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THE LIBRARYOFTHE UNIVERSITYOF CALIFORNIA
The John J. and Hanna M. McManusMorris N. and Chesley V.
YoungCollection
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Digitized by the Internet Archivein 2007 with funding from
IVIicrosoft Corporation
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LETTERS
DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT.
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CONTENTS.
PageLETTER I.Origin of the general Opinions respecting
Demonologyamong MankindThe Belief in the Immortality ofthe Soul is
the main Inducement to credit its occa-sional re-appearanceThe
Philosophical Objectionsto the Apparition of an Abstract Spirit
little un-derstood by the Vulgar and IgnorantThe situa-tions of
excited Passion incident to Humanity,which teach Men to wish or
apprehend Supernatu-ral ApparitionsThey are often presented by
theSleeping SenseStory of SomnambulismTheInfluence of Credulity
contagious, so that Individualswill trust the Evidence of others in
despite of theirown SensesExamples from the Historia Verda-dera of
Bernal Dias del Castillo, and from theWorksof Patrick WalkerThe
apparent Evidence of In-tercourse with the Supernatural World is
sometimesowing to a depraved State of the bodily OrgansDifference
between this Disorder and Insanity, inwhich the Organs retain their
tone, though that ofthe Mind is lostRebellion of the Senses of
aLunatic against the current of his ReveriesNarra-tives of a
contrary nature, in which the Evidence
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11 CONTENTS.Page
Of Nicolai, the German Bookseller and Philoso-pherOf a Patient
of Dr GregoryOf an Emi-nent Scottisli Lawyer deceasedOf the same
fal-lacious Disorder are other instances, which have butsudden and
momentary EnduranceApparition ofMaupertuisOf a late illustrious
modern PoetThe Cases quoted chiefly relating to false Impres-sions
on the Visual Nerve, those upon the Ear nextconsideredDelusions of
the Touch chiefly experi-enced in SleepDelusions of the Tasteand of
theSmellSum of the Argument, ... 1
LETTER ILConsequences of the Fall on the communicationbetween
men and the Spiritual World Eff'ects ofthe FloodWizards of
PharaohText in Exodusagainst WitchesThe word IVitch is bj' some
saidto mean merely PoisonerOr if in the Holy Textit also means a
Divinercss, she must, at any rate,have been a character very
difl*erent to be identifledAvith itThe original, Chasaph, said to
mean aperson who dealt in Poisons, often a traffic of thosewho
dealt with Familiar SpiritsBut different fromthe European Witch of
the Middle AgesThus aWitch is not accessary to the temptation of
JobThe Witch of the Hebrews probably did not rankhigher than a
Divining WomanYet it was acrime deserving the doom of death, since
it inferredthedisowning of Jehovah's SupremacyOther textsof
Scripture, in like manner, refer to something cor-responding more
with a Fortune-teller or DiviningWoman, than what is now called a
WitchEx-ample of the Witch of EndorAccount of her meet-ing with
SaulSupposed by some a mere Impostor
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CONTENTS. mPage
ed, supposing that, as in the case of Balak, theAlmighty had, by
exertion of his will, substitutedSamuel, or a good spirit in his
character, for thedeception which the Witch intended to
produceResumption of the Argument, showing that the"VVitch of Endor
signified something very differentfrom the modern ideas of
WitchcraftThe Witchesmentioned in the New Testament are not less
dif-ferent from modern ideas, than those of the Books ofMoses, nor
do they appear to have possessed the powerascribed to Magicians
Articles of Faith which wemay gather from Scripture on this
pointThatthere might be certain Powers permitted by theAlmighty to
inferior, and even evil Spirits, is possibleand, in some sense, the
Gods of the Heathens mightbe accounted DemonsMore frequently, and
in ageneral sense, they were but logs of wood, withoutsense or
power of any kind, and their worshipfounded on impostureOpinion
that the Oracleswere silenced at the Nativity, adopted by
Milton-Cases of DemoniacsThe incarnate Possessionsprobably ceased
at the same time as the interventionof MiraclesOpinion of the
Catholics Result thatWitchcraft/ as the word is interpreted in the
MiddleAges, neither occurs under the Mosaic or GospelDispensationIt
arose in the ignorant period, whenthe Christians considered the
Gods of the Mahom-medan or Heathen Nations as Fiends, and
theirPriests as Conjurers or WizardsInstance as tothe Saracens, and
among the Northern Europeansyet unconvertedThe Gods of Mexico and
Peruexplained on the same systemAlso the Powahsof North
AmericaOpinion of MatherGibb, asupposed Warlock, persecuted by the
other Dissent-ersConclusion, , .... 48
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IV CONTENTS.
PageLETTER III.Creed of Zoroasterreceived partially into most
Hea-
then NationsInstances among the Celtic Tribesof ScotlandBeltane
FeastGudeman's CroftSuch abuses admitted into Christianity after
theearlier Ages of the ChurchLaw of the Romansagainst
WitchcraftRoman Customs survive thefall of their
ReligionInstancesDemonology ofthe Northern
BarbariansNicksasBhar-geistCorrespondence between the Northern and
RomanWitchesThe power of Fascination ascribed to
theSorceressesExample from the Eyrbiggia SagaThe Prophetesses of
the GermansThe Gods ofValhalla not highly regarded by their
WorshippersOften defied by the ChampionsDemons of theNorthStory of
Assueit and AsmundAction ofEjectment against SpectresAdventure ofa
Chami-pion with the Goddess FreyaConversion of thePagans of Iceland
to Christianity NorthernSuperstitions mixed with those of the
CeltsSatyrsof the NorthHighland OuriskMeming theSatyr, 85
LETTER IV.The Fairy Superstition is derived from different
sourcesThe Classical Worship of the Silvans, or Rural
Deities, proved by Roman Altars discoveredTheGothic Duergar, or
Dwarfs, supposed to be derivedfrom the Northern Laps or FinsThe
Niebelungen-LiedKingLaurin's AdventuresCeltic Fairies ofa gayer
character, yet their pleasures empty andillusoryAddicted to carry
off Human Beings, both
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CONTENTS, VPage
held the same beliefIt was rather rendered moregloomy by the
Northern TraditionsMerlin andArthur carried off by the FairiesAlso
Thomas ofErceldouneHis Amour with the Queen of ElflandHis
re-appearance in latter timesAnotherAccount from Reginald
ScotConjectures on thederivation of the word Fairy, . 115
LETTER V.Those who dealt in fortune-telling, mystical cures
by
charms, and the like, often claimed an intercoursewith Fairy
LandHudhart or HudikinPitcairn'sScottish Criminal TrialsStory of
Bessie Dunlopand her AdviserHer Practice of Medicineandof Discovery
of TheftAccount of her Familiar,Thome ReidTrial of Alison
PearsonAccountof her Familiar, William SympsonTrial of theLady
Fowlis, and of Hector Munro, her StepsonExtraordinary species of
Charm used by the latterConfession of John Stewart, a Juggler, of
hisintercourse with the FairiesTrial and Confessionof Isobel
GowdieUse of Elf-arrow HeadsParish of AberfoyleMr Kirke, the
Minister ofAberfoyle's Work on Fairy SuperstitionsHe ishimself
taken to Fairy LandDr Grahame's In-teresting Work, and his
Information on FairySuperstitionsStory of a Female in East
Lothiancarried off by the FairiesAnother instance fromPennant,
....... 138
LETTER VLImmediate Effect of Christianity on Articles of
Popular SuperstitionChaucer's Account of the
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VI CONTENTS.Page
Reformationhis Verses on that Subjecthis IterSeptentrionale
Robin Goodfellow, and otherSuperstitions mentioned by Regin.ild
ScotCha-racter of the English FairiesThe Tradition hadbecome
obsolete in that Author's TimeThat of"Witches remained in vigourbut
impugned byvarious Authors after the Reformation, as
Wierus,Nauda?us, Scot, and othersDemonology defendedby Bodinus,
Remigius, &c.Their mutual Abuseof each otherImperfection of
Physical Science atthis Period, and the predominance of Mysticism
inthat Department, . . . . . 1G&
LETTER VII.Penal laws unpopular when rigidly exercisedPro-
secution of V/itches placed in the hand of SpecialCommissioners,
ad inquirendumProsecution forAVitchcraft not frequent in the elder
Period of theRoman Empirenor in the Middle AgesSomeCases took
place, howeverThe Maid of Orleans
.The Duchess of GloucesterRichard the Third'sCharge against the
Relations of the Queen DowagerBut Prosecutions against Sorcerers
became morecommon in the end of the Fourteenth CenturyUsually
united with the Charge of HeresyMonstrelet's Account of the
Persecution againstthe Waldenses, under pretext of
WitchcraftFlorimond's testimony concerning the Increase ofWitches
in his awn limerBull of Pope InnocentVlII.Various Prosecutions in
Foreign Countriesunder this severe LawProsecutions in Labourtby the
Inquisitor De Lancre and his ColleagueLycanthropyWitches in Spainin
Swedenandparticularly those apprehended at Mohra, . 189
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CONTENTS. VIIPage
LETTER VIII.The effects of the. Witch Superstition are to be
traced
in the Laws of a KingdomUsually punished inEngland as a crime
connected with PoliticsAt-tempt at Murder for Witchcraft not in
itself Capi-talTrials of Persons of Rank for Witchcraft,connected
with State CrimesStatutes of HenryVIII.How Witchcraft was regarded
by the threeLeading Sects of Religion in the Sixteenth
Centuryfirst, by the Catholics ; second, by the Calvinists ;third,
