“‘Long live the crocodile! Honor and homage to the crocodile!’

“Either because the crocodile had partisans in the audience or the magic of its words operated naturally, some of the spectators were indeed heard repeating those final words: ‘Long live the crocodile! Honor and homage to the crocodile!’ A few members of the audience were even seen to bow down, as if to worship it, and a colossal altar suddenly formed in front of it. At the same time, a head even more colossal formed at the summit.”

Louis-Claude de Saint Martin, 1798