：　〃There　are　more　things　in　Heaven　and　earth
  than　are　dreamt　of　in　your　philosophy；　Horatio。〃
  And　now　there　remained　but　one　more　document　to　be
  examinednamely；　the　ancient　black…letter　translation
  into　mediaeval　Latin　of　the　uncial　inscription　on　the
  sherd。　As　will　be　seen；　this　translation　was　executed
  and　subscribed　in　the　year　1495；　by　a　certain　〃learned
  man；〃　Edmundus　de　Prato　（Edmund　Pratt）　by　name；
  licentiate　in　Canon　Law；　of　Exeter　College；　Oxford；
  who　had　actually　been　a　pupil　of　Grocyn；　the　first
  scholar　who　taught　Greek　in　England。　No　doubt　on　the
  fame　of　this　new　learning　reaching　his　ears；　the
  Vincey　of　the　day；　perhaps　that　same　John　de　Vincey
  who　years　before　had　saved　the　relic　from　destruction
  and　made　the　black…letter　entry　on　the　sherd　in　1445
  hurried　off　to　Oxford　to　see　if　perchance　it　might
  avail　to　solve　the　secret　of　the　mysterious
  inscription。　Nor　was　he　disappointed；　for　the　learned
  Edmundus　was　equal　to　the　task。
  Expanded　Version　of　the　Mediaeval　Latin　Translation。
  AMENARTAS；　e　genere　regio　Egyptii；　uxor　Callicratis；
  sacerdotis　Isidis；　quam　dei　fovent　demonia　attendunt；
  filiolo　suo　Tisistheni　jam　moribunda　ita　rnandat：
  Effugi　quondam　ex　Egypto；　regnante　Nectanebo；　cure
  patre　tuo；　propter　mei　amorem　pejerato。　Fugientes
  autem　versus　Notum　trans　mare；　et　viginti　quatuor
  menses　per　litora　Libye　versus　Orientem　errantes；　ubi
  est　petra　quedam　magna　sculpta　instar　Ethiopis
  capitis；　deinde　dies　quatuor　ab　ostio　fluminis　magni
  ejecti　partim　submersi　sumus　partim　morbo　mortui
  sumus：　in　fine　autem　a　feris　hominibus　portabamur　per
  paludes　et　vada；　ubi　avium　multitudo　celum　obumbrat；
  dies　decem；　donec　advenimus　ad　cavum　quendam　montem；
  ubi　olim　magna　urbs　erat；　caverne　quoque　immense；
  duxerunt　autem　nos　ad　reginam
  Advenaslasaniscoronantium；　que　magica^　utebatur　et
  peritia　omnium　rerum；　et　saltem　pulcritudine　et　vigore
  insenescibilis　erat。　Hec　magno　patris　tui　amore
  perculsa；　primum　quidem　ei　connubium　michi　mortem
  parabat；　postea　vero；　recusante　Callicrate；　amore　mei
  et　timore　regine　affecto　nos　per　magicam　abduxit　per
  vias　horribiles　ubi　est　puteus　ille　profundus；　cujus
  juxta　aditum　jacebat　senioris　philosophi　cadaver；　et
  advenientibus　monstravit　flammam　Vite　erectam；　instar
  columne　volutantis；　voces　emittentem　quasi　tonitrus：
  tunc　per　ignem　impetu　nocivo　expers　transiit　et　jam
  ipsa　sese　formosior　visa　est。
  Quibus　factis　juravit　se　patrem　tuum　quoque　immortalem
  ostensuram　esse；　si　me　prius　occisa　regine
  contubernium　mallet；　neque　enim　ipsa　me　occidere
  valuit；　propter　nostratum　magicam　cujus　egomet　partem
  habeo。　Ille　veto　nichil　hujus　generis　malebat；　manibus
  ante　oculos　passis；　ne　mulieris　formositatena
  adspiceret：　postea　illum　magica　percussit　arte；　at
  mortuum　efferebat　inde　cum　fletibus　et　vagitibus；　at
  me　per　timorem　expulit　ad　ostium　magni　fluminis；
  velivoli；　porro　in　nave；　in　qua　te　peperi；　vix　post
  dies　huc　Athenas　vecta　sum。　At　tu；　O　Tisisthenes；　ne
  quid　quorum　mando　nauci　fac：　necesse　enim　est　mulierem
  exquirere　si　qua　Vite　mysterium　impetres　et　vindicare；
  quantum　in　te　est；　patrem　tuum　Callicratem　in　regine
  morte。　Sin　timore　sen　aliqua　causa　rem　relinquis
  infectam；　hoc　ipsum　omnibus　posteris　mando；　dum　bonus
  quis　inveniatur　qui　ignis　lavacrum　non　perhorrescet；
  et　potentia　dignus　dominabitur　hominum。
  Talia　dico　incredibilia　quidem　at　minime　ficta　de
  rebus　michi　cognitis。
  Hec　Grece　scripta　Latine　reddidit　vir　doctus　Edmundus
  de　Prato；　in　Decretis　Licenciatus；　e　Collegio
  Exoniensi　Oxoniensi　doctissimi　Grocyni　quondam　e
  pupillis；　Idibus　Aprills　Anno　Domini　MCCCCLXXXXV。
  〃Well；〃　I　said；　when　at　length　I　had　read　out　and
  carefully　examined　these　writings　and　paragraphs；　at
  least　those　of　them　that　were　still　easily　legible；