by the Church of England, and LutheransImpostures unwarily
countenanced by IndividualCatholic Priests, and also by some
Puritanic Cler-gymenStatute of 1562, and some Cases upon it-Case of
DugdaleCase of the Witches of Warbois,and execution of the family
of SamuelThat ofJane Wenham, in which some Church of
EnglandClergymen insisted on the ProsecutionHutchi-son's Rebuke to
themJames the First's Opinionof WitchcraftHis celebrated Statute, 1
Jac I.Canon passed by the Convocation against Posses-sionCase of Mr
Fairfax's ChildrenLancashireWitches in 1613Another Discovery in
1634Webster's account of the manner in which the Im-posture was
managedSuperiority of the Calvinistsis followed by a severe
Prosecution of WitchesExecutions in Suffolk, &c. to a dreadful
extentHopkins, the pretended Witchfinder, the cause ofthese
CrueltiesHis Brutal PracticesHis LetterExecution of Mr LewisHopkins
PunishedRestoration of CharlesTrial of Coxeof Dunnyand Callender
before Lord HalesRoyal Societyand Progress of
KnowledgeSomersetshire Witches.Opinions of the PopulaceA Woman swum
forWitchcraft at OaklyMurder at TringAct
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VIU CONTEXTS.Page
EnglandDame Glover's TrialAffliction of theParvises, and
frightful increase of the ProsecutionsSuddenly put a stop toThe
Penitence of thoseconcerned in them, 216
LETTER IX.Scottish TrialsEarl of MarLady GlammisWil-liam
BartonWitches of AuldearnTheir Ritesand CharmsTheir Transformation
into HaresSatan's Severity towards themTheir CrimesSir George
Mackenzie's Opinion of WitchcraftInstances of Confessions made by
the Accused, indespair, and to avoid future annoyance and
Perse-cutionExamination by PrickingThe Mode ofJudicial Procedure
against Witches, and Nature ofthe Evidence admissible, opened a
door to Accusers,and left the Accused no chance of escapeThe
Su-perstition of the Scottish Clergy in King JamesVI. 's time, led
them, like their Sovereign, to encou-rage Witch ProsecutionsCase of
Bessie GrahamSupposed Conspiracy to Shipwreck James in hisVoyage to
DenmarkMeetings ofthe Witches, andRites performed to accomplish
their purposeTrialof Margaret Barclay in 1618 Case of Major Weir
Sir John Clerk among the first who declinedacting as Commissioner
on the Trial of a WitchPaisley and Pittenweem WitchesA
Prosecutionin Caithness prevented by the Interference of theKing's
Advocate in 1718The Last Sentence ofDeath for Witchcraft pronounced
in Scotland in1722Remains of the Witch SuperstitionCaseof supposed
Witchcraft related from the Author'sown knowledge, which took place
so late as 1800, 274
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CONTENTS. IXPage
LETTER X.Other Mystic Arts independent of Witchcraft
AstrologyIts influence during the 16th and 17thCenturiesBase
Ignorance of those whopractised itLilly's History of his Life and
TimesAstro-logers' SocietyDr LamhDr FormanEstab-lishment of the
Royal SocietyPartridgeCon-nexion of Astrologers with Elementary
SpiritsDr DunIrish Superstition of the BanshieSimilar Superstition
in the HighlandsBrownieGhostsBelief of Ancient Philosophers on
thatSubjectEnquiry into the respect due to such talesin Modern
TimesEvidence of a Ghost against aMurdererGhost of Sir George
VilliersStory ofEarl St Vincentof a British General Officerof an
Apparition in Franceof the second LordLytteltonof Bill Jonesof
Jarvis MatchamTrial of Two Highlanders for the Murder of Ser-geant
Davis, discovered by a GhostDisturbancesat Woodstock, anno
1649Imposture called theStockwell GhostSimilar case in
ScotlandGhostappearing to an ExcisemanStory of a DisturbedHouse
discovered by the firmness of the ProprietorApparition at PlymouthA
Club ofPhilosophersGhost Adventure of a FarmerTrick upon aVeteran
Soldier Ghost Stories recommended bythe Skill of the Authors who
compose themMrsVeal's GhostDunton's Apparition EvidenceEffect of
appropriate Scenery to encourage a ten-dency to Superstitiondiffers
at distant Periodsof LifeNight at Glammis Castle about 1791Visit to
Dunvegan in 1814, .... 33S
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L E T T E E SON
DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT.To J. G. LOCKHART, Esq.
LETTER I.Origin of the general Opinions respecting
Demonologyamong Mankind The Belief in the Immortality of theSoul is
the main inducement to credit its occasionalreappearance The
Philosophical Objections to the Appa-rition of an Abstract Spirit
little understood by the Vulgarand Ignorant The situations of
excited Passion incidentto Humanity, which teach men to wish or
appreliendSupernaturalApparitions They are oftenpresentedby
theSleeping SenseStory ofSomnambulism The Influenceof Credulity
contagious, so that Individuals will trust theEvidence of others in
despite of their own SensesEr-amples from the Historia Verdadera of
Bernal Dias delCastillo, and from the Works of Patrick Walker
Theapparent Evidence of Intercourse with the Supernatural'World is
sometimes oicing to a depraved State ofthe bodilyOrgansDifference
between this Disorder and Insanity, in
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Z LETTERS OXis lostRebellion of the Senses of a Lunatic against
thecurrent of his ReveriesNarratives ofa contrary Nature^in which
the Evidence of the Eyes overbore the Convictionof the
UnderstandingExample of a London Man ofPleasure OfNicolai, the
German Bookseller and Phi-losopherOf a Patient ofDr Gregory Of an
EminentScottish Lawyer deceasedOf this samefallacious Dis-order are
other instances, which have but sudden andmomentary
enduranceApparition of MaupertuisOfa late illustrious Modem Poet
The Cases quoted chieflyrelating to fake Impressions on the Visual
Nerve, thoseupon the Ear next consideredDelusions of the
Touchchiefly experienced in SleepDelusions of the Taste-and of the
SmellSum of the Argument.
You have asked of me, my dear friend, that Ishould assist the
Family Library, with the historyof a dark chapter in human nature,
which theincreasing civilisation ofall weU-instructed countrieshas
now almost blotted out, though the subjectattracted no ordinary
degree of consideration in theolder times of their history.Among
much reading of my early days, it is nodoubt true that I travelled
a good deal in the twilightregions of superstitious disquisitions.
Many hourshave I lost," I would their debt were less !"in examining
old, as well as more recent narrativesof this character, and even
in looking into some ofthe criminal trials so frequent in early
days, upona subject which our fathers considered as matter ofthe
last importance. And, of late years, the veiycurious extracts
published by Mr Pitcaim, fromthe Criminal Records of Scotland, are,
besides theirhistorical value, of a nature so much calculated
to
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 3more recently to recall what I had
read and thoughtupon the subject at a former period.
As, however, my information is only miscel-laneous, and I make
no pretensions, either tocombat the systems of those by whom I am
anti-cipated in the consideration ofthe subject, or to erectany new
one of my own, my purpose is, after ageneral account of Demonology
and Witchcraft, toconfine myself to narratives of remarkable
cases,and to the observations which naturally and easilyarise out
of them ;^in the confidence that such aplan is, at the present time
of day, more likely tosuit the pages of a popular miscellany, than
anattempt to reduce the contents of many hundredtomes, from the
largest to the smallest size, intoan abridgement, which, however
compressed, mustremain greatly too large for the reader's powers
ofpatience.A few general remarks on the nature of De-monology, and
the original cause of the almostuniversal belief in communication
betwixt mortalsand beings of a power superior to themselves, andof
a nature not to be comprehended by humanorgans, are a necessary
introduction to the subject.The general, or, it may be termed, the
universalbelief ofthe inhabitants ofthe earth, in the existenceof
spirits separated from the encumbrance andincapacities of the body,
is grounded on the con-sciousness ofthe divinity that speaks in our
bosoms,and demonstrates to all men, except the few whoare hardened
to the celestial voice, that there iswithin us a portion of the
divine substance, whichis not subject law and
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LETTERS ONabode, shall seek its own place, as a sentinel
dis-missed from his post. Unaided by revelation, itcannot be hoped
that mere earthly reason shouldbe able to form any rational or
precise conjectureconcerning" the destination of the soul when
partedfrom the body ; but the conviction that such anindestructible
essence exists, the behef expressedIjy the poet in a different
sense, Non omnis moriar^must infer the existence of many millions
of spirits,who have not been annihilated, though they havebecome
invisible to mortals, who still see, hear, andperceive, only by
means of the imperfect organs ofhumanity. Probability may lead some
of the mostreflecting- to anticipate a state of future rewardsand
punishments ; as those experienced in theeducation of the deaf and
dumb, find that theirpupils, even while cut off from all
instruction byordinary means, have been able to form, out oftheir
own unassisted conjectures, some ideas of theexistence of a Deity,
and of the distinction betweenthe soul and bodya circumstance which
proveshow naturally these truths arise in the human mind.The
principle that they do so arise, being- taught orcommunicated,
leads to farther conclusions.
