Chapter 12

12. As our Religion oblidges us not to make a peremptory and curious Search into theƒe Obƒtruƒeneƒƒes, ƒo that the Hiƒtories of all Ages give as many plain Examples of extraordinary

Occurrances

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[paragraph continues] Occurrances as make a modeƒt Inquiry not contemptable. How much is written of Pigme's, Fairies, Nymphs, Syrens, Apparitions, which tho not the tenth Part true, yet could not ƒpring of nothing! Even Engliƒh Authors relate (of) Barry Iƒland, in Glamorganƒhire, that laying your Ear into a Clift of the Rocks, blowing of Bellows, ƒtricking of Hammers, claƒhing of Armour, fyling of Iron, will be heard diƒtinctly ever ƒince Merlin inchaunted thoƒe ƒubterranean Wights to a ƒolid manuall forging of Arm's to Aurelius Ambroƒius and his Brittans, till he returned; which Merlin being killed in a Battell, and not coming to looƒe the Knot, theƒe active Vulcans are there ty'd to a perpetuall Labour. But to dip no deeper into this Well, I will nixt give ƒome Account how the Seer my Informer comes to have this ƒecret Way of Correƒpondence beyond other Mortalls.

THERE be odd Solemnities at inveƒting a Man with the Priviledges of the whole Miƒtery of this Second Sight. He muƒt run a Tedder of Hair (which bound a Corps to the Bier) in a Helix [?] about his Midle, from End to End;

then

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then bow his Head downwards, as did Elijah, 1 Kings, 18. 42. and look back thorough his Legs untill he ƒie a Funerall advance till the People croƒs two Marches; or look thus back thorough a Hole where was a Knot of Fir. But if the Wind change Points while the Hair Tedder is ty'd about him, he is in Peril of his Lyfe. The uƒewall Method for a curious Perƒon to get a tranƒient Sight of this otherwiƒe inviƒible Crew of Subterraneans, (if impotently and over raƒhly ƒought,) is to put his [left Foot under the Wizard's right] Foot, and the Seer's Hand is put on the Inquirer's Head, who is to look over the Wizard's right Shoulder, (which hes ane ill Appearance, as if by this Ceremony ane implicit Surrender were made of all betwixt the Wizard's Foot and his Hand, ere the Perƒon can be admitted a privado to the Airt;) then will he ƒee a Multitude of Wight's, like furious hardie Men, flocking to him haiƒtily from all Quarters, as thick as Atoms in the Air; which are no Nonentities or Phantaƒms, Creatures proceiding from ane affrighted Apprehenƒione, confuƒed or crazed Senƒe, but Realities, appear-

ing

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ing to a ƒtable Man in his awaking Senƒe, and enduring a rationall Tryall of their Being. Thes thorow Fear ƒtrick him breathleƒs and ƒpeechleƒs. The Wizard, defending the Lawfullneƒs of his Skill, forbids ƒuch Horror, and comforts his Novice by telling of Zacharias, as being ƒtruck ƒpeechleƒs at ƒeeing Apparitions, Luke, 1. 20. Then he further maintains his Airt, by vouching Eliƒha to have had the ƒame, and diƒcloƒ'd it thus unto his Servant in 2 Kings, 6. 17. when he blinded the Syrians; and Peter in Act, 5. 9. forƒeing the Death of Saphira, by perceaving as it were her Winding-ƒheet about her before hand; and Paul, in 2nd Corinth. 12. 4. who got ƒuch a Viƒion and Sight as ƒhould not, nor could be told. Eliƒha alƒo in his Chamber ƒaw Gehazi his Servant, at a great Diƒtance, taking a reward from Naaman, 2d Kings, 5. 26. Hence were the Prophets frequently called SEERS, or Men of a 2d or more exhalted Sight than others. He acts for his Purpoƒe alƒo Math. 4. 8. where the Devil undertakes to give even Jeƒus a Sight of all Nations, and the fineƒt Things in the World, at one Glance, tho in

their

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their naturall Situations and Stations at a vaƒt Diƒtance from other. And 'tis ƒaid expreƒly he did let ƒie them; not in a Map it ƒeems, nor by a phantaƒtick magicall jugling of the Sight, which he could not impoƒe upon ƒo diƒcovering a Perƒon. It would appear then to have been a Sight of real ƒolid Subƒtances, and Things of worth, which he intended as a Bait for his Purpoƒe. Whence it might ƒeem, (compairing this Relation of Math. 4. 8. with the former,) that the extraordinary or Second Sight can be given by the Miniƒtery of bad as weill as good Spirits to thoƒe that will embrace it. And the Inƒtance of Balaam and the Pytheniƒs make it nothing the leƒs probable. Thus alƒo the Seer trains his Scholler, by telling of the Gradations of Nature, ordered by a wiƒe Provydence; that as the Sight of Bats and Owls tranƒcend that of Shrews and Moles, ƒo the viƒive Faculties of Men are clearer than thoƒe of Owls; as Eagles, Lynxs, and Cats are brighter than Mens. And again, that Men of the Second Sight (being deƒigned to give warnings againƒt ƒecret Engyns) ƒurpaƒs the ordinary Viƒion of other

Men

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[paragraph continues] Men, which is a native Habit in ƒome, deƒcended from their Anceƒtors, and acquired as ane artificiall Improvement of their natural Sight in others; reƒembling in their own Kynd the uƒuall artificiall Helps of optic Glaƒƒes, (as Proƒpectives, Teleƒcopes, and Microƒcopes,) without which aƒcititious Aids thoƒe Men here treated of do perceive Things that, for their Smallneƒs, or Subtility, and Secrecy, are inviƒible to others, tho dayly converƒant with them; they having ƒuch a Beam continuallie about them as that of the Sun, which when it ƒhines clear only, lets common Eyes ƒee the Atomes, in the Air, that without thoƒe Rayes they could not diƒcern; for ƒome have this Second Sight tranƒmitted from Father to Sone thorow the whole Family, without their own Conƒent or others teaching, proceeding only from a Bounty of Providence it ƒeems, or by Compact, or by a complexionall Quality of the firƒt Acquirer. As it may ƒeem alike ƒtrange (yet nothing vicious) in ƒuch as Maƒter Great-rake, ¹ the Iriƒh Stroaker, Seventh-ƒons, and others that cure the King's Evill,

and

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and chaƒe away Deƒeaƒes and Pains, with only ƒtroaking of the affected Pairt; which (if it be not the Reliques of miraculous Operations, or ƒome ƒecret Virtue in the Womb, of the Parent, which increaƒeth until Seventh-ƒons be borne, and decreaƒeth by the ƒame Degrees afterwards,) proceids only from the ƒanitive Balƒome of their healthfull Contƒitutions; Virtue going out from them by ƒpirituous Effluxes unto the Patient, and their vigorous healthy Spirits affecting the ƒick as uƒewally the unhealthy Fumes of the ƒick infect the ƒound and whole.

Footnotes

30:1 Note ( e1), p. 88.