Maugis, ye sorcerer : $b from ye ancient French : a wonderful tale from ye writings of ye mad savant of ye Maison Maugis in ye olde citie of Mouzon, France

How it begins

Apropos of the above, about ten days later I received a letter from which the following is an extract: “He was found lying, entirely stripped, upon the floor. He had strangled himself with a cord, having previously broken up every article of furniture, gathered and burned in the huge fireplace every object of wearing apparel, all papers and everything movable, until the house was made absolutely bare. His death created a profound sensation, as it was rumored that he had in his possession some very old and curious manuscripts relating to the time of Charlemagne.