These spirits, in a state of separate existence,being admitted
to exist, are not, it may be sup-posed, indifferent to the affairs
of moitahty, per-haps not incapable of influencing them. It istrue,
that, in a more advanced state of society, thephilosopher may
challenge the possibility of aseparate appearance of a disemboched
spirit, unless
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 5purpose, no bound or restraint can
possibly beassig-ned. But under this necessary limitation
andexception, philosophers might plausibly argue, that,when the
soul is divorced from the body, it losesall those quahties which
made it, when clothed witha mortal shape, obvious to the org-ans of
its fellowmen. The abstract idea of a spirit certainly impliesthat
it has neither substance, form, shape, voice,or any thing" which
can render its presence visibleor sensible to human faculties. But
these scepticdoubts of philosophers on the possibihty of
theappearance of such separated spints, do not arisetill a certain
degree of information has dawned upona country, and even then only
reach a very smallproportion of reflecting- and better informed
mem-bers of society. To the multitude, the indubitablefact, that so
many millions of spirits exist aroundand even amongst us, seems
sufficient to supportthe behef that they are, in certain instances
at least,by some means or other, able to communicate withthe world
of humanity. The more numerous partof mankind cannot form in their
mind the ideaof the spirit of the deceased existing-,
withoutpossessing or having the power to assume theappearance which
their acquaintance bore duringhis life, and do not push their
researches beyondthis point.
Enthusiastic feelings of an impressive and solemnnature occur
both in private and public life, whichseem to add ocular testimony
to an intercoursebetwixt earth and the world beyond it. For
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LETTERS ONadviceor a bereaved husband earnestly desiresagain to
behold the form of which the g-rave hasdeprived him for everor, to
use a darker, yetvery common instance, the wretched man who
hasdipped his hand in his fellow-creature's blood, ishaunted by the
apprehension that the phantom ofthe slain stands by the bedside of
his murderer. Inall, or any of these cases, who shall doubt
thatimagination, favoured by circumstances, has powerto summon up
to the organ of sight, spectres whichonly exist in the mind of
those by whom theirapparition seems to be witnessed ?
If we add, that such a vision may take place inthe course of one
of those hvely dreams, in whichthe patient, except in respect to
the single subjectof one strong impression, is, or seems, sensible
ofthereal particulars of the scene around him, a state ofslumber
which often occursIf he is so far con-scious, for example, as to
know that he is lying onhis own bed, and surrounded by his own
familiarfurniture, at the time when the supposed apparitionis
manifested, it becomes almost in vain to arguewith the visionary
against the reahty of his dream,since the spectre, though itself
purely fanciful, isinserted amidst so many circumstances which
hefeels must be true beyond the reach of doubt orquestion. That
which is undeniably certain, becomesin a manner a warrant for the
reahty of the appear-ance to which doul)t would have been
otherwiseattached. And if any event, such as the death ofthe person
dreamt of, chances to take place, so asto correspond with the
nature and the time of the
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 7accomplishment of that which haunts
our mindswhen awake, and often presage the most probableevents,
seems perfect, and the chain of circumstancestouching- the evidence
may not unreasonably beconsidered as complete. Such a
concatenation, werepeat, must frequently take place, when it
isconsidered of what stuff dreams are made^hownaturally they turn
upon those who occupy ourmind while awake, and, when a soldier is
exposedto death in battle, when a sailor is incurring- thedangers
of the sea, when a beloved wife or relativeis attacked by disease,
how readily our sleepingimagination rushes to the very point of
alarm, whichwhen waking it had shuddered to anticipate. Thenumber
of instances in which such hvely dreamshave been quoted, and both
asserted and receivedas spiritual communications, is very great at
allperiods ; in ignorant times, where the natural causeof dreaming
is misapprehended, and confused withan idea of mysticism, it is
much greater. Yet per-haps, considering the many thousands of
dreams,which must, night after night, pass through theimagination
of individuals, the number of coinci-dences between the vision and
real event are fewerand less remarkable than a fair calculation
ofchanceswould warrant us to expect. But in countrieswhere such
presaging dreams are subjects of atten-tion, the number of those
which seemed to becoupled with the corresponding issue is
largeenough to spread a very general behef of a
positivecommunication betwixt the living and the dead.Somnambulism
and other nocturnal deceptions
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8 LETTERS ONbetwixt sleeping and waking. A most
respectableperson, whose active life had been spent as. masterand
part owner of a large merchant vessel in theLisbon trade, gave the
writer an account of suchan instance which came under his
observation. Hewas lying in the Tagus, when he was put to
greatanxiety and alarm, by the following incident andits
consequences. One of his crew was murderedby a Portuguese assassin,
and a report arose that theghost of the slain man haunted the
vessel. Sailorsare generally superstitious, and those ofmy
friend'svessel became unwilhng to remain on board theship ; and it
was probable they might desert, ratherthan return to England with
the ghost for a pass-enger. To prevent so great a calamity, the
captaindetermined to examine the story to the bottom. Hesoon found,
that though all pretended to have seenlights, and heard noises and
so forth, the weight ofthe evidence lay upon the statement of one
of hisown mates, an Irishman and a Catholic, which mightincrease
his tendency to superstition, but in otherrespects a veracious,
honest, and sensible person,whom Captain S had no reason to suspect
wouldwilfully deceive him. He affirmed to Captain^5 , with the
deepest obtestations, that thespectre of the murdered man appeared
to himalmost nightly, took him from his place in the vessel,and,
according to his own expression, worried hislife out. He made these
commimications with adegree of horror, which intimated the reahty
of hisdistress and apprehensions. The captain, withoutany argument
at the time, privately resolved to
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. \)As the ship-bell struck twelve, the
sleeper startedup, with a ghastly and disturbed countenance,
aftid,lighting- a candle, proceeded to the galley or cook-room of
the vessel. He sate down with his eyesojien, staring before him as
on some terrible objectwhich he beheld with horror, yet from which
hecould not withhold his eyes. After a short spacehe arose, took up
a tin can or decanter, filled itwith water, muttering to himself
all the whilemixed salt in the water, and sprinkled it about
thegalley. Finally, he sighed deeply, like one relievedfrom a heavy
burden, and, returning to his ham-mock, slept soundly. In the next
morning, thehaunted man told the usual precise story of
hisapparition, with the additional circumstances, thatthe ghost had
led him to the galley, but that he hadfortunately, he knew not how,
obtained possessionof some holy water, and succeeded in getting
ridof his unwelcome visitor. The visionary was theninformed of the
real transactions of the night, withso many particulars as to
satisfy him he had beenthe dupe of his imagination ; he acquiesced
in hiscommander's reasoning, and the dream, as oftenhappens in
these cases, returned no more after itsimposture had been detected.
In this case, wefind the excited imagination acting upon the
half-waking senses, which were intelligent enough forthe purpose of
making him sensible where he was,but not sufficiently so to judge
truly of the objectsbefore him.
But it is not private life alone, or that tenorof thought which
has been depressed into melan-
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10 LETTERS ONto nightly apparitionsa state of eager anxiety,or
excited exertion, is equally favourable to theindulgence of such
supernatural communications.The anticipation of a dubious battle,
with all thedoubt and uncertainty of its event, and the convic-tion
that it must involve his own fate, and that ofhis country, were
powerful enough to conjure upto the anxious eye of Brutus the
spectre of hismurdered friend Caesar, respecting whose death
heperhaps thought himself less justified than at theIdes of March,
since, instead of having achievedthe freedom of Rome, the event had
only been therenewal of civil wars, and the issue might appearmost
hkely to conclude in the total subjection ofliberty. It is not
miraculous, that the masculinespirit of Marcus Brutus, surrounded
by darknessand sohtude, distracted probably by recollection ofthe
kindness and favour of the great individualwhom he had put to death
to avenge the wrongsof his country, though by the slaughter of his
ownfriend, should at length place before his eyes inperson the
appearance which termed itself his EvilGenius, and promised again
to meet him at Phi-lippi. Bnitus's own intentions, and his
knowledgeof the militaiy art, had probably long since assuredhim
that the decision of the civil war must takeplace at or near that
place ; and, allowing that hisown imagination supphed that part of
the chaloguewith the spectre, there is nothing else which mightnot
be fashioned in a vivid dream or a wakingreverie, approaching, in
absorbing and engrossingcharacter, the usual matter of which dreams
consist.
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 11doubt the idea that he had seen a
real apparition,and was not likely to scrutinize very minutely
thesupposed vision, may be naturally conceived ; andit is also
natural to think, that although no onesaw the %ure but himself, his
contemporaries werelittle disposed to examine the testimony of a
manso eminent, by the strict rules of cross-examinationand
conflicting- evidence, which they might havethought apphcable to
another person, and a lessdignified occasion.Even in the field of
death, and amid the mortal
tug of combat itself, strong belief has wrought thesame wonder,
which we have hitherto mentionedas occurring in solitude and amid
darkness ; andthose who were themselves on the verge of theworld of
spirits, or employed in dispatching othersto these gloomy regions,
conceived they beheld theapparitions of those beings whom their
nationalmythology associated with such scenes. In suchmoments of
undecided battle, amid the violence,hurry, and confusion of ideas
incident to the situa-tion, the ancients supposed that they saw
theirdeities. Castor and Pollux, fighting in the van fortheir
encouragement ; the heathen Scandinavianbeheld the Choosers of the
Slain ; and the CathoHcswere no less easily led to recognise the
warhkeSaint George or Saint James in the very front ofthe strife,
showing them the way to conquest. Suchapparitions, being generally
visible to a multitude,have in all times been supported by the
greateststreng-th of testimony. When the common feehngof danger,
and the animating burst of enthusiasm,
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12 LETTERS ONis the case with stringed instruments tuned to
thesame pitch, of which, when one is played, thechords of the
others vibrate in unison with thetones produced. If an artful or
enthusiastic indi-vidual exclaims, in the heat of action, that he
per-ceives an apparition of the romantic kind whichhas been
intimated, his companions catch at theidea with emulation ; and
most are wilHng tosacrifice the conviction of their own senses,
ratherthan allow that they did not witness the samefavourable
emblem, from which all draw confidenceand hope. One wamor catches
the idea fromanother ; all are alike eager to acknowledge
thepresent miracle, and the battle is won before themistake is
discovered. In such cases, the numberof persons present, which
would otherwise leadto detection of the fallacy, becomes the means
ofstrengthening it.Of this disposition, to see as much of the
super-natural as is seen by others around, or, in other
words, to trust to the eyes of others rather thanto our own, we
may take the liberty to quote tworemarkalde instances.The first is
from the Historia Verdadera of DonBernal Dias del Castillo, one of
the companions ofthe celebrated Cortez, in his Mexican
conquest.After having given an account of a great victoryover
extreme odds, he mentions the report insertedin the contemporary
Chronicle of Gomara, thatSaint lago had appeared on a white horse
in vanof the combat, and led on his beloved Spaniards tovictory. It
is very curious to observe the Castilian
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 13from his own observation ; whilst,
at the same time,he does not venture to disown the miracle.