  〃that　is　the　conclusion　of　the　whole　matter；　Leo；　and
  now　you　can　form　your　own　opinion　on　it。　I　have
  already　formed　mine。〃
  〃And　what　is？〃　he　asked；　in　his　quick　way。
  〃It　is　this。　I　believe　that　potsherd　to　be　perfectly
  genuine；　and　that；　wonderful　as　it　may　seem；　it　has
  come　down　in　your　family　from　since　the　fourth　century
  before　Christ。　The　entries　absolutely　prove　it；　and
  therefore；　however　improbable　it　may　seem；　it　must　be
  accepted。　But　there　I　stop。　That　your　remote
  ancestress；　the　Egyptian　princess；　or　some　scribe
  under　her　direction；　wrote　that　which　we　see　on　the
  sherd　I　have　no　doubt；　nor　have　I　the　slightest　doubt
  but　that　her　sufferings　and　the　loss　of　her　husband
  had　turned　her　head；　and　that　she　was　not　right　in　her
  mind　when　she　did　write　it。〃
  〃How　do　you　account　for　what　my　father　saw　and　heard
  there？〃　asked　Leo。
  〃Coincidence。　No　doubt　there　are　bluffs　on　the　coast
  of　Africa　that　look　something　like　a　man's　head；　and
  plenty　of　people　who　speak　bastard　Arabic。　Also；　I
  believe　that　there　are　lots　of　swamps。　Another　thing
  is；　Leo；　and　I　am　sorry　to　say　it；　but　I　do　not
  believe　that　your　poor　father　was　quite　right　when　he
  wrote　that　letter。　He　had　met　with　a　great　trouble；
  and　also　he　had　allowed　this　story　to　prey　on　his
  imagination；　and　he　was　a　very　imaginative　man。
  Anyway；　I　believe　that　the　whole　thing　is　the　most
  unmitigated　rubbish。　I　know　that　there　are　curious
  things　and　forces　in　nature　which　we　rarely　meet　with；
  and；　when　we　do　meet　them；　cannot　understand。　But
  until　I　see　it　with　my　own　eyes；　which　I　am　not　likely
  to；　I　never　will　believe　that　there　is　any　means　of
  avoiding　death；　even　for　a　time；　or　that　there　is　or
  was　a　white　sorceress　living　in　the　heart　of　an
  African　swamp！　It　is　bosh；　my　boy；　all　bosh！What　do
  you　say；　Job？〃
  〃I　say；　sir；　that　it　is　a　lie；　and；　if　it　is　true；　I
  hope　Mr。　Leo　won't　meddle　with　no　such　things；　for　no
  good　can't　come　of　it。〃
  〃Perhaps　you　are　both　right；〃　said　Leo；　very　quietly。
  〃I　express　no　opinion。　But　I　say　this。　I　am　going　to
  set　the　matter　at　rest　once　and　for　all；　and　if　you
  won't　come　with　me　I　will　go　by　myself。〃
  I　looked　at　the　young　man；　and　saw　that　he　meant　what
  he　said。　When　Leo　means　what　he　says　he　always　puts　on
  a　curious　look　about　the　mouth。　It　has　been　a　trick　of
  his　from　a　child。　Now；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　I　had　no
  intention　of　allowing　Leo　to　go　anywhere　by　himself；
  for　my　own　sake；　if　not　for　his。　I　was　far　too　much
  attached　to　him　for　that。　I　am　not　a　man　of　many　ties
  or　affections。　Circumstances　have　been　against　me　in
  this　respect；　and　men　and　women　shrink　from　me；　or；　at
  least；　I　fancy　they　do；　which　comes　to　the　same　thing；
  thinking；　perhaps；　that　my　somewhat　forbidding
  exterior　is　a　key　to　my　character。　Rather　than　endure
  this；　I　have；　to　a　great　extent；　secluded　myself　from
  the　world；　and　cut　myself　off　from　those　opportunities
  which　with　most　men　result　in　the　formation　of
  relations　more　or　less　intimate。　Therefore　Leo　was　all
  the　world　to　mebrother；　child；　and　friendand　until
  he　wearied　of　me；　where　he　went　there　I　should　go　too。
  But；　of　course；　it　would　not　do　to　let　him　see　how
  great　a　hold　he　had　over　me；　so　I　cast　about　for　some
  means　whereby　I　might　let　myself　down　easy。
  〃Yes；　I　shall　go；　uncle；　and　if　I　don't　find　the
  'rolling　Pillar　of　Life；'　at　any　rate　I　shall　get　some
  first…class　shooting。〃
  Here　was　my　opportunity；　and　I　took　it。
  〃Shooting？〃　I　said。　〃Ah！　yes；　I　never　thought　of　that。
  It　must　be　a　very　wild　stretch　of　country；　and　full　of
  big　game。　I　have　always　wanted　to　kill　a　buffalo
  before　I　die。　Do　you　know；　my　boy；　I　don't　believe　in
  the　quest；　but　I　do　believe　in　big　game；　an