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seems particular to the child, who was the subject of our last little historical account. When I have brought examples, and the opinions of wise philosophers, and the evidence of undeniable witnesses, which one would think sufficient to evince persons of the commerce men have with spirits, if they were not past all sense of conviction, I shall, not so much to corroborate what I say as to shame some wiseacres, who would by their frail reason scan all things, and pretend to solve the mysteries ascribed to spirits as facts merely natural, and who would banish from the thoughts of men all belief of spirits whatsoever, I shall, I say, in order to put to shame these wiseacres, if they have any shame left, produce the opinions of the fathers, as divines, show the doctrines of spirits in general to be consistent with Christianity, that they are delivered in the Scripture and by Christian tradition; in which, if they will not acquiesce, I shall leave them to the labyrinth of their own wild opinions, which in the end will so perplex their judgments of things, that they will be never able to extricate themselves; and these different heads will be the subject of the chapter ensuing, and will, or I am greatly mistaken, form both an instructive, edifying, and entertaining discourse, for a reader really and truly intelligent, and that has a good taste and relish for sublime things.

CHAPTER FIVE

AN ARGUMENT PROVING THE

PERCEPTION WHICH MEN

HAVE, AND HAVE HAD, BY ALL THE SENSES, AS
SEEING, HEARING, ETC., OF DEMONS, GENII, OR
FAMILIAR SPIRITS.

T is said in the ninth book of the Morals of Aristotle, it is better to come at the probable knowledge of some things above us in the heavens, than to be capable of giving many demonstrations relating to things here below. This is no doubt an admirable proposition, and speaks the lofty aims of that sublime mind from whence it proceeded. Among all the disquisitions in this kind, none seem to me more excellent than those which treat concerning the genii that attend upon men, and guide them in the actions of life. A genius or demon of the good kind, is a sort of mediate being, between human and divine, which gives the mind of man a pleasant conjunction with the angelic and celestial faculties, and brings down to earth a faint participation of the joys of heaven. That there have been such fortunate attendants upon wise men we have many rare instances; they have been ascribed to Socrates, Aristotle, Plotinus, Porphyrius, Jamblicus, Chicus, Scaliger, and Cardan. The most celebrated of all these ancients was Socrates; and

as for his having a genius, or demon, we have the testimonies of Plato, Xenophon, and Antisthenes, his contemporaries, confirmed by Laertius, Plutarch, Maximus, Tyrius, Dion, Chrysostomus, Cicero, Apuleius, Ficinus, and others, many of the moderns, besides Tertullian, Origen, Clemens Alexandrinus, Austin, and others; and Socrates himself, in "Plato's Theage," says, "By some divine lot I have a certain demon, which has followed me from my childhood as an oracle,” and in the same place intimates that the way he gained his instruction was by hearing the demon's voice. Nothing is certainly so easy as for men to be able to contradict things, though never so well attested with such an air of truth, as to make the truth of the history doubted by others as well as themselves, where no demonstrative proof can be brought to convince them. This has been the easy task of those who object against the demon of Socrates; but when no demonstrative proof is to be had on either side, does not wisdom incline us to lead to the most probable? Let us then consider whether the evidences are not more credible, and witnesses of such a thing are not persons of more authority than these men are, who vouchsafe to give no reason but their own incredulity for maintaining the contrary, and whether those therefore, by the right rule of judging, ought not much sooner than these, to gain over our assent to their assertions.

We will, however, laying aside the histories of those ancient times, the sense whereof, by various readings and interpretations being put upon the words, is rendered obscure and almost unintelligible,

descend to more modern relations, the facts whereof shall be placed beyond doubt, by reason of the evidences we will bring to attest them, and shall consequently prove the perception men have of spirits, or genii, by every sense.

SECTION I.

We will first begin as to the perception of spirits by the sight.

Mr. Glanvil, in his collections of relations for proving apparitions, spirits, &c., tells us of an Irishman that had like to have been carried away by spirits, and of the ghost of a man who had been seven years dead, that brought a medicine to his bedside.

The relation is thus:

A gentleman in Ireland, near to the Earl of Orrery's, sending his butler one afternoon to buy cards; as he passed a field, to his wonder, he espied a company of people sitting round a table, with a deal of good cheer before them, in the midst of the field; and he going up towards them they all arose and saluted him, and desired him to sit down with. them; but one of them whispered these words into his ear: "Do nothing this company invites you to." Hereupon he refused to sit down at the table, and immediately table and all that belonged to it were gone, and the company were now dancing and playing upon musical instruments; and the butler being desired to join himself with them, but he refusing this also, they all fall to work, and he not being to be prevailed with, to accompany them in working, any more than in feasting or dancing, they

all disappeared, and the butler is now alone; but instead of going forwards, home he returns, as fast as he could drive, in a great consternation, and was no sooner entered his master's door but he fell down, and lay some time senseless; but coming again to himself, he related to his master what had passed.

The night following there comes one of his company to his bedside and tells him, that if he offered to stir out of doors the next day he would be carried away. Hereupon he kept within; but towards the evening, having occasion to make water, he adventured to put one foot over the threshold, several standing by, which he had no sooner done, but they espied a rope cast about his middle; and the poor man was hurried away with great swiftness, they following him as fast as they could, but could not overtake him. At length they espied a horseman coming towards him, and made signs to him to stop the man whom he saw coming near him, and both ends of the rope, but nobody drawing; when they met, he laid hold of one end of the rope, and immediately had a smart blow given him over his arm with the other end; but by this means the man was stopped, and the horseman brought him back with him.

The Earl of Orrery, hearing of these strange passages, sent to the master to desire him to send this man to his house, which he accordingly did; and the morning following, or quickly after, he told the earl that his spectre had been with him again, and assured him that that day he should most certainly be carried away, and that no endeavours should avail