Thehonest conquestador owns, that he himself didnot see this
animating vision ; nay, that he beheldan individual cavaHer, named
Francisco de Morla,mounted on a chestnut horse, and fighting-
strenu-ously in the very place where Saint James is saidto have
appeared. But instead of proceeding todraw the necessary inference,
the devout conques-tador exclaims," Sinner that I am, what am Ithat
I should have beheld the blessed apostle I"
The other instance of the infectious character ofsuperstition
occurs in a Scottish book, and therecan be Httle doubt that it
refers, in its first origin, tosome uncommon appearance of the
aurora borealis,or the northern lights, which do not appear tohave
been seen in Scotland so frequentl}^ as to beaccounted a common and
familiar atmosphericalphenomenon, until the beginning of the
eighteenthcentury. The passage is striking and curious, forthe
narrator, Peter Walker, though an enthusiast,was a man of credit,
and does not even aftect to haveseen the wonders, the reahty of
which he unscru-pulously adopts on the testimony of others, towhose
eyes he trusted rather than to his own. Theconversion of the
sceptical gentleman of v, hom hespeaks is highly illustrative of
popular creduhty,carried away into enthusiasm, or into imposture,by
the evidence of those around, and at once showsthe imperfection of
such a general testimony, andthe ease with which it is procured,
since the generalexcitement of the moment impels even the more
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14 LETTERS ONmajority, who, from the first, had considered
theheavenly phenomenon as a supernatural weapon-schaw, held for the
pui'pose of a sign and warningof civil wars to come.
" In the year 1686, in the months of June andJuly," says the
honest chronicler, " many yet aHvecan witness, that about the
Crossford Boat, twomiles beneath Lanark, especially at the Mains,
onthe water of Clyde, many people gathered togetherfor several
afternoons, where there were showersof bonnets, hats, guns, and
swords, which coveredthe trees and the ground; companies of men
inarms marching in order upon the water side ; com-panies meeting
companies, going all through other,and then all falling to the
ground and disappearingother companies immediately appeared,
marchingthe same way. I went there three afternoonstogether, and as
I observed there were two-thmlsof the people that were together
saw, and a thu^dthat saw not, and though I could see nothing,
therewas such a fright and trembhng on those that didsee, that was
discernible to all from those that sawnot. There was a gentleman
standing next to me,who spoke as too many gentlemen and others
speak,who said, ' A pack of damned witches and warlocksthat have
the second sight ! the devil ha't do I see ;'and immediately there
was a discernible change inhis countenance. With as much fear and
trembhngas any woman I saw there, he called out, ' All youthat do
not see, say nothing ; for I persuade you itis matter of fact, and
discernible to all that is notstone-blind!' And those who did see
told what
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 15whether small or three-barr'd, or
Highland guards,and the closing knots of the bonnets, black or
blueand those who did see them there, whenever theywent abroad, saw
a bonnet and a sword drop in theway."*
This singular phenomenon, in wliich a multitudebelieved,
although only two-thirds of them sawwhat must, if real, have been
equally obvious to all,may be compared with the exploit of a
humorist,who planted himself in an attitude of astonishment,with
his eyes riveted on the well-known bronzelion that graces the front
of Northumberland-housein the Strand, and having attracted the
attentionof those who looked at him by muttering, " ByHeaven, it
wags !it wags again !" contrived in afew minutes to blockade the
whole street with animmense crowd, some conceiving that they
hadabsolutely seen the lion of Percy wag his tail,others expecting
to witness the same phenomenon.On such occasions as we have
hitherto mentioned,we have supposed that the ghost-seer has beenin
full possession of his ordinary powers of per-ception, unless in
the case of dreamers, in whom,they may have been obscured by
temporary slumber,and the possibility of correcting vagaries of
theimagination rendered more difficult by want of theordinary
appeal to the evidence of the bodily senses.In other respects,
their blood beat temperately,they possessed the ordinary capacity
of ascertaining
* Walker's Lives, Edinburgh, 1827, vol. i. p. xxxvi. It
isevident that honest Peter believed in the apparition of
thismartial gear, on the principle of Partridge's terror for
the
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16 LETTERS ONthe truth, or discerning the falsehood, of
externalappearances, by an appeal to the organ of
sight.Unfortunately? however, as is now universallyknown and
admitted, there certainly exists morethan one disorder known to
professional men, ofwhich one important symptom is a disposition
tosee apparitions.
This frightful disorder is not properly insanity,although it is
some\\hat allied to that most hor-rible of maladies, and may, in
many constitutions,be the means of bringing it on, and although
suchhallucinations are proper to both. The differenceI conceive to
be, that, in cases of insanity, themind of the patient is
principally affected, whilethe senses, or organic system, offer in
vain to thelunatic their decided testimony against the fantasyof a
deranged imagination. Perhaps the nature ofthis collision^between a
cUsturbed imagination andorgans of sense possessed of their usual
accuracycannot be better described than in the embar-rassment
expressed by an insane patient confinedin the Infirmary of
Edinburgh. The poor man*smalady had taken a gay turn. The house, in
hisidea, was his own, and he contrived to accoimtfor all that
seemed inconsistent with his imaginaiylight of property ;there were
many patients init, but that was owing to the benevolence of
hisnature, which made him love to see the rehef ofdistress. He went
little, or rather never, abroadbut then his habits were of a
domestic and rathersedentary character. He did not see much
company^but he daily received visits from the first charac-
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 17society. With so many supposed
comforts aroundhimwith so many visions of wealth and splen-dour,
one thing- alone disturbed the peace of thepoor optimist, and would
indeed have confoundedmost hons vivanSy-" He was curious," he
said," in his table, choice in his selection of cooks,had every day
a dinner of three regular coursesand a dessert ; and yet, somehow
or other, everything he ate tasted ofporridge " This dilemmacould
be no great wonder to the friend to whomthe poor patient
communicated it, who knew thelunatic ate nothing but this simple
aliment at anyof his meals. The case was obvious ; the diseaselay
in the extreme vivacity of the patient's imagi-nation, deluded in
other instances, yet not absolutelypowerful enough to contend with
the honest evi-dence of his stomach and palate, which, hke
LordPeter's brethren in the Tale of a Tub, were indig-nant at the
attempt to impose boiled oatmeal uponthem, instead of such a
banquet as Ude would havedisplayed when peers were to partake of
it. Here,therefore, is one instance of actual insanity, inwhich the
sense of taste controlled and attempted torestrain the ideal
hypothesis adopted by a derangedimagination. But the disorder to
which I previ-ously alluded is entirely of a bodily character,
andconsists principally in a disease of the visual organs,which
present to the patient a set of spectres otappearances, which have
no actual existence. Itis a disease of the same nature, which
renders manymen incapable of distinguishing colours ; only
thepatients go a step farther, and pervert the external
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18 LETTERS ONthe imagination, which imposes upon, and
over-powers, the evidence of the senses, hut the senseof seeing (or
hearing) which betrays its duty, andconveys false ideas to a sane
intellect.More than one learned physician, who havegiven their
attestations to the existence of thismost distressing complaint,
have agreed that itactually occurs, and is occasioned by
different
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 19a band of figures dressed in green,
who performedin his drawing-room a singular dance, to which hewas
compelled to bear witness, though he knew, tohis great annoyance,
that the whole coyys de balletexisted only in his own imagination.
His physicianimmediately informed him that he had lived upontown
too long and too fast not to require an exchangeto a more healthy
and natural course of hfe. Hetherefore prescribed a gentle course
of medicine,but earnestly recommended to his patient to retireto
his own house in the country, observe a temperatediet and early
hours, practising regular exercise, onthe same principle avoiding
fatigue, and assured himthat by doing so he might bid adieu to
black spiritsand white, blue, green, and grey, with all
theirtrumpery. The patient observed the advice, andprospered. His
physician, after the interval ofa month, received a grateful letter
from him,acknowledging the success of his regimen. Thegreen gobhns
had disappeared, and with them theunpleasant train of emotions to
which their visitshad given rise, and the patient had ordered
histown-house to be disfurnished and sold, while thefurniture was
to be sent down to his residence inthe country, where he was
determined in future tospend his life, without exposing himself to
thetemptations of town. One would have supposedthis a well-devised
scheme for health. But, alasno sooner had the furniture of the
London drawing-room been placed in order in the gallery of the
oldmanor-house, than the former delusion returned infull force !
the ^veenfigurantes y whom the patient's
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20 LETTERS ONaccompany them, exclaiming with great glee, as
ifthe suiFerer should have been rejoiced to see them," Here we all
arehere we all are !" The visionary,if I recollect right, was so
much shocked at theirappearance, that he retired abroad, in despair
thatany part of Britain could shelter him from the dailypersecution
of this domestic ballet.
