CONTEN

LETTER I.

Origin of the general Opinions respecting Demonology among Mankind-The Belief in the Immortality of the Soul is the main inducement to credit its occasional reappearance-The Philosophical Objections to the Apparition of an Abstract Spirit little understood by the Vulgar and Ignorant-The situations of excited Passion incident to Humanity, which teach Men to wish or apprehend Supernatural Apparitions-They are often presented by the Sleeping Sense-Story of Somnambulism -The Influence of Credulity contagious, so that Individuals will trust the Evidence of others in despite of their own Senses-Examples from the Historia Verdadera of Bernal Dias del Castillo, and from the Works of Patrick Walker-The apparent Evidence of Intercourse with the Supernatural World is sometimes owing to a depraved state of the bodily Organs-Difference between this Disorder and Insanity, in which the Organs retain their tone, though that of the Mind is lost-Rebellion of the Senses of a Lunatic against the current of his Reveries -Narratives of a contrary nature, in which the Evidence of the Eyes overbore the Conviction of the Understanding -Example of a London Man of Pleasure-Of Nicolai, the German bookseller and Philosopher-Of a Patient of

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Dr. Gregory-Of an Eminent Scottish Lawyer deceased

-Of this same fallacious Disorder are other instances,

which have but sudden and momentary Endurance-

Apparition of Maupertuis-Of a late illustrious Modern

Poet-The Cases quoted chiefly relating to false Impres-

sions on the Visual Nerve, those upon the Ear next con-

sidered-Delusions of the Touch chiefly experienced in

Sleep-Delusions of the Taste-and of the Smelling-

Sum of the Argument

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1

LETTER II.

Consequences of the Fall on the communication between

Men and the Spiritual World-Effects of the Flood-

Wizards of Pharaoh-Text in Exodus against Witches-

The word Witch is by some said to mean merely Poisoner

-Or, if in the Holy Text it also means a Divineress, she

must, at any rate, have been a character very different

to be identified with it-The original, Chasaph, said to

mean a person who dealt in Poisons, often a traffic of

those who dealt with Familiar Spirits-But different from

the European Witch of the Middle Ages-Thus a Witch

is not accessory to the temptation of Job-The Witch of

the Hebrews probably did not rank higher than a Di-

vining Woman-Yet it was a crime deserving the doom

of Death, since it inferred the disowning of Jehovah's

Supremacy-Other texts of Scripture, in like manner,

refer to something corresponding more with a Fortune-

Teller or Divining Woman, than what is now called a

Witch-Example of the Witch of Endor--Account of her

meeting with Saul-Supposed by some a mere Impostor

-By others a Sorceress powerful enough to raise the

Spirit of the Prophet by her own Art-Difficulties at-

tending both positions-A middle course adopted, sup-

posing that, as in the case of Balak, the Almighty had,

by exertion of his will, substituted Samuel, or a good

spirit in his character, for the deception which the Witch

intended to produce-Resumption of the Argument,

showing that the Witch of Endor signified something

very different from the modern ideas of Witchcraft-

The Witches mentioned in the New Testament are not

less different from modern ideas, than those of the Books

of Moses, nor do they appear to have possessed the power

ascribed to Magicians—Articles of Faith which we may

gather from Scripture on this point-That there might

be certain Powers permitted by the Almighty to inferior,

and even Evil Spirits, is possible; and, in some sense,

the Gods of the Heathens might be accounted Demons-

More frequently, and in a general sense, they were but

logs of wood, without sense or power of any kind, and

their worship founded on Imposture-Opinion that the

Oracles were silenced at the Nativity, adopted by Milton

-Cases of Demoniacs--The incarnate Possessions pro-

bably ceased at the same time as the intervention of

Miracles-Opinion of the Catholics-Result that Witch-

craft, as the word is interpreted in the Middle Ages,

neither occurs under the Mosaic nor Gospel Dispensation

-It arose in the ignorant period, when the Christians

considered the Gods of the Mahomedan or Heathen

Nations as Fiends, and their Priests as Conjurors or

Wizards-Instance as to the Saracens, and among the

Northern Europeans yet unconverted-The Gods of

Mexico and Peru explained on the same system-Also

the Powahs of North America-Opinion of Mather-

Gibb, a supposed Warlock, persecuted by the other

Dissenters-Conclusion

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48

LETTER III.

