Chapter 15

15. AMONG other Inƒtances of undoubted Verity, proving in theƒe the Being of ƒuch aerial People, or Species of Creatures not vulgarly known, I add the ƒubƒequent Relations, ƒome whereof I have from my Acquaintance with the Actors and Patients, and the Reƒt from the Eye-witneƒƒes to the Matter of Fact. The firƒt whereof ƒhall be of the Woman taken out of her Child-bed, and having a lingring Image of her ƒubƒtituted Bodie in her Roome, which Reƒemblance decay'd, dy'd, and was bur'd. But the Perƒon ƒtollen returning to her Huƒband after two Years Space, he being convinced by many undenyable Tokens that ƒhe

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was his former Wyfe, admitted her Home, and had diverƒe Children by her. Among other Reports ƒhe gave her Huƒband, this was one: That ƒhe perceived litle what they did in the ƒpacious Houƒe ƒhe lodg'd in, untill ƒhe anointed one of her Eyes with a certain Unction that was by her; which they perceaving to have acqainted her with their Actions, they fain'd her blind of that Eye with a Puff of their Breath. She found the Place full of Light, without any Fountain or Lamp from whence it did ƒpring. This Perƒon lived in the Countrey nixt to that of my laƒt Reƒidence, and might furniƒh Matter of Diƒpute amongƒt Caƒuiƒts, whither if her Huƒband had been mary'd in the Interim of her two Years Abƒence, he was oblidged to divorƒe from the ƒecond Spouƒe at the Return of the firƒt. There is ane Airt, appearingly without Superƒtition, for recovering of ƒuch as are ƒtolen, but think it ƒuperfluous to inƒert it.

I SAW a Woman of fourtie Years of Age, and examined her (having another Clergie Man in my Companie) about a Report that paƒt of

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her long faƒting, [her Name is not intyre.] ¹ It was told by them of the Houƒe, as well as her ƒelfe, that ƒhe tooke verie little or no Food for ƒeverall Years paƒt; that ƒhe tarried in the Fields over Night, ƒaw and converƒed with a People ƒhe knew not, having wandered in ƒeeking of her Sheep, and ƒleep't upon a Hillock, and finding her ƒelf tranƒported to another Place before Day. The Woman had a Child ƒince that Time, and is ƒtill prettie melanchollyous and ƒilent, hardly ever ƒeen to laugh. Her natural Heat and radical Moiƒture ƒeem to be equally balanced, lyke ane unextinguiƒhed Lamp, and going in a Circle, not unlike to the faint Lyfe of Bees, and ƒome Sort of Birds, that ƒleep all the Winter over, and revive in the Spring.

IT is uƒuall in all magicall Airts to have the Candidates prepoƒƒeƒƒit with a Believe of their Tutor's Skill, and Ability to perform their Feats, and act their jugling Pranks and Legerdemain; but a Perƒon called Stewart, poƒƒeƒƒed with a prejudice at that was ƒpoken of the 2d Sight,

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and living near to my Houƒe, was ƒoe put to it by a Seer, before many Witneƒƒes, that he loƒt his Speech and Power of his Legs, and breathing exceƒƒively, as if expyring, becauƒe of the many fearfull Wights that appeared to him. The Companie were forced to carrie him into the Houƒe.

IT is notoriouƒly known what in Killin, within Perthƒhire, fell tragically out with a Yeoman that liv'd hard by, who coming into a Companie within ane Ale-houƒe, where a Seer ƒat at Table, that at the Sight of the Intrant Neighbour, the Seer ƒtarting, roƒe to go out of the Hous; and being aƒked the Reaƒon of his haƒt, told that the intrant Man ƒhould die within two Days; at which News the named Intrant ƒlabb'd the Seer, and was himƒelf executed two Days after for the Fact.

A MINISTER, verie intelligent, but miƒbelieving all ƒuch Sights as were not ordinar, chanceing to be in a narrow Lane with a Seer, who perceaving a Wight of a known Viƒage furioƒlie to encounter them, the Seer deƒired the Miniƒter to turn out of the Way; who ƒcorning his

Reaƒon

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[paragraph continues] Reaƒon, and holding him ƒelfe in the Path with them, when the Seer was going haƒtily out of the Way, they were both violently caƒt a ƒide to a good Diƒtance, and the Fall made them lame for all their Lyfe. A little after the Miniƒter was carried Home, one came to tol the Bell for the Death of the Man whoƒe Repreƒentation met them in the narrow Path ƒome Halfe ane Hour before.

ANOTHER Example is: A Seer in Kintyre, in Scotland, ƒitting at Table with diverƒe others, ƒuddenly did caƒt his Head aƒide. The Companie aƒking him why he did it, he anƒwered, that ƒuch a Friend of his, by Name, then in Ireland, threatened immediately to caƒt a Diƒhfull of Butter in his Face. The Men wrote down the Day and Hour, and ƒent to the Gentleman to know the Truth; which Deed the Gentleman declared he did at that verie Time, for he knew that his Friend was a Seer, and would make ƒport with it. The Men that were preƒent, and examined the Matter exactly, told me this Story; and with all, that a Seer would with all his Opticks perceive no other Object ƒo readily as this, at ƒuch a Diƒtance.

Footnotes

35:1 Thus in the manuscript, which is only a Transcript of Mr. Kirk's Original. Perhaps M'Intyre?