There is reason to beheve that such cases arenumerous, and that
they may perhaps arise notonly from the debility of stomach brought
on byexcess in wine or spirits, which derangement oftensensibly
aifects the sense of sight, but also becausethe mind becomes
habitually predominated over bya train of fantastic visions, the
consequence of fre-quent intoxication ; and is thus, like a
dislocatedjoint, apt again to go wrong, even when a differentcause
occasions the demngement.
It is easy to be supposed that habitual excite-ment by means of
any other intoxicating drug, asopium, or its various substitutes,
must exposethose who practise the dangerous custom to thesame
inconvenience. Very frequent use of thenitrous oxide which affects
the senses so strongly,and produces a short but singular state of
ecstasy,would probably be found to occasion this species
ofdisorder. But there are many other causes whichmedical men find
attended with the same symptom,of embodying before the eyes of a
patient imaginaryillusions which are visible to no one else.
Thispersecution of spectral deceptions is also found toexist when
no excesses of the patient can be allegedas the cause, owing,
doubtless, to a deranged state of
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 21was the first who brought before
the English pubhcthe leading case, as it may be called, in this
depart-ment, namely, that of Mons. Nicolai, the
celebratedbookseller of Berlin. This gentleman was not aman merely
of books, but of letters, and had themoral courage to lay before
the Philosophical Societyof Berhn an account of his own sufferings,
fromhaving been, by disease, subjected to a series ofspectral
illusions. The leading circumstances ofthis case may be stated very
shortly, as it has beenrepeatedly before the pubUc, and is insisted
on byDr Ferriar, Dr Hibbert, and others who haveassumed Demonology
as a subject. Nicolai traces hisillness remotely to a series of
disagreeable incidentswliich had happened to him in the beginning
of theyear 1791. The depression of spirits which wasoccasioned by
these unpleasant occurrences, wasaided by the consequences of
neglecting a course ofperiodical bleeding which he had been
accustomedto observe. This state of health brought on
thedisposition to see phantasmata, which visited, or itmay be more
properly said frequented, the apart-ments of the learned
bookseller, presenting crowdsof persons who moved and acted before
him, nay,even spoke to and addressed him. These phantomsafforded
nothing unpleasant to the imagination ofthe visionary either in
sight or expression, and thepatient was possessed of too much
firmness to beotherwise affected by their presence than with
aspecies of curiosity, as he remained convinced, fromthe beginning
to the end of the disorder, that thesesingular effects were merely
symptoms of the state
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S2 LETTERS ONtime, and some use of medicine, the phantomsbecame
less distinct in their outUne, less vivid intheir colouring, faded,
as it were, on the eye of thepatient, and at length totally
disappeared.
The case of Nicolai has unquestionably been thatof many whose
love of science has not been able toovercome their natural
reluctance to communicateto the public the particulars attending
the visitationof a disease so peculiar. That such illnesses
havebeen experienced, and have ended fatally, there canbe no doubt
; though it is by no means to be inferred,that the symptom of
importance to our presentdiscussion has, on all occasions, been
produced fromthe same identical cause.Dr Hibbert, who has most
ingeniously, as well asphilosophically, handled this subject, has
treated italso in a medical point of view, with science to whichwe
make no pretence, and a precision of detail towhich our superficial
investigation affords us noroom for extending ourselves.The
visitation of spectral phenomena is describedby this learned
gentleman as incidental to sundrycomplaints ; and he mentions, in
particidar, that thesymptom occurs not only in 2)lethora, as in the
caseof the learned Prussian we have just mentioned, butis a
frequent hectic symptomoften an associateof febrile and
inflammatory disordersfrequentlyaccompanying inflammation of the
braina conco-mitant also of highly excited nervous
irritabilityequally connected with hypochondriaand finally,united
in some cases with gout, and in others withthe effects of
excitation produced by several gases.In all these cases there seems
to be a morbid degree
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 23ally itself, and which, though
inaccurate as a medicaldefinition, may he held sufficiently
descriptive ofone character of the various kinds of disorder
withwhich this painful symptom may be found allied.A very singular
and interesting illustration ofsuch combinations as Dr Hibbert has
recorded ofthe spectral illusion with an actual disorder, andthat
of a dangerous kind, was frequently related insociety by the late
learned and accomplished DrGregory of Edinburgh, and sometimes, I
believe,quoted by him in his lectures. The narrative, tothe author
s best recollection, was as follows :patient of Dr Gregory, a
person, it is understood^of some rank, having requested the Doctor
s advice,,made the following extraordinary statement of
hiscomplaint. " I am in the habit," he said, " of diningat five,
and exactly as the hour of six arrives, I amsubjected to the
following painful visitation. The(loor of the room, even when I
have been weakenough to bolt it, which I have sometimes done,flies
wide open ; an old hag, like one of those whohaunted the heath of
Forres, enters with a frowningand incensed countenance, comes
straight up to mewith every demonstration of spite and
indignationwhich could characterise her who haunted themerchant
Abudah in the Oriental tale ; she rushesupon me ; says something,
but so hastily that Icannot discover the purport, and then strikes
me asevere blow with her staff. I fall from my chair ina swoon,
which is of longer or shorter endurance.To the recurrence of this
apparition I am dailysubjected. And such is my new and singular
com-plaint." The doctor immediately asked. Whetherhis patient had
invited any one to sit with him when
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34 LETTERS ONhe expected such a visitation ? He was answeredin
the negative. The nature of the complaint, hesaid, was so singular,
it was so hkely to be imputedto fancy, or even to mental
derangement, that hehad shnmk from communicating" the
circumstanceto any one. " Then," said the doctor, " with
yourpermission, I will dine with you to-day, tete-d-tite,and we
will see if your malignant old woman willventure to join our
company." The patient acceptedthe proposal with hope and gratitude,
for he hadexpected ridicule rather than sympathy. They metat
dinner, and Dr Gregory, who suspected somenervous disorder, exerted
his powers of conversa-tion, well known to be of the most varied
andbriUiant character, to keep the attention of his hostengaged,
and prevent him from thinking on theapproach of the fated hour, to
which he was accus-tomed to look forward with so much tensor.
Hesucceeded in his purpose better than he had hoped.The hour of six
came almost unnoticed, and it washoped, might pass away without any
evil conse-quence ; but it was scarce a moment stnick, whenthe
owner of the house exclaimed, in an alarmedvoice" The hag comes
again I" and dropped backin his chair in a swoon, in the way he had
himselfdescribed. The physician caused him to be letblood, and
satisfied himself that the periodical shocksof which his patient
complained, arose from a ten-dency to apoplexy.The phantom with the
crutch was only a speciesof machinery, such as that with which
fancy isfound to supply the disorder called Ephialtes, ornightmare,
or indeed any other external impressionupon our organs in sleep,
which the patient's morbid
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 25imag-ination may introduce into the
dream preceding*the swoon. In the nightmare an oppression
andsuffocation is felt, and our fancy instantly conjuresup a
spectre to He on our bosom. In hke mannerit may be remarked, that
any sudden noise which theslumberer hears, without being- actually
awakenedby itany casual touch of his person occurring inthe same
manner^becomes instantly adopted inhis dream, and accommodated to
the tenor of thecurrent train of thought, whatever that may
happento be ; and nothing is more remarkable than therapidity with
which imagination supplies a completeexplanation of the
interruption, according to theprevious train of ideas expressed in
the dream, evenwhen scarce a moment of time is allowed for
thatpurpose. In dreaming, for example, of a duel, theexternal sound
becomes, in the twinkling of an eye,the discharge of the
combatants' pistols ;^is anorator haranguing in his sleep, the
sound becomesthe applause of his supposed audience ;is thedreamer
wandering among supposed ruins, the noiseis that of the fall of
some part of the mass. Inshort, an explanatory system is adopted
duringsleep with such extreme rapidity, that supposing theintruding
alarm to have been the first call of someperson to awaken the
slumberer, the explanation,though requiring some process of
argument ordeduction, is usually formed and perfect before
thesecond effort of the speaker has restored the dreamerto the
waking world and its reahties. So rapid andintuitive is the
succession of ideas in sleep, as toremind us of the vision of the
prophet Mahommed,in which he saw the whole wonders of heaven
andhell, though the jar of water which fell when his
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iib LETTERS ONecstasy commenced, had not spilled its
contentswhen he returned to ordinary existence.A second, and
equally remarkable instance, wascommunicated to the author by the
medical manunder whose observation it fell, but who was, ofcourse,
desirous to keep private the name of thehero of so singular a
history. Of the friend by whomthe facts were attested, I can only
say, that if Ifound myself at hberty to name him, the rank whichhe
holds in his profession, as well as his attainmentsin science and
philosophy, form an undisputed claimto the most implicit
credit.