Creed of Zoroaster-Received partially into most Heathen

Nations-Instances among the Celtic Tribes of Scotland

-Beltane Feast-Gudeman's Croft-Such abuses ad-

mitted into Christianity after the earlier Ages of the

Church-Law of the Romans against Witchcraft-

Roman Customs survive the fall of their Religion-

Instances-Demonology of the Northern Barbarians—

Nicksas-Bhar-geist-Correspondence between the Nor-

thern and Roman Witches-The power of Fascination

ascribed to the Sorceresses-Example from the Eyrbiggia

Saga-The Prophetesses of the Germans-The Gods of

Valhalla not highly regarded by their Worshippers-

Often defied by the Champions-Demons of the North-

Story of Assueit and Asmund-Action of Ejectment

against Spectres-Adventure of a Champion with the

Goddess Freya-Conversion of the Pagans of Iceland to

Christianity-Northern Superstitions mixed with those

of the Celts-Satyrs of the North-Highland Ourisk-

Meming the Satyr

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85

LETTER IV.

The Fairy Superstition is derived from different sources—

The Classical Worship of the Silvans, or Rural Deities,

proved by Roman Altars discovered-The Gothic Duer-

gar, or Dwarfs, supposed to be derived from the Northern

Laps or Fins-The Niebelungen-Lied-King Laurin's

Adventure-Celtic Fairies of a gayer character, yet their

pleasures empty and illusory-Addicted to carry off

Human Beings, both Infants and Adults-Adventures of

a Butler in Ireland-The Elves supposed to pay a Tax

to Hell-The Irish, Welsh, Highlanders, and Manxmen,

held the same belief-It was rather rendered more gloomy

by the Northern Traditions-Merlin and Arthur carried

off by the Fairies-Also Thomas of Erceldoune-His

Amour with the Queen of Elfland-His reappearance in

latter times-Another Account from Reginald Scot-

Conjectures on the derivation of the word Fairy

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LETTER V.

Those who dealt in Fortune-telling, mystical cures by

Charms, and the like, often claimed an intercourse with

Fairy Land-Hudhart or Hudikin-Pitcairn's Scottish

Criminal Trials-Story of Bessie Dunlop and her Adviser

-Her Practice of Medicine-and of Discovery of Theft

-Account of her Familiar, Thom Reid-Trial of Alison

Pearson-Account of her Familiar, William Sympson-

Trial of the Lady Fowlis, and of Hector Munro, her

Stepson-Extraordinary Species of Charm used by the

latter-Confession of John Stewart, a Juggler, of his

intercourse with the Fairies-Trial and Confession of

Isobel Gowdie-Use of Elf-arrow Heads-Parish of Aber-

foil-Mr. Kirk, the Minister of Aberfoil's Work on

Fairy Superstitions-He is himself taken to Fairy Land

-Dr. Grahame's interesting Work, and his information

on Fairy Superstitions-Story of a Female in East

Lothian carried off by the Fairies-Another instance

from Pennant

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138

LETTER VI.

Immediate Effect of Christianity on Articles of Popular

Superstition-Chaucer's Account of the Roman Catholic

Priests banishing the Fairies-Bishop Corbet imputes

the same Effect to the Reformation-his Verses on

that Subject-his Iter Boreale-Robin Goodfellow,

and other Superstitions mentioned by Reginald Scot-

Character of the English Fairies-The Tradition had

become obsolete in that Author's time-That of Witches

remained in vigour-but impugned by various Authors

after the Reformation, as Wierus, Naudæus, Scot, and

others-Demonology defended by Bodinus, Remigius,