It was the fortune of this gentleman to be calledin to attend
the illness of a person now long deceased,who in his hfetime stood,
as I understand, high ina particular department of the law, which
oftenplaced the property of others at his discretion andcontrol,
and whose conduct, therefore, being opento public observation, he
had for many years bornethe character of a man of unusual
steadiness, goodsense, and integrity. He was, at the time of
myfriend's visits, confined principally to his sick-room,sometimes
to bed, yet occasionally attending tobusiness, and exerting his
mind, apparently withall its usual strength and energy, to the
conduct ofimportant affairs intrusted to him ; nor did there,to a
superficial observer, appear any thing in hisconduct, while so
engaged, that could argue vacil-lation of intellect, or depression
of mind. Hisoutward symptoms of malady argued no acute oralarming
disease. But slowness of pulse, absenceof appetite, difficulty of
cUgestion, and constantdepression of spirits, seemed to draw their
originfrom some hidden cause, which the patient was
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DExMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 27determined to conceal. The deep
gloom of theunfortunate gentlemanthe embarrassment, whichhe could
not conceal from his friendly physicianthe briefness and obvious
constraint with which heanswered the interrogations of his medical
adviser,induced my friend to take other methods for pro-secuting
his enquiries. He applied to the sufterer'sfamily, to learn, if
possible, the source of that secretgrief which was gnawing the
heart and sucking thelife-blood of the imfortunate patient. The
personsapplied to, after conversing together previously,denied all
knowledge of any cause for the burdenwhich obviously affected their
relative. So far asthey knewand they thought they could hardlybe
deceived^his worldly affairs were prosperousno family loss had
occurred which could be followedMath such persevering distress ; no
entanglementsof affection could be supposed to apply to his age,and
no sensation of severe remorse could be con-sistent with his
character. The medical gentlemanhad finally recourse to serious
argument with theinvalid himself, and urged to him the folly
ofdevoting himself to a lingering and melancholydeath, rather than
tell the subject of affliction whichwas thus wasting him. He
specially pressed uponhim the injury which he was doing to his own
cha-racter, by suffering it to be inferred that the secretcause of
his dejection and its consequences, wassomething too scandalous or
flagitious to be madeknown, bequeathing in this manner to his
familya suspected and dishonoured name, and leaving amemory with
which might be associated the ideaof guilt, which the criminal had
died without con-fessing. The patient, more moved by this
species
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^ LETTERS ONof appeal than by any which had yet been
urged,expressed his desire to speak out frankly to Dr
. Every one else was removed, and thedoor of the sick-room made
secure, when he beganhis confession in the following- manner :
" You cannot, my dear friend, be more con-scious than I, that I
am in the course of dying-under the oppression of the fatal disease
whichconsumes my vital powers ; but neither can youimderstand the
nature ofmy complaint, and mannerin which it acts upon me, nor, if
you did, I fear,could your zeal and skill avail to rid me of
it."
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 291 am dying-, a wasted victim to an
imaginary-disease." The medical gentleman listened withanxiety to
his patient's statement, and, for thepresent judiciously avoiding
any contradiction ofthe sick man's preconceived fancy, contented
himselfwith more minute enquiry into the nature of theapparition
with which he conceived himselfhaunted,and into the history of the
mode by which sosingular a disease had made itself master of
hisimagination, secured, as it seemed, by strong powersof the
understanding, against an attack so irregular.The sick person
rephed by stating, that its advanceswere gradual, and at first not
of a terrible or evendisagreeable character. To illustrate this, he
gavethe following accoimt of the progress of his disease.
" My visions," he said, " commenced two or threeyears since,
when I found myself from time to timeembarrassed by the presence of
a large cat, whichcame and disappeared I could not exactly tell
how,till the truth was finally forced upon me, and I wascompelled
to regard it as no domestic householdcat, but as a bubble of the
elements, which had noexistence, save in my deranged visual organs,
ordepraved imagination. Still I had not that positiveobjection to
the animal entertained by a late gallantHighland chieftain, who has
been seen to changeto all the colours of his own plaid, if a cat
byaccident happened to be in the room with him, eventhough he did
not see it. On the contrary, I amrather a friend to cats, and
endured with so muchequanimity the presence ofmy imaginary
attendant^that it had become almost indifferent to me ; whenwithin
the course of a few months it gave place to,
important
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GO LETTERS ONsort, or which at least had a more imposing
appear-ance. This was no other than the apparition of
agentleman-usher, dressed as if to wait upon a LordLieutenant of
Ireland, a Lord High Commissionerof the Kirk, or any other who
bears on his browthe rank and stamp of delegated sovereignty.
" This personage, arrayed in a court dress, withbag and sword,
tamboured waistcoat, and chapeau-bras, glided beside me hke the
ghost of Beau Nashand whether in my own house or in
another,ascended the stairs before me, as if to announce m6in the
drawing-room ; and at some times appearedto mingle with the
company, though it was suffi-ciently evident that they were not
aware of hispresence, and that I alone was sensible of thevisionary
honours which this imaginary beingseemed desirous to render me.
This freak of thefancy did not produce much impression on me,though
it led me to entertain doubts on the natureof my disorder, and
alarm for the effect it mightproduce upon my intellects. But that
modificationof my disease also had its appointed duration. Aftera
few months, the phantom of the gentleman-usherwas seen no more, but
was succeeded by one horribleto the sight, and distressing to the
imagination,being no other than the image of death
itselftheapparition of a skeleton, AJone or in company,"said the
unfortunate invahd, " the presence of thislast phantom never quits
me. I in vain tell myself ahundred times over that it is no
reality, but merelyan image summoned up by the morbid acuteness
ofmy own excited imagination, and deranged organsof sight. But what
avail such reflections, while the
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 31my eyes, and while I feel myself,
though in fancyonly, the companion of a phantom representing-
aghastly inhabitant of the grave, even while I yetbreathe on the
earth ? Science, philosophy, evenrehgion, has no cure for such a
disorder ; and I feeltoo surely that I shall die the victim to so
melancholya disease, although I have no belief whatever in
thereality of the phantom which it places before me."The physician
was distressed to perceive, fromthese details, how strongly this
visionary apparitionwas fixed in the imagination of his patient.
Heingeniously urged the sick man, who was then inbed, with
questions concerning the circumstances ofthe phantom's appearance,
trusting he might leadhim, as a sensible man, into such
contradictions andinconsistencies as might bring his common
sense,which seemed to be unimpaired, so strongly intothe field, as
might combat successfully the fantasticdisorder which produced such
fatal effects. " Thisskeleton, then," said the doctor, " seems to
you tobe always present to your eyes ?"" It is my fate,unhappily,"
answered the invaUd, " always to seeit."" Then, I understand,"
continued the physician," it is now present to your imagination ?""
Tomy imagination it certainly is so," rephed the sickman. " And in
what part of the chamber do younow conceive the apparition to
appear ?" thephysician enquired. " Immediately at the foot ofmy bed
; when the curtains are left a Httle open,"answered the invaUd, "
the skeleton, to my thinking,is placed between them, and fills the
vacant space."" You say you are sensible of the delusion," saidhis
friend ; " have you firmness to convince yourself
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32 LETTERS ONto rise and place yourself in the spot so seeming
tobe occupied, and convince yourself of the illusion ?"The poor man
sighed, and shook his head negatively.** Well," said the doctor, "
we will try the experi-ment otherwise." Accordingly, he rose from
hischair by the bedside, and placing himself betweenthe two
half-di'awn curtains at the foot of the bed,indicated as the place
occupied by the apparition,asked if the spectre was still visible ?
" Not entirelyso," rephed the patient, " because your person
isbetwixt him and me ; but I observe his skullpeering above your
shoulder."
It is alleged the man of science started on theinstant, despite
philosophy, on receiving an answerascertaining, with such
minuteness, that the idealspectre was close to his own person. He
resortedto other means of investigation and cure, but withequally
indiiferent success. The patient sunk intodeeper and deeper
dejection, and cUed in the samedistress of mind in which he had
spent the lattermonths of his Hfe ; and his case remains a
melan-choly instance of the power of imagination to killthe body,
even when its fantastic terrors cannotovercome the intellect, of
the imfortunate personswho suffer under them. The patient, in the
present.case, sunk under his malady ; and the circumstancesof his
singular disorder remaining concealed, he didnot, by his death and
last illness, lose any of thew^eU-merited reputation for prudence
and sagacity,which had attended him during the whole course ofhis
Hfe.
Having added these two remarkable instances tothe general train
of similar facts quoted by Ferriar,
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 33considered the subject, there can,
we think, be littledoubt of the proposition, that the external
organsmay, from various causes, become so much deranged,as to make
false representations to the mind ; andthat, in such cases, men, in
the literal sense, reallysee the empty and false forms, and hear
the idealsounds, which, in a more primitive state of society,are
naturally enough referred to the action ofdemonsor disembodied
spirits. In such unhappy cases, thepatient is intellectually in the
condition of a generalwhose spies have been bribed by the enemy,
andwho must engage himself in the difficult and deli-cate task of
examining and correcting, by his ownpowers of argument, the
probability of the reportswhich are too inconsistent to be trusted
to.
But there is a corollary to this proposition, whichis worthy of
notice. The same species of organicderangement which, as a
continued habit of hisderanged vision, presented the subject of our
lasttale with the successive apparitions of his cat,
hisgentleman-usher, and the fatal skeleton, may occupy,for a brief
or almost momentary space, the visionof men who are otherwdse
perfectly clear-sighted.Tmnsitory deceptions are thus presented to
theorgans, which, when they occur to men of strength-of mind and of
education, give way to scrutiny; .and, their character being once
investigated, thetrue takes the place of the unreal
representation.But in ignorant times, those instances in whichany
object is misrepresented, whether through theaction of the senses,
or of the imagination, or thecombined influence of both, for
however short aspace of time, may be admitted as direct evidenceof
a proof the
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S4 LETTERS ONdifficult to be disputed, if the phantom has
beenpersonally witnessed by a man of sense and estima-tion, who,
perhaps, satisfied in the general as tothe actual existence of
apparitions, has not takentime or trouble to correct his first
impressions.This species of deception is so frequent, that oneof
the greatest poets of the present time answereda lady who asked him
if he beheved in ghosts," No, madam ; I have seen too many myself."
Imay mention one or two instances of the kind, towhich no doubt can
be attached.The first shall be the apparition of Maupertuis, toa
brother professor in the Royal Society of Berhn.
This extraordinary circumstance appeared in theTransactions of
the Society, but is thus stated byM. Thiebault, in his
Recollections of Frederickthe Great and the Court of Berhn. It is
necessaryto premise that M. Gleditsch, to whom the circum-stance
happened, w^as a botanist of eminence, hold-ing the professorship
ofnatural philosophy at Berhn,and respected as a man of an
habitually serious,simple, and tranquil character.A short time
after the death of Maupertuis,*M. Gleditsch being obliged to
traverse the hall inwhich the Academy held its sittings, having
somearrangements to make in the cabinet of natuiulhistory, which
was under his charge, and beingwilling to complete them on the
Thursday beforethe meeting, he perceived, on entering the hall,
* Long the president of the Berlin Academy, and much,favoured by
Frederick II., till he was overwhelmed by theridicule of Voltaire.
lie retired, in a species of disgrace, tohis native country of
Switzerland, and died there shortly
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 35the apparition of M. de Maupertuis,
upright andstationary, in the first angle on his left hand,
having"his eyes fixed on him. This was about three
o'clockafternoon. The professor of natural philosophy-was too well
acquainted with physical science tosuppose that his late president,
who had died atBale, in the family of Messrs BernouUie, couldhave
found his w^ay back to Berhn in person. Heregarded the apparition
in no other hght than as aphantom produced by some derangement of
hisown proper organs. M. Gleditsch went to his ownbusiness, without
stopping longer than to ascertainexactly the appearance of that
object. But herelated the vision to his brethren, and assured
themthat it was as defined and perfect as the actualperson of
Maupertuis could have presented. Whenit is recollected that
Maupertuis died at a distancefrom Berhn, once the scene of his
triumphsover-whelmed by the petulant ridicule of Voltaire, andout
of favour with Frederick, with whom to beridiculous was to be
worthlesswe can hardlywonder at the imagination even of a man of
physi-,cal science caUing up his eidolon in the hall of hiaformer
greatness.The sober-minded professor did not, however,push his
investigation to the point to which it wascarried by a gallant
soldier, from whose mouth aparticular friend of the author received
the follow-ing circumstances of a similar story.
Captain C was a native of Britain, but bredin the Irish Brigade.
He was a man of the mostdauntless courage, which he displayed in
someuncommonly desperate ad\'entures during the firstyears of the
being
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DO LETTERS ONemployed by the royal family in veiy
dang-eroiiscommissions. After the king's death, he cameover to
England ; and it was then the following-circumstance took
place.
Captain C was a Catholic, and, in his hourof adversity at least,
sincerely attached to the dutiesof his rehgion. His confessor was a
clergymanwho was residing as chaplain to a man of rank inthe west
of England, about four miles from theplace where Captain C lived.
On riding overone morning to see this gentleman, his penitent
hadthe misfortune to find him very iU from a danger-ous complaint.
He retired in great distress andapprehension of his friend's life,
and the feelingbrought back upon him many other painful
anddisagreeable recollections. These occupied himtill the hour of
retiring to bed, when, to his greatastonishment, he saw in the room
the figure of theabsent confessor. He addressed it, but received
noanswerthe eyes alone were impressed by theappearance. Determined
to push the matter tothe end. Captain C advanced on the
phantom,which appeared to retreat gradually before him.In this
manner he followed it round the bed, whenit seemed to sink down on
an elbow-chair, andremain there in a sitting posture. To
ascertainpositively the nature of the apparition, the
soldierhimself sate down on the same chair, ascertainingthus,
beyond question, that the whole was illusion ;yet he owned that,
had his friend died about thesame time, he would not well have
known whatname to give to his vision. But as the
confessorrecovered, and, in Dr Johnson's phrase, " nothing
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 37showing that men of the strongest
nerves are notexempted from such delusions.*
Another iUusion of the same nature we have thebest reason for
vouching as a fact, though, for certainreasons, we do not give the
names of the parties.Not long after the death of a late illustrious
poet,who had filled, while living, a great station in theeye of the
public, a literary friend, to whom thedeceased had been well known,
was engaged, duringthe darkening twilight of an autumn evening,
inperusing one of the publications which professed todetail the
habits and opinions of the distinguishedindividual who was now no
more. As the readerhad enjoyed the intimacy of the deceased to
aconsiderable degree, he was deeply interested in thepubHcation,
which contained some particulars rela-
* The friend on whose information I rested the story inthe text,
has, since its publication in this shape, favouredthe author with
the following remarks :" You have not quite done justice to my
story of CaptainClifford. Having, in the words of your Glorious
John,
* Proved what was the courage of a ghost,'by sitting down in his
lap, he undressed himself, the ghoststanding now before him. On Mr
Clifford's rising, theghost retreated, and finally passed behind
the curtains intobed, when Clifford turned in to him. Clifford was
a singu-lar man, somewhat fanatical in his religion, but a
learnedtheologian. With this, he was a good-natured philosopher,an
expert chemist, a passionate pursuer of all sorts of know-ledge ;
in search of which, he once attended Judge Buller ina circuit as
judges' marshal. As to nerves, if ever there wasa man without fear
or weakness, (saving his fanaticism,) itwas this man. He was a sort
of Talus,
* An yron man,
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38 LETTERS ONting- to himself and other friends. A visitor
wassitting" in the apartment, who was also engaged inreading-.
Their sitting-room opened into an entrancehall, rather
fantastically fitted up with articles ofarmour, skins of wild
animals, and the like. It waswhen laying down his hook, and passing
into thishall, through which the moon was heginning toshine, that
the individual of whom I speak saw,right before him, and in a
standing posture, thexact representation of his departed friend,
whoserecollection had been so strongly brought to hisimagination.
He stopped for a single moment, soas to notice the wonderful
accuracy with whichfancy had impressed upon the bodily eye the
pecu-liarities of dress and posture of the illustrious
poet.Sensible, however, of the delusion, he felt nosentiment save
that of wonder at the extraonUnaryaccuracy of the resemblance, and
stepped onwardtowards the figure, which resolved itself, as
heapproached, into the various materials of which itwas composed.
These were merely a screen, occupiedby great-coats, shawls, plaids,
and such other articlesas usually are found in a country
entrance-hall.The spectator returned to the spot from which hehad
seen the illusion, and endeavoured, with all hispower, to recall
the image which had been sosingularly vivid. But this was beyond
his capacityand the person who had witnessed the apparition,or,
more properly, whose excited state had been themeans of raising it,
had only to return, and tell theyoung friend he had left, under
what a strikinghallucination he had for a moment lalioured.
There is every reason to believe that instances of
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 39temperament ; and when such occur
iii an early-period of society, they are almost certain to
beconsidered as real supernatural appearances. Theydiffer from
those of Nicolai, and others formerlynoticed, as being of short
duration, and constitutingno habitual or constitutional derangement
of thesystem. The apparition of Maupertuis to MonsieurGleditsch,
that ofthe Catholic clergyman to CaptainC , that of a late poet to
his friend, are of thelatter character. They bear to the former the
ana-logy, as we may say, which a sudden and temporaryfever-fit has
to a serious feverish illness. But, evenfor this very reason, it is
more difficult to bring suchmomentary impressions back to their
real sj)here ofoptical illusions, since they accord much better
withour idea of glimpses of the future world than thosein which the
vision is continued or repeated forhours, days, and months,
aifording opportunitiesof discovering, from other circumstances,
that thesymptom originates in deranged health.Before concluding
these observations upon thedeceptions of the senses, we must
remark, that theeye is the organ most essential to the purpose
ofreahzing to our mind the appearance of externalobjects, and that
when the visual organ becomesdepraved for a greater or less time,
and to a fartheror more Hmited extent, its misrepresentation of
theobjects of sight is pecuHarly apt to terminate insuch
hallucinations as those we have been detailing.Yet the other senses
or organs, in their turn, andto the extent of their power, are as
ready, in theirvarious departments, as the sight itself, to
retainfalse or doubtful impressions, which mislead, instead
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40 LETTERS ONThus, in regard to the ear, the next organ in
importance to the eye, we are repeatedly deceivedby such sounds
as are imperfectly gathered up anderroneously apprehended. From the
false impres-sions receivedfrom this organ, also arise
consequencessimilar to those derived from erroneous reports madeby
the organs ofsight. A whole class ofsuperstitiousobservances arise,
and are grounded upon inaccurateand imperfect hearing. To the
excited and imperfectstate of the ear, we owe the existence of
whatMilton sublimely calls
" The airy tongues that syllable men's names,On shores, in
desert sands, and wildernesses."
These also appear such natural causes of alarm, thatwe do not
sympathize more readily with llobinsonCrusoe's apprehensions when
he witnesses the printof the savage's foot in the sand, than in
those whicharise from his being waked from sleep by some onecalling
his name in the solitary island, where thereexisted no man but the
shipwrecked marinerhim self.Amidst the train of superstitions
deduced from theimperfections ofthe ear, we may quote that
visionarysummons which the natives ofthe Hebrides acknow-ledged as
one sure sign of approaching fate. Thevoice of some absent, or,
probably, some deceasedrelative, was, in such cases, heard as
repeating theparty's name. Sometimes the aerial summonerintimated
his own death, and at others, it was nouncommon circumstance that
the person who fanciedhimself so called, died in consequence ;for
thesame reason that the negro pines to death who islaid under the
ban of an Obi woman, or the Cambro-
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 41well, with the usual ceremonies,
devoting him tothe infernal gods, wastes away and dies, as
onedoomed to do so. It may be remarked also, thatDr Johnson
retained a deep impression that, whilehe was opening the door of
his college chambers,he heard the voice of his mother, then at
manymiles' distance, call him by his name ; and it appearshe was
rather disappointed that no event of conse-quence followed a
summons sounding so decidedlysupernatural. It is unnecessary to
dwell on thissort of auricular deception, of which most
men'srecollection will supply instances. The followingmay be stated
as one serving to show by whatslender accidents the human ear may
be imposedupon. The author was walking, about two yearssince, in a
wild and sohtary scene with a youngfiriend, who laboured under the
infirmity of a severedeafness, when he heard what he conceived to
bethe cry of a distant pack of hounds, soundingintermittedly. As
the season was summer, this,on a moment's reflection, satisfied the
hearer thatit could not be the clamour of an actual chase, andyet
his ears repeatedly brought back the supposedcry. He called upon
his own dogs, of which twoor three were with the walking party.
They camein quietly, and obviously had no accession to thesounds
which had caught the author's attention, sothat he could not help
saying to his companion," I am doubly sorry for your infirmity at
thismoment, for I could otherwise have let you hearthe cry of the
Wild Huntsman." As the young-gentleman used a hearing tube, he
turned whenspoken to, and, in doing so, the cause of the
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42 LETTERS ONsoimd was in fact a nigh one, being the singing
ofthe wind in the instrument which the young gen-tleman was obhged
to use, but which, from variouscircumstances, had never occurred to
his elder friendas likely to produce the sounds he had heard.
It is scarce necessary to add, that the highlyimaginative
superstition of the Wild Huntsman inGermany seems to have had its
origin in strongfancy, operating upon the auricular
deceptions,respecting the numerous sounds hkely to occur inthe dark
recesses of pathless forests. The sameclew may be found to the
kindred Scottish behef,so finely embodied by the nameless author
ofAlbania :" There, since of old the haughty Thanes of RossWere
wont, with clans and ready vassals throng'd,To wake the hounding
stag, or guilty wolf;There oft is heard, at midnight or at
noon.Beginning faint, hut rising still more loud,And louder, voice
of hunters, and of hounds,And horns hoarse-winded, hlowing far and
keen.Forthwith the hubhuh multiplies, the airLabours with louder
shouts and rifer dinOf close pursuit, the broken cry of deerMangled
by throttling dogs, the shouts of men.And hoofs, thick-beating on
the hollow hill
:
Sudden the grazing heifer in the valeStarts at the tumult, and
the herdsman's earsTingle with inward dread. Aghast he eyesThe
upland ridge, and every mountain round,But not one trace of living
wight discerns,Nor knows, o'erawed and trembling as he stands,To
what or whom he owes his idle feiirTo ghost, to witch, to fairy, or
to fiend.But wonders, and no end of wondering finds."*
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 43It must also be remembered, that to
the auricular
deceptions practised by the means ofventriloquism orotherwise,
may be traced many ofthe most successfulimpostures which credulity
has received as super-natural communications.The sense of touch
seems less liable to perversionthan either that of sight or smell,
nor are theremany cases in which it can become accessary tosuch
false intellig-ence, as the eye and ear, collecting"their objects
from a greater distance, and by lessaccurate enquiry, are but too
ready to convey. Yetthere is one circumstance in which the sense
oftouch as well as others is very apt to betray itspossessor into
inaccuracy, in respect to the circum-stances which it impresses on
its owner. The caseoccurs during sleep, when the dreamer touches
withhis hand some other part of his own person. Heis clearly, in
this case, both the actor and patient,both the proprietor of the
member touching, and ofthat which is touched ; while, to increase
the com-phcation, the hand is both toucher of the limb onwhich it
rests, and receives an impression of touchfrom it ; and the same is
the case with the limb,which at one and the same time receives an
impres-sion from the hand, and conveys to the mind areport
respecting the size, substance, and the like,of the member
touching. Now, as during sleep,the patient is unconscious that both
limbs are hisown identical property, his mind is apt to be
muchscarce, that I have only seen a copy belonging to the amiable
and inge-nious Dr Beattie, besides the one which I myself possess,
printed inthe earher part of last century. It was reprinted by ray
late friend DrLeyden, in a small volume, entitled Scottish
Descriptive Poems.Albania contains the above, and many other
poetical passages of the
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44 LETTERS ONdisturbed by the complication of sensations
arisingfrom two parts of his person being* at once actedupon, and
from their reciprocal action ; and falseimpressions are thus
received, which, accuratelyenquired into, would afford a clew to
many puzzling"phenomena in the theory of dreams. This pecu-liarity
ofthe organ of touch, as also that it is confine(Jto no particular
organ, but is diffused over the wholeperson of the man, is noticed
by Lucretius :
" Ut si forte manu, quam vis jam corporis, ipseTute tibi partem
ferias, seque experiare."A remarkable instance of such an illusion
was
told me by a late nobleman. He had fallen asleep,with some
uneasy feelings arising from indigestion.They operated in their
usual course of visionaiyterrors. At length they were all summed up
in theapprehension, that the phantom of a dead man heldthe sleeper
by the wrist, and endeavoured to draghim out of bed. He awaked in
horror, and still feltthe cold dead grasp of a corpse's hand on his
rightwrist. It was a minute before he discovered thathis own left
hand was in a state of numbness, andwith it he had accidentally
encircled his right ami.The taste and the smeD, hke the touch,
conveymore direct intelligencethan the eye and the ear, andare less
likely than those senses to aid in misleadingthe imagination. We
have seen the palate, in thecase of the porridge-fed lunatic, enter
its protestagainst the acquiescence of eyes, ears, and touch, inthe
gay visions which gilded the patient's confine-ment. The palate,
however, is subject to impositionas well as the other senses. The
best and most
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DEMONOLOGY AND WITCHCRAFT. 45betwixt different kinds of wine, if
he is preventedfrom assisting his palate by the aid of his
eyes,that is, if the glasses of each are administered
indis-criminately while he is blindfolded. Nay, we areauthorized to
beheve, that individuals have died inconsequence of having supposed
themselves to havetaken poison, when, in reaUty, the draught they
hadswallowed as such, was of an innoxious or restora-tive quality.
The delusions of the stomach canseldom bear upon our present
subject, and are nototherwise coAdiected with supernatural
appearances,than as a good dinner and its accompaniments
areessential in fitting out a daring Tarn o' Shanter,who is fittest
to encounter them, when the poet'sobservation is not unlikely to
apply
** Inspiring baiild John Barleycorn,What dangers thou canst make
us scorn !Wi' tippenny we fear nae evil,Wi' usquebae we'll face the
devil.The swats sae ream'd in Tammie's noddle,Fair play, he caredna
deils a boddle !"
Neither has the sense of smell, in its ordinarystate, much
connexion with our present subject*Mr Aubrey tells us, indeed, of
an apparition, whichdisappeared with a curious perfume as well as
amost melodious twang; and popular belief ascribes tothe presence
of infernal spirits, a strong relish of thesulphureous element of
which they are inhabitants.Such accompaniments, therefore, are
usually unitedwith other materials for imposture. If, as a
generalopinion assures us, which is not positively discoim-tenanced
by Dr Hibbert, by the inhalation of certain
can
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46 LETTERS ONa person to believe he sees phantoms, it is
hkelythat the nostrils are made to inhale such sufi'umi-gution, as
well as the mouth.*
I have now arrived, by a devious path, at theconclusion of this
letter, the object of which is toshow from what attributes of our
nature, whethermental or corporeal, arises that predisposition
tobeheve in supernatural occurrences. It is, I think,conclusive,
that mankind, from a very early period,have their minds prepared
for such^events by theconsciousness of the existence of a**^'itual
world,infening- in the geneml proposition the undeniabletruth, that
each man, from the monarch to thebeggar, who has once acted his
part on the stage,continues to exist, and may again, even in a
disem-bodied state, if such is the pleasure of Heaven, foraught
that we know to the contraiy, be pemiittedor ordained to mingle
amongst those who yet remainin the body. The abstract possibiHty of
apparitionsmust be admitted by every one who beheves in aDeity, and
his superintending omnipotence. Butimagination is apt to intrude
its explanations andinferences founded on inadequate evidence.
Some-times our violent and inordinate passions, originating
* Most ancient authors, who pretend to treat of the won-ders of
natural magic, give receipts for calling up phantoms.The lighting
lamps fed by peculiar kinds of medicated oil,and the use of
suffumigations of strong and deleterious herbs,are the means
recommended. From these authorities, per-haps, a professor of
legerdemain assured Dr Alderson ofHull, that he could compose a
preparation of antimony,sulphur, and other drugs, which, when burnt
in a confinedroom, would have the effect of causing the patient to
sup